Chapter 12: XIIChapter TextSaying goodbye to Fatty had to be the hardest thing she had done since deciding to leave her friends behind and come to this timeline, harder still than facing Death Eaters at Hogsmeade. When Kettleburn announced that by the time the students returned from break, the Brownies would have been relocated to a new home to build their own burrows, Hermione struggled not to cry. When she had to finish the essay about Fatty and describe his tendencies (eat, sleep, cuddle Bella, scream at Hermione), she struggled not to cry. But none had been worse than in the very last class they had with the Brownie, when she tried to rub his head and hold the tears back.
The fat beast bit her thumb and would not let go, to the point that Bellatrix had to grab him to get him to release her.
"I'm not going to miss you," she had huffed, sticking her thumb in her mouth to staunch the bleeding.
When she noticed Bellatrix tracking the movement with darkened eyes, she let her hand fall from her mouth as she blushed deeply.
The two of them had been... fine since their kiss the day before. Perfectly normal, if only slight more teasing from Bellatrix. The girl didn't even make a single comment about Hermione ending things before they went too far, or how she had walked out without a word. It was almost as if it had not happened at all, and for the life of her Hermione could not decide if she was grateful or annoyed over it, which led her to doing even more thinking than she already did most days.
Okay, Hermione had never denied finding Bellatrix attractive. It would be absolutely preposterous to even think of much, what with her muscles, and her pale skin, and her dark eyes, dark hair, even darker attitude. But even going beyond physical, there were aspects of Bellatrix's that just couldn't be ignored. In classes, she challenged Hermione in ways she had never been challenged before, she was wickedly skilled in Quidditch, and she could be nice and caring when she wanted to.
Even if she was typically an annoying brat the majority of the time, it was a characteristic Hermione had come to enjoy as well.
And they've kissed.
Twice now, once sober. Hermione had been thinking about it for a while now, of how close she had come to letting whatever was meant to happen happen, and craving more of Bellatrix's touch. It had come so close to becoming so terribly complicated, and Hermione had been willing to risk it all.
More than anything she wanted to know what Bellatrix thought of it all, though knowing the girl she doubted she would receive any sort of straight answer. Bellatrix was infamous for sharing no details about herself, especially those concerned with emotion.
She doubted she'd get any sort of information soon, and so she resorted to packing her meager belongings into a truck Dumbledore had given her. It wasn't much, more books than clothing, though she did make sure to carefully grab the Time Turner from where she had hidden it at the trunk at the base of her bed, wrapped in a cloth all the way at the bottom, to be tucked in her travel case.
Amelia and Lilith entered the room as she was packing, both girls giving her tight hugs and exclaiming they would miss her dearly. Lilith was joining Amelia and her family for a trip to Spain for the two week break, and both of them had been gushing about it for the last few nights. When they asked what Hermione was doing, and she confessed to spending the time with Bellatrix and her family, the girls got oddly quiet before wishing her good luck, and that they hoped she had a pleasant time.
It got to the time they were all required to head to the courtyard to begin making their way to the Hogwarts Express, and Hermione walked alongside her two friends the whole way. She saw the three Black sisters walking a little ways ahead together, and when they exited the Thestral carriages and walked up the platform, Hermione bid Amelia and Lilith goodbye as she walked to stand beside Bellatrix.
Just standing next to the girl had every single hair standing on edge, and her mouth felt suddenly dry, but Hermione forced herself to swallow as she said her hellos to all of them, and together the four of them found an empty compartment to claim as their own.
Hermione took the seat next to Narcissa, across from Bellatrix and Andromeda. She didn't think she could survive multiple hours sitting next to the eldest Black right now, not with everything still so heavily on her mind. So she settled down with a book, and resolved herself to sit through the next few hours listening to Andromeda and Bellatrix bicker, as apparently the younger girl had eaten the last of Bellatrix's Honeyduke's chocolate, and she was refusing to forgive this 'betrayal'. It was so terribly mundane, Hermione couldn't help but grin as she listened to them go back and forth, appreciating the simplicity of the moment. In too short amount of days, it would all change, one way or another, and she would take all she could of these moments.
When the train ride was nearly over, Hermione's book finished and the last hour spent listening to Andromeda rant about her Ancient Runes exam, Bellatrix's carry-on bag, which had been sitting in the corner beside her, moved on its own.
"Bella..." Narcissa started off slowly, her eyes on the now wiggling black bag. The hesitant way the blonde said her sister's name garnered both Hermione and Andromeda's attention, and they stared curiously as well. "Why is your bag moving?"
"Why does it matter, Cissy?" Bellatrix sounded cheeky as she responded, pulling the bag closer to her side, which in turn caused whatever was inside to make a disgruntled whine.
A whine that Hermione knew very well.
"Is that- Bella- do you have Fatty in that bag?" Hermione's eyes were wide as the creature whines again, and it was all the confirmation she needed.
Bellatrix had absolutely shoved the Brownie into her bag. How she managed to sneak into the shed, get Fatty to cooperate and get in the bag, and then smuggle him onto the train was beyond her.
"What's it to you?" Bellatrix huffed, crossing her arms and trying to nudge the bag with her thigh to get it to shut up, to no avail. Finally, with a loud sigh, she opened the sack and allowed the Brownie to slowly crawl out, sleepily blinking large eyes around the room. After he took the time to take everything in, Fatty crawled onto Bellatrix's lap, curling his long limbs around himself and staring up at her. "So maybe I did bring him back with me. So what."
"So- so what? Bellatrix! This is our assignment!"
Bellatrix glared at Hermione, trailing one of her fingers lightly down the top of Fatty's head and along his back. "Your point? I wanted him. He didn't want me to leave either."
Andromeda made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a cough to hide a laugh, and ignored the pointed look Narcissa sent her. As she was on Bellatrix's side, she reached over to scratch the creature as well, and Hermione would not voice that watching Fatty move away from her touch made her feel slightly better. At least she was not the only one who Fatty did not tolerate.
"I cannot believe you, Bella! What is Kettleburn going to do when he discovers our Brownie is missing?" Hermione chastised, though she really should not be so surprised by Bellatrix's actions.
"Our assignment was to care for Fatty these past few weeks and write our essays. We did both, and will receive a fine grade for it. Nowhere did it say we would be affected by what happened to him afterwards," Bellatrix huffed as she scratched at the underside of Fatty's chin.
At that point Andromeda did laugh out loud, and earned herself a kick in the shin by her youngest sister. Narcissa just rolled her eyes and watched as the lazy thing on Bellatrix's lap rolled onto his back, letting his long arms and legs flop lifelessly around them.
Hermione genuinely couldn't think of a single thing to say to the insanity that was sitting before her, even if her heart soared at the sight of Bellatrix and Fatty laying together.
Before long, the train rolled to a stop in the bustling station, and Bellatrix had to coax the Brownie to get back into the bag. Not that Hermione would voice it, but watching the increasingly frustrated girl try to get Fatty to go inside where he quite obviously did not wish to be, was a lovely sight. Bellatrix had to resort to slamming the bag upside down on the creature to capture him, Fatty screeching and whining the entire time, until she dropped some pieces of snacks in there to shut him up. When they were ready, all of them joined the flow of students to exit and find their families.
King's Cross was as crowded and chaotic as always when students were leaving or returning to the train, though this time Hermione hadn't the slightest clue who they were looking for. Andromeda had said their parents wouldn't be home until Christmas Eve, but did that extend to picking them up from the station? And if it did, then who would grab them in their parents stead?
One of the sisters must have caught sight of whoever they were looking for, as they all started to the left. A moment later, Hermione had her answer when she looked down to find a poorly dressed house elf waiting for them, as wide eyed and big eared as Dobby.
"Missus Bellatrix, Missus Andromeda, Missus Narcissa," the elf greeted in her high pitched voice as she turned to look at Hermione. "Missues' friend."
