Hermione Granger; A Vampire Chapter 9

The walk back to the castle, was awkward. Hermione was sobbing uncontrollably, her arms were wrapped around herself to keep from shivering. She felt physically stronger, but she was so disgusted with herself she didn't relish in it. Katherine kept telling her it wasn't her fault and that she was sorry, but to Hermione, she didn't sound sorry at all.

Back at the castle, Snape and Professor Mcgonagall were waiting for them, their expressions grim. Hermione bowed her head, ashamed, but Katherine simply smiled at them.

"Where have you been Miss Granger? It is past outside curfew!" Professor Mcgonagall's tone stated that she was furious. Before Hermione could say anything Katherine stepped in.

"Please Madame, I was simply teaching Hermione how to feed properly. We weren't doing anything wrong!" Katherine smiled at the furious professor completely oblivious to Hermione's death stare.

"You weren't doing anything wrong? You were doing plenty of things wrong both of you! Miss Granger, you have blood all over your clothes and mouth, and you expect me to think you weren't doing anything WRONG?" Mcgonagall looked livid.

Hermione forgot about her appearance after almost killing someone. She muttered a spell, and she was cleaned up. "Please, I- I-…" Hermione burst into tears. She felt horrible. She was trying hard to keep a grip on her humanity…she could feel it slowly slipping away from her, but she kept tight hold. She didn't want to lose it again, because it made her more of a monster when she did.

Mcgonagall's expression softened. She had liked Hermione, ever since her first day at Hogwarts, when she showed her thirst for knowledge. She patted Hermione's shoulder softly.

"Okay, Miss Granger, your obviously tired out…go upstairs to bed, we'll talk about this another time." Hermione tried to smile at her, but she felt absolutely horrid.

Katherine watched Hermione go, smirking. Her fun wasn't up yet.

Hermione trundled up 6 flights of stairs before coming to the Gryffindor portrait hole of the fat lady. She mumbled the password, her head down and went to the dormitories. She flopped down on her soft bed a fell asleep almost instantly.

She looked around her. She seemed to be in a busy street in London. Why was she here she wondered? She turned on the spot taking in her surroundings. Then she saw her. The woman she had almost killed, standing ten feet away staring at Hermione, a blank expression on her face. Hermione's heart was thudding. Had she recognised her? All of a sudden the woman started screaming, bloody murder. On the left side of her neck, two deep holes appeared bleeding heavily. Hermione stared at her in horror. She wasn't doing anything, yet, this woman was bleeding heavily and staggering. She fell on the floor, still screaming.

"No! oh no please don't die! I'm not doing anything! Whats wrong!" Hermione was on her knees, shaking the woman, tears dripping down her cheeks.

"You monster" Hermione spun around, and saw Harry, looking at her with disgust. "You did this." He said. Hermione stood up shaking. "NO! Harry I-" but she didn't get any further.

"Your not our Hermione anymore. Your a monster." It was Ron, her Ron. He looked at her with the same disgust as Harry. They took a step back simultaneously.

"No! Ron please! I didn't hurt her! I-"

The woman on the ground, suddenly went quiet and became still.

"No, no, no, no, no…." Hermione kneeled beside the lady. She shook her. Nothing happened. She shook her again. Nothing. Hermione began to cry again.

"HELP! Somebody Help!" She was sobbing uncontrollably.

Katherine appeared out of no where. She was wearing clothes from another time. The 1800's maybe?

"Katherine! Help me please!" Hermione called to her, still sobbing.

"Your a monster. Don't try to hide it. Everyone knows it. Your a predator. Next it will be them." She pointed to Harry on Ron, who were now slumped on the floor, blood trickling down their necks.

"NO! HARRY, RON!" Hermione was sobbing hysterically. "Katherine help me! Help THEM!"

With a gasp, Hermione woke up, shivering and sweating, tears running down her cheeks. The word Help ringing in her ears.

The next morning, Hermione got dressed in a rush. Her head was full of thoughts. Actually one thought. The same one stinging again and again like angry bees. No, bees died after one sting. These were wasps, stinging her mind, again and again.

She ran down to breakfast, and sat at the Gryffindor table, beside Harry and opposite Ginny. Ron was on Harry's other side.

"Hermione, you don't suppose me and Ron could copy your Potions Homework do you? We didn't get round to it last night." He braced himself for the blow that was about to come. Oddly it didn't.

"Er- yeah sure whatever." Hermione muttered distractedly.

Harry raised his eyebrows at Ginny, who giggled. "Okay, thanks."

Hermione continued to think of her dream she had last night. She had a feeling that Katherine put it there, for her to dream. She had mentioned something yesterday about seeing into ones mind, but she didn't mention anything about planting dreams into peoples mind. But then she just had THAT FEELING that wouldn't go away. That Katherine did it.

She was so occupied with her thoughts thats she took Harry's drink of Pumpkin juice instead of hers. She took a gulp of juice, not expecting the burn that came with it. She coughed and gagged as the vervain slid down her throat. She spluttered and spat out the juice. She could fell her throat blistering, and her eyes watered.

"Hermione! Are you alright?" Harry crouched next to her and patted her on the back.

Hermione managed to say "Vervain" before dissolving into more coughs. Harry mouthed "Vervain" to Ron and Ginny, before helping Hermione up.

