Summary: Picking up the pieces after everything around her has fallen apart is the hardest challenge she could ever face. But how does she restore the fragments of her heart in a world still covered in scars? What is true love, what is power? How does she start over when she never really moved on?

Pairing: Hermione/Andromeda & Hermione/Bellatrix.

Rating: T but will without doubt go up to M.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Harry Potter universe. This belongs to the ever fabulous JK Rowling.

Author's note: So here it is, the third instalment of the Trinity saga. I felt like I had written myself into a little bit of a trap, having killed just about every character from the original series and leaving very few to work with. I went back to the beginning and rewatched Deathly Hallows just to get some of the magical feelings back. This was the result. I have got some ideas for this story, all of which surrounds the pieces falling back in places and answers being found and given. Like with most of my other stories, I am just going to see where this goes over time. I hope to gain your attention as I have done in the past and I hope you'll enjoy this story as much as you did the previous two.

Note: This is the sequel to "Serpent Spell" and "Nemesis." Reading those two stories is a must if you want to understand this one.

Chapter 1

The Stranger In Your Eyes

My heart is hurting beyond words
The pain is tearing up my soul
These days have seen my spirit die
My life propelled out of control
My wounds lie naked to the world
My depth of suffering exposed
This damaged past can never heal
Until this nightmare book is closed
Xena: Warrior Princess – Hearts are Hurting part 1

It was startling to realise how much a world, and a life, could change in a year. As she looked out of the window of her London home, she no longer saw the world for what it had once been. The smouldering ruins had been replaced by new structures. The unsightly castle at the banks of the river Thames had been destroyed. The building that had once stood in its place, so characteristic of the London skyline, was in the process of being rebuilt. She had never thought she'd see the day where the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben were reborn from their ashes but that time was here. The world was moving on and the memory of the war was all but an ugly scar across their souls.

The war was never far from her mind. Whenever she closed her eyes at night she still saw the faces of those she had lost. She carried her guilt with her, every single day. Those who had survived had tried to tell her that the responsibility wasn't solely hers but she did not agree. Andromeda felt like most of those who had lost their lives, had lost it because of her devotion and determination. It was a debt she knew she could never repay.

She visited Hermione once a week but as the months began to pass she lost all hope that the Healers would tell her anything different. She was trapped inside her mind, trapped inside the world that she had once lived in and the one that had fallen apart, and no one knew if she would ever be able to escape. She whispered words no one understood and rocked herself for hours in the darkest corner of her cell. The scars across her arms told a silent story of her suffering.

Andromeda overlooked the graves of her friends every month. She changed the flowers and cleaned the gravestones. She spoke words of kindness and of hope, and continued to hope that one day she would earn their forgiveness. Although life around her had fallen back into a comfortable routine, one where it seemed like nothing had ever happened, she couldn't adjust to the normality of life. There was none. Her life was not normal. She couldn't be like all those others. She couldn't pick up the pieces and carry on. There was nothing left to build from the ashes of her life.

The Ministry had stopped looking for Bellatrix's body after she had paid a visit to Minister of Magic Lingwood. The world now believed she was lost in battle, believed dead. No one shed a tear. The deaths of Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy were celebrated. The destruction of the Cores had brought peace into the world and people no longer feared to look up into the eyes of their friends. Only a handful had been cleared of all charges after proving they had been placed under the Imperius Curse but most of the Cores' loyal servants were imprisoned in Azkaban and Falcon Island. Those who had been set free hid their scars beneath their sleeves in an attempt to forget what they had done, what they had once been.

It was an early morning in May. The sun had risen from behind the horizon and warmed the world with its tender rays. Andromeda had slipped out of bed fifteen minutes earlier and took a quick shower. By the time she got downstairs she found Tonks standing in the kitchen, a cup of tea in hand. Since the end of the war she had been promoted to the Head of the Auror department. She oversaw the searches and arrests of suspected dark witches and wizards. Whenever Andromeda looked at her daughter she was confronted by the lie she lived every single day. Tonks believed Bellatrix to be dead. Andromeda knew there was a chance her sister was alive.

"Hey, you want tea?" Tonks asked as she handed her mother a mug. Andromeda took it and sipped from the liquid. "I heard you saw Molly yesterday."

"Who told you?" Andromeda asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Katie happened to see you two in the Atrium."