The sight made her uncomfortable, and she knew it would only worsen once she reached Black Manor, and saw how the elves lived. Dobby had been mistreated enough in Malfoy Manor, and their reputation had nothing on the volatile nature of the Black family. And Hermione had met the elves after the fall of Voldemort, when their lives had supposedly gotten better. If how they lived then was considered better, she was not prepared to see how the species currently lived.
"Let's go. I'm tired," Bellatrix commanded as she slid her warm hand around Hermione's bicep, her other hand grabbing onto Andromeda, who in turn grabbed Narcissa, holding hands with the elf. Fatty was partially hanging out of the bag, very pleased to take in the sights, sounds, and smells of the crowded station.
Hermione had just enough time to process her skin tingling at Bellatrix's touch before the sickening feeling of disapparating overtook her. Luckily for her stomach, it lasted only a few moments before they touched level ground once more, and she could take in their new surroundings.
Hermione assumed Black Manor would be similar to Grimmauld Place; dark, suffocating, poorly decorated. Maybe another town home hidden in plain sight.
The large building before her was none of those things. Situated on an enormous plot of private land, acres upon acres of fields and trees separating them from any other neighbors, Hermione couldn't help but lose her breath at the sight of the manor. It rivaled Malfoy Manor in size, with similar architecture, though this house was made more of pale stone intermingled with black shingles and brown brick to break up the monotony. Flowers upon flowers marked the walkway from the apparition point to the front door, and Hermione turned to look at the closed wrought iron gate behind them. Even backwards, there was no mistaking the crest split in half in the center of the gate, the words written above it: Toujurs Pur. The Black family motto, curled around the symbol of the ancient household.
The three sisters were not interested in examining the landscaping of the house they'd spent years in, and so they all quickly followed the silent elf up the drive and to the double doors, which slid open immediately and without any sort of noise.
If Hermione was surprised by the outside of the home, it had nothing on the inside. Unlike it's namesake, there was nothing black about the design. The floors were made of white marble so expertly polished Hermione could see her reflection staring back at her. The walls were white as well, the stark lack of coloring broken up by rows of artwork, some bright and elegant, others dark and cruel.
There was so much to take in, Hermione wasn't sure where to start.
The elf silently disappeared before she could thank him, most likely off to make lunch for all of them, and so Hermione allowed Andromeda to give her a tour of the manor for the time being. Each room was more impressive than the last, and Andromeda pointed out her room, Narcissa's, and Bellatrix's all on the same floor, as well as Hermione's room while she was here, only a hallway away from Bellatrix's.
The only section she did not see was the east wing, which apparently was reserved entirely for their parents, and none of them were welcome over there unless given express permission by Cygnus. Hermione couldn't even fathom not being able to enter her parents' room as a child, after she had a nightmare or was sick, or just wanted to lay between them.
What was their childhood like? Andromeda had mentioned summers with Sirius and Regulus, but nothing else, and those had ended when Bellatrix first went to Hogwarts. Cygnus and Druella would not have been loving parents, would not have coddled their children, but did they see them as anything other than property to be married off to the highest bidder when they came of age?
None of them had ever mentioned marriage proposals, but Bellatrix would one day marry Rodolphus, Narcissa would marry Lucius, and Hermione knew Andromeda would have experienced the same fate had she not ran away with Ted. And Hermione couldn't blame her, not in the slightest. Andromeda saw her opportunity to escape this world with the man she loved, who wouldn't do the same?
"You're staring hard at the wall, Potter," Andromeda teased, knocking her shoulder into Hermione's. "Come on, I'll show you around the outside too. Might as well."
There was a surprising lack of things to do in the manor, Hermione came to find out. The siblings didn't leave the grounds, though if that was out of personal choice or demand of their parents, she did not know. Narcissa spent much of her time in the library, during which Hermione joined her frequently, though they spent more time than not ignoring the other in favor of peacefully reading their books. The manor's library rivaled that of Hogwarts in terms of size, with books on more topics than Hermione could wrap her head around. More than once she had walked passed a section that was quite visibly about the dark arts, and had to restrain herself from opening one of them. The last thing she needed was to get tangled in learning forbidden magic, when she was trying to get Bella away from that path.
As for the eldest and middle Blacks, Hermione spent more time with Andromeda than anyone else, unless she was in the library with Narcissa. Andromeda, in such a similar manner to Bellatrix, did not like to stay idle. Most of their time together was spent walking the spacious grounds, and venturing farther and farther into the woods on the property with each trip out. There was supposedly nothing dangerous here like at school, though Hermione remained on edge for something to pop out.
It was on the third day of their two week vacation where Hermione found herself on a similar walk, dressed in a pair of Andromeda's black pants and purple sweater, her hands tucked into the sleeves to keep them warm from cold afternoon air. Andromeda was a few paces ahead, kicking a rock every few steps as they walked.
"I can't imagine growing up here," Hermione commented, looking around at the trees and shrubbery. They were so deep into the forest they could no longer see the mansion, the sky obscured in some parts by the thick leaves above them, but still providing enough light to not need magic to guide their way.
It was a beautiful sight, as everything about this place was beautiful. But still, her statement stayed true as she kept looking around. It might be beautiful, but the house, the land, everything... it lacked warmth. And not the temperature kind, but the kind that would have let Hermione fully relax here, would have made her feel welcome and at home.
The Weasley's was a place of love and happiness, and here it just felt hollow, as if no happiness or goodness had ever existed here.
"There were as many benefits to growing up here as there were negatives," Andromeda confessed, and kicked the rock harder than she had before, watching it go soaring through the air before it became lost somewhere in a bush. "Ted has told me about growing up in that world, in the muggle world, and I try to picture it, but honestly, it's all so mind blowing."
Hermione pictured her own childhood, of Sunday mornings helping her father in the kitchen, afternoons in the garden with her mother, occasionally tagging along to their dentistry practice. Though she was still yet to meet Cygnus and Druella, she could not picture either of them being the sort of just hang out with their children without proper reasoning. Still, if only to lighten her friend's unusually and uncharacteristic low tone, she teased, "Growing up with no magic?"
It didn't help. The fifth year just stared hard at a spot on the nearest tree and said, "Growing up with parents that love you unconditionally."
"Andromeda-"
"You'll see when they come back for Bella's birthday. Then you'll understand what I mean."
While her heart ached for her friend, and she did not doubt that she would very well understand how the patriarch of the Black family raised his children, Hermione couldn't help but latch onto the other part of Andromeda's statement. "Bella's birthday?"
"Her seventeenth," Andromeda gave a mocking laugh, the sound so much colder than anything Hermione had heard from her friend before. "She'll finally be matured, and then-" she cut herself off with a shrug, as if it didn't matter, picking up the pace slightly.
"What day is her birthday?" Hermione rushed to catch up, even as pieces were starting to fall together.
"Christmas Eve. It's why our parents are coming back from their trip then, and not the 25th. They're throwing a party."
Dumbledore had told her that Bellatrix's path would be sealed come Christmas, but what if he had meant the day before? It might very well be nothing, and could just be a simple party to celebrate a witch's most important birthday, but Bellatrix's parents didn't seem the type to care about that sort of thing. But a party in honor of their child swearing her allegiance to the Dark Lord? That seemed to be much more fitting.
She wouldn't know, not for sure, and she could just be ruining her friend's birthday party, but something in Hermione's gut was telling her she could not allow Bellatrix to join the party.
Andromeda was in a much less exploratory mood following her confession, and they quickly returned to the mansion. Andromeda was quick to head in another direction, while Hermione sought out the eldest of the siblings, figuring her best start would be in Bellatrix's bedroom.
She was correct, and found the door opened, so she stood in the doorway of the room and took it all in. Like everything else in the house, the floor was white marble, partially covered in dark rugs, but otherwise just as clear and shiny. It lacked any sort of personalization save for a Quidditch broom mounted onto the wall above the dresser, and a frame magic photo of her and her sisters on the small table beside the four poster bed. Unless someone specifically knew a teenage girl lived in here, it would be impossible to tell.
