You

Before

‘Bellatrix shifted uneasily in her seat at the waiting room.

It wasn’t due to the uncomfortable seats this time, it was because of her husband’s infuriating nail biting.

“Stop it.” She hissed. “If I was going to say something, I would’ve done it by now.”

Rodolphus hushed her, over dramatically, and Bella rolled her eyes.

“I love you. If you don’t believe that, we’ll never move on.”

Rodolphus was cut off as the door opened, a police man escorted in the woman Bella had least expected.

She stood, shocked.

“Oh, Bellatrix.” Andy breathed.

Her little sister enveloped her in a bone crushing hug and for once, Bellatrix couldn’t complain.

“It’s been a year, where did you go?” Andromeda sobbed into her shoulder, it was all Bellatrix could do to keep her own tears back.

She needed to be strong, for Andy.

“You know father wanted me to marry a Lestrange. Now I’ve done it on my own terms.”

Andy pulled back to look at her sister’s watery smile before sobbing loudly and shoving her face in the crook of Bellatrix’s shoulder.

The older woman laughed slightly, bringing her own arms up to hug her sister.

“Cissy’s been beside herself. Mother and father- oh Bella why didn’t you t-tell anyone?”

“It wasn’t planned.” She remarked dryly, earning a warning look from Rodolphus.

That moment was when Andromeda remembered there was another person in the room.

She gathered herself in record time and Bellatrix wondered if she was envious or happy she had missed a years worth of lessons on lady-like behavior from her mother.

She certainly could’ve used it last year.

“So,” Andy sniffled, extending a hand, “You must be my new brother-in-law.”

“Indeed I am.” Rodolphus said tensely, shaking Andy’s hand.

Bellatrix watched the interaction with rapt attention. Hoping to god Rodolphus would remain calm.

She almost pissed herself when Andy slapped him in the face.

The crack echoed throughout the empty room and Bellatrix flinched, unconsciously taking a step closer in case-

In case-

“That, was for stealing my sister,” Andy snapped haughtily, “If you ever try pull something like that again, it’ll be a lot worse.”

Rodolphus cradled his cheek. His eyes locked onto Bellatrix’s as he responded to Andy. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Bellatrix gulped.

“We need to go, Cissy’s waiting in the car.” Andy grabbed her hand and tugged but Bellatrix pulled back.

“Just a minute, Andy. Rod and I have to discuss something.”

Andromeda looked reluctant to leave her sister again, especially after it had been so long, but she settled for another life threatening hug before leaving the room.

Silence fell.

Bellatrix folded her arms. Trying to remain in control as her heart sped up nervously.

Rodolphus merely stared at her, hand still cradling his cheek. Bellatrix felt her anxiety was skyrocketing. She couldn’t take the silence.

“Well?” She asked, hoping he didn’t notice the tremor in her voice.

He did. He smirked.

“I love you,” Bella’s shoulders slumped slightly as he lowered his hands, picking up her own and placing gentle kisses on each. “But I don’t love your sisters.”

That was all he said.

That was all she needed to know.

She watched his back as he left the room. The message was received.

He told her daily when she was in the cage, how he would never hurt her because he loved her.

Bellatrix knew he had no qualms hurting those he didn’t.’

There was a knock at the door.

It wasn’t common, Fleur Delacour almost never had visitors.

Ever since her untimely divorce with Bill Weasley, she had been practically blacklisted in the town. An untouchable.

There were few people who actually interacted with her like she was a normal human being, not Bill Weasley’s ex wife.

It had been so bad she had been forced to move back with her maman in France.

The most humiliating feat in her life.

She thought it was poetic justice, that Molly Weasley had called pleading to her, though it didn’t feel as good when it came along with the death of her youngest and one of the few people who treated her normally. Hermione.

So it was bitter sweet retribution. Châtiment doux-amer.

A knock rang out again.

Fleur sighed. Standing from her spot curled up on the sofa, she approached the keyhole and peaked through.

She frowned.

Short ginger hair, leather jacket, black shirt, black jeans, green eyes.

The woman at her door seemed a bit too edgy to be a Weasley.

Maybe a Prewett? She never met Molly’s remaining relatives on her side.

Nonetheless, she had no business showing up at Fleur’s personal residence without a prior appointment.

She opened the door.

“Oui?” Fleur folded her arms across her chest and tried to radiate her most unfriendly energy.

It did not work.

“Hey, I’m Penny.” The woman stuck out a hand Fleur did not take. “Are you Detective Delacour?”

“Oui.”

“Great. I have something to discuss with you if you have a minute.”

“Non.”

Then Fleur shut the door in the woman’s face.

In all honesty, Fleur did indeed have a minute. She wasn’t working or anything, she was just trying to have a quick cat nap on the couch when she was rudely interrupted.

Though personally, Fleur counted sleeping as work.

The door resisted the satisfying slam Fleur had attempted so she frowned and tried again.

Before looking down and seeing the black trainer that had colonized her doorway.

She grit her teeth and slammed harder, her brows creased further at the lack of response.

Begrudgingly, she opened the door again.

“Oui?” She sighed exasperatedly.

“Is that all you’re going to say to me?” The woman quipped angrily.

“Oui.”

“Well then you’re not a good detective, are you?”

