The Given Choices

*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Chapter Seventeen*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Bellatrix sat back in her chair as she crossed one leg over the knee of the other one. Both, Hermione and Blaise watched and waited for the elder woman to speak. Ms. Black began, "Well, as for when I discovered that you were my daughter, it was that night in the Department of Mysteries. And how I realized it, there was a point that you were on the floor and I caught a glimpse of your birthmark."

"Birthmark?" her friend asked her as he turned to her.

A slight redness tinted her cheeks as she brushed off a bit of dust on her jeans. "Yes, I have a mark in the shape of a crescent moon on the back of my upper thigh. Not many have seen it."

"That mark was one of the reasons why I made the hasty decision of leaving you," Bellatrix stated and Hermione starred back at her birth mother as she continued, "Let me assure you I was not planning on having a children with Lupin. I was so scared. Not just for me but also for you. You need to understand that my marriage to Rodolphus was an arranged one. The night I ran into your father was the day that date of my wedding was set. I was bound and determined not to lose my virginity on my own terms on when, where, and to whom I would give it to.

"Two months after that night, I discovered that I was pregnant with you. The word frightened would not even come close to the right word for it. I knew that if Rodolphus discovered you, he would kill you without hesitation and then ... Well, never mind about that. I was far from my home when the contractions started and I tried to make to some place warm, since I was not able to Apparate anywhere. I was running a fever and collapsed in the middle of a Muggle road," she stated as she got to her feet and began to pace behind her chair.

Bellatrix leaned against the piano in the drafty Shrieking Shack and then went on. "When I awoke, I was in a Muggle infirmary and scared out of my mind. My family raised me not to trust them and I was scared that they might find out that I was a witch. When one woman brought me this little, beautiful baby girl, I cried as I held you for the few minutes that I did. The pink blanket that wrapped you fell to side and I noticed your mark. Then I remembered what your father is and what you could've been. Plus the fact that my father or my fiancé would've killed the both of us, if I brought you home with me."

She crossed the room and knelt in front of Hermione as her hand gently cupped her daughter's cheek. "It killed me to make that choice to leave you. But when I heard the doctor give the news to the Muggle people who found me that their baby did not survive...that they could not have any more kids, I knew that they would raise you and love you. I knew that if you did have some magic in you, you'd get your Hogwarts letter. But I did not intend on ever contacting you when I left."

"Why did you?" Hermione whispered as she willed herself not to cry.

The woman took both of her daughter's hands as she thought for a moment and then replied, "There is something that you must understand about me. When I became Rodolphus' wife, I had so much hatred for the world and myself for the choice I made. I dramatically changed when I was made to get the Dark Mark. But I was the only woman at the time to get the mark and I was determined to be the best of all of them. With the dark pain in my heart and the personal lessons from the Dark Lord, I was and still am the best of his followers in both skill and knowledge. I was not going to stand to the side and let some man, who never loved me, make my decisions. I was strong the only way I knew how to be."

Hermione pried the hands that held hers as she stood from her chair and walked out to one of the boarded up windows. The pain in her head began to throb as a headache was coming on. Pulling some of her wits back to her, she turned to the female Death Eater, who was also her mother, and asked, "Is the reason you wanted to meet me is to convert me into a Death Eater like you?"

"I will not force you to make that choice, Hermione. That must be done on your own. Just know that you could be a very powerful one and high in rank with me as your mother. I would like you to be at my side of this war but it that is up to you. I will give you that choice that I never got," Bellatrix stated as she crossed the room to her. "All I wish is that you get to know me when you are ready. I know this is a lot of information for you and you should think about it. There can be another meeting for more questions or you can write to me and ask if you prefer."

Hermione nodded as Blaise got to his feet and came up behind her. Bellatrix smiled at him and then at her and commented, "Thank you, Hermione, for agreeing to meet me and letting me explain my side of the past. And thank you, Mr. Zabini, for being a good friend to my daughter."

"So far, our friendship has been my pleasure, Ms. Black. I think we need to get back, Hermione," Blaise explained as he guided her to the room's door.

Once she reached the door, Hermione turned back to the woman that she was having missed feelings about at the moment and said, "Thank you for seeing me and the book you sent me, as well. I'll be in contact with you one way or another, Bellatrix."

