Blood-Red Roses:

Explanations

A/N: Okay my readers chapter 8! Aren't you happy? Review to let me know what you think, I miss all the reviews I used to get they're all gone well enjoy!

I reached for her. She pulled back from me and hissed. The blood fell down my cheeks and I watched as her fierce and protective stance softened.

"I'm sorry." She said looking at her hands "You just tried to save me, you would have never made me this if you didn't have to, would you?" she asked curiously.

I shook my head and took her hand.

"My love, I would have never done this to you. I would have never given you internal damnation. If I had a choice I would have never given you this life. I would love nothing more than to hear the beat of your heart, the sweet sound that I could fall asleep to if I could. I love you and I would never do anything to make you unhappy unless I needed to." I replied sincerely kissing her hand.

"So you still love me? The feelings you had for me when I was… mortal haven't left?" she asked her red eyes looking into mine.

I chuckled "My love, you were always different weren't you? My-My" I searched for the correct word "my changer? I guess you could say was surprised by the things you did for me. You let me drink from you, most mates don't do that, you never asked me to change you into one of my-our kind but almost every mate does."

"I would love to be with you for eternity. I was afraid you wouldn't love me anymore if you changed me. When you couldn't hear my heartbeat, my 'beautiful' brown eyes that bring you into my embrace, the warm touch of my skin, the music of my breathing, when I became a bloodthirsty monster, everything. I've lost all that and gained horrors and yet you still love me?" she asked as her eyes began to fill with tears. I pulled her into my arms and whispered in her ear:

"You still breathe it is still music to my ears, you are warm and soft just like you were before, I can teach you to bring back your eye color that wasn't lost. Even your sparkling red eyes make me want to wrap in your embrace, they're as beautiful as your brown. Your heartbeat could never be as touching and soothing as your voice when you speak to me or sing to James. The bloodthirstiness isn't as horrible as you think it will be, and if it is I'm always going to be there next to you. Hermione, you haven't lost anything. If so you've gained even more precious things. I love you. My heart knew I loved you before my subconscious did. My heart is attached to you in ways even I cannot understand. I want to be with you forever and I cannot wait to see how our future unfolds together with James." I bent down and kissed her, she returned the kiss with equal passion.

"I love you too, I'm sorry I said I hated you. I don't." then I felt her body tense as she listened, her lip started to quiver.

Hermione's POV

I listened carefully, I didn't hear what I was looking for. I felt my lip quiver and those strange tears covering my vision. I looked at Harry the best I could though the thick blood that covered my eyes.

"You didn't." I said my voice hoarse. I had been searching for two other heartbeats, my parents' heartbeats, I heard nothing but the sounds of a TV show on the telly downstairs.

He looked away from me, Harry never could stand to watch anyone cry. He killed my parents. It wasn't their time! I knew it wasn't. He didn't do it himself, I could tell that much by the guilt in his eyes. That other… vampire had killed one of them. I heard a strange noise coming from my throat and realized I was sobbing. Harry pulled me to his chest and stroked my caramel locks. He whispered soft comforts to me though nothing could relieve his guilt. He hadn't known, I could feel that. He hadn't known they were my parents let alone my home. If he had known he wouldn't let that other vampire attack me, but if he was here to hunt and he had known that this was my home would he had killed another innocent family? What could I say to him to make his thick guilt thin? Nothing would work even with my new sharp brain. He would live with the guilt of killing one of my parents forever.

"Whi-which one?" I asked raggedly.

"Your…mother." He answered tenderly as if he did not want to make me cry again. This answer brought on a whole new wave of tears. I wrapped my arms around his waist and sobbed into his chest. This was too much. This too much grief to handle in one night. I sobbed into his chest until he moved to close the curtains. I calmed myself down by taking deep breaths. I sat on the bed and petted Crookshanks absentmindedly. He watched me sit there for about ten minutes before he rushed forward with his inhuman speed and kissed me. Crookshanks growled in protest when I moved him aside so Harry could sit beside me. Damn it shouldn't I be mad at him for killing my family? But I couldn't by body wouldn't let me, instead I felt like I should be comforting him instead of him comforting me. I layed down on my pillows a softer place to lay. Harry layed beside me on his back. I rolled on my side propping my head up with my arm.

"Don't feel bad," I whispered kissing him. He wrapped his arms around my back and pulled me to him. My head was against his chest I listened to his deep breaths.

"How can I not? I killed your mother and father. I'm as horrible as Voldemort himself. Killing innocent people who have families without a care the only thought I have is to relieve my thirst for blood. The pain of seeing you in pain just makes me think about the grief I've caused for other families." He replied

"No, you're nothing like Voldemort. You only hunt the homeless, they would most likely die on the streets anyway. I don't mean to sound rude, love, but you pick carefully. If you went into the Three Broomsticks and killed a random man or woman than that would be different. You said a homeless person knew what you were and begged you to kill them. You help some, you put them out of their misery. Look at James' mother. She would most likely die on the streets and then so would James. James was covered in dirty blankets and dirt when we got him, he would have gotten sick and di-died." It killed me to think of my baby dying out in the cold with no one. "You saved James from a horrid death and now he is healthy and will live with us forever. Or when he's all grown-up and has a family of his own." I smiled a bit.

"Hermione, I've-I've ruined your future."

"If anything you've fixed it. James is the only child I need, or we can find more homeless babies and cherish them. I don't need a big family. Sirius and Remus will help us when we need it, so will Dumbledore. Ron would too if I asked. The Weasley's love you and would help you out of anything. You are the kindest and most caring man I have ever met."

"What will you do? When James grows old and dies? Your baby dying and you will never see him again and you will be forced to walk the world forever missing your son."

"I will live knowing that I gave him a longer life than he would have had on the streets. I will live knowing he found love and had children. I will live knowing that our son lived life to the extent and he will be safe wherever he is." I replied softly "Isn't that what you would do when I grew old and died?"

"No," he said his body tensing "I would walked outside the next dawn after you died. I cannot live in a world where you do not exist. This would no longer be the place I called home but my own personal hell. I would follow just as quickly after you."

"If you had done that," I shook my head "that would have disappointed me. I would have wanted you to move on and live."

"Live being a creature of the night? No, if anything happens to you except me to follow right after you." He replied kissing me.

"Can we go see my baby? Talking about death is giving me an anxiety attack and I just want to know that my baby is safe."

"Of course, I'm sure that he wants to see his mother too." Harry replied offering me his hand, I took his hand and he threw me over his back.

"I can run myself," I protested as I wrapped my arms around his chest.

He smiled "I don't think so," then he took off running to Sirius and Remus' home.