Fleur said nothing. All she wanted to do was take a nap but apparently, she could have nothing in this town.

“I have information on the disappearance of Hermione Granger.”

“‘Ermione has not disappeared. She is in France. Goodbye.”

The woman did not leave.

“No she’s not. The look on your face when I said that tells me you don’t believe she’s in ‘France’ either.”

Fleur pinched the bridge of her nose. “There is no evidence to claim she is not in France. I am also not here to look into the disappearance of ‘Ermione Granger.”

That got a reaction. The woman frowned.

“I thought you were a detective.”

“Private investigator. I was hired for the disappearance of Ronald Weasley, not ‘Ermione.”

Penny thought for a moment, then shoved past Fleur and entered the woman’s home.

Fleur let out an outraged cry.

“You may not come into my home. I did not invite you in.”

“Were you planning on inviting me in?”

“Non!”

“Then I invited myself in.”

Fleur could only watch in shock as the woman settled herself on her sofa. Like it was her own home.

“Feel free to sit.” She said to the angry detective.

“You are trespassing. Get out.”

“Non.” The woman mocked in a horrific French accent. “I have to know what’s going on because my friend went missing and the only person looking into it is a shitty private investigator who technically isn’t even doing that.”

Fleur had no response. She let out a deep sigh before seating herself in the sofa opposite.

There was nothing to do. This Penny woman was already in her house and did not look like she was planning on leaving.

“Well?”

The woman grinned at her. Fleur’s heart fluttered in anger.

“Well,” Penny drawled, “I knew Hermione from our school days. We lost contact until recently, I had a huge bill charged to my bank account.”

“How tragic.”

The woman ignored the remark. “Normally, I wouldn’t notice. I’m a Clearwater so we’re quite well off but it caused such a huge dent in my account I had to cancel it and try figure out which card was stolen.”

“Boohoo.”

“-And imagine my surprise when it was charged to a card I thought I’d lost years ago. A card I left,” She paused for effect. “At Hermione’s house.”

Fleur picked at her nails, bored.

“Now knowing Hermione, the things she ordered were completely out of character until it came to a book. The Mysterious Stranger by Mark Twain.”

“I do not care.”

“Books are completely on par with Hermione’s image, except it was a Mark Twain book. Hermione-“

“Hates Mark Twain.” The two said in unison. Penny looked shocked.

“I am well aware of this. Ginerva Weasley already informed me.”

“Ginny?” Penny laughed. “Oh is she really still around? I thought she wanted to be a ‘rugby player’.”

“If all you wish to do is tell me things I already know and mock those who hired me. Please leave.”

“I’m not finished,” Penny pouted, Fleur bared her teeth at her.

“Anyway, Hermione wouldn’t be caught dead with Mark Twain, so I thought it suspicious. So I came to the address it was ordered to. A cute little bakery. Bella’s, you know it?”

Fleur made no indication to show she had heard of her favourite bakery or not.

“And there, I find out something interesting.” The woman talked with her hands a lot. That was something Fleur found infuriating.

“The Mysterious Stranger is about, obviously, a stranger that shows up out of nowhere. He turns out to be Satan. Here you have a couple who showed up out of nowhere, and disappearances start happening. Coincidence?”

“More of a stretch, but probably.”

“And that’s where you’re wrong, Delacour.” Penny continued, undeterred.

“Let me paint you a picture. Hermione finds out the mysterious strangers are up to no good. She tries to figure out a discreet way to tell somebody and settles on me. It went badly for her, now she’s dead in a ditch somewhere while Rodolphus Lestrange tries to pretend she’s in France.”

Fleur rolled her eyes.

The theory was outlandish, based on obscure and illogical reasoning and had so many holes one could mistake it for a block of Swiss cheese.

“Let me paint you a picture instead, Miss Clearwater.” Fleur glared at the woman. “Hermione Granger found an old credit card. Decided to treat herself. Tried Mark Twain. Then went to visit her parents in France to try get over the death of her friend.”

“Now that’s a stretch.” Penny stated. As if Fleur was the crazy one.

“Listen, Miss Clearwater.” Fleur sighed. “I understand the college kids like to play pranks but I am 32. Not that much older than you, so when you get to this stage, you will realize how unfunny these things are.”

“What? Prank?” Penny’s brows met at the centre of her forehead.

“Oui, oui, if you leave now I won’t tell anyone. ‘What prank?’ And all of that merde.”

“No, no, no. Detective, you’ve got it all wrong!” The woman cried. “It’s true! Why else would I travel here from Bulgaria?”

“You traveled from Bulgaria before even knowing ‘Ermione was missing?”

“I have a lot of free time on my hands.” The woman deadpanned.

“There is your answer.” Fleur smirked at the look on the woman’s face. “Now if that is all, I believe you can ‘invite’ yourself out?”

Penny stammered a few words before finally standing and leaving in a huff, slamming Fleur’s poor door behind her.

The private investigator sighed.

She didn’t believe Hermione had gone to France. She had no reason not to tell anyone and her behavior had a drastic change but the lack of evidence was too much.

All she had was based on opinions, objectivity. After almost a month on this case, the most Fleur hoped for was a Ron Weasley tooth or something so she could get Molly off her back.