Bellatrix was currently on the bed, one leg stretched out and the other bent upwards to hold the book resting on it. Hermione recognized it as the Transfiguration assignment they'd been ordered to complete over the break, and from the looks of the half full parchment beside her, Bellatrix had been working on it for some time.
And there was Fatty, his round body and long limbs stretched as far as possible on one of the pillows beside Bellatrix's head, snoring loudly. He had proven to enjoy Black Manor very much, as he had the freedom to run wherever his fat body would carry him, and had taken to terrorizing the elves over the past three days. Hermione had found out Bellatrix demanded the elves not apparate away from the creature, and as such had resorted to running whenever the hulking beast came charging.
"Are you going to say something, or just continue to stare at me, Potter?" Bellatrix asked without looking up, pausing in her reading to scribble a line on the parchment. "I'm aware you found me breathtakingly attractive, but even you have to admit staring is a bit obsessive, hm?"
Hermione couldn't help the blush that overtook her cheeks at that statement, even as she stepped into the spacious bedroom. Ever since their kiss after Slughorn's party, Bellatrix had been... different. More... flirty, if Hermione dared to say. And found it infinitely more amusing to tease Hermione about it all, though thankfully it had occurred only when the two of them were alone. She didn't need Andromeda hearing the teasing and think any further into it. It was embarrassing enough for the girl to know about her and Bellatrix's drunken kiss, she didn't need to know about how much worse it nearly became.
"Odd that I've never once said those words. If you're done inflating your own ego, Andromeda told me your birthday is Christmas Eve?" Hermione moved until she was at the foot of the bed, but made no attempt to sit on it. If oceans and desks were dangerous enough for the two of them alone together, she couldn't begin to imagine what a bed would entail.
All sort of humor dropped from Bellatrix's face, and though her attention remained on the open text, Hermione did not miss how her grip tightened on the pages. "I have no interest in my birthday."
"You'll be seventeen," Hermione pressed, thinking back to all of their seventeenth birthdays, and how it couldn't come at any better time than when they'd need their magic at all times to protect themselves. "You'll be able to practice magic whenever you like. You could get your Apparition license."
"I would say I wish to be as naive as you, Potter, to believe that turning seventeen is anything less than a damnation." With a growl Bellatrix tossed the book violently onto her bed, the action vibrating Fatty enough that he cracked one eye open, found Hermione in the room, and rolled to face the opposite direction.
Hermione had a feeling she was quite right in thinking the party on Christmas Eve would not be an average celebration.
"What is going to happen on your birthday, Bellatrix?"
"It's none of your business." Bellatrix's voice was hard, close to threatening, but Hermione had not faced her head on for so many weeks to back down now, even as the older girl shoved herself off of the bed and moved to stand closely to Hermione, both of their hands balled into fists. "It is not possibly something you could wrap your head around. So do not bother."
"Bella-"
"I would recommend you change the subject or get out of my room." A deathly low threat as Bellatrix clenched her teeth.
As much as Hermione sometimes enjoyed a good back and forth with the girl, she knew now was not the time. She nodded her acceptance, but found she did not want to stop being around Bellatrix, so she said, "How about some Quidditch?"
It wasn't a stretch to figure the Blacks would have a few spare brooms around the house. Bellatrix didn't quite shake her low mood, but it did marginally improve when both of them were able to convince Andromeda and even Narcissa to join them for a two versus two match. An argument between all four of them did break out when Bellatrix tried to split the teams to be her and Hermione against Narcissa and Andromeda, with both younger girls insisting that was not fair.
In the end, Hermione was paired with Andromeda, and faced off against Bellatrix and Narcissa.
And learned very, very quickly how unfortunate it was for the other three houses to have to face Bellatrix on the field every game. She was merciless in her attacks against Hermione, very nearly knocking her from her broom often, and overly defensive of Narcissa, who proved to be decent at the game as well.
They didn't have their own snitch, and Narcissa claimed to be in no mood to dodge bludgers, so they raced back and forth with Quaffles, trying to steal the ball from one another and toss it into their makeshift goals.
Andromeda was... not very good.
She was terrible at keeping the ball in their possession, even worse at stealing it back from one of her sisters, and crashed into Hermione more than she did the others. Sooner than Hermione had watched in any real game, Bellatrix and Narcissa were up by one hundred, whereas Hermione had only managed to score three goals herself, with Andromeda contributing nothing.
"I hate this game," the fifth year huffed when Narcissa called for a time out, if only just so they could all catch their breath. "And Bella hits hard, the damned witch." She rubbed a spot on her shoulder Bellatrix had slammed into, and scowled at her cocky sister a few feet away.
Hermione had to agree, she hadn't imagined when suggesting they played it would go like this. It had been a sudden thought she had voiced to distract Bella, to get her to smile even once, and it had worked, as Bellatrix grinned wickedly at them, whispering something in her youngest sister's ear that had her nodding seriously. Whatever it was, would not be good for Hermione and Andromeda.
She was right, of course, when the game resumed Narcissa flew right at her, and in a fast movement gripped the tip of Hermione's broom.
Her eyes widened as she scrambled for a better grip. "Don't you dare- NARCISSA!" Too late, the third year had jerked the broom upwards, and Hermione fell backwards, her hands slipping until she eventually completely tumbled off of the broom.
That landing would hurt, and Hermione instinctively tensed up to prepare herself for slamming into the hardened winter ground, only to instead feel the strong grip of muscled arms around her shoulders, jerking her backwards onto another broom.
She didn't need to look beside her to know who it was, nor did she need to hear that tell tale husky chuckle in her ear that had her stomach rolling and tightening. Hermione spun around to roughly whack Bellatrix's shoulder, scowling at her and Narcissa, and even Andromeda who was laughing along with them.
"You guys had already lost the game," Bellatrix said as if that was explanation for why they decided to terrorize her like that. "Cissy and I were bored."
"You're both mental," Hermione gasped, her heart still beating much too quickly even as a smile threatened to overtake her features. "Put me on the ground now, Black."
"As you wish, Potter." Bellatrix gave one of those lopsided grins that had Hermione's heart stuttering for an entire different reason, and lowered her to the ground, both of them hopping off of the broom as Hermione walked to grab her's where it had fallen. She felt the sensation of eyes trailing her movements and held back another smile.
The good mood from the Quidditch match two days ago only lasted until the morning of the 24th, before everyone shifted to being on edge. By the time any of them left their rooms, bathed and dressed for the day, the house elves had long since been up preparing the house for the party that night. There was an uncomfortable sense of urgency in their movements, each placement of a vase or table needing to be absolutely perfect. Hermione would have assumed it was the elves habit, a fear of having to harm themselves should they get something wrong, if she hadn't seen Narcissa fix her dress three times in less than an hour, double checking her shoes and hair and socks- anything visible, really. Andromeda and Bellatrix were less obsessive, but Hermione had known them both long enough to know they stressed as well as they all waited for Cygnus and Druella to arrive.
And when they finally did so, when the two of them apparated right before the gates, Hermione was able to watch them walk up the driveway through one of the large windows. Most of their features were blurred by the distance, but she could still make out Cygnus' broad shoulders and tall frame, his black suit similar to what Draco would wear. Each step he took was purposeful, a man of muscle and power.
She took in Druella next, drastically smaller next to her husband. She had her youngest daughter's light blonde hair, and was as petite and delicate looking as they came, even dressed in such a full, black dress that trailed on the ground behind her.
Bellatrix was beside Hermione by the window, her gaze hard and her face impossible to read, but the brunette did not miss how tensed the girl's shoulders were, how part of her lip was sucked into her mouth. When she spoke, she didn't look at Hermione, her attention locked onto her parents. "Only speak if they ask you a direct question. Otherwise keep your mouth shut."
Perhaps she should have asked it earlier, but- "Your parents are aware I have been here for the last few days, yes?"
