Ultimatums

Chapter 5

When the party got back to Grimmauld Place, all hell broke loose. Druella was screaming at Bellatrix, throwing simple hexes at her, shouting about how she embarrassed the family and should be blasted off the tree. Walburga was trying to mend Hermione's dress, with dark magic, and Cygnus and Orion were playing cards in the middle of the chaos that was the drawing room, as if his was a daily occurrence.

Narcissa pulled Hermione from the room and led her down to her temporary bedroom, pulling the door closed quietly.

"The Black Family escape plan" Narcissa explained to Hermione's quizzical look. "You're taking Sirius's place, although he's usually the one being shouted at. We sneak off in pairs, until the adults turn on each other, and the person in trouble can leave"

"Wow. So this comes up often, huh?"

"Yeah, after almost every group outing. See we might not like each other all the time, but our loyalty is to the death."

"Something James and Sirius lack" Hermione walked over to her vanity and sat in the chair. "Do you think Walburga will get the robes back to normal?"

"No, Zonko charms it's products. It'll give her something to do, instead of terrorising Orion and Kreacher, though"

"Oh she's not going to stop until she figures it out. She's beyond pissed it happened while you were under her charge. I don't doubt she'll take it to Zonkos herself to demand they fix it" Regulus said as he crept into the room, shutting the door behind Andromeda.

He walked over to Hermione and started pulling the pins from her hair gently. "Are you alright Nita? You don't think your Mother really meant that you aren't welcome back?"

Hermione sighed and looked at him through the mirror. "She'll miss me by summer, though I can't say anything about Easter just yet. It'll be a surprise if she sends gifts tomorrow"

"Merlin I forgot it's Christmas tomorrow. Well in 30 minutes" Andromeda laughed exasperatedly. "We'll be round here I think"

"Can we go on the roof, Reg? When Bella comes back?" Hermione's eyes brightened up.

"Course. I'll get Kreacher to bring some snacks up there too" Regulus pulled the last pin out, and Hermione's curls tumbled down her back freely.

Bellatrix stumbled into the room a few minutes later, with gashes on her face and arms, her skirt torn and her lip split. The kids put her on Hermione's bed, and whipped out their wands.

"Cissa, you start mending the dress, Nita, go get some warm towels, and Reggie start cleaning her arms up. I'll work on Bella's face" Andromeda instructed, whispering incantations and healing her sister's injuries.

It took them at least 10 minutes to get her healed, but there was no healing her temper.
"Oh I have half a mind to go back to Potter Manor and give that witch a piece of my mind, waving everything off as pranks! And now Father's more likely to shove me into marrying Lestrange as soon as I graduate, instead of waiting a while longer. Apparently children will turn my temper into patience. I despise children anyway. Always have and will" she paused to take a breath, so Hermione interrupted her before she could start again.

"What did happen in the parlour?" She asked, but when she saw Bellatrix's eyes darken, she regretted it instantaneously. Narcissa saw too, so she answered instead.

"We told her of those boys and their insistent bullying and she waved it away, couldn't see past her failed parenting to see the truth. She said we embarrassed everyone. Then I may or may not have said that we hold no love for Potter like you do, so we won't have qualms about retaliation."

Hermione felt a swell of many emotions swirl around inside her. She felt sick that her mother didn't defend her, anger that the Marauders always got away with everything and love for the Blacks who treated her like their own.