Chapter Text
The Azkaban institute was a high-security psychiatric ward, a large concrete building where flickering fluorescent white lights buzzed overhead wherever you went. The air smelled of bleach and despair on most floors. The upper floor was called 'Ward-C' that most of the staff referred to as 'the tower' and was reserved for those too mentally unstable and criminally inclined to be put elsewhere. Here, most patients were locked behind double-locked steel doors at night, heavily medicated and under constant supervision.
The tower had become Bellatrix's concrete kingdom, she ruled over the unit without too much force. She had been in the tower for more than twelve years, knew it like the pocket of her gray sweatpants and seams of her gray sweatshirt. Outside of these walls she once moved in circles of power and old money, her name had opened as many doors as it had closed throats. She was convicted of multiple murders that tabloids still liked to dig up on slow news weeks. They were truly gruesome cases, and the word 'sadist' would come up al lot. But most of what Bellatrix was outside of these walls, had crumbled down within these walls. She wasn't too tall, but her attitude sure made up for it, she had wild black curls that the nurses had long stopped trying to tame - instead, they kept it at shoulder length to prevent dread. She knew everybody within the walls of her unit, all patients, all guards, and she always watched everything and everybody very closely - especially Tess.
Bellatrix had become Tess's protector since the day the girl arrived. Their bond was complicated, but real. Nobody in the unit knew exactly how to handle Tess. But Bellatrix could keep her calm by just saying her name or placing a hand on the nape of her neck. Tess was barely out of her teens when she was convicted of murdering her father and got sent to Ward-C. She had freckles all over her face and wide eyes that always darted all over the place with either wonder or panic. She liked drawing and mostly spoke in fractured rhymes that looped like mantras on bad days.
Tess was different from the others, she was mostly nonverbal - mute since childhood. Her cognition hovered between six and eight on good days, which made her seem like an easy target at arrival. On her first day when the others were outside to get some fresh air, Tess got cornered inside her cell by Yulia - a rather large woman who got left behind because she was already coughing for days. Tess already had a long history of being touched in unwanted ways, and she froze at the sudden closeness of the strange woman. Just hours later she started to scream and clawed at her forearms until they bled. It was Bellatrix who went in her cell before any of the guards found her. Tess showed her with trembling hands what happened in her own childlike way, and it made Bellatrix see red. It escalated to a point where Bellatrix got put into isolation for two weeks straight after she broke Yulia's face with her bare hands. Once the large woman returned from the hospital wing, she never even dared to look at Tess again - nor at Bellatrix for that matter. After that, Bellatrix had become Tess's anchor, for some reason she could read her in ways the others couldn't - broken sounds at first, then touches and later words.
It was barely nine o'clock when Drew - Bellatrix's favourite nurse - knocked on her door. “Morning sunshines. Black, Marlene wants a word with you at ten. Come see me when you're ready.”
Bellatrix yawned and stretched out carefully, trying not to disturb the brunette next to her. Sleepovers were strictly prohibited, but on most nights those rules didn't apply to Bellatrix and Tess. Of course the staff knew they did more than just cuddling, but they thought it was better to have them quiet in one cell instead of having to deal with Tess's late night episodes. That's why most of them - besides Ellen - pretended not to notice whenever Tess sneaked into Bellatrix's cell before lock-up. It wasn't as much part of a routine, it was more that the staff could see whenever it was going to be 'one of those nights' again. Tess would be restless during daytime, looking wary, get as close to Bellatrix as possible, following her around like a shadow while clamping onto her stuffed penguin.
Once Bellatrix strolled into the day room on her slippers, Mara - the self proclaimed seer - was already smoldering her first cigar of the day by the large table near the kitchen. Mara didn't smoke - not really. She just liked to drag big plumes, squinting her eyes and pretending to see the past, the future, or just the obvious. Bellatrix looked her way and pulled a face, “Gross. I haven't even had breakfast yet.”
“Dark days are coming, Black. But I see... a girl... a new one. Oh, and she likes you.” Mara exhaled and looked at Bellatrix with giddy eyes, “She seems sweet.”
“Blah, blah. Hey, where's my damn chocolate! Who of you fuckers stole my chocolate?” Bellatrix said grumpy, making her way back in just a couple of steps to her cell where Tess waited, leaning against the wall, holding up a stolen piece of chocolate like an offering with wide eyes. The gesture made Bellatrix smile, she couldn't get angry at those big, brown puppy eyes. “Have it, but ask next time, little bird. I will tell my sister bring some in for you, okay?”
