Chapter 21: Giving inChapter TextWell, Bellatrix certainly got what she'd been hoping for. A grand adventure wrought with discovery, romance and danger. And after today, she certainly been on the receiving end of all three in spades.
Funny thing, really. Though it was so obvious right now, Bellatrix had never realized that she was in love with Hermione until today. She'd always been looking forward to talking with her through the Fae Mirror, told her things she'd never told anyone. Her heart would skip a beat whenever she saw her face in the portal and during the day, she counted the minutes until she could see her again and was so often in her thoughts. How could she not have seen it? It was was so obvious.
For Hermione, it'd been quite mutual. That much was obvious too now. A pure-blood and a mud... muggle-born. Truth be told, if they had met under more regular circumstances, a romance between them likely never would have blossomed, making it all the more special. They had been friends first, of course, good friends. And somewhere along it simply developed.
Still, there were some issues at hand they'd have to contend with. They were still in the middle of the forest, battered and bruised and judging by the waning light the day would soon come to an end. They walked together through the forest, which now seemed so much more vibrant with sounds and life. Perhaps it was because that black unicorn abomination was now gone and the smaller creatures and birds of the forest finally dared to show themselves again, or perhaps it was simply a reflection of the mood she was in right now.
Bellatrix and Hermione didn't really speak much as they trekked. What good were words when a simple smile, a loving look or holding hands could say more than a thousand words? All those three things happened quite often while they were trying to find their way through this thick and surprisingly large forest. Though they had lost the beacon at their camp, there was still the beacon Bellatrix had placed at the entrance of the forest, which had been easy enough to find. They knew their camp had to be somewhat near, but it was still frustratingly hard to find in a thick forest where every tree looked the same. Their camp had to be found, though, as all their supplies were there as well as all the facilities in their tent.
Though glad to have discovered love, it would not be able to slake their hunger, thirst and fatigue. After using their compass to plot out a search grid, they'd been walking back and forth that area of the forest for what seemed like hours. Just when the sun had set and the forest was bathed in darkness, the girls decided it would be wise to return back to the entry point, improvise their sleeping arrangements and continue their search tomorrow. Ironically, on their way back there, they stumbled upon the clearing they had set up their camp.
"Oh, Merlin above," Bellatrix heard herself say. "Some good fortune at least."
"You have no idea how happy I am right now," replied Hermione.
Thankfully, the monstrous black unicorn hadn't done very much damage to the camp as all their supplies were still there and the tent was untouched. Bellatrix quickly got a campfire going while Hermione was fiddling with that muggle stove.
"Going to make us some dinner," said Hermione.
"Can you still cook without that propane thing?" asked Bellatrix.
"I've brought several," replied Hermione. "But we probably shouldn't lose more of those tanks."
The wasp has been following them around, buzzing merrily. But once the tent was in sight, there was a pop as teleported to the side of the tent's doorflap where he walked down over the canvas and started pulling on the zipper with his mandibles to make an entrance. He promptly crawled inside through the opening it had just made, undoubtedly to look for more sugar and chocolate. This was fine with Bellatrix: as far as she was concerned, the friendly wasp had earned his keep.
Meanwhile, Hermione had gotten the muggle stove up and running and was opening a few tins of what seemed to be a hearty beef stew. Something Hermione could warm up quickly. Bellatrix' stomach growled in anticipation and she decided to get a drink of cold water from their supplies.
Today had been quite a day of excitement to say the least and she would sit down on a fallen log next to the cooking Hermione to document the events of the day in her travel journal. Every so often, they would gaze upon each other and scoot over for a quick cuddle or a kiss.
It was odd, really. Bellatrix had often made fun of her fellow students acting all 'lovey-dovey' in public, but now that she had clearly fallen for Hermione, she wanted nothing else than to be close to her and being in physical contact with her as much as possible. Judging by the way Hermione would often snake her arm around her waist while cooking, the feeling was quite mutual.
Bellatrix was still writing in her journal when Hermione announced that dinner was ready. Hearty beef-stew along with tea and cupcakes floating in preservatives for dessert. After the events of the day, Bellatrix wasn't complaining: it was the evening dinner of queens for all she cared.
It only brought home just how exhausted they were. Both of them wanted nothing more than to enjoy their dinner, get inside the tent, wash up and go to bed.
They did just that, after dousing the fire and heading inside. After Bellatrix had washed up and switched into her sleepwear, she found Hermione already in the sleeping bag wearing her pink pyjamas. The curly-haired witch swiftly climbed inside the sleeping bag as well and quickly found herself being cuddled up to by Hermione. The wasp was somewhere in the tent too and, according to Hermione, insect slept too. No doubt the wasp had found a quiet spot to have a bit of a kip and Bellatrix couldn't blame him in the slightest: he'd had a rather active day too.
Hermione next to her. It was a good feeling, to have her soft body pressing into her side, arm draping over her stomach. Together, they watched through the canvas skylight into the sky above. They brushed lips ever so often and neither saw the need to speak at first. That was, until Hermione broke the silence.
"Trix?"
"Hm?"
"Tell me a story."
"You haven't experienced enough horror today?"
Hermione chuckled. "I just want to listen to the sound of your voice."
"You're in luck," smirked Bellatrix. "I too am in love with the sound of my own voice."
"Pfft, arrogant..."
"Noticed that, haven't you?" Bellatrix chuckled.
"About that story..."
"Okay," replied Bellatrix. "Let me get my notebook."
"Noooo..." Hermione pouted and clung onto Bellatrix, keeping her firmly in place. "Don't goooo..."
"It's right there on the table. Three meters away."
"Noooooooooooooo..."
"If want a story, I'll need my notebook," Bellatrix raised an eyebrow.
"You're creative enough. Think one up," Hermione demanded.
Bellatrix thought a moment. Any story would do at the moment, it seemed. "Alright," said Bellatrix. "How about a classic? Once upon a time, there was an elderly witch who lived in the woods."
"Hmmm, good start," Hermione murmured with her eyes closed.
"The elderly witch lived near a muggle village and often had the children of the village come visit," said Bellatrix. "Now, she never had a family and was often lonely. So she would often make lavish amounts of sweets for the children who would stop by for a chat or for play. The elderly witch was quite popular as a result and the village, whose inhabitants were quite often far too busy with their farming and hunting, paid the witch little mind. This went perfectly well for years on end. Until, one day, the village fell on hard times. Their harvest had failed and many animals had migrated to a different part of the forest after a fire had broken out. Though the witch was quite happy to keep on treating the now often starving children, the relationship between her and the village was starting to get a bit more tense."
"Oh dear," Hermione pouted. "I want a happy ending."
