The sky was dark grey, blanketed by thick, rolling clouds that threatened rain. Having been to her fair share of funerals in the past years, Hermione held a black umbrella under one arm. She stood off to the side of the throng of mourners gathered around the gravesite, and so was surprised when a small, dark figure approached her through the heavy fog.

"You can't be here," Hermione said, her anxiety making her words sharper than she had intended them to be.

"Never been one for rule following," Bellatrix sniffed, disdainfully tossing her coal colored curls.

"No, I mean it, Bella, someone will see you!" Hermione emphasized, her hands coming up to grip Bellatrix's shoulders. "You need to leave," she pleaded, frightened for her lover's life.

"I needed to see you," Bellatrix hissed. "I know how much I'm risking, coming here, so shut it and let me speak," she snapped tersely, driven by an overwhelming sense of urgency. "I had to warn you, Hermione." As she said this, she glanced over her shoulder, her voice dropping. It was the use of her first name, more than anything, that made Hermione realize the gravity of the situation.

"Bella, are you all right?" Hermione asked, all harshness gone from her voice, her words now filled solely with genuine worry. She slid one hand up Bella's warm neck, her fingers skimming over her Azkaban tattoo as they made their way up to the older woman's face. Hermione smoothed away the crease that had formed in between Bellatrix's eyes before gently cupping Bella's face in her hand, her fingers fitting along a smooth jawline. Bellatrix closed her eyes, allowing herself to relax into her young lover's touch for the briefest of moments. When her charcoal eyes reopened, they were once again full of her impossible fire.

"Listen carefully," Bellatrix said, her voice cold and clear. Hermione's hazel eyes stared directly into her black, and she continued, satisfied that her words held the girl's full attention.

"The Dark Lord has ordered a contingent of Death Eaters to attack Shell Cottage tonight. He doesn't know that Potter is staying there - he merely wants to cause distress and grief for your people. He does, however, believe that you are spending a few days there, and has charged me with killing you. He wants you dead, and you have survived for far too long...He's angry, Hermione. I have refrained from fighting you too many times. There's no way around it any more.

"I must engage you in a duel...and you must lose. Rather, He must believe that to be the case. Here's what's gonna happen, sweetling. You'll put up a decent fight, get a few good hexes in there, but I'm too fast for you, and one of my Unforgivables will slip past your defenses. You will fall. And this is the important part: everyone, even your people, must believe that I killed you. I'll send an Avada your way. But don't worry, my pet, you'll be perfectly all right. For whatever reason, I cannot bear the thought of your death, which is why I'm giving you this," Bellatrix, pausing in her instruction for the first time. She thrust her closed fist toward Hermione, who hesitantly stretched out her hand to take whatever Bella was holding. Bellatrix dropped a unique piece of jewelry into Hermione's waiting palm. Hermione recognized it instantly - it was Bellatrix's own necklace, a black leather cord with a silver, bird skull pendant. The young witch raised questioning eyes to the dark woman's face.

"It will protect you," Bellatrix promised her softly. "It's an old Black family heirloom, imbued with powerful ancient magic, granting the wearer...not quite invincibility, but it gives them a certain tendency to escape death. That, coupled with spells I added myself, will absorb the curses I throw at you. You'll be safe. I swear it," she explained. "Promise me you will tell no one that you'll live, of this plan. It's the only way we'll both survive," Bellatrix demanded abruptly, her hand gripping Hermione's upper arm tightly, her fingers digging into the girl's flesh.

"I promise," Hermione whispered. "Thank you," she said simply, yet fervently. They both left it unspoken, the enormity of what Bellatrix had just done. Throughout their tryst, neither woman had ever committed treason to their side, nor had they demeaned that of the other. They had never gone further than deliberately avoiding each other in battle, and now, Bellatrix had suddenly thrown that all out the window. She had betrayed her Lord, warned Hermione of His plans, and had just vowed to keep her lover alive, against direct orders.

"Come home with me," Hermione begged unexpectedly. "After tonight, I'll have to disappear for awhile, and you'll be safer if you genuinely do not know where I am. So just come with me, for whatever time we have now. Please." A moment of silent passed, then Bellatrix nodded wordlessly. Hermione glanced furtively around, then slipped her hand into Bella's. An instant later, there was a faint crack and both witches disappeared.

Bellatrix forcefully pushed Hermione backward, until the younger woman's back was pressed against the tile wall of Hermione's shower. Bella's lips captured Hermione's in an ardent kiss that was tinged with a fiery desperation. Their bare bodies - dripping with water from the steaming shower - melded together, hip to hip, abdomen to abdomen, breasts to breasts. Bellatrix slipped her leg between Hermione's parted thighs, dragging a low, pleading moan out from deep within Hermione. Bella's mouth swallowed her lover's sounds of pleasure, one of Hermione's hands snaking around Bellatrix's side to clutch at her scarred back. The other hand found the older woman's breasts and began to massage Bella's ample bosom, causing Bellatrix to arch her back into Hermione's touch.

