Title: Triad of Blood

Author: CordeliaHalliwell and Shattered Diamond

Summary: On Harry's 16th birthday Hermione arrives with an offer he is hard pressed to refuse, but will her gift be the key to defeating Voldemort and gaining the family he has always wanted or will it mean a loss of humanity and a swift and dark fall for the boy who lived.

A.N: So we couldn't decide on who to pair Harry with, Diamond likes Draco and I like Hermione so in our infinite wisdom we shrugged our shoulders, grinned, and crowed threesome! You have been forewarned, Diamond and I will try very hard to make this fair to all characters involved.

Harry watched as the Dursley's taillights faded into the night. On any other night he would have been glad to see the back of the Dursleys but tonight was his sixteenth birthday and even he didn't want to spend it alone. It was not unusual for Harry to be lonely during the summer but this summer had been worse than ever. He supposed it had something to do with the fact that his godfather had been murdered in a trap set for him.

He had spent the majority of his time at number 4 Privet Drive, half the time he wasn't even aware of the days passing by. The Dursley's had ignored him, they still gave him chores and had him cooking for them, but he no longer cared.

To be honest he hadn't even realized that it was his birthday until his letters and presents had arrived. Ron had sent a Chuddley Cannons jersey with a short note wishing him a happy birthday. Hagrid had sent a small carved figurine in the shape of a black dog; Harry had shoved it in his trunk after fighting the urge to cry. Mrs. Weasley had sent a parcel full of meat pies, pumpkin pasties, and small cake all of which he was grateful for considering that the Dursleys were still on their diet. He was still waiting for Hermione's gift.

Harry glanced at the clock again and sighed, it was ten thirty-five at night and he had yet to receive her present. He scowled and stood, he kicked his trunk on the way out of the room. He had just reached the stairs when he heard a loud series of knocks on the front door. He stood for a moment with his hands on the railing, before sighing and heading to open the door.

Death Eaters wouldn't knock.

He put his hand on the door knob, schooling his features to hide the pain he felt inside, who knows, it might be Mrs. Figg coming to check up on him. He turned the handle and opened the door, surprise blooming on his features as he registered the person on the other side.

Curly brown hair was tied back in a pony tail and warm caramel eyes stared back at him lighted by a soft smile. Hermione raised her hand in a small wave. "Happy Birthday, Harry."

He stood for a moment, unsure of what he should do. Hermione stared back at him, smile still gracing her face. "Are you going to invite me in or will you let me stand here all night?"

Harry smiled at her, opening the door wide. "Come in."

Hermione murmured, "Thank you." She stepped in the door, looking at the hallway pictures; she wasn't surprised to see that Harry did not grace the walls. She wrinkled her nose and drawled, "It certainly is clean in here."

Harry nodded in agreement, "My aunt cleans obsessively." He paused and then asked, "Not to be rude but what are you doing here."

Hermione turned her attention back to Harry and smiled gently, "I came to give you you're birthday present."

Harry stared at her puzzled, "You couldn't have sent an owl?"

"I'm fairly certain an owl wouldn't be able to carry my gift." She spun in a circle and then asked, "Where's you're room?"

Harry motioned to the stairs, he glanced at the cupboard door as he headed up. Hermione followed letting her eyes fall on the small door, they narrowed and a dark look fell over her features. She headed up the stairs, quietly noting the doors they passed.

Harry entered his room straitening the covers on the bed and motioning Hermione in.

"So… how have you been?" Harry asked as Hermione sat on the bed.

"Good." She looked at Harry closely noting how he stood near the doorway, shifting uncomfortably, before crossing his arms over his chest. He gave off an air of defensiveness and hidden pain. She sighed and went to him, he startled at the feeling of her dragging him to the bed, sitting him down next to her.

"Harry, I know you must be feeling guilty over Sirius' death." Harry gave a self-deprecating laugh.

"It's my fault—if I had only listened to you…" He leaned over, elbows on his knees, hands clasped tightly in front of him. "You said it was a trap, and it was. It's all my fault that he died, that everyone had to fight."

Hermione wrapped her arms around him. "Oh Harry, you were not responsible for Sirius' actions, nor for the rest of us."