Bellatrix rolled her eyes. "Listen to the story first. Okay, so one day there is a knock on the door. Thinking more kids have come to visit, the elderly witch takes a bowl of candy and shuffles towards to the door. When she opens it, she sees two teenagers standing in her yard. A boy and a girl. They were the fattest teenagers she had ever seen. Seriously, they were absolutely bulbous in their enormity. 'Good day, witch,' spoke the boy. 'I am Hansel and this is my sister Gretel. We are two sad and hungry orphans and we haven't eaten for a week'. Now, the elderly witch found this to be a little dubious considering their bulk and the fact that there was chocolate residue still smeared all over their fat faces."
"I heard this story before," smirked Hermione. "But it's a little different that how my mum told me."
"You've probably only ever heard the muggle version. The vicious, slanderous anti-witch propaganda version! This is the actual story," said Bellatrix. "Now hush while I'm telling it!"
"Right, sorry, sorry."
"So Gretel grabs the bowl of candy and just pours it into her mouth. The elderly witch looked on in dismay as the two fat 'orphans' brushed past her and make a beeline straight to her dinner table only to devour the chicken dinner she had prepared for herself. 'I don't think you are orphans at all,' said the elderly witch. 'I clearly recognize you two as the boyar's children'. The fat orphans weren't impressed, however, and started eating all of her candied nuts and her honey, moving from pot to pot in her kitchen as if they were two really fat locusts.
So Gretel scoots over to her and puts her arm over her shoulder. 'Listen, you old bag,' spoke Gretel. 'Here's how this is going to work. You are going to feed us to our heart's desire, and we won't get to our father to convince him you tried to cast a spell us that will get you burned at the stake. Capiche?'. Now, the elderly witch was a practical sort: she figured that if the two fat teenagers would have their fill, they would likely just leave. So she fed them. Pounds and pounds of candy, mountains of sweetrolls, meters of taffy, trays of fudge, metric tons of cake. And the fat, bulbous slobs completely cleared her out. Incredulous, the elderly witch listened as the orphans demanded more. 'Give us more food, you old bag!' Gretel shrieked at the top of her lungs while Hansel whined. 'If you have nothing more, you are useless to us!'. The elderly witch sighed. 'Fine,' she said. 'I'll fire up the oven and make some more cake'. However, the moment she opened the over-sized door to her stove, she was suddenly shoved inside! When met with the searing heat, she turned around and pounded on the door to the oven, only to see the fat orphans laughing at her. 'We were going to tell our father to burn you anyway. We're just shaving off some time in thanks for the fine meal,' she heard them say while laughing sadistically.
So, the elderly witch knew just what to do. They were foolish enough to leave her with her wand, and had conveniently forgotten that she could do actual magic! So she apparated right behind them, wand in hand. For the first time, she saw the fat orphans gulp as they realized their mistake... and let out a cry as she cackled merrily.
The next day, a few of the children came to visit her again. Unlike the fat orphans, these were nice and polite... and thin children. So the elderly witch smiled and told them that she was throwing a party. All children of the village were invited, so she asked them to fetch the rest. It was a fun party and the kids played games in the yard until the elderly witch, bearing a smile as a broad and as warm as she could muster, wheeled out two giant lumps of gingerbread. Now, the children loved the elderly witch's gingerbread so they all cheered in unison.
And so the witch smiled as the children dug in relentlessly. She smiled as she saw the human eyes of the two giant gingerbread figures, rolling around in sheer panic as they were being slowly but surely devoured bit by bit by the happy, laughing children, enchanted in such a way that they felt the agony of every break and every bite as more and more of their bodies found their way into the children's bellies.
Moral of the story? Don't fuck with a witch! Ever! Even the nice ones!" Bellatrix concluded the story, turning to Hermione to smile at her.
Hermione smiled back. "You just made that up on the spot, didn't you?"
"I might have," giggled Bellatrix. "Come out rather morbid at the end there. In fact, I'd better go write it down before I forget the details..."
"Nooooooo!" Hermione whined again and clamped herself around Bellatrix's waist, keeping her firmly in place and pulled her down again when she made a move. Bellatrix yelped as she was being pulled closer to Hermione, facing her as they lay in the sleeping bag. The curly-haired young witch felt Hermione's closeness, smelled the scent of her shampoo, felt her breath on her skin... and she was lost.
Hermione eyed her nervously when Bellatrix shifted closer and wrapped her arms around her. A cheeky smirk playing on her lips, she leaned in to kiss Hermione on the lips again. There was a hunger to it this time. Their closeness, their intimate embrace, sending itself to more cheeky thoughts.
Tongues met again, for the first time since their celebratory kiss after the defeat of the black unicorn. But there was more desire behind it. More lust. Bellatrix wanted more. And she wasn't the only one. She could see it in Hermione's eyes, in her trembling lips. That want. That desire. That lust.
"You've been thinking about this, haven't you? You and me. Together in bed," Bellatrix smirked. "More than once."
Panic was evident in those lovely brown eyes of hers. And the fact that her cheeks now coloured bright red told her more than words ever could, and made any attempt at denial utterly futile.
"You have!" Bellatrix laughed. "You completely and utterly have!"
There it was. Judging from her expression, poor Hermione wanted to just crawl into the sleeping bag, close the zipper and never come out again from the sheer embarrassment. It was then that Bellatrix went in for the kill.
"Don't worry," Bellatrix raised her chin imperiously. "It's quite common for girls to think of me when they pleasure themselves at night."
Beet. Red.
Caught red-handed, as it were. Betrayed by her own body, no less. Now done with her relentless teasing, it was time for a confession of her own.
"It's alright," she spoke to a girl now close to tears and whimpering from embarrassment. "I've been thinking about it too. A lot. But I will tell you, though: the real thing is so much better. And I'd love to share it with you."
Hermione looked at her with those big brown, startled eyes of her. And, with tremors going through her body, gave her an almost imperceptible nod.
"Your world will never be the same," Bellatrix chuckled and leaned in for another kiss. Their lips brushed and again Hermione whimpered slightly. Love was, indeed, a curious thing. From friendship to romance, the feelings had bound the both of them tightly together. Hell, they had transcended the boundaries of time, their world and, if this realm was any indication, their very own dimension as well. Now if that wasn't a romance worthy of the storybooks, she didn't know what was.
Those brown eyes of hers, spread open wide, looked at her expectantly. If she'd have to hazard a guess, Bellatrix didn't think Hermione had had much experience. Not that she minded... having Hermione melt into a puddle of pleasure was its own reward.
First things first: Hermione needed to be peeled out of that pink monstrosity she was wearing. Bellatrix slid her hands over her side and tugged at the hem, giving clear indication of her intent. Hermione, for her part, swallowed hard but offered little resistance after shifting a little to allow Bellatrix to lift the pyjama top over her head. Once her torso had been bared, Hermione immediately crossed her arms over her chest and squeezed her eyes. Obviously not used to being seen as an object of desire, all of Hermione's confidence had fled her... it was as if Hermione feared that Bellatrix would reject her if she were to lay eyes on her bare frame.
"It's alright," Bellatrix smirked. "Here, I'll go next."