The dark witch's lack of answer was not comforting, but there was no time to press it as the double doors to the manor magically opened once more, and then Cygnus and Druella were before them all.
Up close, she could see the striking resemblance the children shared with their parents. Had Andromeda's hair been slightly darker, she would have been the spitting imagine of their father along with Bellatrix, whereas Narcissa might as well have been a carbon copy of their mother.
No one moved to greet the other, and Cygnus stopped before Bellatrix, his full mouth pulled into a scowl as he looked at his eldest. "Get to my office, Bellatrix. You and I have much to discuss." He did not look at or acknowledge his other two children as he turned on his heels and stalked away, not bothering to look back to know that Bellatrix was following behind him.
"Hello, mother," Narcissa said once the sound of a door slamming closed reached their ears. Hermione realized she had hardly been breathing the entire time, and just kept looking between Druella and the place where Bellatrix had disappeared with Cygnus. That had to be the most lackluster greeting of all time, especially for parents who had not seen their children outside of Hogwarts since September.
Hermione knew Bellatrix had been seeing their father throughout the school year, but did not know if that included Andromeda and Narcissa, or their mother. But for him to not even say hello to the others before leaving? And for Bellatrix to obey so quietly, so out of character.
"And you may be?" Druella's voice was honeyed sweet and Hermione was instantly on edge. She had heard that sort of tone too many times from Bellatrix over the months before they became anything close to friends to trust it.
In a completely unexpected occurrence, Narcissa was the one to speak up, and said with a faked sweetness Hermione never would have thought possible from the stoic blonde, "My friend Hermione. I owled you about her before we left school."
Well that was... something.
Andromeda had yet to speak up or even be addressed by her mother.
"Of course," Druella replied levelly and finally turned to look at Hermione. "Welcome to Black Manor." It was dry, and made Hermione never want to talk to the woman again. It was worse than having to hold a conversation with Professor Snape, and the woman was so cold it was like looking into a mirror of meeting Narcissa for the first time as a fourth year during the Quidditch World Cup.
Finally, finally, Druella looked to her middle child, except when she spoke next it was not in English, but in French. The language was beyond Hermione, but the tone was easy enough to understand- Druella was not pleased over something concerning Andromeda. When Andromeda spoke back in perfect French, Hermione did have to admit to being surprised. She was unaware any of them spoke another language, least of all French.
"Let's go to the library," Narcissa said when Druella's voice rose in volume, and Andromeda's arms crossed. Whatever was being said was not a pleasant conversation. It made Hermione wonder what the conversation currently taking place in Cygnus' office was like.
Their time in the library was tensed, Hermione unable to concentrate on the book she was in the middle of reading for the last few days. Eventually, she couldn't help but ask, "What was your mother saying to Andromeda?"
Narcissa took so long to respond that Hermione was starting to think she would not get an answer at all, and perhaps she had overstepped, seeing as if Druella wanted her to know what was being said she would have spoken English. But, she did respond, saying, "My mother and Andromeda do not see eye to eye on much of anything. She was not pleased with Andromeda's outfit of choice."
Druella was not pleased with Andromeda's outfit? Hermione thought back to it. The girl had been dressed in expensive black pants and a black shirt, both clearly of fine make, and nothing about it stood out as being improper.
"My mother finds anything to argue with over Andromeda," Narcissa supplied at the confused look on Hermione's face. And Andromeda, who had never backed down from an argument with Bellatrix, most likely would not be one to keep her mouth shut to their mother either.
No matter how much it was bothering her, Hermione couldn't find the strength to question what sort of matters Cygnus and Bellatrix were discussing in his office. After a too long passing of time, with Hermione nearly finishing the thick book she started at the beginning of the break, an elf popped soundlessly into the room to announce that lunch had been served, and Cygnus and Druella were expecting them both to be in attendance.
On the way to the dinning hall, Narcissa gave Hermione the same warning Bellatrix had earlier: "Do not speak unless they ask you a direct question, Potter."
It did nothing to calm her nerves as they reached the overly large room, with a table that easily could have sat over twenty centered in it. Everyone else had already been seated, with Cygnus at the head of the table, Druella to his right, Bella to his left, and Andromeda next beside her sister.
Thankfully, Narcissa took the spot beside their mother, so Hermione was able to sit next to Andromeda, farthest from either parent. As soon as both of them claimed their seats, the food instantly appeared on the empty plates, though no one moved to grab anything. Three elves popped up next, and served Cygnus, then Druella, then Bellatrix and her sisters. Hermione had to physically stop herself from saying could grab it herself. She didn't have to ask to know Cygnus would not have taken kindly to that.
The meal was a silent affair that had Hermione counting down the minutes until someone told her she could leave, and once she had cleaned her plate along with the others, she nearly breathed a sigh of relief at being able to escape the stifling atmosphere. That was, until Cygnus spoke.
"The guests for Bellatrix's party will be arriving at seven. You will be dressed and ready to greet everyone at the door by quarter til then." Cygnus' voice was deep, his voice close to booming, while still holding a slight aristocratic tone similar to Narcissa's. "Andromeda, Narcissa, the two of you and your guest will be back in your rooms at eleven. Not a minute later. We will see you in the morning."
Andromeda and Narcissa voiced their quiet agreement, and he thankfully did not bother looking in Hermione's direction. She didn't think she'd be able to fake an agreement, not when her mind was whirling to connect the dots. All of them minus Bellatrix were being sent to bed at eleven, which meant the party was not the event Hermione need to worry over, but it was what happened after.
Would Voldemort be showing up then? Or a horde of Death Eaters?
It didn't matter, because Bellatrix would not be joining whatever vile festivities were set to take place.
As soon as Cygnus had dismissed them, Andromeda did not hesitate to stalk from her table and back towards her room, while Bellatrix followed her father once more to his office, not even sparing a glance at Hermione.
The elves had finished setting up the ball room for the event long before the first guests were set to arrive, and Hermione had remained pacing in her room for a long while. An elf appeared out of nowhere, this one different than the one who had picked them up at King's Cross, with an elegant black dress, the bodice more lace, until the waist where it shifted to a comfortable looking silk that would cover the black heels the elf had floating behind him. He placed the outfit on her bed and flattened out all wrinkles, setting the shoes directly underneath on the floor.
"Missus Andromeda had Gipley bring Missus Hermione a dress." The elf, Gipley, kept his eyes on the floor as he spoke. "Does Missus need help doing her hair?"
"No, thank you," Hermione forced out, not wanting anything of an elf subjected to slavery. "Thank you for bringing me a dress." Gipley nodded, and began to bow before he would apparate away, but Hermione stopped him. "You saw Andromeda? Is she- how is she doing? Is she upset?"
Gipley blinked overly large eyes at her as he tugged on one ear. "Missus Andromeda is preparing hers-self for the party."
Not an answer she wanted, but she thanked the elf once more as the elf bowed and disappeared, leaving Hermione to stare down at the attire. If things were to go sour tonight, a dress and heels were not ideal to duel in, but she did not think Cygnus or Druella would tolerate her appearing in jeans or sneakers either, and she couldn't risk giving them any inclination she was concerned about what would happen tonight.
Dress and heels it is.
An hour later, when it was close to when the party would began, Hermione had finished with her hair, and had resorted to tucking her wand down her chest, as it was the only place to keep it secure in this idiotic outfit. But she was ready, and had a little bit of time to spare, so she decided it was time to enact the plan she had been silently thinking over ever since Andromeda told her of Bellatrix's birthday and the party.
It was a four step plan, with step one being the most dangerous and risky step, but if she could complete that, then hopefully steps two through four going off with any problems.
Hermione left her room, walked down the long hall to the door at the end, and knocked firmly. A moment later, another elf opened, staring up at Hermione curiously, and moved aside to let her in.
Bellatrix was on the edge of her bed doing up a pair of sharp heels, though she looked up at the sight of Hermione's entrance. The brunette looked at the elf, thanked them, and asked for a moment alone.
