Chapter Text
Bellatrix and Hermione sat at her kitchen table, sipping tea and reading the Sunday paper. Bellatrix flipped through the business section as Hermione skimmed the society pages, a guilty pleasure of the younger witch's that Bellatrix pretended not to know about. They sat in robes, Bellatrix’s black and Hermione’s dark green. Bellatrix had bought it for Hermione when she’d begun sleeping over more regularly. She’d teased her witch relentlessly about how good she looked in Slytherin green. Hermione always acted put out, but she wore it anyway. Bellatrix suspected she didn’t mind as much as she put on.
Bellatrix surreptitiously checked her watch. 9:58. Another two minutes passed and she heard the distinct whoosh of her floo activating. Right on time, she thought. She felt Hermione’s head snap up, eyes trained on her. Bellatrix remained focused on her paper.
After a pause, she said non-chelantly, “Narcissa’s here.” Hermione, perhaps out of habit, made to stand. “Stay,” Bellatrix said calmly.
“Bella?” Hermione’s voice was slightly hesitant. She asked quietly, “are you sure?”
“I invited her to stop by,” Bellatrix said, “before we left the dinner party.”
“You-”
Bellatrix finally put her paper down. She gave her a soft, genuine smile as she placed a gentle hand on top of one of Hermione’s. “It’s time, Hermione. Like I said last night, you were right.”
Hermione’s eyes widened and she looked down. “Bella, you should have told me.” She was whispering, but her voice was panicked. “I’m hardly wearing any clothes!”
“I know,” Bellatrix said as she drew her most wicked smirk. “Just how I like you.”
Heels clicking through the manor got closer and closer until Narcissa entered the kitchen. “Bella, I’m here-” Her youngest sister stopped in her tracks, but only for a fraction of a second before continuing into the room with as much panache as the blonde always had. “Ah, good morning, Hermione,” Narcissa said as if she’d been expecting to see her there, smirking as she took a seat at the table.
“Good morning, Narcissa,” Hermione said slightly sheepishly as she subtly closed her robe a bit tighter.
Bellatrix couldn’t help the exasperation that she felt. “‘Good morning, Hermione?’ That’s all you have to say?”
Narcissa raised an eyebrow at her. “What more would you like me to say, Bella?”
“Granger’s half naked at the breakfast table!” Bellatrix repeated for emphasis, “Hermione Granger!”
“I see that, Bella,” Narcissa said. Her lack of reaction was infuriating.
“Hermione Granger, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister! One third of the Golden Trio, Golden Girl, Teddy’s godmother, Hermione Granger!”
“Yes, I’m familiar with Hermione. We’ve been acquainted for well over a decade, Bella.” Narcissa turned to look at Hermione and asked, “is she always this barmy in the morning?”
Hermione snickered and admitted, “more often than not, yes.”
“Excuse me,” Bellatrix narrowed her eyes at the younger witch. “I will not take your cheek this early in the morning, young lady.”
“Oh yeah? What are you going to do about it?” Hermione flashed her a teasing grin. It made her breath hitch.
“I,” she started, but lost her train of thought as she became distracted by Hermione’s dimples. Eventually, she just involuntarily smiled back at her girlfriend.
“Oh christ,” Narcissa muttered.
Reminded of her sister’s presence, Bellatrix asked flatly, “what?”
“Nothing, dear sister.”
Bellatrix glared and Narcissa looked innocently at one another until Hermione interjected hesitantly, “how long have you known?”
Narcissa cleared her throat and poured herself a small cup of tea from the kettle on the table. “The Halloween fundraiser for St. Mungos. You two disappeared before speeches even began. I doubt anyone else noticed, but I’ve been wrangling Bellatrix at social functions for longer than you’ve been alive. I tested my theory by telling my dear sister here that I thought you may have feelings for her. She became cagy and diverted the conversation where she’s normally self-indulgent with these matters and frankly, downright lewd. That’s when I knew. If there was truly nothing going on, she would have made some sort of filthy joke about bedding you,” she explained. “But I have my suspicions it’s been going on longer.”
Hermione blushed a delightful pink colour. Narcissa raised an eyebrow at Hermione like she was expecting an answer to her unasked question. For all of the power she exuded at work and in life, her girlfriend seemed to be having trouble standing up under the pressure of her intense younger sister. Bellatrix absently thought she could relate. Cissy could be scary.
Hermione averted her eyes and said hesitantly, “it’s complicated.”
“We’ve been fucking for nine months,” Bellatrix clarified bluntly.
“Bellatrix,” Hermione hissed at her.
“Charming, as always, Bella,” Narcissa commented, but redirected her focus on Hermione. “You’ve been together for the better part of a year? Does Andy know?” A hint of concern laced her baby sister’s voice.
“No one knows, Cissy. And we weren’t together. We were just shagging,” Bellatrix explained.
Narcissa, of course, caught her tense. “But you are now?”
Hermione smiled shyly, “yes.” She confirmed, “for a few months now. Since the night of the fundraiser, actually.”
“Well,” Narcissa folded her hands together atop the table and raised her chin triumphantly. “Good. It's about time.”
At this Hermione asked, “wait. What do you mean, ‘it’s about time?’”
Narcissa rolled her eyes, “you two have been flirting for years. I’m actually somewhat surprised it’s only been as long as it has been.”
Bella sounded almost offended when she said, “excuse me?”
“Honestly, you could cut the sexual tension with a knife. The arguing, the teasing remarks, your little chats in Andy’s garden. It’s a bit nauseating, actually,” she added. Narcissa took a sip from her tea before placing it down again. “Well,” she said, gracefully rising from her seat. “I’ll leave you to it.”
“Hermione,” Narcissa bent down to give Hermione two delicate cheek kisses. “A pleasure, as always.”
“A pleasure,” Hermione said, sounding slightly shell shocked over the past fifteen minutes.
“Bells,” Narcissa said before kissing her on the side of her head. “I’m happy for you,” she spoke quietly in her ear. “Bring Hermione round sometime, under a more official capacity than shagging in my library, okay?”
Bellatrix cackled, because of course her sister knew. Her baby sister knew everything, not that she’d ever admit it. Hermione made a choking noise and flushed a deep shade of red as Narcissa swept out of the room as quickly as she’d arrived.