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Hermione was hot. The young woman didn’t know what else to feel in this exact moment. She was currently in the middle of some club in Las Vegas. It was Draco and Harry’s wedding week and Ron thought it would be a great idea for everyone invited, to spend the grooms’ final bachelor weekend in the city of sin. Hermione was reluctant to say the least. From the stories she’s heard from coworkers and movies she’s seen, the bright and cautious lawyer knew that nothing good ever came from trips here. The young woman was currently nursing a dirty martini at the bar while watching over the dance floor. She smiled as her sights landed on the blonde haired best friend of hers. Draco was never the best dancer outside of ballroom customs he grew up learning due to family background, so it was always a sight to see whenever he did try. He was currently shaking his hips alongside a ginger haired girl, who was at least doing a better job at dancing than the boy was. Ginny Weasley, or Ginevra, although she hates how old it sounds, was another good friend of Hermione and like another sister to Draco. She was in fact the actual sister to Ronald Weasley, the einstein behind this adventure and bestfriend to Harry Potter, the other groom. The trio were inseparable since childhood when they all met during  the first annual meeting of the slug club at their school for a select few top students. Their teacher, aptly named, Dr. Slughorn had been insufferable but the friends knew he meant no harm and would indulge the eccentric old man with their wild antics during the meetings.

Chuckling as the dancing pair now approached her, Hermione decided to down the rest of her drink and order a water for her two friends. She clearly wasn’t the only one who felt like they were on fire if the sheens of sweat on the other two were anything to go by. Draco was the first to meet her, clumsily sitting on the stool to her left while Ginny took the other to her right. Realising too late what just silently happened, Hermione tensed. “NO.”

Thanking the bartender for their drinks, Ginny turns to the girl “No?! Mione! What’s the point of coming to the club then if you won’t dance?” Her voice was raspy, all that dancing without much drinking in between left her dehydrated.

“You both know it was either here or going with Harry’s group to the male strip club or staying with our parents. This was literally the only sane choice.” grinning Hermione ignored the defeated look on her ginger friend’s face and felt the sudden need for a stronger drink. She ordered 12 shots. Hopefully, this would get her friends off her back about dancing. She’ll drink with them, but the brunette wasn’t in the mood for hot and sweaty bodies rubbing against her. Not now, anyways. Feeling an arm come over her shoulder, Hermione turned to her friend, eyeing the nearly intoxicated being. “How about we make a bet. The first one to down all their shots the fastest wins. When Ginny or I win, you will have to come dance with us.” Arching an eyebrow, Hermione tried her best to seem disinterested. She hated how these two always seemed to use challenges to trick her into messy situations. She fell for it, every single time.

“And what do I get if I win?”

Ginny started laughing. Hermione looked at her confused. Smiling she told her “It’s cute you think you’ll win.” She then fist bumped Draco, both knowing how well their plan was going to work out. All three turned towards the bar in time to see the bartender lay out twelve shot glasses. Four in front of each person. Deciding on something strong, Hermione went with vodka. Blaming herself for not seeing a situation like this happening, she knew that she’d come to regret it the following morning. But for now, it was bottoms up!

“Wooooooh!” Shouted Draco as he slammed his final shot glass onto the bar. Hermione had just finished her third and was reaching for her final when the boy had finished. Forgetting about her drink, the girl turned to him with a look of disbelief. No more than a minute could have passed since they started, did this boy drink vodka like water? Hermione thought. Grinning at her knowing they won, the two now smug friends brought Hermione’s last shot to her lips silently demanding she finish it. Gulping down the burning liquid, Hermione took a sip of whatever was left of Ginny’s water and let her way too happy friends drag her to the center of the dance floor.

Trying her best to ignore all the body heat surrounding her, Hermione closed her eyes and focused on the music. After some time just rocking to the rhythm, the young woman started to loosen up and move her hips with more precision. It was a little secret of hers, but Hermione really enjoyed dancing. Especially, sensual dances of the body. When the DJ started playing one of her favorite r&b songs, Hermione turned to Ginny and started gyrating on the girl’s front. Catching onto what was happening, Ginny matched Hermione’s motion and pace fast. Both girls went on to dance with each other, switching positions and tempo with every song. Draco wasn’t too far away admiring both beauties enjoying each other’s dance. He wasn’t the only one either. Many of the dancers had stopped to watch the two girls dance the night away.

At some point, the heat behind Hermione shifted. Ginny had needed to use the bathroom and so Draco decided to escort her since Hermione was now under the spell of all the alcohol she consumed that night. She didn’t want to stop dancing.

The feeling of ice cold hands gripping her waist caused Hermione to jump a little out of her little haze. Her back was on fire due to the person behind. What a contrast from this person’s touch and their body heat. Wanting to know who this person was, that was now matching her rhythm and pace, amazingly if she may say, Hermione tried to turn around only to feel the same ice cold fingers dig into her hip bone harshly. Taking that as a warning against turning around, Hermione went back to dancing with the stranger. In her alcohol clouded brain, the brunette decided to lean into the body behind. A heavy sigh escaped her when she felt the softness of breasts press into her back. The stranger was a woman, she noted. At least she didn’t have to cause a seen with trying to get a guy off her. Situations like those never ended well for the guy and Hermione felt too good at the moment to ending her mood so quickly. Grinding harder into the body behind, Hermione brought the cold hands from her hips and encircled her waist. At this, there was a deep, airy chuckle in her ear. The sound sent a spike of arousal through the brunette.

There was a kiss to the back of her neck. Hermione couldn’t stop herself from leaning into the feeling. She thought she felt hot earlier, but she was wrong. Right now, in this exact moment, the girl felt like she was standing in the earth’s core. Licking her suddenly dry lips Hermione unconsciously angled her neck, giving the mysterious woman more area to continue her minstatrations. Another chuckle was heard as the woman leaned into her ear. Lips brushing against the shell, the woman husked “Is this how you greet all your exes, pet?” A tongue snaked out to lick the length of her ear before the woman stepped back.

Feeling like she was thrusted into the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, Hermione straightened and turned around abruptly. Trying to ignore the voice in her head reasoning why the heat felt familiar to her and why she felt sad at the sudden coldness without it, Hermione locked eyes with her ex lover. She was still too intoxicated to panic properly but she was still shocked no less. Trying to make sure her voice doesn’t waiver, Hermione took a breath to calm her pounding heart before addressing the woman she once thought was her world. Her night couldn’t have taken such a terrible turn, the girl thought.

“What are you doing here, Bellatrix”

Chapter Text

Bellatrix grinned. She’d been watching the girl all night from her booth in the VIP section. She was confused as to why her nephew never came over. He knew that anyone of the Malfoy or Black name would have access to all the amenities available at Crucio; no matter the location. It was Bella’s club after all. Giving up on watching the young woman she was dancing with a few moments ago physically fight for sobriety, the older woman decided to head back to her table. All this standing was killing her mood, fast.

She’d seen when the girl, her nephew, and their ginger friend all took shots way too fast. Bella had chuckled when she noticed how the curly haired brunette seemed to have lost a bet with the other two friends. It was amusing seeing the trio together. They always seemed to attract trouble and mischief where ever they went. Once on the dance floor, Bella knew she wouldn’t be satisfied with just watching her ex lover from afar much longer. Never one to pass up on an opportunity to crawl under the brunette’s skin, Bella had decided to join her for a dance. Why did she wait until her nephew and the ginger left to approach, you may ask. Oh, that’s simple. Hermione was Bellatrix’s best kept secret and Bella, the girl’s secret pleasure. They’d been skirting around their attraction for each other when Hermione first met the Black matriarch in her early twenties at a Malfoy Family dinner. Fortunately, if you ask Bellatrix, the tension between them reached its peak the night of Narcissa’s New Years Eve Ball. Drunk and high off of each other, the women brought that new year in with an intense night in bed. From there, the women kept in contact in secret. Hermione feared that the relationship could possibly ruin her friendship with the Malfoy heir if her and Bella went public. Out of respect, although upset, Bellatrix had complied. She’d acquiesced many of Hermione’s decisions during their relationship. The young lawyer never realised how much of Bellatrix’s heart she had in her hands.

Signaling a waiter to bring her another bottle of Jack Daniels, Bellatrix sat down facing the dance floor. She noticed that the girl was no longer standing where she left her. ‘Must have gone to check on the other two’ Bella thought. Shame; Bella was looking forward to enjoying her week in Vegas and hoped for a great starter this weekend.

“I see your drinking habits haven’t changed.” Bellatrix smirked as she watched Hermione place the Jack that she ordered on the table while making herself comfortable across from her. Grabbing the bottle and her empty cup, the older woman poured a shot’s worth into the glass and downed it. Seeing her quirked eyebrow, asking silently. Hermione said “I tried following and got lost. So, when I saw the waitress carrying a Jack Daniels over here, I took a guess and told her I’d deliver it myself.” Bellatrix grunted noncommittally in response, relaxing as the liquor settled in her.

“Is there any particular reason you’re here, Hermione?”

“You never answered my question.” She said.

“You didn’t answer mine.” At this, a look of confusion crossed the brunette’s face. Bellatrix had to stop herself from smiling. She always found the faces the younger woman would make when she was thinking to be adorable. Leaning forward, Bella decided to pour herself more whiskey. Taking a sip, she slid another glass towards the girl. “You need a drink.”

Accepting the drink without any protest, maybe not even realising it. Bella internally smiled at how the girl still listens to her without a thought. Hermione hated Whiskey, but she’d always drink it with Bella. “Still didn’t figure it out yet, kitten?” Bella grinned, watching as Hermione proceeded to struggle with swallowing after hearing her favorite pet name being used. Deciding not to push the girl too far too soon, Bella repeated the question. “I said, Is that how you great all your ex lovers, pet ?” She was on her third drink now. The liquor was warming up her insides. That was good, she needed to calm down. Her body had been tense since she laid eyes on the woman she gave her heart to at the beginning of the night. Bellatrix hadn’t seen Hermione since the night they parted ways. She wouldn’t tell anyone this, but she never wanted to end it. The separation nearly drove her mad having to cope without the young woman no longer with her. Her sisters had tried figuring out what was the problem but out of respect for Hermione’s wishes she never told them just what was happening to her heart. Moving onto her fourth drink in such a short period, Bellatrix eyed the woman she loved as she sipped her glass of whiskey. She had to give the girl credit, the once easily flustered young woman seemed to no longer blush under Bella’s intense stares. ‘She must have truly moved on’ Bellatrix thought. Not wanting to fall deeper into this mood of hers, Bellatrix decided to forgo the glass and drink straight from the bottle. She couldn’t stay sober much longer while the younger woman was around.

Sighing, Hermione looked towards the woman she once called the love of her life. She was as stunning as ever. She didn’t want to admit it but she missed her so much that it physically hurt on some days. Their split was for the best she had to tell herself often. Drinking all that was left of the glass, Hermione decided to ignore the question, not wanting to start a conversation they didn’t need to have at the moment and sent a text to Draco telling him where she was.

“I didn’t realise this was one of yours.” The brunette spoke up after what felt like forever to Bellatrix, motioning vaguely around them.

“Yeah. I have a couple in California and New York as well. It was a recent business venture I started.” nodding Hermione looked away from piercing black eyes. Checking her messages, she saw that Draco had taken Ginny back to the hotel for the night since she hadn’t been feeling well. She asked if he needed help but the blonde boy told her to enjoy her night out and that the a car will pick her up when she’s done for the night.

Bellatrix looked up when she noticed a hand stretch out for her. “Come dance with me. I promise I’ll behave myself” said the brunette with a cheeky grin. “I don’t think I’ll be able to promise the same, pet.” The two slightly intoxicated women escaped their awkwardness on the dance floor. Turning away from Bella, Hermione started dancing to the music. The DJ was playing what sounded like Caribbean music. Moving her hips to the rhythm, Hermione lost herself to the sounds and energy of the people around her. Bellatrix stood there in a daze as she watched the young vixen in front of her move. Grabbing her hips roughly, Bella decided to join Hermione in her fun and started grinding on her backside to the girl’s movements. Both women were drunk off the closeness of each other. They’d decided to continue dancing, switching positions and pace for what felt like hours. Many of the patrons had stopped many times to watch them, some even made attempts to join.

“Hey, do you wanna get out of here?” Bellatrix asked. Both women had finally cooled down after such a heated dancing session neither wanted to speak about. The club was nearing closing time anyways, and despite knowing she’d see the brunette around, this coming week, Bella didn’t want to let her go for the night. Just for a night, Bellatrix wanted to pretend like things were alright in the world. Hermione on the other hand, hadn’t been thinking much of anything since the older woman started grinding on her when they were dancing. The young lawyer didn’t want to admit it to herself, but her body still responded sharply to Bellatrix’s and she craved it in this very moment.

“Yes. I think I need some fresh air or I’ll combust.”

The cool Vegas night air was as refreshing as ever. It cleared all of Bellatrix’s senses. Turning to look at her younger partner, she watched as Hermione stood near the edge of the street and inhaled deeply. It seems the brunette really was in need of fresh air. Now that her mind was a bit clearer, Bellatrix was able to appreciate Hermione’s attire. The girl knew how to dress. Standing there in a black, front zip, off the shoulder cocktail dress and a simple pair of black Mary Jane pumps to match, Bellatrix felt the familiar spark of arousal in the pit of her stomach. She really wanted to taste the brunette. Deciding right now wouldn’t be all too appropriate for such activities Bellatrix decided to start walking down the street. She wasn’t sure where she was heading but she needed to occupy herself before she ended up fucking Hermione in an alleyway against her club. It wouldn’t have been their first time in that position either.

“Isn’t the night beautiful!” Hermione whispered. She didn’t really know why she was suddenly so quiet around the older woman. The cool breeze on her skin may have sobered her up enough to realise the type of situation this night can become if she isn’t careful. But a major part of her, the part that still yearns for this dark haired woman, wants to throw all caution to the wind and live a little. Turning to Bellatrix, a thought occurred to Hermione. Grabbing her partner’s hand, the brunette flagged down a taxi. Without arguing, Bellatrix followed the girl in amusement. She trusted Hermione with her life after all. The driver was instructed to take them to the Stratosphere Tower. Hermione had the sudden urge to eat, something she refuses to attribute with Bellatrix. She ignores the voice in her head that mocked her about her sudden dislike of many foods after her split from the raven haired woman. To Hermione, her split from Bellatrix impacted her positively. Other’s and the voices in her head would proudly disagree.

“You’re hungry?” After hearing where the girl was taking them, Bellatrix assumed it was for the restaurant. She remembered how much Hermione loved going to restaurants. Her ex loved food, even ones she’s never even heard of.

“Yeah. I haven’t actually eaten much all day and all that drinking and dancing we did left me famished.” Hermione flushed with embarrassment and chuckled.

Paying the driver, Bellatrix exited the car and raced to the other side to open the door for Hermione. “Oh, how chivalrous” she thanked with a grin. Bella chuckled. Upon entering the tower, both women headed straight to the top floor, where the restaurant, Top of the World, was located. Hermione had never been, but since they were here and she was hungry, why not. She loved experience many firsts with Bellatrix. Besides, Hermione was also hoping that for the night, they can pretend to be alright. After being seated the women requested red wine to drink as they overlooked their menus. Hermione was craving something sweet and couldn’t decide on whether to forgo food altogether and just order a bunch of desert. Bellatrix wasn’t particularly hungry and was planning to stick with her wine. Watching Hermione eat was always more inviting, anyways.

“So, how have you been? I heard from Cissy and Draco that you graduated top of your class from Law School.” Hermione was shocked, to say the least. She didn’t expect the older woman to inquire about her after their split. Considering her studies was one of the reasons why she had to end things, the thought of Bellatrix wanting to know how she did threw her off a little. “I didn’t expect anything less. Always the know it all.” Bella said this with a smirk to let the girl know she was only joking. “It’s been what, four years? Since we’ve seen each other?” Eyes twinkling, Bellatrix decided to skip all pleasantries and go in for the killing question. “ Been with anyone lately? Any new or old relationships?”

“Oh. I didn’t know you cared.” There was a banging noise from Bellatrix’s side of the table. Hermione ignored it. The older woman was always known for her irrational outbursts.

“What are you talking about, pet? I never stopped caring. Not when you-” A hand up from Hermione stopped Bellatrix. Hermione really didn’t want to ruin the mood. SIghing, she decided to respond to the woman’s questions without having to rile her up. She wanted to enjoy the night, so she should make the effort to not deliberately piss her off.

“I’ve been well, thanks for asking. It was rough for sometime. I’m not gonna lie. But it all worked out in the end. I was able to graduate earlier than expected. Numerous firms wanted me with them but I decided to start my own.” It was bold but Hermione knew she had it in her to run her own law firm. She’s met way too many lawyers who were either corrupt or terrible at their jobs and she refused to surround herself with people like that. With her trust fund and some investments from the Malfoys and Weasleys, Hermione was able to start her own firm. It's been two years now and the company was thriving. She was known in her district as the best lawyer around. Hardly losing cases, many believe Hermione was preparing to become a judge later in her career. Sipping some of her wine she continued “As for other lovers. I don’t believe that is any of your business, Ms. Black.”

“I believe it is my business, pet. We might have went our separate ways but we both know who you belong to.” Bellatrix all but growled at the young woman.

Hermione was about to respond when she was interrupted by the waiter placing her deserts onto the table. Squealing like a toddler in a toy store, Hermione temporarily forgot where she was and who she was with and started eating. Bellatrix laughed fully at the image in front of her. There sat the most beautiful woman she had ever laid eyes on, all curly hair, that was now a little frizzy, stunning black dress, digging into her cake as if she’d never see the food again. The girl really loved her sweets. Bella really missed her. Taking a few more sips of her wine, Bellatrix spotted a smudge of icing on the girl’s cheek.

“Hermione.” The girl in question looked up in time to see Bellatrix just a few inches from her face. Freezing in that position, Hermione’s mind blanked, forgetting the food in front of her to focus solely on the black orbs piercing into her soul. Reaching out, Bellatrix gently swiped the icing off the girl’s face with her finger. Sitting back, she decided to play with the frozen girl and gently sucked the icing off. With a pop, Bellatrix released the now glistening appendage and smiled at the girl. Gulping down the sudden rush of arousal and desire for the woman in front of her, Hermione sat back and grabbed her wine glass. She was suddenly, very thirsty.

“Do you remember the night we first met, Hermione?”

Chapter Text

“Do you remember the night we first met, Hermione?”

Flashback

She was exhausted. The Black matriarch had been in meeting after meeting all week, covering the entire schematics of her new business venture. Bellatrix was looking forward to expanding the family business from just hotels to restaurants and bars. The marketing team wanted a plan, the shareholders also wanted a budget prediction, and to make things more complicated, Bella was still having meetings with her divorce lawyer. The bastard of an ex-husband Rodolphus wasn’t signing the papers without causing the woman a headache. Typical of him, this is why she had to leave his sorry ass. If not to avoid a possible homicide charge, then for her own sanity. Rodolphus Lestrange; the french-british heir to some company or another. Bella never really cared. The Black family was the oldest of a few within Britain, it was a great shame when her father decided to settle with marrying her off to a Lestrange. Only a few were ever worthy of such an honor, and we all know Rodolphus is not one of those few. After doing her time as the dutiful daughter, Bellatrix was looking forward to moving past this mess in her life. She might have been in her early forties, but she still considered herself young and this divorce was going to usher in a new era for her life.

“Mrs. Lestrange, your sister just called. She wanted to make sure you were still attending her dinner tonight?” the voice of her assistant brought Bellatrix out of her reverie. She had just returned from the meeting with her divorce lawyer and had taken to laying down on her couch in the corner of her office. “It’s Ms. Black, Fleur. The papers will be signed very soon and I’m tired of hearing that dreadful name.” The blonde woman blushed in embarrassment considering it wasn’t the first time her boss had corrected her. Handing Bella a cold bottle of water, Fleur waited patiently for her boss’ response so that she can inform Mrs. Malfoy. Fleur had been working for Bellatrix long enough to be well acquainted with the temperaments of the Black sisters. Currently, Fleur would prefer not to place herself in a complicated position with the youngest Black sister, even if it was because of Bellatrix. The presence of Narcissa Malfoy always made Fleur Delacour uneasy. It was upsetting for the blonde french woman.

Scrolling through her contacts, Bellatrix decided to call her baby sister instead. She knew of the tension between her Cissy and Fleur and acknowledged the assistant’s unease in mentioning the dinner. She would usually invite her along but maybe today Delacour could go home early. She was overdue for some free time, more than anyone else. It was never easy being Bellatrix’s assistant. “How about you take the rest of the evening off, Fleur. I’ll tell Cissy what time I’ll be heading over to her house.” Bella watched as a look of confusion crossed the blonde woman’s face. Before she had a chance to speak Bella interrupted her. “ It’s alright you know. I’m not sure exactly what occurred between the two of you but I don’t want to put you in a position that would make you uncomfortable.” The French woman audibly exhaled and gave her boss a weak smile. Bidding her a goodnight, Fleur decided to head home for the night. Might even pick up a bottle of wine and some ice cream and spend the evening on the couch watching sappy romance movies with her roommate.

Bellatrix had already retreated back to her desk in the center of the spacious office. Right behind her stood floor to ceiling windows looking out over the london city. The sun had already set and the lights of the night made the city glow below her. Like fireflies, the woman thought. There was a couch in the corner to the left of her door, which also contained a glass coffee table. The decor for the room was black and silver. Black leather furniture, black marble flooring, her windows were conveniently tinted as well. Her desk was metal, harsh and beautiful, just like her. There was also a metal white board on the opposite side of her room across from the couch for the days she had to work out a plan and needed to visualize all the details and placements herself. After all, Bellatrix Black a visual character. Nothing was impossible if she could visualize it.

“Hey, Cissy!” Bella’s voice had taken on a slightly higher pitch when when she heard the person on the other end accept the call. Narcissa Black, now Malfoy, was Bella’s baby sister. No matter how old they got, the woman always held a soft spot in Bella’s heart. She’d continue to do anything to ensure the happiness of her little grown Cissy.

The velvety voice of her baby sister returned the greeting with the same happiness in her tone. “Bella! How are you? I assume your assistant informed you of my call and you’re calling to tell me that you will definitely be over later, right?” Bellatrix had taken note of her sister’s tone change when she said ‘assistant’. Something was definitely up with the two women, but Bellatrix had decided to mind her business until either one decides to come to her about it. They were all grown after all. They’ll figure it out. Feeling the course of the week on her shoulders, Bellatrix really would prefer going home and spending the night in her bath tub while listening to some jazz, drinking her favorite wine, and catching up on some reading. Cissy would understand wouldn’t she?

“Yeah, about that....It has been a trying week for me and I just left a late meeting with the divorce lawyer and I just want to get home and not doing anything. I know you’ll understand that it's nothing personal, Cissy. I’m just gonna have to give you a rain check for this o--” Her rambling was interrupted by the cold voice of Narcissa.

“No, you will not Bellatrix Black. It’s been weeks since you last came to a family dinner night and as much as I understand you being exhausted, you will be showing up tonight. No arguments. Draco will be visiting from school and he’s bringing his friends along with him. Andy and her daughter are also stopping by.” Her cold and straightforward tone reminded Bellatrix so much of their mother, it sent chills down the woman’s spine. Sighing she prepared herself for to respond only to hear that her sister wasn’t done talking. “ When was the last time you saw your nephew? You know he loves you Bella. He asks about you all the time whenever he calls. What about Andy and Dora? When was the last time you spoke with them? Just show up tonight and if you’re still tired after everyone has eaten, you can choose to crash in your guest room or go home.” There was a pause as if Narcissa was actually giving Bellatrix the opportunity to think it over. Ha! Narcissa? Give Bellatrix an option? In what world?

“Great! I’ll be looking forward to your arrival. Remember, dinner will be at 8:30 tonight. It’s currently after 6, and I assume you’re still at the office. You might wanna head out now and get in a quick shower. You probably stink.” With a childlike giggle and a quick love you, Narcissa ended the call. Bellatrix stood there for a few minutes after the call. She hated how matter of fact her baby sister can get sometimes. Even though she’s the oldest, Bella didn’t want to upset her sister anymore than she already has. She knows that her lack of attendance to their bi-weekly dinners was upsetting the younger blonde. Looks like our Bella will be going to a dinner tonight and with such a lively guest list, the night will be nothing short of interesting.

“DRAGOOOOON!!”

Squeals of laughter can be heard bouncing off the walls of the loft. Hermione was furious. She’d gone to take a warm bath before getting ready for the Malfoy dinner later that night. The bath bomb she used was supposed to be lilac scented. It usually helped her calm down after a rough morning at the firm she was currently interning for. Unfortunately, the light blue ball wasn’t her bath bomb at all but something else. Who could have possibly messed with her bath bomb? The person in question was Draco himself. The boy had switched out the bath bombs with one that’ll not only turn the water blue but also leave a light tint of blue on the person’s skin. Stomping angrily towards the living room where Hermione had last seen the boy and their ginger friend, Hermione thought of many ways to make the blonde feret pay. She wanted to lounge around before having to get ready for tonight and now she can’t help but to think about how much time she’ll have to dedicate to getting rid of this sickly blue tint.

The looks on Ginny and Draco’s faces made Hermione see red for the briefest of moments. Without a word, Draco was met with a book to the face. No one saw it coming, the sudden ‘Oof!’ from Draco silenced any noise in the room. Hermione hadn’t seen what it was that she threw but blindly kept reaching her hand out to grasp something else to throw at the boy. Her towel was tightly wrapped around her body as she stomped towards the smirking boy. Laughter could be seen in his eyes, although both him and Ginny found it wise to not audibly emit the sound. This wasn’t the first nor will it be the last time Draco does something like this. Their pranks are always spontaneous and sometimes they can get out of hand. After that one incident when they were all preteens, where Ginny and Hermione were close to facing legal repercussions, they came to an agreement to tone down their pranks ever since. This blue tint situation will blow over once Hermione gets her revenge and the trio will soon be sitting around during drinks with friends laughing about it.

