A/N: A big thank you to all of my reviewers!!! Here's the next chapter!! I don't own Harry Potter.
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"Here, let me get that for you." Charlie said, stepping in front of me and opening the door. He smiled as I passed through and I heaved a great sigh. Ever since they had caught word that I needed to pick a partner to be bonded with they were going crazy trying to make me choose them, and as time boiled down they just tried harder and harder. Frankly, it was getting on my nerves.
Draco had finally been informed and was slightly put off that he was still human surrounded by hundreds of vampires but that only made him try harder. I suppose he realized that if I did choose him that he'd have to be turned.
My chair was pulled out for me as I went to sit down. I smiled at Charlie hoping that it looked genuine and silently thanked Valkyrie as the meeting started.
"There's been word from Greece that the vampire community there is dwindling. They want permission to breed with other countries." A vampire with an Italian accent stated.
I nodded and he sat. "I don't think that we should let them." Another said. "Let them breed with the others in their country."
"They can't! There are too few female vampires." The debate continued until everyone had finally agreed on a verdict.
More events were announced and what seemed like hours later the meeting ended. Charlie started to walk towards me and I groaned slightly.
Marco, a vampire from Italy that I had recently become good friends with, smiled at me as Charlie approached us. "Excuse me. I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment." I nodded and he looked up at the redhead. "Alone."
"I'll be waiting for you in the Dining Hall." Charlie said, eyeing the dark haired Italian suspiciously. He turned and left the Meeting Room (cleverly named rooms, aren't they).
I turned to Marco expectantly. Silence fell around us and I prompted, "There was something you wanted to talk to me about?"
He laughed, his green eyes shining with mirth. "Not particularly. It just seemed like you needed to get away from Hot Head for a while." He smiled. "Is anything new going on? I feel as if I haven't seen you in forever."
"That's because you've been in Egypt for the past week." I pointed out.
"Aha!" He exclaimed suddenly right as I was about to ask him how it was in Africa. "Thank you for reminding me." I waited for him to explain but it seemed as if he had a thing for keeping me hanging today.
"Reminding you about what?" I asked in a desperate attempt to get him to continue on with his statement.
Green eyes started down at me with countless decades behind them. "Reminding me that I got a souvenir for Terrell." Terrell was his 'life partner' as he liked to say. They made an extremely cute couple and were rarely seen without each other.
I stared at him, dumbstruck. "And how exactly did I remind you of that?" He said nothing as he strolled out of the room. I looked around the empty room and quickly followed suit.
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Instead of heading down to the Dining Hall for lunch I went silently through the empty halls to my bedroom. Or should I say house. My room had everything imaginable in them. There was a bathroom attached, a large walk-in closet, a study with loads of books and a large writing desk, my actual bedroom, and the main room that you walked into. Really, it was multiple rooms that took up nearly half of the top floor.
I collapsed onto the couch in the main room and let out a sigh of relief. Finally some time all to my-"Hermione?" Draco's voice floated into the room. "Are you up here?"
Praying hard to Valkyrie and the other former leaders I stepped into the shadows and could feel myself blending into my surroundings. The door flung open and the blond stepped in. "Where could she be?" I heard him mutter as he checked all the rooms.
A breeze coming from my open window stirred the air and ruffled the blond hair, carrying the scent of his pumping blood. I bit my lip as my two fangs protruded from my gums. If I had been smart I wouldn't have gone this long without feeding but I had been running out of time this evening and had just made it down to the meeting in time.
As soon as Draco had left and I was sure he was down a few levels I shot out of my room and down four flights of stairs to the basement. Without knocking I burst into Sev's potions lap and threw open the cupboard. Running my fingers along the labels I searched for the artificial blood he made for emergencies. He had enough of it stored away, he wouldn't miss one bottle.
"What, pray tell, are you doing?" The voice came from the doorway. I straitened and turned to see Sev standing in the doorway. "Avoiding lunch, are we?"
"I can't take it anymore!" I yelled, "Draco and Charlie are there whenever I turn around. It's getting on my nerves!"
Sev's face was that of surprise and what seemed like regret as I finished my rant. "Is that it?" A voice came from the hallway behind Sev. "I'm just annoying you?" The dark man moved away from the entrance and Charlie slunk into sight.