"Please, Bella," Hermione whimpered, moving her lips to Bellatrix's neck, sucking at the warm skin beneath her lips. "I need you," she gasped. Whereas Bellatrix usually would have drawn out her teasing and tormented Hermione for much longer before finally giving Hermione's body what it was screaming for, Bella's hands immediately slipped between Hermione's legs. She was not rough, but neither was she gentle, her powerful strokes soon leaving Hermione nearly unable to stand. With every thrust, every kiss, she was claiming Hermione as her own, acknowledging her protection of the younger woman in the only way she knew how. As Hermione's orgasm started deep within her, she knew that something had shifted between her and Bellatrix. Somehow, the world was profoundly different than it had been when she'd awoken this morning.

"Mine," Bellatrix growled, her lips at Hermione's ear.

"Yours," Hermione agreed, winding her arms around Bella's neck for support. Though she did not yet fully understand it, she knew that today, she had exchanged vows of belonging and protection with Bellatrix. While they stood trembling in each other's arms, wet and silent, Hermione and Bellatrix each felt the beginning of something long repressed come to life.

Bellatrix and Hermione stood in the younger woman's bedroom, slowly putting each other back together, piece by piece. Hermione stood behind Bella wearing only old blue jeans, a cream colored bra, and an unbuttoned white blouse, carefully lacing up her lover's black corset. Her hands slid down Bellatrix's fabric-encased waist to rest on Bella's hips, wondering when she'd next be able to touch her. Hermione's hands grasped desperately at the woman who had chosen her over her Dark Lord. She leaned forward, her arms encircling Bella's gracile waist as she rested her chin on Bellatrix's shoulder.

"I have something for you," she said softly, her face buried in Bellatrix's soft, magically dried curls.

"You do?" Bellatrix asked, sounding genuinely surprised. "Like a present?"

"Something like that," Hermione smiled, kissing Bella's cheek.

"Don't know if I've ever gotten one of those before," Bellatrix mused. Hermione felt a pang at Bellatrix's words.

"Then I'm honored to be the first to give you one," she replied, releasing Bellatrix for a moment to go over to her dresser and retrieve a small wooden box. She handed it to Bella, who took it hesitantly, her dark eyes darting up to meet Hermione's, who smiled encouragingly.

"My mum gave it to me when we got my Hogwarts letter," she said quietly, smiling at the memory as Bellatrix slowly opened the box.

"'Mione..." Bellatrix breathed, lightly stroking the glimmering pendant with one finger. In the box lay a necklace, a simple diamond teardrop hanging from a fine silver chain.

"It's not an archaic family heirloom full of potent, mysterious magic, but I did store energy in the diamond. It will act as a ward, using the energy to protect you - it won't work if anyone else wears it. It won't be able to stop a direct Avada on its own,but it can strengthen a Protego enough to block all of the Unforgivables. It will keep you alive. It can serve as an Aresto Momentum if you fall, it acts as an Impervius, and while you're wearing the necklace, you won't be susceptible to any harmful or corrupting potions," Hermione explained. Bellatrix's eyebrows were raised in disbelief, and she looked at the necklace with new admiration.

"That's some pretty impressive magic, luv," Bellatrix commented, clearly impressed. Hermione's eyes twinkled at the praise.

"I need you safe," Hermione replied softly. Bellatrix lifted the necklace from it's padded resting place inside the box, wordlessly offering it to Hermione, who took it from her. Hermione moved to stand behind Bellatrix once again, sweeping Bella's thick hair over one shoulder so she could fasten the necklace around her slender neck.

"There," she said once the necklace was in place, pressing her lips against Bella's neck in a gentle kiss.

"Your turn," Bellatrix said with lopsided grin, turning to face Hermione, who dropped her arms to her side in acquiescence. Bella's dextrous fingers buttoned up Hermione's blouse, though she took her time, her cool hands moving occasionally beneath the top and over Hermione's warm skin. She left the top three buttons undone, exposing a great deal more cleavage than Hermione was used to. When the younger witch was about to protest, Bellatrix held up a finger to stop her, smirking up at her. Bella grabbed the bird skull necklace she had given to Hermione from off the bed, and stretched up to clasp it around Hermione's neck. With a tap of her wand, Bellatrix lengthened the black leather cord that the silver pendant hung from, so that the magically imbued pendant rested perfectly in the valley of Hermione's breasts. Only then did she fasten another button on Hermione's blouse, hiding the bird skull form sight, lest someone recognize it as Bellatrix's.

Satisfied with her handiwork, Bella lifted her gaze from Hermione's cleavage (albeit with some reluctance) and met Hermione's eyes. Neither of them spoke for several minutes, the space between them heavy with uncertainty and confusing, unspoken feelings.

"How do you say goodbye to the person you owe your life to?" Hermione asked quietly, smiling ruefully. Bellatrix shook her head slowly, tossing her wild ebony tresses over her shoulder, but didn't answer.

"When we duel tonight...Don't hold back."