They gave you a Go...
"Sounds like you think muggles can do way more than build a flying machine that can fly really high – and you want to talk about it. So are you going to tell me we have to find more muggles like Ted to strengthen us, or are we talking about them being so dangerous we better destroy them all?"
Hermione's face went blank.
"That's what I want you to tell me."
Crap. The answer stared right into her metaphorical face – find more Teds who know muggle things and then use their knowledge to make wizardkind stronger – but it was the wrong answer. It only took a few weeks of Ted's occasional company to convince her that muggles like him could do more good than harm to wizardkind – but fact was, he wasn't Pure. Not only he seemed like a great choice for Andy, he also had the potential to become one of the best healers in Britain – but that didn't mean anything when it came to blood purity.
Crap. Weeks of feeling smarter for understanding that muggleborns like Ted could provide advantages to both wizardkind in general and herself personally – and then finding out muggles really might be so dangerous a war might be necessary.
Crap. Was the Hermione who was friends with Andy and even Ted the real one, or an agent's mask?
Answer wrong, you're dead. Maybe Obliviated, if you're lucky. And she was against someone so good and with so many advantages that neither her smarts nor her skills could give her a way out. She was against someone with a death mark on her hand.
Seconds ticked by and Bella's eyes lost focus. This was a question that went straight for her core and that was a place Bella preferred to not get near. But there was no avoiding it.
Mental pulls and pushes from various parts of her brain rocked her train of thought, as both the idea of going against tradition and purity and the idea of going against her sister and her own mind wrestled for control. Why couldn't Hermione help?!? How could she have a face hard as rock?!?
And then she understood – she had to find out who the real Bella was and this was a convenient way of gathering some hints. And the problem was, the real Bella was weak. She wanted to be strong, she wanted to fulfill her duty, even if it might break her heart and her mind, but she was weak. She might have remained strong if she didn't see Andy's happiness – but now she wanted to keep Andy happy and to find that kind of happiness for herself. Her shoulders slumped down.
"I'm sorry. I can't do it anymore. Maybe muggles really are dangerous, and maybe I would stop deluding myself if I knew more, but I don't believe they're so bad that we have to fight them all. And as much as I hate to admit that truth, I do feel Ted the muggleborn is a better wizard than most of Slytherin. Do what you have to now."
A twitch went through Hermione, one so suppressed Bella couldn't decipher it, but her face remained neutral.
"Is it weakness that's preventing you from doing your Duty, Bella, or have you become a blood traitor?"
Anger and hate filled Bella's mind. How could Hermione say that! She was the one who spent the whole year acting tolerant, she made Bella help Andy and Ted, she… She made Bella feel she could maybe finally afford some love and joy and it was all a test and a ruse?!? She screamed.
"I'm a traitor now and I hate you! You made me this weak! You made me feel there's more to live for and now you're telling me you're a liar! You better use the killing curse, or I'm staying as a ghost to destroy you! I'll tell Andy and she'll-"
Bella's brain froze when Hermione launched herself from her position on the bed and basically jumped to Bella to pull her into her arms. The magic at her ankles was still there, waiting to activate, but was forgotten when Bella let herself be pulled into Hermione's – happy?!? – embrace and began to realize she could live. Her right hand let go of Hermione, closed into a fist…
...and slowly opened again as the rage began to dissipate.
"I still hate you. You've been a traitor this whole year?!? And you made me think you'll kill me!"
But it was becoming harder and harder to hate Hermione, given the relief and joy Bella could feel from her through their embrace.
"Just don't do this again, please?!?"
Hermione's forehead was on her shoulder for a second and then she was staring directly into her eyes. Her voice was exhausted but happy.
"You're stronger than you'd believe, Bella, and I'm so proud of you!"
It happened before she could actually think about it. She closed her eyes, some part of her brain frantically sending a last-second course-correction impulses to her muscles, and she kissed Hermione on her nose. And even if it wasn't the kiss her heart screamed for, she felt Hermione go stiff.
"Sorry. I'm a mess right now, I shouldn't have…"
She was staring into Hermione's eyes again and she saw no anger or revulsion.
"It's okay, I'm a mess too. Can we… talk some more?"
