Investigation of Passion ch.13

Hermione had positioned the camera in Bellatrix's car so they had a clear view of her from the back seat. They could also look through the windshield, giving them a pretty good idea of the route she took driving through town.

"Does anything come to mind about where she might be heading?" Hermione asked.

"No," Harry replied. "This isn't the direction of any of the stores in town."

"Strange," Hermione said.

Not just strange, Harry thought. Terrifying. What was he about to witness? He rubbed his temples, suddenly wishing he had the willpower to ignore the initial recording. Had he started something that would lead him to dark, dirty revelations about the woman who had raised him?

"Maybe she's visiting a friend?" Hermione asked.

Bellatrix took a right turn, heading toward one of the shadier parts of town.

"Her friends are mostly other moms and women from her book club," Harry said. "I don't think any of them live in this area."

She continued driving until she finally stopped in front of a run-down house with beer cans scattered across the porch. She pulled out her phone and started texting again. Harry could see the screen but not well enough to read what was being said.

A tall, handsome blond guy in his twenties came out the front door. He was wearing shorts and a shirt that wasn’t buttoned, revealing a nice chest and abs. He walked up to Bellatrix's car and smiled, leaning against the open window.

"Is it you?" the guy asked. "What's your name?"

Bellatrix nodded. "I'm Jen," she said. "Jen Delanore."

Harry froze, staring at the screen in disbelief. She had given him a fake name. What reason could she have for that, other than something illegal? He felt his stomach churn as his mind settled on the most likely possibility of what was about to happen. His stepmother was about to hook up with a stranger.

"Lucius Malfoy," the guy said. He smiled at her, tapping expectantly on the car door. "So? You coming inside?"

"It could be something else," Hermione whispered. "Don't panic yet."

Bellatrix smiled at the guy, holding his gaze long enough that Harry felt tension even through his phone screen.

"Hold on a second," she finally said. "You didn't answer my last question."

Lucius rolled his eyes. "What are you, the queen of measurements or something?"

Harry's jaw dropped. He shook his head but couldn’t tear his eyes away from the screen.
"Just tell me what I want to know," Bellatrix said.

"Trust me," Lucius replied. "This will settle everything."

Bellatrix looked at him for a few seconds, then nodded. She opened the door and got out of the car, following Lucius toward the front door of the house.

Harry was already on his way. He handed his phone to Hermione and dashed downstairs toward the door.

"Harry!" Hermione shouted. "Don't do this! There's nothing you can do, and... you might not want to see what happens next."

He ignored her. His stepmother hadn't driven far, and if he cut through yards and alleys, he could make it in a few minutes. He sprinted as if his life depended on it. The virtue of his stepmother was at stake... or was it? She was so carefree. This couldn't be the first time she'd done something like this.

Harry winced, imagining his mom with other strange men. He'd been with her before when she ran into male "friends" at the grocery store or while relaxing on the beach. How many of them had she given her body to? Did they treat her like a slut when they fucked her? His sweet, loving stepmother, doing dirty, disgusting things...

He rounded the last corner and saw stepmother's car parked in front of a house. Still sprinting, he had to stop when he saw the front door open and his stepmother coming out, walking backward.

She was holding one end of a mini fridge. Lucius held the other end and seemed to be carrying the lion's share of the weight. They moved it to the car, and Bellatrix opened the back door.

Harry frowned, feeling ridiculous. He watched them struggle to fit it in, now realizing why the size was a concern his stepmother worried about. But why the fake name?

He stepped out, not wanting his stepmother to catch him watching from a distance. Hermione smiled as he walked back inside, and Harry felt a bit embarrassed by his reaction.

"Maybe you should read this," Hermione said. "I googled the fake name your stepmother used."

"And?" he asked.

"It's an article written by a woman warning about identity thieves on Craigslist," Hermione said. "The article lists some easy-to-remember fake names in case someone suspicious from Craigslist asks for your name. I'm guessing your mom is just a cautious woman."

"Apparently," Harry muttered.

He sat on the bed, unsure how to feel. What kind of son was he, jumping to such hasty conclusions about his mom? Was it all just his imagination? Each day, it seemed less likely that his stepmother and the woman from the video were the same person.