“What the fuck is your deal?!” Looking at the faintly purple faced brunette, Draco took a deep breath to calm his nerves and replied “Mione, are you alright? You’re looking a little blue today.” Ginny couldn’t take it anymore and bursted into tears all over again. At this point she was curled up on the ground clutching her stomach as tears ran down her face. The site of Hermione was really amusing to the two friends. To make matters even worse, Ginny decided to take her phone out and record as Hermione jumped to tackle Draco off the couch. The two had hit the floor with a solid thud. Draco’s laughter only got louder as Hermione continued to hit him with the book that she had thrown earlier. All the while, Ginny sat back with a mixture of amusement and awe as she watched Hermione beat their blonde friend while managing to keep her towel wrapped securely around her. With a huff, the curly haired girl abruptly stood up and left the room. “I suggest you sleep with one open from now on, Mr. Malfoy!” The laughter from her friends could still be heard as Hermione returned to a newly drawn bath. Checking the time, she noticed that it was later than she realised and rushed to get this over with.

It was almost time to leave. By the grace of all things magical, Hermione had managed to remove the blue tint from her skin without much complications. Deciding to wear her hair natural, she dried it and tied it up as she entered her walk-in closet in search of an outfit for the evening. Deciding on a casual red dress and black doc martens, the young lawyer in training exited the closet dressed and shaking out her curls. With a quick glance in the mirror to apply lipstick and a face moisturizer, she was ready to go. Walking towards the entrance, Hermione took notice of Ginny’s dark skinny jeans and burgundy short-sleeve turtle neck and matching doc martens. Draco was sporting black slacks with a grey button up that was cuffed to his elbows with a metal necklace dangling from his neck. He looked like he had came from a business meeting. Fitting really, as a Malfoy heir, he was expected to look the part. Grabbing their coats, the trio headed out.

Their loft was in the middle of london, an old warehouse that was shut down for years until they happened upon it one night. It was run down and appeared as if no one knew it existed. They had made the purchase and decided to make it their new home. Crafting four bedrooms with their own bathrooms, a kitchen, and an open space for both the living and dining rooms, the three friends had been living together since they were seventeen. They enjoyed the location and the space of the building. For a warehouse, it surely was comfortable. It was their home.

Pulling up to the Malfoy estate, Hermione gazed out the window in a daze. Ginny and Draco were conversing about how Draco was going to introduce his mother to Harry. The conversation eventually drifted towards Hermione when Ginny mentioned Harry’s best friend Ron. “You know he likes you, right Mione?” The brunette knew very well that the ginger boy liked her. She just didn’t like him and so she thought nothing of it. “I’m aware. I just happen to not reciprocate those feelings, Gin. I’ve tried explaining this to him before. He doesn’t want to accept it, which is what makes this unnecessarily complicated.” Hermione watched as the red head turned to her as they approached the door, a rebuttal was written all over the youngest Weasley’s face. She thought her brother deserved a chance with Hermione. Ginny believed they would be great together.

Before any words could be exchanged, the door swung open and the trio was greeted by a smiling Narcissa Malfoy. She greeted them all warmly while pulling Draco in for a hug and kiss on the cheek. Once ushering them inside Narcissa informed them that Andromeda and Nymphadora were in the library and that dinner would start when her sister Bellatrix arrived. At the mention of his aunt, Hermione watched with amusement as the blonde boy’s face lit up with excitement. Hermione knew how much Draco cared for his aunt. Due to business issues, Bellatrix was away in France for fourteen years and so none of the children had seen her since they were young. Especially Draco, who spent most of his childhood telling the other two girls all about the fun things his aunty bella would do with  him during the holidays away from school. Hermione always enjoyed the stories, and her interest was piqued at the notion of getting to meet the esteemed Bellatrix Lestrange for the first time. She’s seen pictures of the woman, so Hermione knows that she shares features with the middle Black sister Andromeda. She also knows that Bellatrix was the sister who decided to take over the family business. Andromeda had decided to go into medicine while Narcissa chose to do interior design.

Entering the library, greetings were exchanged between everyone in attendance. The presence of the butler notified everyone of Bellatrix’s presence on the grounds. It’d take her a few minutes to reach the front door and so Narcissa stood and gestured to the door. “Since my lovely sister has finally decided to arrive, we can all enter the dining area and take our seats. The food should arrive very shortly.” Everyone heading in the direction of the dining area while Narcissa walked the opposite way choosing to greet her older sister at the door.

Bellatrix was irritated. She knew she was late but that was out of her hands. The traffic had been terrible when she finally decided to leave work. To make matters even worse, she had to rush and shower before heading out again and so her curls were air drying and getting frizzy. Pulling up to the front door, Bella noticed that Narcissa was already standing there waiting for her. Man that woman can be impatient, Bella thought to herself with a chuckle. Impatient she may be, Bellatrix wouldn’t ask for her any other way. Walking up to her baby sister with a smile on her lips, Bella attempted to put her hair up into a bun in an attempt to control the unruly curls.

“Should I feel honored to receive such a welcome, Cissy?” Bellatrix pulled her into a hug, which was automatically reciprocated. “Oh shut it, Bella. I’m only here because I wanted to make sure you didn’t forget where the dining room was considering how long ago you visited.” Rolling her eyes playfully, Bellatrix entered the home with her sister next to her. “Excuses, excuses. You know that I know this house like the back of my hand. I saw the spark in your eyes, Cissy. Were you expecting to see a certain blonde french woman?” Bellatrix playfully questioned her sister as they approached the doors to the dining room. There was a choking sound from Narcissa’s direction as she tried to deny the accusation. Unaware of the trouble occurring on the opposite side of the door, Bellatrix was unprepared for the body that slammed into hers as she opened the door.

“Oof!” Narcissa smoothly side stepped to avoid getting hit as the two bodies crashed on the floor. Bellatrix opened her eyes after hitting the floor to see brown curls all over her face. Moving it out of her face, she looked down to see the red face of Hermione. Smiling Bellatrix said “Well, I see someone’s excited to see. Unfortunately, I’m afraid I don’t know who you are exactly.” Hermione was mortified. She’d been trying to escape the room after tricking Draco into sitting on his chair while she proceeded to kick it from under him causing him to crash to the floor. Ginny and Dora were howling in laughter while Draco grew red in the face. He had gotten up and threatened to tickle her into submission. Submission for Draco meant, until Hermione peed herself. She’d bolted to the door in a fit of giggles in hopes of making an escape until Narcissa arrived until she found herself running into a solid form and falling. Now she was on top of who she can only assume as Bellatrix Lestrange. Hermione’s head had gone black. She wasn’t sure what the woman had said to her, she only saw lips moving. The woman really looked a lot like Andromeda, the brunette noted. Finding the situation ridiculous, Hermione let out another giggle and proceeded to get off the woman. Bellatrix was amused. She eyes the young girl as she dusted off her dress after calming down. Finally of the ground, Bellatrix looked the girl head on and stretched out her hand for introductions. It seemed as if the girl had not heard her when they were on the ground.

“I am so sorry, Mrs. Lestrange! I wasn’t expecting anyone to be on the other side of the door and I was just trying to get away from Draco. I hope I didn’t hurt you when we fell. Oh wow, talk about bad first impressions. This is the first time we’re meeting and I already managed to hurt you.” Bellatrix was trying her best not to laugh at the curly haired brunette in front of her. She seemed to not have noticed Bella’s hand stretched out to her and kept on rambling. Narcissa had chosen to enter the dinning room to calm the other dinner guests down. She knew Bellatrix would handle the situation with Hermione.

“Do you ever stop talking?” Bella said with humor in her voice. She didn’t want to offend the pretty girl. Hermione was silent immediately.

“How about we try this again, hmm?” Stretching her hand out again Bellatrix reintroduced herself. Grasping the older woman’s hand with a small smile on her face Hermione followed suit. “I’m Hermione Granger, Mrs. Lestrange. I’m really good friends with your nephew Draco.” The two stared into each others eyes smiling, not realising how long they kept a hold of the other’s hand until they heard Narcissa calling for them. Regaining their senses, the two women entered the dining room and grabbed their seats. The rest of the night was spent with conversation among the three Black sisters, light bantering among the younger friends, and also glances between Hermione and Bellatrix. The older woman was intrigued by the younger girl. From what Narcissa said about Draco’s friends and how the girl spoke, Bella knew that Hermione was incredibly smart. She was impressed by the fact that she was so young and already interning at a law firm. She could see the girl as a lawyer. With her intellect and personality, Bellatrix already knew that Hermione had potential to be amazing. Something in her wanted to know more about the younger woman. Bellatrix wanted to know what her hobbies were, what ticked her off, if she enjoyed romantic comedies or binge watched Disney princess movies. Smiling to herself after catching Hermione glancing at her again, Bellatrix rejoined the discussion about the theme for Narcissa’s New Years party.

Hermione knew she had been sneaking glances all night, but she couldn’t help herself. She knew Bellatrix was attractive but she wasn’t expecting this. The woman was beautiful. Her jet black curls laid on top of her head in a messy bun while a few rogue curls fell in her face. The dress pants and satin grey top she wore looked amazing on her. Hermione thought it was unfair for a human to be that attractive. Bellatrix was currently laughing at something Ginny had said about Draco. The way her face lit up and her mouth curved as she bared rows of pearly whites. The sound was music to the brunette’s ears. Hermione tried to ignore the change in pace of her heart. She couldn’t possibly be attracted to Draco’s aunt. Maybe she’s just tired and hormonal because its been awhile since she’s had sex. Yeah, maybe that's why. Psych! Poor Hermione was also trying to ignore the fact that she also spent majority of the dinner remember how Bellatrix’s body felt beneath hers during their little run in earlier. Sleep was the last thing on her mind. Hermione froze when black eyes met her own. “How is someone’s eye so black?”

Draco and Nymphadora burst into giggles as Bellatrix smirked at Hermione. Realising she had said that out loud, Hermione silently wished the earth would swallow her up. Her face was red from embarrassment as she averted her gaze from the older woman and surveyed the table. That’s when the curly head brunette noticed the Narcissa and Andromeda were also looking at her with amused smiles on their faces. “Ummmm.” Hermione didn't know what to say.

“We were talking about that time you and Draco broke into one of the teacher’s offices to pull that prank on Harry and Ron.” Releasing a sigh and smiling at Ginny gratefully, Hermione rejoined the conversation in hopes to move past this embarrassing moment. Bellatrix on the other hand was no longer interested in the story as Hermione continued talking. She had seen the girl watching her all night and now that she knew how intensely the girl was watching her, Bella was curious about what other questions the curly haired brunette might have for her. She was willing to answer any and every question Hermione wanted to ask her.

“Shall we take this conversation to the library and have a few drinks while we’re at it?” Narcissa said as she stood from the table. Mumbles of agreement came from everyone. Bellatrix walked over to Hermione with a welcoming smile, “They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. Let’s just say mine is as black as coal.” Hermione had not seen the woman approach her and was caught off guard by her proximity. Suppressing a shiver Hermione turned to the woman and smiled. “I’m sorry about that by the way. I had completely zoned out and didn’t realise I was looking at you. I don’t want to look like some creep or anything. It seems our night together has been a complete mess. I really am sorry. I’m usually better at first impressions.”

“Did you know that you ramble a little when you’re nervous? Its cute.” With a soft chuckle, Bellatrix walked away from the younger girl once entering the library. With elegant and long strides, the woman approached a mini bar in the corner and grabbed a bottle of red wine. Heading to Andromeda who had already taken out the wine glasses the sisters poured the drink and distributed it. With a thank you, Hermione sank into one of the chairs in front of the fireplace with a content smile on her face. The Malfoy library was one of her favorite rooms in the house. She was always comfortable while surrounded by books. The night was winding down and everyone was involved in their own conversations as she sat back and observed the room. It felt good to be here. Despite the embarrassing moments with Bellatrix, Hermione enjoyed her night. The happiness in Narcissa and Draco’s eyes upon seeing each other for the first time in a while, the young woman was glad that the mother and son duo were able to talk in person. She knew how busy Draco was lately and so these moments weren’t often. Somehow, conversation had drifted towards relationships. Hermione tuned in just in time to hear Bellatrix ask her a question.

“What about you Hermione? Any boyfriend?” The woman was smirking again. Hermione decided then and there that she hated that sexy smirk for what it did to her stomach.

“No. No relationships. They’re not my thing, actually.” Hermione’s carefree tone caught Bella’s attention. She wanted to know more.

“Oh? I find that kind of hard to believe. Such a young, attractive, and highly accomplished young woman like you........single by choice? Hearts must be breaking all over london” Hermione’s breath hitched as she watched the older woman walk over to the chair directly across from herself.

“Bella, leave the girl alone. She doesn’t need to be subjected to your mocking. Even if it's in good fun” That was Andromeda, the second Black sister had noticed the interaction between both women all night, although she found it amusing, she knew it would do no good to leave Bellatrix to her own devices. Licking her dry lips Hermione sipped her wine while keeping eye contact with the oldest Black sister. “It’s alright Andy. Mrs. Lestrange was just about to find out that my personal life was none of her business anyways. She was barking up the wrong tree.”

At this, Bella sat back and chuckled lightly. “The wrong tree, huh? Are you sure it’s by choice? Are you dating Ginevra? That’s it isn’t it?!” Both Ginny and Hermione choked on their wine as Bellatrix smiled like she had found the answer to human existence. Draco laughed while getting up to tell the butler to call for the car. I was getting late and they all needed to head out. Returning to the library he said “Oh God no, aunt Bella. These two? Together?! It’d make better sense if you thought Hermione and I were together. Ginger here has eyes for Dora over there though. Mione here is telling the truth, however.” Feeling a rush of pride having proved Bellatrix wrong, Hermione raised from her seat in preparation to leave. She was followed by a blushing Ginny and a smirking Nymphadora. With a quick stretch, Hermione watched as Ginny, Nymphadora, Andromeda, Narcissa, and Draco all walked ahead, exiting the library. Following not far behind, Hermione reached the door only to be grasped from behind. Bellatrix had stayed behind, she was too tired to make it home and so she was gonna head to her designated guest room here. She just had to bid her new friend a good night first.

Wrapping her arms around the younger woman’s waist. Bellatrix smiled as she heard the girl gasp from the sudden contact. Leaning into the girl, Bellatrix inhaled the scent of lilac and mint. She chuckled as Hermione leaned into her chest, seemingly relaxed with their position. “Mrs. Lestrange, what are you doing?” The breathy question from the younger lit a fire within Bellatrix and the older woman leaned into Hermione’s ear, close enough that her lips lightly brushed against it as she whispered “What happens if I wanted to know about your personal life, Hermione?” The feel of the older woman’s lips brushing against her ear caused another wave of heat to travel through her body. Hermione couldn’t think clearly, naturally, she blamed it on the wine. “You know, usually you’d take someone out on a date before you try to get them all hot and bothered. Or is things done differently for you, Mrs. Lestrange?” With a chuckle, Bellatrix released the young woman and stepped back. She wasn’t sure how long they stood at the door but they had to leave before anyone started asking questions.

“You can call me Bellatrix, you know. I won’t bite......unless you want me to.” Smirking at the younger girl, Bellatrix walked up to her and gave her a hug while kissing her on the corner of her mouth. Subtly has never been a strong trait for the Black matriarch. With her divorce almost finalised. She was looking forward to what this might mean for her and Hermione. The possibilities can be endless. Not waiting for a response, Bella handed her a slip of paper, winked and made her way towards her bedroom for the night.

Hermione stood at the entryway to the library for what seemed like hours until Ginny came and dragged her along. Her ginger friend had asked her if she was alright but Hermione just shrugged it off and told her friends that she was just tired. The entire car ride back to their loft was spent with Hermione replaying the night while finger the slip of paper in her coat pocket. It had been Bellatrix’s number. Hermione was surprised by how forward the older woman had been a short while ago but it also excited her. She wanted to know what else about the older woman was exciting. Her thoughts faltered as she looked towards Draco. Bellatrix was his favorite aunt. Hermione didn’t want to overstep by flirting with his aunt. Deciding to leave this situation up to fate itself, the curly haired brunette continued to play with the slip of paper while silently making the deal with herself that she’ll only keep the number in case of emergencies or something. She won’t overstep. Bellatrix was an incredibly smart woman, gorgeous as well, but Hermione attempted to convince herself that she would only ever contact the older woman whenever she wanted a good conversation or wanted embarrassing stories of child Draco. What could possibly go wrong? As soon as the thought appeared, Hermione knew everything possible would go wrong.

Chapter Text

“Oh my god, Bella!”

The curly haired young woman was hunched over laughing at the memory of that night. She was so young then, Oh how she wished to have done things differently. Bellatrix had been everything Hermione wanted in a lover. Things just happened too fast and honestly, it terrified the young lawyer; even if she refused to accept that reality. It was well into the night as both women continued to lounge at the restaurant. Most of the staff had already went home, but since Bellatrix was good friends with the owner, they were allowed to stay a little longer. During the entire recap, Bella watched every movement of the younger woman across from her. Her heart cried as the older woman took in the site of her ex-lover  laughing. Oh, how Bella missed that smile.

“You were so nervous, I couldn’t not tease you. It was like you were begging me to.” Both women had lost count of how much wine they’d both consumed but neither really wanted to let go of the current mood. Getting up, Bellatrix approached Hermione with the intention of leaving. Hermione had other thoughts however. “Hey, kitten, I think it's time we, maybe, head out. If we stay here any longer the place might reopen and the owner won’t be too hap--” Hermione had decided that she was tired of Bellatrix talking. Watching the woman approach her sent a new wave of excitement through her and all she wanted to do was touch her. “You know, that pretty mouth of yours can do so much more than talking right now.” The younger girl breathed on Bella’s face. Hermione had stood up as Bellatrix reached her side of the table.

With amazing stability and speed for someone who’s ridiculously intoxicated, Hermione was pressing her body into Bellatrix’s causing the older woman to lean onto the table for balance. With a grin the young lawyer leaned in to whisper in her ex lover’s ear, “How about we find other ways to keep it occupied”. Any refusal Bellatrix had, died once she felt teeth softly nibble on her ear. Clenching her jaw, Bella tried her best to fight the sudden arousal she felt for Hermione. Yes, they were alone in the restaurant, but still... Bella couldn’t do that to a friend’s place, right? It’s like a principle or something. Hermione on the other hand didn’t really care. Her ministrations moved from Bella’s ear to her jaw and down to her neck. A moan escaped from Bellatrix causing Hermione to giggle. The younger woman sucked on the pale skin until it turned red. She knew the hickey would last for a couple days and that made her happy. People needed to know who Bella belonged to. Bellatrix on the other hand had thrown all thoughts out the window and dug her hands into the messy curls pulling Hermione closer to her. Bella sighed as Hermione lightly bit at her pulse point. God, how she missed the feel of the girl’s mouth on her. Switching positions, Bellatrix suddenly had Hermione up on the table with her thigh pressed roughly against the younger woman’s heated core. Their wine glasses and plates crashed onto the floor but neither noticed as eager hands roamed the other’s body.

“Be....Bella... I need....I need you, right now.” Hermione was on fire. All this touching was driving her insane and the thigh pressed to her center was not helping the situation either. With Bellatrix touching everywhere but where she needed her the most, Hermione felt like she was suffocating and only Bella can bring her up for air. Hearing the younger woman’s plea, Bellatrix grabbed her jaw and roughly kissed her. In their drunken state, both women moaned in pleasure and pain as teeth clashed together. Bellatrix had taken Hermione’s lower lip between her teeth and bit into it hard. With Hermione’s gasp, Bellatrix thrusted her tongue into the young woman’s mouth. The mixture of blood and wine amplified the taste of Hermione for the older woman. Sucking the bottom lip to stop the bleeding, Bellatrix trailed kisses down the girl’s jaw and down her chest, biting her on the top of her breasts. Positioning herself in between Hermione’s legs properly, Bella wrapped Hermione’s legs around her waist. Placing one hand on the girl’s lower back to keep balance, Bella brought her free hand and rested it on Hermione’s thigh. Both women were heated and so the teasing would have to occur another time. With a silent agreement, Bellatrix tore off the underwear Hermione was wearing and ran her hand up the length of her soaking center. Hermione shuddered at the feeling of Bellatrix’s hand playing with her folds. Wanting more leverage, the younger woman leaned back onto her forearms.

Without warning, Bellatrix plunged two fingers into Hermione, the younger woman gasped loudly as Bella stilled her fingers, allowing Hermione to adjust to the sudden intrusion. Pulling her fingers out slowly, a low wonton groan came from the curly haired woman. “Oh...Bella...” taking this as her okay, Bella continued to plunge in and out of Hermione at rapid speed. “You are so tight, kitten.” The older woman could feel herself get aroused at how well Hermione wrapped around her fingers. Hermione didn’t hear much of what Bellatrix was saying. The young woman had lost all control of her body and laid back fully onto the table, unknowingly giving Bellatrix more access to her. Using her other, now free hand, Bella started circling the girl’s clit with her thumb. She was determined to make Hermione cum, hard.

“Fuck, kitten. You feel so good.” Withdrawing her fingers, at the whine from Hermione, Bellatrix chuckled and plunged four fingers into the girl. Hermione screamed at the pain from being stretched so abruptly. She couldn’t take it. She had forgotten how good Bella was with her hands and the pressure building up in her lower region was too much for her brain to comprehend. “Faster! Yes! Yes!” Bellatrix could feel the pressure build up in her stomach. Hermione’s screams were driving Bellatrix close to her own undoing and she didn’t care. It wouldn’t be the first time Hermione managed to make the older woman cum by just moaning. With that thought in mind, Bellatrix kneeled down without withdrawing her fingers or slowing them down and replaced her thumb with her mouth. The scream Hermione let out almost drove Bella over the edge. Nibbling on the bundle of nerves in front of her, Bellatrix lost herself in the scent, sight, sound, and feel of the woman she will always love. She could feel Hermione nearing the edge, her walls were tightening around Bella’s fingers slowing them down a bit. With a bite to her clit, Hermione came undo shouting Bellatrix’s name.

“Bella! Oh my..Oh my go--ughh” Bellatrix continued nibbling on Hermione’s clit as she rode out her orgasm. Feeling the pressure build up again, Hermione prepared herself for her second orgasm of the night. Bellatrix’s fingers were still inside her, but instead of withdrawing them, Bella slowly moved them in and out, gradually building in speed. Feeling her walls tighten again, Bella curled her fingers. “Bella!!!” Hermione’s scream hit Bellatrix hard and following the love of her life, Bellatrix came as well.

Out of breath, Bellatrix rested her head on Hermione’s thigh in a weak attempt to catch her breath. Hermione on the other hand was on the verge of sleep. For a quickie, it surely took all the energy she had left. Standing up, Bellatrix surveyed their setting and the woman before her. Chuckling to herself, Bellatrix decided to call her driver. It seems Hermione was spending the night with her. She had no clue which hotel the girl was staying in, and sure, she could always call Draco or someone and find out, but where’s the fun in that? “Seems we’ve made quite the mess here, Kitten.” Hermione couldn’t keep up. She was utterly drained, her response was merely a huff as she struggled against her exhaustion. Realising that she’ll have to carry the younger woman, Bellatrix quickly wiped her fingers off and hooked her arms under Hermione’s legs and back. With all the energy she had left, the business woman lifted her now sleeping lover off the table and made her way towards the elevator. Bellatrix was surprised the Hermione still weighed so light. In the immediate moment, she decided to store that info away until they were both sober. She needed to make sure her pet was keeping herself healthy.

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The ringing of someone’s cell phone rose Hermione from her deep slumber. Groaning she noted how sore her body felt. The sudden stab of pain in her head prevent the young woman from opening her eyes. She had been facing the bloody windows. ‘Who sleeps with the curtains open already?’ she thought while she turned around and buried her face into black curls cell phone forgotten. She relaxed after a while and then automatically froze when realisation hit her. Hermione bolted upright in the bed, only to notice that she had been sleeping next to a very naked Bellatrix Black. The older woman was still very much asleep to Hermione’s luck. The girl sat there with a hand over her heart trying to calm the rapid beating. The blood rushing through her ears picked up as memories from the previous night came back to the young lawyer. She had slept with Bellatrix. Well, not sleep, they’d had a quickie at that restaurant they went to. Covering her now blushing face with her hands, Hermione silently scolded herself for not having better self-restraint. She had told herself, when the two first parted ways, that she would never sleep with the woman again if they ran into each other. But alas, here she was, naked and in bed with said woman. While the young woman was on the brink of a mental breakdown, she hadn’t noticed her bedmate awaken.

Bellatrix had felt when Hermione bolted upright. At first, she assumed that the girl was gonna get up and leave. When she didn’t feel Hermione move, Bella thought it was safe to continue sleeping until she heard the girl whisper things to herself. Cracking an eye open, Bella tried to stifle the laugh bubbling up at the sight in front of her. There sat a naked and very red Hermone, hands in her face and shaking her head vigorously. Her bushy hair swishing with the motion made it even more comical in the older woman’s eyes. She must have been thinking back on their episode at the restaurant if the girl’s full body blush was anything to go by. Placing a hand on her back Bellatrix softly spoke, “Good Morning, pet. Did you sleep well?” Hermione sat up straight when she felt the hand on her back. For some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to turn to Bellatrix. In her mind, turning to Bellatrix would only make everything they did, real. “What are we doing, Bellatrix?” Hermione couldn’t pretend like everything was alright, the situation needed to be dealt with now that they were both awake. No point in holding onto what used to be. Bellatrix removed her hand from the girl’s back as something stung her. It was the words the woman spoke, or more so, how she spoke them. Bellatrix wasn’t expecting such a cold tone from the younger woman. It brought a sudden emptiness to her heart.