Tess nodded and wrapped both arms around Bellatrix neck, popping the last piece of chocolate in her mouth. “New girl, pretty girl, heard of pearl.”
“Don't listen to Mara, hun. Remember when she told us the sun will break through three weeks ago? If you wait long enough all predictions come true at some point.” She gave Tess a peck on her lips and turned around, “Well, guess I'm going to have a talk with little Miss Chief of Staff herself. See what she needs.” Bellatrix sighed and reported herself at the nurse's office, hoping Drew would be the one to walk her to Marlene's office. Bellatrix wasn't afraid of Marlene - even though she should have been. Marlene was the one who actually was in charge of Ward-C, and that fact made the two of them collided in the beginning. But in the time of Bellatrix being in there, they had learned how to deal with each other. Sure, there were still rules, but they both worked their way around them sometimes. Marlene would allow Bellatrix to bring in extra cigars for Mara, exclusive teas for Dolores, candy for Tess, and toiletry for other patients that didn't got any visitors or money to spend on themselves. The rule was one small package per visit, but Bellatrix always sneaked in more - feeling as if she was bending the rules to her will.
The walk to Marlene’s office was like any other, a silent guard following and some small talk with Drew about his new workout routine, Bellatrix commented about how it clearly wasn't working for him when he opened up the door of the office. The place was dark, dusty and windowless, making Bellatrix pull up her nose every time she stepped inside. “Girl, you really should dust this place.”
Marlene smiled small and gestured to the plastic stool in front of her desk, “Please, sit down.” Bellatrix did, both brows knitted - questioning. “Don't worry, you didn't do anything wrong. You are here because I want to talk to you about Tess.” Bellatrix looked around and crossed her legs, waiting for the woman to continue. “You do know Tess still has some months of sentence left to serve here, and that we applied for transfer? We contacted her grandparents again, but they made it very clear they aren't capable of taking care of her.”
Bellatrix nodded, “Nobody can, that's why you let me deal with your problem,” she said in a cold tone as if she didn't even care for the girl.
“Bellatrix... She will be transferred to a mental hospital with more freedom. They have a big garden, many workshops... But the downside of that, is that it's located in Scotland. She will be transferred there by the end of June. That is about two months--”
The room went cold, and whatever Marlene said next wasn't heard by Bellatrix anymore“... Scotland?” she repeated softly. “Do you wish to kill her?”
“Of course not. We tried to find an institute in the region first, then we were forced to look further. Bellatrix... the waiting lists are long, very long, and I don't want her to end up on the streets. We had to do something.” Marlene exhaled, “I know this won't be easy for neither of you, but I wanted to talk to you first before I will have this conversation with Tess. We know she will probably run to you immediately. There's that, and the way you can react whenever you sense Tess's in distress. Can I count on you to keep it to yourself until I've spoken to her?”
“Of course.”
“If there is anythi--”
“No, thank you. You've done enough. I will try to get it through to her, keep her calm once this fucking wonderful news gets through her skull.” Without letting Marlene finish, Bellatrix stood up, put both hands in her pockets and nodded to Drew - who hesitated for a second and exchanged a quick look with Marlene before opening the door. Every step on the way back though the corridor felt cold and heavy. They passed a young nurse in navy scrubs from another floor that Bellatrix definitely would have tried to flirt with on any other day. But she barely even registered her besides the name badge that was clipped onto her pocket, it was a strange name that read like 'danger' at first glance. Once back at the tower she could hear Dolores babbling about etiquettes, bitching about how Ivy should put her spoon on the other side from her bowl. The sound of the woman's voice never failed to make Bellatrix's skin crawl. Once she passed their table she sent Dolores's plastic bowl flying against the wall.
Drew wanted to jump in, but Bellatrix already made her way to her safe-space in the day room - the couch near the window. Dolores was in shock and put her hand over her mouth, looking around as if she had been slapped. “I will have to report this.” She said with her high pitched, girly voice.
“Yeah, you go report that to one of your imaginary bureaucrat friends. Knock, knock, nobody fucking cares, Dolores!” Bellatrix snapped and wanted to return to the table, but the look on Drew's face stopped her from doing so. Instead, she sat down and stared out of the window at nothing, a gray sky that looked too much like concrete.
Later that day, Tess had her talk with Marlene, and the news didn't quite sink in besides an occasional, “Tess free, Bella free.” When she said it for the third time, Bellatrix crooked her finger, a gesture for her to come over. She told Tess what she needed to hear - knowing that overwhelming her would only make things more complicated. She needed time to process the fact that she was going somewhere else first, then, and only then, Bellatrix would spill some parts of the truth of it.
