CHAPTER SEVEN
Summary: Sent to Volterra in order to negotiate terms of an alliance to end the war, Hermione's life is turned upside down as she is brought into the world of The Volturi, better known as The Vampire Kings. There she is made a part of a new kind of family and a most trusted member of the guard, whether she likes it or not, and surprisingly, she does.
Disclaimer: I do not own canon events and characters, they belong to J.K Rowling and Stepenie Myers. I am not making a profit from writing and posting this fanfic. As for the descriptions of appearances for the Twilight characters, all my research is based on the books and not the movies, but I may have changed a few things regarding Alec's height and age.
Friday 24th April 1998
Hermione had long since returned to her suite, and she knew she had been followed, likely by a guard for her protection and she heard chatter occasionally coming from outside of her room, she obviously had a guard standing watch too.
She pulled out some spare parchment from her bag, before going over the notes in her notebook and beginning to write the terms of the contract. She spent two hours sitting on the floor and resting against the coffee table, before Selena made an appearance, bringing her lunch. She thanked the stuttering woman and ate her meal, before continuing with writing the terms of the contact.
When finished she sat back and read it over, spelling away mistakes and correcting them. She read over the contract once more and when she was happy, she smiled to herself, stood up and with the contract in hand, she walked over to the door and opened it.
The guard stood outside the door turned around. Her head barely came to his chest. Her head slowly lifted as she took in his height. Bloody hell he was huge; a tall, hulking figure. Six-foot-seven at least, with jet black hair cut short and the usual blood red eyes, but with olive-pale skin and she could see his muscles bulging from under the light grey robes he wore, identifying him as a Volturi guard.
"Hello and you are?" she said.
"Felix," he smirked down at her.
"Well, it's nice to meet you Felix, I'm Hermione Granger," she held her hand out and rather than shaking it, he kissed the back of it. She blinked in surprise. "Well you're the first to do that," she cleared her throat and his eyes twinkled in amusement. "I don't suppose Aro is still in the chamber, is he?"
"I believe he is, yes."
"Well, that was good timing," she mused.
She closed the door behind her and started walking down the corridor, having memorised the way to the chamber by this point. She heard footsteps behind her and stopped in her tracks until he fell into step and she continued walking. She looked up at him amused.
"I see you've been tasked with babysitting duty then," she commented.
"I don't mind, I've been told you're amusing."
"And who told you that?" he smirked down at her. "It's either Alec or Demetri, and Alec's not much of a talker, so it must've been Demetri."
"It was," he confirmed. "He also said you've got fire in you," he looked down at her with a raised eyebrow.
"That's his polite way of saying I have anger issues," she said lightly and he snorted at her.
"Ah. Miss Granger, you work quickly," Aro spoke as they entered the chamber.
She bowed her head in respect.
"I would've been here sooner, but I took some time out for lunch. I have the completed contract, if you would like to look it over and make sure everything is to your liking, if there is anything you believe I have missed or there is something you wish to add, I will do so before the signing."
He gestured for her to approach him and she did so, walking up the steps and handing him the contract. She had barely blinked and he was handing it back to her.
"I believe everything has been covered and I agree to the terms specified."
"Oh, okay," she blinked again, before a quill appeared before her and she signed her name in the appropriate place, the document glowing gold. "It will require the signature of all three of you," she informed them.
Aro took the contract and signed, as did Caius and Marcus and when they were done, the contract glowed gold.
"The contract is now magically binding, if broken by any party the consequence is death," she said, clicking her fingers and the contract disappeared from view.
"I've noticed, Miss Granger, that you do magic both wordlessly and wandlessly," Aro spoke, sitting back in his throne. "It is my understanding that this is a very rare skill amongst your people."