It had the darker haired girl eyeing her curiously, and yes, step one would definitely be the most nerve-wracking one to do. But Hermione could not lose her resolve, and knew this had to be done. Dumbledore wouldn't have told her there was no going back from whatever occurred tonight if he wasn't absolutely certain.
"I know whatever is happening tonight isn't a birthday party," she forced out, before her brain could convince her she was being reckless. "I know when we go downstairs, something will happen that is going to solidify your allegiance to Lord Voldemort."
Bellatrix was standing in an instance, her legs not once wavering despite the quick movement in too tall heels, with her wand pointed directly at Hermione's throat. It was a testament to the development of their relationship that Hermione did not immediately reach for her own, as she did not believe Bellatrix would blindly fire at her right now.
No, she'd want to hear whatever Hermione had to say. And then decide if she was going to attack. That's what would make step one possibly fatal, as if Hermione failed to convince Bellatrix to leave with her right now, she didn't think this fight would go in her favor.
"I don't know where you got that information from, Potter, but you need to shut your fucking mouth right now if you know what's good for you," Bellatrix commanded, her wand never once wavering as she stared down Hermione.
"I will explain everything to you, and how I can promise you I can help you out of this, if you promise to listen to everything I am about to tell you."
Bellatrix motioned for Hermione to walk away from the door, waving her wand towards the bed, and so Hermione slowly walked to it, keeping Bellatrix and the wand in her line of sight as the other girl quickly placed a silencing spell around the room, locking the door as well to keep anyone from entering.
There was nothing of the girl catching her from falling when they played Quidditch, nothing of the girl on the train who snuggled with Fatty. "You better explain fast."
"I should start by saying my last name isn't really Potter..."
Chapter 13: XIIIChapter Text"I should start by saying my last name isn't really Potter..."
Bellatrix's head cocked a fraction of an inch to the side, the only sign she would show that Hermione had her attention. But where did Hermione start? From the beginning? If so- what constituted the beginning in this twisted timeline? For her, everything began when she was eleven, but they didn't have time to discuss her hectic school history. Did she start when Bellatrix escaped from Azkaban, obsessed with a recently reanimated Voldemort and entirely insane? Still too long of a story. Did she only explain things starting from McGonagall's request?
She was clearly taking too long to respond, because Bellatrix flicked her curved wand and snapped, "Who are you?"
"My name is Hermione Granger," she whispered, and closed her eyes as she dragged her fingers against the glamoured scar on her arm. "I'm muggle-born."
"You're a fucking mudblood?"
Hermione must have picked something up from Bellatrix, as her movement was quicker than anything she had done before. She was on her feet with her own wand produced, her stance and hold identical to Bellatrix's, both wands now at one another's throat. "Do not call me that word."
"It's what you are, you stupid fucking filthy-"
"SHUT UP!" Hermione was thankful for the silencing spell Bellatrix had used, as someone would have for sure come running at the bellowed words. "Say that again, and I will attack," she promised, her breathing ragged at the memories and the pain that slur brought up.
"I'd like to see you try. You, who were so desperate to fit into our society you pretended to be a Potter." Bellatrix rolled her eyes as she scoffed. "You should have picked a better family, though I suppose it is better to be a blood-traitor than to-"
Hermione took stepped closer, and kept doing so, until both of their wands pressed into the pliant skin of their necks, digging in deep. "I will take us both out," she threatened, pressing down with her wand harder for emphasis.
Bellatrix gave a mocking grin and repeated the action, as if to call Hermione out on her blatant lie.
Fine then, if she didn't want to do this the easy way (the fact that this was the easy way really said a lot about the life Hermione had been living), then they would do it the hard way, emotions be damned.
"If you go down there, and you do whatever it is Voldemort demanded of you, your life will never be the same," she said, trying to gulp to reveal the pressure, to no avail. "You lose... everything. You never talk to Andromeda again, and you do not talk to Narcissa for fourteen years. You do not get to be there to watch either of them raise their children. Instead you will rot in Azkaban and lose all sense of sanity."
"You're a liar," Bellatrix growled, her eyes wild, even as the wand tightened the skin against her neck and Hermione could quite easily see her racing heartbeat. "You're just a filthy fucking liar. You deserve the killing curse for daring to speak to me at all. How dare you enter this sacred manor with your vile blood. You are undeserving to be a witch and-"
Hermione should turn the killing curse on her, that's what she should do. Mentally cursing McGonagall once more for sending her on such a painful mission, she blurted out, if only to stop Bellatrix's blasted ranting, "I'm from 1998. When you are in your forties, and about to storm Hogwarts at Voldemort's side to kill us all."
That, thank Merlin, managed to shut Bellatrix's shrill and affronted screeching up for one moment.
"You become one of, if not the, most feared Death Eaters over the next thirty years. You are Voldemort's lieutenant, and you are going to go on and do... horrible, horrible things for him," Hermione continued, struggling to keep her voice level and her anger in check as she reminded herself of all the horrors Bellatrix would bring to this world.
Neville's parents, Sirius, Dobby, countless others...
"It is impossible to come so far back in time."
"I thought so as well. My professor had a spell to magnify a Time Turner's power. We didn't know if it would work, or if it did, we couldn't be sure I'd be sent to the correct timeline. I didn't know for sure until I met Andromeda that first night, and she talked about."
There was a heavy silence, and Hermione let her mind wander on if anyone had arrived yet. They were running out of time until Bellatrix would be expected to join her sisters and greet everyone who came for the party, and Hermione didn't feel as if she'd made any progress right now.
So Hermione tried a different approach.
"Bella, please, I need you to trust me." She would have run a hand through her hair had she not been afraid it would mess up the effort that went into fixing it to look more tamed. "I saved Andromeda that night in Hogsmeade, and I never said anything about- about your back, or when you came into the common room late and I healed your face. I have kept every secret I know about you, so please, trust me here. Trust that I am trying to change the future and keep your family safe."
"Say I believe you," Bellatrix began apprehensively, lowing her wand a fraction of an inch so it no longer dug into Hermione's carotid. Hermione took a chance by doing the same with her own wand, moving it so it was now closer to the girl's collarbone. "What is your goal for being in this timeline? To kill me?"
"Why the hell would I have gone to all this trouble to befriend you if I wanted to kill you?"
"You pulled your wand on me when we first met, you dueled me in the hall, you punched me in the face and knocked me to the ground in the Forbidden Forest. All of those do not point to you being a savior, now does it?"
Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath, if only to swallow down the urge to scream her annoyances. Bellatrix had antagonized all of those altercations, though it did not do much to convince the stupid witch of Hermione's good intentions in this situation.
"You and I arguing over who started what is doing nothing for us. We have a very short timeline before your father gets furious you are not down there and comes looking for you, and this is not a conversation I want him overhearing." Hermione couldn't even begin to envision how Cygnus would react if he caught the two of them talking about such things, especially on tonight of all nights. Most likely he would kill her for having the audacity to say such things to his daughter, maybe he would even make a spectacle out of it, who knew?
A soft knock sounded on the door, startling both of them enough that Hermione flinched and Bellatrix twisted so her wand and body were angled towards the door. The knob jingled, once, twice, and then they heard Andromeda's voice, loud and annoyed even through the thick wood.
"Bella! Open the door! I want those grey heels!"
"Fuck off, Andy!" Bellatrix yelled back, rolling her eyes as if she couldn't help it. They both heard Andromeda's reply of 'jackass!' before she walked down the hall. Hermione couldn't hold back the slight chuckle at the sisters interaction, which gained her Bellatrix's attention once more, the two of them instantly sobering up.
"I'm trying to help you, Bella, I swear it. In my timeline, not only are you alongside Voldemort, but Narcissa is on his side as well. Narcissa's child is a Death Eater. Andromeda's child is on Hogwarts side, which means at one point, someone in your family will face your niece in this war. Is that what you want?"
Bellatrix's look of heavy contemplation was response enough for Hermione, enough so that she stepped away from the girl and put her wand away.
