Bellamione - her beloved monster

16. A Monster Of Himself

The young man turned and disappeared into the crowd. Hermione opened her eyes, her lips parting from Bella's, who took her hands off her friend's waist.
Mione's entire body trembled.
"What was that?" The brown-haired witch said in a cracked voice.
Bellatrix took a step back and turned to the side. "A diversionary maneuver. Rodolphus didn't see the letter." The Black paused, "Doll, are you wearing strawberry-flavored lip glosses?" Bella licked her lips.
Hermione nodded, "Yes, Narcissa lent it to me. She says Lucius likes it that way."
She shouldn't have said that.
Now her friend put her hands in front of her face: "There are things I don't want to know!"
Red-cheeked, Hermione looked the student in the eye.

"Bella, what is - what if he tells it to others."
Her friend shook her head: "He's too scared, don't worry."
Bellatrix emerged from the pile of junk and grabbed a drink from a nearby table.
"If you'll excuse me -"
And so the dark-haired beauty left Hermione.

Later that evening, Hermione was lying in her bed. Alone.
It was mid-October, Friday night, Hermione only noticed how shivered she was.
Her roommates were fast asleep, only Bellatrix's bed was empty.
And so Hermione had enough time to think.

- Gaining confidence, waiting for the birthday -

Her mission succeeded too well, she had noticed this at the latest when she found her lips on Bellatrix.
She should hate them.
Bellatrix Lestrange, the murderous witch who tortured Neville's parents, killed Sirius, Tonks, and Dobby.
And so did she.
She had been a shadow of herself.
But Hermione couldn't hate Bellatrix Black, not as she had met her.
The brown-haired witch knew what she felt for the murderess-to-be, she just couldn't let it happen.
And so she closed her eyes and dreamed of the dark mark burning into the parchment.

The next morning in the great hall.
Bellatrix's bed had remained empty that night, as had her seat in the great hall.
Hermione searched the ranks for her friend, only finding her two sisters.
"Cissy, Andy, have you seen Bella? I've got Defense Against the Dark Arts coming up and I can't find her."
The older of the two cocked her head: "Didn't she tell you anything?"
Hermione shook her head boldly.
"She received an owl after the party yesterday, because of father." And Andromeda's eyes suddenly darkened: "She rushed ahead, I have to have us - us later -" But the middle Black couldn't utter a sound and grabbed her little sister's hand.

A little later, Hermione had finished her lesson and made a decision.
Packing her bag, she rushed to Hogsmead and Disapparated from there.

London, October 1968
The rain pelted the cobblestones.
A deserted street appeared, perhaps because the passers-by had taken refuge in the nearest shops.
The storm came out of nowhere and nearly swallowed a young woman.
She fought against the wind with her umbrella and sheltered under a shop sign.
Panting, the young woman clutched her side and pulled a cigarette out of her coat pocket.
The girl looked around nervously and suddenly saw a figure in a dark cloak next to her.
Other than to be afraid, Bella raised her eyebrows.
"Do you happen to have a lighter?"
But before she could react, the stranger pulled out a wand and said, "Incendo."
Bellatrix's cigarette caught fire, the student's eyes widened.
"Who are-" But before she could finish, the figure pulled his hood off.
A tall man emerged, his face disfigured by scars and his eyes blazing red.
One of the large scars ran from his forehead to his nose, his jet-black hair darkened his demeanor.
He had probably been very pretty before, but now he was just a monster of himself, destroyed from all the fighting
The unknown gentleman was in his forties and put his wand back in his pocket.

"Black, did you get my message?"
Bella slowly stepped back, her entire body shaking.
But the man didn't let her go and grabbed her arm.
His strong hands turned into claws, his nails digging deep into her skin.
"Let me go!" she shrieked, feeling her holster for her wand.
"I want to talk to you!" He spoke to her, but his voice was drowned out in an ugly hiss.
"But not with them! Let me go! I said stay away from me!"
The figure was just about to pull the student behind him when a person appeared to him.
Suddenly a beam of red light exploded.
He shot at the Lord.
But before he could meet him, the Lord disapeared in smoke.
Bellatrix fell to the ground and groped for her wand.
Her friend stood in front of her, worried and wrapped in a gray coat.
"Who was that?"