Chapter XXVIII


Hermione and Keller didn't know what had happened as one minute they had been in the clubhouse, suddenly in pain and and then finding themselves on a hard stone floor.

"Ow, well I wouldn't exactly call that my most graceful landing but son-of-a-bitch that hurts..." Keller muttered as she got up, rubbing her sore bottom, same with Hermione as she was looking around and seeing they were in some hallway with high arches and draping tapestries.

The room had a dark gloomy atmosphere as she turn to Keller still rubbing her sore bun, standing by a suit of armor, armor that looked way too big to fit the size of a ordinary human.

"Where do you suppose we are exactly?" Hermione said gazing at where they were and wondering why they were here, for what purpose as they didn't know what this place was but had a strange feeling she was going to find out.

Keller after taking the notice of what her cousin was talking about and looked around as well, seeing how high the ceilings were above their heads and the dark stony interior.

"I got as much the same question in mind as you do. But I don't think we're in the Potter's clubhouse anymore." She peered at the suit of armor she was next to, staring at it gigantic bulk and knock on its chest twice, hearing the loud 'thump thump' her knuckles made when she rapped against the metal plate.

She whistled low, "Man must be some pretty big guy to fit in this sort of suit, right Mione?"

"Yeah or maybe something else don't you agree?" She thought that whatever wore that was something not to be messed with because of its massive body size because whatever had to wear that must be pretty strong.

She heard footstep and voices not too far from them and quickly grabbed her cousin's hand, pulling her away from the armor and quickly rush down the hall to find some corridors and went to hide behind one of the arches, laying themselves flat against the walls and wait behind the shadow and Hermione placing her finger over her lips to shush her as they tried to see what was coming in their direction.

Whatever you do, stay quiet and try not to make a sound until we know what we are facing.

Right but we maybe should have picked a different hiding place, look. And pointed up to the tiny slit above them and beaming down on their faces with faint moonlight, illumining anyone to see them from their spot easy.

SHIT! DRAGON'S DUNG! Well just try to stand still and maybe no one will see us.

Hermione and Keller kept quiet and still as statues as they waited, their hearts beating loudly in their ear and could swear it was echoing off the walls for anyone to hear and notice where they were in less than a millisecond.

Hermione listened as the voice became louder and outlines of massive shadows showing on the walls and then saw with wide eyes two large lycans walking down the hall, their claws clinking and scraping the stone while smelling around the room, moving their large heads, their eyes glowing and their jaws snapping in the air, snarling and growling at each other.

My gods, Lycans and they're so much bigger than the ones I've already seen! Hermione as she watched the two pass them, without so much as turn or bat an eye to look or sniff in the girls' hiding place, more than likely deep in their growling conversation.

Only one stopped and sniffed the air, its large nostrils sniffing and turning its head to look where Hermione and Keller were and thinking Oh Shit!

Both of them becoming tense and ready to transform and fight if necessary before it passed them and followed after the other, hurrying up as he tailed behind.

Once the two lycans pass did Hermione and Keller turn to look at one another confuse and questioning if they really see what they just saw.

Huh? What the Heck?

"Okay, please tell me that I just didn't see that happened? That lycan didn't just decided to pass us without ripping us to shreds. Even I know that it would with the way he looked hungry and whatever." Hermione was unsure herself either as to why it didn't come over with snapping jaws and sharp teeth and lunging claws at them from their hiding place especially with the moon shining in on them.

"Maybe we smell more lycan to them?" The two sniffed themselves and found they smelled not that much different than a humans' with the clothes they wore along with their mixed scent that could be easily detected coming off them.

"Nope, even a bloodhound could smell us, something isn't right. And I'm going to try something and see if I'm right or wrong…"

Keller moved from her hiding place and race to go after them then stood out in the open, seeing the two large werewolves still walking, their backs turn to her as Hermione stared, trying to figure what the bloody Hell was she going to do.

"Keller don't, whatever you thinking don't—" But as she went to stop her cousin, getting out of her hiding place and standing behind her, she cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled so loud that her voice was echoing off the walls and those lycans should have heard her and come barging straight at them.

"HEY YOUR MOTHER SO STUPID THAT SHE COULDN'T TELL WHICH ONE WAS A FULL MOON, THE ONE IN THE SKY OR THE ONE WHERE YOU SAW THIS!" And turned around to show her rear but the two didn't look back, instead they kept walking in the direction they were heading.

Keller tried another one, "MAN I SEEN SOME UGLY BITCHES BUT YOU TWO TAKE THE WHOLE CAKE!" Hermione was watching as her cousin continues to spew insult but neither lycan turn around but kept going for whatever reason they were heading for.