Well, that got Hermione's attentions. Eyes shot open just as Bellatrix shifted to pull her own top over her head, revealing her breasts and abdomen. The curly-haired witch was quite aware that she was an attractive young woman, with toned abs from her years of playing Quidditch and by the way boys... and plenty of girls... had a tendency to stare at her breasts when they thought Bellatrix wouldn't notice, she knew she wasn't in any way lacking there.
Hermione was no different, causing Bellatrix to smirk again when she saw her lover's eyes transfixed on her chest. For a moment, Bellatrix recalled when she had been in exactly the same position Hermione had been in: Evelyn Greengrass, an older girl, buxom, had introduced her to the pleasures of sapphic love in what could best described as a friendship-with-benefits... in that relationship, Bellatrix had been the wide-eyed trembling virgin until she had gained more experience and, right now, she was just paying it forward.
Bellatrix knew that she had to force the issue a little to get Hermione to crawl out of her shell... hell, Evelyn had to do the same for her two years ago. The curly-haired witch grabbed hold of a startled Hermione's wrist and gently pulled it towards her to lay her hand on her breast. Bellatrix heard a sharp intake of breath and it didn't take long for Hermione to slowly start rubbing her hand back and forth. The sensation was more than pleasant, feeling her own nipple harden in response. She offered Hermione an encouraging smile. Slowly, but surely, Hermione gained the courage to actually show herself to Bellatrix.
"Beautiful," Bellatrix whispered when she was finally allowed an eyeful of Hermione's breasts which, though smaller than hers, were perfectly rounded and lovely. At first, Hermione seemed a bit doubtful, but her frown quickly turned into a smile and a blush. And then it was as if the floodgates were opened.
Hermione pounced upon Bellatrix, shifting towards her and crushing her body against hers. Her lips latched on the side of Bellatrix's neck as if she was a vampire desperate for a meal. The curly-haired witch let out a brief giggle before matching Hermione's intensity. The girls lay in the light of the stars above, pressing their bodies together. Their lips met, their tongues wrestled and Bellatrix felt eager hands sliding over her skin. She held Hermione closer, until they broke the kiss and pressed their noses together.
"Lay on your back," Bellatrix demanded with a husk, gently pushing Hermione away from her. Again, Hermione swallowed hard, looking at her with heavy desire after tearing herself away from her body and laying on her back. She wouldn't have to wait long: Bellatrix slid over her, pinning her down and captured her lips. Arms snaked around her waist and pulled around her back while Hermione kissed her hungrily, moaning her mouth. Meanwhile, Bellatrix put her hands to work, shifting a little to lay on her side, the tips of her fingers sliding across Hermione's sensitive creamy skin. Merlin, she shuddered under the tiniest of touches... fingers sliding over her shoulders, her breasts, her belly... Hermione was like a delicate flower, her body a soft petal underneath her touch.
A sharp intake of breath sounded when her hand slid further downward, resting on a thigh before gently forcing her legs apart just a little. Hermione whimpered when Bellatrix' hand found her most sensitive spot, still covered and protected by the fabric of her infernal pink pyjama bottoms.
Bellatrix chuckled when she felt just how damp the front of her pyjama bottoms were. She slid her fingers over the fabric, feeling Hermione's heat as she gently rubbed her fingers back and forth in a steady rhythm.
Well, that had the desired effect. But when Bellatrix took it a step further and slid her hand down the front of those same infernal pink pyjamas and found the folds of her womanhood, she watched Hermione as her eyes practically rolled into the back of her head.
And she held her friend-turned-lover, kissing her passionately as her fingers entered her. And Hermione shuddered, arching her back and whimpering in sheer sensory overload. Hah, it really was her first time. A nineteen year old virgin... how about that?
With that knowledge in mind, Bellatrix slowed the rhythm somewhat: it wouldn't take much to send Hermione screaming over the edge the way this was going. She already felt her tighten around her fingers. "T-trix..." Hermione managed, and the curly-haired witch felt nails digging into her fresh as Hermione held on to her.
Release came, obviously much more quickly and far louder than Hermione would have liked. She trembled as she recovered in Bellatrix' arms, who smirked at her while she lay panting. Once she had recovered enough, the two of them shared another kiss. More loving this time, but no less passionate.
Another surprise came when Hermione smiled at her and went from caressing her cheek to laying the flat of her hand on her shoulder and then sliding it down. Hermione lingered at her breasts before sliding further down, across her belly, until she felt the tips of Hermione's fingers inside the hem of her shorts.
Apparently, a grateful Hermione wanted to pay her back in kind.
Well. Who was she to argue?
Bellatrix gave Hermione a brief nod and that was all the girl needed. Hermione bit her lip as her eyes gazed into hers, searching blindly for her target. Hermione was more... careful... more hestitant... than she had been, but found her folds just as easily. However, fingers did not enter her: Hermione wasn't yet daring enough for that. Eager fingertips found her nub, however, and her quickening breath was all the encouragement Hermione needed.
Bellatrix closed her eyes and met Hermione's lips as the gentle massage of her bud overwhelmed her with pleasure. Oh yeah, Hermione had used her hands before: if not on another girl, than certainly on herself. "H-hermione," she managed in between hungry kisses, the sensations of tongues meeting mixing with the wonderful feeling of Hermione's fingers working the most primal of magics. Bellatrix's release was not nearly as loud as Hermione's, but it still sent a shudder through her body.
Chuckling, the girls hugged and kissed.
She lay on her side, still basking in the afterglow. Here they lay in each other's arms, still panting from the exertion, skin glistening underneath the light of the stars in the alien sky. She reached out and gently stroked Hermione's long brown hair while gazing in her lovely brown eyes.
Merlin, there was so much love in those eyes. So much desire.
"I love you."
The words spoken by Hermione startled Bellatrix. There was desire there. Longing. Affection. Honesty.
Another flurry of feelings overcame her. However, these were not as wholesome. She was overcome with grief, sadness and anger all at once. Her body shook as she squeezed her eyes shut to stop the incoming flow of tears. Bellatrix ripped herself from a startled Hermione's embrace, roughly threw herself to her side and hugged herself as the sobs came, pulling her knees up until she lay in the fetal position.
"Trix?" asked Hermione as she scooted over. She felt her lover's warmth press against her back, a soft hand sliding over her arm. It only made more tears flow forth. "What's wrong?!"
"This is beyond cruel," sobbed Bellatrix. "To find love with someone... actual mutual love... and then to have it all shattered when I go back home in a few weeks. And Rodolphus will still be looming over my head! I've been kidding myself... Dumbledore lied to me. I can spy all I want, but nothing is going to stop that marriage from happening. Why is the universe pulling this cruel prank on me?!"
Bellatrix sniffed slightly. Hermione remained silent for while. "Trix?" she spoke softly, almost carefully. "Why don't you come with me?"
Bellatrix frowned and shifted to crane her neck to look over her shoulder. "W-what do you mean?"
