Bellatrix Lestrange

Chapter 31

Hermione was sitting on her bed, playing with her bunny. She hadn't decided on a name yet, but the second her bunny had jumped out of the box Draco had come in and asked for one, which he received and then called Olivia, Narcissa had picked the name. Draco wanted to call it Dragonrider, but Narcissa said that considering the rabbits hutch magically engraved whatever name it was given on it, and Dragonrider wasn't very appropriate for their formality of their house. Hermione had thought about calling her Francesca, but had decided that her reincarnation being a rabbit was more insulting that sweet. After the incident she hadn't thought about it much, she had never known anyone die like that before, and felt awful. If Hermione had blocked spells as well, maybe they wouldn't have been cornered, or if she had helped her, she wouldn't have died. And she got Bellatrix the baby grow, she was clearly kind.

It had hit Bellatrix hard as well, she had desperately tried to think of something to make it up but wasn't able to. The witch had tried to act as if everything was completely normal, she had even lied to Narcissa, who thought Francesca was one of Hermione's Gryffindor friends.

Bellatrix walked in to the bedroom, sat down next to Hermione on the bed who was playing with the bunny.

"Hey, honey," she said gently, and sat down on the bed next to her. Bellatrix's morning sickness hadn't really effected her, which had taken her by surprise considering how bad it had been when she was pregnant with Hermione.

"Hey," Hermione said, giving the bunny a little chunk of carrot.

"Have you thought of name yet?" Bellatrix asked, gently stroking the rabbits back.

"No, not yet," Hermione admitted. She looked back at her mother. "Have you thought of anything for the baby?"

"Well, me and Rodulphus agreed on Regulus Rabastan if it's a boy," Bellatrix said, putting her left hand on her stomach.

"And if it's a girl?"

"Well, when we first spoke about this, I liked Cinderella..."

"You can't call your baby Cinderella!" Hermione laughed. "She's a Disney Princess!"

"What's a Disney princess?" Bellatrix asked, genuinely confused.

"Right, that's it, I'm naming the bunny Cinderella," Hermione said, laughing.

"Now I can't call the baby Cinderella," Bellatrix said, frowning.

"I know, I'm smart aren't I?" Hermione replied, a triumphant grin fixed on her face.

Bellatrix rolled her eyes and smiled. She got her wand out and closed her eyes. "Expecto patronum!" She said, and a little hedgehog ran out of the tip of her wand, making Hermione giggle.

"I thought death eaters couldn't produce a patronus?" Hermione asked.

"I'm only a death eater until the baby is born," Bellatrix reminded her. "Though to be honest I have been able to ever since I had you, I wanted find something that could prove I've change,"

"How sweet." Hermione said. "I have to ask, why did you follow Voldemort to begin with?"

Bellatrix bit her lip and stood up. "When I was in school, I got angry very quickly. Once, I was out in hogsmede, My boyfriend at the time wanted me to do things, things I didn't want to do. I got mad....I didn't mean to...but I...I hurt him quite badly. A man called Tom Riddle saw me do it, he said he would keep his mouth shut if I joined him. So I did, he taught me lots of new spells and I got really powerful, I guess it was like a drug, I loved having the power over people's lives so much it drove me insane. I hurt a lot of people. I married Rodulphus when I was 19, and a little after I turned 22 got pregnant with you. You got taken away, I got sent to Azkaban, and now we are both here again,"

"Woah." Hermione said.

"But, Hermione, I'm different now! You've changed me! You've made me a good person, and I'm having this baby, this time I'll take care of it properly, I'll prove to you that I'm a good person," Bellatrix said picking up the bunny. "Look, I bought a bunny! The Bellatrix everyone thinks I am would never buy a bunny!"

Hermione laughed and took the bunny from her. "You don't need to prove anything to me," Hermione said. "Everything you did you did for a reason, you deserve a second chance,"

Bellatrix smiled and looked down. "Honey, I think the rabbit has peed on my dress, so I suggest you put Cinderella back in her hutch,"