“What do you mean?” Bellatrix’s voice was barely above a whisper. She didn’t want to anger the young woman at the moment. It seemed as if she was struggling with her emotions and Bella didn’t want to make it unnecessarily harder for her. Gritting her teeth, Hermione launched herself from the bed and rushed to the bathroom. The slamming of the bathroom door made Bella jump. She was honestly confused as to why Hermione was so angry. Trying to not get irritated with the younger woman’s brash attitude, Bellatrix got up and decided to throw on some clothes. It’d make their impending conversation easier if she was clothed. Approaching the bathroom door, Bella listened as the shower ran on the other side, knocking, she said loudly enough for the girl to here “I’m not sure what the problem is Hermione, but I promise we can figure it out when you’re done. I’ll be out on the balcony making call. Just let me know when you’re out.”

Hermione was furious. With herself or with Bella, she wasn’t too sure. She just knows that she’s upset. For what? She had know clue either. She knows that she enjoyed her night with the older woman. Of course she did, Bella always knew how to have a good time. That wasn’t the problem. Hermione slammed her fist on the tiled wall of the shower realising she was angry with herself. The memories from last night brought back the feelings she thought she had locked away for the Black matriarch. All that hard work, undone overnight because of a good fuck. She was absolutely livid with herself. This was why she couldn’t stay with Bellatrix, she had reasoned. The woman made her weak. Her mere presence clouded Hermione's mind and drove out all logical thoughts. It terrified and excited Hermione. Bellatrix always knew how to bring out this primal, instinctual side of her. The side who saw no logic in the world, just action and reaction. The side of her who enjoys fucking in the middle of a restaurant at four in the morning. The part of her that wanted to fuck the woman outside in the alleyway of the club. She had no control over herself when Bellatrix was involved. Hermione prided herself on self control and with Bellatrix in the picture, such notion was nothing but a thought.

Feeling refreshed and walking out in just her towel, Hermione realised that she’d have to wear her dress from last night until she can get back to her hotel. Reminding herself to check the time after getting dressed Hermione grabbed her dress, while looking for her underwear, she facepalmed remembering Bella tearing it off her. The question of whether the pieces of thong were still on the restaurant gave way to a brief chuckle from the younger woman. ‘Guess its commando today, just gotta make it back to my hotel without any issues.’ she thought. Now fully dressed, Hermione made her way to the balcony to get this situation over with. Truthfully, she wasn’t really angry anymore. Her shower had taken all the anger she had in her, but the woman wasn’t gonna tell Bella that.

“Listen, Bellatrix, about last ni-” Bellatrix had raised her hand, effectively silencing the now wide awake young woman. With a defeated sigh she said “I know. It was never supposed to happen. It’s alright, no need to drive yourself mad. Last night doesn’t change anything. We’re still strangers. I’m back to being just Draco’s aunt and you’re back to being Draco’s friend.” Hermione was stunned. Yeah, that was what she wanted to tell the woman, essentially. Hearing the words leave Bellatrix’s mouth with such emptiness left a sour feeling in her heart.

“You’re free to leave whenever you want. I’m gonna go shower.” Hermione stood there in silence, watching the woman walk towards the bathroom. “Oh, and it was nice seeing you again, Kitten.” It was something in the way Bellatrix said that last sentence that triggered Hermione into a response. Without thinking the young woman stormed upto Bellatrix from behind and pushed her into the wall next to the bathroom door. Turning her around, Hermione brought her face close to the older woman’s and seethed. “You don’t get to act like this Bellatrix. You don’t get to act all defeated. We both know last night shouldn’t have happened.” Smirking Bellatrix ignored the slight pain in her shoulder from when the girl pushed her into the wall and stared into those brown eyes she loved so dearly.

“It was a lapse in judgement because we were both intoxicated. Don’t make it seem as if either of us wanted it.” Hermione stepped back when she realised Bellatrix made no move to respond.

“I was doing so well without you, you know. And then you just had to appear and fuck shit up for me.” Frustrated with the other woman’s lack of response, Hermione growled. She needed to calm down. It was unreasonable for her to get so worked up considering Bellatrix had did them both the favor and wrapped up their situation neatly. But this is Hermione we’re talking about, the young woman, had a knack for complicating things sometimes. Rising from the wall, Bellatrix placed herself in front of the woman. Looking straight in her eyes Bellatrix prepared herself for the words she’s been holding onto since Hermione called them quits. It was early, she tried being civil and ending it how Hermione wanted it to end, and yet the girl just had to choose now of all times to be complicated. Bella was irritated and if Hermione wanted to argue, then she’ll get an argument.

“No, Hermione. You-” pointing to Hermione. “ Don’t get to behave this way. Ever since we started this thing of ours, I’ve been accommodating. Never truly objecting your wants and needs.” The older woman was breathing heavy as her emotions took over.

“Yes, we fucked last night. You, wanted it, incase you forgot. Yes, I admit that I could have resisted better. But what can I do? I’m weak when it comes to you. Everything I do was for-- is for you. You never stopped to understand that though. And now that I’ve even pushed my feelings aside and helped move this situation along for YOU.....You’re suddenly upset with me. Do you know how much it hurts me to tell you that last night shouldn’t have happened?! To pretend that after today we’re back to being distant acquaintances who only saw each other when the situation calls for the both of our’s attendance. NO, you wouldn’t know. Have you ever stopped to think about how I could possibly feel in all this? Sure, I should've held my ground in some of the decisions you made for us during our triste. But I don’t regret any of it because I did it all for you. And I’d do it all again if it meant that you’d be happy. So,” Bellatrix took a deep breath in order to calm her breathing. Turning to the woman, she continued “So, if you’d please just leave. I honestly don’t want to fight with you right now. You’re upset and that’s understandable but we can’t sort out our issues while angry. I don’t want to hurt you.” With a heavy sigh, Bellatrix turned and entered her bathroom. With the click of the door, Hermione was brought out of her stunned state. Bellatrix’s words felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over her head. The young woman felt cold to her core. Her heart felt just as empty as it did the night she decided to walk away from Bellatrix. Steeling herself for the journey back to her room, Hermione wiped the few tears that fell down her cheeks and left the hotel room. For the first time since the initial parting, Hermione questioned if the choice to split was the right decision or not. The thought of Bellatrix hurting over it, tore at her heart.

Chapter Text

Two days has passed since Hermione walked out of that hotel room. Two days for her to mull over the words Bellatrix had told her. The young lawyer was at wits end trying to cope with the flood of emotions those words brought onto her. Sadness, guilt, anger, and a twinge of happiness as well. That same day, after arriving back to her hotel suite, Hermione had spent the rest of her morning dodging calls and knocks on her door from all of her friends. She’d secluded herself as some sort of punishment for what she’d done to Bella. Was she really selfish in thinking this would only affect herself? She couldn’t be, right? Bellatrix was an incredibly strong, independent, and fierce woman. She didn’t need Hermione. So, there was no way she could have sacrificed as much as she’d implied. Hermione had over thought the entire situation to the point of physically making herself sick. She had threw up later that evening and later that night after ordering room service for dinner. The following day, the young woman told herself that she’d just leave it alone. The situation between them was over with and she shouldn’t spend the rest of this week depressed over a few words her old lover told her. Bellatrix was her past, their issues will have to stay in the past as well. One drunken night couldn’t be the reason for her falling off her game again. Hermione just wouldn’t allow it.

Standing in front of her mirror, Hermione gazed at her reflection, deciding whether or not she looked suitable to join everyone at the hotel’s restaurant for brunch. What stared back at her was the appearance of a slightly pale young woman with really bad frizzy hair. Of course, Hermione showered and washed her hair yesterday. She however, neglected to brush out some of the tangles or even blow dry it. She wasn’t in the mood really, to exert much energy. So, she decided to throw her curls into a messy bun and apply foundation and a little concealer to hide her paleness and the dark rings forming under her eyes. Sure, she wasn’t sleeping well, but no one really needed to know that. Hermione knew that once she left this room her friends would be worried and asking her questions and she didn’t want her appearance giving them more reason to worry. Grabbing her jeans jacket and her cell phone, Hermione exited the room only to be greeted by Ginny and Draco.

The two best friends had been terribly worried for their friend. Many scenarios ran through their heads for the past two days wondering what could have drove the girl into seclusion. Ginny wondered if something had happened at the club after they left her by herself, this then made Draco extra worried and guilty. He berated himself for not bringing her back to the hotel with him and Ginny when Hermione had offered to tag along. The boy didn’t know what he’d do if something traumatic actually occured to their friend. He would never forgive himself. Ginny wasn’t far from the same mindset, honestly. Their worried glances made Hermione feel a little guilty. Yeah, she wanted to be alone for the past couple days but she should of at least told them that. They were her friends, they deserved a heads up, if only to make sure their minds didn’t jump to rash conclusions. Smiling weakly, Hermione hugged her two friends and apologized for closing them out. “Guys, I’m sorry for ignoring you both for the past few days. I promise nothing bad happened. I just ran into an old friend of mine and with work keeping me up to date on things, I just needed some time alone.”

Hermione hadn’t necessarily lied, but she also didn’t elaborate on the truth either. She did in fact focus on work while she spent her second day locked away from the world. She’d left her firm partner Luna Lovegood to oversee all of the colleagues case assignments and instructed the girl to email her notes on the status of current court cases. They were also starting to intern law students as well and she needed to select a few very promising candidates for that opportunity.

Ginny nodded her head, seeming to be fine with that answer. Draco wasn’t. “Are you sure you’re fine, Mione? I know you didn’t get back until morning and so w--” Hermione had cut him off with another hug. Chuckling she kissed the boy on the cheek and said “Awww, was Dragon worried for me? How cute.” grabbing both of their hands, Hermione looked her friends in the face and said as clearly as possible, hoping they understand, “ I promise, I am alright. I ended up spending the night with that friend I ran into at the club. Please don’t stress it.” Both Draco and Ginny glanced at each other and with a shrug decided to drop the conversation. As they made their way out of the hotel, Draco made a mental note to give Harry and Ron the run down on Hermione’s disappearance over the past two days. Ginny was already texting Nymphadora as they entered the car. “Who was that friend you ran into, anyways? Someone we know?” Draco asked. He was only trying to make conversation since it seemed Hermione was drifting off into her head. Something was on her mind and he wanted to know but allowed her to have her space as well.

“Hmm, not really. It was someone I had met during Law school when we were around 20-21” Hermione responded without looking at either friend. She’d taken to staring out of the car window.

“Oh, so was this one of your flings again? Finally, decided to get shagged after 84 years” Hermione laughed at the reference and turned to Ginny and Draco. Both friends were smiling as well, happy that they seemed to have lifted the other girl’s spirits. They really did care deeply for her. Pulling up to the restaurant Hermione realised that she didn’t know who was joining them. “Wait, exactly who else is joining us for Brunch today aside from Harry and Ron?”

“Well, it’s me, you, Draco, Harry, Ron, Andy, Dora, Cissy, and I believe Bellatrix as well.” Ginny informed her. Hermione almost tripped over her feet upon exiting the car after hearing that Bellatrix would be joining them. “Oh! I almost forgot, Fleur will also be there.” Hermione nodded. Her mind was reeling at the thought of seeing Bellatrix after the other day. She wanted to hide away again. Hermione scolded herself for being so stupid. Of course Bellatrix would show up, it was her nephew’s wedding week activities. Thinking back on it, she was foolish to even be surprised at seeing her in the club that night too. But how come no one mentioned her being here in Vegas? Hermione would have taken extra care to not run into the older woman had she known. Approaching the table, Hermione noted that they were the last to arrive. ‘Did I really take that long to get ready this morning?’ Hermione thought to herself. Despite being grateful for her friends waiting on her so she didn’t have to arrive so late alone, Hermione still felt slightly guilty for it. After everyone at the table exchanged pleasantries, the food was served.

Bellatrix had been silent after noticing Hermione. The girl barely looked in her direction all afternoon. All the attempts to engage in conversation with her was short and cordial. It broke Bellatrix’s heart. Naturally, she knew that she should be upset with Hermione, furious even, but her heart wouldn’t allow her. All Bellatrix could do, as she watched the young woman talk and laugh with everyone around, was think of ways to speak with her without causing a scene. A nudge from her right brought Bellatrix out of her mind. Andromeda had been watching her keenly. The middle sister was very privy to detail and she always noticed the tension between her older sister and Hermione. No, she never spoke openly about it, at first, but then her suspicions only made more sense after the two had parted ways. With Bellatrix’s mood change at the time and Cissy telling her how Draco has been worried because of Hermione, all the pieces seemed to have clicked for Andy. She was sure something was there between the two. Now sitting here, witnessing their interaction with each other, she could only think it was due to being apart from each other for so long. Turning to her sister, Andy whispered “Stop watching her like some kicked puppy. It’s creepy and also leaves me to question what happened for you to look at her like that.” Bellatrix sighed, she had to tell someone. She needed help figuring out how to fix this, even if she wasn’t sure what went wrong to begin with.

“Andy, I have to tell you something. But not here. I had promised not to say anything to anyone but I just... I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.” Andromeda sat back and surveyed the look on her older sister’s face. The tone of Bellatrix’s voice had set warning bells off in her head. Her big sister needed her and Andy was worried. For as long as she could remember, she’d never heard the woman sound so fragile. Grabbing Bella’s hand and abruptly standing, Andromeda looked to the other guests and excused the two sisters. “Sorry for the interruption, Bella and I are going to take a walk through the garden out back for a few. We’ll be right back.”

Narcissa had saw the two sisters whispering and saw the look on Bella’s face. She was worried too. Seeing their baby sister stand up, Andromeda had Bellatrix wait at the door while she went to Narcissa, “Is everything alright, Andy? I saw you and Bella talking. Is she okay? Can I join you guys as well?” Andromeda placed a hand on the blonde’s shoulders in an attempt to calm her down. There was no reason to have her stress out. Andy and Bella both knew how easily worried Narcissa can get when it comes to her family. “Cissy, it’s alright. Bella just wants to discuss something personal with me. It’s nothing bad, but” glancing back at the table, Andy said “I don’t think you should come. We promise to fill you in later when all the kids are gone and it's just us. Besides, I know after your night with Fleur that the both of you are still famished.” With a smirk and wink, Andromeda chuckled as she ushered her now blushing younger sister back to the table and turned to join Bellatrix in the garden.

“So, what’s up with you and Hermione?” Andy asked. The sisters had spent the last few minutes exploring the garden in a comfortable silence until she decided to get to the issue. Bellatrix sighed. Part of her felt like she was betraying Hermione by telling Andy, but Bella couldn’t do it anymore. She was stretching herself too thin now and she needed to release some of the stress some how. “I slept with her the other night.” Andromeda wasn’t surprised but to hear that this occurred recently threw the middle sister off a little. Quirking an eyebrow she looked at Bellatrix, wanting the entire story. “Huh, I had my suspicions but I--, No. When did this start?” Bellatrix was confused. She’d stopped walking when Andy commented. Were they being that obvious before? If Andy had her suspicions, did everyone else have theirs? Andy’s snapping brought Bellatrix back to the present. There was no use in stressing over something that was no longer within her control. Something that no longer was.

“The night of the family dinner, when I had first met her. When you all left the library to go home, I had stopped her and gave her my number. At first, we just talked. She expressed her intentions of not wanting anything romantic or sexual with me and I respected it. But, after sometime, I don’t know. The lines became blurry at some point and the tension thickened each time we met up. Whether it was during dinner at Cissy’s or when her and I would go out for dinner, I’d lost my heart to her Andy--” Bellatrix was breathing hard. Her and Andy had stopped walking altogether and decided to sit on one of the benches near the rose bushes. Andy saw how hard it was for her sister to talk about this. She wrapped her arms around the older sister in a sign of support. Bellatrix continued “She wanted to keep our situation private because she thinks it’ll mess up her friendship with Draco, and I respected that decision. What makes this all the more scarier was that we hadn’t even started sleeping with each other yet. Hermione was still on the fence and refused many of my advances. I never pushed or questioned her about them. I had eventually decided to let her make the move herself.  Which she did, the night of Cissy’s New Years Party. Since that night, we’d gotten even closer. I had never felt so complete in my life. Unfortunately, that didn’t last long.”

Andy was extremely worried for her sister. She now understood why she was such a wreck those months all those years back. Her Bella was in love. Andy’s heart weeped for her. Cradling her sister’s face in the palm of her hands, Andy calmly smiled and wiped the few tears that streamed down Bellatrix’s face, nodding for her to continue. It would be good for her to get it all off her chest. “It was during the months before her examination for licensing. She was studying a lot and I honestly didn’t mind. We’d been spending nearly a year and a half together, she had space in my closet for her things. Her study books were all over my library. For fuck’s sakes Andy” Bellatrix let out a harsh breath and grabbed her hair at the scalp. Andy kept silent and waited. “I was already thinking about making us official. I was making plans for how we could introduce our relationship to you guys, and she just-- she just drops the bomb on me--us. She just ended us, Andy.”  Heartbreak. That’s what Andromeda felt for her older sister. Who would’ve guessed that it would take Hermione Granger of all people to break the one and only Bellatrix Black. Wrapping her arm around her sister, Andy pulled Bella into her chest. She ran her fingers through the raven curls hoping to calm the woman down. She wasn’t really sure what to say just yet. She knew the story wasn’t really over and so she was going to wait until the very end. The gasps from Bellatrix and the shaking of her shoulders told Andy that the older woman was indeed crying. Continuing to run her fingers through her hair, Andy whispered “It’s okay, Bella. I know how much it hurts. But don’t worry, you will get through this. I’ll make sure you do.” Sniffling a few times, Bellatrix continued her story. Although muffled a bit by Andy’s shoulder, Bella said “She wanted us to go our separate ways. Claimed that it wouldn’t be fair to stay together because the sneaking around and lying was adding stress onto her anxiety about the exams coming up. She thought it was best if we just called it quits considering it was never going to last. And I said nothing Andy. I agreed because I wanted her to be happy. I saw how hard she worked to get to where she was. If I was part of the reason why she possibly failed, I wouldn’t forgive myself. So, without fighting I said goodbye.”

Andy looked down as she felt Bellatrix raise her head. The streaks of dry tears on her cheeks and puffy red eyes made Andy want to cry. Bella was in so much pain. In a small voice Bella asked “Why can I never do things correctly?” Andy couldn’t take it. She looked away from those broken eyes and stared up at the sky. She needed to control her emotions. If she was going to help Bella figure this out, she needed a clear mind to look at the situation from all angles. “When I saw her at one of my clubs the other night, I knew I should have stayed away from her. She was with her friends but then they had to leave and so I thought ‘There’s no harm in having a good night’. Well wrong! We ended up spending the night together talking and having fun. We even ended up fucking in the middle of my friend’s restaurant after closing. The morning after, she blamed me for fucking things up for her. I couldn’t even get angry with her, even when I pointed out how it was her who wanted all of it to happen.” Andy wanted to make a joke about them having sex in public but knew that it wasn’t the right moment for it, another time the middle sister told herself. “ But now, here we are. That morning after, she wanted us to go back to being acquaintances, and I can’t do that Andy. I can’t sit in a room with her and pretend that I don’t know her as well as I do. See her and not want to hold her, or kiss her, or joke around like we did. It hurts way too much.” Sitting up now that she’s finally got the heavy stuff off her chest and her tears seem to have stopped running, Bellatrix looked towards the sky, taking in a deep breath as she concluded “And now, I don’t want to give up. I don’t know how I’m going to do it, but I will fight for her, Andy. Hermione has my heart and no matter how much she tries to hide it, I know she’s already given hers to me as well.”

“Bella....I-- Are you sure about this?”

“Yes. I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life, Andy.”

“Okay, then I’ll help you” Bellatrix’s face barely had a chance to show how happy she was to hear those words before Andromeda cut her off “But first, you will have to tell Cissy. And before you say something, think deeply about this. Yes, Cissy’s son is bestfriends with the woman you’re in love with. She is also your sister and would want to not only help you but hear about your relationship from you and no one else. She wanted to come out here too you know. It’ll upset her if you don’t explain things to her soon. I know for a fact she’ll understand.” Bellatrix sat there in thought for a couple of minutes, she was slightly exhausted from all of the emotional expressing she did recently and so her ability to think was slow. Finally agreeing that Andromeda was right, she nodded her head in agreement. Standing up, Andromeda pulled her older sister up into a hug. Kissing her on the cheek as she stepped away as Andy said “Okay, now that this issue has been discussed, why don’t we head back in. I’m pretty sure everyone is wondering why we were gone for so long.” Although her heart still ached for the younger woman, Bellatrix smiled, glad that she had her sister to help her find a way back into her lover’s heart.

Smiling at Andromeda as they approached the table, Bella whispered “Thank you, Andy. For listening to me and holding me while I made a mess of your dress” Andromeda gave Bellatrix a faux scandalised look which caused the older of the two to laugh. Narcissa spotted the two sisters as they neared the table. Her gaze locked onto Andy’s after noticing Bella’s slightly puffy eyes. A perfectly shaped eyebrow shot up in silent question, without missing a beat, Andy mouthed that they would talk later. With a huff, Narcissa turned back to the table. She suddenly wanted this to end. Her curiosity was piqued, so was her concern. Whatever Andy and Bella spoke about made the older one cry. She couldn’t recall the last time that happened, she wanted to know why.

Hermione had saw when Bellatrix and Andromeda returned. She’d noticed how puffy Bella’s eyes were and the sullen expression on Andy’s face. Hermione was worried but couldn’t bring herself to ask either women what was wrong. The voice in her head suggested that they had spoken about her, but Hermione stopped listening to that voice since she walked out of Bella’s hotel suite. Something else could have possibly been the issue, surely. Having not touched her food much, Hermione stood up excusing herself from the group. Seeing Bellatrix look so broken made her sick. She couldn’t stay much longer. “My apologies, but I haven’t been feeling well lately, and I-” while staring around the table at the various pairs of eyes on her, Hermione’s eyes locked with jet black ones and her voice faltered. “I-- I’m just gonna head back to my room and lay down for a bit. I-” Tearing her gaze away from the woman that haunted her dreams, Hermione fought back the stinging feeling of tears in her eyes. Why was she even crying? “I’m sorry guys.” Ignoring the calls of her friends, Hermione walked briskly out of the restaurant and hopped into the first car she saw, instructing the driver to take her back to the hotel. As the car pulled away, Hermione let out a shaky breath as her tears fell continuously down her face. Will she be able to bounce back from this? If it was the right decision, why did her heart hurt so much seeing Bellatrix in such a state. What can she possibly do to get rid of this feeling?

Andromeda watched Bellatrix the entire time as Hermione excused herself and made her exit. Placing a hand on her sister’s thigh in support, she whispered “Don’t worry to deeply about it, Bella. You’ll be able to comfort her soon. Just hold on a little longer.” Bellatrix took a deep breath and nodded her head. She will stay strong. If she wanted this to work, she’ll have to listen to Andy every step of the way and know when to take a step back. At this very moment, running after her pet would only make matters worse. Even if it doesn’t stop her thoughts from worrying about the younger woman, Bellatrix found solace in Andy’s hand on her thigh. It kept her grounded, something she needed when facing such emotions.

Chapter Text

“Alright, so who’s going to explain to me exactly why Bella was crying earlier?” It was after hours. The day was coming to a close and the three Black sisters had gathered in Bellatrix’s hotel suite to lounge for the night. Narcissa was on edge all day, wanting to know what Andy and Bella discussed during brunch. She was also terribly curious over Hermione’s departure but decided to leave that up to her son. Bella was more important, right now. After all, the last time Narcissa can ever remember seeing her sister this emotional was a few years ago and even then she didn’t know what made the usually reserved and cool Black, such a wreck. Heaving a sigh, Bellatrix sat down on the couch as Andromeda fetched them each something to drink.

Bellatrix’s suite was grande, for a lack of a better word. She had the top floor, Penthouse suite, after all. She was a Black, why would she settle for anything less? The suite came with three bedrooms, a kitchen, dining area, living area, 4 bathrooms, and an outdoor roof terrace that offered an amazing view of the Vegas strip. The women were currently in the living area which contained a couple of couches all facing the ceiling to floor windows that overlook the city below, a bar, piano, and a bookcase filled with today’s bestsellers and newspaper copies. It was spacious but cosy enough. The hotel staff knew how Bellatrix liked her suite, she only stayed there every other couple of months throughout the past year and a half. Her business ventures brought her to the States often, alternating between New York, Las Vegas, and soon, California. Once the wedding was over, Bellatrix was thinking of moving to New York permanently as well. However, she never accounted for her interactions with Hermione. Now that she has decided to actively and publicly pursue her, the business woman was unsure of what to do with the future.

Sipping her whiskey, Bellatrix took to staring out the window of her suite, out into the Las Vegas night. Her confession to Andy was easy. Andromeda was always the more open minded of the three and gave great advice, she was easy to talk to, and willing to help no matter what. Narcissa on the other hand, amazing as she is, had her faults at times. Bellatrix knew that it would be complicated explaining things with her baby sister. “I cried for many things during that talk, what specifically do you want know about it, Cissy?” A pair of pink lips straighten into thin lines. Narcissa wasn’t in the mood for Bella’s daftness. Hitting her softly on the shoulder, Narcissa took the glass of Whiskey from Bellatrix and stood up. She was on her third drink, clearly something major happened and Narcissa wanted to know everything.

“I want the entire discussion, Bellatrix Black. Don’t think I haven’t noticed your sour mood all day since, or that my mention of the conversation didn’t drive you to drink more.” Placing her empty wine glass on the island across from Bellatrix, Narcissa looked to Andy, silently hoping for help, before approaching Bella. “Bella, I’m worried for you. I want to help, you know. I haven’t seen you cry in a long while. We always told each other everything, why is this different? I’m not here to judge you or anything either. Once a Black, always a Black. We’re sisters for a reason, so please, tell me” Placing a hand on her older sister’s now saddened  face, Narcissa whispered “What happened, Bella?”

