If any of you are fans of The Decemberists you might recognize a similarity between this story and their album Hazards of Love. I was not a fan of this album until I watched it performed live. They play it from beginning to end, the women singing for Margaret and the Forest Queen dressed up in the proper attire. Very cool. Those of you who haven't heard it, the album is a tragic story of two lovers. Read up on it/Listen to it. There will be big differences in this fic, but I implore you to anyway. :] I think you'll know who is paired with who if you have an sense but I'll say it anyway. Hermione Granger/Bellatrix Black-Lestrange. And now for the obvious: I am not writing this for profit. Don't sue me. J.K. Rowling remains the owner of Harry Potter. Duh.

Love, because of it, tie me to a purer movement
to the grip on life that beats in your breast,
with the wings of a submerged swan.

-Pablo Neruda

The air was cold and crisp like most nights. The moon was full and peeked from a blanket of clouds in the sky that shielded every star. Moisture from the lake bit at her skin, the chill in the air intoxicating. With only her nightgown and robes to shield her, it was peculiar that her body seemed immune from the elements. Hermione couldn't explain any of it. All she knew was that she wanted, needed, to walk away from the safety of the Gryffindor dormitories into the unknown that was the Forbidden Forest. Every night since the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. Every night since her world felt upside down.

Something inside of Hermione had shifted. The desire to be the most inquisitive, the most intelligent, the brightest... It was no longer something that derived from pride or the wish to prove herself. It became survival, an instinctive trait in her DNA that she needed to continue to live. Since the Dark Lord had risen once again, the lives of muggle-born witches and wizards were ticking down and she knew her only chance against him could not rely on the success of Harry Potter.

Harry was too impulsive. His emotions were the driver and he was blind to the fact that he still lacked the skills to truly face his enemy as an equal. Despite his strong will and natural abilities, his passion continued to get in the way. Hermione knew this and decided that if they were to truly defeat the Dark Lord she would need to know everything she could. She would need to have her eyes open for danger at all times and build her own arsenal of knowledge and power to be a strong variable in the fight against the dark.

Hermione knew this, yes, but for some reason she was still compelled to wander into the Forbidden Forest at night completely on her own. It was as if her own judgment was being clouded but the reason for it evaded her. She simply felt a longing, a pull, from somewhere deep inside the expanse of thick trees beyond the safety of the castle. It was like she had turned into a zombie and her master was hidden in the forest, beckoning her like a heroin addict to an opium field. Sagacity that had been honed from years of dealing with two very whimsical creatures such as Ron and Harry was completely thrown to the wind for a risky nighttime stroll.

A breeze pressed into her before the trees finally began to shield the wind. The wooded area was dark and usually foreboding but tonight she felt enamored by the silence and it almost felt tranquil. She closed her eyes and inhaled softly. Opening them slowly, she continued on. They adjusted to the dark quickly.

She traveled further into the forest, careful to step over roots and duck under low, outstretched limbs. She felt herself looking for something but had no idea why or what and seemed to have reached her destination at a peculiar looking tree after a half hour had gone by. It stood taller than those that surrounded it and seemed to almost breathe, her foggy mind imagining it moving outward and in. It's limbs stretched in odd angles and would probably appear portentous to anyone in their right mind. But Hermione felt a certain sympathy toward the large being and couldn't help but step closer despite the cruelty it emitted.

Then she noticed that an injured animal laid beneath the tree, looking almost lifeless despite the short breathes that gurgled from it's lungs. It's neck was bleeding profusely and it's wing was punctured and clipped at the end. It's beak was bleeding from the nostril, a trail of blood leading down and dripping into the dirt underneath.

It was a swan. An animal that did not belong in this forest.

Hermione, for some unfathomable reason began to tear. She could feel the air constricting in her throat softly and her eyes brim. She immediately took her wand from the pocket inside of her robes and decided she would try her best to heal the creature, though her eyes wandered toward the wand that lay a few feet away. She knew then that it was very possible that the swan was a witch or wizard that could maybe be a threat but Hermione shrugged this off. This creature, no matter what it really was, did not deserve to die in such a terrible way.

