The Given Choices

*~*~*~*~*~*~ Chapter Sixteen *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ginny pulled back the drapes on Hermione's bed as the rest of the sixth-year Gryffindor girls filed out of the dorm for breakfast. Slowly, Hermione's eyes opened as her best friend sat at the edge of her bed and tucked her feet under her. "So, how did the date go?"

Hermione sat up as she stretched the sleepiness out of her body and stated, "Well, he took me out for a lovely ride around grounds and then a short walk in one of the greenhouses."

She moved the heavy blanket off her body and walked into the bathroom as Ginny asked from the bed, "That sounds nice. But what had you... upset?"

After taking a quick shower and brushing her teeth, Hermione re-entered the room wrapped in a towel with her long, wet curls down her back as Ginny rolled onto her stomach and watched her best friend get ready for a normal Saturday. Hermione took a wide-toothed comb through her hair as she sat next to the redhead and explained, "He kissed me."

" Was it that bad?"

"Far from it. It was overpowering on some levels. I got scared and ran. Gin...I don't want my heart broken again," she sighed as she finished stroking her hair with a comb. Ginny positioned herself behind her to dry the long, damp hair with a simple spell.

With three groups of Hermione's hair in her hands, Ginny began to braid as she spoke, "Falling in love means the possibility of getting your heart broken. You have to decide if it's worth it."

Hermione pulled away once her hair was done and went over to drag out bra and knickers, a pair of blue jeans, and a comfy violet jumper. The room was quiet as many thoughts and concerns flowed back and forth from her mind to her heart. She sat on a wooden chair as she pulled on her ankle socks and runners. "I just don't know if he is capable of love. Not only is he a Slytherin, he is also more to the point a Malfoy."

A large smiled appeared on Ginny's face as she replied, "Well, I can vouch that some Slytherin can love. Or at least begin to love?"

The bright look on her best friend's face almost made Hermione ill to see some so happy but in the end she was truly happy for her. Hermione lay down next to her as she questioned her, "So, I take it that things between you and Blaise are going good."

"Very good," Ginny sighed as she lay back next to her, "He wants to take things very slowly since there is a little age difference and the fact I have a lot of brothers to ensure he doesn't compromise my virtue. We study together every Tuesday and Thursday night in the library. On Saturdays, we'll spend several hours just talking and getting to know each other. He's so amazingly wonderful. Sometimes, I wonder if Blaise is too good to be true."

"How so?"

She twirled her red hair through her fingers as she continued on, "Well, besides from having absolutely gorgeous dark, curly hair and enchanting, deep-indigo eyes, those perfect lips are almost sinful by themselves and believe me, he knows how to use them. Anyway, Blaise is easy to talk to, great sense of humor, helps me with any schoolwork I am stuck with, and a very talented artist. Have you ever seen his sketchbook?"

"No. What does he sketch?" Hermione asked and then her stomach growled. Both laughed as she added, "Tell me on the way to breakfast."

They left the room arm-in-arm as Ginny said, "He draws just about everything. I've seen pictures of landscapes, objects, and people. He has an amazing one of Snape that almost makes him look human. Of course, he does have about a dozen of me of different times; like while studying or staring out a window. There are some where I don't even know when he saw me to sketch me to draw them. There are also a couple good ones on you.

"You know, he considers you a close friend. If you are questioning Draco's true feelings for you, why don't you ask Blaise? I'm sure he'll tell you the truth, or as much as he can," Ginny said as they reached the staircase to the Great Hall.

"Yeah, I think I will. I am meeting up with him just after lunch before I have to go to Professor Vector's office for a project I am working on," stated Hermione and then she thought about the long day she was really going to have. Just thinking about it made her lose her appetite. Her stomach started to tighten because she realized that in just a few hours, she was going to be meeting her birth mother for the first time. Not only was she the woman that gave birth to her but a powerful witch that was also one of the most loyal Death Eaters to Voldemort.

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Blaise walked around her once in the empty Charms classroom as she mentally went over her checklist of everything that needed to be done. He bent down to check that the ankle bracelets were securely fastened on both of her legs as he stated, "Well, everything seems fine. There is no way they can Apparate you anywhere with these ankle bracelets. The necklace will ensure no hexes on you for six hours and with your wand going to be hidden right behind the Shack, things are going to be as safe as they can be. Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, thanks again for coming with me. I really appreciate it, Blaise. You've turned out to be a great friend," Hermione stated as she brought the Marauder's map that she had borrowed from Harry out of her pocket and headed to the door.