Hermione tried to offer a confident smile, but Bellatrix could easily tell that she was unsure of herself. "Trix," said Hermione. "You don't have to go back to 1968. Both portals work. For both of us. Come with me. Back to 1998."
"1998?" Bellatrix blinked.
"Think about it," smiled Hermione. "You can't be forced to marry Lestrange if, well, you're not actually there to marry him. And imagine: the world will have changed a lot in thirty years. You'll have so much to explore."
Her mind was reeling. Was Hermione really saying this? What she essentially suggested was a thirty-year time-skip. To enter a whole new world where everything was different and... "leaving everything behind," Bellatrix whispered.
"Not saying it'll be easy," said Hermione. "But I'll be there for you. Every step of the way."
"But..." Bellatrix turned on her side, facing Hermione to peer in her eyes. Hermione was sincere. Hopeful, even. "My family... my sisters... everything I've ever known... But especially my sisters... I'd have to leave them behind!"
Hermione fell silent for a moment. Of course, Hermione meant well and she wanted them to be together just as much as Bellatrix wanted. And she would be lying if she'd say that she didn't greatly desire it. But it still came with a hefty price-tag attached. "You could just as easily come back with me to 1968," said Bellatrix. "We could run away together. Find a quiet place. Start over."
Hermione bit her lip for a moment, her thoughts apparently distant. "With my knowledge of the future, I could do a lot of damage to the time-line. And... well, my parents. I'd have to leave my parents behind."
"Yet you're asking me to do the same!" Bellatrix returned angrily, her body tensing up. However, that moment, she did realize something. Her expression softened and she once again reached out to Hermione, pulling her bare body close to her. Her smile. Her scent. Her warmth. "You know something, don't you?" Bellatrix asked softly.
Though Hermione said nothing, Bellatrix was given her answer pretty much immediately when a flash of panic crossed her gentle features. Suddenly a lot of things made sense. Hermione mentioning a war and having fought in it, being victimized to an extent. Hermione's nightmares and her telling her that she would 'save' her. Save her from what, exactly? Would she die in the war? Was that why Hermione didn't want to go back in time but wanted her to move forward, to where the war was over?
"That charlatan with a circus tent you warned me about," said Bellatrix. "He isn't just a charlatan, is he?"
Hermione was about to open her mouth until Bellatrix shushed her by placing a finger on her lips. "No, no. Remember your promise. I don't want to know about the future. It was a rhetorical question."
"Trix..."
"Hermie," Bellatrix pressed. "No."
Hermione nodded, seemingly exasperated. There were things her now lover was desperate to tell her, it seemed, but Bellatrix needed to put a stop to that. "Hermie, I'm not afraid to die," said Bellatrix, her body tensing up. "But... my sisters. If I go to 1998 with you, what will happen to them if I'm not around to protect them?! Merlin, you should have seen Cissy at that rally. I mean... if I arrived in 1998 and something happened to Andie or Cissy... I would never forgive myself."
Hermione gave her a sympathetic look, but there was something else underneath. Was it... a flash of frustration? How odd. It went as quick as it came and Hermione started stroking her hair. "You have a kind heart, Trix."
That made Bellatrix snort. "I have a kind heart? Me?! That's a first..."
"You do," Hermione whispered. "And I want to make sure you keep it."
Another odd thing to say. Hermione was being particularly enigmatic today.
"You don't have to make a decision right now..." said Hermione. "Just... just think about it for a bit. Especially if you focus on what could be... between us."
"For now," smiled Bellatrix. "There's just the two of us. In this tent. In this world. No war. No past. No future. No decisions. Just you and me."
Hermione smiled at her when Bellatrix leaned in to kiss her. A brush of lips quickly deepened into an open-lip kiss where both girls pressed their bodies together in a fierce embrace. When Bellatrix broke the kiss, she gaze into Hermione's eyes for a moment... before turning around and laying on her side. Hermione's arms snaked around her waist and she felt her warmth press against her back. She pulled the covers over them and settled in.
No more worries for tonight. Tonight, Bellatrix was simply content to be the little spoon.
Chapter 22: Hippity HoppityChapter TextHermione stretched while yawning in the comfortable sleeping bag. Above her, the nonexistent sun shone brightly, warming her skin. "Hm, Trix?" Hermione muttered groggily while turning to her side and reaching out. Memories of the wonderful sensations and pure emotions she had experienced last night came flooding back. The young witch smiled and was willing to bet that if anyone were to see her lying in bed right now, they'd see a grin on her face which was beyond goofy.
Unfortunately, the found the other side of the bed empty. She opened her eyes and chuckled when she saw a yellow flower lying on Bellatrix's pillow. Hermione should have known that Bellatrix would be up already: unlike her, the curly-haired witch was definitely an early riser.
After a quick wash and getting dressed, Hermione emerged from the tent with flower in hand where she found Bellatrix sitting on a log near the campfire stove. The curly-haired witch gave her a warm smile. "Good morning," she greeted as she was stirring the breakfast in the pan, which looked to be scrambled eggs with bits of bacon. Apparently, Bellatrix had worked out how use the campfire stove, without blowing herself up even. Though she supposed that she shouldn't be surprised.
Of course, Bellatrix also had a giant wasp on her head, but didn't seem to mind. A few moments later, the wasp teleported to the ground and started to lazily walk around the campsite.
"Hi," Hermione greeted and sat down next to her. A quick brush of lips followed. Funny... she had expected to find things awkward after she had basically, well, slept with her friend. It was surprising just how natural everything felt, even when Bellatrix reached over to squeeze her knee.
"Breakfast is ready," said Bellatrix and shovelled half of the frying pan's contents on a plate. "It was originally meant to be bacon and eggs, but, well... mistakes were made."
"I'm sure it'll be fine," replied Hermione. In fact, she knew the perfect thing to go along with Bellatrix' creation. After fetching her back, she rummaged around and found her prize. Right before leaving on their expedition, Hermione had visited her favourite artisan bakery in Dufftown. Perfectly preserved in a magically enchanted plastic bag, emerged a loaf of full-wheat bread. The smells were wonderful, as if it was fresh out of the oven a few minutes ago. She'd been saving this for a special occasion and this was as special as it got. Hermione held it close to her nose and savoured the smell, ran her hand over the loaf to feel that perfect texture.
"Ahum," sounded Bellatrix. Hermione looked up and found her friend looking at her with one raised eyebrow. "Do the two of you need some time alone in the tent? I'll wait here."
"What?" said Hermione, unaware that she was still stroking the loaf of bread in her hands. "No, just… don't feed Bread to the wasp, okay? It's mine!"
"Alright then," Bellatrix chuckled. They ate together, but Hermione soon noticed that Bellatrix had grown a bit quiet, adopting a bit for a moody look. She often gazed in the distance, seemingly lost in thought.
"Trix?" asked Hermione. "What's wrong?"
"Hm?" replied Bellatrix, starting a little before letting out a sigh. "Oh, it's just... I was thinking about the fight I had with Andie. I was supposed to apologize, but I was so excited about going to explore this place that I simply hadn't gotten around to it yet. It's been days and... well... it just doesn't sit well with me."
