Ours to Catch

Fleur and Tonks were all too happy to go and spend some time with Hermione. They may not be allowed to go over everything they knew the sisters were up to, but they were more than able to at least help Hermione come to terms with what was waiting for her with the sisters. They could give her more information in a way that was more informational than the sisters who would say everything with a hint of expectations. Fleur and Tonks could more freely tease their friend and call her out on her overthinking, more so than the sisters who would be too afraid to offend their young witch.

The three women took over a small sitting room that had a fireplace and just enough chairs for all of them to sit comfortably and a small table to hold the numerous small finger foods the house elves made for them. Hermione wasn’t very pleased about having the house elves do so much work for them but when she saw how happy and unscarred the elves seemed, she relaxed a little; especially since she was more concerned about her own situation.

The three witches had finished eating and the two older ones talking about what they had been up to before Andy had sent for them. With the food gone, the only item left was Elvish Wine in goblets that filled themselves. Hermione felt it was the perfect beverage to drink to have the talk they were about to have.

“I just don’t understand why they want me here.” Hermione said as she fell back into her chair in a such a dramatic way that she felt she accidently channeled her inner Fleur because of the alcohol she was drinking. “From what I know Bellatrix would rather torture me than be in the same building as me. Narcissa probably thinks I’m no better than the dirt on the bottom of her shoes but won’t say anything because it would be ‘improper’ of her to say anything like that to a ‘guest’ in her home.” Hermione said with a huff.

“Well, my aunts definitely don’t have good reputations.” Tonks said with a sad smile. “But I think most of their reputations are inflated and exaggerated.” She added.

“Like most are.” Fleur added and before Hermione could say anything, she kept talking, “Just like Veela. Everything thinks the only thing we do is have sex with anyone and everything. They never seem to think that we are people as well and do so much more than just have sex; we just happen to enjoy it more so that humans do and aren’t ashamed to admit it.” She said with a smirk towards the metamorphmagus. If they didn’t have other company, both in the room and those waiting impatiently in another room, she would have likely physically touched the woman next to her just to see her flush. Tonks really was so much fun.

Hermione couldn’t argue Fleur’s point. She knew that most people, like Ronald, really did think all Veela’s were obsessed with sex and wanted to do nothing but have sex all the time. Hermione had actually felt sad for Fleur and her family for being treated the way they were because of all the assumptions made about them. But Fleur had assured her that her family actually liked the assumptions made about them because it made people underestimate them and made it easier to do business.

But Hermione knew every story about everyone had to have a grain of truth. Even though Andy explained how Bellatrix hadn’t actually been the one to torture the Longbottom’s to insanity, she didn’t stop it either. Hermione understood Bellatrix was playing her own game in trying to protect her family while not getting ousted as a traitor and still gaining enough trust from Voldemort so she could actually be in the ‘know’ of what was going to happen.

Hermione took a few deep gulps of wine to give her courage to talk about the very dark witch that was not only in the same building as her but from what she knew, would rather have her dead than have any connection with her.

“So, perhaps a few stories are over-exaggerated, but Bellatrix had to have done very bad things to earn the Dark Lord’s trust as much as she had.” Hermione defended. “And Narcissa married a known Death Eater, clearly her morals weren’t as high as you seem to think they are.”

“Well, my aunts definitely have their issues.” Tonks said as she thought about how to phrase what she wanted to say without accidently offending her family. Black family members were really good at holding petty grudges after all. With a giant gulp of her own wine for liquid courage, she decided to not give a shite and just talk freely. That’s what her mum wanted anyways. “I think they were probably more selfish in what they were doing, I mean, they aren’t brave Gryffindor’s by any means. They are true Slytherin’s. Their the type to plan, plot and bid their time until the perfect opportunity arises and in the meantime, they make sure they are as safe and comfortable as possible. I mean, my mum was always seen as the most carefree child of the sisters, that’s probably why she was so willing to take the easiest way out with my dad.”

“She loved your father, even though it wasn’t meant to be.” Fleur said as she too took another gulp of wine. “Such a tragic romance, doomed from the start.” She with faux sympathy, Hermione couldn’t stop her eye roll if she tried. Fleur really was dramatic. “Don’t start on with your anti-romance theories. You’re the one in the prophecy that upholds the greatest love story to ever be written!” Fleur said before taking another gulp of wine.

“Don’t listen to her Mione, it’s not really like that.” Tonks said. She was about to take another drink of wine, but after hear Fleur talk and seeing Hermione’s eyes glazed over, perhaps she should be the responsible one to stop drinking so she could have everyone stop drinking before they drank too much.

“You mean you weren’t forced to go pick me up instead of letting me go to Luna’s and brought straight to the women who were notoriously against muggleborns? And that your Aunt Bellatrix wouldn’t try to do hex or curse me if we were alone together?” Hermione challenged her friend and took another drink to keep her courage up.

Tonks threw her just made no drink rule she gave herself and took a big drink herself so she could say what she wanted to say. She really didn’t want to say anything related to what she was about to say but her mum and aunts were counting on her to help lower Hermione’s walls and to get the bookworm to stop overthinking everything and start to trust them.