The day turned into night fast, yet it dragged at the same time. By morning most women were already in the day room when a new staff member arrived. Yulia was watching a documentary about wild salmon, sitting like a zombie in front of the television, while Tess stood frozen on the other side of the room, wanting to watch it too. Mara was babbling her usual nonsense of what she saw in the smoke that morning, and Bellatrix leaned against the wall - keeping a careful eye on Tess until her eyes fell on 'the new one'.
Bellatrix lips curved into a predatory smile and pushed herself off the wall, slowly walking with the confidence of someone who owned every inch of the floor. “Well, well. Look at that. Fresh blood,” she purred low, “aren't you a pretty little thing. Marlene sure knows what she's hiring.” She rested both her hands on the table, observing the brunette in navy scrubs until she introduced herself.
“I'm nurse Granger. Just starting here today, and you are?”
“Your worst nightmare or wettest dream, depending on my mood. Nurse Granger... welcome.” She let the name roll off her tongue to feel how it tasted. “Tell me, do you always blush so prettily when you meet someone new, or is it just me?” Bellatrix removed her hands from the table, stood straight, and reached out her hand.
“I'm not blushing, it's the lighting.” Granger said calmly and shook Bellatrix's hand. The handshake gave Bellatrix an opportunity take a better look - the girl had a pretty face full of freckles. She figured she must have been around Tess's age when she first set foot in the the tower. The new one seemed to be book-smart, fresh from uni with a shiny new certificate and little to no experience under her belt.
“Liar.” Bellatrix teased, then started to point out everybody that occupied the room with a short description, staff included. “...and that there is Tess. But she won't be here for much longer. It's almost like they try to replace one brunette with another.” Bellatrix smiled weakly, trying to hide how she actually felt.
The first week of Granger's arrival, Bellatrix observed her from a distance, but she felt excitement every time she saw her walk in the nurse's office. She noticed how Granger glanced back sometimes - Bellatrix would mostly ignore it, but sometimes she gave her a provoking wink before directing her attention back to Tess. Today was no different. Bellatrix had already handed Mara her second cigar of the day while they were watching TV. Tess sat on the floor between Bellatrix's legs, head tipped back as Bellatrix brushed her hair with her fingers, sectioning, twisting and braiding it with care. The new nurse kept an eye on them, clipboard in hand, pretending to chart medication at the nurse station for a little too long. “Pretty?” Tess asked.
“Gorgeous,” said Bellatrix softly, finishing up the braid. Tess beamed, scrambled up and planted a sloppy kiss on Bellatrix's mouth as she settled herself on her lap. Bellatrix growled and glanced over at Granger, feeling a delightful pull in her belly, not knowing if it was because of the new staff member's eyes on her, or because of Tess grinding her lap. “Bedtime, darling,”
Without hesitation, Tess took Bellatrix's hand and laced their fingers together as they walked down the corridor. Peter - the night guard for today - pretended not to notice, but Granger's eyes followed them. For a moment it looked as if she wanted to open her mouth when they passed her, but Bellatrix slightly shook her head and mouthed: Don't.
The second week brought Granger's first supervised outdoor time with Drew and Ellen. The courtyard was a small, a concrete square with some large concrete pots with dead plants in them. Most patients walked circles in pairs, Tess listened to Dolores complaining about UV exposure - asking her what that meant, and Bellatrix leaned against the wall next to nurse Granger. They were close enough for their shoulders to almost touch. Bellatrix tilted her head and studied the new girl with interest, “You wear that uniform well, Granger. Navy's a good colour on you.”
“Flattering won't get you anywhere, Black. Don't you feel like stretching your legs instead?”
A low laugh left Bellatrix's throat, “Only if you let me stretch yours.” She pushed herself from the wall and barely brushed Granger's shoulder with her own. Granger didn't flinch, didn't move aside - she just stood there, steady as the concrete under her feet. Bellatrix held in her chuckle at how perfectly she fitted the scene. When she reached Tess she glanced back over to the wall, but Granger already went back inside. “Well, at least you know how to handle me. Don't you, my little bird?” Tess, looked up and pressed her face against Bellatrix's shoulder. “Yeah, see, I know..”
By the end of the week, Tess was sitting on the floor in front of the television, face almost pressed against the screen while watching a documentary about penguins, holding her own plush penguin close against her. Bellatrix sat on the couch by the window, when the documentary finished, she watched Tess go from one person to another, showing them how penguins waddle. Bellatrix didn't engage, but she smiled from a distance. She noticed how Granger was watching Tess as well from the doorway of the nurse's office. There was brief eye contact before the nurse walked towards the couch where Bellatrix sat. “You really care for her, don't you?”
