Chapter 18: XVIIINotes:its been longer than I intended to get this chapter up, so uh, my bad
Chapter TextDumbledore must have prepared for the night to go badly, for the wards preventing apparating directly it not the townhouse operating as Headquarters were disabled, and so Hermione was able to appear and collapse right in the middle of the living room, a gasp leaving her and Andromeda's mouths at the jolt of pain that action sent through their bodies.
Bellatrix didn't stir. Hermione couldn't hold back her cry as she scrambled to the girl's side, ignoring every part of her body aching in pain and bleeding, ignoring even Dumbledore and McGonagall rushing into the room.
She didn't know how long they had been waiting here, didn't care to find out, not as she whirled and demanded to them both, "SAVE HER!"
There was blood staining her hands. She had no idea if it was her own, Andromeda's, or Bellatrix's.
Murderer.
She ignored the word her brain kept wanting to scream. Ignored everything but McGonagall crouching down to wave her wand over Bellatrix as Dumbledore tended to Andromeda.
McGonagall wanted her to move, Hermione was sure of it, but she was not leaving Bellatrix's side, not as she watched the too slow and uneven rise of her chest. Each passing second was a second she could lose Bella. A second she could have lost someone else back at the house and they didn't even know it yet.
Murderer.
It was only Dumbledore's words to Andromeda that kept Hermione from breaking entirely.
"You are a very strong girl, Miss Black. You'll recover nicely." She'll recover, she'll recover.
Will Bella?
Murderer.
Hermione had no concept of time, not as each blink felt heavier than the one before it, not as she was constantly having to retighten her grip on Bellatrix's hand as McGonagall worked. Her mind felt so fuzzy, her limbs felt like they weren't attached to her body anymore, her mouth was too dry.
She just barely heard McGonagall's yell of, "Hermione!" before she finally lost consciousness.
The only indication Hermione had that she wasn't dead was the annoying sensation of someone forcing potions down her throat. Aside from that, hours or days or years could have passed without her noticing, for the thick, oily concoctions left her in a delirious state where Hermione couldn't tell what was real and what was a dream.
Moody coming into the room, trailed behind a cat that hopped onto the table by the bed? She thought it was real, but she could have swore the cat was really watching her in a way no animal should be able to do. Especially when Moody told the cat to keep watch on her, and it did. It curled up by the window and watched over her. Definitely a dream, then. She thinks.
The next thing she can recall is seeing Narcissa laying in bed beside Andromeda, the younger girl curled up beside her older sister, keeping her distance so to not hurt her, but Hermione could make out Narcissa's arm stretch to touch Andromeda. Probably real. Hopefully real. Her last memories of Andromeda were- she doesn't want to think about it.
Bellatrix came later, no injuries to be seen, all cocky grin and confident steps as she walked to Hermione's bed and sat down beside her. The movement of the bed should have hurt her, as all sorts of movements hurt her now, but it didn't. She didn't feel anything, nothing at all aside from Bellatrix's hand, warm and gentle on her thigh as she shifted to lay beside, pressing their bodies as closely together as possible.
Well, that didn't make sense. Bellatrix wasn't a cuddler. Had never tried to get close to Hermione like this. But-
Bellatrix kissed her.
It felt-
Exactly like how their last three kisses had felt. Bellatrix dominated it, one hand pulling Hermione's face closer to her's while the other remained on her thigh, soft fingers trailing up and down Hermione's skin.
That didn't make sense either. There was a bandage on her thigh there, wasn't it? Hermione couldn't remember. Couldn't think of anything that wasn't Bellatrix's mouth against her own, or that daring hand moving higher and higher until-
Hermione moaned, low and desperate, full of longing, when those fingers brushed between her legs.
Please be real, please be real, please be real.
This was real, right? She might have asked the question out loud, but she didn't get an answer, not as Bellatrix's mouth moved to her ear, catching the lobe between her teeth and pulling a bit.
If this wasn't real, Hermione didn't ever want to wake up.
"Hermione?" A voice that was most definitely not Bellatrix's said, over and over, and a weird sensation was spreading through her shoulder, even though Bellatrix's hands or mouth was nowhere near there.
What was going on?
None of it was making sense, but Bellatrix's hands were slipping under the waistband of her pants and-
"Hermione, can you hear me?" She knew that voice, where did she know that voice from? "Hermione, open your eyes."
She did. It felt like walking through chest level muck, but she managed to drag her eyes open, blinking into the harsh light that flooded her brain and kept doing so until the objects around her came into focus.
The cat was there. God, she was dreaming again. Why couldn't she stay with Bellatrix?
"Hermione?" That voice. She looked from the cat to the owner of the voice. It was Dorcas, standing before the bed, the cat sitting regal on the end table beside her. "You with us?"
She tried to speak, but no words came out, just a rough croak of her voice. Her body felt off, light headed and heavy all at the same time. She just wanted to close her eyes again.
"It's the potions," Dorcas said, her voice too loud and too annoying and too everything. Hermione wanted to sleep. "You'll feel funny while it fades from your system. Drink this, it should help clear your head a bit."
A cool metal cup was pressed against her mouth, and she drank the liquid greedily, not even processing the vileness of the contents until it had already worked its way down her throat. She gagged, but the horrid potion stay down.
"Give it a few minutes to work. We don't want to keep drugging you, we need you conscious to tell us what hurts."
"Everything," Hermione groaned immediately. Her thigh ached, each breath felt like she was swallowing glass. Her shoulder was the worst though, a sensation not unlike fire shooting through her veins if she so much as moved wrong. And her hazy brain. Had she hit her head recently? "My shoulder," she amended, forcing the words out.
"You had a pretty nasty cut. I'm not surprised it's bothering you. It's only been a day, but it should fade soon. I'll give you something else that won't knock you on your ass."
One day? Certainly that couldn't be true. It felt like.. like weeks had passed. Was school even still in session?
"One day?" She mumbled, looking at the cat.
The cat nodded.
Oh, god, she was still dreaming.
"We figured it would happen," Dorcas said, moving Hermione's shirt to the side to look at her shoulder. "Your injuries were a bit concerning. Your adrenaline must have been pumping to not feel it."
There was... something had happened. Something big, that was the cause for her injury. She remember... slamming into something hard. A wall, maybe? And a lot of screaming, maybe her own? But, she remembered after too, bits and pieces, foggy in her mind, of Bella and Andy and Cygnus Black and-
"Drink more. You need to clear your head." The cup was back against her mouth, and she swallowed quickly, the second round of whatever potion doing much more to lift the haziness than the first.
It came back slowly, but it did come back. The vacation house, the spell, Bella and Andromeda and Narcissa, the former two seriously hurt, the latter nowhere to be seen.
Murderer.
The thought slammed into her, knocking the breath from her as it all rushed in painfully. She had killed them. She had killed multiple people.
Murderer.
She shoved that away. Now was not the time to dwell on her own problems, not when she needed to know about her friends. Even if tears threatened to spill over her eyes, even if she hated every single part of herself right now, there were more important matters to attend to.
"Where is Bella?" She asked quickly, panic rising in her even as she blushed, recalling the memory that was definitely a dream, even if now was absolutely not the time to think of such things.
"Asleep still. We're keeping her asleep for a little while longer. Her injuries were... severe. Andromeda is out too. We'll wake her up in a little bit. We wanted to wake you first. You were the least injured, even if there was a decent amount to fix. But you're fine? Aside from your shoulder?"
In the physical sense? Sure. She'd recover. In the mental, emotional sense? That was still up in the air.
