Chapter 7

Hermione jerked awake, blood pounding in her ears as a cacophony of sounds bombarded her senses and the light practically burnt her eyes.

"Easy," Minerva's voice softly trilled beside her.

"What'd you do?" Hermione asked with a groan, chest feeling heavy.

"Please let me see your eyes, dear." Minerva asked.

"What…" Hermione turned her head as she blinked again, "why?" And saw Minerva's entire demeanor begin to relax as she lowered her wand, "Minerva, what's going on?"

"Just rest," Minerva said as she reached down, running her hand along Hermione's cheek, down her neck and arm. "I'll explain it all when you're fully awake."

"I'm…" Hermione cleared her throat, as she fought to keep her eyes open, "awake."

"I know, and I'll be back in a minute." Minerva patted her hand and walked out of the door, pulling it closed behind her and let her body momentarily collapse against the wall as tears of relief filled her eyes.


Xoxo


Hermione didn't know how much time had passed between the brief time she had awakened and now as she sat opposite of Minerva in the small breakfast nook; a plate of food partially eaten as she sipped some coffee. "How long…" she swallowed as Minerva gazed at her, "was I asleep?"

"Three days." Minerva answered as a small house elf appeared beside her, "Good morning Tily, if you could bring me some tea, along with fruit and a biscuit."

"Of course," she turned to Hermione, "will you be wanting more?"

Minerva could see the hesitation flicker across Hermione's features, "If you could muster another plate for Hermione that would be wonderful."

"It'll be up shortly." Tily replied and vanished with a pop.

"I'm sure it's because I've been inhaling and…"

"That isn't why you are so hungry," Minerva leaned back finger gently tapping along the table as she stared at the woman opposite.

"Okay," Hermione said wiping her mouth, "first – three days? Second, why do you believe I'm so hungry? Third, what happened that I'm even alive? Fourth, or perhaps the most important, does Rose and Ron know that I'm alright?"

"I had Gawain send word that he had collaborated with Kingsley for you to be on special assignment for several days until I could ascertain your condition; that includes Ronald along with Harry and Ginerva. The other three are going to be more difficult for you to process and for…well, for me to deal with." Minerva sat straighter as her tea appeared before her along with a small dish with cut pineapple, a sundry of blueberries and blackberries, a half of a pear and orange slices beside a toasted biscuit with melting butter and a strawberry jam affixed on top.

"What do you mean more difficult? And what shall you have to deal with?" Minerva pulled the napkin from the table, laying it across her lap; her reluctance apparent upon her features, "Minerva?"

Slowly, emerald eyes lifted and met hers as a harrowing breath left thin lips, "Valik is upon the Isle." Minerva fought the desire to shift under her gaze, "His attack upon you was not random."

"You said that he didn't know who you were, but had somehow managed to deduce that we were friends."

"And by biting you two months ago, I fear I may have set off an unforeseen chain of events."

"I don't understand." Hermione said between bites, "You merely drained the poison, saving me."

"I did. But it also placed my antigens in your system; keeping you alive."

"So I'm…a….vampire?" She swallowed the last of her bite, "I couldn't move as fast as Valik…"

"You weren't." Minerva relayed.

"I wasn't." Hermione repeated and eyes widened as the meaning of the words sunk in and she pushed herself from the table, falling backwards as she began shaking her head, "I…." Without seeing how, Hermione felt Minerva behind her, wrapping her in a warm embrace, "wasn't…" her voice breaking as a partial sob left her lips, "Merlin, Minerva….what'd you do to me?"

Minerva tightened her arms around the younger woman breathing into chestnut hair, "I couldn't…let you die." She fought her own tears back as she continued on, "So, I gave you my blood which in conjunction with having already bitten you…"

Hermione went to pull away, but the arms around her tightened, "I can't be…I don't feel…" her voice crying, "like a vampire. I don't…" her words becoming garbled as she continued, "f..e…el….li..ke….on…e…"

"That's because you may not be," Minerva quietly stated against the shell of her ear, "as it was my blood and not another's. So, I don't know what that means for you." She began loosening her arms around the smaller woman.

"What…" Hermione fought for a breath, "are you…saying? That…" she gently sat up, and with red, tear streaked eyes turned back to Minerva, "I may not be a vampire?"

"I don't know." Minerva honestly answered.

"But…then how can I…be alive?"

"One of three things could have happened that afternoon, the first being that you could have, but didn't turn into a diamond vampire; you could have died; or you could have been turned into a partial vampire like myself."

A stray memory surfaced from her brief awakening days prior, "You thought I might awaken a diamond vampire, that's why you were relieved when I woke up because…my eyes weren't…sparkling."

"No, they weren't." Minerva said as she stared into chocolate eyes, "Nor have they changed," as her eyes narrowed in thought, "which means there must be a fourth option as they haven't changed."

Hermione wiped at her eyes, "Your eyes…when you woke up after you were bitten. They had changed color, hadn't they?"

"Yes," Minerva swallowed, "they had."

"And mine…"

"Haven't." They said in unison with Minerva finishing, "But no matter what happens, for the interim, I can't leave you unprotected or Valik will kill you."

"There must be a way to defend against him." Hermione countered, eyes passing over Minerva's features, noting the concern and worry laced in emerald eyes.

"If you haven't been turned, then no my dear, there is not."

Hermione's jaw rippled as she fought down her own discomfort with what she was about to ask, "How can I…or you tell if I've been turned? Even partially?"

Minerva sighed, "It is unfortunately, quite easy." She wandlessly summoned a piece of cutlery from the table, a fork landing in her fingers.

"What's that…" Hermione's question died in her throat as it morphed into a kitchen paring knife, Minerva extending her hand outward and with a flick, she cut the palm of her own hand. "Why'd you…" Hermione went to reach for Minerva's hand as she finished, "do that?" but Minerva merely held up her palm, the blood having already stopped.

"As it isn't a deep cut, it…" she pushed on the area around it, the wound all but healed, "is already almost healed." Minerva flipped the knife around, handing Hermione the handle. "A small cut shall tell us."

She took the wooden handle, "One cut and we'll know? Because my vision doesn't seem clearer nor my hearing more acute."

Minerva laid her hand upon Hermione's leg, seeing Hermione's hesitation. "You aren't a full vampire, nor are you a diamond vampire. Let's determine if you have any qualities transferred or if you have remained entirely…human."

Hermione nodded and with a burst of courage, she slid the edge of the knife down the palm of her hand; wincing from the bite of the blade a trickle of crimson blood sprung from her hand.


Xoxo


a/n: Hope you are enjoying!