"If I get one inkling you are doing anything to betray me, or trying at all to hurt Andromeda or Narcissa, you are dead, do you hear me? You'll be dead before you ever knew what happened," Bellatrix threatened with a serious glare, finally lowering her wand completely to her side. "I am going along with this idiocy for the moment, so explain your plan quickly before I change my mind."
Hermione had made the trip from Hogsmeade to Hogwarts more times than she could count during the years at the school, but none felt longer than now, as she apparated into the small town and took off at a run towards the castle. Well, as much of a run as she could accomplish in heels, so it ended up being more of a wobbly jog that took up too much time. But she reached it eventually, every passing second feeling much too long, and burst through the doors into the empty hall, her only destination being Dumbledore's office. It was after dinner now, so if he was not in there, she wasn't sure where to go next.
However, when she reached the gargoyle guarding the stairway to the headmaster's office, she paused. How was she to get through without the password? It was similar enough to her first night in the castle in this timeline, when she had struggled to get through the gargoyle. Only then, Dumbledore had appeared behind her and ushered her up the stairs. She did not think she would get so lucky twice now.
"It's an emergency," she tried, staring at the stone and silently pleading it would spin. "Please," she said next when it failed to move. "It's very important. I need to see Professor Dumbledore."
Not so much as a stone feather ruffled.
Every minute counted now. Bella was on her side, but for how long? She didn't want to risk leaving Bellatrix with her father and the others for too much longer.
There was one last thing she could try, one shot in the dark to get a response here. Looking around quickly and finding the area completely deserted, she looked back at the statute and lowly said, "It's Order of the Phoenix business."
At first, nothing happened, and Hermione was close to screaming out in frustration, but then the wings spread, the head moved upwards, and it spiraled upwards for the stairway. "Thank you," she said quickly as she raced up them, into the spacious and overly decorated office of Albus Dumbledore.
The bearded man was at his desk as always, a stack of papers in hand and a plate of crumbs that looks very much like cake crumbs were beside him. He looked up at Hermione's arrival, though his face did not reveal if he was surprised or not at her sudden appearance. "Miss Potter, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
They didn't have time for pleasantries, not right now. Hermione threw herself down into the chair across from his desk, her hands splayed across the wood. "You told me I had until Christmas to stop Bella from joining Voldemort's ranks," she rushed out, her words too fast and nearly jumbled together. She sucked in a deep breath in a poor attempt to calm her racing her. "It was tonight. What was supposed to happen is happening tonight, not tomorrow."
"That is most troublesome," Dumbledore replied, not looking troubled in the slightest. "I assume that, seeing as you are currently here, and not with Miss Black, you are seeking assistance?"
There was no telling how far Dumbledore had gotten into securing the start of the Order of the Phoenix, nor did she know how many members he yet had. Or if they had any safe houses, but... but her and Bella's entire plan relied on getting out of Black Manor, tonight, before eleven o'clock.
"We need assistance from the Order," she said firmly, and did not let her shoulders sag in relief when Dumbledore nodded in understanding. "I don't- I have no idea if you have a headquarters, or anywhere safe set up yet, but..." she thought of Bella's face, so incredibly furious as Hermione explained why she was here. "Bella will become a Death Eater if I can't get her out of that house. And we need somewhere safe to go, somewhere her parents or Death Eaters can't follow us."
Hogwarts was out of the question for the time being, not while it would be so easy for Cygnus to show up and take her back, either right to Voldemort and beg for forgiveness for his daughter's actions, or home to dole out whatever punishment he saw fit.
"I would ask for something in return," Dumbledore said after a moment of uncomfortable silence.
As if we haven't given enough to you, Hermione had no idea where the thought or the bitterness had come from, but she shoved it away and nodded. Whatever he asked of her in this moment, she would agree to.
"Voldemort is rapidly gaining followers in a time we cannot afford for him to do so. Each day he grows in power. The Order is in its infancy, most likely nothing of the organization you know of your time. We need any information we can gather. Should I provide help, I require Miss Black to provide any information she has regarding either Voldemort himself, or about his followers."
"Deal," Hermione said, not bothering to let herself think how much she would have to argue with Bellatrix about that.
Dumbledore scribbled down something on a piece of paper. "Return to Black Manor, and at ten o'clock apparate to this address. The Order will be expecting the four of you."
She didn't bother to question why he assumed Narcissa and Andromeda would be joining them, just thankful not to explain anything else as she quickly thanked him and moved to run back to Hogsmeade once more and disapparated to Black Manor.
The party was in full swing by the time Hermione entered the ballroom, though it was much more mellow affair than what she was used to in the Wizarding World. There was a small ensemble of musicians in the corner, playing a somber sounding piece, and there were no dancers. The guest list was made up almost entirely of adults, and they all stood now in small groupings, talking to one another. More elves than Hermione thought possible ran from one group to another with food, drinks, and more food, while also taking away empty plates or glasses. More often than not, the wizards just threw their trash at whatever elf passed closest, and if the objects hit them, the group laughed.
It made Hermione want to throw trash as them and laugh, but she held herself back and scanned the room again, searching for Bella and her sisters.
Unfortunately, two of them were in the worst possible places. Bellatrix was beside her father, talking to a group of men in the far corner. Hermione couldn't necessarily go up and ask for a moment of Bellatrix's time when she was with Cygnus, and-
One of the men in the group turned slightly to look around them, and Hermione caught the side of his profile.
"Gonna kill me now, girlie?"
"You better, otherwise I'm gonna come back for you for doing this to me."
Antonin Dolohov.
She couldn't let him see her, not now, not when she was so close to getting Bella out and away from them all. He would surely remember her face, remember the death promise he had sworn to her weeks ago, when he had been a part of the Death Eater group attacking Hogsmeade. If he saw her here, would he attack first, or would he inform Cygnus that his daughter's new friend was anti-Voldemort?
She couldn't risk it. Bellatrix was to the left in the back, so Hermione went to the right, staying as far away from that group as possible. Narcissa was with their mother, off nearest to the musicians, talking in another cluster of pure-bloods, and she still couldn't find Andromeda.
"You'll be staying for the main event, I hope?" A voice suddenly said from Hermione's right, one that had her rolling her eyes and tensing up at the same time as she turned to look at Rodolphus. "The fun doesn't start until much later."
"Bellatrix's father has informed me I'll be returning upstairs with Andromeda and Narcissa before then," Hermione replied flatly, not bothering with having him believe she was interested in any sort of conversation, even if she was nervous about him being here. That was two people now who could tell Cygnus she fought against the Death Eaters, though she still didn't think Rodolphus knew she was aware it was him and Rabastan who chased them through the forest.
"How unfortunate. You and I could have had some fun once the entertainment arrives." Rodolphus smiled at her then, all white teeth that was nothing less than threatening. "When I had a similar celebration, the end was by far my favorite part. Bella will love it, I'm sure. You know she's quite... wild."
There was not a single part of Hermione that wanted to be around for whatever sort of sick celebration the Death Eaters were not concocting, nor did she want to think about how Rodolphus was inducted into Voldemort's Inner Circle.
"Have you seen Andromeda?" Hermione tried instead, once more searching the ballroom for a sign of her friend. "I've been hoping to talk to her."
"Am I not providing a stimulating enough conversation for you?" Rodolphus still had a smile in place, one that had probably worked on countless girls before her. It did nothing but send chills down her spine that she had to hold back from becoming visible. "You hurt me, Hermione, but Andy has just joined us." He nodded his head in the direction of the double doors, his black hair swishing with the movement.
She did not bother with any sort of pleasant goodbye before she walked off towards Andromeda, trying to seem as unhurried as possible as she approached the girl and grabbed her arm, gaining her attention immediately.
"Hermione?"
Step three was beginning now, as Hermione pulled Andromeda to a slightly more secluded area of the ballroom.
"I have to tell you something, you need to not ask any questions, and just go along with everything. Bella knows it all, and I promise to explain more later. But I need you to listen and cooperate."
