Bejeweled

Bella spotted the group of Gryffindors and started making her way across the dance floor over to them, an idea forming in her head. By the time she was close enough for them to notice her approach, she had a displeased sneer on her face that seemed to genuinely frighten the other girls in the circle, who stepped back a bit, almost subconsciously. 

Lily didn’t though, she kept her eyes locked on Bella’s as she kept dancing just as she had been, unbothered. Bella looked her up and down, and then right at the correct moment in the song, smiled, nodded, and pointed to Lily as she said, “Nice!” 

Lily threw her head back laughing and then enveloped Bellatrix in a big hug, which was returned. Much to the shock and horror of the other Gryffindor girls. And basically everyone else in the vicinity who saw. 

“I’m so glad you joined us!” Lily yelled over the music. 

“Me too,” Bellatrix answered, unable to stop grinning. 

When the two girls finally let go of each other, Bella turned to Remus. That made her smile fall. “Can you ever forgive me?” 

It was like the exhaustion, the gloom, left his body in that moment. His smile finally shining as bright as she knew it could. “Absolutely,” he answered, and she was already hugging him by the time the word finished leaving his lips. 

Bellatrix finally got to be exactly where she wanted. Right between two of the people she cared about most, who cared about her. And she didn’t give a shit what anyone else thought about it. 

She danced and sang every word at the top of her lungs with Lily. “Sapphire tears on my face, sadness became my whole sky! But some guy said my aura’s moonstone just ‘cus he was hiiiigh!” 

The scene was becoming more confusing to everyone else. Since when did Bellatrix Black know all the lyrics to a muggle song? 

For a long damn time and she was tired of hiding it! 

The other Gryffindor girls seemed to relax slowly, deciding this wasn’t some trick since Lily, Remus, and even the other Marauders appeared to welcome it. Welcome her. 

Bella was buzzing by the time the song was over. Everything finally felt right. She knew who she was, and she liked that person. She actually liked the people around her. This was her place. 

Though going so public with her new beliefs meant there would be consequences. A price to pay. But Bellatrix had set the dominos carefully, all that was left was a little push. What if she was a mastermind? 

Her eyes found Dumbledore, sitting alone supervising the dance from one corner, nodding his head slightly to the beat of the new song. What’s Up? by 4 Non Blondes, Bellatrix knew. Perfect. 

“I’ll be right back,” she told Remus, and then hurried off across the floor. 

Dumbledore was watching her with a small smile and a curious look in his eye. “Miss Black,” he greeted. 

“Headmaster,” she nodded. “I must tell you something.” 

“By all means.” 

Bellatrix wished they’d been allowed to bring wands to the dance just so she could cast a charm to make sure they weren’t overheard, but the entire point was doing things the muggle way, so she leaned in and whispered in his ear. 

When she pulled away, his face was still relaxed, but she could see the serious look in his eyes. 

“I will handle it promptly,” he assured her. Dumbledore stood up from his seat. “Unfortunately this means I will not be able to chaperone the rest of this dance. Please do enjoy yourself tonight, Miss Black,” he gave her a nod and was off. 

Bellatrix was able to get back to her group with enough time to enjoy the last bit of the song, though Remus gave her a questioning look. 

“I’ll tell you later,” she assured him. After it was over, taken care of, and the fear that now gripped her stomach had let go. 

The song ended and another Taylor Swift song replaced it. Maybe Hoben was making up for not playing any for so long. This was one of her slower songs though, romantic. “What if I told you ‘I’m back’? The hospital was a drag. Worst sleep that I ever had. I circled you on a map.” 

Bella bit her bottom lip softly as she turned to Remus. “Dance with me?” 

His eyes widened a bit, and he nodded like he didn’t quite trust himself to actually say anything. 

~

Remus reached out to rest his hands on her shoulders, holding her at a bit of a distance. He could do this. Just be normal, be friendly. She deserved to dance to her favorite artist without him getting all weird about it and thinking it meant something it didn’t. 

He still couldn’t quite believe she was there with him at all. With them. Publicly declaring her love for muggle music, her friendships with him and Lily, being seen with Gryffindors, including blood traitors. She’d accepted him even knowing his secret, had asked for forgiveness as if her reaction hadn’t been completely understandable (even if it had made him want to die). He had his Bella back, and all he had to do was not fuck it up by letting his crush get in the way of their friendship. 

And then Bellatrix stepped closer until she was resting her head on his shoulder, placing his arms around her middle. She was right there, letting him hold her close. Telling him to hold her close! Everything in him said to never let go, savor every moment of her being right there. But it meant something to him it didn’t mean to her, and he couldn’t risk it. Not now that he’d just gotten her back. 

“Bella, I…” he started and then had to take a deep breath. “Bella, I can’t do this. I don’t want to push you into anything, I’m happy to be just friends, but I can’t…do this right now and not feel anything roman—“ 

Remus was cut off by Bellatrix kissing him. It was soft and affectionate and right there in the middle of the Great Hall in front of everyone. It made his brain short circuit. 

It was just for a moment, lest they get in trouble with one of the teachers chaperoning, but when Bellatrix pulled away she was grinning at Remus’s stunned expression. “Then let’s be more than friends.” 

This could not be real. His mouth was hanging open dumbly for a moment while he tried to catch up to what was happening. Was this happening? 

“Are-Are you sure? With-with me being—“ he stuttered out. 

“I’m sure,” she nodded. “Completely sure.” 

He was the one to kiss her this time. Remus didn’t care if they got yelled at or points taken. His Bella wanted to be with him! Actually date him! Even knowing what he was, she still chose him. And by Merlin he was going to kiss her as passionately as he wanted to! 

His friends cheered, Sirius letting out an, “Ow-ow!” to tease him, but Remus couldn’t find it in himself to be embarrassed when he pulled away. The rest of the world was gone, it was only him holding his Bella, cupping her cheek in his hand and enjoying the beautiful flush on her cheeks. 

They danced together, holding each other close until the song ended. Remus didn’t want to be apart yet, but the new one was clearly more upbeat. As she pulled away, Bella threw her head back and laughed. “Perfect song,” she grinned when she recognized it. 

Remus hadn’t heard it before, but she was right. He learned it had all the subtlety of a fanfic writer when he heard the lyrics Bella was singing along to, looking right at him, her eyes sparkling with an inside joke. “A domesticated girl, that’s all you ask of me. Darling it is no joke, this is lycanthropy!”