Bellatrix felt torn. She wanted to tell Narcissa everything, same as she did with Andy, but it was so hard. She knows how much Cissy cares for Hermione, this could possibly ruin so much. Chuckling lightly to herself, Bellatrix swallowed the sudden rise of bile down her throat. It was moments like these, Hermione wanted to avoid when they were together, and it’s funny how they’re in this exact situation without even being on proper talking terms. Man, Bella hated life sometimes.

“I’m...” Drawing all the strength she had in her, Bella looked Narcissa in the eyes and said “I’m in love, Cissy.” A gasp was heard from both Bella and Narcissa. Andy placed a hand on Bellatrix’s shoulder as she watched her big sister fall apart all over again. To say Narcissa was shocked, would be the understatement of the year. She sat there, eyes wide, taking in her sister’s sobbing form, not really knowing how to help her. Of all the things she could have guessed, this was not one of them. In love? Narcissa didn’t even know Bella was seeing anyone, so how could she possibly be in love? And who was the person?? “Who is it, Bella?” Narcissa whispered as she gathered her sister in a hug. Sniffling, Bellatrix said “Hermione Granger”

Narcissa tensed. Did she hear correctly? That wasn’t possible, right? Not trusting her voice or her feelings, Narcissa asked in her most neutral voice possible, “Who, Bella? I don’t think I heard you clearly. Could have sworn you said--”

“Hermione Granger” Bellatrix’s clear voice was the only thing heard throughout the room as the other two sisters tensed. Narcissa couldn’t think, she didn’t know what to think. Hermione? Her Draco’s best friend Hermione Granger?! When? How? Why? Questions, so many questions ran through the Malfoy matriarch’s mind. She didn’t notice when she released Bellatrix from the hug, or when she walked over to the liquor cabinet and got herself a stronger drink. Her mind was on autopilot. She was missing something, it didn’t make any sense. Does Draco know?

“Does Draco know?” Narcissa was just standing there. She no longer knew what to do with herself in that moment. Her blood was boiling, but she was also confused and still very concerned for her sister. Andy was now holding Bellatrix as she attempted to calm down. The mention of Draco, however, seemed to have unleashed even more tears.

“We’re the only ones who know Cissy. From what she’s told me, Hermione wanted it to be a secret because she was afraid that it would tear her and Draco apart.” At Andy’s response, the gears seemed to have started clicking in Narcissa’s mind as things started making sense. “Wait, how long has this little-” Abnormal to Narcissa’s style and composure, the blonde woman gestures wildly about in emphasis as she attempts to articulate whatever was happening between her sister and the young woman. “ THING! This thing between you and Hermione, how long?”

“She said it's been a couple years, during Hermione’s beginning years at Law school. Hermione ended things when she was preparing for her licensing examinations.” Andy was talking for Bella. Although her sobs were no longer audible, the sniffles told Andy that she wasn’t all yet put together to rejoin the conversation. They both knew Bellatrix would have to talk eventually. This was only the easy part, she’d need all the strength she can get once Narcissa starts interrogating her further.

“This past weekend was the first time they saw each other since the split. They-” Andy hesitated, unsure on whether she should tell Narcissa that Bella and Hermione slept with each other recently. Deciding that she was over crying, Bellatrix sat up, still holding onto Andy, and continued her statement. “We slept together the other night when they went clubbing. I saw her there and after Draco and Ginny left, we hung out for the rest of the night. One thing lead to another and....” Bellatrix’s voice faded out. Their argument still fresh in her mind, the sound of slamming distracted her as both her and Andy looked in Narcissa’s direction.

The often calm and collected blonde woman was boiling with anger. She’d did the math while Andy spoke, she’d recalled the memories and dates. It all made sense now and the youngest Black was furious. “What the FUCK Bella?! She’s half your bloody age!! Don’t you have any shame?! She was a child! Best friend to your beloved nephew and you fucking screwed her!” Narcissa’s voice rose exponentially. She just couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Actually, no. She could believe it, really. It was Bellatrix afterall. What Narcissa truly couldn’t believe was how she had missed all the telltale signs at the time. The banter between both women was always brushed aside and taken for friendly jest and amusement in her mind. Never would she have assumed that they were sexually or moreso, romantically involved. She assumed that they only ever saw each other during her family dinners and even then, Bellatrix didn’t attend all nor did Hermione. In Narcissa’s eyes, the two women seldom saw each other, much less spoke.

Bellatrix and Andromeda both jumped at Narcissa’s exclamations. The eldest sister expected anger from the baby, but never this much. Everyone, except Andy by chance, were running on high emotions. With Narcissa’s anger and Bellatrix’s fragile state, things couldn’t possibly end well. Andy stood up once she felt Bella’s hands ball up where they laid in her lap. She needed to deescalate the situation, fast. Placing her hands palms up, Andy approached Narcissa like she was an animal prone to lashing out violently any moment; in a way, she was. In a calm and steady voice Andy said “Alright, Cissy. Let’s just all calm down and talk about this reasonably. I understand you care deeply for Hermione. Like a mother would, but you have to understand that she wasn’t a child when this happened.” Narcissa stood still, trying to calm her racing heart as Andy came close and rested her hands on her shoulders. Not taking her eyes away from Bella, Narcissa nodded her head at Andy’s words. They will definitely talk about this.

“Mione!!” Draco and the other’s were currently outside of Hermione’s hotel suite. After her sudden departure from the restaurant earlier in the afternoon, the group of friends wanted to know what was wrong with their friend. At first, Draco wanted to immediately chase after her but a suggestion from Harry and the agreement of the Weasley siblings had him leave the young woman to her own devices until later. It was indeed later, now and Draco was losing his battle with keeping calm. He’d been worried all day. Seeing her that morning before they left the hotel was still bothering him as well. He hadn’t seen the girl days prior and with her abrupt departure, the Malfoy heir was over waiting for her to open up about what the issue was.

They’d been pacing in the hallway for exactly five minutes before the sound of a clicking signaled Hermione unlocking her door. Not even taking time to process anything, the group of friends barreled into the young woman’s room, crowding her with faces of concern and questions. These few days showed them an alarmingly different Hermione and everyone was determined to figure her out. Ginny was the closest and went straight for the girl. The only one to have taken notice of her pale frame seemed to have been Harry. Patting Draco on the back and shoving Ron away from approaching her, he said “Guys, let’s just.... let’s just all get inside and settle before we start firing questions at her.” Hermione’s face twitched in a weak attempt of smiling. She was grateful Harry was here. He’d be able to keep the group under control, especially Draco, if things came down to it. Collapsing into the couch, Hermione watched as Ginny sat to her left, Harry and Draco decided to share a love seat across from her and Ron was somewhere in the mini kitchen searching for beer. Boy, did that red head lack the ability to read a mood. He probably just thought she was sick or something. Complex thought wasn’t really his strong suit.

Refusing a beer offered, Hermione steeled herself for the inevitable and spoke “What’s up guys?” Her voice was small. Soft, as if the young woman thought she’d break if she attempted anything more. Ginny, being the closest placed a gentle hand on her distressed friend and gave her a sympathetic smile, “What’s been up with you, Mione? We all know you aren’t well.” Looking from Ginny to the boys, Hermione noted the looks of concern, worry and fleeting confusion before gulping down the slight taste of bile. Maybe she should’ve taken that beer Ron offered or something stronger. This probably would’ve been easier. “We’re your friends, Hermione. We’re worried about you.” Draco said, he huffed when Harry yanked him back into his seat. The boy had stood up while speaking and didn’t realise how that move drove Hermione further into herself. “What my tone deaf fiancé is trying to say is that, we love you Hermione and we want to see you happy. But we can’t do that if you don’t let us in.”

Was it getting hot in here or was Hermione just overreacting? The young woman could feel the beginnings of an anxiety attack coming on. In. Out. In. Out. Her chest felt fuzzy. ‘This shouldn’t be so hard’, she thought. The group of friends were watching their friend patiently waiting for her to speak. Hermione didn’t know where to start. How did it come to this? Her walls. The tall, strong walls she’d carefully crafted after that night so many years ago; destroyed in the span of a week. She couldn’t do this. She wasn’t ready. By now, the young woman’s chest was moving at an unhealthy pace. Her breaths were labored. Looking from face to face, Hermione was starting to lose focus. The room was slowly spinning. Too many things were happening all at once. Ever the over thinker, the young woman questioned everyone’s possible reactions to what she was about to tell them. She jumped from Ron and Ginny’s judgment to Harry and Draco’s disgust. It was too much. She needed air. She had to get out of there. Clenching her fists, Hermione pushed herself up from the couch only to bump into Harry. ‘When did he get up?’ She thought, slightly dazed. Strong arms wrapped around her shaking form. “Breathe with me, Hermione. I promise it will be okay. Just, breathe” On Harry’s count they started. “Inhale” Crack. She’d stopped breathing. What was this feeling? “Exhale” Crack. It’s heavy. Is this really what Harry means when he says breathe with him? “Inhale” Crack. She’s choking now. It’s too much and she’s exhausted. She can’t hold them back anymore. “Exhale, Mione” A sob breaks its way out from the deep corners of her heart and takes over her body. If Harry wasn’t holding her, Hermione imagined she would’ve collapsed.

Aren’t we being a bit dramatic, Hermione?

Clutching onto her friend a bit tighter, the over emotional young woman gathered the nerves to get this over with. Smiling as a thank you for helping her out, Hermione stepped away from Harry and wiped her wet face. Chuckling softly at the thought of how she must look, she sat back down on the couch and spoke the words she’s been holding onto for years. “I’m in love with Bellatrix Black”. She didn’t look at anyone in particular after speaking those words. Although, clear and firm, Hermione was still very unsure about how her confession would be taken. She didn’t want to lose anyone of her friends for something she couldn’t control.

A chuckle from Ron caused the young lawyer to jump. She’d been drifting into her mind again, thinking up the worst scenario since no one made any move to talk. Looking at the ginger young man ready to lash out, a giggle to her left from Ginny caused confusion to shine on her face. She didn’t get what was so funny, did they not believe her? Before she could even voice her ire with this situation, a deep belly laugh from Draco cause her heat to quicken. This was it, they in fact didn’t believe her. Sensing the misunderstanding and reading her as well as before Harry suddenly spoke up, amusement clear in his voice, “Mione, We already know that.” The group of friends were still laughing about the entire episode. Leave it to Hermione, to be all over dramatic about a love confession. She really needed to take a break from work more often. “Ho-ho-how’d you guys know?” Hermione couldn’t think clearly. How could they have possibly known?! Her and Bellatrix were careful. A scoff from the gingers pulled the over thinker back into the present, “You guys weren’t very subtle, you know.”

“My usually nit wit of a brother is right, Mione. You guys were always flirting whenever y’all saw each other. I knew you both enjoyed literature, but who knew you can make innuendoes while discussing literary theory.” Ginny said after flinging an arm carelessly around the now flustered brunette. Hermione giggled as Ginny stuck her tongue out in response to Ron throwing a napkin at her for the ‘nit wit’ comment. “Exactly, Mione. I won’t lie, at first, when it all clicked to me, I was a bit weirded out.” Draco chuckled. This was it. The moment Hermione was dreading. “I mean, that’s my aunt and she’s like 20 years older than you. But then I saw the way you guys looked at each other during my mother’s New Years Ball.” His voice softened out as he gazed at his fiancé and smiling. Grasping Harry’s hand in a loving embrace, entangling their fingers, Draco commented “That was the night I knew you to were happy and I didn’t want to ruin that.”

Without even noticing it, tears were streaming down her face again. She was overwhelmed with so much emotion at Draco’s words. A sense of relief, happiness, and regret. Relief that he wasn’t upset with her being together with Bellatrix. Happiness that she wouldn’t lose a really dear friend to her and a strong bout of regret. Regret for keeping this a secret for so long. Regret for allowing her fears to ruin the greatest thing she ever had. Regret at hurting the only woman she’ll ever love. Another sob shook her body as the memory of Bella’s words flashed through her mind. Their time together those nights ago, rushing back with a vengeance. She needed to apologize.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for not trusting you guys with this. I let my fears take over. I didn’t think my relationship with Bellatrix would survive. I didn’t want it to tear apart our friendship, Draco. At first, it wasn’t supposed to be anything but friendly interactions. But—- but after a while it became comfortable. When I was stressed out with school or had a really difficult paper, Bella was always there with a helping or comforting hand.” Chuckling as she wiped her eyes again, man was she tired of crying, she continued “That night you mentioned, dragon—the night of the New Years party all those years ago— it was actually the very first night we decided to take that step into our relationship.” With an exhausted sigh, Hermione concluded “It was amazing. Loving her and being loved in return. I never spoke the words— out of fear— perhaps, or because I didn’t want to risk even more damage when I inevitably broke it off with her. I was just so stressed and the thought that I was betraying you guys by sneaking around with her was making things worse. I thought it’d be better if we went our separate ways. It’s been some years now and so I didn’t expect this to happen when I saw her again that night at the club.” A thought struck the bushy haired woman and she flung her couch pillow with all the force she could muster at Draco. With a grunt of pain, the boy managed to not topple over in his seat. “That’s for not mentioning it was her club we went to, Dragon.”

After listening intently, it seemed Harry and Ginny were able to connect most of the dots and now knew why their friend's behavior was off for the past week. “So, I’m guessing you guys slept together than night you didn’t return to the hotel and something happened the following morning that put you in such a terrible mood?” Hermione was grateful for the female Weasley, the girl was very skilled in solving puzzles and the young lawyer didn’t feel for explaining in great detail. Nodding her head she leaned back and stared at the ceiling. “We argued and she confessed her feelings and I got scared — again— and ran. Seeing her earlier didn’t help. I just—-

I can’t not love her. But I fucked us up and now I don’t know how to fix it. Or if she’d want me to fix it.”

The Black sisters were piss drunk, for a lack of a better descriptor. They were all red in the face from laughing over some terrible sex pun Andromeda made. They were currently discussing their partners and had pushed Narcissa into sending a very embarrassing sext to one particular French assistant. It was, gods only knew, whatever time it was. The day had been terribly long for all three women.

That talk they’d agreed to evolved into insults being exchanged, which then turned into Bellatrix nursing a red cheek. The imprint of Narcissa’s hand visible, after the Malfoy matriarch reacted upon hearing how Bella would defile the young lawyer in her home. Bellatrix, for one, took the abuse in stride and just laughed it off. Somehow, Andromeda had found it wise to introduce even stronger alcohol into this mix and thus, here we are. Three sisters, cuddled on the bed of the eldest sister’s hotel suite, cherished the time they were having. With life and their individual schedules, nights like these were once in a blue moon.

“So, Bella. What are you gonna do?” The youngest sister asked. Confused, Bellatrix turned her hooded eyes onto the blonde with a questioning glare. “About Hermione , you idiot.” with an uncharacteristic eye roll “and they say you’re smart. Tuh.” A giggle from Andy caused Bella’s already muddled mind to drift further. Sleep was calling her name. The woman was emotionally exhausted. The last thing any of the women hear was a soft “Hermione...” until soft snores trailed behind. Kissing her sister on the cheek, Cissy and Andy smirked to each other. It was time to make sure their big sis had her happy ending as well. Seeming to understand each other with just a look Andy exclaimed softy, “So, tomorrow we’ll start operation Bellamione. ” Surrendering to the blissful comfort of sleep Narcissa snorted softly and replied “Really, Andy?! Did you just give them a ship name?” The sounds of laughter was the last thing heard as all three women went to sleep.

Tomorrow was a new day and the Black sisters were ready to help the two women they care for be happy.

Chapter Text

*Flashback to a New Years not so long ago.........*

“Why are there white tablecloths?! I ordered silver! SILVER! Who is responsible for this?! And cloth?! What do you people take me for?!” Bella chuckled as she watched her baby sister lose it over something so small. This happened each year, the older Black never understood why Cissy ever bothered with such a headache, anyways. Deciding to avoid running into the woman while on her warpath, Bella took out her phone choosing to text Hermione while seeking refuge in the library. Although her initial attraction to the young law student was noted the night of their initial meeting those many months ago, even Bellatrix was surprised with how much she truly cared for the girl. Of course, it wasn’t like they were dating or anything. They were simply just good friends. Who occasionally flirted, exchanged meaningless gifts whenever, visited each other, went out to nice restaurants, and shared a bed one too many times. You know, gals being the best of pals and stuff like that.

Bella: What are you doing right now?

(Kitten typing)

Taking a seat in her designated leather chair by the fire, Bella grabbed a random book to aimlessly flip through while she pretended to not appear as over eager for the girl’s response as she truly was. She wouldn’t call herself the clingy type, per say, but the Black matriarch can very well reluctantly admit that she tends to get a bit overcommitted when she’s into people. A shiver of disgust ran through the woman’s body at the sudden memory of her blinded devotion for a boy from her past. Tom Riddle. Shaking her head, Bella grabbed her device when it flashed signaling a new text. She definitely did not want to start remembering her school years, nor compare Hermione with him.

Kitten: Just submitted my final essay for this semester. Going to grab a late lunch with the Dragon and the gang before getting ready for tonight. What about you? If I remember clearly, Narcissa can become rather deadly during the setup for her events.  

Bella: Oh, please. As if Cissy can scare me ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ

As if on cue, there was a banging on the library door, startling Bellatrix in the process. “Shit!” the older woman whispered. She’d thought hiding in there would save her from the white witch’s wrath for the moment. As if the gods were showing her mercy, there was a very loud crashing sound on the other side of the house. The thunderous footsteps of her sister eventually faded as Bella silently prayed for whoever’s life Narcissa was going to destroy.

Bella: Everything here is going fine, actually. Splendidly well.

Kitten: You’re hiding in the library, aren’t you.

And before you ask how did I know

Well, simple, I just know you, Bella. And I also know that everyone is afraid of Narcissa on days like these.

Not even dark and brooding Bellatrix is spared of such fear.

B: You know what, Kitten?

K: What?

B: You’re uninvited to the Ball. That’s it, I’m rescinding your invitation and making sure not even Dragon can get you in.

K: lol, oh?

Are you sure about that one, Bella?

Bella knew that the girl knew she was joking but refused to respond. She was enjoying their little banter. Deciding to peek out into the hall to kill more time before actually responding, Bella didn’t mean to spot Narcissa, but the moment they locked eyes, she knew that her conversation with Hermione would have to wait for a bit. “You! What was the point of coming if you won’t help?!” Grabbing her older sister by the arm, Narcissa dragged the reluctant woman off to the kitchen to revise the night’s menu and drinks list. Poor woman, she couldn’t even go back to fetch her phone, frowning when she heard the notification sound for an incoming text.

Kitten: Well, I’ll just have to accept Ron’s offer to being his plus one then. Wouldn’t want him going alone,now.

Hermione giggled after pressing send. She already knew that Ron was taking his new girlfriend Lavender Brown as his plus one. But the young woman also enjoyed the feelings that stirred in her whenever she experienced Bella’s little jealous fits at the mere mention of her and Ron together in a not so friendly manner. Closing the app, she sent a quick text to the group chat letting her friends know she was on her way to the cafe. There was something about today, that made Hermione feel weightless. Tonight was going to be great!

“Aa....aa..lright then! Finished!” Hermione righted herself from bending at such an awkward angle to fix her mascara. Turning to the full body mirror in her room, she took her appearance in with a bit of excitement. Looking back at her were hazel eyes accentuated by the heavy eyeshadow and voluminous lashes. Nude lips and a faint blush donned her face while her curls neatly fell to frame it all. What she dorned was a stunning V-line, red evening gown. The V line dipped low into her waist and left the faint hints of her breasts in the center. Showing a lot but not much at the same time. The skirt for the gown fell all the way to the ground while a split at the right leg ran all the way up to her thigh. To wrap the look together, Hermione chose nude heeled sandals to wear, which matched the bracelet she chose to wear tonight; a gift from Bella. Checking her phone for the time, Hermione glanced at herself once more and left to meet Draco out front. Ginny would be going to the ball with Dora and so they’d all meet up there.

“Mione! Holy....... You look amazing! If I wasn’t gay, I would totally want to fuck you tonight.” Hermione chuckled at Draco’s exclamations. He always made things seem more than they were. “Thank you, I mean..... You’re looking really expensive tonight yourself. If you weren’t gay, I maybe would have tried making you my sugar daddy.” She winked at him as they both chuckled and approached the car. Spying the Medusa head cufflinks, she giggled and muttered “You damn people and your snakes. Versace? Really, Draco? Just call me poor why don’t you” Punching her lightly in the shoulder, Draco rebutted “Oh, shut up, Miss 15,000 US dollar bracelet. You have and spend just as much money as I do.” Hermione tried not to focus on the lukewarm pool of guilt trying to settle in her stomach at Draco’s mention of the bracelet and it’s price. No one knew it was a gift, or that it was from Bellatrix. She’d told them that she wanted to treat herself and out of a moment of impulsivity, made the purchase. She’d remember confronting Bella about the price of the accessory and the older woman simply dismissed her They had all agreed to meet at the entrance in order to enter together. Hermione tried to ignore the fact that she was the only one attending without a plus one; technically. She would’ve brought Fleur as her plus one but the french beauty was already in a relationship with a mystery person and had decided to attend as Bellatrix’s plus one as courtesy.

Walking into the parlor was like entering Narnia. The theme for this years New Years Ball was Winter Wonderland and Narcissa did not spare any expense. Lining the walls were crystals shaped like various snowflakes, in the center of each laid a single like that made them all twinkle. The archways were all lined with intertwining snow covered vines. Upon closer inspection Hermione noticed that there were leaves and snowdrop flowers. The vines for the most part were real, they gave the place  very earthy scent. Stepping into the main ballroom, she gasped as her eyes fell upon the main attraction of the room. A tall Evergreen tree stood at the far center of the room, illuminated with blue and white christmas lights casting the room in a cool shade. ‘Almost like a winter’s night’ Hermione thought. The fire place wasn’t lit tonight, it seems Narcissa wanted the place to feel like winter as well. That was fine, really. Everyone knows as the night carries on, people will get drunker, and drunk people usually generate enough heat to keep this place more than warm near midnight.

“You lied, kitten. You mustn’t tell lies.” Hermione jumped when that husky voice she loved so much whispered in her ear. Turning around to face the woman she had been, not too inconspicuously, looking for. Smiling as she looked at the woman, Hermione’s jaw slackened as she stared breathless at the sight. Standing before her was Bellatrix in a black skin tight lace gown. The bodice was a thin sheer material that had intricate designs weaving all over, underneath was a black corset that did wonders for the woman’s breasts. Hermione felt her mouth go dry as she continued her inspection. Further along was the skirt of the dress that seemed to be second skin, cause WOW , were her hips magnificent. A split in the left leg ran up to her knee showing off a flawlessly toned leg. “You......you....” Hermione didn’t know what to say. She was convinced that no word in the english language existed to describe how Bellatrix looked tonight.

Smirking at the look on the young woman’s face, Bellatrix looked her over. Noting the rather daring neckline and slit, she took a sip of her champagne. She was suddenly very thirsty, making note to grab a stronger drink from one of the many waiters walking around. “Hermione, “ approaching the woman and pulling her into a hug she whispered beathlessy in her ear “You’re absolutely stunning. How will I ever keep my eyes off of you tonight?” The low chuckle the older woman gave before stepping back sent shivers through Hermione’s body. She didn’t know what was happening. Something about tonight was different. Sure, Bella looked otherworldly in that gown, but she’s always been ridiculously beautiful to Hermione. With how close and friendly their relationship has been, this is the first time the young law student feels unsure about their interactions. She didn’t know if this was good or bad. Deciding not to overthink it, she spoke the first thing on her mind “I need a drink! I’ll ......I’ll see you around!” Turning from the woman to hide her rising blush, Hermione reddened even more as she heard a barely audible “Save me a dance tonight, Kitten” as the distance between her and the woman grew.

“Mione! Hey!, Hermione! What’s got you so distracted?” Nymphadora had seen her friend walking aimlessly towards one of the many tables placed around with a dazed look on her face. “Are you okay?” Hermione took a deep breath to center herself and grabbed Dora’s drink from her and downing it in one go. “Woah. What’s got you all tense? You usually don’t like whiskey.” Ginny inputted. Her and Dora were talking when Hermione appeared. Exhaling deeply, Hermione groaned as she face palmed. Even without noticing, she’s managed to do something Bella has influenced without even thinking about it. She really, really hated whiskey. Only Bella got her to drink it and now here she is drinking it. Damn that woman. “Guys..... I think I’m gonna end up doing something tonight I don’t know if I’ll regret or not.”

The girlfriends exchanged a look of confusion and decided to not look deeper into it. Their friend would come to them if things got out of hand. It was Hermione, the smartest in the bunch, she was capable of getting herself out of whatever troubles she ran into. Placing a hand on her shoulder, Dora said “Awwww, Mione, I’m sure it won’t be that bad. We know you and you’re not the type to make impulsive and dumb decisions. That’s Ginny and Draco’s job, after all.” Hermione and Dora laughed as Ginny exclaimed “Hey!” and pouted. This was nice, being here with her friends, although she hasn’t seen Draco and Harry since they came and Ron had been alternating between practically being spoon fed by Lavender and dancing. It’s like they complete each other. “Thanks guys, “ rising from her seat she looked through the sea of people in search of a familiar face and spotted Bellatrix dancing and talking with Snape, the woman’s best friend, supposedly. A sudden stab of jealousy shocked the young woman. Not liking how the view of those two caused conflicting emotions in her, she forced her eyes away, perking as they landed on familiar and friendly blonde hair. ‘Fleur!’ Hermione yelled in her head. “I just spotted Fleur, think I’m gonna ask for a dance and stuff. See you guys around”

“She’s taken, Moine! Don’t forget that!” Dora yelled causing those near to look at them.