She shrugged in response. "It is only a rare skill as magical folk are traditionalists. They don't like change and so they don't encourage it. Wandless and non-verbal magic is difficult to master, but it can be done. A wand is used as a conductor of sorts. It controls the flow of our magic when casting spells, but magic is and always will be inside of us, flowing through our blood and nerve endings. It is a part of us. Millennia ago wands did not exist and magical folk used their magic freely, but they were still cautious. Since then magical folk have been taught to except the limitations we are told of, but I don't agree with their methods or teachings. After all, children have magical outbursts up to the age of eleven, which is when they get their wands, and the wand stops the outbursts from occurring. I don't like being told something is impossible, or that I can't do something. When I hear those words, I do everything in my power to prove them wrong. They said I was a Muggleborn and therefore I could never understand and perform magic as well as Purebloods, yet I was four years ahead of my peers in school with my Charms, Transfiguration and Defence Against the Dark Arts, and three years ahead in Potions. I work hard and I exercise and train my magic as often as possible, so that I may strengthen it. If I am to lose my wand, I am defenceless, and I don't like not being prepared. Don't try to limit my potential as I won't stand for it."
Aro was smiling at her knowingly.
"I've spent years learning wandless and non-verbal magic, and I admit, it's not an easy challenge, I am able to do simple forms of magic wandlessly and non-verbally, more difficult forms of magic require more training."
"You have magical outbursts that are tied into your emotions, correct?"
"Yes, that's how I learned that I don't require a wand to practice magic. My outbursts were supposed to be contained once I received my wand, and yet, they still happen."
"You're powerful, are you not?"
"I suppose so," she shuffled on her feet, not liking the way he was looking at her. "I am more powerful than your average witch, likely due to my unpolluted line of magic, as well as learning and training at any opportunity I get. Dumbledore would lend me books from his private library on occasion and when I turned fifteen, Professor McGonagall worked with me on becoming an Animagus."
"And what is that?"
"It's a form of magic in which a witch or wizard is able to shape shift into an animal. It's not a common skill, since it's a difficult form of magic which you have to have the magical ability to complete, it's a long process and you have to dedicate yourself to the training of your mind and body. Once you've completed the theory aspect, as well as the meditation phase, you move onto the final phase of physical transfiguration. There is a lot than can go wrong; less than eight percent of the Wizarding population are Animagi."
"And did you complete your training?" Marcus asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I did, yes, not long after my sixteenth birthday, not many know of my ability to shift into an animal. It is a lawful requirement that I register myself with The Ministry of Magic, so I can be tracked, but due to the circumstances surrounding me, I have not registered myself. If I am discovered to be an Animagus, I will be sentenced to prison for breaking the law and magical prison is not pleasant, it is guarded by dark creatures that suck out your soul."
"And what is your animal form?" Aro asked intrigued.
"Every witch or wizard has a spirit animal, but most don't discover what it is. You have to be able to cast a Patronus Charm, which is one of the most difficult forms of magic to exist. Dark magical folk are unable to cast a patronus, and if they attempt to, they will be devoured by maggots. The Patronus Charm is the purest form of magic to exist, similar to a unicorn or a ray of light from a blue moon. Less than five percent of the Wizarding population are able to cast one, and most don't even attempt it. A patronus is the living embodiment of our soul, magic and life force. They are used to defend against dark magical creatures, they are used for communication purposes and they are used for companionship. There are several of us in The Order that can cast a patronus, and we use them to communicate with each other since they can't be destroyed or intercepted; only the intended person is able to hear the message it carries."
"And how old were you when you successfully cast this charm?"
"Harry taught me, I was sixteen when I produced a corporeal patronus successfully, and it requires not only magical ability, but a true memory of happiness. Harry's form is that of a stag, which happened to be his father's Animagus form before he was murdered during the first war. Ronald's a Jack Russell Terrier, Dumbledore was that of a phoenix, and Kingsley's a lynx."
"And what is your animal?"
She sighed and her wand appeared in her hand. She took a deep breath and a peaceful look appeared on her face, a smile pulling at her mouth.
"Expecto Patronum," she said softly.
The room was silent as a blue hued tiger suddenly shot out of the tip of her wand, running around in the air before coming down to the ground, circling Hermione and rubbing itself up against her. She laughed lightly and scratched the large cat behind the ears as it let out a purr.
"Magnificent," Aro muttered, actually sounding awed.
She looked up, seeing that Demetri and Felix were stood beside each other and staring wide eyed, Alec looked just as amazed as did Caius and the usually stoic Marcus, and the blonde beside Alec just blinked in surprise.
