Note: To angel897- I think Hermione as selfless when it comes to her friends, and she saw it as something that Eric would want in exchange for Lafayette. And yes, one would argue that because she is the heir of the Black family it is her duty to have children. However, at this point in time, she wouldn't want that, or at least rush into it.

Note: To Sakura Lisel- Oh crap, you're right! LOL My very bad, good call. Will be changed.

Chapter Twenty

Hermione frowned, watching as the short doctor attended her cousin. What had attacked the blonde telepath?

Sookie was barely conscious, "What kind of doctor are you?"

"The healing kind. I'm Dr. Ludwig, what's your-?" The doctor said as she took something out of Sookie's back.

Sookie screamed in pain before answering, "Sookie. Sookie Stackhouse. Am I dying?"

"Yes," Dr. Ludwig answered simply.

"No," Bill stopped his pacing. "She cannot die. You will save her."

"Back off, vampire. Let me do my job," the short woman said as she continued inspecting the deep scratches on Sookie's back.

"Forgive him. Bill is abnormally attached to his human," Hermione rolled her eyes at Eric's response from her seat next to him.

"Well, we don't have a lot of choices, she's been poisoned," the doctor told them all. "You ever heard of Komodo dragons? Their mouths are teeming with bacteria. After one has bitten you, it will track you for hours, days, just waiting for the toxins to slowly eat away at your nervous system till you're good and helpless, then it will devour you alive."

"I was scratched by a dragon?" Sookie asked.

Hermione leaned forward, "Sookie, this area is somewhat remote compared to most places, but I highly doubt dragons could remain hidden here."

Bill scoffed, "If they existed."

"They do," Hermione replied, causing both vampires to look at her in surprise. "I've ridden one."

"No," Ludwig answered Sookie's question. "But this poison is similar, but way more efficient. Don't think I've seen it. It's hard to tell without further testing and we don't have that kind of time." The woman addressed everyone else in the room. "Give us some privacy. I need to remove her clothing."

Hermione followed Eric into his office and once Bill joined them, Hermione turned to the younger vampire.

"What was it?" Hermione demanded.

"Sookie said it was like a human, only it had the head of a bull." Bill told them.

Eric was just as confused as Hermione, "Head of a bull."

"That's what she said," Bill replied. "It was dark. It all happened in seconds."

"So you didn't see this bull man?" Eric stopped his pacing and looked to Bill.

"No."

"And you gave her your blood?"

"It didn't work."

Hermione frowned, "What do you mean?"

"She started foaming at the mouth and seizing," Bill said.

"Huh," Was Eric's response.

"You ever heard of anything like this?" Bill asked the Viking vampire.

"Surprisingly, no," Eric sat down at his desk. "Pam. Chow. I thought in over a thousand years I'd seen everything there was to see. What about you, Little One?"

Hermione crossed her arms and thought, "In all my Care of Magical Creatures class, I've never heard of such a thing. And I've seen a lot of creatures too."

Pam and Chow walked in.

"Search the woods around Highway 71," Eric directed his progeny and his subordinate.

Pam nodded towards Chow, "He can do it. I'm wearing my favorite pumps."

Eric's face was serious, "Du hörde vad jag sa. [You heard what I said]."

She sighed then left with Chow.

"She is extremely lazy, but loyal," Eric said then smirked at Bill. "How's yours? Jessica."

Hermione looked between the two vampires, "Wait, what?"

Bill scowled, "Petulant. Dangerous. Afraid."

"I'm glad to see you two are bonding. Being a good Maker is very rewarding," Eric said.

"When did you create a vampire?" Hermione demanded.

"It was my punishment for killing Longshadow," Bill turned towards the door. "I have to get back to Sookie."

"Oh, relax. Dr. Ludwig treated one of Pam's humans when he was mauled by a werewolf. Lost an eye, but otherwise he's fine," Eric said as he began going through paperwork on his desk.

"Werewolves here, are different, right?" The witch asked. "They can shift whenever they want, not just the full moon?"

Eric nodded, "Yes. However, it is just hereditary, not spread by their bite."

They heard Sookie scream and rushed into the room to see Dr. Ludwig poring a potion on the blonde's back. There was a sizzling sound as the potion met with the poison.

"What are you doing to her!?" Bill shouted.

"Hold her down," the doctor told him. "Or let her die, your choice."

"Stop," Sookie cried out as Bill took her arms. "Stop!"

Hermione felt nausea as the doctor dug the poison out of Sookie's back. She noticed both Bill and Eric had their fangs out.

Hermione wanted to desperately stop her cousin's weeping, but she didn't know what could be done.

She looked to Eric, needing to get her mind off what was happening in front of her, "She's using goblin magic and potions."

Eric shrugged, "She's half human, half goblin."

"Oh," Hermione tilted her head. "I wasn't aware-"

Eric smirked at his witch, "That they fuck each other?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "That it was more common than I originally thought. I had a professor that was half-goblin."

Dr. Ludwig mopped up the access blood and potion from Sookie's back, "You can give her blood now. Her body should accept it."

Bill went to bite his wrist but Hermione stopped him.

"Wait! Eric's is much stronger," she suggested.

"No." Eric told her.

Bill glared, "Never."

Eric and Hermione got up from their seats as Bill gave Sookie his blood.

"It was nice to meet you Miss Granger. On my father's side, you're a hero," Ludwig shook the witch's hand before turning to Eric. "I'll expect my payment by the end of the week."

"It's always a pleasure doing business with you. Dr. Ludw-" Eric was interrupted by the doctor's shout of "Fuck off!"

"Clearly the pleasure is one-sided," Bill snarked.

"She's no fan of the fang. She tolerates us because our blood is of such great value to healers," he looked to Hermione's cousin. "Careful, you'll overcook her."

The witch's face was red from hearing her cousin's moans. She'd rather not have to hear it ever again.

"All right," Bill took his wrist away.

"Thank you," Sookie said softly to her boyfriend.

Eric and Hermione watched as Pam and Chow returned from their task.

"The area has been scanned," Pam put her hands on her hips.

"Tracks were human, but the smell was distinctly animal," Chow replied.

"What kind?" Eric asked.

"A filthy one," Pam answered.

"We didn't recognize it," Chow added.

"How intriguing. Send an alert through the appropriate channels. Find out what the neighbors know," Eric then smirked at the female vampire, "And Pam… those were great pumps."

Hermione pulled out her wand and with a "Aguamenti!" and "Reparo!" Pam's pumps were fixed.

"You…" Pam looked from her pumps to Hermione, having a loss for words.

Hermione shrugged, "Don't worry about it."

Pam faced Eric, "I change my mind. She stays."

Eric grinned, "Like you had any say."

As Pam and Chow left, Bill stood up from his place next to Sookie, "I don't want to move her."

"Of course not," Eric agreed. "I'll make sure she's taken care of."

Bill frowned, "I'm not leaving her."

"Longshadow kept a coffin in back. He liked to feed before resting, so it might be a bit messy, but you're welcome to it," the blonde vampire offered.

The brunette vampire nodded, "I want to thank you for your hospitality. And for saving Sookie's life."

"I'm sure there's a way she can repay me," Eric addressed his witch. "Come."

"I'll stay with-" Hermione was interrupted by Eric taking her hand.

"We have a deal to compete," he reminded her.