To love her

Chapter 32

"It's past your curfew, if you hurry back now, I promise not to tell anyone about this." Harry smiles sadly at the woman before wishing her a goodnight then leaving.

Bellatrix watches the boy leave, taking a deep breath herself, she turned to look at the mirror.
Then just as quickly as her eyes met the mirror she turned around and left.  The moment she came into sight Snape stepped out of the shadows, "What was he doing in that room?!"
"The same thing you used to do." Bellatrix said walking past the man, who's face furrowed. He rolls his eyes quickly catching up to the woman.
"How'd you know he was in there?" Bellatrix smirks tapping the side of her nose, " I have my ways Severus, Don't you worry." The man grumbles, there was times like this he really disliked his friend.

***

The pair entered the three broomsticks, eyes scanning the room in search of the staff, and that's when the familiar laughter caught her attention. "They're over there." Bellatrix points towards the table in the farthest corner surrounded by Filius, Pomona, Rolanda, Poppy and of course Minerva McGonagall. "I gather you'll be having a whiskey." Snape arches his brow, "Damn right, I'll come up to the bar with you though." the pair make their way to the bar.

Minerva smiles brightly at the two figures approaching, especially one in particular. "How nice of you to finally join us. I thought you weren't coming." Minerva moves up enough for the pair to sit down, Bellatrix Next to Minerva of course. "As if we'd ditch you." Bellatrix smiles, "The thought did cross my mind." Severus mumbles earning a nudge from Bellatrix and an eye roll from Minerva. "Remind me again why we're friends?" Minerva looks to Severus, "That's a question I've been pondering for years." though he spoke in his usual tone, it was the playful glint in his eye that let Minerva know he was teasing. She chuckled shaking her head and taking another sip of her drink. Unlike Minerva and Bellatrix, the others couldn't always tell with Severus, whether he was playing, or being serious, his tone of voice barley changed, and his facial expressions definitely did not change, however if they were to look closely at the emotions in his eyes they'd know, that is if he allowed you. Severus was a very private man, and if he didn't want you to know what he was feeling, you wouldn't, you had to gain his trust. Bellatrix was the only one who had his complete trust she'd been his childhood friend, she was there for him through everything, she was also the reason the boy's stopped picking on him.

It was his first year, he'd seen her around, she'd always be with those bunch of boy's who found the need to pick on him, though they only did it when she wasn't there. One day though, they were in the middle of emptying his entire bag out over the floor and poured thick slime all over him, then this angered voice could be heard from the hallway, the words that left her mouth were not words that needed to be repeated.

"Oii, what are you playing at." she snapped stepping between Severus and James. "oh come on Trix, its only a bit of fun." James shrugs, "Fun! what you're doing isn't fun you thick piece of shit! what you're doing is Bullying! and you know damn well what I think of that." she growls, "we're not bullying him, just messing around." Sirius frowns. "Messing around!" she laughs, then her eyes darkened " There's a difference between messing around and bullying someone, and you are bullying him! I mean look at what you're doing!" she steps aside revealing Severus. "You know, when Lily told me, I thought she was shitting me, because I honestly thought 'no, my boy's wouldn't do that, maybe play an innocent little prank, but never go out of their way and target him, physically abuse him, no they wouldn't do that.' But just to be on the safe side I asked Pomfrey, she verbally denied it but her eyes told me a completely different story, I figured I'd just come talk to you to clarify just what exactly is going on, only to find you doing exactly what I was told." The tone of her voice made Severus shiver, and he obviously wasn't alone if the expression on the boy's faces were anything to go by.

James went to speak but Bellatrix glared at him, " I love you all, But what you're doing makes me sick. Don't bother speaking to me until you change you're ways." her voice was a lot calmer than before, Sirius made effort to reach out his hand to touch her but she hit it away. "You of all people should know what it's like Sirius, because I do and it's shit. So do me a favour and wise the hell up." with that she turned to the boy. " You alright?" Severus swallows avoiding her gaze, no one had ever done that for him before, apart from Lily but no one ever took any notice of her. Bellatrix sighs using her wand to collect his books. "Don't let them get to you, they're just Bastards who really should know better."

After that they never bullied Severus again, in fact they even befriended the boy and Lily, and after that Bellatrix became his best friend, she knew things about him that nobody else did, not even Lily. She even picked up on the way he behaved around Pomfrey, which was something she never left go, even to this day. Whenever they were out with the others and Poppy was there, she'd always make a point to address Poppy.

"Poppy you look nice this evening, doesn't she look nice Severus?" Bellatrix grins wickedly earning a nudge to the side from her childhood friend. "oh uh, thank you Bellatrix." Poppy smiles politely, her eyes drifting from a smirking Bellatrix to a slightly startled Severus, the man swallows, " uh yes...You look...nice" if anyone bothered to pay attention to Severus, they'd have noticed how his voice was slightly softer, and less sure than his usual tone, however no one did pay attention apart from his wicked best friend and the now slightly blushing mediwitch. Happy chatter filled the table, though Bellatrix noticed how Minerva went quiet, not long after her little compliment she threw at Poppy. Bellatrix couldn't help her growing grin, her Minerva was Jealous. Bellatrix placed her hand on the woman's thigh under the table, smirking as she made conversation with Filius. She could feel Minerva tensing and shifting slightly due to the invasion of privacy. Bellatrix then made the point of sniffing the air " Is that wonderful scent you Minerva?" Bellatrix turns to look at the witch. "what?" Minerva swallows, trying to stop Bellatrix's hand from traveling further up her leg. " You smell nice." Bellatrix smirks, at the little battle happening beneath the table.

No one was phased by Bellatrix flirting with Minerva, she'd been doing it since she was 11, everyone figured that's just the way she was, she even flirted with Rolanda sometimes, though that was more like friendly banter, like she does with Severus sometimes, But Minerva she'd flirt with constantly, and everyone noticed how Bellatrix was fairly possessive about Minerva, everyone apart Minerva herself. 

Conversation started on the table once more, Pomona was informing them on what she'd caught some of the Hufflepuff students doing before lunch. Bellatrix chuckles, mostly at the fact Minerva had just kicked her under the table, not that she didn't deserve it, after all, she was trying to pull Minerva's skirt up beneath the table.