“Yeah, Miss Granger! So, behave yourself!” Ginny decided to add in.

Ignoring her friends, Hermione approached the other woman, smiling broadly as she took in her floor length gown. Fleur Delacour was all types of beautiful, it was pointless to argue otherwise. Shame though, blonde just wasn’t her type. Not saying she had a type, but Hermione had recently accepted that she was more partial to things along the lines of Bellatrix; specifically.

“Hermione! Tu es très belle ce soir!” Came the smooth lilt of french. Kissing her on both cheeks, Fleur hugged her. Hermione thanked her and withdrew from the hug. “You look beautiful as well. How have you been? Bella hasn’t been too hard on you, has she?” Hermione was aware that Fleur knew of her and Bella’s friendship, she was reassured in the fact that Fleur didn’t know the specific details of the friendship and chose to not look into it. It sure made scheduling lunches during Bella’s work week easier. Besides, Fleur had her secrets too, so who could fault her for minding her own business. “She’s been treating me same as always. Lovely, unless a board member decides to upset her.” Fleur grinned, she knew how everyone was aware of Bellatrix’s legendary, and a bit scarring, temper. Holding her arm out, “Would you like to dance with me?” Hermione asked. Fleur nodded as Hermione took her hand and led them onto the dance floor.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ballroom stood the hostess of the night. Narcissa had been watching Fleur all night, since the young woman showed up. Some may say that it was a bit creepy, but Narcissa didn’t know what else to do. The woman was gorgeous, she felt the urge to grab her and take her to bed but they were still on the rocks and didn’t want anyone to find out as well. They weren’t ashamed or anything but Narcissa was widowed and Fleur was young; that was just a lot for family and friends to grasp all at once. The youngest Black sister clutched the spine of her champagne flute tighter as she fought the rising heat of jealousy as she watched Hermione lead her Fleur onto the dance floor. That should’ve been her dancing with the woman. “It just isn’t fair.” She whispered exasperatedly.

“What’s not fair, Cissy?” Narcissa casted a sideways glance at her sister, irritated that she hadn’t noticed her approaching. Turning fully, she noticed it wasn’t Bella next to her, but Andy. ‘Man, those two really look identical, its unsettling sometimes.’ the blonde said to herself.

“Nothing, Andy.”

“No...... it’s something. You seemed lost in thought when you said it.” Cissy rolled her eyes, annoyed. She didn’t need Andromeda of all people looking where she doesn’t need to. Not until she was ready to allow her in, at least.

“Don’t you have some charming stranger to go dance with or something?” She snapped. Sending her sister a small smirk to let her know she didn’t mean much by her words. Cissy tried not to let her growing jealousy of Hermione project onto Andy. It wasn’t her fault the woman she wanted was dancing with another attractive and seemingly single woman.

“Who’s charming who tonight?” A third voice interrupted. Narcissa sent a silent prayer to whatever higher being is punishing her tonight. She really didn’t need BOTH sisters in her head at the moment. A girl just wanted to pine over her secret lover from the otherside of her party in peace. Bellatrix had saw her two sisters talking and decided to add herself into it. She’d had a couple drinks since seeing Hermione, and her talk with Snape didn’t really make these feelings she was having temper down. Yes, her best friend Severus knew of her feelings for Hermione in all their raw and unadulterated existence. On the plus side, he was team Bella and was rooting for them to realise that they loved each other and hurry up and fuck already. Useless lesbians he’d jokingly say to her whenever Bellatrix insisted Hermione didn’t return her feelings.

“Cissy thinks something isn’t fair and won’t tell me.”

“Cause it’s not your business and like I said, it’s nothing so just leave it be.”

Bellatrix watched Narcissa while they all talked and noted that the youngest sister didn’t or wouldn’t look away from the dance floor. “What’s got your attention, Cissy?” Andy seemed to have noticed too cause she had to nudge the woman lightly to even get a response. Bellatrix turned to see what the woman was looking at and froze.

“They make an awfully gorgeous couple, don’t they” Andromeda stated as all three watched as Fleur and Hermione twirled around the dance floor talking and laughing jovially. No one really knew what they were discussing but it seemed to have interested both young women greatly. Narcissa was raging with jealousy and didn’t know what to do.

“Now, that won’t do. I asked her to save me a dance after all.” scrunching her eyebrows, a look of minor irritation appearing upon her face, Bellatrix took in the view of Hermione and Fleur; her mind was made up. “Andy, hold my drink”

“W--wait! Where are you going?!” Noticing the oldest Black was already too far away to have heard her, Andromeda sighed in defeat and turned to Narcissa. “What’s up with h-- You’ve got to be kidding me! Where the hell did this one go?!”

Hermione was having a great time dancing with Fleur. She’d forgotten how great the French woman’s company was. Time seemed to have flown by while the two joked and danced. A hand on the small of her back startled her to the point of accidentally stepping on Fleur’s foot. “Sorry!”

Chuckling Fleur brushed it off. She was going to end their dance soon, and seeing her boss approach was the best help. The french woman had spied Narcissa stepping out of the ballroom and felt she should go tell her how lovely she looked tonight, in private. ‘Mommy’s gorgeous girl.’ Fleur smirked at her thoughts. “It’s alright, Mione.”

“Sorry to interrupt, but may I cut in? I believe I was owed a dance tonight and with the time, I would appreciate it if we danced before the clock struck midnight.” Hermione bit her tongue to prevent herself from saying something embarrassing. “That is alright, Mis-- Bella. I was going to step out to freshen up, anyways. Please,” Smiling at Hermione, Fleur headed off with hopes of what she had in mind for Narcissa. Her night was only just beginning.

To say Hermione was nervous would be an understatement. It’s weird, though. The young lawyer had spent most of the night trying to figure out why she was so on edge while near the woman. Sure, it’d been a while since she’s had sex but she was refusing to admit that she didn’t find anyone sexually attractive since she had met Bella. There were moments where she’d have fleeting feelings of lust but tonight was on another level of intensity. Bellatrix was jealous and she had approached Hermione with the intention of making the girl just as frustrated as she was. “You now, Kitten. I don’t enjoy sharing.”

Hermione found strength in herself to respond. “And what exactly was being shared, Miss Black?” She played coy.

Bella smirked. She knew the girl was affected by her, but if this was the game being played, then Bella was gonna play it to win. Sliding her hand down to rest at the edge of where the slit met her hip, Bella leaned in and whispered “Well you, pet. Did you forget what I told you when we first met?” Ghosting fingers over exposed thighs as they swayed to the rhythm of the music. Maybe she’d had too much to drink. Or maybe she was tired of holding back her feelings for the young woman, but Bellatrix wanted to pull her in for a kiss at that moment. Instead, she’d settled for brushing her lips along Hermione’s jaw as she leaned back.

‘Fuck’ Hermione thought to herself. She didn’t have many kinks but Bella calling her pet always stirred such dark desires within her. Gasping the young woman took to repeating ‘fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck’ throughout Bella’s speel. She tightened her hold on Bellatrix as she felt her knees go weak at the feel of the woman’s lips faintly brushing along her jaw. She couldn’t do this. Whatever this was, she just couldn’t do it anymore. Something had to give. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Hermione had made up her mind. ‘Fuck it’ She thought.

Bellatrix watched as the young woman opened her eyes to reveal pupils nearly blown due to lust. The searing gaze she was receiving caused her brain to short circuit. She stood as Hermione said in a voice that sounded like she hadn’t drank anything all night “I can’t do this anymore, Bella. I-- I” Hermione leaned her face forward, close enough to feel Bella’s harsh breathing but far enough to not seem too close to onlookers. “I need you” she finished in a whine. Bellatrix gulped. She didn’t know what else to say. Taking the woman by the hands, she searched the girl’s face for any minute signs of uncertainty and asked “Are you sure, Kitten? I don’t want you to regret this in the morning.” Bella tried not to wince as the thought of Hermione viewing them sleeping together as a regret surface in her mind.

“I’m positive, Bella. I can’t keep fighting this. It’s starting to hurt, like I’m running out of oxygen or drowning. It’s overwhelming , Bella. I know you feel it. This energy between us. Sure, the alcohol may have helped me say this to you, but it is not what’s driving this decision. I need you, Bellatrix. Please....” she whispered fiercely. Nodding Bella, quickly scanned the room checking to see if anyone was watching them. Once she was pleased she turned back to Hermione.

“Do you remember where my room is, here?” She nodded. “Great. Meet me there in fifteen minutes, it’s best if we aren’t seen leaving at the same time.” Pinching the girl on her hip, Bellatrix smirked and turned to exit the ballroom.

Heading towards the bathroom, Hermione entered and went straight to the sink. She needed to cool down. She felt extremely hot, as if she would pass out any moment. Taking a napkin and wetting it with cold water, Hermione decided to just remove the minimal make she had on while she attempted to cool the blush that had risen from her moment with Bellatrix. It wasn’t like she would be leaving Bella’s room for the rest of the night anyways.

Giggles alerted Hermione to others entering the bathroom. Turning, she shook her head at Ginny and Dora who were currently making out. ‘They’re clearly wasted.’ Hermione thought and stated “Your room is on the other side of the house Dora. Take that there please.” The two drunk women pulled apart blushing and giggling as they apologized and went in the opposite direction. Sighing, Hermione checked her phone and noticed it was time for her to make her way to Bella’s room, it was, also, on the other side of the Manor but not in the same hallway as Dora’s or theirs. Draco, Hermione, Dora, Andy, and Bellatrix all had rooms here at the Manor incase they chose to stay over for a few nights or so. Bellatrix, like Narcissa, had an entire hall for herself. She practically lived here, if we’re being truthful.

Walking down the halls, Hermione listened as party goers enjoyed their night. She knew it was nearing midnight and Narcissa would be giving a brief speech before starting the countdown. The young woman tried not to think on where the youngest Black sister could have disappeared to. Jumping back, Hermione was knocked out of her thoughts from the sudden appearance of one disheveled Harry Potter. A laughing Draco wasn’t far behind, when all three locked eyes with each other. “So, that’s where you two have been all night?!” Scratching the back of his neck, Draco smirked and said “Guilty as charged, your honour.” Hermione rolled her eyes and smiled at Harry, at least he had the decency to look somewhat bashful at leaving their friend alone all night. “Whatever, you two should head down anyways.... It’s almost midnight.” Walking around them to continue her trip to Bella’s room, Draco asked “Wait, why are you heading that way?” ‘Shit’ Hermione thought. “Well, your mother is looking for Bellatrix and she thinks she’s in her room or the library so I was gonna check her room before heading to the library.” The boys nodded and left towards the party.

Exhaling, Hermione stared at the black door. ‘This is it’ she thought. ‘No, going back now. Tonight will definitely change everything.’ Turning the door handle, Hermione frowned as she entered a seemingly empty bedroom. She let the door close as she walked further into the room wondering where Bella was. Hands snaking around her waist from behind made her squeal as the owner chuckled and kissed the back of her neck. “What took you so long, Kitten?”

Hermione felt her pulse spike and her legs weaken. She tried concentrating on an explanation, but honestly, how was Bella expecting anything coherent from her if she’s gonna continue to pepper her neck and shoulder with heated kisses?! Turning the young woman in her arms to face her, Bella looked Hermione in the eyes and leaned in, pressing their foreheads together. “Kitten, if you wanna stop, just say the word and I’ll stop. Remember, I don’t want you to regr--” Hermione couldn’t take it anymore and rushed forward meeting Bella’s lips.

Both women took a sharp inhale through their nose as they lost themselves in the kiss. The initial meeting of their lips felt like finding an oasis in the middle of a desert. It was a tremendous relief, cause who knows how long they had both been dreaming for this exact moment. Hermione raked her fingers through Bella’s curls as she pushed her tongue to part lips and deepen the kiss. Bella groaned at the sharp tug at her scalp from Hermione and grasped her waist tighter. Both women spent a while lost in the taste of each other as their tongues fought for dominance.

Smirking, Bella withdrew with a smirk on her lips. Hermione was gasping for breath as she leaned her head on Bella’s shoulder. It was way too hot now. This dress needed to go. Licking Bella’s neck and tracing a blazing path to her ear, Hermione bit it and whispered “Undress me Bella.”

The older woman sucked in a ragged breath as she stepped back a bit to allow space for Hermione to remove her clothes once she does her part. Running her fingers along the parts where fabric met skin, Hermione bit back a moan as she felt Bella’s fingers skim her collar bone and ran along the inside of the neckline. Bella licked her lips as she skimmed over the teasing curves of Hermione’s breasts; she was looking forward to those. Running her fingers back up to the girls shoulders, Bella proceeded to push the straps to the side until they fell off her shoulder leaving the young woman’s upper body exposed. If Bella’s mouth wasn’t watering before, she was positive she was drooling now. In front of her sat two supple and perky breasts. Her pet’s nipples were already hard. Without hesitation Bella took each breast in her hands and gently massaged them. Both women moaned at the sensations experienced. Flicking a thumb over the now very sensitive nipples, Bella flushed and bit her lip at the hiss Hermione let out. She was going to have fun learning all the ways she can please, the woman she loved.

Hermione’s mind was a mess. The girl tried to compare the many dreams she’d had of this moment but nothing was living up to the reality. Bella’s soft cold hands were an amazing contrast to her burning skin. The woman kneed and pinched at the two mounds, releasing some tension while building another within Hermione. ‘God, imagine what those fingers can do to my ass’ Hermione groaned as Bella tugged harshly at a nipple. Opening her eyes, the young woman softly gasped as she took in the look of complete adoration on the older woman. Seeing Bella pay such attention to her breasts sent another stab of arousal to her core.

Trailing a hand up to trace her jaw, Bellatrix rubbed Hermione’s bottom lip before slowly pushing her thumb into the girl’s eager mouth. She let out a low groan as the digit was licked and sucked on. Tightening her hold on the girl’s jaw, Bella leaned down and placed kisses along her neck, lowering to the space between her breasts. She smirked as she heard the girl start whining. “Oh, aren’t we eager tonight” Bella said. Hermione didn’t know what else to do, so she attempted to guide Bella’s mouth towards an almost painfully aching nipple. ‘God, why must she be so difficult?! Of all times.’ The young woman thought to herself. Feeling hands in her hair, the older woman chuckled lightly as she ran her wet thumb over the girl’s lips. Biting the top of a breast, Bella placed her hand on the girl’s back and took one nipple into her mouth. Hermione moaned at the feeling of hot, wet lips and tongue surrounding the delicate nub. Her grasped in Bella’s hair tightened when she felt the woman gently bite into it. Moving her head to the other breast, Bella repeated her ministrations choosing to speed the process up because she could definitely feel Hermione’s knees grow weaker than they already were and she needed her naked before they get to the bed.

Kissing her deeply once more, Bella leaned back and signaled for Hermione to turn around so that she could unzip the rest of the dress.

“Aren’t you gonna get undressed too, Bella?”

“Oh? And here I thought, you’d like the honor of undressing me as well. I know you surely looked like you wanted to earlier tonight.” With a sigh, Hermione felt the soft fabric of the dress fall from her hips. Stepping out of it, she turned to Bella smirking. She couldn’t believe she was so nervous moments ago. Now, standing here in just a thong and heels, was boosting her confidence a bit more. Especially when she noticed how wide eyed Bellatrix became at the sight. Kissing her on the cheek Hermione giggled and said “I’m smart Bella, but we all know how complicated your clothing is. I wouldn’t want to ruin such a beautiful gown by having to rip it.”

Aimlessly nodding her head, Bella wished she had magical abilities of some sort. It surely would have sped this process up. Hermione sat back on the soft bed, reveling in the smooth silk sheet that cooled her bottom. ‘Was the room always this cool?’ she thought. Looking up, Hermione licked her lips as Bella undid the buttons at her neck and reached behind her to loosen the corset. The young woman quirked an eyebrow when she saw Bella sigh and drop her hands. “Kitten, can you give me a little bit of help here. It seems Fleur tied this a bit tight tonight.” A pool of jealousy washed over Hermione at the mention of Fleur helping her soon to be lover into this dress. Getting up in a flash, the young woman was behind Bellatrix gripping her hips almost violently. “After tonight Bella, I don’t want any other woman touching you except myself.” She all but growled in the woman’s ear. Bella giggled at the girl’s display of dominance. Boy was she gonna have fun taming her little kitten tonight. The older woman yelped unexpectedly as Hermione bit her ear lobe. “Am I some joke to you, Bella?”

With a forceful yank, Hermione managed to ruin the corset straps. The material fell away from the body in front of her almost immediately. Surging forward, not giving the older woman time to adjust to the temperature change, Hermione pressed her breasts into her back moaning at the feeling of skin on skin. Her arms snaked around the woman’s waist roughly grabbing at very hard nipples. She licked at the junction between Bella’s neck and jaw. Hermione grinned as she heard an almost imperceptible purr leave the woman’s mouth. “Ki--kitty. Bed. I need you on that bed, now” Bella gasped as she felt teeth bite into her skin. The younger girl was sucking on her neck harshly, there was definitely going to be a hickey there. ‘That’s alright. She’ll have way more by tomorrow.’ Hermione thought as she pulled her head back satisfied with the mark she made. Abandoning the woman’s breasts, albeit reluctantly, Hermione pulled at Bella’s dress until the entire thing was on the floor, pooled around the woman’s feet.

“You-- I--” Hermione swore she could’ve blacked out at any moment. This was all becoming too much and not enough all at once. Who would have thought seeing Bellatrix in a leather studded garter belt with thigh straps would have been the best thing since sliced cheese?! ‘Gods, her ass looks fucking amazing. So smooth and round. When does she find the time to maintain such a bo--’ Hermione’s thoughts were cut short once she was flung onto the mattress. Giggling at the sudden sensation, she looked up to see the woman of her affections looking down on her. Eyes wide with arousal and an absolutely sinister grin that stole her breath away. “Oh! Be--bella..leave those on. You look so fucking hot in them.” Hermione gasped.

Bellatrix stepped closer to the young woman climbing onto her lap without saying a word and pulled her into a sloopy, rough kiss. Both women moaned as teeth crashed into each other. Bella bit Hermione’s bottom lip drawing a bit of blood and a low guttural sound that seemed to be mixed with pain and pleasure left her kitten’s mouth. Grabbing both of Hermione’s breasts again, Bella deepened the kiss and thrusted her pelvis down into Hermione’s core. Inhaling sharply from her nose, Hermione’s hands found Bella’s thighs and assisted the woman, grinding up to meet her every thrust. Moans, heavy breathing and the occasional keening surrounded the room. Both women was roughly grinding on each other, hoping to cause enough friction. Sliding her hand down between them, Bellatrix traced the outline of Hermione’s thong. Their kiss was broken by Hermione’s gasps. It seemed she needed to come up for air. Taking this as her chance, Bella peppered kisses along the girl’s jaw as she pinched a nipple. Pushing her other hand into the underwear, positioning her mouth over her shoulder, Bella bit down hard. Hermione bucked up hard at the pain, groaning as her heated core touched cool fingers ghosting over it. Licking at the mark, Bellatrix continued kissing her path down Hermione’s body, flicking each nipple with her tongue as she pushed at the girl’s shoulders requesting that she lay back down.

Wanting to taste as much of her kitten as possible, Bella dragged her tongue down her stomach, dipping it briefly into her navel before placing open mouthed kisses along the length of her lower abdomen. Two hands now held at the young woman’s hips, prepared to rip away the treacherous fabric. Pausing to look up for permission, Bella met a face of pure anticipation and heedy lust. Seeming to understand what Bella was asking as she stared intently at her, Hermione nodded her head. “Yes, Bella. Please.” Hermione bucked as she now felt Bellatrix’s hot breath on her soaking center. Inhaling the scent of the younger woman, Bella’s mouth watered as she prepared to taste the girl. Groaning she said “I don’t think you understand how many times I’ve imagined this exact moment, pet.” Hermione purred as she felt cold, long fingers run the length of her slit. Moving in between folds, collecting enough fluids and she watched as Bella took those digits into her mouth; tasting her. Both women let out an almost pornographic sound as their bodies heated up with more arousal. Losing patience at this slow pace, Hermione continued to buck up hoping to meet Bella’s mouth. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. Aren’t we impatient, tonight. Don’t worry kitten; Bella will take good care of you.” Wrapping her arms around the girl’s hips to stop her from moving, Bella positioned herself more comfortably in front of the woman’s dripping core. ‘Well, these sheets will be ruined come morning,’ the woman thought dismissively. Sure, this was never planned, but the older woman imagined often. These fantasies always left her a dripping mess and so she expected no less from her lover.

Burrowing her nose into the small patch of hair, Bella’s tongue snaked out tasting the girl’s folds tentatively. Hermione squirmed as she felt Bella’s wet tongue touch her. Immediately, her hands grabbed at, now ruined, curls and yanked at the owner’s scalp just enough to make them exhale harshly. At the slight pain from Hermione's tugging, Bella flattened her tongue and  proceeded to run it up and down the girl’s opening continuously. She took one hand from around the girl’s waist and pinch her thigh as punishment when she felt the girl attempt to push her head further down. Hermione was losing it with this slow pace. She wanted-no- needed Bella’s tongue elsewhere.

Seeming to answer her silent prayers, Hermione hissed as she felt Bella’s tongue rim her entrance. In agonizingly slow movements, Hermione felt as the woman toyed with her entrance, choosing to alternate between circling it and teasingly dipping the tip of her tongue in. “Bella!” Hermione shouted. Gritting her teeth at the teasing, the young woman continued lowly, “Stop fucking around, dammit and fuck me , already!” With no hesitation, Bella plunged her tongue deep into Hermione, taking her fully. The sensation caused both women’s eyes to roll into the backs of their head. “Fuck!” Hermione exclaimed while roughly rubbing her core into Bella’s face. She needed more. “More, more, more. Deeper! Bella I need you all the way in me.” Clawing at the woman’s scalp, Hermione practically fucked her face as she felt Bellatrix acquiesce to her demands. “Ohh....that-- that feels amazing, babe.” Hermione felt a low pressure starting to build in her groin. She squeezed her eyes tight fighting the abrupt ascension towards her climax. Her heavy breaths were all that was heard throughout the room. Faintly on the other side of the door, the sounds of the party could still be heard. However, for the two women, the party ceased to exist. From the moment Hermione had entered to room, it had felt like time itself no longer existed.

Bella was lost in the sensations and tastes of Hermione, loving the feeling of her pet’s walls and her juices flowing down her chin. The sudden tightness on her tongue alerted her to the girl’s growing climax prompting her to with draw. Before Hermione could protest at the sudden emptiness, three long fingers roughly entered her, down to their knuckles, stretching her fully. She saw white as Bella curved her fingers, hitting her g-spot all in one go before pulling out and starting the process over. Her stomach dropped and the tension in her groin tightened painfully. She was almost there, Bella could feel it, her fingers were being squeezed almost painfully as her thrusts slowed down at the growing friction. “It’s alright, kitty. I’ve got you. Just let it all out, for Bella.” Flattening her tongue on the girl’s clitoris, Bella applied pressure and thrusted one last time before she felt Hermione’s body tighten up.

“Bella!” Hermione screamed. The tightness in her groin seemed to have burst, washing this feeling of content over her body. Bellatrix was still licking at her clit while stroking her swollen walls lazily. Not giving her time to come down from that post coital high, Bella went knuckle deep into the girl’s core once again while positioning her thumb at the entrance of her tight little anus. Pressing on the entrance, making sure not the enter her, she sped up her tongue on the girl’s clit. Hermione groaned as her toes curled and shaky thighs wrapped themselves around Bellatrix’s head. This was too much. The young woman was sore, super sensitive. She felt raw. “Uunngh! Fuck! That feels so good. Yes! Faster, Bella. I need you to go faster, I’m almost there again.” Curling her fingers, Bella bit onto the girl’s clit as she simultaneously hit her G-spot sending another earth shattering climax through Hermione. Bella abruptly pulled back at the sudden spray of fluids hitting her face. ‘So, she’s a squirter?! This just made things even more interesting’ The older woman thought as she opened her mouth to catch some of the flying liquid.

Hermione on the other hand felt boneless. She was breathing heavily, a weight that she didn’t notice until now seemed to have been lifted off her chest. Stars swam in her vision as she weakly tried to sit up and look at Bella as she lapped at her cum. Faintly, in the corners of her mind, the young woman can hear the distant shouts of “Happy New Year” as the party goers cheered. Falling back onto her back as her arms gave out, Hermione shivered with another wave of arousal as she watched Bella climb up her body, hovering over her face. The woman’s face was a mess, for a lack of a better word. Looking down on her, Bella smirked as she saw drops of Hermione’s cum dripping off onto the young woman’s face. “Happy New Year, Kitten” she whispered huskily and dived in to kiss the girl fully. Hermione moaned at the taste of herself on Bella’s tongue. Both women noted the warmth blooming in their chests as they continued kissing. Of all the kisses they shared tonight, this one was different. They could feel the birth and transcension of their growing feelings for each other and hope for what the morning would bring. Bella’s strokes of her tongue against Hermione's stirred a hunger in the young girl once again. In a flash, Bellatrix was on her back and Hermione was grinding her wet core down onto Bella’s lace clad center.