Hermione nodded anyway, turning her head past the cat (that she now recognized as McGonagall, and felt silly for not realizing so earlier) to look at the other bed, finding Andromeda asleep as Dorcas had said, pale and unmoving and bruised, small cuts littering her body. Hermione watched the slow and consistent rise and fall of the girl's chest.
Good. Good, she was healing.
Hermione wondered how she herself looked, and decided she probably didn't want to know, not right now.
"The Order will want to talk to you later, but for now, keep drinking this, and I'll bring you something for your shoulder. McGonagall will get us if you need anything," Dorcas nodded to the cat, who did indeed nod her furry little head in the affirmative. Just as Dorcas was about to leave the room, she turned to look at Hermione and said, a bit quietly, "It's a relief to see you're okay, Hermione."
Everything hurt.
Sometime not long after Dorcas had left, Hermione had slipped back into unconsciousness, though this time without the hazy, unintelligible dreams those potions created in her mind. When she woke up later, she was much more coherent and aware than previously, and took the time to finally look over her abused body.
She'd taken more damage from the explosion than she'd initially realized, most of the pain not setting in all the way due to adrenaline, but as she looked now she could see how serious it truly was. It took her battered body a significant amount of effort to slide herself into a sitting position to inspect the rest of her body.
Slowly, she moved her hand up to brush her fingers against the wrappings on her shoulder, staring at the small cuts and bruises littering her hand and forearm as she did so. The bandages were rough and scratchy against her skin, and she wanted to peel them back to see how bad the cut had been, though she doubted it would look anywhere near as worrisome now than before the potions and magic had had time to treat it.
Aside from her bandaged shoulder, there were more gauzes on her thigh, along with even more abrasions. She gingerly poked a nasty bruise near her ankle and quietly hissed at the tiny burst of pain.
Her ribs ached at every movement she made, and so she resigned herself to leaning back against the wall and closing her eyes, taking a moment to breathe deeply as all the aches in her body slowly resided.
"About time you're awake. I was very bored," a low, slightly raspy voice said, and despite the unusual distortion, Hermione felt a part of her relax at the sound as she turned her head to look at Andromeda, propped up on some pillows in the opposite bed.
Hermione started to cry.
"Ack," the dark haired girl rolled her eyes as she made the sound. "Don't do that. I know you're obsessed with me, but this is too far."
Hermione couldn't help the laugh that slipped free, raspy and slightly broken sounded, but her first laugh in a week. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you," she breathed, tears finally spilling over and gliding down her face. "You scared the hell out of me!"
"So I've been told." Andromeda nodded, her face going solemn. "Thank you, Hermione, for coming for us. I didn't- thank you."
Didn't what? Didn't think Hermione would come with the rescue, or didn't think there'd be a rescue at all? Hermione didn't want to think about that.
Hermione said, instead of asking any of those questions, "What would I do without you annoying me everyday? Or Narcissa being her lovely, friendly self."
Andromeda smiled, but said, "Bella is healing tool, but-" she cut herself off and Hermione's pulse spiked, a look of fear most definitely coming across her face for Andromeda hurriedly added, "She hasn't woken up yet. I just woke up about an hour or so ago."
Alive. The words slammed through Hermione. Bellatrix is alive. Still unconscious, but alive. She'd wake up soon.
Now there was just the matter of-
Hermione still couldn't even think the words, let alone get them out.
Murderer.
Andromeda must have read the look on her face, for she grabbed a news paper on the table beside her bed and held it up. "You should read this."
Hermione magicked the paper over, holding her breath the entire time as her mind raced with the possibilities of what the Daily Prophet could hold, what horrors they would say about what had happened.
She didn't need to wonder for long, as it was on the front page
TRAGEDY STRIKES SACRED TWENTY-EIGHT FAMILY'S VACATION HOME. SUSPECTS AT LARGE
Sometime in the middle of the night, a group of dark wizards stormed the property of Cygnus Black the Third in Italy, during a family getaway with his wife, Druella Black, and their three daughters; Black heir, Bellatrix, and his two underaged children, Andromeda and Narcissa. Four visiting relatives were in the home at the time of the attack. No arrests have been made, and Aurors are stumped on who is response for such a heinous and unjust crime.
The home suffered grave damages following an explosive spell on the top level that destroyed much of the structural support and architecture. Cygnus Black the Third and two relatives were seriously injured, and have been treated at St. Mungo's. All are expected to make recover.
There is no word yet of the fate of Cygnus' wife Druella, nor about their three children. They were not reported to have been seen at St. Mungo's with their father and relatives, and are assumed to have been spared any injuries and are currently with their mother. Check for further updates to see if the status of the children and wife of Cygnus Black the Third has changed.
Hermione read the article once, then a second and a third time until the words finally resonated in her brain. Cygnus was alive. Injured severely enough to warrant a trip to St. Mungo's, but he was alive, and would recover.
She hadn't killed him. She wasn't a murderer.
Tears pricked her eyes once more as the weight of those worries left her body, and she leaned her head back against the wall, letting out a sigh of relief.
"There haven't been any updates?" She turned to look at Andromeda as she asked, finding the girl already watching her. "Nothing more about you three?"
"Everything's been quiet. Whatever is happening with our father, they don't want it to be public knowledge. And for whatever reason, they don't want it out we're not with our parents." Andromeda's eyebrows furrowed as she spoke, as if she were working out all the bad things that statement could mean like Hermione was.
There were dozens of reasons Cygnus could have for wanting the Wizarding World to know his daughters were not with him, and none of them could mean anything positive for them.
Hermione would think on it later. As of now, she put all thoughts of Cygnus to the back of her mind, more than content to know she was not a murderer.
"No one died. Moody told Cissy, Cissy told me. Then I read the paper," Andromeda further explained. "None of us died, on either side. A few of us took some injuries, but we'll all walk away. Even my father." As she spoke, there was an odd tone of voice Hermione couldn't quite place on the end of the sentence, as if Andromeda wasn't thrilled her father had survived.
Not that Hermione could blame her, given the state she was in when they all found them.
She'd need to ask Andromeda about it soon, offer to be a shoulder to lean or cry on should the girl need it, but she knew now was not the time.
Not there was time to say as much, as their private moment ended when the door quietly opened, and Hermione felt that tension ease slightly more at the first sign of blonde hair.
Aside from the light bags under her eyes, highlighted by the pale skin, Narcissa looked as normal as ever, hair immaculate unlike her sisters, skin clear of cuts or bruises, and Hermione couldn't be more thankful the youngest Black had seemingly not suffered the same fate as Bellatrix or Andromeda.
"You're awake," Narcissa said simply as she walked closer to them, handing Andromeda a cup and passing another to Hermione. "Drink it. It'll help the remnants of pain. I was going to leave it here until you woke up, but drink it now."
"Yes, mom," Andromeda grumbled as she brought the cup to her mouth, grimacing as she swallowed. Evidently, it was not a tasty potion, and Hermione held her breath as she drank her quickly, nearly gagging at the acid taste burning its way down her throat.
But she could already feel it taking effect. That tight knot in her shoulder eased just a bit, the non-ignorable burst of pain shifting to a throb. A feeling of calm took over her body, and she could already feel her eyelids drooping, blearily watching as Andromeda's did the same.
When she woke up again, she decided she was getting very tired of sleeping so much, even if her body felt better every time she woke up.
Andromeda was still asleep, but she looked better already. Healthier. Hermione let out a soft sigh and checked her own body over. The bandage on her thigh was there still, and when she peeled the top back, the wound was closed, nothing more than a puffy scar, so she unwrapped the bandage and placed it on the end table.