"Good day to the both of you," the attractive woman said as she turned her back on them to look out the boarded window and the gray sky outside.

Blaise pulled Harry's invisibility cloak around them as they crept back down the stairs and into the long, secret passageway to the castle. It was very quiet as both seemed to be lost to their own thoughts. A protective hand was around her waist as she checked the map for anyone around the statue at the passage's entrance and handed her back her wand.

Once they were safely back into the empty classroom they had been in earlier, the cloak was removed from them and took a seat on the nearest desk. Blaise tucked his wand away and handed hers back as he commented, "Well, that went pretty good all things considered. Are you okay?"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders as she rubbed her temples to help ease the slight pain in her head. "Yeah, I think so. That is aside from this headache I have. I might make a run down to the infirmary before I return this stuff to Harry. Thanks again for helping and going with me."

"Not a problem. I won't say a word to Draco about it. Well, unless you want me too," the dark haired wizard stated as he jumped off the tabletop and headed for the door.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Ginny suggested to me that I ask you a question. You are Draco's closest friend and I also consider you a friend of mine; but I know you are closer to him. Can you tell me what he feels about me? Like, if his intentions for me are honorable, as Mrs. Weasley would put it."

The door remained closed as he leaned back on it and looked thoughtfully at her. His eyes focused on hers as he replied, "I really can't say anything about either of those two things. They are for Draco to answer. But I can tell you this; every time he looks at you, I can see the love in his eyes. Know that I will never allow him to harm you, if I can stop it. You mean a lot to me and not just because your Ginny's best friend either. If I believed that Draco wasn't truly falling for you, I'd tell you. Now, let me take you back to your common room. I am supposed to meet my girl for some quality time before dinner."

She smiled brightly as she took his offered arm and was lead out of the room. Hermione asked, "I am glad to that to two of you are really hitting it off. I think the two of you are prefect for each other. Just be weary of her temper."

"Her temper and her brothers. Man, I think I have my work cut out for me."

"I think that Ron trusts you a small bit and for being a Slytherin, who is interested in his only sister, I think that is a good start. Just win over him and her mother and you'll be fine," she advised him as she the walked up the stairs to the Gryffindor tower. "Do you think I should apologize to Draco about how I ended the date?"

Blaise chuckled and patted her hand as he lowered his voice as he spoke, "Between you and me, I think that took his ego down a few needed notches. Take your time about thinking over everything. Let him make the first move to get things back together between the two of you. I think Malfoy needs to do some thinking of his own as well."

Hermione turned and kissed him friendly on the cheek as the portrait door opened. "Get your lips off my man, Granger."

She turned suddenly to see Ginny Weasley with her hands on her hips and feet tapping not so patiently. The red head gave her a wink as she removed Hermione's hand off Blaise's arm and replaced it with her own. He caressed her cheek and said; "You know I only have eyes for you, love."

The door of the portrait closed on the now kissing couple as Hermione made her way to the boys' dorm. There she found Ron and Harry going over the newest Quidditch magazine on Harry's bed. Both looked up as she entered they room and plopped down at the end of the bed near them. Harry took the cloak and the map from her and asked, "Did whatever it was go alright?"

"Yeah, thanks," she mumbled as she remembered that she had wanted to see Madam Pomfrey for her headache. But a nice long bath and some sleep sounded much more inviting.

Ron waved his hand in front of her eyes and said, "Are you okay, Mione? You call tell us anything you know. Well, aside from that private girl's stuff, that is."

Hermione laughed as she shook her head and rolled her eyes on how some things never changed. But looking at Harry, she remembered how things had changed at times. A small part of her heart would always love him but that fluttering feeling inside her had moved. It now was all warm and tingly when she looked at Draco. Maybe she should give him a chance and if it didn't work out, then she would at least be wiser. Yet, she hoped that it did and it would be interesting to see where things did go with the Slytherin Prince.

All of the sudden two pillows hit her from out of nowhere. Hermione had fallen off the bed and glared up at the two boys, who each had an innocent smile on their faces with pillows hidden behind their backs. With a flick of her wand, a pillow from Neville's bed floated to her as she charged at the two and declared, "Pillow war!"

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