Bella let go of Hermione and slumped back onto her chair, only then becoming aware of the magic around her ankles growing… less nervous. Hermione flopped down onto the edge of her bed.
"You weren't aiming for my nose at first, Bella, were you?"
A question only marginally better than facing death.
"But I changed my aim, didn't I?"
"I wouldn't have minded anyway, I think, but things are even more complicated than it might seem, I'm afraid."
That concern made Bella chuckle for a few heartbeats.
"I just realized I'm a blood traitor, I got involved in the shadow war and I almost got killed by an agent with a death mark on her hand, which makes me really wonder what side you're on. Are you really telling me things can get far more complicated than they seem to be?"
Another scrutinizing stare from Hermione and then her wand pointed at her own arm and Bella's eyes shot wide open when she saw the suddenly revealed marks on that skin. Mudblood?!?
"You're?!? Who did it to you?!?"
"A crazy pure-blood witch, one you've been unfortunately reminding me of when I first met you. I think she didn't have enough good people around her to help her when she needed it and her mind gave up. She's dead already, in case you're thinking revenge.
She was, of course, but even if there was no need for that, other questions remained. Questions far more important than the sorry state of Bella's heart.
"So if you're muggleborn, does that mean you're on Dumbledore's side?"
"Kind of? But the shadow war you spoke of is different from what most people think? For starters, the Dark wizard who controls the more pure-blooded side is in fact an egotistical half-breed who deceives and manipulates and strong-arms his followers and some even follow him *knowing* he's a half-breed?"
Bella simply slumped into her chair, her mind too tired to want to keep exerting itself. The world turned out to be crazy beyond her expectations and she needed time to recover and find her place in it.
"I'm done. This is too much. Please, just tell me there are no more surprises of this magnitude waiting for me, Hermione."
Hermione simply smiled at first, but it was a gentle smile.
"Just a few dozen, Bella, but none that should destroy you, I think. Dare to dirty yourself in this traitor lair?"
And she scooted up her bed to sit against the headboard and her wand freed Bella's ankles and there was an obvious empty spot next to her. And Bella's heart wouldn't have minded if there was actual mud on that bed and it took her like ten heartbeats to end up next to Hermione, her head resting on Hermione's shoulder. The muggle box went louder again.
"Loud and clear."
"Roger. We see your verb 47."
"Yes. I don't know what the problem was there. It just started oscillating around in yaw. According to the needle, we're picking up a little oscillation right now, as a matter of fact."
"Roger. We'll work on it."
It was absolute gibberish and Bella didn't mind. Resting, feeling Hermione's body so close, and knowing Hermione wouldn't have minded a kiss was enough. The image on the box switched to two old muggle guys seated at a table and talking and Bella tuned them out.
"Does Andy know you're muggleborn?"
It seemed Hermione was willing to ignore those two muggles too and muted them again.
"No, we're both safer if she doesn't. But her Occlumency is getting there, I think."
"So why tell me, then? I'm only marginally better than she is."
This time, there was definitely something in Hermione's voice.
"Because it took too much willpower to let you kiss my nose."
"What's that-"
"A part of me wanted a proper kiss."
Bella's head jerked so she could look into Hermione's eyes.
"When I met you, a part of me wanted to run away, or to kill you, because your presence alone was enough to make me recall some horrible things someone else did to me. And we're talking Crucio and those scars here, Bella. But I learned you're nothing like she was and you're smart and hot and unhappy and it tore at my heart to see what your parents were doing to you and I wanted to help – but I couldn't risk you turning on me. And now I feel like you wouldn't, not even if I didn't have my insurances in you, and I don't want to fuck up our chance to maybe be happy some day. I might have already, if I made you feel I'm likely a deceiving bitch trying to seduce you, but I certainly didn't expect you here today."
Time to put some of the non-horrible advantages her parents gave her to use, then. Patience was still a virtue, even for a blood traitor.
"Two hours ago, I've been willing to wait months for a chance to get a wife, and I didn't understand half of what I understand now. You don't have to rush anything."
"I won't. But I want to."
Silence. And then Hermione's head jerked towards the photo box and she waved her hand and the muggle box went louder again.
"Eagle, this is Odyssey. They just gave you a GO for powered descent."