That bad bruise on her ankle was now a yellowed-green, and her shoulder was almost fully moveable. It was stiff, and she'd need to wiggle it for a while before she felt it was 100%, but the pain was basically nonexistent now.
Thank Merlin for magic potions. She didn't even want to consider the pain she'd be in now if she had to be treated the muggle way.
Had only a few hours passed, or were more days slipping by unnoticed to her? A weak light was coming through the blinds on the window, enough to suggest it was early morning. When she'd last been awake it was dark out. Hopefully it had only been a few hours since then. Unfortunately, McGonagall had disappeared at some point, so she couldn't ask.
Luckily, she didn't need to wait long, for Narcissa was coming back into the room, carrying a water bottle and a steaming bowl of something.
Hermione didn't miss the relieved look that passed the blonde's face quickly before being replaced by her regular indifference. The thirteen year old came to a stop beside the bed, setting both the bottle and the bowl (which Hermione could now see was some type of soup) on the table.
"Moody sent me to check on you, and see if I could get you to eat." Narcissa motioned to the bowl, and Hermione slowly reached out for it, not wanting to jerk her shoulder too badly. "It's chicken noodle. Did you know muggles have it in cans? How completely barbaric."
"Thank you, Narcissa," Hermione laughed, taking a slow and tentative bite of the soup. She hadn't realized until just now how terribly hungry she actually was, and she ate the food as quickly as she dared, loving the warmth of it on her throat and stomach.
Narcissa stayed the entire time she ate, almost fussing over Hermione as she did so, but remained quiet. It wasn't until she had finished the soup and set it down that the younger girl spoke up.
"You didn't need to save all of us," she said slowly, staring directly into Hermione's eyes. "I know you're just supposed to stop Bella from becoming a Death Eater, but- what you did for us... none of us will soon forget it."
Hermione didn't think any of them would be forgetting the last few days events anytime soon, but she knew that wasn't what Narcissa meant.
"There wasn't..." words seemed to be hard for the girl, but Hermione remained patient, letting Narcissa figure out what she needed to say. "Bellatrix is the only person that looks out for Andromeda or I like that. It's... nice to know you'd do the same. That you have done the same. Andy told me that you threw yourself on top of her when the ceiling started coming down."
"Narcissa-"
"I see the way you look at her," Narcissa said before Hermione could finish her sentence, not bothering to specify that they were no longer talking about Andromeda. "And how she looks at you. I'm... glad she has you. And I'm glad we have you as well."
"I'm glad I have you guys, truly, I am," Hermione responded dumbly, unsure of where to go from here. Narcissa had never been so open with her, but she was thankful it was happening now. "And I'll always fight for you and them. And not only- not only because of how I feel for her. But because you and Andromeda matter so much to me as well."
"I'm aware." Narcissa shrugged and stood up, her face no longer showing any sort of sincerity. Bonding moment over then. Got it.
Hermione still couldn't help the smile as Narcissa pointed to the water bottle and rudely demanded she finish the whole thing.
It was hours later, well into the early afternoon, that Hermione finally felt comfortable enough in her current state to get out of bed. Narcissa was there, and though she didn't voice any objections, Hermione could see the girl was taunt with worry that something would happen.
Nothing did happen, thankfully, and Hermione was able to make it to the bathroom unaided, her body close to full strength thanks to the multitude of potions, and when she was done she took the time to truly look over her body.
The scar on her thigh was definitely noticeable, pink and puffy and smooth to the touch, but Hermione didn't care about her skin, given that scars already tarnished it. It was just another sign that she had survived.
Her shoulder was in a similar way, the scar thicker and longer, going from the edge of her collarbone to her armpit. She had no idea what had even hit her at the vacation house. Had been too distracted to notice any of it, but with all of the falling debris it could have been anything. Most likely a piece of ceiling, if she had to guess.
It didn't matter. She'd take all of the scars if it meant her and the people she cared about walked away to live another day. Even the people she didn't care about, even Cygnus and the others. They walked away too. She hadn't killed them.
She'd been repeating that in her head over and over again, relishing the that it was true. As much as she loathed Cygnus Black, as much as she had previously wished him dead, the thought that she had done that was too much.
Hermione finished up in the bathroom after washing her face and brushing her teeth, those two small actions making her feel infinitely better, and was about to slowly walk back to her room when she saw the slight crack in Bellatrix's door.
Maybe she'd just pop in for a moment...
Bellatrix was on her back, arms curled under the pillow, hair tangled but cleaned of the dirt and blood that had caked it the night before. The blanket had slipped down to her waist, revealing the expanse of her back that had Hermione's steps stuttering until she stopped completely, halfway to the bed. Whoever had cared for Bellatrix's injuries had stripped her of her dress to have a clear view of her back, and had placed many gauzes all over the skin to cover the multitude of wounds.
That had been why she was standing funny, holding herself in an odd way. By the looks of the wrappings, her back had been torn to shreds before the battle even began. And still she stood there, still she fought for them. Hermione held back a cry as she forced herself to take step after step, sitting on the edge as gently as she could so to not disturb the sleeping girl.
Hermione couldn't help but reach one hand out, softly tracing the outline of the bandage closest to her, feeling the soft, warm skin beneath her fingertips.
Real, real, real. She was real, she was here, she was alive.
That last little bit of tension that had stayed with her since last night finally eased as she continued to move her hand around the bandages, her touch staying light.
A sudden rasp of, "Quite a dramatic spell, hm, dragon-rider?" had tears immediately springing to her eyes, made worse as Bellatrix slowly turned and sat up, Hermione offering her the blanket quickly to cover her bare chest.
Her eyes were hazy with sleep and whatever potions they'd been giving her, her skin still paler than normal, a few scrapes on her face, but- she was perfect. Everything inch of her was perfect. And alive. Perfect and alive.
Hermione didn't think as she jerked forward and kissed her, soft despite the suddenness of her actions. She could feel her tears leaking onto Bellatrix's cheeks, but she just cried harder at the sensation of Bellatrix kissing back, one hand coming up to grip the back of Hermione's neck.
They pulled away after a moment, Hermione staying close enough that their noses nearly touched. "I thought I lost you," she confessed, her voice little more than an embarrassing sob.
Of course Bellatrix grinned at that, leaning forward to wrap her lips around Hermione's bottom one, pulling it into her mouth as she moved backwards, releasing it with an audible 'pop'. "You should know by now I am invincible. Impossible to kill."
"Like a cockroach," Hermione whispered, a smile breaking out across her face at Bellatrix's affronted cough. "Please, never scare me like that again. Any of you."
"Life gets boring without a bit of action, does it not?" Bellatrix chuckled before sobering up. "You've seen Andy and Cissy, then? They're fine?"
"Fine, both of them. You saw Andromeda before the... explosion, and that worsened her injuries, but they treated her. She's asleep in our room right now. Narcissa is with her, who," Hermione let herself laugh, laughing as she continued to cry, "is quite the mother-hen."
Bellatrix rolled her eyes, shifting slightly in an attempt to get more comfortable and hissing at the pain that must have wracked through her body. "Annoying, isn't she?"
Hermione laughed again and again. "Yes," she admitted, "she is. It's endearing, though." She looked over the dark witch before her, taking her in once more, letting her eyes roam over the exposed skin of her shoulders and forearms, the years of built up muscle from Quidditch, and all the tiny scars that littered her body. The words "You're beautiful," slipped out before she could stop it, and Bellatrix's grin shifted to something cockier and far more attractive.