Harry sat quietly for a minute before sitting up and turning to look at her, she could see the redness that rimed his eyes, could feel the despair that rolled off of him. "Hermione, I…"

"Shh," Hermione placed a finger over his lips. "No more talk of the past. It wasn't your fault."

Harry tried to speak again, but she stopped him. "Harry. Believe me, it wasn't your fault. You did everything you could."

She waited for Harry to give a motion of consent. "Harry, I came here for a reason. To give you a gift yes, but first I need to explain some things."

Harry grinned at her, though she could still see a great deal of pain lingering in his eyes.

"I've not been completely honest with you about who I am. You will understand the reason soon, however." A confused look washed over Harry's face.

"I… well, for one thing I am no muggle-born. I am a pureblood for all intents and purposes." She shrugged.

Harry gapped at her, "You're a pureblood?"

Hermione nodded, "Yes and…"

Harry cut in, "There's more?!"

Hermione huffed, "This will go a lot faster if you interrupt as little as possible."

This seemed extremely familiar to Harry, it usually was best for him and Ron to just shut up and listen to Hermione, she usually had all the information they needed already and had already answered any questions they had by the time they could even process the questions they needed to ask. He nodded and leaned back slightly on the bed.

"In the year 996 A.D., Godric Gryffindor begged for help from the magical world, in hopes that someone would be able help his family. It was his daughter you see; she was powerfully magical, so powerful that the magic was killing her. It happens, rarely, so rarely that no one really knows what causes it. Imagine Harry, having so much magic that your body begins to wither and die…" Hermione trailed off and shuddered. She stood and walked to the Harry's window, she gazed outside, took a deep breath and continued, "You and this girl actually have quite a bit in common, her mother died for her, to give her more time, just four more days of life, just enough time for him to arrive."

Harry breathed, "How did the girl's mother die?"

Hermione spared him a brief glance and then returned her gaze the quiet street, "She took as much of the magic into herself as she could and she did it knowing it would kill her."

Harry's face colored with sympathy for a girl long dead and then he asked, "Who arrived?"

Hermione turned and leveled Harry with a piercing look, softly she hissed, "A vampire…"

Harry stared, "No, Godric Gryffindor would never have let his child become…"

Hermione snapped, "He did, he didn't want to, but in his mind there was no other choice. He and the vampire decided that life, any life, was better than a slow and rather painful death." She smirked, "The ironic part is that becoming a vampire is quite possibly the most painful experience anyone might endure." She shrugged again, "Really both Godric and the vampire were rather stupid, to turn a ten year old."

Harry gasped, "She was ten!? They turned a little girl!?"

Hermione nodded, "It's against the law you realize, under vampire law at least, to make a vampire whose human body is under the age of sixteen." She glared, "As it should be, being ten for an eternity is a fate worse than death, your mind would grow but your body would stay the same, forever young, forever a child. Not to mention how hard it is to survive as a child alone."

"So Godric and this vampire broke the law, what happened to them?" Harry looked intensely curious.

Hermione smirked, "Nothing, Salazar protected them." She counted in her head.

"What?" Harry was befuddled.

"He got them out of the castle, the girl and the vampire, Godric stayed. It isn't well known but the split between the founders was definitely started by Godric's act of desperation."

"He was trying to save his daughter." Harry defended the founder of their house.

Hermione's face softened and she smiled again, "Yes he was."

Harry cocked his head, "What happened to the girl?"

Hermione sat down next to Harry and took his hand, "She spent nearly a thousand years as a ten year old and then in 1990 she forced her body to do something she had longed for for ages."

"What?" Harry squeezed Hermione's hand as he asked.

Hermione looked up from their clasped hands; she locked her eyes with his and replied, "She forced her body to age."

Harry narrowed his eyes and went through everything she had told him in his head. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the feel of Hermione's hand in his, it was cool to the touch but then Hermione's hands had always been cold. He shifted his fingers and clamped them around her wrist. He sucked in a breath and waited, every few seconds shifting his fingers in search of the heartbeat that hadn't been heard or felt for nigh on a thousand years. He opened his eyes slowly.