“Well, unfortunately, I can promise you there are probably a lot of things my aunt would like to do to you if you two were alone and all those things I really don’t want to think about.” Tonks said, thankful her face was already flush from the wine so no one could call her out on it.

Fleur couldn’t help but snort into her goblet, “You mean she would like to have wonderful and earth shattering sex with you, then yes Hermione, I think there are many several things she would like to do to you.”

Hermione’s face, even though very much flushed from how much she had drank when she practically zero tolerance, became even redder. “I don’t, I don’t think that has anything to do with it.” Hermione struggled to say. That was the farthest thing she had ever thought they would want with her. Yes they mentioned a prophecy, but prophecies were hard to interpret and understand properly. There was no way that was what the Black sisters wanted with her.

“And what exactly does this prophecy say that they would want to, to… to do that sort of thing with someone they shouldn’t be able to stand?” Hermione hadn’t properly met Narcissa, never mind being in the same area with Bellatrix outside of the Ministry, but the few times she had seen the woman, Hermione felt the older woman didn’t really like her.

“The lady has forgotten the romance aspect.” Fleur scolded, “Come now Dora, the Black family has more class than just going straight for a quick shag. They have to woo her first.” Fleur told her best friend, then turned to look at the younger woman, “Don’t settle for anything less than a perfect fairy tale wooing, every woman deserves it. Plus, there are three of them, and they are nobles, they’ve got to know a lot about how to romance properly.”

“I doubt that’s what they want with me.” Hermione said with another gulp of wine. This conversation couldn’t get any weirder than it already was.

“Well, that’s part of it.” Tonks truthfully answered. “I haven’t exactly heard the prophecy myself, I actually my Aunt Bellatrix broke after she started to follow the Dark Lord to make sure he would never accidently come across it. But from what I’ve heard, they want an actual relationship with you.” Truthfully, Tonks didn’t know that. But it was sure as hell better to say that than leaving it with Fleur saying they were just trying to get her robes off. Hermione would need to talk with the sister’s if she wanted more information about what the prophecy actually said.

“Well, that’s just a bit too convenient, isn’t it?” Hermione asked with a huff of annoyance. She may have been struggling with her friendship with the boys but the bottom line was, Harry was meant to defeat Voldemort and with his right hand woman right next to her, what better way to figure out how to get to Harry?

Hermione wasn’t sure how her thoughts jumped so quickly from wanting to know what the sisters were trying to do, to why they wanted a relationship with her to Harry and Ron. She blamed the wine messing with her thoughts and making it very disorganized. She couldn’t keep one thought going long enough to really do anything with it and when she voiced it, it seemed the other two women were just as apt to change subjects as she was.

This had to be very strong wine to be affecting them all so quickly and easily.

“I think I do want to talk with them. I want to know exactly what they want with me and what they expect me to do.” Hermione said as she quickly stood from her seat, her Gryffindor courage building up within her. “Where are they Tonks?”

“Um, probably in the library.” She said as she slowly stood, pausing to gain her balance. She was a lot more drunk than she thought.

“Why don’t you go deliver her there mon amour, I’ll stay here, and when you get back, we’ll continue our previous conversation.” Fleur said as she released just a little of her thrall to entice the metamorphmagus. She didn’t think she needed to use her thrall, but seeing Tonk’s reaction to it was very much worth it.

“Well, I’ll show you where the library is.” Tonks nervously said. She was nervous because she wasn’t going to go into the library because whatever Hermione was about to stir up was something she wanted nothing to do with and because she knew what was going to happen when she got back to Fleur and she was way too drunk to try and be a voice of reason.

Hermione followed Tonks, talking the entire time about how Bellatrix was likely just working some plan, enlisting help from Narcissa to trick Andy to help them. Hermione felt like she was channeling her inner Harry at that point with the paranoia about what their ulterior motive was.

When they got to the library doors, Tonks only pointed to it and then turned around and walked quickly away. She wanted nothing to do with the Gryffindors liquid courage and accusations she was about to spout out. Hermione clearly didn’t know the Black sister’s that well and she sure as hell didn’t want to see a pissed off Bellatrix.

“You have a lot of explaining to do.” Hermione said as she charged into the room, ignoring the way the room seemed to sway way too much. It was almost like she was on a lake with everything swaying back and forth. She pointed at Bellatrix, the woman sitting casually on an armchair sideways with her feet tossed over one end.

Said woman arched an eyebrow and lowered the book she had been reading to lay on her chest.

“Excuse me?” She asked in a dark tone that normally scared anyone into a puddle of nothing.

“You had no right to take me here from the Ministry. And then you said Tonks out to fetch me, like I was supposed to make my whole life revolve around you since you kidnapped me!” Hermione yelled, just then realizing that, that was exactly what the dark witch had done. When she had apparated Hermione to Black Manor the first time, the woman had definitely kidnapped her.

“Watch your tone, pet.” Bellatrix warned as she sat up. She could easily tell the woman was drunk, but that didn’t excuse her from taking that tone with her. She could have come to them at any time since she had been there to get answers. Becoming drunk and the accusing her of things she would never do was very much insulting.

“I think you should watch your tone!” Hermione yelled.

Then, with wide eyes, she remembered who she was talking to. Or rather, who she was yelling at.

“Shite.” Hermione cursed as she saw the dark witch stand up.