"My spirit animal is a tiger, meaning my personality traits are somewhat similar to that of a tiger. A tiger symbolises courage, determination, personal strength and unpredictability in your actions and emotions. It can also mean aggressiveness, overcoming fears and raw emotions and primal instincts. All of these apply to me. I am unpredictable, particularly when forced into a situation I don't want to be in, I am vindictive when someone I care for is wronged, and my instincts are always on point and they have never let me down. When I feel an emotion too strongly, it affects the magical flow in my body, causing magical outbursts which I can't control."
Her wand disappeared from her hand and her tiger disappeared from her side.
"I'm curious," Marcus spoke.
"Yes?"
"As to what your shifter form looks like."
She sighed again before bending down, her hands moving to the floor and suddenly, an adult tigress stood where Hermione once did.
She heard mutters of shock as she bowed her back, her tail swishing in the air as she stretched out her body.
She noticed from the corner of her eye Demetri shift as if he wanted to move closer to her, but didn't dare.
She stood up and walked over to him, sitting down in front of him. His eyes were full of wonder and awe whilst his hand reached out and she lowered her head. He ran his cold fingers through her short, thick fur and she made a purring sound, since it tickled.
She then stood up and made her way back to the centre of the room, pushing up onto her hind legs, Hermione now stood where the tigress once had.
The room was silent.
"Such a prize," Aro muttered.
"I believe that's everything," Hermione spoke, clasping her hands behind her back.
Aro seemed to come back to himself and he smiled widely.
"Yes, I believe we are now allies. We will be sending two of our guards with you to aid in your war." Hermione nodded. "You do not wish to ask for more?" he asked curiously.
"Not really, if you're sending only two of your guards, it's for a reason and I trust your judgement. I've heard that each member of your guard has a valuable ability. Besides, the less you send to help, the easier it is for me to get us back to England, a large group will stand out like a sore thumb, and I need to remain off the radar. Just out of curiosity, who are you sending?"
"Demetri and Alec," Caius replied, a smirk on his face and an amused twinkle in his eyes. She was pleasantly surprised actually, and when she looked at them, they both smirked in her direction.
"Alright, I'd like to leave at dawn."
"That's acceptable," Aro nodded. "Demetri and Alec will remain with you until you return to Volterra, you have two weeks to deal with your affairs and grieve."
"Thank you," she replied. "I better head back to my rooms, so I can prepare for the coming days of travel."
"Indeed, Miss Granger, and if we don't see you before you leave, we will be waiting for you upon your return."
It had long since grown dark and she had spent the rest of the day preparing to leave Volterra. Selena had brought along her dinner and after eating, she went for a short walk around the castle, Felix following her and engaging her in conversation until she returned to her room. She lit the fireplace and repeated the process of readying for bed, by finding out night clothes and placing them in front of the fire, heating up the bed and having a relaxing bath.
Once she had washed and felt sleepy, she emptied the water from the tub, dried off her body, leaving her hair damp and wrapping a towel around herself, she left the bathroom and headed to the fireplace.
She heard a sound and looked around the room confused, but seeing nothing she turned her attention back to the fireplace.
Before she could blink she found herself pressed against the cold stone wall, blood red eyes staring down at her, a body pressed into hers pining her to the wall, and a cold hand wrapped around her throat, holding her in place and squeezing until she couldn't breathe.
Her eyes widened in panic and her hands came up to try and claw at the one around her throat, as she stared at the vampire she didn't recognise.
He smirked at her and lowered his head, his nose running the length of her neck.
"You've been teasing me for days," he whispered, "I doubt the Masters would mind if I sample your delectable blood."
His fangs scraped along her neck tauntingly, he placed a kiss to her neck and then drew back slightly, before lunging forward to sink his fangs into her.
Hermione panicked, her magic was swirling inside of her and she opened her mouth to let out a scream. She found herself collapsing to the floor, rubbing a hand around her throat as she coughed as oxygen was suddenly flowing to her lungs again. She shook on the ground in fear and panic.
She heard a scream of agony, a door slamming against the wall and a scream left her when she felt someone touch her shoulder.
She tried to move, but the hand on her shoulder wouldn't let her. She looked up and her screams suddenly cut off when Demetri came into her view, a panicked and worried look covering his face.