"Oh."

Her meeting with Molly Weasley had been by chance. They were by no means friends. It wasn't that Molly didn't want to. It was because Andromeda couldn't forgive herself for all the loss Molly had suffered. Yesterday their paths had crossed by chance and she'd been awake all night thinking about it. Molly had thanked her for ending the war, for bringing back whatever little was left of her life. Andromeda couldn't face the hope and the joy in her eyes.

"You should talk to her, mum. She really wants to," Tonks suggested. "She doesn't understand why you keep beating yourself up over all of this and frankly, neither do I." She put her mug down and placed her hands on her hips. "People die in a war, mum. You couldn't save all of them."

"I should have tried," Andromeda rejected her daughter's kindness and averted her gaze. "I should have given up sooner and then at least some of them would still be alive."

"And we wouldn't be standing here watching the sun come up."

Andromeda felt a shiver creep down her spine. "That depends on how you look at it."

Tonks heaved a sigh. "I know you feel responsible for what happened to Hermione but her madness isn't your fault. It was the wand that did this to her. The hatred that it fed into her mind and into her heart for all this time is what broke her. She couldn't cope with the pressure of loving you, of being literally torn apart by the feelings that dwelled inside of her. She couldn't live with the heart that belonged to Bellatrix and Narcissa and a soul that belonged to you."

Andromeda looked up. Her eyes glistened with tears. "And now she has neither. For all its worth, she might as well be dead."

"Don't say that."

"It's true, though, isn't it? What life does she have inside St Mungo's? She's trapped inside her own madness and she may never get out!"

Andromeda left her tea mug on the kitchen counter and walked out of the kitchen, leaving her daughter behind. Tonks watched her mother leave for a moment before rushing after her and catching up with her by the front door. She grabbed her arm and forced her to turn around. When their gazes locked, Tonks saw for the first time the amount of pain her mother hid beneath her mask. Her eyes reflected all of it. All the sorrow she didn't want her only child to see.

"I couldn't give up on her then and I can't give up on her now. It's been a year and the world has changed but this…" She covered her heart with her hand. "This hasn't changed, Nymphadora. My soul still aches every day, like it did during the war. It still cries and screams, longing to feel its other half but I know I may never be able to feel that way again. And no one carries that blame but me."

"And Bellatrix."

"Leave her out of this."

"How can you still defend her after everything she did to you, to us?"

"She is my sister!" Andromeda cried out and pulled her arm free from her daughters grip. "She made mistakes but she was a victim too, Nymphadora. That wand poisoned her from the moment she first touched it. The same with Narcissa. They were prisoners to their own magic and to each other." She swallowed. "What caused Bellatrix to snap is what I did to her. Because I broke her heart she decided to break mine. She'll never know exactly how much she succeeded."

Tonks' eyes narrowed as she studied her mother's face. There were times she looked at her and she'd see that distant look. She knew Andromeda thought about Bellatrix more often than she would ever admit. What happened between them was something she'd never speak about again but the memories were endless. It was what had brought them here. The cycle of love, hatred and betrayal had brought them into this strange, new world.

"You have got to move on," Tonks said softly. "Mum, you can't keep doing this to yourself."

Andromeda didn't answer. Instead she reached for the doorknob and stepped outside into the sunshine. She turned back to look at her daughter one last time before closing the door behind her. She didn't wait for Tonks to catch up with her again and started walking. By the time she was halfway across the street she turned around and saw her daughter standing in the open doorway, watching her walk away. Andromeda turned back and increased her pace. There was only one place she wanted to be this morning and she could find it with her eyes closed.

~()~

The forests stretched out as far as the eye could see. No city folk ever came here. In fact, most people living in the city didn't even know that a few miles outside the borders there was stunning piece of untouched nature. The leaves were a luscious shade of green and a little stream found its way along roots and rocks, cutting itself a way through the soil. The golden sunlight reflected off the surface and somewhere a deer emerged from behind the trees before approaching the stream and drinking from the refreshing water.

This was a world inside a world. Deep in these woods a small village was hidden from Muggle eyes. Protective wards kept those who lived here safe. An ancient way of living was preserved solely by the safety of magic. Those who were born here never left. Those who looked for it never found it. There were legends about this village but no scientist had ever managed to locate it. Only those born into magical blood could break through the protective wards.

