is a Harry Potter fanfiction by KuraiBites.During the hour-long break in the Final Battle at Hogwarts, Bellatrix Lestrange approaches Hermione with a possibility that she cannot refuse - Bellatrix's non-participation in the rest of the battle, depriving Voldemort of his most dangerous soldier and likely saving many lives. The price? An Unbreakable Vow to keep Bellatrix out of Azkaban, with the stipulation that should one die, so would the other. Thus begins a very natural and realistic take on how a romance between a muggleborn and an insane Death Eater would develop.
Tropes in this Fanfiction:
- Abusive Parents: The Blacks.
- Action Girl: Hermione, Ginny, and Luna, but we only really see Hermione in action.
- Adaptational Sexuality: In canon, both characters are straight.
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Occasionally, Bellatrix will let slip her Jerkass exterior.
- Axe-Crazy: Bellatrix.
- Badass Bookworm: Hermione.
- The Baroness: Bellatrix starts out as a Rosa Klebb of sorts, transitions into the Sexpot version after she cleans herself up, and then gradually moves out of the territory altogether.
- Befriending the Enemy: What Hermione decides to do after seeing Bellatrix's Hidden Depths. She did not expect to fall in love in the process.
- Being Evil Sucks: Voldemort was not kind to his followers.
- Being Tortured Makes You Evil: Bellatrix's backstory.
- Berserk Button: Bellatrix has a bunch.
- Better as Friends: Hermione and Ron.
- Boyish Short Hair: Hermione acquires this after her Important Haircut.
- Brainy Brunette: Both Hermione and Bellatrix.
- Brutal Honesty: Hermione has occasional episodes of this. A veritaserum induced rant saves Bellatrix from Azkaban.
- Conditioned to Accept Horror: After several months of living with Bellatrix, Hermione becomes accustomed to her frequent verbal abuse and occasional attempts at assault. Things like Bellatrix having a psychotic breakdown and trying to strangle Hermione (which would kill them both, due to the nature of their Unbreakable Vow) are not unusual.
- Corrupt Politician: Fudge.
- Cry into Chest: Chapter 33.
- Dark Action Girl: Bellatrix.
- Defecting for Love: While Bellatrix's reasons for abandoning the Death Eaters have nothing to do with morality or love, her interactions with Hermione gradually wear down her bigotry. By the time they enter a relationship, she has abandoned her blood purity ideals.
- Defrosting the Ice Queen: If you replace "ice" with "glacier."
- Determinator: Hermione edges into this territory, especially after she falls in love with Bellatrix.
- Domestic Abuse: Cygnus Black. His abuse is the source of much of Bellatrix's insanity.
- The Dreaded: Bellatrix, although this effect starts to fade as people become accustomed to her presence.
- Driven to Madness: Bellatrix's insanity was her escape from her Domestic Abuse at the hands of her father.
- Enforced Cold War: Hermione's and Bellatrix's situation throughout much of the story.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Even as a Death Eater, Bellatrix loves both of her sisters and has been protecting them from their abusive father for most of her life by drawing his attention and abuse to herself.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Bellatrix might be a murderer, but she does not (content warning) rape.
- Even the Girls Want Her: Both Hermione and Ginny find Bellatrix attractive. Ginny, however, is quite happy with Harry.
- Evil Is Petty: Bellatrix can be extraordinarily immature and petulant.
- Evil Wears Black
- Eye Motifs: The color of Bellatrix's eyes is a running motif throughout the story.
- Fantastic Racism: A major plot point.
- Fantastic Slurs: "Mudblood," the slur used against muggleborns, is a major plot point.
- The Friend Nobody Likes: Bellatrix often finds herself interacting with Hermione's circle of friends. Nobody is particularly happy to be near her.
- Good Parents: Hermione has them.
- Green-Eyed Epiphany: Bellatrix reveals/discovers her love for Hermione when angry at Hermione for meeting up with Ron.
- Hair-Contrast Duo
- Hearing Voices: The Screams, the manifestation of Bellatrix's insanity and primary motive of her torture.
- Heel–Face Turn: The majority of the story is spent chronicling Bellatrix's.
- Insane Equals Violent: Bellatrix.
- If It's You, It's Okay: Bellatrix is primarily attracted to men, even after she begins a relationship with Hermione.
- Karma Houdini: The majority of the wizarding world views Bellatrix as one.
- Keeping the Enemy Close: Part of why Bellatrix's house arrest is overseen by Hermione.
- Important Haircut: Hermione gets one after she breaks up with Ron.
- Lack of Empathy: Bellatrix.
- Light Feminine and Dark Feminine
- Living Emotional Crutch: At this point, Bellatrix's sanity is completely dependent on Hermione. They are taking steps to fix that, though.
- Love Confession: Twice.
- Love Epiphany: For Hermione, when she smells Bellatrix in a bottle of Amortenia.
- Love Martyr: Hermione seems like one for a little while, until it transitions into Love Redeems.
- Love Redeems
- Mistaken for Cheating: Hermione meeting up with Ron to try and reestablish their friendship triggers Bellatrix's Green-Eyed Epiphany.
- Morality Pet: Hermione becomes one for Bellatrix.
- Nerds Are Sexy: When Hermione dresses up, she is viewed as very attractive.
- Odd Couple
- Opposites Attract: Subverted at first, and then played straight.
- The Paranoiac: Bellatrix.
- Please, Don't Leave Me: Bellatrix is near death after an attack, she tries to prevent Hermione from going to get help, as that would necessitate leaving her alone.
- Queer Romance
- Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: Bellatrix.
- Romantic Rain: Yes. This being the ship it is, though, it comes with a side of mutilation.
- Romantic Runner-Up: Ron.
- Secret Relationship
- Self-Made Orphan: Partially. Cygnus is no longer alive, unlike Bellatrix's mother Druella.
- Scary Teeth: Bellatrix has them from her time in Azkaban. Hermione, being the daughter of two dentists, takes it upon herself to fix them. It does not end well.
- She Cleans Up Nicely: Hermione and Bellatrix, in vastly different ways.
- Silk Hiding Steel: Narcissa Malfoy
- Sour Outside, Sad Inside: Bellatrix, if you replace "sour" with violently insane and take everything about the trope up to eleven.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Whenever Hermione and Bellatrix must defend themselves against someone who wants one of them dead (as killing one would kill the other, due to the Vow.)
- Trash Talk: Bellatrix. Constantly. To everyone.
- Trauma Button: Hermione flashes back to her torture at Malfoy Manor whenever she is captured by someone. Bellatrix breaks down violently whenever someone manages to pass her occulumency barriers.
- Troubled, but Cute: Bellatrix, after she recovers from Azkaban.
- True Love is Exceptional
- The Unapologetic: Bellatrix is not sorry for all of the horrible things she has done, even after she gets together with Hermione. She does feel intense guilt for what she did to Hermione, though.
- Villainous BSoD: Hermione is gradually pushing Bellatrix into one.
- Villainous Cheekbones