When the lycans turn down a corner, disappearing from sight, Keller turn to her pale and shaken cousin, "Well I guess they can't hear us."

"Gee you think?! What were you thinking, you could have gotten us ripped to shred if they had seen us but—" She stopped as she thought a moment to what she had been about to say, "They didn't hear you and didn't look back to see you or me."

"Yeah that's right, they can't hear or see us, but why for what reason?" Keller question as Hermione followed after where the two lycans went, leaving her behind before she said, "Hey what do you think you're going? Wait for me!"

Hermione found that the two lycans were communicating somehow and was able to understand what they were saying, just as if she knew their native language for years.

Like Harry being able to talk to snakes as a Parseltongue and she continue to listen in on what they were saying.

Will this really work? One lycan growled at the other, Yes it will, our queen and her sister have assured us the plan shall be when he sees them…the dark night and light moon shall have this done…

Huh what in the world are they talking about exactly. Something having to do with a 'plan', two 'queens', 'sister', a 'dark knight' or was it 'night' like evening and the 'light moon' or did he meant 'moonlight'. She was confused as to what they were saying.

What did these things have to do with them being here as she had no idea herself but followed and as they found themselves standing by a large double door, carved with beasts ravaging and bat-like creatures in the sky and they opened up to reveal what seem like a large room where a council would meet but had no such things with what they saw.

There were more lycans and catching glimpses out of the corner of their eyes, some in their human guises, shadowy men and woman with their eyes and teeth gleaming vibrate in the dark.

Some were gnawing on bones that she distinguished and looked disturbing human-like as one or two cracked them open and suck the marrow out.

A few of the women in the room clasped nursing infants to their exposed breast and saw the babies misshapen and struck more canine to her than human. She saw feral children chased one another past their elders, yipping and squealing like overexcited pups.

She watched them awhile before hearing bestial pants and moans and turn to see in the darken corners of the room, wild-eyed men and women copulating and she saw the frenzied lovers mounted each other with abandon, clawing and nipping at their mate's quivering flesh.

Ok, these has really gone to the dogs, literally, she thought as she turn her gaze away from the barbaric display, hoping not to hear anymore while some of the others who watch laughed and egged them on.

Keller didn't see what it was below as her eyes were drawn to the ceiling when she heard the loud rustling of bat-like wings and she tapped Hermione on the shoulder, "Um Mione." She pointed up and Hermione followed her line of gaze and her eyes widen with what she saw.

On the ceiling, hanging upside down, large creatures, some small about the size of an infant while other's bigger, resembling mortals but other than that as they slept with their mouths open, revealing their sharp fangs, their claws gripping onto the wooden beams above their heads, some watching below them before getting ready to rest.

Were this what she think they were, she saw that their wings were wrapped around themselves like sleeping bats. Hermione could think of only one possible creature to have such a structure almost related to that of a bat.

Vampires.

They were in a room filled with werewolves and vampires.

"But that's impossible, vampires can't have wings, my mother told me so, they were myth to have them and only one such had those because his blood was a Corvinus and had mixed in already with a vampire and then a lycan's."

Keller staring wide-eyed at her hanging brethren that looked down upon them.

They kept walking up to the end, waiting by two large majestic chairs was where they both really got the shock of their lives.

Two women, each as different as night and day, were sitting together among the dark creatures surrounding them, a chessboard sitting in between the two as the pieces were onyx and crystal but the carving strangely different and at play while they were talking to each other.

The woman on the left had long midnight black hair, hanging past her shoulder with a silver circlet sitting on top of her head, her clothes were blood red and that of a noblewoman, revealed her bosom slopes and her pale ivory skin, showing what she really was compared to the other one.

She had long golden brown hair and was wore a gold circlet upon her crown and wearing a white dress with fur trimmed around the collar and the end of her dress and hanging around her neck a pendant, which looked familiar but had a different design to it.

Hermione and Keller trying to get a closer look at the two, before a large black dog-wolf moved his head from his dark mistress's feet to look at the two standing before them.

They both froze as the two women looked up from their game to them, or at least they thought they were.

"Well, is he here then?" The woman with long light brown curls with golden eyes shining bright and as she looked at the two lycans standing before them as they bowed their heads to her.

The white wolf at her feet stood by her side, proud and fierce as his mistress looks over to the two before them. The lycans spoke gruffly, while Hermione depicted what they were saying, 'Yes, he's here and is waiting right outside like you told us.'