"Don't thank me until we both make it back here later on, safe." Blaise as right behind her and tucked his wand into his waist safely covered by his jumper and cloak. They pulled the borrowed invisibility cloak over the both of them as they made their way outside to the Whomping Willow.

She picked up a long broken off branch and used it to press the knot on the tree, just as she had seen Lupin when she used her Time-Turner in the third year. They bent down as they made their ways to the Shrieking Shack to where they were to meet Bellatrix Black in twenty minutes.

"Lumos," Blaise muttered as they made their way down the twisted passage to their destination. When the tunnel began to rise, Hermione motioned for him to be quiet as they were almost there.

Blaise laid the invisibility cloak on the floor by the entrance and covered her wand with it. Both of them looked around the dusty room and it was still just as she remembered it from all those years ago. Hermione turned to see him examining every inch of the room from the stains on the wooden floor to the paper that was peeling off the walls.

As they walked into the hallway, they heard the footsteps of someone that was walking somewhere above them. Their eyes meet as they silently communicated that they realized that Bellatrix was already there. His free hand tightened around hers as they went up the creaking staircase and to the door where the confrontation between the Marauders, Snape and the Golden Trio happened almost three years ago.

Blaise stepped in front of her and used his fingers to raise her chin to make her look him in his eyes. Hermione stared into his truly incredible, indigo eyes as she remembered how Ginny stated that she loved those eyes. He quietly mouthed, "Are you ready?"

With a nod of conferment from her, he pushed open the door to reveal a large room with a broken bed and a dusty piano. On the other side of the window, there stood a woman with long black hair that reached halfway to her elbows of her black robes and slowly Bellatrix turned around.

"I'll make a check the other rooms real quick to double check that we are alone," Blaise stated and then left for them alone for moment. Neither female said anything to that as they started to get their first real good look at each other as mother and daughter.

The first thing she realized was how much she had changed from when they saw each other in the Department of Mysteries. Bellatrix stood there in front of her in a black tailored pantsuit and sharp-looking white blouse under the jacket. Her cheeks, which Hermione had remembered were hallow from the many years at Azkaban, were now full with a hint a soft red color to them. She was close to looking like the young woman that seduced Lupin those many years ago but that Hermione saw recently by the way the Remembrsphere.

Bellatrix gave her a small smile as she said, "Hello, Hermione. May I call you that?"

"Yes, I suppose you can," she replied as she pulled her cloak closer to her body due to the cold air that sipped through the lose boards of the walls. Her trusted friend came back and gave a nod as he stepped behind her to give her strength but still staying out of way. Hermione watched the witch come around the other side of the broken down piano to stop a few feet in front of her and then lean against the large instrument.

"Please call me Bellatrix. Of course, I wouldn't expect you to call me mother till we are closer, which I hope we can become sometime in the near future," the woman stated as she searched Hermione's face for a hint of what her daughter was feeling.

Hermione rolled her eyes at the word 'mother' but was trying not to overreact and to hear all she was filling to say. "Bellatrix, this is my friend Blaise Zabini. Blaise, this is Bellatrix Black."

Her mother gave him a slight nod and then stated, "Nice to finally meet you, Zabini. I have heard much about you from my cousin, Narcissa. And most of it was good except for a story about you, Draco, and a runaway chocolate pie."

"That was Draco's fault."

Bellatrix gave a smirk as she chuckled, "I'm sure it was. Now, what questions do you have for me, Hermione? I'll tell you everything I can."

Blaise took his wand and transfigured three scraps of wood into three sturdy chairs for them to sit in. Hermione looked back to her friend and smiled with thanks as she took a seat. He pulled his chair up to her right side and held her hand as he said, "I figured we might as well get as much comfortable as we can."

Both Blaise and Bellatrix watched Hermione fiddle with her fingers as she thought about the many questions that had filled her mind since the night that Remus had told her. Now that she was actually there and everything seemed to be safe for the moment, she was nervous and wished that she had been able to eat more than toast at breakfast that morning. After another minute, Hermione raised her head to look the older woman in the eyes as she asked, "First, when and how did you realize that I was the daughter that you left behind?"

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A/N2: *ducks her head from any hexes or thrown objects* Hey, at least I didn't leave it hang before Bellatrix started to talk. Believe me, I was tempted. Hope, you are enjoying this as much as I am. This is a little over halfway through the fic and I am glad to have as many readers that I have. *hugs all readers, old beta, and new beta*