Oddly, he felt a bit disappointed, which only compounded his shame. What the hell was wrong with him?
"Hey..." Hermione said. "I need another favor."

Harry looked up at her from where he was sitting on her bed.

"What’s up?" he asked.

They were still watching the stream, but in the last few minutes, it had become much less interesting. Through Hermione’s window, they saw Bellatrix struggling to bring a mini-fridge inside as quickly as possible. Harry had a feeling she was planning to gift it to him for his move to college, to make his life easier there. This made him feel guilty about what they were doing.

"Fleur called me while you were chasing your mom," Hermione said. "She wants you to join me in another stream."

Harry raised an eyebrow. He was a bit excited about the idea but tried to keep his cool. Hermione thought she was asking him for a favor, and he saw no reason to seem overly eager to comply.

"I’d be open to that," he said. "Now?"

"That’s the tricky part," Hermione said. "She wants us to do it later tonight. But my parents will be home then, and you know how they are about me..." He nodded. Hermione’s parents were protective and socially conservative.

"Can we do it at your place?" Hermione asked.

"Uh..." Harry shrugged. "My mom will be home, obviously. I’d have to check with her and see if it’s okay."

"I could tell my parents I’m spending the night at a friend’s house," Hermione said. "Do you think Bellatrix would mind if I spent the night at your place?"

Harry grimaced. His mom was fine with him hanging out with Hermione, but fooling around openly under the same roof might be pushing it.

"I can ask," he said. "Otherwise, maybe she’d at least let you stay for a few hours after dinner. Maybe we can get some alone time."

Hermione gave him a mischievous smile. Harry felt his heart beat a little faster. Their pretend relationship might not have been something he was necessarily proud of, but it was healthier than his other recent obsessions. It was close to normalcy and nothing he had to be ashamed of.

"I’ll call my mom and see what she says."

He turned off the hidden camera on his phone and dialed his mom’s number. She answered on the third ring.

"Harry?"

"Hey mom," he said. "Would it be alright if Hermione comes over for dinner tonight?"

Harry could almost picture his stepmother smiling on the other end of the line.

"About time," she said. "Of course. I’ll make pizza, and you can watch a movie. I have a little surprise for you too when you get home!"

"Really?" he said. "Awesome. Also, uh... She was thinking of maybe, you know, spending the night." There was a pause. Harry felt more awkward than he expected, waiting for mom’s response.

"Don’t her parents mind?" mom asked. Her voice sounded a bit concerned but still loving.

"Yeah," Harry replied. "They’re okay with it."

More silence.

"You don’t mind, do you, mom?" Harry asked.

"Well..." Bellatrix hesitated. "You’re growing up. I think you’re becoming a man now. And... that comes with certain things. I’m not opposed to it, just... You two need to be safe, alright?"

"mom..." Harry felt a small surge of embarrassment.

"Yes, sweetheart, I don’t mind," his stepmother said. "I won’t bother you after dinner. You’re both teenagers with hormones, and I won’t make it any more awkward for you than it already is."

"Thanks, mom," he said.

"Will you two be home soon?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said. "We just need to finish up here."

Hermione stood behind Harry on the bed and wrapped her arms around him. He felt her breasts pressing against his shoulder blades and was surprised by the feeling she put into the gesture.

"Alright," Bellatrix said. "See you soon. Love you, honey."

"Love you, mom."

Harry hung up. Hermione laughed as soon as he did.

"What would she ever do without you?" she asked. "She takes care of you like you’re still a little kid."

"Hey," Harry said. "She agreed. What more could we ask for?"

"Yeah, well, we’ll see how well she stays out of our way," Hermione said. "I have a feeling she might come up with a few reasons to poke her nose into our business."

Harry turned his head to look at her directly. Hermione’s face wasn’t far from his. Their relationship might have been a sham for Fleur, but he still felt a sudden urge to kiss her. Hermione looked at him like she knew exactly what he was thinking.

"I should probably bring a change of clothes," she said. "Something comfortable to sleep in."

And easy to take off, Harry thought.