"I'm aware," Bellatrix husked, her eyes darker than moments before, and the dip of her gaze was the only indication of her plans before she leaned forward to press her mouth against Hermione's once more.
It was obvious Bellatrix wanted to deepen the kiss by the way her tongue kept prodding Hermione's mouth, and by how she kept lightly scratching the base of Hermione's neck. Both actions were, admittedly, quite enjoyable, and it took Hermione more effort than she was ready to acknowledge to pull away. But she knew she needed to. Bellatrix was too injured for anything aside from a light peck, which Hermione placed apologetically on her mouth.
That didn't stop Bellatrix from glaring at her when she pulled away, though, even as Hermione tucked a wild strand of hair behind the girl's ear. "You're still hurt, and- uh, shirtless." Hermione blushed deeply as she said it, suddenly unable to look Bellatrix in the eyes any longer as she jerked from the bed, the action jolting her healing injuries enough that she hissed. "I should- get you a shirt. You need a shirt. Where is your shirt?"
"Granger," Bellatrix said, watching Hermione move around the room in a slow shuffle, trying to find the article of clothing. "Granger, sit down."
"I should tell the others you're awake, actually, now that I think about it. I should have done that first. Do you hurt? Did I hurt you? Do you need a potion?" Hermione was... slightly panicking, and she wasn't even entirely sure why.
Bellatrix shifted as much as her wounds and the blanket covering her chest would allow her to do, her eyebrows pulled down as she stared at Hermione. "Sit down." When Hermione didn't listen to the command, Bellatrix sighed with a roll of her eyes, the action not going unnoticed by Hermione. "Granger," she repeated. "Come back here. Calm down."
"I- can't." Hermione ran a hand through her hair, the fingers getting caught on a few different knots. "I'm sorry, I don't know why this is happening."
It took Bellatrix holding out her hand to Hermione for the brunette to still long enough to grab it, already feeling herself start to relax at the contact. Bellatrix pulled her back down onto the bed, the effort weak and nothing compared to the strength she usually possessed.
"Relax, Hermione," Bellatrix said, voice uncharacteristically gentle as she tugged Hermione once more, soft and slow, until Hermione was laying beside her on the bed, the only thing separating their bodies from touching being the blanket, both girls facing one another on their sides. "You didn't hurt me."
"I just... I'm so sorry, Bella," Hermione finally broke, tears once more flooding her eyes as she began to cry in earnest. "I'm so sorry."
Bellatrix looked slightly bewildered at the sudden change of emotion, and she awkwardly patted Hermione's shoulder. "Uh- you're fine?" She sounded so unsure and unlike herself, it was almost comical. "Why are you crying? Why are you apologizing?"
"I didn't get to you guys in time," Hermione confessed quietly, her crying distorting her words slightly, making them come out in a weird hiccup. "I didn't- you had to stay with your father for a week and he- he hurt you both. I'm so sorry I couldn't-"
"Stop it." Bellatrix's voice was hard, firm enough that it caught Hermione's attention, startling her enough that her crying momentarily paused. "What happened has nothing to do with you. Do not cry because of him, or over me."
"But-"
"No. My father is a horrid, wretched man, and my mother is just as terrible for abiding by it for all these years. None of that had anything to do with you."
"Bella-"
"What happened, happened. Nothing can change that. You came, and because of you, Hermione, my sisters are finally safe." Bellatrix looked away for a moment before looking back. "Thank you for that. Thank you for protecting them." She scrunched up her nose. "Stop crying. You don't look good."
Hermione whacked her, and Bellatrix chuckled, a small grin on her face as she took the gentle hit. In return, she pressed a kiss to the corner of Hermione's mouth, once, twice, all short and sweet and gentle.
"I'm not leaving," Hermione said quickly, all rushed words barely thought out. "I'm not. I'm staying here. In this timeline. With you. With Andromeda and Narcissa. I can't- I can't go back to my time, not when.. not when I feel how I do about you."
Confessing how she felt had never been one of Hermione's strong suits. She was logical, factual. Not driven by emotion, but Bellatrix had always been able to get her to act on emotion, be it good or bad, nothing with Bella had ever had anything to do with logical
Better to get it out now, when she was already emotional from everything that had happened. "I know I've already said it, but so much has happened since then, so...I want to stay here with you. I'm going to stay here with you. If.. you want that." The ending was much less sure than she wanted, coming out as a weak question instead of a statement.
But there was a blush on Bellatrix's cheeks, faint and barely noticeable, but Hermione had always been able to notice every small thing about Bellatrix. Still, the dark witch's grinned turned mocking, and she said, "You are very clingy."
Hermione whacked her again.
But the response was all Hermione needed to hear. She was able to understand the underlaying meaning of the teasing joke. Even if it wasn't really a joke.
She was staying. She wouldn't be going back to her timeline.
This was where she belonged.
At some point after Hermione had confessed she had no intentions of retuning to her timeline, they'd both succumbed to their exhaustion and fallen back asleep. Bellatrix had done so first, and Hermione couldn't find it in herself to leave, not when she had only just gotten her back. So she shifted the blanket to cover both of them, careful not to look at or touch Bellatrix's bare chest, before she closed her eyes as well.
When she woke up, she was warm. Very warm. That was most definitely caused by the girl still asleep beside her, taking up most of the bed and keeping Hermione trapped between her and the wall. Bellatrix had spread out sometime during their nap, asleep on her back with her side pressed entirely against Hermione, her legs towards the edge, black hair all over the place.
Hermione let herself run her fingers through the mess of it, perfectly content with watching her sleep. Alive, her brain kept screaming at her. Bellatrix was alive, as mouthy and cocky as ever, and asleep right beside her. She could do this for the rest of the day.
The peace was quickly ruined when the door opened.
"Bella, are you- oh."
Hermione jerked her head up to look at the grinning face of Andromeda.
Immediately, she said, "Do not-"
Andromeda's grin only grew, despite the fatigue still evident. "Have fun?"
"Andy-"
"For two people who looked so rough when I last saw you, you sure did-"
"Do not finish that sentence."
"I'm just-"
"Get out!" Hermione laughed as she yelled as loud as she dared so to not wake Bellatrix, her cheeks fiery hot from embarrassment. Underneath the feeling of annoyance from Andromeda's teasing, Hermione didn't think she had ever felt more relieved at seeing her friend standing there. It was such a change from before, when she had been so hurt she couldn't stand on her own. There were very few lingering reminders of the injuries, save for some bruising near her mouth and eyes, and the pallid skin tone.
The younger girl put her hands up good-naturedly, the grin on her face one so similar to Bellatrix's. "Okay, okay. I'll stop. For now. I had to beg Cissy to even let me walk this far, you know. I'm supposed to see if Bellatrix has woken up."
"She was awake earlier for a little bit before we both fell asleep again," Hermione said, her cheeks still hot with all Andromeda had implied. It was quite clear how it looked to an outsider, especially someone like Andromeda, given that Bellatrix was shirtless and they were in bed together and-
Okay, no.
She wasn't finishing the thought, not when her body was quickly heating up.
"How are you feeling?" She asked, both to distract herself and out of genuine concern. "Are you sure you should be standing?"
Andromeda rolled her eyes, walking farther into the room and slowly sitting down on the empty bed, shifting until her back was resting against the wall to hold most of her weight. "You sound like Cissy. I don't need two of you."
"Forgive us for being worried about you, you prat," Hermione quipped.
"I'm feeling better. My head is finally clear and most of the injuries are gone," the mouthy fifth year finally answer. She jerked her head towards where Bellatrix remained asleep beside Hermione. "How is she?"