And then Hermione explained what she needed Andromeda to do, and what to expect come ten tonight.
Andromeda and Narcissa were already waiting around the corner when Hermione appeared, bags in both girls hands and another two on the floor by their feet. They had been whispering quietly to one another, but looked up at Hermione's arrival, quieting immediately.
"You have everything?" Hermione motioned to the bags, the multitude of clothes Andromeda was tasked with gathering. One bag wiggled in response to her voice. "Here's hoping he stays quiet." Though Andromeda had been the one to ask about the Brownie, Hermione wouldn't have been able to leave him behind, not in this hellhole and not when Bellatrix was so attached to him.
"Where's Bella?" Narcissa asked, an uncharacteristically worried tone in her voice. "I didn't see her when we were leaving."
"She's with your father. She knows to find a way to excuse herself and come here." All of that had been taken care of in step three. Not only was Andromeda tasked with gathering their belongings, but it was also on her to get a moment alone with both sisters to tell them the hastily made plan. Hermione didn't trust their parents or guests to leave any of the Blacks alone with her long enough to explain it, so she had taken her opportunity to give a quick run down to Andromeda and entrust her to pass along the message.
Footsteps echoed in the spacious hall, and all three of them turned expectantly, ready to grab one another the moment Bellatrix appeared, leave the house to the apparition spot, and go to the address Dumbledore had provided. Hermione had already tossed the paper into a fire once she had the location memorized.
"Hello, ladies," Rodolphus said, hands in the pockets of his suit pants as he strolled, easily, without a care in the world up to them. He sent a pointed look to the bags at their feet. "I saw you all leaving just now. Going anywhere fun?"
Hermione's stomach would have clenched at being caught just by Rodolphus, but she knew should it have come down to it, they would have been able to win that fight. It would draw attention, and they'd just have to hope they'd be able to escape the manor before anyone else came to see what the commotion was. All of that would have been doable, had Rodolphus been alone.
But he wasn't, and he turned to look at the man who had walked to a stop beside him, before looking back at Hermione. "As promised, Dolohov, the 'bitch' who nearly killed you."
Antonin Dolohov's mouth widened in a yellowed smile as he stared at Hermione. "Ain't this a nice little reunion, missy? I been thinkin' 'bout you."
Both men just laughed when Hermione brandished her wand, their own in their hands now as well. Andromeda and Narcissa's were out, she could see from the corner of her eye, but they were underage, unable to practice magic without Ministry detection.
"Andy and Narcissa is off limits. Bella would kill us both if she knew we hurt the two of them," Rodolphus said to Dolohov, who grunted in annoyance but conceded. Then they turned their attention to Andromeda, who had moved to stand slightly in front of her younger sister. "Get out of here, Andy, go find somewhere else to be and let us handle this. She's a blood-traitor, you know? A loyalist to the weak minded, someone who wants to abolish our way of life."
Well, that was true.
This was going downhill very quickly, and Bellatrix was still nowhere to be found.
"Rod," Andromeda tried, her voice just as smooth and confident as ever, despite the impending danger they now found themselves in. A skill she no doubt learned from Bellatrix. "Do you really think our father would allow us to be around blood-traitor? To bring one into our home?" The insult sound absurd coming from the girl dating a muggle-born. "Do you think Bella would be friends with one?"
"I think our beloved Bella has let a pretty face fool her." Rodolphus shrugged, completely indifferent, and took one step closer, his smile ever present. "Bella is very distracted by you, Hermione, and it is doing nothing for our cause. No worries, after tonight you'll be nothing but a memory for her anyway."
Where the hell was Bellatrix?
"Leave, Andy, I'm not telling you again." Rodolphus' voice was flat now, bordering on impatience and annoyance. "Your father is aware of Hermione's stance as blood-traitor, but is willing to overlook your involvement on the basis of teenage girl naivety."
"Get out of here, Andromeda. Take Narcissa and run," Hermione demanded, even as she knew being left alone with the two before them was little more than a death sentence. But she would do anything it took to keep at least the two of them safe for a little longer.
She was willing to bet everything she had that Cygnus Black was most definitely not willing to overlook anything having to do with his daughters and a supposed blood-traitor. She once more thought of the scars on Bellatrix's back, of the way he had so utterly dismissed Andromeda had nearly every opportunity. No, there was not a single doubt that Cygnus would be forgiven to his children about this mishap. Especially not when word reached him of their attempted escape.
"Lestrange, get this the fuck on," Dolohov growled, his dark eyes wide with fury as he stared at Hermione. "I've been thinking of... all the ways to make you pay. Don't worry, girlie, you'll get some pleasure out of it too." He wiggled his eyebrows even as Hermione took a hesitant step backwards, feeling Narcissa now brush against her side.
There was not a single person in the ballroom Hermione could rely on helping them. Not a single person in this entire manor would would help them. Not-
Movement directly behind Rodolphus and Dolohov caught Hermione's attention, though she gave no inclination she noticed anything, and could do nothing more than hope Andromeda and Narcissa would follow her lead. She let her wand shift from pointing at the middle of the Death Eaters to focus exclusively on Dolohov, who merely grinned at the action. Behind them, a curved wand mimic the movement to be trained on Rodolphus' back.
A second later, Hermione yelled out, "STUPEFY", the spell echoed on the other side of the hall, twin beams of red light hitting the men as they dropped to the floor.
"Bella!" Narcissa ran to her sister, who rushed to them immediately. "Are you-"
"We need to go. Now." Bellatrix's dark eyes were locked to Hermione's. "Our father knows something is going on. Grab the bags and let's go."
Andromeda and Narcissa did as instructed, the older girl carefully picking up the bag holding Fatty, who had thankfully remained quiet and hidden during the entire encounter. Hermione grabbed her's, and the four of them rushed down the hall towards the front doors, thankful with each passing moment that this part of the manor was not in use tonight as they reached the doors without any more interruptions.
Something had happened with Bellatrix and her father, that much was obvious with how rushed and frazzled the girl moved, but now was not the time to ask what, not as they reached the apparation point and Hermione grabbed Andromeda while Bellatrix grabbed Narcissa. With a quiet 'pop' they disappeared and Hermione fought back the nausea at the sensation of being pulled, stretched, squished, and dragged in all directions before it just as abruptly ended.
The address led them to a house that had seen better days. It was two levels, red bricks and brown shutters, though one of the windows on the second floor was missing a shutter, and another looked as if a rock had been thrown through it. The grass was brown, uncut for what had to be months, and the driveway was cracked with weeds poking through in some sections. Hermione was willing to bet it had been years since this house had last hosted a family, but still she walked up the crumbling pathway and knocked on the splintered door twice.
She didn't have to wait long before it slid open on rickety hinges, and the four of them were quickly ushered inside, the door closing immediately after the last of them had entered.
Despite the less than appealing looks of the outside, the inside was a stark opposite, and could only be credited to magic. It looked brand new, hardly lived in save for the overcoat hanging on the wall by the door and a muddied pair of shoes below it. Other than that, the couch in the living room, the table in the dinning room, everything scream unused and thus unnecessary.
All of that paled in comparison to the man standing before them in the foyer.
Alastor Moody was not someone Hermione had been expecting to see. It was made more shocking by how young he was, and how normal he looked without any missing body parts. Both eyes and legs were still intact, and he stood before them in a grey shirt and black pants, no signature cane or overcoat to be seen. He couldn't have been any older than his mid twenties, most likely just coming into himself as a skilled Auror, but would still be a considerable ally to have within the Order.
And he glared at them with a palpable annoyance, even as he held his wand in his hand, pointed directly at Hermione. Bellatrix had her's out as well, aimed at Moody's head and no look of hesitation in her eyes, even as Moody focused only on Hermione as he asked, "What is the first thing Albus Dumbledore said to you when you met him in October?"