Bellatrix smiled and slightly turned her head, “Jealous?”
“You wish.” Granger answered as she sat down on the armrest and playfully pushed Bellatrix's shoulder.
Since then the flirtation turned sharper and utterly shameless. During med pass, Bellatrix walked up to the counter while Granger counted Bellatrix's low dose of antipsychotics. “Nurse Granger,” she purred, pushing her body firmly against the counter, close enough to smell the faint scent of lavender on the new girl as she pushed the laundry cart aside. “You're looking particularly... diligent today.”
The brunette huffed and rolled her eyes, “That's my job, Black.”
“Is it?” Bellatrix's voice dropped lower, “You know, you're adorable when you're flustered. Makes me want to see how far that blush of yours goes.”
The brunette almost snapped the paper cup she was holding as she handed it over to Bellatrix, “Patient interaction guidelines--”
“-- are adorable too,” Bellatrix finished, swallowed her pills, and showed her empty mouth to the head-nurse who took her empty cup and handed Bellatrix her clean cheats.
These interactions became a dance Bellatrix liked to practice, it distracted her from the fact that Tess was leaving. She'd spend more time around the nurse's office when Tess was asleep during daytime, finding Granger when she was doing routine work on the floor and occasionally helped her out when she felt like it. One afternoon, at a blind-spot from the cameras, Bellatrix found Granger near the kitchen, “You know,” Bellatrix pitched for the nurse's ears alone, “you've got the most fascinating tells. When I get close, your breath hitches, just here.” She lifted her finger, not touching Granger's throat, but tracing the air above her collarbone. “And your pupils dilate. Textbook arousal, darling.”
“You're being inappropriate.”
“And you're wet just standing here.” Bellatrix's smile was wicked. “Oh come on, don't deny it, I can practically taste you.”
Granger's jaw clenched, visibly feeling exposed by the simple observation, “Why are you doing this?”
Bellatrix turned her head and looked at the nurse like she wanted to make her come apart slowly. “Because you're delicious, and I am starving.”
On Friday night when the living room was quiet, Tess slept curled up besides Bellatrix while she mindlessly stroked her hair, her eyes fixed on Granger wiping down the tables until she passed close enough for her to reach out. She grabbed her wrist and tugged her at eye level so that their faces were inches apart. “Tell me. If I kissed you now, just once. Would you run screaming to Marlene, or would you kiss me back?” Bellatrix waited patiently, and smirked when Granger locked eyes with her and didn't pull away. “Just like I thought,” she said, eyes flaring with triumph.
The next day Bellatrix decided to help Granger with setting the table for dinner. “You know, you've never told me your name--” she paused, stepped closer and reached for the badge clipped on the nurse's pocket. “H. Granger. You don't seem like a Harriette to me, nor a Helen.”
Nurse Granger pulled her badge free from Bellatrix's finger, rolled her eyes and shook her head, “Correct.”
“Ah, so you're not telling me, eh? Boring. We know everybody by name here, come on.” She circled around the table, placing down the last plate. “Hedwig? Oh, please don't tell me it's Helga. I hate that name.”
During dinner, Granger observed how everybody was listing to Mara who told them about the dark days she saw coming, about a new arrival, then: “Watch out, they steal your skin in the dark! Watch out! The new one... she's... imprisoned. Yes, imprisoned in her own mind.”
Dolores let out a high pitched giddy chuckle like teenager, Ivy pretended not to hear a word, but Tess hung on Mara's lips, clearly scared but still intrigued. “Don't listen to her nonsense, bird. We're all imprisoned here in every sense of the word. You're smoke signals are lagging, the new one has been around for some weeks now. Still as delightful like the first day she got here, though.” Bellatrix said amused and glanced over at nurse Granger. When Mara wanted to open up her mouth again, Bellatrix gave her a sharp look and shook her head. “Mara, I swear, if you continue I will shove a cigar down your throat.”
It wasn't like Bellatrix to care for dishes, but since nurse Granger was washing the plates she decided to grab a towel without being asked. “Mara should stop with scaring everybody with those bloody stories, it's not good for Tess.” She said softly while she dried the first plate. “Uncertainty and vague stories scare her. I don't like it when she's scared.”
Nurse Granger smiled kindly, “You handled it well.”
“Ah, so you were watching.”