Grinning at her evilly, Hermione said “Oh, this just won’t do. It seems” with a tug the material was removed from the owner’s body. “We’ll have to fix this little situation. You’re absolutely soaking, Bella.” Leaving no room for adjustment, Hermione pressed her thumb down on the woman’s sensitive nub and thrusted three fingers into her core. Bellatrix yelped as the sudden pain, surprised. She knew it was a while since she’s had sex, but she didn’t expect to have been so tight. Biting her lip to stop her moans, Bella locked eyes with Hermione as the girl slowly penetrated her over and over again. ‘She’s gonna have to work for these moans, if she wants them’ Bella thought. Catching onto to what the older woman was trying to do, Hermione sped up her ministrations, rubbing mercilessly at the woman’s clit as her fingers pounded into her. “I see..now. Are you sure you want to play this game with me, babe?” She quirked an eyebrow at the pet name and responded “Trust me, I want to play this game, all night long ”

Blanking at Bella’s statement, Hermione jammed a fourth finger into the woman, abandoning her clitoris and pressed her body fully onto her own, apply a bit of weight behind her thrusts. “The play, we shall” the young woman said as she bit Bella’s ear. Bellatrix dragged her nails across Hermione’s back cause the girl to buck into her, allowing her fingers even deeper into the woman’s core. “Shit! Kitten,....fuck! Right there, yes, yes, yes, Holy shit!” Bella exclaimed over and over again. This boosted Hermione’s ego and the young woman continued thrusting her hips, continuously hitting Bella’s g-spot. She could feel her walls as they clenched tightly around her fingers, holding them in a death grip. Moving to kiss the woman on the lips Hermione whispered “Cum for me, my Bella.” And Bella came as soon as their lips met. She gasped as Hermione dove her tongue pass her lips and continued to thrust into her. Immediately after she felt another orgasm building. Raking her nails violently down her back, Bella came again. Chuckling, Hermione slowed her thrusts allowing the woman to catch her breath as she said, “I think you just drew blood with that one, babe”

Easing her fingers slowly out of the woman, Hermione was surprised when she felt Bella spasm underneath her as the woman’s third orgasm washed through her. Bella laid there spent. She was more than sensitive and the feeling of Hermione in her, the mere thought let alone the actual thing, was enough to make her cum on sight. Her core ached pleasingly as her kitten lazily circled the stretched entrance as she threw herself onto the other side of the bed, snuggling up to her. “That was--”

“Amazing? Spectacular?Mind Bl-”

“Blowing!” Bella finished for her younger lover, wrapping her arms around the girl and kissing her. The two women, were slowly running their hands over each other's bodies as they felt their arousal start back up. They were in for a long night. “Bella, I was thinking...” Bellatrix laughed in mock offense. “Were my skills not good enough to render you thoughtless this entire time?!” Swatting at the older woman’s hand as she grabbed for a breast, Hermione smiled before continuing “Oh, shut up! You know very well what you do to me and my mind, Bella. But, I wanted to know..... How will I leave your room in the morning without getting caught?” Bella smirked as she watch Hermione press further into her hand that was playing with her nipples. “We’ll just have to worry about that tomorrow pet. Now, how about we focus on this” Not giving Hermione time to respond, Bellatrix rolled the younger woman onto her back, pressing they at the dripping center. ‘Yes’ Hermione thought ‘This is something we can figure out tomorrow’

Sighing as she felt the pressure on her clit, Hermione pulled Bellatrix into another kiss. Yes, this night will definitely be a long one. Let’s hope they can catch some sleep at some point.

Chapter Text

Days have passed since Hermione and Bellatrix opened up about their relationship. Since then, both women made no attempt to contact the other. Hermione, out of fear of being rejected. Bellatrix, due to anger. The older woman had moved beyond her sadness and found solace in anger at the entire situation. Over and over the thought of what they could have had ran through her mind on a loop. ‘Had we just been open about everything from the beginning!’ She had been pacing for the past hour. Her thoughts just wouldn’t slow down. A knock at her door managed to disrupt her briefly. It was Narcissa. 

“Bella, please tell me you’re not avoiding the girl still.” 

“Well, hello to you too, Cissy.” the woman said while walking away. Irritated, Bellatrix was in no mood to entertain her baby sister. Narcissa walked further into the suite and gasped at the sight in front of her. The place looked like a tornado had passed through. Sheets were all over the place, curtains were ripped and hanging off the wall. There was glass all over the dining area and near the bed. Empty bottles of Jack were found on the kitchen island as Narcissa ventured deeper into the mess of a room. ‘Was the mattress flipped?!’ the woman thought to herself. Her brows furrowed in concern as she spotted the couches flipped as well. ‘And is that a hole in the wall!!’ This wasn’t good at all. She hadn’t seen Bella this manic since around the time she figured her and Hermione had split. 

Looking up at her older sister, Narcissa pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. She just couldn’t bring herself to accept this. With a plan in mind, the youngest Black marched over to her sister and grabbed her by the shoulders roughly, effectively stopping the woman’s pacing. Bellatrix jumped at the sudden touch, forgetting that she had let Narcissa in. Once coming to her senses the older woman made an attempt to push her sister’s hands off her, only to be pulled into a fierce hug. Struggle as she may, Narcissa had an iron grip on her and kept the angry woman in place. Huffing, Bellatrix balled her hands up and clenched her jaw, trying her best not to lash out at her sister. After all, she knows that Cissy is only trying to help.  “Come now, Bella. I know its complicated, everything seems like a mess. You feel like so much time has been wasted. That if you had pushed a little harder or convinced her better, that it would have been alright, now. But what’s done is done and we can’t allow the what ifs to control us. Don’t do this to yourself again.” Rubbing her sister’s back soothingly Narcissa kissed her on the side of the head and withdrew but kept her hands on her shoulder.

 Looking into puffy red eyes, she smiled encouragingly, “Look at it this way, the split gave you both time to figure yourselves out and your careers. Settled all of the messy stuff life brings you and now you both can work on all of your personal mess with each other.” Bellatrix was clenching her fists so hard it drew blood. She was still angry. She wanted to say it made absolutely no sense for why she was so angry but after all that crying she did, the woman only had enough emotional energy for anger. It just wasn’t fair at all. “Had she just trusted me, Cissy! I would’ve been there for her if her friends withdrew from her. We would’ve been able to navigate our life together if everyone we loved turned their backs on us. Why couldn’t she have seen that?!” The woman was shaking, either from uncontrolled anger or from the cold, Narcissa did not know, but she made a note to turn the air conditioning off. The room was unnecessarily cold. ‘It’s a wonder, Bellatrix didn’t catch a cold of sorts’ she thought. 

Spying the dripping blood, Narcissa grabbed the woman’s hands, unclenching them to see the finger nail marks. Tsking, the blonde woman shook her head in a mocking manner. “Now what would mother say, if she saw how you were acting? You’re a Black, Bellatrix. You’re strong by nature. Don’t let your anger get the best of you.” Letting her sister lead her to the bed so she could clean her wounds, Bellatrix looked up, tears in her eyes. “They just won’t go away, Cissy. The voices.” Narcissa nodded her head as she wiped the blood off. “I know it’s irrational. I’m not stupid, but they’re so convincing. They come to me when I sleep, when I’m awake. They feed off my sadness and I can’t lock them away. There’s no medication now.” Narcissa took a bandage and wrapped her sister’s hands as she sat there now staring blankly at the wall behind her. Narcissa decided she needed to get Andromeda over and maybe call their mother for some help. The youngest Black could only do so much for her sister. 

Placing a hand on her cheek to get her attention, Narcissa said “Hey, we’re gonna figure this out okay. I’ll call Andy over and we’ll get you through this. Remember, we said that we’ll help you, but you can’t get Hermione back in this state. Try and think of the times you guys were at your happiest. Happy thoughts, alright?” Narcissa watched the woman intently until she received a nod. “I’m gonna step out and call Andy.” Sweeping her eyes over the room again, she added “And maybe cleaning services. We’ll definitely be charging YOUR card for all of this destruction by the way. It’s like we can never take you anywhere” A squeal was let out as Narcissa dodged a shoe thrown at her from a weakly smiling Bellatrix. Laughing she made her way into another room to phone Andy and message their mother. 

Druella Black wasn’t planning on joining the rest of the family for Draco’s wedding until the rehearsal dinner. She was currently pool side enjoying the view of one hot young lifeguard and skimming the Los Angeles Times. Vegas wasn’t too far and if her presence was needed she was more than capable of arriving early. Which is one of the main reasons why Narcissa was now texting her. 

N: Mom, its Bella. We need you. 

Without much explanation, their mother sat up straighter and looked at her phone making sure she was reading properly. Yes, the text was few and simple, but she knew exactly what Narcissa meant. Bellatrix had entered one of her episodes. It's been such a long time since her last episode and that last one was terrible. Her oldest daughter almost had to be hospitalized as a result. The medication she was prescribed and with help from her sisters, Bellatrix was able to overcome the voices, her anger, and violent impulses. Grabbing her things and looking sadly at the hot lifeguard, Druella dialed the number of her driver and her pilot. She was gonna take the helicopter down to them since it was faster. There was no reason to respond to the text, Narcissa knew that their mother had seen it and she also knew that the woman would drop whatever she was doing to come as fast as she could. 

After sending that text, Narcissa made a call to the front desk requesting cleaning services and telling them to add the fine for damages on the tab for the card that reserved the room. Once that was done, she went to peek in on her sister to see the woman clutching at her scalp and muttering to herself. Standing at the doorway to keep an eye on her, she dialed Andromeda telling her to come over and to bring something to help calm their sister down.

Bella was tired. It was a rough day in meetings all morning and with Fleur leaving early due to feeling ill, she had to stay later to make sure the work wouldn’t back up. Now she just wanted a good drink and a hot bath. The woman was surprised when she pulled up to her home to see the young woman who captured her heart perched on the steps to her front door waiting for her, a stack of books in hand. Chuckling as she made her way to the bushy haired woman, Bella said “Well what do we have here? Are you lost young lady?” Smirking, Bella unlocked her door and stood aside watching Hermione rise from her position. Smiling the girl replied “ Ha-ha. You’re just soooo funny , Bella” The older woman grabbed a couple of the books her pet was holding as they made their way into the house. “I’m not complaining or anything but what brings you here? I hope you weren’t outside for long.” Dropping the books off in her study, Bellatrix made her way to the kitchen to grab that drink she’s been craving. “You should’ve texted or called, I would’ve came sooner. I would’ve also picked something up for us to eat. I figure it’s too late to cook something.”

“It’s fine, Bella. I ate before coming anyways.” Walking up to the woman, Hermione smiled while holding her arms open. Bella smirked and pretended to not notice the girl waiting for her hug. This was something the two had grown accustomed to doing whenever they saw each other. It was always Hermione initiating the contact between them, Bellatrix secretly reveled in it. “Awww, Bella! I want my hug” With a fake pout Hermione walked closer to the older woman who was now taking sips of her whiskey while looking at her amused. The sight of Hermione pouting always caused Bella’s chest to tighten. She wanted to kiss those lips so bad, it ached. Leaning forward until their faces were inches apart, the older woman whispered “You’ll have to catch me first!” With that, she’d turned tail and headed out the room cackling like a witch. It had taken Hermione a couple of seconds to grasp her surroundings after having Bellatrix so close to her. Shaking her head, the young woman ran after her. 

Bellatrix had sought shelter in her library, not making much of an attempt to actually hide from the girl. Not hearing her enter the room, the wind was knocked out of the Black matriarch as Hermione tackled her. Both women dropped on the carpeted floor with a thud, laughter and squeals on their way down. Limbs tangled, Hermione managed to land on top of the woman. “You really suck at this, Bella.” Smiling Bellatrix shrugged her shoulders making no effort to deny her pet’s claims. She really didn’t mind the position they were currently in. “Doesn’t this remind you of when we first met?” Laughing Bellatrix watched as Hermione giggled, shaking her head in agreement. The young woman’s curls brushed gently across Bella’s face causing the woman to fight the shivers that shot down her spine. Hermione suddenly allowed her arms to relax, placing her body firmly on top of Bellatrix’s. Nuzzling her neck she whispered “I came because I missed you, Bella.” Bellatrix felt her arms wrap around the brunette, pressing her even closer into her afraid that she’ll disappear if she were to let go. Squeezing her eyes shut, she inhaled the minty scent of the girl’s shampoo and replied “I missed you too, Kitten.” 

Both women could feel their hearts pick up in pace. They knew that they shouldn’t be doing this, but they’ve missed each other greatly. With school and work taking up most of their time these days, they hardly saw each other, much less spoke. In silent agreement, they decided to stay like this for a little longer, smiling unbeknownst to the other. 

Andromeda was out with Teddy when she received Narcissa’s call. Now she needed to drop the boy off with his mother; shame really, she had hoped her daughter and her girlfriend were able to get some time to themselves after having Nymphadora most of her spend time with Teddy and Ginny was with Hermione and the boys. “I’m so sorry girls, but Cissy called and I can’t keep him with me. It’s Bella and I don’t want Teddy there in case something goes wrong” Looks of worry and confusion crossed the young women’s faces. Tonks knew exactly what her mother meant but Ginny had no clue. She hoped Nymphadora would tell her when they had time after putting Teddy to bed later that night. “It’s alright mom, just go to Bella. She needs you more right now.” 

“Wait, what’s wrong with Bella? Is everything alright?” Giving the ginger a defeated smile, Andy waved goodbye as she said “Only time will tell.” Ginny turned to Tonks confused. “What does that even mean?” Tonks chuckled at her girlfriends face and led Teddy into his room to change. “It means we won’t know what’s wrong until Bella feels the need to tell us.” Seeing the downtrodden expression on the girl, Tonks kissed her on the cheek and said “Don’t worry about it, babes. If mom is going to see Aunt Bella, then Aunt Cissa is probably already with her as well.”  

“Is this about Bella’s relationship with Hermione? ‘Cause if so, I need to tell Hermi-” 

“No! You tell Hermione nothing. We aren’t even sure as to why mom had to go see Bella, it could be many reasons. Don’t worry so much.” Grabbing her hand and leading her into the suite’s kitchen, Tonks planned to get her girlfriend’s mind off of the Bella situation and also distract Teddy. 

Andromeda had exited the elevator leading to Bellatrix’s room when she heard shouting. “Bella! Stop!” Transitioning into a jog the middle sister burst through the door to find Narcissa crouching behind a flipped couch while their older sister hurled whatever she could get her hands on at her. Andy stood at the doorway taking inventory of the scene in front of her. The suite was an absolute mess. No wonder Cissy sounded so worried. “HAPPY THOUGHTS CISSY?! FUCK HAPPY THOUGHTS! SHE RIPPED THOSE THOUGHTS AWAY FROM ME WHEN SHE DECIDED TO FUCKING SPLIT. ‘oh, it’s just that I’ve been really distracted and my exams are coming up’ BULLSHIT! THE LEAST SHE COULD’VE DONE WAS TELL ME THE FUCKING TRUTH. AND NOW, AFTER ALL THESE YEARS SHE FINALLY REALISES HOW MUCH OF A BITCH SHE’S BEEN AND I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO FEEL HURT?!” All the while, Andy took her time to approach Bellatrix noticing that both women hadn’t seen her enter. 

Bella was seeing red. The logical part of her mind knew that this wasn’t a healthy nor safe reaction. That Narcissa really had good intentions in mind when she suggested that the woman focus on her happier memories with Hermione. She couldn’t have known that those were the memories that had hurt the most. 

“You know something Bella?” Bellatrix  cast a curious look towards the young woman whose legs were in her lap. It was a Sunday afternoon and Bella had invited Hermione over to just relax and watch movies all day. She’d absentmindedly picked up the routine of massaging the girl’s feet. Neither woman, although noticing, decided to make a comment. They were comfortable as they were. It all just felt right. 

“I don’t know much about you.” Hermione scrambled to respond to the confused and slightly offended look Bellatrix shot her. “Wait--wait. What I’m trying to say is, I don’t know much about younger you. I know about the type of sister you were, from your sisters, not you. I only truly know of the recent stuff. Your immediate history with your ex-husband and how it was taking over the family business. But I wanna know about teenage Bella, college Bella. The Bella who rebelled against her parents and would sneak out to meet girls in the middle of the night.” Bellatrix hadn’t noticed her hands coming to a standstill on the girl’s calfs. “I wanna know about this tattoo right here, what made you get it? It’s gorgeously detailed and beautiful. You sometimes trace your fingers over it when you think no one notices, or when you’re lost in thought. I’ve always hoped you would decide to tell me.” Bellatrix’s breath hitched at the faint caress of Hermione’s fingertips over her tattoo. The Skull and Snake. Her DeathEater mark, as it was once called. The memories surrounding that tattoo hit her like a truck. She just couldn’t tell her. Not about this. Not now. Counting to three in her head, the Black woman exhaled a breath and gathered her thoughts for a response. 

The feeling of cool fingers cupping her cheeks, startled her eyes open. ‘When did I even close them?!’ she thought. Hermione had moved closer into the woman’s lap when she spotted her trying to control her breathing. “Hey, it’s okay if you’re not ready to tell me, you know. It’s not a pressing issue and I don’t want you to feel pressured or anything.” Bellatrix weakly smiled as she stared at the young woman before. The young woman who seemed to make her day brighter no matter her mood. Made her feel sane and stable without even realising. 

Why not just tell the girl, Bellatrix? ‘She’ll get scared. Think I’m crazy, dangerous, or a waste of time. It’s too much of a gamble. I don’t want to lose her.’ Well, if you haven’t noticed, but bearing yourself for her to see is the only way you guys can fully trust each other. Look, just look at her eyes. Bellatrix met warm hazel eyes. Hazel eyes that were more brown with specks of green, like the memories of a gruesome summer and the beginning of a cool autumn. Eyes that were radiating warmth, care, and patience. The feel of the law student’s thumb gently caressing her cheek felt safe. ‘In time-- Just a little bit longer and I can tell her everything.’ Okay then! Now you just have to let her know that before she starts to feel like you’re not willing to trust her. “I-- The things I’ve done during those periods of my life. The people I associated with-- I’ll need a bit more time before I can fully tell you things. Just-- Promise you won’t leave me after it all.” 

Her voice had gone to a whisper near the end of her little spiel. She’d felt the tears pooling in her eyes and closed them hoping she wouldn’t start crying. The last thing she wanted to do was worry Hermione, who only wanted to know more about her. A very reasonable thing to ask of a friend. A kiss on the cheek caused her to gasp as her eyes flew open to see Hermione closer than before. She was smiling at Bellatrix with fondness. She giggled softly while wiping a stray tear that escaped the older woman’s eyes. “Don’t go getting all soft on me now, Black. You’re supposed to be the tough one between the two of us.” Bellatrix felt her heart speed up at her pet’s giggle, at the feel of her breath on her lips. Her cheek still tingled from where the girl planted her lips just seconds ago. 

“Hermione...” Was all she managed to whisper in response before the girl’s cell phone rang. That seemed to have woken her girl out of the trance she had been in. Stumbling to her feet as fast as possible Hermione scurried over to her phone. “Hello? Draco, no I haven’t seen him. Did you check with Harry? No, Ginny I’m not with her” Bellatrix chuckled as she watched the brunette scoff in mock offense to whatever the ginger said to her. “I do have other friends, Weasel. Yeah yeah, I’ll make you pay for that comment later. Bye! And tell Dragon that he’s in charge of groceries this time around whenever you locate him.” The air in the room seemed to grow thick with tension once Hermione ended her call. Finally processing what was happening before the call, both women blushed fiercely. 

Clearing her throat, Bellatrix decided to break this almost suffocating silence. “Hermione.... Lo-”

“It’s alright Bella. I can wait. I can wait until you’re comfortable with telling me more about you.” 

“Why? I know I’m not being fair to you. I know so much about you. I know about how you felt in many of your courses that you didn’t share with Draco or Ginny. I laughed when you told me that trolls used to scare you as a child after having the inflatable Halloween decor fall on you when you were eleven and Harry and Ron came to save you. You told me about your fear of flying and how your parents would read to you, to distract you. Or about that one time you walked in on Harry and Dra--”  

The brunette was blushing harder as each memory was recounted by the Black woman. Some more embarrassing than others.  “CAUSE YOU’RE WORTH IT BELLA!” This managed to shut the older woman up. Sighing, Hermione smiled apologetically for shouting. 

“You may not think it or believe me, but you’re worth the wait Bella. I promise I won’t go anywhere.” Walking up to the woman, Hermione wrapped her arms around her, holding her close. “You won’t get rid of me that easily, Trixie” she whispered.

Bellatrix didn’t know if she gasped as a result of the hug she was receiving or because of the use of her childhood nickname. Wrapping her arms around the girl, accepting the comfort, she mumbled “I’m so murdering Andy and Cissy for even telling you that god awful name.” 

Hermione’s giggles placed a smile on the older woman’s face. For friends, Hermione surely meant a lot to her. ‘Even if she doesn’t feel the same way about me, having her here will always be the better option than not having her at all. I’ll try just for her. Because she’s worth it too.’ 

“Bellatrix! Stop it right now! Don’t let the emotions get the best of you.” Approaching her sister, Andromeda raised her hands, palms facing up letting the other woman know that she meant no harm. Closer now, she watched as Bellatrix watched her but hadn’t dropped the broken vase in her hand. Softly, Andy said “Yes, be angry Bella. Be as angry as you’d like. But you have to channel that into something safer. You’re hurting but that doesn’t mean you have to hurt yourself and others as a response.” Standing before her now, Andromeda slowly lowered her hands, going to take the vase from her older sister. “You don’t need to look at the brighter picture. Don’t worry about the what-ifs. That’s all in the past, we can only go forward from here. In this space and time, the best thing you can do is allow this hurt to run its course. Yell, scream, and cry, but we can’t revert back to this .”

 Placing the vase on the nearest surface, Andromeda stood next to her older sister and nodded towards the room. “Look at this place. We know that you can afford it, but we also know that it didn’t have to come down to this. You should’ve called one of us when the voices came back. When they got out of hand, you should’ve came to us. I’m not blaming you for allowing this to get as far as its gotten but you know what your therapist said about being mindful of your emotional highs and lows.” Both sisters watched as Narcissa slowly raised herself from behind the couch once realising that Bella wasn’t gonna throw anything else at her. 

“We should’ve seen it coming as well, Andy.” Narcissa said as she approached the two women. “The signs were all there. This entire week was filled with her highs and lows. In such a short span of time, it’s no wonder she didn’t blow up any earlier to be honest. She was happy, then angry. Two highs, despite being complete opposites. Then she was sad, defeated, scared, and hurt. All lows that wore her emotionally thin. Of course she latched onto anger in order to cope with it all.” 

Staring at the shaking woman, who was still breathing harshly with a vacant expression in her eyes, the two younger sisters wrapped their arms around their big sister, sandwiching her in an effort of comfort. Bellatrix had heard what they had to say, she really was trying to fight it all, but now that she’s opened herself up to the memories she worked so hard to lock out, it was a struggle. Anger was the only way she knew how to balance that out. All this emotional turmoil just felt too suffocating and she didn’t have much patience to meditate or talk it out, whenever it built up so suddenly. Trying to control her breathing, Bella took in the warm feeling of both her sisters holding her. ‘I really don’t deserve these two idiots, huh.’ She thought. 

“So..” Andy said as she pulled away from the hug. “Are you gonna stop trying to murder Cissy for the time being?” Bellatrix rolled her eyes at the woman’s joke. Narcissa glared at her as well. Andromeda was lucky that she was better at reading Bella than she was or Narcissa would have murdered Andy for her joking. Taking Bella’s silence as agreement, Andy grinned while pulling something out of her pocket. “Cissy told me to bring something to help you.” Waving the baggy in front of their faces, Andromeda asked “Do they allow smoking in here?” 

Narcissa bursted into laughter at her sister’s antics. “Andy! When I said to bring something to help her, I didn’t mean for you to bring her marijuana!” Andy responded with a look of false offense. “If I must have you know, Narcissa. I am a doctor and these are medically prescribed. They’re really good for calming people down. Besides, it won’t be your first time smoking them either so shush!” 

Bellatrix sighed as she watched her sisters joke in front of her. Grabbing the baggy with much more force than she needed, the oldest Black walked towards the balcony to light up. Andy always had such unconventional ways of calming her mood. Even all those years ago, when she had lost it and they didn’t even know why, Andy had been able to read her well enough to know what was best in that immediate moment. Hearing the two younger sisters hurry to catch up with her, Bellatrix felt her lips twitch in an effort to form a genuine smile since the night she had ran into Hermione again. 

“Are you sure this place is good?” Hermione asked unsure. The restaurant was styled with gothic architecture, the inside interior was like something out of the medieval times. It was odd to find such a thing in modern day London. ‘Even the waiters wore dated outfits. It must be really interesting working here.’ the young woman thought to herself. To be fair, the restaurant was new. No one really knew if the food would be great or anything but Bellatrix knew just how much Hermione loved eating out and trying new things. When she had suggested they go out this weekend, she knew that she needed to pick something where they can guarantee that no one they knew, could randomly appear.

 “Well, we won’t know until we try, Kitten. Don’t give me that face, have I ever led you astray.... yet?” She chuckled as they were shown their booth. Hermione was pouting, unsure about how the night would go. The law student wouldn’t call herself judgemental, obviously, but she did have fairly high standards for her well experienced palet. “How about,” Smirking, after picking up the menu to view the appetizers, Bella made eye contact with the girl “A bet. If you don’t like the food at this place, you get to pick the next restaurant we try and......” tapping her finger against her chin in thought Bellatrix tried figuring out what else to wager in order to make the night more fun. She honestly didn’t know how she was going to feel about the place either but she didn’t need to mention that. 

The only reason they were even out was because Hermione had been having a rough week and Bella wanted to treat her to something nice to ease her mind. Her pet was studying more often with exams coming up and the stress was catching up with her. The dark circles under her eyes, pale complexion of her skin, and the slight drop in weight showed how much she spent her time studying and writing papers. Bellatrix had taken to inviting her out to lunch all week just to get the girl to take a break. This excessive studying was completely unhealthy. She would know, she was like this at some point in her life too. Hermione would come out of this fine, the girl was on top of her studies, she just always allowed her anxiety to take control of her. Bella had secretly vowed to make sure her kitten didn’t lose herself in it. 

