Dark Desires

Chapter 16

Author's Note: Thanks for all your patience with my slow ass-uploads, I will try very hard to be more consistent. Meanwhile, hope this can bring some happiness in these strange times. Stay safe x

They had finished packing, Hermione had placed the money they owed to the hotel in an envelope on the reception along with a thank you-note and some tips, and they were now standing in the darkness by the road in silence.

"Remind me again why we we're standing outside in the middle of the night?" said Bellatrix through gritted teeth. She had taken to pacing up and down the narrow pavement, occasionally picking at something with the heel of her shoe.

"I hope you remember the bartender which you happened to kill?" Hermione glanced at Bellatrix only to receive a roll of the eyes. "Well, according to my research, there leaves a train from Milan in an hour which we are going to take to Paris, because, as of now, we are on the lam. Thanks to you."

"You don't have to be so..." Bellatrix said under her breath, deliberately keeping her last words from level of hearing. Hermione only ignored her and sat down inside the bus shed. She opened her bag and pulled out the copy of Anna Karenina she was reading. With a flick of her wand, she created a dim light, and did her best to ignore the pacing dark witch in front of her.

Bellatrix merely let out a snort, and continued her agitated walk, waiting impatiently for the bus which would bring them into Milan.

}•••{

Hermione's eyelids were heavy, yet she could not allow herself to fall asleep. They had made it safely to the train station in Milan, sitting with five rows of seats between them in order not to talk to each other on the bus (which had not bothered Hermione at all, as a matter of fact). Now they were standing on Platform 3 waiting for the train that would take them to France. It was merely five minutes until the train arrived at the platform and Hermione was determined to stay alert, yet her body had different plans. She felt her eyelids close against her will, and her head slowly leaned forward. A little rest for the eyes could not hurt, Hermione told herself. She only needed a tiny, little minute, and then she would be well-rested and ready for whatever challenges were to come...

A sharp pain awoke her, and she let out a high-pitched ow. Her eyes darted open and was met, to her disappointment, with the amused face of Bellatrix who had just slapped her triumphantly across the face. To her horror, she felt a trail of saliva on her chin and quickly dried her mouth with the back of a hand.

"Sleeping, Muddy? The train is here any minute now", Bellatrix drawled, apparently having the time of her life. Hermione wanted to retaliate, and slap her back, but knew that the momentary pleasure was not worth being thrown out on the train tracks for, so she composed herself and was about to reply something witty when the sound of the train interrupted their exchange. Now she only had these few last moments to steel herself for the seven hour long ride, which was bound to be torturous if she would have to be in the near vicinity of the older witch.

}•••{

When Hermione awoke, they were already in France with about an hour left until Paris. Her eyes flew open before she quite remembered where she was or who she was. Her gaze landed on the empty seat diagonally across from her - Bellatrix was probably exploring what the train had to offer of refreshments, so Hermione was not worried. Although there were many vacant seats in their car, Bellatrix had slumped down on the same four-seat as she had, but not directly across from her or beside her. No, she had sat down on the diagonal- as if that would help create any distance between them. Hermione did not know why she even bothered with the dark witch anymore, it did not matter whether she wanted her close or at a distance, Bellatrix was going to do what she wanted to do, regardless of Hermione's preferences.

The young witch stood up to stretch her legs, and walked up and down the aisle for a while before she noticed the TV-screen at the front of the car. It was showing the official news channel, and although it was muted, the film spoke clearly by itself.

The TV showed a badly recorded video, which looked as though it was taken from behind a window, of two silhouettes carrying something across a lawn. It was dark, and one could hardly make out anything, but it was unmistakably two strange figures occupying the video clip. A shiver crept down Hermione's spine as she slowly realised that the reason the recording felt so eerily familiar, was because she was in it.