the_debt_of_time

"She showed me in a Pensieve. When I noticed the scars, I confronted her. That's when
she told me everything. We've talked about this before, Pads. She swore me to only reveal
it all to you when the time was right, which she insisted wouldn't be for at least a decade. I
took an Unbreakable Vow."
Sirius growled and knocked his glass to the floor with a violent sweep of his arm.
"Why the fuck would she do that?"
"Because she protects those she loves. If she had stopped it from happening to her,
then Bellatrix would have tortured you, or Harry, or Ron instead."
"I should have known," Sirius berated himself. "This whole time, my own fucking
cousin." He growled again and put his head into his hands. "You remember what I told
you happened at Narcissa's wedding? I've never seen her so―"
"Unhinged?" Remus offered.
Sirius almost laughed. Almost. "That's putting it lightly."
"Her hatred of Bellatrix wasn't about this moment you know. It had almost nothing
to do with what happened to her at Malfoy Manor. Nothing to do with the curse or her
arm. It was horrible, of course, don't misunderstand me," Remus said, putting up a
defensive hand as Sirius glared at him. "She hated Bellatrix because of you. Because of the
Department of Mysteries."
"She's started having nightmares," Sirius whispered, ignoring the guilt that
continued to build in his chest. He did not want to know that she was always thinking
about him instead of worrying about herself.
"She's always had nightmares," Remus countered.
"No." Sirius shook his head. "Hermione started having nightmares. This is the
source. This is the beginning of them."
"Maybe that's why she swore me to secrecy."
"How's that?"
"She took care of us constantly," Remus said. "Always hovering over me, making
sure I was healed and never alone. But she was always vulnerable at night. That gave us a
chance to take care of her. You can't deny how that bonded us all together."
He reached down and picked up Sirius's fallen glass, setting it back on the table and
reaching for the bottle of firewhisky to top off his friend's drink. He slid the glass across
the small table and offered a consoling smile.