Hermione couldn't help but trail a finger down Bellatrix's bare shoulder, the touch feather light to stop from accidentally hurting her. "She was better earlier. As rude and insulting as ever, so."
"So the Bella we all love and only mildly want to murder."
"Exactly," Hermione let out a quiet laugh. "You should get back to bed."
"Good to see you're back to your annoying self as well."
"I'd hex you if you wouldn't collapse from it."
Andromeda's laughter could still be heard as she walked down the hall and Hermione used magic to close the door without leaving the warmth and comforter of the bed and Bellatrix. She just snuggled down closer against the girl and closed her eyes once more.
They were all alive. Hermione was staying. Her and Bellatrix could figure out... whatever it was they needed to figure out. All of that was more than enough for Hermione right now. The rest she could face later, and it was all the easier knowing she had her family on her side.
Chapter 19: XIXNotes:hopefully this chapter makes up for taking so long
Chapter TextHermione took one look at Bellatrix as she marched towards them and scoffed. "No. Absolutely not. Not happening."
"I wasn't aware you made my decisions for me, Potter," Bellatrix snapped back as she brushed past, though Hermione did not miss the slight twitch of a grin. "I am perfectly capable of- watch it!" She was cut off as Hermione snatched the broom from her hand, holding it tightly to make sure the stupid dark witch couldn't get it back. "Give me back my broom. I am practicing with the team."
"No. You aren't. Your back is still healing. Don't be stupid and mess that up so you can play a quick match." Hermione was undeterred as she stared right back at Bellatrix while the rest of the team gathered around them, most likely a bit unsure of the outcome. They all still remembered who volatile one of the girls fights could easily become. "You can sit on the bench and watch. You do not need to play."
Apparently deciding that he did not want to see their brewing argument come to blows (and, just because Hermione and her have kissed a few times, and Bellatrix is the contending factor for staying in this timeline, did not mean Hermione suddenly lost all urge to hex her), Steve stepped up to intervene. "Potter's right, B, you're still recovering. We can't afford for you to get hurt more and miss anymore games." He dropped a hand lightly on Bellatrix's shoulder, who was quick to shrug him off, though he didn't seem the least bit bothered by the action. "We need you whole for the championship match, you know that. We kick ass. Also, mainly, we can't forfeit another one."
While the team had, of course, been thrilled to see Bellatrix and her sisters back in school, all of them had been less than thrilled at the fact that her's, and then Hermione's, absence had forced them to forfeit the last match. It was against Hufflepuff, and given how close all the houses were in points, every single game mattered. All sitting out did was given Ravenclaw that much more of a lead in first.
No one had been happy about it, but none of them had voiced that dissatisfaction, not when no one truly understood what had gone down while Hermione and them had been gone. Everyone, team members included, knew only what that one Prophet paper had written: there was an attack at the Black's vacation home, and Cygnus had been injured, with no mention of the daughters. Naturally, the school rumor mill had been quick to action, and no one seemed to know what to do when they all returned to the castle, still a bit bruised and battered, and tight lipped about the entire ordeal four days ago.
After the attack, Hermione and the Black sisters had spent three days at Order headquarters, and by the time Moody and Dumbledore declared the four of them fit enough (and the conditions safe enough) to return to school, none of them had complained. Hermione was already stressed over the amount of catch up work they'd all need to do, Bellatrix was furious over the missed Quidditch game, Andromeda was tired of them all fussing over her and Bellatrix, and Narcissa was snappier than usual, despite still insisting Andy and Bella were not strong enough to do things on their own just yet.
All in all, it resulted in many screaming matches between the girls over the three days, and Hermione was more than ready to return to her bed in the castle and actually get a peaceful night's rest, though she doubted that would happen. The constant thoughts of Cygnus Black, the impending First War, and Bellatrix kept her up more often than not, and if she were being honest with herself she didn't know which one weighed more heavily on her head.
The First War, as terrible as it would sound, was honestly her least pressing matter. She knew, no matter what actions she took, it would happen. She knew the outcome as well, as horrible as it was to think of the pain it would cause her friend one day. Harry's parents had to die, she knew that, it was a fact she could not risk changing, but the more she thought of it, the more she realized there were other things she absolutely could, and will, risk changing.
So no, the War was not her most pressing matter, not right now at least. She knew soon it would become undeniable, a battle she could not ignore, but right now it was at the back of her mind.
Cygnus Black, even, while completely nerve-racking to think about, did not cause her nearly as much grief as thinking of Bellatrix did. He was a threat, and an unpredictable one. History couldn't tell her how that would play out like it did with the War. History hadn't accounted for her coming back and getting Bellatrix and Narcissa and Andy on their side. So History had no idea what Cygnus Black had in store for them, and that set Hermione on edge.
And yet, she thought she'd still rather face that than deal with Bellatrix and their budding... whatever it was.
Her claim to stay in this timeline was true, no matter how much the thought of never seeing her friends and family (at least, in the way she knew them now) was. She was giving up everything, risking everything, for a shot at what? What were they? Bellatrix hadn't mentioned it, and while she did kiss Hermione more than a few times while they were alone over the three days at headquarters, neither one of them had brought it up again.
It also didn't help that, no matter how much Hermione and the Order had questioned them, none of the Black sisters had given any sort of information about what happened during that week they were gone. Narcissa had provided some preliminary information (who was involved, which of her family members to blame, where she thought her father might go now, what she thought he could be up to), but no one had mentioned what everyone was dying to know; what Cygnus did to Bellatrix and Andromeda.
Even Andy, usually so opened and talkative, had all but shoved Hermione away when she tried to gently pry for information, and Hermione hadn't been able to bring it up again, to either of them. It would seem that this part of their lives, at least for the time being, would remain closed off to Hermione.
She told herself it didn't matter. She knew it wasn't about them not trusting her, but more to do with this was their way of dealing with things. If she knew either girl as well as she thought she did, she knew they were both compartmentalizing their trauma. And would throw themselves into whatever they could to distract from it. For Andy, that her relationship with Teddy. And for Bella?
Quidditch.
"I say if Bellatrix is stupid enough to try and keep up with us, let her," Sebastian laughed as he spoke, and move too quickly for Hermione to counter as he took Bellatrix's broom. "It's been too long since we've all played together."
It was barely two weeks, but Hermione had to admit it felt like months. She had come to love the game, love early morning practices, and going so long without their team being complete had thrown her and the others off kilter. That didn't mean she'd cave easily about this though. Bellatrix's safety took priority over any pointless sport.
"Steve agrees with me, Bella. Think it through- are you truly going to risk hurting yourself and delaying recovery in the long run for a quick match right now, just to prove me wrong?"
Bellatrix didn't even take the time to think on it. "Yes."
"You're insufferable," Hermione hissed as she rolled her eyes, throwing up her hands. "Fine. If you want to be idiotic, don't come running to me when you get hurt."
Steve and the others laughed at that, and as they walked away towards the field Hermione caught him giving Bellatrix a worrying look, but that immediately went out the window when Bellatrix whispered in her ear, "But will you kiss my wounds, dragon-rider?"
Hermione's cheeks flushed and her heart picked up quickly, but she merely repeated, "Insufferable," as she whacked Bellatrix with the top of her broom and the two walked quickly to catch up to the others.
Two hours later, Bellatrix proudly limped past them all at the end of practice. She even had the gall to throw a roguish wink at Hermione as she did so, despite the prominent way she favored one side over the other.
A hand slapping Hermione in the back forced her attention from watching Bellatrix walk away, and she turned to find Steve and Victoria standing behind her. Victoria had one hand loosely wrapped around Steve's arm, both of them a bit muddied from practice, with Victoria's hair slipping from its braid in some spots.