****
"60 seconds."
"Forward drift?"
"Yes."
"Okay."
Hermione's hand was being squeezed harder than when Bella outed herself to Ted but her brain was barely registering it. Her whole body was tense, there being no live video transmission made the uncertainty even worse, her eyes were beginning to well up, then the next sentence almost made her jump in joy.
"Contact light."
Breathing became something she didn't do.
"Okay. Engine stop. ACA – out of detent."
"Out of detent."
"Mode control – both auto. Descent engine command override – off. Engine arm – off. 413 is in."
"We copy you down, Eagle."
A sideways glance at Bella, who seemed glued to the telly.
"Houston, Tranquility base here. The Eagle has landed."
"Well fuck me sideways!"
That was definitely not one of the reactions Hermione felt ready for.
"Bella?!?"
"Sorry, this is like watching a bunch of stone age cavemen build a castle more magnificent than Hogwarts! And we'll be able to watch them walk on the Moon once they leave that ship and do so with just a two second delay?!? A part of me still thinks this might be some elaborate lie you might not even be aware of."
Hermione sighed a bit before she replied.
"There's I guess thousands of muggles or more who think this might be fake, Bella, so I can understand those fears. Truth be told, I knew this might get faked, especially with some help from the wizarding world, so I had to make sure it wasn't. Rappaport's Law has only been repealed three years ago and MACUSA is still so separated from muggle USA that they basically ignored that ship and I've been able to find a group of muggleborn friends who helped me… modify it a bit. There's a tracking charm on the landing stage, so I do know it was somewhere near the Moon about an hour ago, and there's even a part in it that doubles as a reusable portkey beacon. But going there now would both break the Statute of Secrecy and kill us, given things like there being no air on the Moon."
"Now you're just messing with me."
"I'm not. Ask Ted, he knew about the muggle plans for these missions years ago, you even heard the TV guys mention this wasn't the first mission to orbit the Moon. Plenty of time to make plans and put them into action, especially given nearly everyone who knew about it was a muggleborn and happy to help. Donald's wife is a werewolf and she works with the computing machines that-"
Blood has drained from Bella's face once again.
"Fuck. Andy's with Ted watching these events too, isn't she? What if her Occlumency fails around Father?"
"You don't want me commenting on Andy right now, Bella."
"You just did. Ew! No. Just no. They're talking and holding hands and maybe kissing and I'm not imagining anything else! It's Andy!"
This side of Bella was surprisingly cute and Hermione almost managed to play along. Almost.
"Yes, it is Andy."
This earned her a finger poking her in her ribs.
"Kissing. And. Talking. Shut. Up."
The finger stopped, Bella's mouth didn't.
"Kissing and talking and planning to run away and disappoint our Father. Horrible but better than not just kissing. Eugh, we're meeting them tomorrow! I really should have cursed Molly Prewett!"
Hermione's first impulse was to lay her hand atop Bella's, to both show support and mitigate any outbursts.
"I'm just as guilty as she is, and Andy fell for him on her own. We just helped her find some courage and happiness."
Bella just rolled her eyes.
"We're all crazy and fricken muggles are walking on the Moon-"
Hermione interrupted her.
"Not for a few more hours."
"Details. Muggles are *landed* on the Moon and I'm a blood traitor and we're all crazy, thinking we can get away with this."
Hermione turned her head to look directly at Bella.
"Got a better idea?"
She saw Bella breath in and then freeze, open her mouth a few times to always stay silent, and it took Bella maybe a dozen heartbeats to answer.
"Yes but we'd lead miserable lives. Better risk remaining a traitor, I guess."
Again, Hermione found herself unable to resist poking Bella a bit.
"So what do we do now? Maybe the same thing you think Andy's doing?"
She realized her error the second Bella's face swiveled in a single heartbeat and a look of pure hunger filled that face and made Hermione's own heart and body respond. She's never felt that… intensity… for anyone else before and her right hand twitched as it almost reached for Bella's thigh and then her brain took over again.
"Talking and planning to disappoint your Father! Sort of?"
Bella's voice sounded both happy and exhausted and sad.
"Can't do it for real today, we'd come up with something stupid. But we can dream about it. And I do want to see fricken muggles walking on the Moon."