She turned her eyes towards the screams and she saw the vampire that had tried to bite her, flailing around in the centre of the room, and he was currently on fire, the flames devouring him alive. Felix stood in the room looking horrified and awed at the same time, Alec stood looking murderous and Aro, Caius and Marcus stood there too, looking surprised and awed.
Turning to look back at Demetri she threw herself at it him, her arms wrapping around the back of his neck tightly. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her into him and her body shook in fear and relief.
He scooped her up into his arms bridal style, standing up as her face was buried into his neck, and if she was naked except for the towel wrapped around her, she didn't care.
The screams died down, before stopping entirely.
"Miss Granger, what happened here?" she heard Aro ask, if she was paying attention she would've noticed that his voice had softened slightly.
She pulled her head away from Demetri's neck and when she did, she realised he had moved them over to the couch by the fireplace, and she was draped over his lap.
"I came out of the bathroom and he attacked me. He tried to..." She removed an arm from Demetri and brought it to her neck, pulling it back to see her fingers coated in blood.
Panic filled her.
"He didn't bite you," Demetri muttered softly. "Just grazed your skin, you took care of it before he could."
She sagged in relief as her body slowly calmed down and she relaxed into Demetri, without realising she had done so.
"He had me pinned to the wall by my throat, he tried to bite me and I panicked, my magic acted out of instinct to protect me."
"I would agree," Aro spoke sounding amused, looking down at the now pile of ash on the ground.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," she whispered, hoping he wouldn't dissolve the contract between them; he had every right to do so.
Her eyes snapped up when she heard several snorts, mainly coming from Aro and Caius.
"Why? You have every right to defend yourself," Caius spoke.
"I would like to know how he came to be in Miss Granger's room," Aro spoke, his eyes turning to Felix, anger hidden behind his words.
Felix looked down at the ground.
"It's my fault," Hermione spoke up. Every pair of eyes in the room shot to her. "I asked Felix to accompany me on a walk through the castle after dinner. My rooms were empty and unprotected, he likely slipped in then and waited until I was distracted and vulnerable."
"It is a shame he could not be punished for disobeying orders before he died, but your way works just as well," Caius commented lightly and she found a smile pulling at her mouth.
"Well, it seems everything here has been taken care of, we shall leave you to rest," Aro bowed his head then left the room, taking Felix and his co-leaders with him.
Alec and Demetri shared a look before Alec stepped out of the room, taking up post as guard. Hermione wordlessly climbed off his lap, holding her towel secure with her hand and moving over to the fire, picking up her night clothes.
"Will you stay, Demetri?" she asked softly, stopping at the bathroom door, but not looking at him.
"If you would like me to," he replied.
She nodded her head and disappeared into the bathroom, reappearing wearing similar night clothes from the night before, only this time the back of her shirt read 'Weasley, 6'.
She walked over to the bed and climbed in, snuggling down under the covers and her eyes caught his. She held her hand out and seeming to understand what it was she wanted, he stood from the couch and walked over to the bed, perching himself of the edge and taking her hand in his.
"You know, I was pleasantly surprised when Aro told me you and Alec would be coming with me," she said tiredly with her eyes closed.
"You were?" he questioned, and inside he was pleased.
She hummed. "You're different, I don't know why, but I trust you and I feel safe around you. And if I have to return here, it doesn't seem as bad knowing that you'll both be here too," she said softly, her voice trailing off as sleep claimed her.
He lifted his free hand and pushed a curl back from her face, his fingers gently trailing down her cheek, over her jaw and neck, running over the scrape on her neck, which was already beginning to heal.
Gregory was lucky Hermione had killed him before he had gotten a chance to get his hands on him.
The door opened and Alec stepped in.
"Do you think she knows?" he asked, his facial expression softening as he moved closer to watch her sleep.
"I'm not sure, she may not know, but she may know something is different. It's not natural for her to trust us so quickly, and she said so herself, her instincts are impeccable."
Alec frowned slightly and then nodded, his face softening once more.
"Gregory's lucky she killed him," Alec spoke and Demetri nodded in agreement.
Yes. He had been incredibly lucky indeed.