Her eyes snapped open as she woke from yet another tormenting dream and she sat up with a jolt. Dark strands of hair fell into her eyes and beads of sweat glistened on her forehead. The cotton of her dress clung to her skin and she ran her hands along her frame. The fabric was drenched. She heaved a sigh and swung her legs over the side of her simple bed. She had kicked the blankets away as she dreamt. They lay in a messy pile at her feet.

"You're awake."

She turned around as the door to her small house opened. It wasn't much. Two rooms, one of which was her bedroom. It contained nothing more than a bed and a small dresser. The other was a small living room with just a couple of chairs and a sofa. She didn't need anything else here. The village took care of her and she took care of the village. It was how they lived. It was all she had ever known. At least, it was all she knew when she was awake.

Her visitor's eyes narrowed as she took in her dishevelled appearance. "Another nightmare?"

"Yes," she answered as she brushed a black curl out of her eyes. Her charcoal black eyes looked up to meet bright green. "But I can't remember, Brighid."

"I had hoped the meditation would work but maybe we should consider a different journey to discover the meaning of your dreams," Brighid answered. She took step towards the dark haired woman. Brighid had bright red hair that fell down to her waist, framing a heart shaped face and accenting her ivory skin. Her eyes were green like those of a cat. Her nails were long and painted dark red. Black make-up surrounded her eyes and a golden amulet hung around her neck.

She turned away. "I don't know if I want to."

"You don't want to know what your subconscious is telling you?" Brighid asked and took a few steps towards the darker haired woman. "You don't even know your own name!"

It was true. She didn't know her own name. She didn't remember anything leading up to the moment she had opened her eyes. She'd woken up in this very house, in the same bed she slept in night after night. She'd been surrounded by people watching her, guarding her, protecting her. Brighid had been one of them. They had nursed her wounds and helped her heal. They had tried to retrieve her memory but so far no journey had been successful.

"You don't remember how you arrived in these woods, a country that is so far and foreign from your own," Brighid said softly. She reached up and cupped the dark haired woman's cheek. "Eva, one of these days you are going to have to face the demons in your dreams. You can't hide forever. They are looking for you and you'll never learn to understand them unless you truly open yourself up to them."

The day she was found was a day Brighid remembered well. A small group of hunters had been making their way home through the forest, bringing food for the village, when they came across the lifeless body along the banks of the stream. She lay face down near the water, blood plastered across her face. Her clothes were ripped and burnt in places, clumps of dark hair were missing. They had believed her to be dead until one of the hunters approached and felt a pulse, weak beneath her fingers. The stranger had broken through the magical wards and they brought her home. When she woke, they soon learnt that her magic went way beyond what they had ever seen yet she could not remember making her way here. Apart from the flashes in her dreams and nightmares, she didn't remember anything. They had called her Eva, even though it was not her name.

Eva turned her face away. The touch had been soft and comforting but it stirred something deep inside of her that she didn't understand. Resentment, something she didn't really feel at any other time unless the redhead was near. "What do you suggest, Brighid?"

"Perhaps it is time to guide the soul," Brighid said with a soft voice. "It is inside there you will find your answers, Eva."

Eva sighed and shook her head. "Perhaps there is a reason I do not remember."

"Perhaps there is a reason why you should."

Eva swallowed hard and walked across the small room to the window. It looked out over the surrounding trees. There had never been a scene more peaceful than this one. She loved it here, as long as it was daytime. But when the darkness fell and the shadows began to emerge, she would be trapped, wherever she went. She couldn't escape the whispers in her head, the endless flashes before her eyes. Faces that she didn't know and didn't remember, scenes of fire and destruction, screams of pain and torment followed by the sensation of lust and desire. It was all there, inside of her, and she didn't know why.

She jumped when she felt Brighid hands on her shoulders and stepped away from the touch. She had experienced strange things whenever the red head touched her. She'd feel like someone had thrown her into whirlwind and more images would flood into her mind. She didn't want to hear the voices. Her hands shot up to her ears and she covered them, as if to silence the screaming in her head. When she turned she found Brighid looking at her in worry.

"It happened again?"

"Your hands provoke my dreams."

"Your soul is trapped, Eva. It is hiding inside you and it needs to understand where you are, what happened to you!"