He pulled his hand from her grasp and stood, "You're…"

"Yes." Hermione answered before he had a chance to voice the whole question.

Harry opened his mouth and then shut it again, letting an awkward silence take over the room.

Finally after nearly ten minutes in total silence Hermione stood, "I understand if you're afraid of me now Harry or if you hate me. I'll just…" she waved her hand weakly, "Go."

She brushed past him only to be caught as he wrapped a hand around her arm, "I could never hate you Hermione and I'm not afraid of you."

Hermione looked grateful for the small measure of acceptance she saw in Harry's eyes and then her eyes narrowed as she caught a glimpse of something else in Harry eyes. Curiosity mixed with desire and recklessness.

Harry pulled Hermione closer to him and whispered, "What exactly did you intend to give me for my birthday?"

Hermione stared up at him and for the first time Harry noticed that her eyes seemed lit from within, in voice he had never heard before, made of silk she replied, "I think you know…"

Harry yanked her flush to him and demanded, "Give me my present." Hermione snaked a hand into his hair and jerked his head back, baring his neck.

"Be careful boy." Harry shivered at the underlying threat that hung in Hermione's tone. She loosened her grip slightly; just enough for him to see her ran her tongue across a sharp pair of canines that hadn't been there seconds ago.

Harry quipped, "Nice teeth."

Hermione snapped at him playfully and she her face smoothed into a serious expression, "It will hurt Harry."

Harry pressed closer, afraid she would change her mind, "You mentioned it would."

Hermione tugged at his hair again and fought the urge to bury her fangs in his throat, it had been so long since she had had wizard blood, "There's no going back."

Harry released her arms and wrapped his arms around her waist, "I don't want to. I want this Hermione, please."

Hermione used her free hand to brush Harry's hair from his face. She smile gently and pressed a soft kiss to Harry's lips. Harry's arms tightened around Hermione's waist and in the back of his mind he smirked loyally at the fact that Hermione's kiss was not disgustingly wet as Cho's had been. A second later all thought's of Cho vanished.

Hermione felt a rush of relief as Harry pushed himself against her eagerly, she had used no thrall to entice him into accepting her kiss and yet he was; a second later the relief turned into hedonistic pleasure as she realized that for the first time she was creating a vampire because she wanted to, not because she had to.

She growled as Harry let out a needy gasp. She pulled back slightly and grabbed the edges of his shirt and yanked, tearing it off with little effort. She looked at him and asked one last time, "Are you sure?"

Harry stared down at her and slowly and deliberately he nodded. Hermione leaned forward but rather that return to his mouth she ran her lips along his throat, finding his pulsing vein instantly. With a quiet whimper she bit down, sinking her fangs easily into his flesh. She was surprised when he let out a groan and tangled one of his hands in her hair, pressing her closer, burying her fangs deeper. Hermione snarled in excitement and pulled eagerly from Harry's throat. She shoved against him and heaved him against the wall. A second later she had his hands pinned next to his head, stunning herself with the possessiveness that had coursed through her. She sucked hard and fast but careful at the same time.

Less than two minutes after she bitten Harry she heard his heart beat slow. She pulled away and forced herself to ignore Harry's moan of protest. She pulled his head down to her mouth and impaled her own tongue on one of her fangs. She crushed her lips to Harry's and felt a tremor of ecstasy she had never before experienced as Harry sucked hard on her tongue. She pulled back again and pulled Harry's head to her neck, his newly acquired fangs piercing through her marble like flesh as if it were butter and Hermione arched into his embrace. He sucked hard and Hermione let him. She let him drain her to within inches of her own death and then she yanked his head away. She leapt back and winced as he slid to the floor now that she was no longer supporting him.

Harry writhed and then he let out a blood curdling shriek. Hermione wanted nothing more than to go to him and hold him, but she had to hunt or she would die. She promised herself she would be back in under an hour. She made her way to the window and turned to look at Harry who was twisting and howling in pain. She winced and then dropped down into the front lawn; as she sped away as fast as she could she belatedly realized that Harry would no longer be the boy who lived.

A mile away in the smallest bedroom of number 4 Privet drive Harry Potter's heart stuttered weakly.

Read and Review cuz seriously we need the motivation... ;)