"I met Professor Dumbledore in September, and he invited me into his office for a cup of tea," Hermione replied easily, letting out a breath of relief as Moody lowered his wand, Bellatrix following a moment later. "Moody, I don't know what Dumbledore has had a chance to tell you yet, but-"
"You're to stay here for the remainder of Hogwarts' holiday, and then, assuming it safe for the four of you to do so, you will return for the second term. We don't need to discus anything else right now. Tomorrow, I'll be talking to that one about what she knows." A nod to Bellatrix at that, and Hermione held her breath at the mocking laugh the girl gave, the only sign of her refusal.
Oh, Hermione knew she'd be hearing about that soon, as she hadn't yet had the opportunity to speak with Bellatrix about the asking price for coming to the Order's headquarters.
"I think not," Bellatrix responded, moving farther into the room and looking around for a second, before turning to look at her sisters. Utterly dismissing the rooms and Moody with the small action. "So, this is how the scraps live, hm?"
The house was not what Hermione would have considered 'living like scraps' but she supposed that, after seeing the enormous manor Bellatrix and her sisters had been raised in, this muggle home would be considered as much. But why did she have to go and voice that to Alastor Moody, who was visibly less than pleased at having them all here, least of all Bellatrix?
"Thank you for allowing us to stay here," Narcissa spoke up suddenly, not even so much as blinking when all of their gazes locked on her, especially under the annoyed glare of Moody and the furious look of her eldest sister. "I think it's best if we just go to sleep. We've... had an exhausting night, and it's riled my sister's temper."
A strong breeze could rile her sister's temper, it had nothing to do with their altercation with Rodolphus and Dolohov, though that was a conversation the four of them needed to have soon. Without Moody listening in. Hermione trusted him absolutely, but she'd rather settle things with her friends and decide what to do with the two Death Eaters knowing about them before involving anyone else.
Merlin, she was beginning to sound like Harry and Ron, trying to solve things themselves without the help of professors or Aurors, but... she was on thin ice with Bellatrix as it was right now, probably less so, and needed to handle things just between them to regain whatever sliver of trust she had with the girl before she confessed everything.
"We are very tired, Moody," Hermione added when Moody failed to react, hoping he would just give in this once and send them on their way.
He waved them all off, that annoyed look still in place as he turned his back and walked towards the kitchen, calling over his shoulder, "There are two empty bedrooms just to the right of the stairs up there. Take them and don't get into anything you have no right getting into it." With that, he disappeared around the corner, leaving the four of them with their bags in the foyer.
One of the bags released a high pitched whine into the heavy silence, and Andromeda stared at it. "Should we tell him about-"
Collectively, the other three did not hesitate to reject that suggestion. Bellatrix picked up the wriggling bag along with the one with her clothes, and marched up the staircase, the others following a moment later. The second level was just a long hallway with multiple closed doors, and they all went towards the two side by side Moody had indicated, opening each of them. There was no special or unique about the rooms, both with two twin sized beds shoved into corners, two nightstands each, and one dresser. There was a lack of decoration or warmth in the rooms, and yet it was still much more welcoming than Black Manor.
"I will not be sharing a bedroom with the mudblood. The two of you can work out who will be staying with her," Bellatrix announced before she marched into the room closest to the stairway and let the door slam shut behind her.
Well... that isn't how Hermione wanted to go about telling Narcissa and Andromeda.
"I guess we should talk," she replied slowly, motioning to the other bedroom and guiding them in.
Hermione left the bedroom after she was finished speaking with Andromeda and Narcissa, feeling only slightly more relieved after their conversation. Andromeda had been the one to say they understood why Hermione did what she did, and she didn't doubt they were telling the truth, but that did nothing to diminish the look of hurt in both of their eyes at being deceived for so long.
She had explained everything she told Bellatrix earlier in the night, albeit in a much less aggressive and threatening manner, as all of their wands remained sheathed and they stayed sitting, their voices never raising. It did make Hermione feel a bit wrong to tell them what their sister would one day come to do, the fear and pain she would one day bring to so many others, but they needed to know, needed to understand why Hermione was doing what she was.
In the end, Narcissa said she'd share with Bellatrix and left Hermione and Andromeda together. Now just the two of them, there was a distance Hermione had not been prepared for between them, an invisible weight that painfully separated them. She couldn't take it, not now, but couldn't find the words she wanted to say to bring her and Andromeda back to where they were before. It had only been days since the younger girl was confessing she knew a bit about Hermione and Bellatrix, had teased her about it, and then was mocked for sucking at Quidditch it, but those events all felt hollow and so far away right now, as Hermione stared at her friend curled up on the opposite bed, staring out the window into the darkened street.
Unable to stand the silence between them any longer, she set out to find Bellatrix, to hopefully have a conversation that didn't result in death threats or screaming, but she was not in her room, so Hermione went downstairs, careful to not disturb Moody in his room, as it was after midnight and she assumed he would be in bed by now. Down the stairs, she found Bellatrix in the living room, reclined on the sofa and looking at the unused fireplace. Fatty was stretched out on the space beside her, one long arm hanging off and nearly brushing the floor now.
"What I don't understand," Bellatrix began once Hermione entered her line of sight, not giving her the chance to speak first. "Is why you?"
"Why me?" Hermione frowned, choosing to sit in the recliner farthest from Bellatrix, just in case this did turn violent.
"You said you're from nearly thirty years in the future, and I am in my forties. So why would your people pick a seventeen year old girl to persuade me, when I assume you and I would have very little connection." Bellatrix kept her eyes on the wall, her eyebrows furrowed as she concentrated. "What makes you so special, they would send you back for what is such an important mission?"
Because Harry can't be risked, because Ron would never give Bellatrix the time of day. There were so many reasons McGonagall had for picking her, she supposed, and the longer she stayed here the longer she feared she'd never hear from the woman on why she was so firm in her decision it be Hermione. Of course, she couldn't explain anything of the impatiently waiting witch, so she said, "In my time, we are out of chances to delay this any longer. A war is about to happen, right on Hogwarts' grounds, and we need every minuscule bit of hope we can muster right now. My professor sent me, because she assumed I would be able to remain focused on my goal of getting you to join our side."
"Now tell me, did your professor tell you that being desperate to have sex with me was the best chance you had of getting me on your side, or was that for your own selfish desires?"
She should have prepared herself for that possibility, for Bellatrix to use what had happened between them as ammunition to further their fight. She should have seen it coming, but just because she should have doesn't mean it didn't hurt to hurt, doesn't mean she didn't flinch as the accusation left Bellatrix's mouth.
"Those have- it isn't- Bella-"
"Don't call me that," Bellatrix snapped, standing up quickly enough that she disturbed Fatty, who squeaked in annoyance. The noise went ignored by both of them as Hermione stood too, just to be safe. "Let's not pretend I am here for any reason other than protecting my sister. This is a last resort for me, do you understand? I am not here because we are friends or whatever you think we are, I am not here for anything due to you. If you are saying Dumbledore and that prick of a man upstairs can protect my sisters from everything, that is why I am here. Let me be clear by saying it has nothing to do with you, and I regret everything that has happened prior to now."
Tears pricked Hermione's eyes, unwanted and entirely embarrassing, but she couldn't move fast enough to wipe them away before they streaked down her cheeks. Bellatrix noticed immediately, and scoffed at the sight.
"You're so fucking weak. Your professor sent here for the sole reason of you being expendable. Whatever the hell you were doing for your side was obviously not important enough to justify continuing. You were sent back thirty fucking years, Hermione. Who has done that before? Your professor knew you very well could have died, and they didn't care. No one cares about you. Not in my time, and not in yours."
There was nothing to say here, no argument to be had, no more reasoning she could give for her actions. Bellatrix's mind was made, and there would be no changing that. Hermione would get no further in this, not while tears continued to flow freely down her face and not while Bellatrix was relishing in the sight. She said nothing more as she turned and walked back upstairs, not bothering to say anything to Andromeda before she dropped onto the bed, turned to the wall, and didn't attempt to fight the tears any longer.