Hermione smiled and lay a hand on her shoulder. "It'll fine, Trix," replied Hermione. "She knows you love her and, well, time works differently here. We could spend weeks here and it'll just be minutes in our own world that have passed."
Bellatrix returned the smile. "Hermie, you always know just what to say."
Hermione nodded, squeezing her shoulder a little. Yesterday, she had almost told Bellatrix the truth of what would happen to her if she were to stay in 1968: she would fall in with fanatics, she would turn against her own family, she would murder and torture people in the name of another.
She was glad that she didn't, because after hearing this, Hermione doubted Bellatrix would have believed her. Oh, sometimes Hermione would see glimpses of the woman she'd become, but the difference between young Bellatrix and the woman she would become were like night and day. Telling the truth wouldn't probably do any good and would likely result in Bellatrix laughing at her: the way she was now, Bellatrix simply couldn't imagine bringing harm to her sisters, like she did when breaking off all contact with Andromeda, or putting Narcissa through hell during her stay at the mansion and encouraging Draco to serve the Dark Lord.
Hell, Bellatrix as she was now likely couldn't imagine serving anyone.
No, telling her the truth was out of the question. Hermione would have to find another tactic. She'd keep working at it, though. She'd have to convince Bellatrix to join her in 1998... and now that the two of them were very much in love, that became more important than ever.
Simply stunning her and dragging her back into 1998 with her was an option that was definitely still on the table for Hermione as far as she was concerned. Now more than ever.
"Oh, Hermie," said Bellatrix, interrupting her from her thoughts. "Take a look at this!"
Put in her hand was a smooth multicoloured stone which was cool to the touch. Many different colours scintillated across its surface, causing Hermione to hold it against the light. "Is this… an opal? Where did you find this?"
"Ask our wasp friend," Bellatrix pointed to the large wasp sat near the tent. "He had it in his mouth this morning. He's been bringing me interesting shiny rocks all morning. I think he must have seen us collecting samples the other day and decided to help. Or maybe he just wants to play. Anyway, I thought I'd show you before I catalogue it and put it in a container."
"Huh, how about that," said Hermione, glancing at the wasp for a moment.
After breaking up camp, the two witches returned to the forest and found the rest of morning to be rather uneventful. Most of the time was spent exploring and mapping out the forest, finding and naming locations, flora and fauna along the way. When they emerged from the other side of the forest, they found themselves in another set of grasslands. Unlike the savannas near their entry point, this one more resembled a meadow. This meadow was several acres across and was nestled among another rocky plateau on the other side of this floating island.
Though the meadow contained many patches of colourful flowers, experience had taught certainly Hermione that it behooved them to be careful around the local flora. Thankfully, there were no repeats of her incident with the paralyzing flowers on the other side of the floating island. Bellatrix took more photographs and Hermione suggested gathering seeds to see if these hitherto unknown species of flowers would grow in their own world. Meanwhile, the wasp lazily buzzed along with them and, in some cases, actually led them to some new honey-filled flowers they had overlooked.
It was about two o'clock in the afternoon when the two witches approached the edge of the world and stopped by a grouping of blue orchid like flowers. "Look," said Bellatrix, grinning at Hermione. "I think I will name these after Andromeda. That'll do as an apology, don't you think so?"
"Hm," Hermione chuckled at her. "She says this right after she names an intensely ugly reptilian bat-thing after her sister Narcissa."
"Hey," Bellatrix raised an eyebrow. "Cissy will get the joke. She always does."
By now, Bellatrix had developed a bit of a method for gathering flora. First, she'd take a few pictures. Then, she'd use her wand to detect any dangers. If safe, she would pluck one or two to press them in a separate notebook and gather some seedpods to bring home with them. She was about to do just then when the flowers suddenly flared up in a pleasant blue light, not unlike the hue of the Fae Mirror.
"Hm," said Bellatrix. "I wonder why they do that..."
Instantly, the wasp buzzed past them to snack from the apparently rather sweet flowers and flew off with a load of pollen stuck to his legs.
"Ah, that'll be it," said Bellatrix.
"Whenever something magical passes by, the flowers start glowing to attract their attention," said Hermione.
"Goes for us too," said Bellatrix as she moved her hand in and out of range, playing with the flowers as if it was turning a light-switch on and off again.
It had been a rather productive day and the witches decided to set up camp on a rocky plateau which was near the pillar hosting the Andromeda flowers. The plateau was nicely flat and had some outcroppings to sit on. However, as they set foot upon it, they noticed a barely visible shimmering in the air. It looked to be a tall circular column stretching off into the sky. Setting up camp was forgotten for now, as the two witches regarded their new find.
"I'd take a photograph, but I'm not sure it will even show," said Bellatrix as she kept a respectable distance.
With her wand out, Hermione tried to take a few readings. "Hm," she said. "I sense it's some sort of kinetic spell, but unlike anything I've ever seen before. I feel an odd flow of magic."
"Hold on, let me get in a bit closer," said Bellatrix as she took a step forward and thrust her wand towards her. Almost immediately, a tendril of magic shot out and drew Bellatrix straight into the column. Her body shimmered and seemed to fade into a black cloud which shot up into the sky with dazzling speed.
"Trix!" Hermione hissed, taking a step back. "Trix, are you still there?"
A few agonizing moments later, the black spot shot down through the magical column again and deposited a smiling Bellatrix safely onto the group. "Oh, Hermie!" she laughed in sheer joy. "Come on, you have to see this! Take all our gear, we're camping somewhere else tonight!"
As if to make a point, the wasp casually flew right past them and into the column to immediately disappear. Bellatrix grinned and extended her hand expectingly. Hermione let out a sigh, grabbed hold of her pack and took Bellatrix's hand to be pulled into the maelstrom.
The familiar sensations of apparation overcame her, but unlike apparation in her own world, the effect was quite benign. Calming, even. Hermione let the magic guide her through the column as she shot through it until she and Bellatrix were deposited... somewhere else.
"Oh, wow," Hermione gasped when she found herself standing at the edge of another floating island. This particular one had a much more darkened atmosphere, bathing the entire island in a permanent evening gloom. In front of her stretched peaceful marshlands, dotted with massive fungal growths and giant mushrooms. Creatures far more alien than she had ever seen passed her or flew over without paying her much mind. Bird? Reptile? Mammal? It was hard to place any of them. The wasp, apparently familiar with the terrain, parked himself on a smaller mushroom and regarded the two witches for a moment.
"Look behind you," Bellatrix said, pointing beyond the rim of the floating island. And Hermione indeed had to agree that there was a spectacular sight to be seen. Behind her and far below her, was the floating island they had come from. It was so far away that she could clearly see the shape and form and lay of the land, of the grasslands and the forest.
"I need to adjust my camera," Bellatrix muttered. "Not enough light."