“And I’ll take you DisneyLand Paris over break.” Bellatrix grinned as she watched Hermione react to the offer. She knew the girl wanted to go. She’d talk and reminisce about her childhood trips with her parents. Lamenting about the memories and hoping to go again someday. Hermione gasped lightly at the wager. It wasn’t fair, Bellatrix wasn’t playing fair. She had no clue whether the food here was good or not, she couldn’t possibly know. ‘So, why was she making such an offer?’ Hermione asked herself. Deciding to take her up on the offer Hermione stuck her hand out. 

“We shake on it. Deal?” Bella grinned. “Deal”

After searching through the menu, both women ordered their food. Spending the waiting time, they caught each other up on their lives and Bellatrix allowed Hermione to rant about her school work. “I just don’t get it, how could any of those idiots expect to pass when all they do is party?! This wasn’t undergrad anymore. They were nothing but lackluster and I should know since I’ve tutored half the class at some point and always reviewed their papers before they submitted them.” Bellatrix scrunched her face up in confusion and displeasure. 

“Wait. Have you been working on your own assignments while also doing your classmates’ own?! Hermione!” The law student had stopped her rambling after hearing Bellatrix say her name. The woman didn’t really raise her voice, but the cold tone made Hermione uncomfortable. She never enjoyed being on the receiving end of it. Sighing Hermione blew a curl out of her face and met the older woman’s scowl. “How many times have I told you that it helped no one, if you kept on doing this? Yes, you can tutor them. But only when you had reasonable time and not when you’re overworking yourself. But, helping them revise papers is not your duty. We both know that your version of revising work is actually doing it for them. You complain and complain about them being of no actual benefit, no intellectual stimulation, or  no academic challenge for you, and yet here you are running yourself into the ground so these sorry excuses of students don’t drop out of the program.”  

Hermione didn’t know what to say, honestly. Bellatrix always told her to stop giving all of her energy away with school work, especially work that wasn’t hers to do, but she had difficulty with telling her peers no. It was just a simple paper and she always made sure her own work was completed before focusing on anything else. The young woman also knew that this wouldn’t be accepted by the Black woman, either way. She started tapping her fingers lightly against the table in search of an appropriate way to respond, the last thing she wanted was for this night to go south. “Truly Bella, it’s not much of a deal. I always make sure my own work is complete before anything and it’s not like these papers don’t help me utilize all the information I’ve learned. So, it’s a win win for everyone. I get to process and take in more information on a subject area, while they get a paper finished.” The girl knew this was a piss poor response but she just hoped Bellatrix picked up on her desperate tone to end it. This was a conversation they could have another time. They both knew that. 

Grabbing her hands in her own, Bellatrix brushed her thumb lightly over her kitten’s knuckles in a soothing gesture. She didn’t really mean to stress the girl out with her comments, but they had to be said. Seeing her girl overwork herself worried the older woman all the time. But right now, they should just focus on their time together. “Look, I know that you enjoy what you’re studying just like you enjoy helping people but I really do wish you’d stop or at least do it less often.” Squeezing her hands lightly at Hermione’s attempt to respond Bella continued “No. This is a conversation for another time.” Bringing one of her hands up, Bella gently laid a kiss on it. “Alright, enough of that. Tonight is supposed to be about relaxing and spending time together. Who’s idea was it to even bring up our week?” Bella smiled at the giggle that left Hermione’s lips. “That was you, Miss Black”

“Oh, well then. Change of topic. I never did request my payment from this little wager of ours.”

“I was under the assumption that this wager was just your way of announcing our trip to Paris.” the younger woman quipped. 

Bella chuckled “Aww, you got me!”

“I’m sure you’ve already bought our tickets and have an entire itinerary planned.” 

“Nothing gets by you, does it? But no, I’d like it if you’d spend the week with me.” 

Hermione blinked “That’s it? I mean, I’m not judging or anything but I would have thought you’d want something of equal value in return. Especially since this wouldn’t be my first time spending the week at your place.” 

She’s right of course, but Bella only made the suggestion hoping to mask her worry for the girl. Having her over for the week would give Bellatrix the opportunity to make sure she ate and got adequate rest in between studying. One can only imagine how Ginny and Draco just leaves the girl up to her own devices during these times during the term. Speaking of them, you must be wondering how Hermione affords to spend so much time with Bella without her roommates questioning her. Simple, really. Hermione often visited her parents or spent weekends at a school mates place. At least, that’s what she tells them now whenever they text or call asking. Sure, there were moments when she would speak with Bella on the phone and one of them would walk in on the conversation forcing her to end the call. But now it wasn’t much. She didn’t share much about her relationship with others and her friends respected and trusted her about it. No one really visited Bella’s place except for her sisters and even those were far in between. Bellatrix also had the privilege of knowing beforehand when they’d popup and so she would avoid having Hermione over and would text her warning her from showing up randomly as well. 

“I-- It-- It’s just that we’ve been busy lately and I think we should spend some time together. I could help you with you’re studying and I know how much you hate being holed up in your study back at the loft. But also, I just wanna keep an eye on you. I get so worried for you when you’re studying yourself into the ground. Let me help you carry your stress, Hermione.” 

The young woman blinked a few times, eyes burning. She didn’t want to cry. It would ruin the mood, but dammit. Bellatrix just always knew what to say in order to make her heart flutter and send a wave of warmth through her entire being. She made it so easy to love her. “Alright, I’ll take you up on your wager.” Smiling softly, Hermione leaned over the table and placed a kiss on Bellatrix’s cheek, whispering “Thank you for caring about me.” 

Bella was going to respond when their waiter approached the table with their food. The food was a welcomed change of mood. Things were getting really emotional and Bella didn’t know if she could keep herself back from saying those three words. She knew the time wasn’t right, neither was the setting, but it was moments like these that always made her want to just blurt it out to the girl. Sighing the woman looked towards their plates, she hadn’t really paid much attention to what she or Hermione had ordered. Casting a queer look at the rather larger turkey leg on Hermione’s plate, Bella giggled. “Um, Kitten...... what’d you get?” Hermione wasn’t paying much attention to anything once her food was in front of her. She was a lot more hungry than she figured and the smell from the turkey leg was rather inviting. On her plate was also a side of creamy mash potatoes with gravy and mixed vegetables that smell like they were lightly roasted in a stone oven. Figuring how eccentric this place has been already, Hermione wouldn’t put it past them to have actually cooked using a stone oven. Forgoing utensils, Hermione grabbed the turkey leg going straight for a bite at the meaty center. 

Stars exploded behind her eyes as her taste buds rejoiced over the taste. The meat was well moist and succulent. Tender and cooked thoroughly. There was just the right amount of saltiness in it that made the strong barbeque flavor sweeten. A low groan slipped out as the young woman finished chewing her first bite and prepared for another. As her teeth took to another part of the leg, she knew her reactions were ridiculous but she couldn’t stop another moan from escaping her lips. ‘There was just no way a turkey leg should taste this good’ she thought to herself. 

On the other side of the table, Bellatrix was staring at her plate with uncertainty. It seems that she had ordered baked chicken with rice and beans with a small salad. Basic, safe, something she was sure to eat. Frowning at the thought of not looking at the menu better, she grabbed her fork preparing to eat when a sudden low groan pierced her ears. The sound shot straight through the woman and found solace in her groin. In her brief lapse of judgement, Bella lost grip of the fork and fumbled to grab it before it fell off the table. Her eyes darted towards the woman before her, who seemed to be enjoying her meal very much. Her eyes caught the blown pupils of Hermione’s when the young girl had finally opened her eyes to regard the piece of meat she had just ate. A sudden wave of arousal washed over Bellatrix’s senses causing her throat to dry out. There was a sudden low pitch moan that dived straight to her core, causing the woman to choke on her drink. Liquid spluttering everywhere as she tried to cough up whatever went down the wrong hole. ‘Why the hell is she making those sounds?! Is she trying to kill me?!’ Bellatrix heatedly thought as she rushed to wipe away the remnants of her drink off her thighs. 

Looking back up, her eyes met Hermione’s. The girl was trying to cover her giggle, but the glint in her eyes made it clear to Bella that she had noticed her little choking debacle a moment ago. “Is everything alright, Bella?” Bellatrix gritted her teeth in irritation at her growing libido. This couldn’t be possible. She refused to believe that this young woman was capable of getting her so hot and bothered with just a couple of moans; while eating food no less. Cautiously taking another sip of her drink without breaking eye contact she responded “Everything is just perfect, Kitten. I see you’re enjoying your meal.” She smirked while briefly eyeing the turkey leg that was still in the girl’s hand. “It’s actually a lot better than it looks. Would you like a taste?” 

“It’s not the turkey I’d like to taste, right now” Bella muttered. Shaking her head she went back to her own dish while Hermione stared at her in thought for a couple seconds. Seeming to shake off whatever thought that passed, the young woman resumed her meal as well. Things were going well. Bella had managed to eat half of her dish, and was surprised to find how she did enjoy the chicken more than she thought she would. It was grilled with a garlic and honey glaze, the lightly charred skin only added a rich flavor to it. “Mmmm!” ‘Not again!’ Bella thought as Hermione’s moans filled the air. She wasn’t even cooled down from her earlier display and here Bella was, getting even more flustered over the sounds the girl was making. Rubbing her thighs together to ease the building ache between her legs, Bellatrix tried focusing on her breathing. Hermione had to be doing this on purpose. ‘Did she notice my reactions earlier? Did she catch what I said as well?’ In a low tone, strained with arousal Bella frustratingly growled “What are you playing at, Kitten?” 

“What are you talking about, Bella?” The smirk on her face betrayed her tone of innocence. Hermione knew exactly what she was doing. She’d seen how Bellatrix had reacted to her earlier reactions to the food, she had heard what the woman muttered when she thought Hermione wouldn’t catch on. The young woman knew her lover was turned on from her moaning. She always suspected that Bella got off on her moans, and since there was no better time than the present, Hermione was dedicated to making her go over the edge. She’d decided to order desert earlier, much to her happiness and Bella’s frustration. That tone and look told Hermione just what the woman was ready to eat, but not yet she told herself. She was gonna get Bella off before their night ended.  

“Are you sure, you don’t want a taste?” Dropping her tone an octave, she quirked an eyebrow at the woman across from her. Bella was following the movements of her lips without blinking. “Mmmm! It’s just so juicy and tender, Bella. Absolutely delicious!” Hermione chuckled as she watched the older woman choke on her drink again after licking some of the gravy off her lips. “Oh my god!” she gasped. Sure she was laying it on thick but she was also getting turned on from Bella’s reactions and how flustered she looked. If Bellatrix kept looking at her like she was gonna start fucking her right then and there, then all would be lost. No, Hermione wanted to best her in something for once. “Bella!” the young woman whimpered as she swallowed the last of her food. 

“You did not!” Narcissa screamed in shock. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. After smoking a couple of joints together, the three sisters were lounging on the balcony, watching the day pass on by. Bellatrix had taken to randomly talking about some of her memories with her ex-lover. The mood was no longer charged, like it was earlier, but everyone silently walked around the subtle feeling on it sparking back up at any moment. 

“Really, Cissy? It’s Bella, we’re talking about here. Of course she’d come from just the girl’s moans. She has absolutely no restraint when she’s ready.” Andromeda said as she rose to grab everyone a drink. Bellatrix was lying on the ground with her head in Narcissa’s lap as the youngest sister played in her hair. Andy smiled at the image in front of her. Things were going as fine as possible, she just needed to keep it this way until then. 

Coming back onto the balcony, Andy was met with two laughing women. Both were hunched over clutching their stomachs with tears in their eyes. Signing, Andy handed each a bottle of water and took a seat against the door to the suite. “So, is anyone going to tell me what’s so funny? I wanna laugh too.” she fake pouted. Bellatrix looked at her then, and doubled once more in laughter. Knowing she wasn’t going to get a response from that one, Andy looked to Narcissa for answers. The blonde sister, chuckled lightly while taking small sips of her water. Motioning for Andy to hold on while she got herself together, Narcissa giggled lightly as she wiped the tears away. “We--ha-- we were-- haha” taking a big breath she rushed past the urge to laugh again “Bella had mentioned the time she and Hermione had ended up fucking in an alleyway outside a club after Bella lost a bet.” Looking a bit lost, Andy raised an eyebrow in question. She didn’t see where the joke was in this, and she knew that neither of her sisters were high enough to laugh at just anything. “Well, you see.... The bet was about who could collect the most numbers that night. Bella or Hermione, right. So, halfway through the night, Bella notices this blonde woman talking with Hermione. Being the jealous idiot that she was, Bella had stormed over there preparing to curse the woman out, only to find out that the blonde was actually Fleur!” The image of a shell shocked Bellatrix flashed across Narcissa’s mind and the woman completely lost it again. Deciding to finish the story Bella leaned up and continued “In my defence, I was very near intoxication and it was really dark at that club. But, Fleur had saw us together and so I couldn’t lie my way out of that one. Hermione had laughed herself to tears like that one over there” she motioned to the still laughing Narcissa. “After speaking with Fleur a bit, Hermione decided it was time for us to leave. We just never made it further than the club's exit before she pulled me into an alleyway with mentions of how hot my jealousy made her. And you know what they say, the rest was history after that.” Andromeda had burst into a fit of giggles as Bellatrix flopped back down into Cissy’s lap after wiggling her eyebrows obscenely. 

None of the women heard the door to the suite open. Lost in their conversation and laughter, they also neglected to hear someone moving throughout the penthouse suite. Druella had went straight to Bellatrix’s suite as soon as her car door was opened. There was only one thing on her mind and that was her daughter. Stepping beyond the threshold, the elder Black took in her settings. The place was an absolute mess. Druella became uneasy, though. The place was almost too quiet. They couldn’t have gone somewhere, not when Narcissa knew that she’d be coming. Walking through the mess, in search of the occupants, the scent of marijuana caught her nose. Perking up, knowing that her girls were in the suite, the mother followed the scent to the balcony within Bellatrix’s room. 

There on the other side of the tinted glass door was her three girls. She smiled as the heaviness from all the worrying lifted a bit from her heart. The sight of her daughters all together never failed to make her day brighter. She loved them all deeply and equally. Would do anything for them. Turning back to Bella’s room, she sighed knowing that she was here because her darkest baby needed her. Of all her sisters, Bellatrix had been gifted with the temperament of her grandmother, whom she happened to share the same birthday with, among other things. Druella’s own mother was a force to be reckoned, so these episodes at least came with a care plan. 

“...and so the guy at the store is just like ‘Is she your mom?’ and Mione’s face turns the shade of a firetruck! To make it even worse, I walked right over wearing a displayed strap on asking her if she thought it would fit.” Laughters and gasps were all that filled the air as Bellatrix continued her story “I didn’t think Hermione could get any more flustered. She looked like she was going to faint. The cashier did however choke on his spit though.” The clearing of someone’s throat caused Narcissa to squeak , while Andromeda and Bellatrix looked towards the door. Druella stepped out onto the balcony smiling in welcome to her girls. “Mom!” gasped the two oldest. Narcissa smiled at her mother, mouthing a silent thank you for showing up. Being the closest to her, Andy rose off the floor and gave her mother a hug and kiss. Bellatrix was at a loss. She couldn’t remember the last time she had seen her mother. It’s not like they’re distant or anything, time just seemed to have passed by and she didn’t realise. Watching as Druella opened her arms wide, Narcissa and Bellatrix stood as well.

 “Come here, Bella” Druella’s warm tone seemed to have struck a chord in the woman, causing the oldest sister to dive rushing into her mother’s arms as tears poured from her eyes. Tightening her arms around the sobbing woman, Druella looked towards her other two girls. “So, who’s going to explain what happened here?” Sniffling, Bellatrix withdrew from her mother. “I will.” 

To Narcissa and Andy’s surprise including Bellatrix herself, the eldest Black was able to retell all the events leading up to the current day without breaking down in her mother’s arms. Sure, she sniffled a bit, but the waterworks had completely stopped. She had a raging headache and an almost violent case of the munchies, but that all worked in her favor by blocking out the urge to hurt herself. No matter how happy she was to see her mother and to be telling her these things now, the fact that one of her sisters called their mother said it all. Everyone was worried.

“Well.....” Druella said as she allowed everything her daughter told her process. “Compared to last time, this was a lot tamer, don’t you think?” 

“Mother!” Narcissa hissed as she spotted that signature Black grin on her mother’s face. “There’s a hole in the wall! Several of the furniture are destroyed. Tamed? You must be as mad as she!” The blonde felt her cheeks flushed as her older siblings and mother chuckled at her reaction. Grumbling under her breath, the blonde woman went back inside in search for more drinks. As she approached the kitchen area, there was a faint beeping sound coming from the living area. Narcissa decided to find the source of the sound, lifting broken pieces of glass, moving chairs and cushions, she spotted the slim black device. Magically not broken or even scratch, she turned the phone over see several notifications pop up. 

The woman’s eyes grew wide as she read the name of the sender. All thoughts of drinks forgotten as she shot up from the ground and back out to the owner. Ignoring the odd glances from her mother and sister, Narcissa forced the phone into Bellatrix’s hands, urging that she take notice. Bella, on the other hand was not expecting her sister to return with her phone but with drinks. Unlocking her phone, Bellatrix felt her blood run hot at the single text she received. Her mind immediately went blank in response. The woman was so lost in her head, that she didn’t hear when her mother asked her what was wrong, or when Narcissa told them about the amount of missed calls and voicemail notifications popped up, and who their sender was. No, Bella had retracted so far into herself, that she hadn’t noticed when her phone slipped out of her hands, crashing onto the ground. Maybe it was residual effects from smoking, or the lack of food she’s eaten in the past week, but Bellatrix just knew she was angry again. Those same  fucking words. Those exact five words. What kind of twisted deja vu, was this? 

Andy bent down to retrieve the phone, glancing at the screen she read the text aloud to everyone, a sudden mixture of confusion and understanding appeared as they prepared for Bella’s impending explosion.  

Kitten: I’m sorry. Can we talk? 

Chapter Text

Hermione was exhausted. She hadn’t slept the previous night and with the wedding in a couple of days, she didn’t want things to be messy between her and Bellatrix anymore. Apologize and move past it was all she kept thinking. Sighing, she wiped her palms on her jeans as she watched her cellphone, waiting for a response to her text. Banging on her suite door caused her to jump.

“Just a second!” she yelled, grabbing her phone on her way to the door. Thinking Draco forgot something, Hermione prepared to berate the boy for being careless with his things but froze. Standing in front of her was a red faced, heavily breathing Bellatrix Black. The young woman gasped as she felt the older woman push past her and into her hotel room. Her mind was slow on the catch up and she had yet to actually close the door.

Bellatrix had her driver drop her off at the girl’s hotel after receiving the text. ‘She wanted to talk? So, we’re gonna talk’ Bella thought. Closing her eyes, Bellatrix counted down from five before taking a deep breath. Hermione was still at the door, wide eyed and frozen. If she wasn’t upset at her, Bella would have laughed at how adorable the woman looked. “Talk.”

The sound of Bellatrix’s voice seemed to have snapped Hermione out of her stupor. Blushing from embarrassment, the brunette turned to close the door and make her way into the living area. She felt her palms grow clammy at the feeling of Bella’s eyes on her form as the older woman watched her take a seat on the couch. Taking a breath, Hermione steeled her resolve and locked eyes with the woman she loves. “I-I didn’t” She stopped, not having the right words for this moment. She wasn’t expecting to see the woman so soon. The text she had sent was hardly half an hour old. “Why didn’t you just answer the text?” That wasn’t what she had wanted to say, but she was nervous at the moment and so her mouth and her brain weren’t connecting properly.

Watching Bella’s scowl deepen, Hermione rushed on with her words. “No! I mean-- What I meant to say was, I didn’t expect it to happen so soon. I mean, yeah I wanted us to talk, maybe tomorrow or the day after or something. But not minutes after I sent it. Ugh, no, that sounds ridiculous. What I’m trying to say is that I apologize for all that I’ve unknowingly put you through Bellatrix. I was and still am being selfish with your love. You openly loved me and I took that for granted. I was terrified of loving you. You were and still are my first love. It consumed my entire being and I just didn’t know what to do, so I ran. I ran because it was the easiest way I could hold onto who I thought I was. You have to understand where I’m coming from here, Bellatrix. I was such a young age then, barely out of my teens. I thought I was ready for this-- for you! You are everything I could have ever dreamed of and more! Everything had become so overwhelming. The emotions I felt whenever you were around, the fact that I wasn’t sure if anyone would support us, it all just weighed down on me.” Hermione gasped, she wasn’t crying but it felt like someone was sitting on her chest. It was hard to breath, her emotions overwhelmed her. Clutching her hands in her lap, Hermione met Bellatrix’ eyes as she waited for a response from the other woman. “Just-- just please don’t hate me, Bellatrix.” The girl was a mess of snot and tears. Her rant went on longer than she expected.

“I was going to propose to you, Hermione!” Bella all but shouts. It causes the young woman to jump in alarm. She knew how angry Bellatrix looked, but had never really heard such intensity in her voice before. “That day you ended things, I was going to propose.” Although her voice lowered after that last sentence, Bellatrix kept the anger and hurt just as intensely as she did at the beginning of the talk. “I’d spent that entire day picking out your favorite flowers and calling in favors with friends so I could get your favorite dish made at your favorite restaurant.”

FLASHBACK

“Good morning, Miss Black. Your 10 o’clock is already in the conference room waiting for you. I have already set your notes at your seat and set your presentation up.”

“Why thank you, Fleur. Was there anything else that you wanted to tell me before I got sucked into that hell hole of a meeting?” Fleur chuckled as she regarded her boss. The woman was in an exceptionally chipper mood today. She could only assume it had something to do with the young law student that’d been frequenting her office during lunch time. Suddenly remembering, the french woman jumped from her desk and after the Black woman. “Actually, yes. There was a call from one Frederick Winsdor from Astteria Jewelers? He left a message stating that your order was complete and ready for pick up this afternoon should you be ready for it.” Fleur watched as her boss stood stock still for all of five seconds before doing something she never thought she’d ever witness. The woman actually squealed like an excited child on christmas morning.