"Looks like you have your work cut out for you, huh?" Steve smiled as he spoke, looking from Hermione to where Bellatrix had disappeared off to.
Hermione's exasperated grin slipped a bit. "I don't-"
"There aren't many people who B would let just take her broom like that. Or, let them talk to her like you do. She's... unpredictable at best, downright terrifying at worst. We love her, but..." he laughed and continued. "Hopefully you're better at relationships than you are at being a Chaser."
As the words settled around her, Hermione didn't know whether to let the panic set in at someone bringing up her and Bellatrix's relationship, or offense for being mocked for lacking Chasing skills. "What, uh, what-"
Victoria, it seemed, was not someone to try and play unaware with. She left Steve's side and came closer to Hermione, that pretty grin on her face. "We all see how you stare at you," she laughed, not a single hint of judgement in her tone. "Not to mention how she's been salivating after you like a dog for months now. It was only a matter of time." She gave one playful look over her shoulder to Steve. "Steve wanted to make sure you guys knew that whatever happens doesn't interfere with our championship win. I wanted to tell you congratulations. It truly is about time."
"I said good for them as well, Victoria," Steve butt in, moving closer to both girls now. "Really, Hermione, whatever you two have going on, we do hope you're happy. We all know she needs a bit of happiness in her life right now."
"I think being kidnapped should justify being excused from homework for the rest of the year," Andromeda grumbled as she stared down at her assignment. It was arithmancy, and Hermione and her had gone to an empty classroom together to study. Narcissa had found them next, giving no explanation for how she had known they were there, no matter how much either girl asked, and she just told them to shut up and get their work done while she did her own.
Bellatrix didn't show up for another hour, and when she did, she was changed out of their uniform and into a plain black dress, the sleeves dipping a bit over onto her hands. She said nothing to them as she dropped into the empty desk beside Hermione's, though she made no effort to start any assignments.
"Are you actually here to work, Bella, or are you distracting us?" Narcissa asked as she stared at her sister, who was in the process of twirling her wand around her knuckles. "Shouldn't you be catching up on work?"
"I'm all caught up," Bellatrix responded, sounding entirely offended Narcissa had thought anything less. "Unlike the three of you, I actually care about school." She grinned at Hermione as she said that, which earned her a quill tossed to her chest. She gently tossed it back onto Hermione's desk. "What, am I wrong?"
"You're entirely wrong, you annoying prat," Hermione huffed as she tried to focus on her work. She could feel her motivation slipping the longer Bellatrix remained beside her, playing with her wand, feet now kicked up onto the desk. It didn't take her long to drop the quill and shift so she was looking at Bellatrix.
She had meant to speak, meant to tell Bellatrix she needed to leave, or move away, because whenever she was in close proximity, Hermione lost all ability to properly function, but... But it was so hard to focus when Bellatrix looked like that. When her hair was wild and partially in her face, when her bottom lip was pulled beneath her teeth as she stared at her wand. It really didn't help that Hermione knew what it felt like to be kissed by that mouth, or how it felt to have those hands running up her sides and stomach.
It didn't make matters any better that her conversation with Steve and Victoria the day before was still circling in her mind. They knew about whatever it was her and Bellatrix were doing, and they'd jokingly wished her luck. She didn't imagine there would truly be any sort of backlash from dating (it wasn't dating, they weren't dating, right? Dating meant... she didn't know what it really meant, but a few rushed and handsy kisses could not count as dating), but it still felt nice to have someone acknowledge their relationship and even encourage it.
"You're blushing, Granger," Bellatrix said lowly, voice little more than a gruff whisper as she turned to watch Hermione watch her. "Blushing and staring. Dare I ask what you're thinking of?"
Andromeda and Narcissa, bless them, pretended they couldn't hear as they focused entirely on their schoolwork.
Hermione felt emboldened. "You."
Bellatrix didn't hesitate to drop her feet from the desk and lean forward. "Andy, Cissy," she said without taking her eyes off of Hermione, "Go find somewhere else to be."
"What?" Narcissa huffed, annoyance clear on her gorgeous features. "You came to us. You two find somewhere else to be."
Hermione could tell this would be an argument neither sister backed down from, and she wasn't in the mood to listen, not when suddenly all she think of was Bellatrix's hands on her waist and her mouth on her's. She pulled at Bella's hand as she stood up. "We're going for a walk. Andy, can you bring my school things back to the common room?"
Rationally, she knew they were being annoying and inappropriate, and she would have bet galleons that Andromeda would be making fun of her later, but she just wanted Bellatrix right now. She'd deal with the mockery later. Mercifully, Andromeda agreed to the request with little comment, and soon Hermione and Bellatrix were saying their rushed goodbyes as they left the room and started walking through the empty halls.
They hadn't been walking for too long before Bellatrix broke the silence by saying, "You're a terrible influence, Ms. Granger. Here I was, trying to study, and you-"
That broke a laugh from Hermione. "I'm the terrible influence? Odd, how we were all perfectly content studying until you showed up, and distracted us all." They rounded a corner, and Hermione nearly stumbled when she felt Bellatrix slip her hand into her's. "You almost made me fall."
"I think you tripped yourself," Bellatrix grinned, the same one that Hermione had found so incredibly infuriating when they first met, and now couldn't get enough of. Looking at her now made her stomach flip in the best way, and she tugged playfully on Bellatrix's warm hand. She could feel a bit of calluses from holding the broom, and Hermione held back tighter. She went to take another right but Bellatrix stopped her, tugging her the opposite direction. "This way. We have plans."
"Do we?"
"Yes. Now stop asking questions. You're going to ruin it."
Hermione sincerely doubted asking one question was 'going to ruin it' but she smiled and obeyed, allowing herself to be pulled through the castle until they reached the third floor. Bellatrix guided them into another empty room, this one having been abandoned for some time if the sheet covered furniture was anything to go by, but the dark witch remained steadfast as she walked to behind some, where Hermione could see the flicker of a candle against the wall.
"Bella, what are we-" she began to question the other girl until she cut herself off with a gasp at what she saw.
Narcissa and Andromeda couldn't have helped set this up. There was no way, they'd been with her too long. Planning it, maybe, but neither had given any sort of inclination that Bellatrix was doing something, so she didn't think that was the case either.
No, this had to be all Bella.
The corner of the room, hidden by some old furniture, was now converted into a small space for the two of them. The dusty floor was covered by a green and silver blanket, an extra blanket folded and off to the side, an uncountable amount of pillows circling it all, a few candles spelled to float high above them, and a small basket in the center.
She turned to Bella, wide eyed and opened mouthed, and found the girl standing there, staring down at the floor, cheeks a bit reddened.
Bellatrix was nervous. And embarrassed. She did this... romantic gesture for Hermione, and was nervous about it.
She didn't need to think twice before she rushed forward and forced Bellatrix to kiss her, smiling so hard their teeth banged together and Bellatrix pulled away from the impact.
"What is this for?" Hermione asked after a moment, unable to get the smile from her face or to slow her racing heart. "Why'd you do this."
Bellatrix rolled her eyes, and dragged Hermione into the corner and on the ground. She must have spelled the blanket, because instead of feeling the hard floor like Hermione expected, she felt only the fluffiness of the blanket. "Do we have to do this... gushy emotional part. Can't you just eat the snacks and praise me?"
