Shades of Grey

Hogsmeade

Hermione was just beginning to come out of her slumber. She immediately noted the headache that was pounding behind her eyes. She satisfactorily stretched out her aching limbs when she noted the feeling of silk touch her skin. Her eyes shot open and she faced a brief moment of panic. She wasn't waking up in her own bed. She shot up in the bed to a seated position faster than she could ever recall moving. Her pounding head reeling at the sudden motion sent a wave of nausea to her stomach. Quelling the nausea, Hermione looked around at her settings. She noted that she was alone in the dark bedroom. The light from the outside coming in from the window had alerted her to the fact that it was indeed morning. The bedroom was decorated in dark greens and blacks. As she was looking around, she noted a chair in the corner. The chair had a few corsets draped over the back. She also saw her pants folded on the chair with her shoes placed underneath.

"Perfect. I'm not wearing pants and I'm in Bellatrix's bed. How did I bloody well went up here?" Hermione sighed out and moaned a pained sound as she got out of the comfortable bed. Noticing a piece of parchment on the side table with a potion bottle, curiosity peaked and Hermione picked up the note. "Hermione, please drink this potion. I've had my fair share of hangovers throughout the years. This potion will help calm the pain that I'm sure you are feeling. I didn't realize what a light weight you were." God, Hermione could practically hear her smirk through the note. Rolling her eyes, Hermione picked up the potion and drank it down. There would be no sense in Bellatrix poisoning her now was Hermione's thought as she finished the potion in one gulp. She immediately felt the pressure behind her eyes start to fade and the nausea was feeling immensely better.

Looking back a the bed, Hermione noted that only the side where she had been laying was ruffled. That leads her to believe that she did not share the bed with her host last night. "So how did I go from watching Friends on the couch to my professor's bed without my pants." Hermione thought outloud quietly as she put on her pants, shoes and grabbed her wand. She took the opportunity go to into the bathroom to look herself over in the mirror an to use the loo. Nothing visually stood out to Hermione besides her awful bedhead. She quickly washed her face in the sink with the soap sitting in a little snake dish. She used the hand towel hanging by the sink hoping the older witch wouldn't mind. She then attempted to fix her hair by just throwing it up on the top of her head and using a spell to clean it.

Hermione slowly opened the door to the bedroom and walked quietly into the kitchen area. She saw that Bellatrix was laying facedown on the couch with one arm falling to the floor. She didn't look remarkably comfortable but she did seem at peace. Hermione whispered, "Winky?" And the small elf appeared in front of Hermione.

"What can Winky do for Mistress Hermione?" The small elf said with a smile. Hermione was glad to see Winky finally looking happy here at Hogwarts.

"Can you please bring some toast, eggs, fruit, and juice from the Great Hall for me and Bellatrix? I would really appreciate it."

"That would be my pleasure." The small elf said with a pop and she was gone and back within seconds. She put the food on the table and said her goodbye to Hermione. Hermione took a minute to search the cabinet and found some tea. She quietly brewed some tea for both of them and placed it on the kitchen table.

Hermione walked over to the couch and bent down so she was squatting by Bellatrix's head. She gently reached out and tucked a few strands of hair that were blocking her face. Bellatrix didn't respond so Hermione reached out and placed her hand on her Professor's back. "Bella. It's time to wake up. I have some food here for you."

Bellatrix rolled slightly to look at the woman who was looking so softly at her. "Did you call me Bella?"

"Yes, sorry. I didn't mean to. It just kind of came out." Hermione responded with a slight blush.