“It's my job to watch you.” She twisted her lips and pulled the plug from the sink, searching for Bellatrix's eyes. “Hermione.” she said barely audible, but Bellatrix still heard.
The sound of the name conjured a wide but honest smile on Bellatrix's face. “Hermione.” She repeated softly as if the name would break if she said it too loud. “Like harmony. That's what it means, right? Hermione, the girl who us brings harmony.” Said Bellatrix content and placed the last plastic plate in the cupboard. “I like that.”
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By the second month, Tess became more restless, more frantic rocking, more fractured rhymes, and the dam broke when a new patient arrived: Luna, a wiry young woman somewhere early twenties with big doe eyes and a stuffed bunny clamped to her chest like her life depended on it. Paranoid delusions had her convinced she was taken by 'skin-walkers'. She arrived after dinner and the room was anything but quiet. She yelled and screamed from the moment the elevator doors opened, her voice echoing down the corridors like nails on chalkboard. “They're wearing you skins! They watch us, watch us everywhere! They steal our skins while we sleep!” She yelled when guards dragged her to the unit.
“Great, another nutjob.” Bellatrix sighed and let her head fall on the table as the guards hustled Luna into her cell, Ellen followed, probably pumping her full with sedatives that would most likely take the girl out for the rest of the night. When the screaming stopped, the damage slowly rippled outward by night.
Not long after Bellatrix had kissed Tess goodnight the rhymes started. “New voice, bad voice, stealing faces, taking places--” By lights-out the yelling started, “They're coming! Scared, Tess scared!”
Bellatrix who could have sworn she'd heard Tess's voice, pressed the intercom - but nobody answered. Then Tess started to scream, high and animalistic in raw terror. “Bird? Hey, birdy! Calm down, you hear me?” Bellatrix said loud, not sure if Tess would even be able to hear here down the corridor.
But Tess didn't hear, she kept screaming, and started to claw at her her arms until the blood was smeared all over the her. “They're coming! They're here--” Then... silence.
Bellatrix heard sounds and she could only imagine there must be around three people all over Tess right now. One high pitched scream of pain left Tess's throat when Ellen gave her a quick injection of lorazepam that slowed her world down in mere seconds, but the whimpering continued when they dragged her out of her cell. Once they passed Bellatrix's cell the situation exploded. Fists pounded against the steel door - hard, relentless, echoing like thunder through the corridor. “Let me out! Tess! She needs me! Let me out! Tess!” but nobody responded, just Tess's piercing cries sounding through the hallway. “Bird, everything is going to be okay. You hear me-- fuck!” A choked sob followed, muffled but unmistakable. “Let me out!”
“We can't. Protocol, Black.” Ellen said stern.
“You fucking sadist!” Bellatrix yelled, started hitting the metal door again when Tess's let out a cry in despair. Bellatrix thought she heard Hermione's voice among the people outside her cell and she stopped pounding for a second, then resumed with renewed fury. “You! New girl-- Granger! Let me out! She will hurt herself. You don't understand! Hermione!”
“I can't,” Hermione called back, her voice unsteady “I'm sorry.”
A snarl ripped from Bellatrix's throat, the door vibrating after another bang. “You fucking idiots!” When she heard the doors of the elevator open, Bellatrix's yelled in another tone, something that was trying to be soothing: “Tess... bird, stay calm, okay? Don't fight, don't scratch. You hear me? Don't scratch!” As soon as she heard the elevator doors close, she slammed the door with her palm one last time, “Dammit!”
The commotion had woke half the unit, and patients were herded into the living room under emergency control protocol. Mara huddled in the corner, lighting another cigar with trembling hands, inhaling deep this time. Dolores sat ramrod straight, lips pursed into disapproval, already mentally drafting complaints. Fifteen minutes passed until they finally let Bellatrix out under heavy guard. She strode into the living room like a panther on a leash, yanking herself free from the two guards that escorted her. She completely ignored Hermione this time and went straight to Ellen, “When's she coming back?” Her voice was flat but sharp as a knife.
Ellen huffed, avoiding Bellatrix's eyes. “She needs to be stabilised first--”
Bellatrix went completely still, all colour draining from her face when her eyes drifted to the blood on the floor. She hit her fist against the nearest wall, the sound cracking like gunfire. “Let me see her.” She demanded.
“We can't. She's a danger to herself and her surroundings.”
“Precisely! You think your little injections are going to help her? She's not some fucking animal for you to put down.” Bellatrix roared, she wanted to slam her fist against Ellen's face, but instead she raised both of her hands and turned on her heel and returned to her cell. Yelling, when she heard the guards follow her, “Stay the fuck away from me, I am calm!”