While Bellatrix was fiddling with her camera, Hermione thought a moment, processing what had just happened and what she was seeing.
"These floating islands," said Hermione, putting her fingers to her chin. "They're biomes. I'm willing to bet that if we find a way to yet another floating island, it'll be another biome entirely. And that portkey-like pathway we have just used. It strikes me very much as a wildlife crossing."
By now, Bellatrix had found the right settings for her camera and snapped a few shots of the floating island and her new surroundings. "Wildlife crossing? What's that?"
Of course Bellatrix wouldn't know: there wasn't much need for wildlife crossings in the wizarding world. "Sometimes when muggles build a motorway, it cuts through an existing forest. To safely allow animals to get to either side of the forest, the muggles sometimes build green bridges or underpass tunnels. That column we just used reacts to magic and magical beings and allows them to travel from one island to another without much trouble. It just might be the same thing."
"I'll tell you one thing, though," said Bellatrix. "I don't think that column is naturally occurring. It's too... focused. Too... precise. It just doesn't feel like naturally occurring magic."
Here, Hermione had to concede a point to Bellatrix: unlike her, Bellatrix had grown up in the wizarding world and lived and breathed magic from birth. She would definitely know the difference between naturally occurring magic and purposefully placed magic and could determine that by feeling alone. "If it's not natural... that means someone put it here. We could be in a preserve... or a zoo..."
"If that's the case," said Bellatrix. "Where's the zookeepers? Or the park rangers? Why haven't we seen them?"
"Or do we even want to see them?" Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"Regardless," grinned Bellatrix. "We have more to explore! I'm so happy to share this with you, Hermie!"
And so started a second bout of exploration. However, the downside of suddenly exploring marshlands quickly became apparent. Marshlands were inherently rather wet and soggy, while the lack of much sunlight made the landscape damp and cold. When the two witches had first discovered the Fae Realm, they had assumed that the entirety of the area consisted of dry and warm grassland savannas and had dressed for that particular climate. It didn't take long for the girls to switch back to their winter coats. This in itself caused a bit of a problem because those coats were far too warm in comparison, which was rather bad when doing a lot of walking. Of course, their choice of footwear wasn't helping much either, though Hermione managed a lot better with her new walking boots compared to Bellatrix's suede leather calf boots.
This made their progress through the marshlands slow and arduous, forcing them to stick to the dryer parts and rockier ground.
Still, it didn't limit their enthusiasm one bit, in particularly Bellatrix'. The landscape was dotted with glowing magical flowers and mushrooms in every colour of the rainbow and each had to be named and samples had to be taken.
Due to the slog it was to traverse these lands and the eternal gloom making it hard to tell the time, Bellatrix and Hermione found themselves taking plenty of rest stops along the way. So far they had remained closer to the edge of the floating island where the ground was more rocky and easily traversable.
It was during one of these rest-stops where they found a perch on a large rock, watching a herd of large creatures pass. The herd seemed to pay them little mind and weren't hostile. These massive three-legged and tall insect-like creatures sauntered through the marshlands as calmly as could be. The beasts stood nine foot tall with thick segmented legs and through they had no discernible head on their round bodies, long tentacles hung from underneath their carapace and dipped into the water. The end of said tentacles were divided in brush-like appendages of which Hermione deduced that they were filtering nutrients from the water.
As Bellatrix was snapping a few pictures of the passing herd, Hermione once again found herself slapping her skin. "Damn mosquitoes," cursed Hermione after once again being assaulted by the wide variety of insect-life these boglands were privy to. "I swear, I'm being eaten alive here."
"Hm, they don't seem to like pure-blood much at all," Bellatrix replied.
"Lucky you!" Hermione glowered.
The wasp was still with them, of course, having found perch on Bellatrix' head as per usual while they rested. Considering the wasp's size, Hermione hoped there weren't giant mosquito's flying about somewhere.
"Ugh, I need a shower," said Bellatrix while regarding her muddy clothes. "And I need to scourgify my clothes."
"So far, we've yet to find a good place to pitch our tent and set up a camp. We should look for higher ground," said Hermione.
"Not much higher ground in sight so far," said Bellatrix. "What was the time again?"
"Close to six in the evening," said Hermione. "We've been walking for hours."
"Hm," said Bellatrix. "Time for dinner and finding a place to set up camp to process our findings. That should be our next goal."
Again, Hermione slapped her hand on her skin. "Hah!" she smirked. "Got one of the bastards! Anyway, how about we look for some more of a dry, stable surface near the edge of the island."
"Sounds like a plan," said Bellatrix and started looking around her with her omniculars, unfortunately finding the pickings for a good camp location to be rather slim. They'd likely have to head closer to the edge of the floating island first where the terrain was much rockier.
"Hah," laughed Bellatrix after letting her mind wander a bit.
"Hm?"
Bellatrix glanced to her side, grinning at Hermione. "Oh, just thinking about maman," she said. "She'd be utterly, utterly horrified to the point of fainting at the thought of her eldest daughter traipsing through a swamp. Maman is wizarding aristocracy, you see? Always prim and proper, a proponent of class and style and always adamant about keeping up appearances."
"Sounds like the Victorian age is alive and well in the wizarding world," said Hermione.
"That's the thing," added Bellatrix. "Whenever me or my sisters got in one scrape or a spot of bother, she would scold us terribly. Go on these long tirades about how were young ladies and should act like it. How the Blacks were supposed to be example to the rest of the wizarding world, how we should always act with class, style and superiority. Thing is, whenever we were alone in the room, maman would always sit us down and ask us what it was like and have this broad grin on her face whenever we told the story."
"Hah," replied Hermione. "Public face and private face. Victorian indeed. Tell me more about her."
"There was this one time where Andie and I jumped the fence of a nearby orchard to steal a few apples… Merlin, must have been thirteen at the time… Well, we weren't exactly good thieves, judging by the way we couldn't stop giggling while we were filling my rucksack with apples, so of course we get spotted and chased out of the orchard with an angry farmer and his dogs hot on our tails. So we ran out into the field until we couldn't run anymore and collapsed near a tree to enjoy our prize. Of course, by the time we got home, maman was already aware of what we've done, parades us into the study and berates us for about fifteen minutes straight. 'Mon dieu!' Bellatrix took on a dramatic pose while speaking in an exaggerated French accent. 'Your father and I did not raise you both to be petty sneak-thieves! What on Earth possessed you two fine young ladies from an esteemed bloodline to behave like a pair common mudblood urchins in the street?!'
Hermione made a face. "You do realize you're not painting your mother in a favourable light, hm?"