Fleur froze as Bellatrix abruptly spun in her direction, grin almost splitting her face in two. “I can almost kiss you! This is the best thing I’ve heard all day! Oh my, I’ve got so much to plan for tonight.” Checking her watch the older woman hissed, realising how late she was for her meeting and glanced at her assistant. “Fleur, I need you to do a couple of things for me, please.” Nodding her head as her excited boss rattles off names and places to contact, Fleur stood a little dazed trying to regain some sense of normalcy. Shaking her head to collect her thoughts, the woman reminded herself of her promise to not look too closely at her boss’s relationship with the younger woman and went to do what she was asked.

~~~~~~~~

Bellatrix was tired. Her meeting ran later than she had hoped but she refused to allow it to kill her spirits. It was time. Today was going to be the day. She had everything planned and was just waiting for the ring to be made. Now that it was complete, she saw no reason to wait any longer. Sending her assistant a quick goodbye, Bellatrix called for her driver and checked her messages. Smiling it seemed that Fleur was able to contact the restaurant and book the private room for her. All she needed to do now was grab the ring, speak with the chef to make sure the menu for the night was perfect and text Hermione to show up at her place dressed for the evening.
“Good evening, Madame Black. Where are we off to today?” Situating herself comfortably in the back seat, Bellatrix grabbed her phone to text Hermione. “We’re going to Astteria Jewelers. There’s something I’ve got to pick up and then we can head home.” “Of course, Madame Black.”

The vibration of her phone signalled that Bella had received a text. Grinning she swiped to unlock and read the message from her lover,

Kitten:What are you up to, Bella?

Bella: I can’t take my girl out for dinner? Why must there be ulterior motives?

K: It’s because you’re you, that I question the sudden request that I dress formally for a surprise evening out. How was your day?

Bellatrix laughed. Her girl knew her too well. Still, she wouldn’t budge on this one. This surprise would trump all the ones before. Seeing that they were approaching the showroom, Bella tried to calm the beating of her heart. It was just a ring. Yeah, a ring that would change her life forever. SHe never thought she’d ever want to remarry but then again, she didn’t really plan to meet someone like Hermione either. It seemed that things tend to happen whether she wanted to or not. SHe wasn’t going to complain though. Pulling up to the front of the building, Bellatrix exited her car, greeting Frederick at the door.

B: My day has been wonderful, Kitten. But it will get even better once I see you. How has studying been for you? I see you’ve decided to take a break in between to actually talk to me. I feel privileged.

K: lol, well not exactly. I only took a break to tell you that I will be showing up at yours later.

B: *gasp!* Are you telling me that you didn’t want to talk to me? I’m hurt, miss Granger. And here I was starting to think you actually liked me. :P

K: Oh, shut it, Black.......... I miss you. I’m gonna go back to these books so that I can get to you on time. See you in a few, babes.

“Here it is, Madame Black. 3.18 Ct. Purplish pink diamond ring with 1.24 Ct. diamonds surrounding it with a platinum band.” Frederick said as he placed the ring in front of the woman. Bellatrix was speechless. It looked even better than she imagined. Her smile grew as she pictured how well it will fit Hermione once she pops the question. Running her finger over the diamonds in awe, the woman felt her cheeks begin to numb from the intensity of her smile. Chuckling in excitement, she closed the lid to the box and thanked the man for helping her out. Once the paperwork was handled and Bellatrix paid, the woman departed the building heading home to prepare for the night.

END FLASHBACK

“So, you can see how blindsided I was when you showed up and said what you said Hermione. Not once did you stop and allow me a chance to explain or refute your absurd claims. You didn’t let me choose Hermione. Why did I not get a say in whether our relationship should have ended? Why didn’t you come to me about your fears and worries? Now you sit here crying. And for what exactly? You did this to yourself. YOU, DID THIS TO US! I GAVE YOU ALL OF ME! I LAID MY HEART OUT FOR YOU. EVERY STEP OF THE WAY I GAVE YOU ALL OF ME. I LOVED YOU! I-- I STILL LOVE YOU, DAMMIT! I SHOULDN’T BUT I DO AND I CAN’T HELP IT. BUT IT’S NOT FAIR. YOU CAN’T JUST APPEAR AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, CRY A LITTLE AND THINK IT WILL BE ALRIGHT BETWEEN US. YOU NEED TO FACE THE REALITY THAT YOU BROKE US, HERMIONE. YOU SABOTAGED SOMETHING THAT WAS SO AMAZING. WHY?! I DON’T WANT THAT HALF ASSED EXCUSE. YOU RUINED ME!” Bellatrix deflated after uttering that last sentence. All the anger in her just dispersed into thin air. She felt exhausted, annoyed, and frustratingly worried for not herself but the young woman across from her. While recounting that day, Bella had watched as Hermione sank further into herself until the tears started falling. Bellatrix didn’t want to care. She wanted to be angry. Being angry made this easier. Hermione didn’t deserve her care. Not anymore. But the older woman sighed knowing that wasn’t true. No matter what, like she said, she still loves her and there’s nothing she can do about it.

“Look, Hermione. I just--” Running a shaky hand through her curls, Bellatrix searched for the right words to say. They needed to fix things, she just didn’t know how or if they could be fixed. A slight pang in her chest startled her at the realisation that this could possibly something they couldn’t come back from. “What is it that you want from me?” She had no idea where she was going with this but she also needed to know what the other woman was thinking.

Hermione hiccupped as she wiped furiously at tear streaked cheeks. Her head hurts. It was too much for her at the moment, she just wanted to be alone. A part of her wanted Bellatrix to hold her and tell her everything would be alright, but that didn’t seem like something that was happening soon, if ever again. “I--”

“Think carefully, Hermione. The next few words you speak may change many things between us. I will not be entertaining this again once I step out of this room.”

“Let me fix this, Bellatrix. I don’t know how I am going to do that, but allow me to try. I never wanted us to end up here. Please.” She was practically begging. The thought of the woman walking out of her life scared Hermione. She couldn’t accept defeat so easily. Not when there was still a chance. Bellatrix said it herself, she still loves her. This can work out. She just needed to figure out how to fix things. She just needed some time.

Bella clenched her jaw. A wave of anger ambushed her as she watched Hermione practically beg to work things out. How dare she......

Without answering the girl, Bellatrix turned around and left the hotel suite before she did something she’d regret.

Chapter Text

“So, what you’re saying is that after she stormed your suite and told you that you essentially tore her heart out on the night she was gonna propose; you then proceeded to practically beg for a second chance and now would like our help to get her back?” 

Nodding her head, Hermione continued to look at the mug of tea in front of her. It’d been two days since her talk with Bellatrix and she was over crying constantly and feeling sorry for herself. She also knows that she still has to apologize, completely. They may have discussed the surface feelings on this issue but she had yet to explain to Bellatrix why it is, that she's felt so insecure about their relationship. However, the boys’ wedding is also in two days and she has to focus on that for the time being. 

Being herself, Hermione still wanted a plan before they started heading to California for the ceremony. She knew that immediately after the wedding, Bellatrix was heading to New York and she, herself,  would be returning to London for work. She was running on limited time and needed to make sure she had all her wits together before Bellatrix left and she never saw her again. So, here she was at three in the morning with Draco and Ginny, trying to figure out what to do. She’d been drinking and crying when they had found her. 

“From what I’ve heard from Dora, Hermione, you really did a number on her when you left that first time. I’m not trying to make you feel terrible or anything but are you sure you want to fight for her now? Sometimes it can be too late. Do you even know if she would like you back?” 

“That’s a stupid question, Gin. If she didn’t want her back then all this mess wouldn’t have been a thing. My aunt would’ve just slept with her that one night and left it as that. The fact that she’s even reacting this way when it comes to you Hermione, says a lot about how she values you as someone worth all that energy. Trust me, compared to her separation from her husband and when you ended things, you’re the one.” 

Groaning, Hermione slumped further onto the table where they were seated and massaged her temple. There was a mild headache building as she listened to her friends. “I called her after she had left. Before you guys found me. I was drinking and wanted to talk to her and just tell her how I felt, but I don’t know. She didn’t answer but I also screwed up. She’s not gonna take me seriously once she hears that voice message I left.” she mumbled. 

Draco and Ginny stared at her confused for a second before Ginny grabbed the girl’s phone and searched her recent calls list. To their surprise, their friend only managed to call the other woman a total of three times before seeming to stop calling altogether once each declined. Chuckling nervously, they looked at each other before Draco said “Look, I’m sure you didn’t say something ridiculous. Maybe she’s just sleeping or her battery died. I’m positive she’ll contact you after listening to it.” Hermione groaned even more as she buried her head under her arms. She just wanted this all to be right, already.

Bellatrix was lying awake in her newly made bed when the first call by Hermione came through. The woman just laid there and watched as it rang and rang, refusing to answer. She’d been calling her sporadically since that evening she went to her suite and confronted her and told her about what happened the day Hermione broke up with her. Of course, Bella neglected to mention how she went into a depressive state. When Andromeda had shown up, she was more or less catatonic. She wouldn’t eat, drink, shower, and she only ever slept due to exhaustion from going days without it. 

A tear made its way down her face as she turned away from her ringing phone altogether and attempted to sleep. She had promised herself after the first time that she wouldn’t allow herself to get so enamored with another person like she did with Tom. It wasn’t healthy for her and she can’t place all the blame on Hermione. How she dealt with the break up ultimately was her issue. No matter how much it physically hurt to watch her entire world walk away from her, she should’ve fought instead of resorting to hurting herself even more. 

Sighing, Bellatrix squeezed her eyes shut as her phone notified her of a voicemail being left. She wasn’t going to listen to it. Not immediately, anyways. They had two days left to work things out. One if you don’t count the day of the actual wedding since her flight was already scheduled for that night. As exciting as the past week or so had been, she was a busy woman after all and life had to go on. Whether Hermione was with her or not would have to be left up to fate. Her anger was still simmering deep within and she had no immediate way of dealing with it. Her relocation to New York City would have to include a new therapist as well. Even if things worked out right now for her and Hermione, Bella also knew mentally she was still a bit far gone to not get help when it’s all done. 

Sitting up in her bed, the older woman turned on the bedside table lamp and decided to send a few emails off to her assistant. Checking the time briefly, she noted that it was just after midnight and suspected that if Fleur was sleeping, that she would just see the email first thing in the morning. Sending a couple emails off to the sponsors confirming their various meetings in the upcoming weeks, she sent another brief email asking that Fleur vet a small number of renowned therapists in the NYC area and have a list available for her no later than the day after the wedding. 

Although she would be relocating to New York, Fleur was not. This however did not stop their working relationship. Over the years, Bellatrix had grown somewhat close to the french woman during work and also with her dating Narcissa. She’d offer to relieve her over her duties but the woman insisted on staying with her virtually until she was able to fully acclimate herself to the States. 

Heading to her kitchen for a cup of coffee, Bellatrix decided it was now she would listen to the young woman’s voicemail. Her curiosity had peaked and she also just wanted to hear her voice again. Sitting down at the dining table, she grabbed her phone. She sat patiently and listened as the phone remained silent seconds after tapping on the voicemail. Brows furrowing, Bellatrix’s fingers twitched as she resisted switching it off prematurely. ‘Surely there was more to happen.’ She thought since the message length was well over two minutes long. With a gasp, the woman clutched her coffee mug tighter as she heard the husky voice of her love. 

“This whiskey got me feelin' pretty. So, pardon if I'm impolite” Bella choked out a chuckle at the thought of Hermione drinking whiskey while thinking about her. 

“ I just really need your ass with me. I'm sorry 'bout the other night. And I know I could be more creative and come up with poetic lines. But I'm turnt up off sizz' and I love you” The sound of her coffee mug shattering brought Bellatrix out of her stupor. She’d gone in on herself at the completely raw and emotional husk of Hermione’s voice as she seemed to almost sing those words to her over the phone. Bella hadn’t known she was grasping the mug so tightly. She never once remembered a time the young woman was ever this wasted or emotional. She sounded as if she’d spent her days crying and drinking and nothing else to Bella. Suddenly there was a crash on the other side of the phone and for a brief second, worry flitted through the older woman’s mind. 

Bellatrix listened as Hermione seemed to have survived whatever happened and continued, now in a whisper. “-- Is the only thing that's in my mind. You take me high-- (hiccup)--higher than I've ever been, babe. Just come over, let's pour a drink, babe. I hope I ain't calling you too late” 

Bellatrix sighed deeply as she got up to clean up the mess she had made. Her mind was reeling trying to process all that was coming out of the younger woman’s mouth. There was still a minute to the voice message. Normally, Bella didn’t think she’d let such simple words get to her but it was incredibly late, her mind was worn down from the events and her heart yearned to hear Hermione say those three words to her again. 

With a fresh bottle of water in her hand and her mess cleaned up, Bella sat on her bed and continued the paused voice message. 

“You light my fire. I wanna go back to the old way but I'm drunk instead, with a little bit too much to say.” Bellatrix laid down as she allowed the sounds of Hermione’s voice lull her into sleep. They were going to be seeing the last of each other in two days. Deep down the older woman knew she didn’t want this to be their last goodbye, but she also didn’t want to be the one running to Hermione either. She just couldn’t trust Hermione to actually do what she said. ‘Will she really fight for this? For me?’ She thought. 

“I’m not really sure why I called. I’ve just been rambling off like a mad woman this entire time. *hiccup* If I’m lucky, you’ve probably deleted this voicemail already. I just don’t know what to do. I don’t wanna lose you, Bella. I don’t!” Bellatrix groaned as she listened to Hermione resolve into tears again. 

Sitting up abruptly, Bellatrix ended the voicemail deciding to not finish it. If she still remembered, Hermione can tell her all of this again while sober. Dialing the other woman’s number Bellatrix waited, hoping she was still awake. When there was no answer the woman sighed but sent a text message instead. 

B: Cancel your flight tomorrow. Take the drive with me. Just us two. I know I should be letting you figure how to fix things but I heard your voicemail. I think the drive to California should be helpful for us both. I also have things I would like to tell you. I’ll be there to pick you up around 8 am. 

Chapter Text

“Can you please stop fussing over this?! I know what I’m doing, Cissy! Gods, you’re letting me regret telling you about any of this to begin with.” Bellatrix said over the speaker as she drove her rented Mercedes G-Wagon to Hermione’s hotel. She wanted to call Narcissa and discuss ways to make this trip with Hermione beneficial for them. Still, instead of advice, all she got in return was a lecture. 

“All I’m saying, Bella, is that your behavior has been very unbalanced these days, and I don’t think it’s best if you guys spent time together, alone.”

“If I wanted a lecture on making good or bad choices, Cissy, I would have called Andy. I didn’t, so you’re either going to give me advice, or I’m going to hang up. I’m almost at her hotel, anyway. So make this quick.”

~~~

 “Guys, is this really the best decision? What if I miss my hotel reservations?” 

“Oh, stop whining ‘Mione. It’s hardly a six-hour drive. You’ll be fine.” Draco reassured as Hermione watched her friends pack their belongings into the Jeep trunk, bringing them all to the airport. A hand on her shoulder caused her to look up; it was Harry. 

Although their relationship wasn’t as deep as Draco’s friendship, Hermione did appreciate it whenever Harry was around. He always managed to be the voice of reason whenever she wasn’t thinking too clearly. At that moment, the young man smiled gently at her and said, “Get out of your head, Hermione. If you really want her back, take the ride with her. Miss Black is extending the handout to hopefully repair things between you two. Look at it this way, you no longer have to split hairs over what you can do to get her back. Accept the opportunity in front of you and make the best of it. Besides, for as long as I’ve known you, I’ve never seen you this out of your depth before.” Chuckling, he added, “It’s downright adorable.” 

Draco came upon her other side and kissed her temple before both boys pulled her into a group hug. “Stop stressing so much, you’re going to make me worried, and I’m not supposed to be worried so much. It’s my wedding week! So, smile and don't be too snappy with her. She’ll push your buttons on purpose but remember she’s just as afraid as you are.” 

Hermione blinked rapidly to prevent the sudden buildup of tears. She didn’t want to start crying so early in the day. It was hardly sunny. If she began to cry now, she may never actually stop. Chuckling, she hugged both boys back and stood back as they entered their car. Next to hug her was Ron, who wished her a safe journey, and then finally, Ginny standing near the car door with her arms open wide. 

“So, you couldn’t just come to me like everyone else?” Hermione laughed as she ran into her friend’s arms. Ginny grasped her deeply, taking a calming breath that surprisingly helped calm Hermione. “We all love you, Hermione. You are deserving of love. From your friends and your family. You know that.” Hermione nodded, confused by the sudden expression of love. “Bellatrix loves you too. Allow her to love you, too. You are deserving of it. Spend this time with her and show her the true Hermione. Okay?” 

Hermione buried her face in Ginny’s neck and hugged her tighter as waves of gratitude and love washed over her. Wiping at her tears, she stepped back and smiled. 

“Thank you, Ginny. I’ll try my best.”

Both girls jumped as the driver honked the horn. Harry’s head poked out from inside the car, an apology on his face, “Sorry guys, but we’ve gotta go if we want to get all this checked in and make the flight.” 

“Okay, well, the safe flight you all. I’ll see everyone later tonight for the rehearsal dinner!” A chorus of byes was heard as Ginny entered the Jeep. Stepping back into the hotel entrance, Hermione watched as her friends drove away. Looking around the empty lobby, she realised how early it was since only one receptionist was working. Grabbing her phone, she checked her messages before going back to the hotel room to gather her things. Bellatrix should be arriving anytime soon. 

“Knock, knock!” came a shout from the suite entrance. Hermione jumped, not realizing that she dozed off accidentally. Patting her hair down, she tried gathering herself before shouting, “ In here! Just give me a second to grab my luggage, and I’ll meet you downstairs, Bellatrix.” 

Hermione exhaled as she heard Bellatrix acknowledge her statement and retreat to the hotel entrance. Looking at herself one last time in the mirror, Hermione reapplied some lip gloss and patted her cheeks to add some color. She was gonna try her best to work things out with Bellatrix before they reached California. It was just the two of them now, and she would be stuck in a car with nowhere to run. It was now or never, really. The young woman was going to bear it all for the woman she loves in hopes of winning her back. Hermione was terrified, but the thought of losing Bellatrix permanently was even worse. 

“Hey, Bellatrix.” She said softly as the older woman approached her, reaching for her luggage to put in the wagon’s trunk. Bellatrix smiled warmly in response and went to hold the passenger door open, ushering Hermione in. “Good Morning, pet.”  Shutting the door, Bellatrix jogged to the driver’s side and got in, starting the Jeep up in no time. “So, I know you didn’t plan to drive back to California; everything from this moment on will be covered by me. Meals, any souvenirs, or whatever you feel like buying along the way. I’m genuinely pleased to see that you went ahead with my plan, considering how late I sent that message. Do you want to stop and grab something to eat before we hit the major highways?” 

Upon entering the vehicle, Hermione busied herself by observing her surroundings. She inhaled the intoxicating scent of cinnamon and nature. She chuckled after spying the car scent dangling above the dashboard. Humming to herself, Hemione waited as Bellatrix made her way to the driver’s seat. Her mind was a blank slate at the moment. She couldn’t say she was nervous about being alone with Bellatrix at this current moment. Still, she also couldn’t admit that she was alright with it, either. Not completely. Hearing Bellatrix mention the text message as the car pulled into traffic, Hermione took a minute to silently think about it. She was awake when the text had come through.

After spending hours throwing herself a pity party over not knowing what to do to win Bellatrix back, she had given up any sort of hope. That’s when her phone had pinged, notifying her of a text. Initially, she was elated. This was it, her chance to fix things, and it was coming from Bellatrix herself!

So, that meant something good. But then, as time passed and she tried to sleep a bit, her nerves started to catch up with her, and that’s how she ended up having her friends talk her into canceling her flight and into taking the chance on this road trip. 

She chuckled softly as her stomach grumbled at Bellatrix’s mention of breakfast. She hadn’t been eating much this past week and if she was gonna deal with Bellatrix, then a full stomach was needed. “We can grab IHOP before heading out. I haven’t been eating much these days but if we’re gonna be in this car for six hours straight, I should try and eat something now. We should also grab some snacks afterward, just in case.”  Bellatrix tried not to frown as she listened to the young woman mention her poor eating habits. “IHOP it is, pet.” 

~~~~

“She was definitely flirting with you, Bella,” Hermione said amusedly as both women entered the wagon. Getting breakfast seemed to have helped ease some of her nerves. The entire experience was pretty calm for the two of them. Well, that was until Hermione noticed their waitress trying to not so subtly flirt with Bellatrix right in front of her. ‘Like, come on now, who wears such a small top, anyways. This was a family restaurant, not Hooters, sheesh.’ She thought to herself. Hermione also found it funny that Bellatrix never gave that girl a second glance after placing both of their orders. Knowing that she held the woman’s sole attention at all times made her feel warm inside. 

“Whatever you say, pet. You know I only have eyes for you. I wouldn’t notice another woman’s pass at me. Especially not in front of you.” She smirked as she pulled the vehicle onto the road once again. “Okay, so at this rate, we will be making it to our hotel just before the dinner. Do you wanna grab snacks now or would you be fine grabbing something at a rest stop? The sooner we can get on the highway, the sooner we can get to our destination.” Bellatrix was currently rambling on while trying to drive and start the GPS. Hermione turned her body in the chair to face the woman and responded “For someone who planned this, I thought the outcome was to spend time with me. Why the rush? We will get there today. Your time watching will make me nervous.” she smiled wryly. 

Bellatrix sighed as she checked the GPS one more time before focusing on the road.  “So, I know I said I would fight for us, Bella. B-but there are some things I’ve never told you about that I think you should know before we talk about us.” Hermione said lowly. This was it, she was gonna bare her entire soul to Bellatrix. Taking in a shaky breath the young woman waited to make sure the other was paying enough attention before continuing. Bellatrix furrowed her brows at the girl’s tone and sent a quick worried glance in her direction. “You know we don’t have to discuss anything heavy for the time being right? For all I’m concerned, we’ve already made up and everything that comes after is a bridge we can cross together.” She said softly. Turning to Hermione as the Jeep slowed due to traffic, she said “You being in this car with me is enough to let me know that we both want this to work. I won’t ask you for anything more.” She smiled and turned back to the road. 

Hermione forced the lump in her throat down as she willed her tears not to fall. She really didn’t feel like she deserved Bellatrix. “No, Bellatrix. I- this has to be done. It’s unfair to you and myself if I let this whole thing go any further and I won't address the reasons why I really broke up with you.” Sitting in her chair properly, Hermione turned to look out her own window. She didn’t have enough strength to face Bellatrix as she told her this story. “I was seventeen when it all started. My family had gone on a trip to Bulgaria for the summer. Like always, I was extremely excited to visit a new country. The things I would be able to learn, all the exposure, the culture, the people. I loved all of it. It was there that I had met him. His name was Victor Krum. Coincidentally, he was visiting his family for the summer as well. We’d met at a festival in a small village, a place whose name I’ve long since forgotten.” She smiled softly as her mind drifted back to that day. 

“I’d been playing with some of the local children when I accidentally ran into him.” She giggled as she described the scene. “Victor is rather big in build, so you can imagine how funny it was to bystanders to witness such a small girl tackle such a big guy with ease. He was a complete gentleman about the whole incident and had even offered to buy me dinner that night as an apology despite it being me who had knocked him over. I didn’t say yes, that day. I’d been too embarrassed, but also, it’s a foreign land. Stranger danger and that lot, you know.” Hermione threw Bellatrix a glance when she heard the woman chuckle lightly. She continued “It was after running into each other constantly that entire weekend, that, after some thinking, I decided to take him up on his offer for dinner. He’d taken me to his favorite restaurant there. Everything was so nice. The mood, weather, the people, it had felt like a cheesy romcom. To seventeen-year-old Hermione, that was all I had been dreaming of. Who would have thought I’d find my younger self’s idea of prince charming while on a family vacation. We spent almost every day with each other after that. It was addicting. He was so smart, there was so much we’d talk about. I never had to dumb myself down for him or temper my personality as I would sometimes do, even with my friends. So, halfway through my family’s vacation, he’d asked if I would be open to a potential relationship. At first, I was unsure, which is practical. We still lived in different countries. Sure, long-distance relationships work out every day but this was something new for me. I’d never felt this way about anyone and the idea of us not being able to spend physical time together scared me. In the end, I’d decided that this feeling was just too special to not take a chance on. So, we started dating. Our families were none the wiser. The only other person to have known was Ginny and she only knew him by the first name. I was going to tell Draco at first but then I learned that Krum’s family are in business with the Malfoy’s and I don’t know, I just didn’t want things to be messy if things didn’t work out for me and Victor. He’s never met my friends and so it was all very secretive. Sort of like we were. Anyway, moving on since this story doesn’t have to be so long. Right before my vacation was ending, we’d confessed deeper feelings of love to each other and made love.” 

As Hermione continued, lost in her story, she had failed to notice Bella’s sudden tense posture in the driver’s seat. Knuckles white as she gripped the steering wheel in an attempt to curb the sudden jealousy she was feeling towards her lover’s ex. It was irrational, she knew this, but it was love. What is love, if not irrationality at its core? 

“When we both returned to our homes, we’d call daily and facetime nightly. Sometimes he’d travel to London with his father for business affairs and I’d spend that entire time with him locked up in a hotel room enjoying each other and whatever we’d decide to order in. It was all so surreal. I thought he was it for me. I was starting to play with the idea of telling my friends about us. We’d started having conversations of that nature as my studies advanced and he got closer to taking over his family business.” Bellatrix flinched lightly sending a glance towards the now hunched-over form of Hermione as she heard the woman let out a bitter laugh. 

“Do you have any tissue paper in here, by chance, Bella? I haven’t even gotten to the part where shit goes down the drain and I’m already a snotty mess.” She joked weakly. Bellatrix felt her gut twist uncomfortably from the hurt in Hermione’s voice. She wanted to pull over and make sure she was okay, but they had a schedule to follow and it also didn’t seem like the woman wanted to have sole attention on her physical state at the moment either. “Yeah, check the center armrest. There should be a couple of packs you can take one. There should also be bottles of water in the back seat as well if you get thirsty. We can make a pit stop halfway if you would like.” Mumbling thanks, Hermione shakily wiped at her tears and blew her nose. Opening her window a bit, Hermione rested her head against her chair and took deep breaths to help with the sudden feeling of claustrophobia encroaching upon her. She knew that these memories would overwhelm her the moment she chose to discuss them with someone but she didn’t expect them to be this strong, this fresh in her system. It’d been a decade now since that heartbreak and for as horrible as she felt, she still found Bellatrix along the way. She could do this. She has to let go of her past for good now. 

“It was Draco who had told me about it. Turns out, Victor’s father had arranged a marriage for his son. A company merger of sorts, I was told. At the time, I was nearing my undergrad graduation at Uni and was finalizing my talk to introduce Victor to my friends and family. We’d been speaking to each other fewer and fewer as my examinations drew closer so I didn’t think too much of it. So, imagine my surprise when Draco of all people showed up one evening in our living room discussing outfit choices for a wedding. At first, I was in complete denial because what teenage girl wouldn’t be? But then I sat and thought about it some more and after watching many of my texts go unread, it all registered in my mind. The man that I loved, my prince charming, was marrying someone else and he didn’t even have the nerve to face me when confronted about it. Like with you, I’d thrown myself into my schoolwork. Passed my examinations with ease. Started my internships earlier than scheduled. I stopped going out with my friends. I was eating and sleeping less. By the time graduation came around, I’d lost a significant amount of weight. Everyone was understandably worried about me, but they didn’t know so they never confronted me about my issues. I was angry, heartbroken, stubborn, and depressed. Night after sleepless night, I spent my hours trying to figure out if I wasn’t enough. If it was all just a lie. Even if he couldn’t get out of the business arrangement, why wasn’t I respected enough to at least be told? Maybe letting go would have been easier had he just told me about it all, himself.” Hermoine gasped for air as she stopped talking, body shaking with sobs. Bellatrix felt tears well up in her eyes as she listened to her love recount her heartache. She was angry, naturally. She knew the Krum family, their son was a decent man in her eyes, or well, he was. Now she’d prefer to have just confronted him for being the coward that he was and demand he apologizes for what he did. Deciding to take a break, Bella exited the highway and parked in the nearest rest stop to give Hermione some time to calm down. They would reach their destination when they reached. Time wasn’t an issue anymore, not when Hermione was sitting there hurting like this. Facing the younger woman, Bella listened as she continued, painfully. 

“What makes this even worse was that a couple of months after everything initially happened, I got sick. At first, I just assumed it was because I wasn’t eating or sleeping but then I went to my doctor and--” The choked gasp Hermione let out had Bellatrix unbuckling her seat belt and pulling the broken girl into her lap, cradling her. “Shhh, sweetheart. Take a deep breath for me, kitten. Come on. Deep breaths. I’ll count them for you, alright? One.” Bella softly rubbed her back as she heard Hermione struggle to take a shaky inhale. She hummed as Hermione’s exhale came out less shaky. “Good, girl. Another one now, two.” And for the next twenty minutes, Bellatrix helped calm Hermione down from her panic attack and soothed her as best as the situation would allow. Kissing her head, Bella asked softly “Are you doing better now, Hermione?” Not hearing a response, Bellatrix looked down and chuckled as she noticed the younger woman fast asleep in her lap. Kissing her on the head one more time, she attempted to position Hermione back into the passenger seat without disturbing her sleep too much. Bella knew the conversation wasn’t over but it had drained all the energy from the girl. Another time, she told herself. They can continue the talk another time.