Not too long after, Hermione went after her. The cell door was ajar, but Hermione still knocked politely, speaking in a comforting tone. “Bellatrix?”
Bellatrix looked up, eyes red-rimmed, glittering with unshed tears and barely contained anger.
“Can I come in?” Bellatrix didn't say anything, but after she nodded once, Hermione stepped inside the cold cell, leaving the door ajar how she found it. The cell was sparse: a bed, a bolted-down table, walls that were scarred with scratches from years of confinement. Bellatrix sat on the edge of her bed, elbows resting on her knees, face buried in her hands. She looked exhausted, hollowed out and terrified. Hermione stepped closer, slowly. “I've never seen you like this.”
Bellatrix laughed - short and bitter - the sound echoing off the walls. “You've never taken anything from me before.”
“They had to stabilise her. She will be back before you know it.” Hermione said while taking another step closer.
“You don't know that.” Bellatrix lifted her head, tears streaking her face in silent tracks she didn't bother to wipe away. “The first time she flipped like that at night... She clawed down her throat until she couldn't make a sound anymore. Drew let me go with her to the hospital wing, they let me held her until she fell asleep. Since then, on bad nights... she sleeps here. I let her crawl into me so she remembers she's not alone in the dark. Because if she forgets, if she thinks she's alone... she gets lost. And I don't like it when she gets lost.”
“I thought...” Hermione paused, meeting Bellatrix's eyes with kindness, “When I first started here, I thought you were just using her... for pleasure.”
Bellatrix's laugh was hollow this time, “Oh, I do. Sometimes. I'm no saint and the girl got a good mouth, if you know what I mean. But mostly... I'm just trying to keep her... still.” She scanned Hermione's face, her eyes lingering on her cheeks, “And you, you dare to come here with your freckles and your pretty blushes. You make me want things I can't afford.”
Hermione swallowed and took another small step closer, Bellatrix could smell that faint scent of lavender again. “I'm sorry. For not being able to let you out. I-- there are protocols, I can't break them.”
Bellatrix waved it off wearily, “Yeah, yeah, I know. Where are your protocols now?”
“Still here,” Hermione whispered before the silence stretched with unspoken words. Then, Bellatrix reached out and brushed her fingers along Hermione's wrists as if she was looking for connection, to feel something real in the cold and empty room. Hermione didn't pull away, instead, she turned her hand over, letting Bellatrix's fingers meet her palm, until their fingers slotted together like puzzle pieces.
Bellatrix exhaled shakily and closed her eyes for a second, “Thank you.” Hermione softly squeezed, it was enough to make Bellatrix feel alive again. Barely, but still alive.
The morning after felt empty with Tess's absence, and when Luna sat down at the long kitchen table, Bellatrix made sure to have a talk with her. She watched how she reached for the plate with toast, buttered one and when she wanted to grab the cheese, Bellatrix was quicker and pulled it out of her reach. “If I hear one more word about skin-walkers or any other bloody nonsense, I will scalp your skin and display it in front of the nurse's office. You got that?” Bellatrix hissed softly, so softly Paul didn't hear a word of it.
Luna's hand froze and she looked up to Bellatrix with wide eyes, scanning the woman's face. “You're one of them, aren't you? You're a lizard.” That was all it took for Bellatrix to get up and leap over the table to grab Luna by her throat. Quickly, Paul got rid of the newspaper in his hands and ran over to Bellatrix and Luna who were already both rolling on the floor throwing punches. He pinned Bellatrix, got her up and forced her into her cell. Luna called after her, face red, coughing “See, see, lizard!”
By afternoon Bellatrix was allowed to leave her cell if she promised she would behave. “Of course. I will be a true lizard angel, dear,” she snarled at Paul, but backtracked as soon as she saw he wasn't going to play her games today. “Fine,” she finally said.
Bellatrix spent the rest of the afternoon on the couch in the living room watching out of the window, ignoring Luna until she suddenly appeared next to her. A blue, plush bunny clamped into her arms. She didn't speak at first, but when she did, her voice was as soft as a whisper. “I thought you were one of them--” she paused, testing the waters “-- but Mara's smoke said they can't get in here, it's too high... too guarded.”
Bellatrix sighed, rolled her head back and glanced over at the blonde. Her skin was so pale it almost looked made from porcelain, like she was half a ghost herself. “Let me guess. You're talking about skin-walkers again?”