Bellatrix ignored her and continued. " 'You, who have everything you desire and wealth beyond belief? Why would you risk your virtue and reputation… for apples?! We could buy you thousands of apples!'. I just looked her in the eye and told her: 'Maman, those were the best apples I've ever tasted.' And for a moment, she just stared at me, this bare hint of a smirk playing at her lips. She understood. In that moment, she completely understood. Maman, she too had hopes, dreams and a thirst for adventure, but she had to bury it underneath all that prim and properness after her arranged marriage with father. Now, I have no doubt that my parents love each other very much, but it's just that maman… and father too, I think… have had to have made many sacrifices for the sake of the things which were expected of them. For tradition, for pure-blood values. But in that moment, I could see my maman's adventurous spirit. I like to think I inherited that from her."
"I suppose that makes sense."
"Didn't change the fact that I couldn't sit properly for a three days, though," Bellatrix cringed.
"And what would your maman say if she knew you were on safari with a muggle-born?"
"Oh, not to worry. She'd probably just think you're my porter," Bellatrix snickered the moment she saw Hermione's reaction.
"Oh, that's nice!" Hermione huffed, scrunching up her nose while crossing her arms.
"And then maman would praise me for giving a disenfranchised minority a chance at making an honest wage so they wouldn't have to resort to burglary, pick-pocketing or prostitution to eke out a miserable existence on the streets of Diagon Alley," Bellatrix snickered.
Hermione blinked once. Twice. "This just keeps getting better and better," Hermione snorted. "You're really not painting your maman in a positive light."
"I suppose you should meet her," said Bellatrix. "What about your mum, then? What's she like?"
"Long-suffering and having the patience of a saint," Hermione chuckled. "And she needs to be the level-headed one because my dad's so impulsive and I have a tendency to be uncompromising."
Bellatrix gasped in an over-exaggerated fashion. "No! Say it isn't so!"
"It's true, I..." Hermione started to say, then closed her eyes and sighed heavily. "Gee, thanks a lot..."
"Sorry," Bellatrix snickered. "Continue."
"I remember this one time in school when I was sent to the Head Master's office because I had corrected my teacher one time too many," said Hermione. "Naturally, I was adamant that I had done absolutely nothing wrong and was sat in the waiting room glaring at everyone and anyone, firm in my belief that I was not at fault."
"Of course," Bellatrix winked.
"So my parents were called into the office, the Head Master starts to explain the situation, and the first thing dad does is to slam the flat of his hands of the table and yell out 'well, you should hire competent teachers then! Or are you too incompetent yourself to actually recognize competence?'. My dad was completely on my side and the moment I could see the Head Master's mouth falling open, I just give him this piercing stare and started smirking smugly."
"Oh, I see it," Bellatrix chuckled.
"So my mum tries to salvage the situation by acting the diplomat," said Hermione. "How even if I was right, that was no excuse for being rude and all that. She always did try to find the middle ground."
"I don't envy her," said Bellatrix. "People like your mum have a tendency to get trampled by both sides."
"She often did!" said Hermione. "Generally, dad and I had a tendency to form a bloc against her. My time growing up must have been infuriating to her at times. In fact, she often told us she had to deal with two children. Which, of course, insulted us both because I didn't consider myself a child and dad, well, for obvious reasons."
"Hah, maybe..." Bellatrix started to say, but never got the chance to finish her sentence. Hermione spotted something large and pink shoot towards them from the corner of her eye and it hit Bellatrix against the arm. With a yelp, the curly-haired witch was yanked from the log they were sat on and was roughly dragged to one side.
Startled, Hermione rose to her feet and spun towards Bellatrix, drawing her wand. She found her friend-turned-lover in a rather precarious position: Bellatrix was on her knees in the muck and had her arm stuck to the shoulder inside the cavernous mouth of what looked to be a giant muck-green toad. That the girls hasn't seen the toad approach was understandable, as it was perfectly camouflaged to its surroundings and didn't move very fast. Even now it just... sat there... with an angry witch growling at it while slapping it with her free arm.
"Eeewwww, eewwwww!" Bellatrix yelled, her face contorted into a disgusted scowl. "I can feel its previous dinner! Hermie, get me out of here!"
Oh, the toad wasn't actually large enough to eat Bellatrix, but it if would decide to start hopping all of a sudden, Hermione didn't doubt that its weight and bulk trampling Bellatrix could lead to a few broken bones. So far, it was unflappable, even with an increasingly irate Bellatrix kicking and screaming and with a giant wasp who was seemingly quite worried about his friend now starting to harass him. Still, Hermione worried that the toad might start hopping at any moment: she had to act fast.
After a rush towards the toad, she knelt down into the muck next to Bellatrix, wrapped an arm around her waist and pressed her wand underneath the toad's mouth. "Baubillious!" shouted Hermione, causing a jet of white sparks to spew forth from her wand, shocking the toad. A tremor went through the creature's body and the creature quickly opened its mouth to release Bellatrix and caused the two girls to land into a heap in the muck. After that, the toad hopped back into the swamp, making itself scarce while the wasp chased him a bit for good measure.
"Ugh!" Bellatrix muttered, now drenched in wet muck while her arm was covered in slime. "I really need a shower now."
"Same!" Hermione grimaced as she felt the cold wetness penetrating her clothes.
Bellatrix swore under her breath as she searched the shallow waters for a bit. "Dammit! I lost my wand like a dim-witted first year witchling would have."
"Accio Trix' wand," Hermione said. There was a splash of water as Bellatrix' curved wand came flying out of the shallow water and into Hermione's hand.
"Thanks," Bellatrix muttered, even more embarrassed now. "Let's see about camp."
After their encounter with the toad, the two witches spent some time looking for a decent spot to set up the tent. Eventually, they found a rocky plateau near the edge of the island which was just large enough to pitch the tent, but not for a campfire. They'd have to eat cold food straight from the tin today as Hermione was unwilling to light the stove inside their only shelter.
Perhaps that was for the best, since it quickly became apparent just how tired she was. Hermione went into the shower first while Bellatrix scourgified their clothes and picked out some tins to eat. That spam was really nice, so she picked up two of those can along with a can of peaches. When Hermione was done in the shower, only being in for a few minutes to save water, it was Bellatrix' turn.
The curly-haired witch closed her eyes as the warm water poured down on her body, and she just felt the filth wash off her. Her head felt a little light as she enjoyed the moment.
"You know," said Bellatrix while soaping herself up. "We're a little closer to the edge of this floating island than I'd like. I hope you don't sleepwalk. Hell, I hope I don't sleepwalk."
There was a playful edge to Hermione's reply coming from the tent's common area. "We'll just have to zip up the sleeping bag a little higher."
"Hah," said Bellatrix while washing the soap off her skin. "We'll be very close."
"And this is a complaint?" sounded from the other side of the tent.
Now feeling much cleaner and relaxed, Bellatrix wrapped a towel around her body and stepped out of the shower. On the table were the cans, one can of spam opened and partially consumed by Hermione while she was in the shower. Bellatrix was about to open her own can, when she heard Hermione behind her.
"Trix," sounded from Hermione. Her name was spoken with a hushed tone, belying amorous intent. When she turned her head, Bellatrix laid her eyes on Hermione, now lying in the sleeping bag. Bare shoulders sticking out from sleeping bag indicated that she wasn't wearing her pyjamas... or anything else. The smile on her face was playful, inviting and endlessly alluring.