Eva's eyes darkened and she set her jaw. "Then let it be discovered tonight." A hint of aggression suddenly flickered in those charcoal orbs. "Let it be released."

Brighid smiled and her fingers unexpectedly ghosted up along Eva's arm. "Tonight, you shall be freed."

~()~

There were no Healers in the corridor when she walked in. Andromeda's eyes darted around the closed ward. She heard loud voices coming from one of the rooms on her left and as she walked past she saw the four Healers pinning down a young man onto his bed. He was kicking and screaming. Blood seeped from his mouth and a red stain had formed on one of the Healer's arms where he had obviously bitten her. Another Healer poured a potion down the man's throat but Andromeda didn't stay to watch how it began to work. She walked, the sound of her footsteps echoing along the hall, until she reached the door of Hermione's cell. She rose to the tip of her toes and peered inside. Hermione sat in the corner, her back pressed against the wall. She wasn't rocking and her eyes were fixed on the door.

She had seen and heard the Healers whisper the incantation to open the door plenty of times. Andromeda drew her own wand and placed it against the lock. She breathed the spell and heard the bolt slide on the other side of the door. The sound of metal scraping against metal sent a shiver down her spine but then the door opened. She stepped inside the darkened cell, closing the door behind her. It was cold in the cell, colder than she had expected, and her breath formed small clouds in the air. Her eyes fixed on Hermione. The brunette hadn't moved.

Andromeda carefully crossed the small room and dropped to her knees at Hermione's side. She reached out her hand and tentative fingers brushed along a cold cheek. Hermione didn't even stir. To feel her skin under her fingers again made her heart roar with fire and she had to fight the urge to just pull Hermione into her arms. She knew that what she was doing was dangerous. For the best part of a year she had only been able to watch Hermione through that tiny window. She couldn't cope with it any longer. She had to hold her.

"Hermione?" she whispered softly and brushed a strand of hair out of the young woman's face. Glazed, distant eyes looked up at her now that she spoke. "Hermione, can you hear me?"

"Go away."

It came out more like a grunt. Andromeda didn't recognise it. She didn't sound like Hermione. Her skin was paper thin and freezing cold under her touch. Badly healed wounds, scabs and scars covered her arms and legs as far as Andromeda could see. Hermione's hair was longer than she had ever seen it, tangled up into a wild mess of unruly manes. She had ripped her clothes to shreds, exposing more of her delicate body to the coolness of her cell.

"Hermione…" Andromeda tried again and reached for Hermione's hand. "Please…"

"GO AWAY!" Hermione growled and gave Andromeda an unexpected hard shove. The older woman lost her balance and landed sprawled out on the floor. She rolled over, onto her back, just in time to watch Hermione crawl to her feet and make her way towards her. There was something predatory about the way Hermione eyed her up and an unnerving feeling settled in Andromeda's stomach. By the time she had managed to raise her hands to push Hermione away, it was too late. The brunette had reached her.

"I don't want you in here. I don't want to see you!" For the first time Andromeda recognised Hermione's voice beneath the sound of her craziness.

"You knew I was here," Andromeda whispered. "All those times that I thought you didn't see me…"

"I saw you but I didn't want to see you," Hermione hissed. "I want you to leave me alone."

"Why?"

There was no answer. Hermione turned around again and crawled back to the corner where she had been sitting when Andromeda firs entered the cell. She pulled her knees up to her chest and fixed her eyes on something on the wall that Andromeda couldn't see. She staggered back to her feet and made it back to the door before turning around. Hermione wasn't looking at her.

"You know I'll keep coming back," Andromeda whispered. "One day I'll find a way to get you out there, out of whatever it is that's keeping you prisoner. One day I'll find out how to free you."

As she stepped out of the cell she found a Healer walking towards her. The witch arched an eyebrow when she noticed the door open and increased her pace. "Why is the door unlocked?"

"It was unlocked when I got here," Andromeda lied. "I just went to check if she was allright."

The Healer peered through the small window. "She's fine."

"No," Andromeda answered and heaved a sigh. "She's not. She's never going to be fine."

We'll overcome our damaged past
And we'll grow stronger side by side
To stand together through the storms
We're safe cause love will be our guide
Xena: Warrior Princess – Hearts Are Hurting part 2