Hermione's skills at healing were minimal due to lack of practice. Though her friends had suffered from many an injury from their exploits against the dark lord, the school nurse had sufficiently patched them up with more experience than the young witch would probably ever posses. She never had the urge to become a healer, hoping to eventually become an auror or an activist inside of the Ministry to defend the creatures of the wizarding world that were cast aside by the law.

"Vulnera sanetur," Hermione muttered the spell softly, waving her wand just above the swan. She was unable to speak confidently due to the tears that threatened to spill from her eyelids. But the spell did the trick, despite her broken voice, and the wound on the bird's wing was healed. The feathers slightly grew into themselves and stopped bleeding entirely but were not fully intact, a small part missing on the end.

To prevent infection, she again muttered,"Tergeo."

Soon the dried blood and dirt slowly disappeared from the wound and it was clean. The creature began to pant desperately for air, the blood in it's lungs beginning to choke it. Hermione acted quickly after noticing the swan's body rising and falling quicker and more harshly than before. "Anapneo!" It came out louder from her peculiar panic. Inside, her mind was racing to remember more spells to stop the pain but the anxiety she felt was making her forget.

The blood from the animal's beak ceased and suddenly it began to transform . A boot clad foot came first followed by a flowing black skirt to match. A corset, laced from the front came next, along with a feminine, full chest and bleeding arms with torn sleeves barely covering wounds. Hermione noticed a small chunk from the shoulder of the left arm was missing but was soon distracted by the ringleted, unruly black hair that spread across a hauntingly beautiful face with full, red lips and large, slightly sunken closed eyes.

Bellatrix Lestrange laid before her in all of her dark, yet mangled, glory, cuts all along her body accompanied by numerous bruises and small scars. Slight tracks of tears stained her face and it was contorted in a sad, pain-filled grimace. Soon, her eyes opened slowly and widened at the sight of the small girl before her. Hermione saw fear in her eyes at the possibility of another attack on the dark witch's already fragile body.

The younger witch gasped, her own eyes widening at the Death Eater staring at her she averted her gaze quickly to the wand cast nearby.

Bellatrix opened her mouth slightly, glaring for a brief moment at the muggle-born woman before a grudgingly thankful expression overrode it.

Instinctively, Hermione pointed her wand at the witch when the harsh look fell on Bellatrix's face. But as soon as it had softened, she promptly withdrew the wand from the ground beside her and placed both it and her own in her robes. She did not know why she disarmed herself but for some reason she felt Bellatrix did not pose a threat to her. Perhaps it was due to the fact that her wand hand was severely at a disadvantage from another bleeding, gaping wound. Deep down, Hermione knew that was not the reason. She refused to consciously address the feeling of trust in her gut, afraid of what it might mean.

The older woman cleared her throat before speaking, her face suggesting curiosity. "Why would you help me?"

Hermione hesitated to answer and her lips tightened. She also cleared her throat in an attempt to be rid of the small ball that had formed.

"I didn't know who you were." She felt again she was lying but did not ponder why. Hermione had ignored that she had recognized the other witch's wand previously to healing her. "Also, I am curious to know why you are here."

Bellatrix's voice sounded genuinely unsure and quiet. "I don't know." She looked down in a moment of deep thought before moving her eyes back to the muggle-born. "Why are you here?"

Hermione was not quick to answer but decided to return the honesty. "I'm not quite sure myself."

They shared a short silence before Bella spoke again, the forest allowing a small breeze that carried leaves around them in a soft flutter. "Well, I suppose a 'thank you' is in order." Her expression was unreadable. "Thank you."

"How were you wounded?" Hermione ignored the politeness in Bella's words, not sure she it was entirely authentic. Deep within herself she knew it was. Again, denial.

"Centaurs," Bellatrix growled, looking into the forest behind the young witch. "A lot of them. Unfair and certainly not honorable." She rolled her eyes.

After a short pause, Hermione looked at Bella again with a small, indecisive smile. "I have no idea why I am not trying to kill you."

"Neither do I. Maybe you are too honorable for your own good."

"Perhaps," Hermione looked up and down the Death Eater's damaged body. Blood still seeped from the arm the had not been cleaned. "You have not been properly healed. I tried my best but there are more wounds that I did not see before."

Hesitant to respond, Bella uncharacteristically sounded ashamed. "Well, I am truly thankful that you tried... If you give me my wand, I swear, due to the fact that you probably saved my life, I can heal the rest and I will not harm you. I am more skilled at healing... More practice."

