Hermione hesitated for a minute trying to catch her breath. she had barely noticed that Bellatrix, although keeping her infuriated expression, now had a single tear sliding down her cheek. "...I love you", the younger woman breathed out breaking the silence. They stood there for what felt like an eternity, both shock and understanding being channeled through their silence. The older witch finally spoke," I don't think I could ever return that feeling to you Hermione. I...I want to, but I can't. I wouldn't be able to risk hurting anyone for the sake of this", she had managed to speak clearly without giving any clues to the tears she was trying to hold in. "I'm far too broken and corrupt for such purity and genuine care. You're just too perfect for my hands to own", these words should have broken Hermione's heart, but instead she could for the first time see through all of Bellatrix's anger and saw that really, she was someone who had been destroyed mentally from a very young age, and although she may never truly come back from that dark place she was living in inside her head, she had far better intentions in this situations then she may have ever had in her entire life.