The girl nodded quickly, “--and lizards. But this place... it's safe. I didn't know, but the walls hum, did you know? It keeps them out, but it's very loud.” She hugged her bunny tighter, stroking its ear as if it were alive. “I'm sorry.” It took her a second before she reached out her hand, “I'm Luna.”
Bellatrix hesitated, but decided to shake Luna's warm hand and introduced herself as well - holding back a misplaced lizard joke. Without meaning to, they made eye-contact and there was something inside those blue orbs that made Bellatrix feel remotely sorry for attacking her earlier, but Luna didn't seemed to be all too impressed about what happened anymore. “You've upset my friend with your wild stories. She's in the hospital now.” Bellatrix said calmly, her eyes spotting Hermione entering the office.
The words hit Luna like a truck, “I didn't-- that's not--” She squeezed her stuffed bunny tighter, apologised again and returned to her cell in a hurry.
“Jesus fucking Christ.” Bellatrix muttered, eyes fixed on Hermione who she could see through the Plexiglas window. On her walk to the office, she stopped by Luna's cell and knocked. When she heard Luna's soft voice, she pulled the door slightly open. “Look, you scared Tess, which scared me. But we're okay... okay?” Instead of waiting for Luna to answer, she turned and quickly paced towards the nurse's office, knocked on the Plexiglas window and waited for Hermione to look up. “Hi.” Bellatrix said softly, almost shy, not knowing what she was about to say next. “Time for meds, isn't it?”
Hermione let out an soft chuckle, turned to see the clock and shook her head. “Bellatrix, you are perfectly capable of clock reading. Six o'clock, right after dinner.”
“I'm capable of many things, if you only knew half of them. But have it your way, I'll be back within an hour then.”
“Two.” Hermione replied serious, clearly trying to bite away a smile of amusement.
“Yes. See you at five o'clock, darling.” Bellatrix grinned and waved as she walked back to the couch by the window, tapping her wrist when Hermione's gaze met hers every once in a while.
Their new game continued for days, filling the void of Tess's absence. But today was different, Luna had been hovering near the edge of the living room for about twenty minutes, arms wrapped tightly around Fluffy - the bunny - eyes flicking to every shadow the fluorescents couldn’t reach. When she finally drifted closer to the couch where Bellatrix sat, her voice was barely above the hum of the lights. “They’re here,” she hissed. “The skin-walkers. I heard scratching. Up high. Like claws on the walls.”
Bellatrix turned her head slowly. Luna’s pupils were huge, the blue of her irises swallowed almost completely. The girl suddenly looked small - smaller than Tess ever had. Bellatrix exhaled through her nose. “Girl, Mara’s smoke already told you they can’t get in here. Tower’s too high. Too guarded. Remember?”
Luna nodded once, jerky, but her grip on her bunny didn’t loosen. “I remember. But... what if they learn to climb?”
Bellatrix studied her - trembling, skittish, a ridiculous blue stuffed animal clutched against her like a shield - something familiar and warm flickered behind her ribs. “Then they’ll have to get through me first.” She leaned forward slightly, voice dropping to that low, dangerous purr she usually saved for flirting or threats. “If any of those bastards manage to crawl through the vents or dare to slither up these walls... they’ll find me waiting. I’ll bite their heads off before they can even blink. One snap.” She clicked her teeth once, making Luna startle. “Problem solved.”
Luna blinked twice in silence. Then unexpectedly, her mouth twitched and a tiny, giggle escaped - high and breathless. Like she hadn’t expected to make the sound, she pressed her lips together, but another soft laugh slipped out anyway. “You’d really do that?” she asked, eyes still wide but less haunted than they were before.
Bellatrix gave a shrug, the corner of her mouth curling. “Try me, you already know I'm fast.”
Luna loosened her hold on Fluffy just a fraction. She didn’t move closer, but she also didn’t drift away. The air between them felt more steady than it did earlier that day. “Thanks” Luna tilted her head, voice barely carrying over the hum. She offered a small, crooked smile before she turned toward chair at the corner of the room.
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After six long days the tower settled in a fragile new rhythm once Tess returned from the hospital wing. The claw marks on her forearms mostly faded to pink and she no longer picked at them, but she hadn't set foot outside her cell since her return. Bellatrix brought her trays with food, drinks and candy from her secret stash. Whenever Tess didn't eat herself, she would sit on the edge of the bed and feed her. “Bella not coming. Bella mad?”
