FIC REQUEST: Ok, I'm stressed and I want to cry. So, I am giving everyone a prompt. Either Hermione flinches from Bella in an argument, and I want the aftermath and how they deal with it. Your goal is to make me ball my eyes out.
The portrait hole slammed shut behind them. Bellatrix was shaking in restrained anger. The Weasel had kissed her Hermione. She was HERS.
Bellatrix slashed her arm through the air and a wordless spell viciously tore the eighth years' common room sofa in half. Stuffing exploded and some floated down into the fire, sizzling as the fire caught.
"Bellatr — " another spell flew at the chandelier and it smashed on the carpeted floor in less than a second.
Hermione swallowed and forced herself to remain still. A portrait was torn off the wall and Ginny's favourite armchair was set on fire.
"Bellatrix please." Hermione dared to whisper. The malevolent obsidian eyes turned to her.
"He touched you." Bellatrix hissed, but the rage in her gaze subsided slightly when she turned to her student.
"He didn't know, Bella, please."
Hermione took a few steps forward and slowly raised her arms to her lover's. Gently gliding her fingers up and down Bella's forearms, thumb tracing her scarred over mark softly. When she looked up to see Bellatrix's eyes, they were closed and the witch was exhaling heavily.
"It'll be better soon," Hermione promised, "once this year is over we won't have to hide. I can tell him I love someone else. Tell him I love you."
Bella's calloused hands trailed up Hermione's arms and curled around her back, pulling her in for a tight hug.
"Thank you, dove." She felt the older woman's chin settle on the crown of her head and the cool air disturbed her baby hairs when she sighed.
"Do you want to stay the night?" Hermione offered quietly.
Bellatrix had recently started to, on bad days, she claimed hugging her made her want to never touch a drop of Firewhiskey again and Hermione found Bella chased her nightmares away, so she was happy to oblige.
She felt a gentle nod against her scalp and her lips curved into a small smile. She was sure Bella felt it against the exposed skin of her neck because her arms squeezed her tighter for a moment before they were released.
Bella pulled back and gently swiped at Hermione's cheek, trying to get an ink stain off but only succeeded in smudging it further.
At Hermione's raised eyebrow she explained, even as she licked her finger and tried to wipe it once more.
"You've had an ink stain on your cheek since History of Magic before lunch, little witch. Was Binns boring you with goblin wars again, hmm?" She smirked as the flush she so loved to cause rose up the girl's neck.
"There, all gone." Bella leaned in to kiss her cheek. "You best get ready for bed while I clear this up. Leave some of your Muggle spray conditioner out for me, love."
"Ok Bella, I'll wait for you." Hermione sent her another cute smile and Bellatrix poked her single dimple before Hermione leaned out of reach, pout forming on her face at the teasing.
"What? I think it's cute." Her expression was wide eyed and innocent but Hermione certainly knew better.
"Yuh-huh."
By the time Bellatrix had rearranged to common room back to its original decor (not that she would call it that, mind) and gotten ready to join her witch, Hermione was already in bed with only a spelled bluebell as a light.
She lifted the covers and curled into the smaller figure from behind her, wrapping an arm around Hermione's waist and pulling her tighter. She could hear gentle breaths even out after several minutes and let her eyes slip shut.
Bella jerked awake when an elbow slammed into her ribs and she immediately overpowered the body beside her, pushing her wand into the person's jugular even as she held down both wrists in a deadly grip beside the headboard.
Hermione's eyes slammed open and she woke from what seemed to be a nightmare with a ear piercing scream, with she'd attempted to muffle, only to shriek in absolute terror at the position she found herself in. She woken from a torture session only to be greated with exactly the same sight.
Bella's eyes widened when she noticed who was beneath her but before she could reposition herself, her darling dove was crying out in fear. Bella dropped her wand, not bothering to watch it roll on the floor as she brought a hand up to Hermione's cheeks. The girl flinched. Violently.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Bella muttered, flipping the pair around and rolling to the side to scoop the frozen girl into her arms.
"It was just a nightmare. I wouldn't hurt you. Not again. Nothing will ever hurt you." Bella continued mumbling into Hermione's ear as she held her on her lap, rocking them backwards and forwards as the girl began to tremble and eventually broke down in sobs.