I love you, brother! (The seasons)

Chapter 12

Early Spring. The house of Lestrange family, Prague, 1995.

"...Tell me why did you come into my life,

Without warning or advert,

And now appearance of yours's so rife,

From loving you myself I hardly can collect..."

The beauty of the weather and the magic of the poem overwhelmed Hermione that morning. The garden of Lestrange family was full of charming fragrance of lilies-of-the-valley. Hermione was sitting on the bench in their garden reading poems. She had some days off study after her big quarrel with Bellatrix. Mr. Lestrange advised them to take a break from each other. He hoped they will finally come to terms, but unfortunately it seemed their hatred was so reciprocal and so strong that they couldn't breathe the same air. Hermione spent her days in the garden of their house or in the Franciscan Garden; Bellatrix rarely appeared home.

That day both of the two witches were home. They were striving to avoid a close meet with each other. Hermione chose to spend her day in the garden as she smelled the perfume of the lilies-of-the-valley and felt they were her perfect healing. The flowers were planted by her father some years before. Hermione was now astonished of this act of him remembering, as she thought he didn't care too much about his own life, why would he care about such little things, like filling with perfume their garden? However Hermione was thankful for that apparently minor deed of her father, as she loved too much that absolutely magical perfume of the little delightful flowers. Thus she had another reason to feel somehow that however she loved her strange father.

Being overwhelmed by the beautiful lyrics Hermione didn't observe when the postman brought the corespondence of the Lestrange family. Through the other letters and muggle papers Bellatrix found a letter made of parchment that obviously made her understand it was sent by a wizard. She analyzed the letter and could found on it a seal specific to a family. The only thing she could clearly discern was a big letter 'M'. It seemed to Bellatrix that the seal belonged to the Malfoys, but she noticed that the name of Hermione was written on the letter. She went into the garden where Hermione was sitting and asked showing her the letter: "Who does send you such letters?".

Hermione felt afraid for Bellatrix could steal her only happines – the letters from Draco or even their friendship.

"Tell me, does this 'M' mean 'Malloy'?", asked Bellatrix impatiently.

Hermione's heart nearly stopped. She wondered what does Bellatrix know about the Malfoys. The girl invented a quick reply to save her corespondence with Draco.

"No, it's...it's Madison! I have a friend Helena Madison at Hogwarts, she sends me letters sometimes to tell me what's new there.", she said. Hermione heared the name Helena Madison at the sorting ceremony. She used it in case Bellatrix would like to verify wether such person exists and studies at Hogwarts.

Bellatrix gave her the letter and looked at her with her big eyes, then she left. Hermione cheered as she broke Bellatrix's suspicions and felt happy to hold in her hands a letter from Draco.

**Some days after.

Narcissa opened the envelope and found a sheet of parchment with Bellatrix's handwriting. She began reading:

"Dear Cissy,

I write to tell you I'm fine!

How are you? My dear Draco? Lucius?

You know my letters aren't too long, but now I have to ask you something. Didn't you observe something strange with Draco? Maybe he writes letters to someone? Please tell me if you know something!

Yours, Bella!"