Bellatrix swallowed hard, “No, bird. I'm not mad.” She brushed Tess's cheek with her knuckles, “I will write you. Send you silly cards. Call you whenever I can. And once I'm on parole, I can come visit.” She sounded more optimistic than she felt, but she had to be strong for Tess's sake.
While Bellatrix kept her eyes on Tess, Hermione kept her eyes on Bellatrix. “You haven't been outside for days, you're coming with us today. Do you want to come too, Tess?” Hermione asked, but Tess didn't respond. When Bellatrix wanted to decline the offer, Hermione placed a hand on her shoulder, “Five minutes. You can't be there for her if you don't take care of yourself first, you know that.”
“Blah, blah. I'm coming with you, aren't I?” She mocked, stood up and followed the rest of the group. When they entered the courtyard, Bellatrix suddenly felt a warm hand slip into her own like a kept secret.
“You're coming, good.” The soft voice drifted on the wind.
Bellatrix glanced down - small, pale fingers that traced her wrist. She bit away her smile and kept her amusement to herself, slightly letting her finger slide over the smaller hand, “Only because you asked nicely.” She let go and walked a small round before ending up against the wall next to Hermione. Arms folded, both women looking straight ahead. “Maybe going outside wasn't a bad idea after all.”
By the end of the week Tess finally came out of her cell. She strolled into the living room and climbed into Bellatrix's lap, knees beside her hips and she started to kiss the shape of her jaw and mouth. Bellatrix settled her hands on Tess's waist, praising her for showing her 'pretty face' again. When they kissed, Hermione quickly made her way to the storage room as if she was disturbed by the sight - Bellatrix noticed, but turned her focus back to the girl on her lap.
After lock-in, when Tess was sound asleep next to her, Bellatrix pressed the button on the intercom until it cracked to life. “Granger--” Nothing. The silence was long enough for Bellatrix to assume the intercom was broken, but then there was a soft click and a low pitched voice coming through.
“Black?”
Bellatrix froze, then almost pleaded, her voice breaking on the last word. “Come here. Please.” It didn't took long until she heard footsteps in the corridor, keys, then a beep. When the door opened, Hermione leaned against the door-frame. “Hi--” Bellatrix whispered almost relieved, “--she's doing better,” she continued softly, her gaze on the sleeping girl curled up next to her. “Singing again, and she even asked for crayons. She wanted to draw penguins because of that stupid documentary from weeks ago.” A small, crooked smile crept on her face, “She made me one. A lopsided bird with enormous eyes, there.” She pointed to the drawing above her desk.
Hermione chuckled and slowly stepped inside the dim lit cell, “She loves you.”
“She needs me,” Bellatrix exhaled and carefully sat up, leaning her head against the wall. “And I like that she needs me. It's... selfish, I know.” Then Bellatrix turned her head and looked at Hermione who didn't seem to walk in any further. “You sometimes look at us as if it burns you.”
Hermione flinched, “I--”
“No lies, darling. Not tonight.”
Hermione looked down at her hands, then her eyes found Tess. “It does burn. The way she climbs into you. The way you let her... but your eyes find me. You know very well what you're doing.”
Bellatrix looked at Hermione for a long moment, trying to unravel her mind. She reached out until Hermione finally stepped in closer and sat down on the edge of the bed. She didn't pull away when Bellatrix caught her chin between her fingers, thumb brushing her jaw. “Every time I lay my eyes on you, I can feel it here--” she pressed her free hand on her own stomach. “-- like a hook. Every time you blush and pretend not to, I want to pin you against the wall and find out how loud you can be when no one is watching.”
Hermione's breath hitched, “Bellatrix--”
“I know. I see the way your hands shake when you hand me my meds. How you linger at the office when you think my attention is on what happens in front of me. You want this as bad as I do.”
A shaky exhale left Hermione's throat, “More.”
Bellatrix made a low, pleased sound, leaned in and pressed her lips on Hermione's. Without hesitating Hermione opened up instantly, a whimper escaping when Bellatrix's tongue touched hers. When they parted Bellatrix's breath was uneven, and she leaned her forehead against Hermione's - inhaling the faint scent of lavender. “I dream about you. Spreading you out on this mattress, learning what makes you arch. About... making you come so hard you forget about your stupid protocols.” Then she sighed and looked down at Tess beside her, “I don't expect you to understand, but you don't need me the way she does. I can't just pull away, she couldn't possibly understand. She needs stability, consistency until she leaves this damn building. I need to give her that.”
“And you, what do you need?”
Bellatrix reached for Hermione's hand and took it in her own, she swallowed, finding the courage to speak one simple word. “Harmony.”