As Hermione opened up the tiny basket and saw the various foods, she was suddenly reminded of a very similar situation with Daniel, a day that felt like eons ago. Daniel had packed a picnic and sat under the sun out on the grounds. He had been so unsure of it, so anxious to impress Hermione that day. And she had spent most of it thinking of Bella, and how it had felt to kiss her for the first time. Not long after that, the girl in question had appeared with Rodolphus, and promptly tried to ruin their outing. Of course, Hermione could now recognize it came from a place of jealousy (a though that made her smile. She was the cause of Bellatrix Black being jealous).
"Why're you smiling like that, Granger?"
"Do you remember that day I went out with Daniel, and you and Rodolphus interrupted it?"
A stormy look immediately passed over Bellatrix's face as she scowled down at the basket. "Why're you thinking about that poor excuse for a Quidditch player? Honestly, I have no idea why you ever gave him the time of day and-"
Hermione put her hand overtop of Bellatrix's tense one, rubbing her thumb over the knuckle. "Relax, Bella. I was thinking about how much I thought about you when I was out with him. That was right after we, um, kissed in the lake."
"Ah, when you assaulted me. I vividly remember that."
"Don't say that!" Hermione laughed as she lightly whacked Bellatrix's arm, watching the girl pull out small plates of goodies, all wrapped to stop from falling out, and Bellatrix dutifully pulled away the plastic and passed a small bowl of sliced strawberries to Hermione. "How did you manage to do all of this? You outright refused to help cook at headquarters."
Bellatrix scoffed at the idea that Hermione would entertain Bellatrix cooking. "I had Narcissa ask the house elves to do this. They despise me, and love her, for whatever unknown reason. They agreed, and did this. Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue what Cissy told them to put in here. She gave me the basket right before she went to find you, and then I came here. This food better be good, otherwise her and the elves are in for it."
"Make sure you thank her and the elves," Hermione smiled as she kissed Bellatrix's cheek. "This is... beyond anything I would have ever expected from you," she added honestly, not wanting to offend Bellatrix with the truth, but needing to say it anyway. "I love it. Thank you. But really, why did you do this?"
"Should I not praise a pretty girl? Especially when that same pretty girl is the one who saved my sisters and I from a.... less than pleasant ordeal."
Ah, that's what this is about.
Hermione slipped her hand into Bellatrix's, pulling it up to place a light kiss on it. "You don't need to do this because of that, Bella. I did it because I... I was going out of my mind without knowing what was happening with the three of you. I- you're- all of you are so very important to me, and I would do anything to keep you safe." The vivid memory of the panic she felt at believing she killed Cygnus hit her quickly and brutally, and she shoved that to the back of her mind. She wasn't a killer, but she very well could have been, all for the three Black sisters. She added, just to lighten the suddenly heavy mood, "I will accept you doing this because you think I'm pretty though."
"Watch it, Granger, your ego is beginning to rival my own."
Hermione popped a strawberry into her mouth and said, "Merlin knows we don't need two of you."
She gasped when a tiny, still sightly wet, and very cold blueberry smacked into her cheek.
"Bellatrix!"
"You deserved that," Bellatrix said with a crooked grin, popping the other blueberry from her hand into her mouth. "Now leave me alone so I can enjoy this lavish feast."
"Why do I put up with you?"
"Would you like me to list all of my best qualities? I can alphabetize them if you'd like."
"Please, stop talking to me."
"Oh, if you didn't want to talk, you just needed to say so..." Bellatrix trailed off as she leaned closer, and Hermione let herself smile as Bellatrix pressed their mouths together. Both of them were slightly sticky from the fruit, the taste nearly overpoweringly sweet, but neither of them cared.
It didn't take long until Bellatrix's tongue was swiping at Hermione's bottom lip, silently asking for access, and she didn't hesitate to grant it, nearly moaning at the feel of the girl's tongue now in her mouth. They'd kissed at headquarters, but this was the first time they had been able to since returning to school, and Hermione would be lying if she said she didn't miss it. Didn't crave it at every waking moment. Especially when Bellatrix moved suddenly, shifting until one leg was thrown over Hermione's lap, and she was straddling her.
Oh. Oh. Oh Merlin-
A moan did finally escape when Bellatrix rolled her hips into Hermione's, pale hands tangling into her hair and pulling harder at her head. Hermione's hands were gripped tightly to Bellatrix's waist, holding the girl in place and forcing her to keep up that grinding motion.
Waves of arousal swept over Hermione as her own hips moved back in response, desperate for a contact she hadn't experienced before. She was about ready to knock Bellatrix to the ground and take control herself, but it seemed that, as always, they were on the same page, for Hermione felt Bellatrix gently pushing at her chest, signaling she wanted her to lay on her back, which Hermione was quick to do.
Bellatrix moved to follow, stretching out so she was above Hermione, their hips pressed tightly against one another as their hands wandered. Bellatrix's mouth moved sloppily from Hermione's to her cheek, then her jaw, until finally settling on her neck, desperately biting marks into the increasingly sweaty skin. She stuttered when she felt Hermione's hand grip her own and guide it to her thigh.
It was perhaps the most bold Hermione had been, but she was desperate for attention, desperate for all Bellatrix had to offer, and now was not the time to second guess anything, not when this all felt so perfectly natural.
"Are you sure?" Bellatrix mumbled into Hermione's neck, voice huskier than ever before. "We can... stop," she added, the sentence sounding pained as she trailed her hands up Hermione's bare thigh. Hermione made a mental note to thank the school founders for insisting girls wear skirts each day. She had never stopped to consider it, but it definitely made... certain things easier.
"Don't you dare stop," Hermione ordered, her entire body shaking when Bellatrix bit the sensitive skin above her collarbone. She had never felt this... this aroused a day in her life before now, but the closer Bellatrix's hands got to between her legs, the closer they got to-
Hermione expected herself to be nervous. To be scared and anxious and second guessing her every move. But she didn't feel any of that. Bellatrix had put so much effort into this surprise, and she knew the girl didn't do it out of hopes of having sex. She did it because she liked Hermione, liked her a lot, and wanted to show her that and that she was thankful for all Hermione had done. None of it came from wanting a sexual repayment, and as Bellatrix's hands moved from her thigh (and Hermione most definitely did not whimper at the loss of contact) to begin unbuttoning her blouse, she couldn't help but think how right this felt.
"Fuck," Bellatrix groaned out once Hermione's shirt was completely undone, her flat stomach and white bra now on full display. "Fuck," she just repeated, pulling back to get a better view, even as her hands moved, seemingly automatically, to the clasp on Hermione's back. "Can I?"
"Yes," Hermione replied immediately, arching upwards to give Bellatrix better access, which the girl did not waste. A second later, the garment was loosened around her chest, and both of them raced to rip it off.
Bellatrix's hands were on Hermione's chest immediately, thumbs brushing against her straining nipples once, twice, until she was leaning down, cool fingers being replaced by a warm mouth that had Hermione's eyes squeezing shut and her back arching to get closer to Bellatrix as one of her hands moved back to Hermione's thigh.
Hermione's heart was racing, both from the fact she had never been more aroused in her life, but also due to her about to have sex for the first time. With Bellatrix. Her and Bellatrix were going to sleep together, right here on the ground, in a little corner the other girl had so sweetly set up for them and-
"Bella," Hermione gasped when quick fingers rubbed against her clothed center, startling her out of her thoughts as she rolled her hips into the touch. "Bella, please-"
She didn't need to ask again. Bellatrix rubbed up her center once, stopping at the apex and pressing down, circling it just how Hermione needed, and Hermione's nails dug into Bellatrix's shoulders at the indescribable sensation that was overtaking her body right in that moment.