Alluring? That was an understatement. Lying there on her side partially covered by the sleeping bag, wavy brown hair cascading over her form, Hermione reminded Bellatrix of the sirens of old. Not to mention that seeing her like that had quite an effect on the curly-haired witch.
Truth be told, Hermione was everything Bellatrix wanted in a woman: she was an intelligent, challenging foil with an air of mystery about her. How could she not be? Hermione was from the future, after all. And aside from that not-so-minor detail, she could think of nobody else with the wits or drive to actually manage to share this adventure of a lifetime with her. That she was also beautiful was simply the icing on the cake.
Sure, she'd be lying if she didn't still have the pure-blood beliefs she was raised with nagging in the back of her mind about how Hermione's lack of blood purity made her imperfect and inferior.
Well... nobody was perfect, least of all Bellatrix herself. And inferior? To call Hermione inferior would be in insult to the practice of magic itself. No, she was past this. Considering what the two of them had shared the previous night and would very soon share again, she was very much past this.
The only thing between them was a time-difference of thirty years. Though Bellatrix had a thing for older women... Hermione was two years older than herself, after all... a thirty year gap in the wrong direction did give her pause. And then there was the matter that, even though she claimed otherwise, Bellatrix both feared and desired to know her own future. Bellatrix wasn't stupid: she realized there was more to Hermione wanting her to join her in 1998 other than simple love and desire. No, she knew something. And it likely meant nothing good for her. In a vacuum, that would reason enough to join her in 1998. But she wasn't in a vacuum. She had family and loved ones to worry about. Merlin, why did this have to be so difficult?
Perhaps she couldn't question it too much. Perhaps she should enjoy the moment for as long as it would last. Perhaps she should simply jump into the sleeping bag with Hermione and give her a right royal seeing to.
Yes. That last bit sounded pretty good right now and would likely cancel out any other thoughts for a time at least.
"You know," said Bellatrix. "I think I'll skip dinner tonight in favour of a big breakfast."
"You sure?" Hermione said, suddenly concerned. "I'll be happy to wait."
"Oh," Bellatrix smirked. "I'd rather have something else to snack on."
A slight blush crossed Hermione's features, but her confident smile betrayed the fact that she was very pleased. Hermione patted the empty side of the sleeping bag invitingly, to which Bellatrix responded by simply dropping her towel to the ground. She found the admiring looks from Hermione quite gratifying as she strode towards her and dove into the sleeping bag and into Hermione's waiting arms.
Hermione's eager giggles were like music. Their bodies pressed together, their lips touched and Bellatrix steered her towards the depths of pleasure with profound eagerness.
Hermione lay panting in their sleeping bag, arms wrapped firmly around Bellatrix's bare waist as they lay on their sides and gazing in each other's eyes. She simply couldn't resist another kiss, something Bellatrix was only too quickly to indulge her in. Hermione smiled when Trix's hand slid through her hair. "My," spoke Bellatrix with a throaty voice. "You've certainly become more daring since last night."
"I'm a quick study," Hermione allowed a smirk of her own, something the curly-haired witch seemed to appreciate.
"Really?" Bellatrix chuckled. "It seems to me like you were... self-taught."
"Trix!" Hermione scowled, barely able to conceal her blush. Ever since Bellatrix had found out that she had had, well, been enjoying the pleasure of her own company while having lewd thoughts about her, she had started to tease her with this little fact. Still, the curly-haired witch let out a hearty laugh.
"If it makes you feel any better," Bellatrix winked. "You're not the only one..."
Somehow, that was oddly gratifying to know. "Honestly?" said Hermione. "I'm surprised. I'm not really a pretty girl. Or outgoing. Or even interesting in any way."
"Stop it," Bellatrix pressed. "Either you're just fishing for compliments or you're having self-esteem issues. You're all of those three things and very clever. It takes a lot to catch my attention."
Hermione smiled in spite of herself and lost herself in their embrace for a moment, closing her eyes and opening them again just in time to see Bellatrix lean in for another brush of lips. "Hm," said Hermione. "I have lot of issues, self-esteem among them."
"You're not the only one with issues," laughed Bellatrix. "Oh, dear, if my father could see the two of us together, naked and recovering from the most heavenly of lovemaking in our family tent, he'd... he'd probably kill you, come to think of it. Hm, that rather puts a damper on the funny joke I was trying to make."
"He'd kill me?" Hermione sighed. "Because I'm muggle-born?"
That made her sad, really.
"No... Mostly he'd probably kill you because you 'defiled and debauched' his eldest daughter at the eve of her perfect pure-blood wedding," Bellatrix giggled for a moment. "Come on, you know how fathers are."
"But you're not a virgin!"
"Do you really think he'd care about such details?"
"Fine, fine..."
"Well, how would your father deal with catching us naked after a naughty sleeping bag session?" Bellatrix asked.
The very thought alone made Hermione blanch. Oh no, her dad definitely wouldn't be happy. "Hm, well, if you were a boy, he might kill you. Just like your dad might kill me. But since you're a girl, I think that might very much confuse him. I have no doubt that he'd like you, though, after he gets over the initial shock of his little girl, well, being involved with a girl."
"Oh?" Bellatrix asked, seemingly intrigued.
"Like you, my dad enjoys stories of the macabre. You two will have a lot to talk about," Hermione chuckled. "Perhaps even too much. I just bet he would try to introduce you to all the things he loves. And honestly, I think he'd love you."
"Hm," chuckled Bellatrix, again stroking her hair. "I think I would like to meet him."
"Well," Hermione said. "There's one way to..."
Bellatrix let out a groan and gave her a dangerous look. "Don't ruin the mood by mentioning 1998 again."
Hermione gave her a half-smile. "Right, sorry I brought it up," she started. "It's just that... I've always made sacrifices for others in my life, but this time? This time I want to be selfish. I want you all for myself, regardless of the consequences. Regardless of what anyone thinks. I want you more than anything and I am willing to go through extraordinary lengths to claim you for myself."
"My, my, my," smirked Bellatrix. "How very... Slytherin... of you. Honestly, I think you'd do well in Slytherin, Hermie."
Hermione let her hand slide over Bellatrix's side, over her stomach and found perch on one of her breasts. Slowly and playfully kneading, she was delighted to hear Bellatrix's breath quicken. "You make me feel like myself again," Hermione spoke softly and sincerely. "I want that feeling to continue. I... need that feeling to continue."
"It's okay to be selfish," replied Bellatrix. "We wouldn't be here if we weren't. Now, scoot over."
Hermione gave her a questioning look when her young lover was pushing Hermione to lay on her side, facing away from her. The reason why became clear when she wrapped her arms around her. "You get to be the little spoon tonight, Hermie."
"Trix..." whispered Hermione, right before she slipped into the most comfortable night of sleep she had had in months.