Shades of Grey

Four Letter Words

Hermione sighed, "Bella, I have to tell you something and I'm not entirely sure you are going to like all of what I have to say."

Bellatrix stared back at the girl with an unreadable expression on her face. "This is it," she thought, "she's finally decided that I'm just not good enough for her." Bella visibly gulped. "Well let's be out with it then. Just say what you have to say and leave. I understand." Bella said dismissively while scooting away from Hermione and dropping her hands.

"Umm. What?" Hermione asked.

"You are here to end things with me. I can honestly say I'm a little blindsided but expected this at some point. So just get on with it, no need to drag it out longer than it needs to be."

"No. Bella. That's not what this is about. The opposite in fact. I fear you'll be mad at me once I tell you what happened today." Hermione said. Her eyes were welling up with tears.

"Me? Be cross at you? What ever for, Hermione. There's nothing you could've done to warrant such tears." Bella said scooting back in. She brought a thumb up to Hermione's cheek to brush away the single tear that escaped.

"Funny. That's what Minerva said as well," she said letting out a small sigh. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen today. It just all happened sort of quickly and I wasn't thinking. I just couldn't stand to hear the way she was talking about you."

"Dove, you are going to have to start filling in the blanks for me here. I'm a little lost. Whatever it is just tell me and we will figure it out together." Bella said placing a comforting hand on the brunette's leg.

"So you know how I went round to Harry's today?"

"Yes. Of course."

"Well he wasn't the only one at his house. I was greeted at the door by little Teddy Lupin." Hermione chanced a glance me at her partner.

Bella looked as if she was trying to recall a memory. "Lupin... why does that name seem so familiar?"

"Teddy Lupin was Nymphadora's son. She gave birth to him right before the final battle." Hermione said seeing the realization wash over Bellatrix's face. "He's a lovey little boy. Harry and I were sat down having some tea when Teddy's grandmother came to pick him up."

Bellatrix's face fell when she seemed to put two and two together. "Oh," was her quiet response. She hung her head. "Continue," she urged the girl to finish her retelling.

"Harry and I were talking about me and you. Specifically my feelings for you and what's going to happen after Hogwarts." Hermione said with a small smile. "I don't really know how it all happened. I just got so angry hearing the lies she was saying about you."

"What exactly was my darling sister going off about?"

"She said that you were incapable of change. That you would just go back to being your old self." Hermione cast her eyes down.

"What else..."

"She said that you'd be never capable of loving me." Hermione said tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"Oh dove." Bella said reaching out to embrace the younger witch. "Well I should hope by now that you know it isn't true. It hasn't been an easy journey for me but at this point I had hoped that I have proved I'm capable of change."

"I know... I've seen the changes in you, Bella. It wasn't that at all. I was just so mad that you weren't there to defend yourself." Hermione shook her head. "I can't explain it. Can you please just watch it yourself?"

"You want me to go in your mind?" Bella asked for confirmation.

Hermione nodded yes.

"All right love. Here I come." Hermione felt a gentle pressure as her girlfriend pushed into the front of her mind. Hermione had the memory pushed to the front so Bella would have easy access to it.