"You're so... wet," Bellatrix mumbled against her chest, undeniable awe in her voice as she moved her hand away, dragging an embarrassing whine from Hermione that was cut off when she realized the dark witch was just trying to get her skirt and underwear off.
Hermione assisted by lifting her hips, watching with wide eyes as Bellatrix pulled both down, and then got right back to business by placing her fingers back on Hermione, now without any cloth barrier. Hermione had only a second to feel pointlessly embarrassed before a finger was slowly, gently, pushing its way inside of her.
Instinctually she tensed, her body unused to the intrusion, but Bellatrix began whispering lowly into her ear, urging her to relax and promising she'd enjoy every second, and it didn't take long for Bellatrix to enter her to the knuckle. She stilled for a minute, and Hermione wiggled a bit to get accommodated. When she felt ready, she nodded to continue, and Bellatrix started up a slow, barely there back and forth movement that had Hermione's breathing stopping and starting at irregular intervals.
"Bella," she repeated, eyes tightly closed and bottom lip bit painfully between her teeth. She didn't want to be too loud, but the urge to moan, to scream out her pleasure, was becoming too much.
Bellatrix seemed to notice, for she kissed Hermione soundly, forcing her to release her lip, and gasped into her mouth, "Do not fucking be quiet, Hermione."
As she said it, she picked up her fingers pace, moving quicker and with more force. Suddenly, Hermione felt another finger at her entrance, and just spread her legs wider, an uncontrollable urge to take all of what Bellatrix had to offer taking over her. She didn't need nearly as long to adjust to this one, and it was easy to for Bellatrix to get both in deep, curling and scissoring the digits in a way that had Hermione seeing stars.
It was perfect- it was nearly perfect, she just needed-
"I want to touch you," Hermione gasped, her hips moving seemingly on their own accord as Bellatrix moved her fingers in and out of her. She couldn't focus on anything other than how expertly Bella did this, how she knew all the right ways to make Hermione scream. "Please," she added when Bellatrix was too caught up to respond. "Please, let me touch you."
She needed to wait only for Bellatrix's jerkily made head nod before she scrambled for the zipper at the base of the girl's neck, shakily pulling it down until it was loose enough to slip down her arms. Hermione almost screamed in despair when Bellatrix had to remove her hand to get out the dress, but she was back a second later, slamming into Hermione was no warning and picking up speed once more.
Now with the dress completely off, Hermione noticed Bellatrix had chosen not to wear a bra at all tonight, and she slid her hands up until they cupped the girl's breasts, squeezing them gently once experimentally. Bellatrix moaned, so Hermione did it again, and- yep. She could touch the girl's breasts all night, if she let her.
"Hermione," Bellatrix chastised, voice strained and gravelly. "Fuck me."
Hermione didn't think she'd ever heard a hotter command, and she was quick to obey. Silently, she hoped Bellatrix didn't notice the way her hands shook when she removed them from her chest and slid down her stomach, stopping for only the briefest of seconds at the edge of Bellatrix's underwear before pulling them down as well, and dipping her fingers down, past soft curls and into soaking wet heat.
"Oh my god," Hermione breathed out as she slid one finger into Bellatrix, feeling the way the girl clenched around her. Merlin, it was... it was... this was the best thing that's ever happened to her. And it only continued to get better and better as she slowly moved her finger in and out, letting Bellatrix get used to the sudden intrusion, and feeling how Bellatrix moved her hips in response, pushing down onto Hermione's hand as she continued with her own ministrations.
"Fuck, Hermione, fuck," Bellatrix moved, her head dropping onto Hermione's shoulder and her eyes squeezed tight. Both of their hips were moving quickly, and Hermione slowly eased in a second finger, stilling for all of one heartbeat before she pushed in deep to her knuckle, and Bellatrix let out her loudest moan yet, the noise only partially muffled by Hermione's skin.
Hermione was close. She could feel it building low in her stomach, and could feel herself clenching tighter around Bellatrix's fingers, the girl now thrusting inside of her at an unrelenting pace as they both dragged moan after moan out of one another.
It only took Bellatrix curling her fingers and pressing her thumb down on that spot for Hermione's entire body to tense up, her one hand digging crescent shapes into Bellatrix's back while her other froze inside of her, as she screamed out Bellatrix's name.
"Keep fucking me," Bellatrix ordered once Hermione was able to open her eyes again, the dark witch's hips moving desperately onto Hermione's fingers to keep the pleasure going.
Slightly delirious, Hermione continued, her movements a bit slower and out of sync than previously, but her body was being a bit too much like jello right in that moment to have any more skill. Not that it seemed to matter, as she could feel how Bellatrix began clenching tighter, making it nearly impossible to move her fingers, she pushed upwards and pressed her mouth against Bellatrix's throat, sinking her teeth in and sucking the skin in roughly.
That did it. Bellatrix nearly tumbled on top of Hermione as her orgasm crashed over her, her legs shaking and her mouth opened in a silent scream, eyebrows pulled down as her entire body twitched.
Okay, Hermione took it back. That was the best thing that's ever happened to her. Her heart had to be beating a mile a minute, her body was coated in a sheen of sweat, and her fingers were sticky in a way she'd never experienced. And goddamn did she love every blissful second of it.
When they had finished, when Hermione finally felt as if her brain and her body were once again properly together, and she no longer felt as if she was floating away, she shifted Bellatrix to lay beside her and pulled the extra blanket over their naked bodies. She wouldn't say it out loud, but she was immensely disappointed at being unable to see Bellatrix's tantalizing body, but she'd begin to feel like a weirdo if she kept staring any longer.
Bellatrix pulled her into her side, hands tangling into Hermione's now properly messed up hair. "I'll admit, this wasn't the outcome I had planned when I did this. You'll hear no complaints from me though. Merlin, woman, you sure know how to get me to stop breathing."
Hermione pressed a soft kiss to the underside of Bellatrix's jaw, nestling in closer to her warmth. She never wanted to leave this moment. The two of them, secure and naked in one another's arms... that was all she needed. "I'll admit," she started slowly, mimicking the other girl's words, "I wouldn't have ever thought I'd do... well, this on school grounds. I always pictured my first time being... I don't even know. I didn't think I would have enjoyed it nearly as much as I did."
It was the wrong thing to say. Hermione realized that the moment the words escaped her lips, but there was nothing she could do to take it back, not as she watched one side of Bellatrix's mouth curl up into that mocking grin and the tip of her tongue poke out. "Yes, yes, continue to sing my praise."
"Don't ruin this." Hermione laughed, arching herself further into Bellatrix when she felt soft fingers tickle their way up her spine.
Bellatrix cleared her throat, and Hermione looked back up at her, taking in her still flushed cheeks, wet mouth, and wild hair, and couldn't help but smile. Yes, this was probably the complete opposite of how she envisioned her first time, but she wouldn't change a single thing, not when Bellatrix looked back down at her and kissed her nose.
The Bellatrix Black just kissed Hermione's nose.
She seemed to realize what she had done a moment later, as she scowled down at Hermione and just said, "You tell no one about that."
"And here I was, about to leave and go tell Andromeda and Narcissa all about tonight." She just laughed some more when Bellatrix nipped the tip of her ear, though that soft laugh was quick to shift into a low moan when that mouth traveled lower, pausing on her ear lobe and then leaving hot, wet kisses down her neck until she was able to claim her mouth.
As she felt Bellatrix's hand trail down past her hip, she knew she was absolutely correct that she wouldn't change a thing, and was most definitely looking forward to spending the rest of the night doing nothing but worshipping Bellatrix's body.