"Too honorable for your own good?"

"Perhaps." Bellatrix answered with a small smile of her own.

An odd, warm feeling in Hermione bubbled in her chest from Bella's endearing repeat of the past words. The sensation scared her but it was also invigorating. There was an undeniable, unexplainable electricity between them. Shame filled her at this. This woman had killed Harry's godfather and tortured Neville's parents to insanity. She was lost in her thoughts for a moment before she considered Bella's suggestion, mindlessly shrugging off her feelings of doubt as if entranced. "I again do not know why, but I am not as hesitant as I should be to give it to you."

"I will be true to my word, I assure you... At least in this case." Bellatrix rewarded her (and Hermione wished she did not think of it as a reward) with an attractive but jokingly devious smirk before she gave her savior a serious look. Her voice was quiet and steady. "I swear on the life of the Dark Lord himself." Her eyes widened at her statement but in her own trance she did not regret the declaration. She was aware that if Voldemort knew of her words to Hermione he would kill her on that spot, but she cast the fear away.

The young witch was also in shock at her affirmation and did not realize when she began to speak. "I'll trust your word," her voice softened, "I can't seem to help it."

She retrieved the wands again, loosely gripping her own while she handed the other witch her's. Bella muttered a small, slightly regretful "Thank you," before beginning to heal her wounds with nonverbal spells.

Hermione tried to reason silently why she was having a civil conversation with the older woman and realized that she had no intention of turning it into a battle. "I cannot consciously watch you die, especially since you have yet to try to strangle me." Before she noticed, she gave Bella a smirk not much different that the dark witch's. Bella mirrored her expression and softly chuckled. Hermione was unable to suppress that warmth that filled her at the sound.

The Death Eater finished her work and Hermione was impressed at how little scarring was left. Bella stood, wavering slightly from the loss of blood. Her lips tightened in a shameful expression of hesitancy.

"Maybe I should leave now."

"No, please." Hermione couldn't fathom why these words fell from her lips and the desperation that seized her. She again tried to explain herself. "We could find shelter for you to rest a while. You are in no shape to apparate."

Bellatrix was shamefully aware of her own lack of desire to leave and slowly lowered to the ground, an almost scared look about her. They both gazed at each other, the trance in full effect now, the electricity strengthening. For the first time she noticed the young witch's attire and a pang of concern stroked her insides.

"Walking alone, in the cold, with only a night gown..." She looked down at Hermione's feet, "And with no shoes?" Her smirk returned accompanied by an unexpected softness in her eyes. "Probably not the brightest idea. I thought were supposed to be a genius or something."

A blush warmed Hermione's face. "I have robes."

"You know very well that those are not enough. I might be threatened to witness your death. Foolish." She smiled again before realizing what she said.

"Threatened?" The younger witch raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Bella briefly narrowed her eyes, her natural traits beginning to show, but it faded quickly into a concern again. With trembling hands she unlaced her boots. She felt like a marionette as she handed them mindlessly to Hermione without thought of her own well-being.

"You don't have to do that." Hermione paused before Bella silently urged them forward. The younger woman had begun to feel the cold that nipped at her body and decided to give in to the kind gesture. As the boots fell into her hands Bella's fingers accidentally grazed her own. A volt passed between them and both sets of hands withdrew quickly. Hermione mirrored Bella's expression of shock. "Did you feel that?"

"Yes." Bella's voice was unsure and quiet. "Static, perhaps?"

"Maybe." They both tried to shrug it off.

Hermione continued, "Shelter is a good idea right now. There must be a cave or something nearby. I will look, but I suggest you stay here. You are looking rather pale."

"Dear me, you are concerned for the evil witch before you?"

"Would you rather be on your own?"

"Yes," Bella lied and felt regret when Hermione's expression fell. She paused for a moment before looking down at her bare feet. "No..." She said this quietly and with astonishment at the truth. Hermione looked astonished as well and began to walk away, turning her head to the witch. "Well then, I will return soon. Lay down and rest."

I understand that Bellatrix is very different than she would normally be, but there are reasons for it that will be revealed later on. Hermione is also much different, but at the same time she can be incredibly sympathetic. I hope it's not too much of a stretch for some of you. :]