"No, Charlie," I said reaching out towards him, my heart breaking at the look on his face, "that's not what I meant." He looked at me with teary blue eyes. "It's just too much sometimes. Everyone needs a little space, I'm no different."
"Well then, by all means, have your space." He said and walked away.
I wanted to go after him but me feet were rooted to the spot. All I could do was watch as Charlie turned the corner and disappeared from sight. A few moments later I heard a door slam shut. I turned slowly to Sev. He looked at me with sympathy in his dark eyes. "It's okay." He opened his arms and I immediately found myself wrapped in his embrace.
Sobs wracked my body. Disbelief stormed through my mind. What had I done? Sev stroked my hair as I cried into his heavy robes. His awkwardness was obvious but at the time I couldn't care less.
Suddenly I heard the front door to the manor open and bang shut. Tears streamed harder down my face and it felt as if grief were ripping holes in my heart. I pulled away from my father and ran as fast as I could up to my room, running Draco over in the process.
With my bedroom door shut tight with every locking spell I knew thrown carelessly at it, some hitting it some missing by a mile, I threw myself onto my bed and sobbed into my pillow. Eventually I drifted off into sleep.
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Parisa was waiting to greet me in the hall but I didn't feel like talking. She looked at me and tried to speak but I silenced her with a sad look. Instead of talking she opened her arms and pulled me into a warm hug. "He's gone." I cried into her shoulder. "I can't believe he's gone."
"It's not as if he's died, Child." The former leader said to me. "You'll still be able to see him."
"He'll never want to see me again." I objected. "And even if I did know where he was I wouldn't be able to get away."
Parisa laughed and I couldn't help but feel a stab of anger at the tinkling sound. "Why Child, what do you think the others are doing as we speak? They're watching over him and waiting for him to rest so that they may visit him."
"Why would they want to visit him?" I asked, trying to stem the flow of tears.
"Because we can see the love shining so brightly through the two of you, even if you can't." She told me. "It burns with such a beautiful light that it shocked all of us. We've never seen two people so right for each other than the two of you."
She let me go and I slumped to the floor, emotionally exhausted. She sat down daintily and started whispering in different languages. When I asked her what she was doing she told me that she was praying to her people's goddess, Xuxa. Praying for wisdom, courage, and an open mind.
"It's time to wake up now, Child." I looked up what seemed like mere minutes later and saw Idonia standing by the doorway that I could never enter. "He's seen his mistake and he's on his way back to you."
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I blinked the sleep from my eyes and stretched out my stiff limbs. Knocking resounded through the room and Draco called through the door, "Hermione, are you alright?" I chose not to answer him as I stared out my window at the rising moon, marveling at how long I had been asleep.
A rustling noise came from outside my bedroom door and what sounded like a one-sided argument. Finally someone audibly asked, "Hermione are you in there?"
I jumped to my feet and threw open the door, jumping into Charlie's arms. "You're back!" I cried. "I missed you so much!" Happiness expanded in my heart and I thanked Valkyrie, Silvestra, Talia, Parisa, Idonia, and Fiammetta for bringing him back to me.
"I missed you too." He mumbled into my hair. "So very much."
"What made you come back?" I asked, just then realizing that the former leaders had ever said anything about actually being successful at making contact with him.
"I figured no matter how much it hurt when I heard you say that," he looked down at me and I could see love shining brightly through his blue eyes, "it hurt even more to be away from you. So I'll stay as long as you'll have me." I could feel the love flowing from him, through me, and back to him.
Over his shoulder I saw Draco standing in the doorway. "I'm so sorry Draco." I started to say but he just sneered at me and walked away. I buried my face in the warmth of Charlie's shoulder as tears started free falling down my face.
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A/N: What do you think? End it there? or continue for a few chapters? It's all up to you. Me? I'm pretty pleased with it and wouldn't mind ending it here. I've got a great idea for another story!
Yes, Charlie did win for anyone that couldn't figure that out. At the beginning of the story I wanted the twins to win, then Bill, then Charlie, then Draco for about a chapter but once I wrote this I was glad that Charlie won.