Her eyes were still watering, but the blistering in her throat had gone. She shakily sat down, aware of all the stares she was receiving. The Slytherins were all laughing and jeering at her, but she had learnt to ignore them. Plus, they never called her Mudblood anymore because she almost skewered Malfoy like a kebab.

"I'm alright…I drank Harry's drink by mistake." Hermione said shakily. She reached in her bag for a plastic bottle. Inside was animal blood, that she had learnt to siphon out of animals wounds. She started to drink and finished half the bottle. After she drank she regained her strength. Her friends didn't mind her drinking blood infront of them as they understood she had to, but others all grimaced.

"Are you sure your okay though? I mean, you look a bit worried about something." Ginny said, her eyebrows furrowed.

Hermione hesitated before answering. She could tell them all about last night. How she almost killed an innocent person, but she didn't want to lose them. What if they acted like they had in her weird dream? They might think her a monster and she didn't want that. She needed her friends.

"No…I'm fine. Promise."

"I just can't do it!" Ron whined, waving his wand at the darning needle. They were doing simple transfiguration, but silent spells. They weren't allowed to say the command outlaid but inside their head. Hermione had managed to transfigure her drawing pin into a snail on the third attempt silently.

"Ron, you have to concentrate for one!" Hermione said to him raising her eyebrows. For the last 15 minutes Ron had been staring at Lavender Brown, his current girlfriend. Ron turned a deep shade of red.

Harry was doing alright. His darning needle now had antennae. Professor Mcgonagall was up at the front of the room, grading homework. Her small oval reading glasses perched on the brink of her nose.

Hermione was re-readng Hogwarts; A History, while she was waiting for the lesson to finish. She transfigured her needle 10 minutes into the lesson.

Her mind wondered again to her dream. Every time she thought about it, a stab of panic filled her body. She tried to relax, meditate even, but the dream kept coming back to haunt her thoughts.

She kept reading, 5 minutes past, 10, 15 more. How long was this lesson? Hermione began to grow impatient. She was about to ask to go to the bathroom when suddenly a loud high pitched shriek filled the room. It came from the Slytherins table. She craned her neck to see Parkinson her mouth open.

Then she smell it. The smell of blood. It was calling to her. She needed it. Badly.

All eyes turned on her when they saw the blood, coming from Malfoy's hand. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes bore into hers. Why was he dong this? He didn't look happy about it, and the rest of the Slytherins were watching eyes wide and mouths gaping. Blaise Zabini sat there smirking, while Pansy Parkinson looked anxious.

Hermione met Draco's gaze. She then looked at his hand and saw the blood seeping from the cut on his hand. Her lip twitched, and her eyes began to crack. She took a step back. Why wasn't he hiding his hand? He seemed to be trying to draw her attention to it.

"That's enough everyone….Hermione?" Professor Mcgonagall had come to see what all the fuss was about, when she saw the blood and immediately turned to Hermione, her eyes wide with fear.

Hermione continued to walk slowly backwards. She managed to whisper "Tend to that" before fleeing the room with her vampire speed. She rarely used her vampire abilities, and the vampire speed was so fast for human eyes to see clearly, that the class just saw a blur of colour as she vanished from the room.

Once far away enough from the classroom, that she couldn't smell the blood, she stopped and rested her head against the cold stone wall. She was in a deserted hallway. The arch windows were empty, meaning they had no glass. She could feel the wind wiping her hair. It was a cloudy day, no sun. If she were to take of her locket, she could walk outside, in the day, but she never took of her locket.

She took deep breaths, to calm herself. That stupid Ferret! Why would he do that? He knew wha could've happened…she had almost fed on him once. And he didn't even try to hide his hand!

Finally calmed down she suddenly felt her spirits lift. She had done it! She'd resisted the blood, managed not to feed! That counted as progress. She smiled to herself, and turned around, about to walk to the dormitory's, so she could finish of some homework, when she was stopped, by no other than Katherine.

"Hello, Hermione." Katherine was wearing a brown tunic, over black leggings and black boots. Her long brown wavy hair fell about her shoulders. Hermione narrowed her eyes, once again remembering the dream. There went her good mood. She tired not to think about the dream though, or at least not focus on it, for Katherine might get inside her head.

"Katherine." Hermione nodded her head in her direction, and made to walk straight past her, but Katherine was very fast, and was once again blocking her path.

"Where are your manners?" she sighed and examined her fingernails. "People nowadays…the have no manners whatsoever."

"I have no manners for those who screw me over!" Hermione retorted.

"Screw you over…? May I ask what that means?"

Hermione sighed impatiently. Even if Katherine was from another time…she must know some modern phrases. Was she living under a rock or something?

"Yes something like that…" Katherine crossed her arms and ginned at Hermione.

Hermione realised that Katherine had heard the thought in her head. "What does that mean?" She said curiously. She was suddenly aware of the fact that she knew absolutely nothing about Katherine. She didn't know who turned her…when she was born, how old she was….

Katherine narrowed her eyes and stared at Hermione. No doubt she was reading her mind.

"Meet me in the Library at 7 PM this evening." Katherine said and began to walk away.

"Wait., why?" Hermione was suspicious. She thought back to last night. While she was feeding, she was aware of Katherine's presence and she heard her shouting that she should stop feeding otherwise she would kill the woman…but she seemed…hesitant. Somehow. Like she WANTED Hermione to kill.

"Because…" Katherine sighed impatiently "You don't know anything about me…and I wish to be your friend." she smiled at Hermione and walked off.