The brown haired woman turn to the dark haired one, smiling, pushing a lock of her hair from her eyes, "He has arrived sister." She moved a knight and Hermione saw that the armor knight was as large and bulky like the one she seen in the hallway.

The other one's knights were more those of mortal but different.

The dark-haired one nodded, watching her move, "And not a day sooner, excellent. I was beginning to grow impatient with this." She moved her bishop diagonal and captured one of the white's pawns on the board.

"Ah but patience is a virtue and does have it's rewards." She then turn to the two lycans awaiting her orders.

"Indeed so it does." She turn to the two lycans standing before her, "Bring him here." She commanded and they left rather quickly as they were dismissed.

Hermione and Keller watched as them and then turn their attention back to the two women who were both petting the wolves by their side.

"Well dear sister, looks like everything is about ready to go according to plan, wouldn't you agree love?" The fair-haired woman said to the white wolf that licked her hand as she pet him and laid his head in her lap.

Her sister was getting the same attention from her beast standing beside her and looking slightly bored before the doors opened again and then in walked a man wearing black armor with intricate runes adorned him while his face remain hidden under the crested helmet of Corinthian design.

A massive broadsword hanging by his side as he walked towards them, ignoring the hungry stares from the lycans or the vampires above, awaking upon his arrival or stopped what they were doing as he kept his eyes focus on the one ahead and headed straight to them as they were waiting for his arrival and had at last came.

He bowed to one knee and they return the gesture, nodding their heads in greeting and saying, "Good evening sir, how well you far travel in such short time…"

The man looked from one to the other, "Are you the ones they call the 'Queens of the moon and the night'?"

They looked at him and said, "That depends. We be called many over time but yes we are the ones you seek," It was the brown haired one who spoke. "And you sir, please tell us who you are so we may have the honor of knowing who dare seeks us from our kingdom?"

The man slowly removed his helmet and Keller gasped while Hermione saw a man with red-haired and a handsome vintage but was harden by war with cool blue eyes staring to the two with such fire burning in his orbs.

Just like a vampires or lycans, she thought watching the man speak as he bowed low.

"I am Alexander Corvinus, Hungarian prince who seeks to beseech for your help. They say you have power of a thousand men, unbelievable strength and gifts that would conquer many lands if it was by your wish commands it."

"Indeed, that much is true, your highness." The dark-haired one said, "But surely someone like yourself, a prince no less, has enough wealth and power with a whole army to take and make many conquest such as one pleases, isn't that true?"

"But tis not enough! I want my kingdom to be strong; I want my enemies to know that to face me is to face certain death. I want that my people in my country to know they can count on me for their ruler to protect and bring prosperity to these lands. I beseech you, whatever you may ask, I will give thee, if you grant me your power in return."

Keller and Hermione watched as the brown-haired woman was pondering her next move while petting the head of her wolf before it reached up to place his paws in her laps and move as if to whisper huskily in her ear and Hermione couldn't exactly hear what it said and she nodded as he laid down and she looked to the prince once more.

"Anything you say?" She said toying with a bishop with a wolf face wearing monk's clothes as she made her move, checking the dark king on her sister's side, "There are ways to pay our price, but do you really think you could handle the sort of demand we would want?"

"Yes anything, anything that you or your sister would ask?"

"Even if it might cost you your very soul?" The dark sister moving her knight, to protect her king while she watch the prince's face paled but she chuckled amused at his expression, "Oh do not worry so, we're not asking for that if that's what you are thinking, we have something more in mind, don't we sister?"

"Indeed we do." This time she moved her queen capturing a knight and taking it while she looked at him, holding it in the palm of her hands, "But it's a very high demanding price to be asked for, are you sure you can fulfill our wish, at our demand with no regret or choice with what we ask from you in exchange for our power without backing out of our bargain."

"Yes, anything, name it and I shall give it to you with no complaints or regret."

"Or by no choice." The dark-haired queen captured another pawn with her queen, her people moving closer to her sister's own king, a fierce and larger beast than the rest of her set, with a much whiter color than the rest of its' pale army that protected him so weakly.

Alexander nodded as he watched the brown haired one queen moved her queen to capture her sister's knight and checking the king.

"Yes with no choice."

The dark queen smiled, showing her long deadly fangs, "Then it's shall be agreed then,"

The bishop she had, capture her sister's queen and said, "You will give us what we will ask from you in time with no backing out of our agreement once it's you have given your word not as a lord but as a Corvinus, yes?" She moved it, leaving her king open and taking another of her sister's soldiers before asking for him to take out his broadsword and hold it out before them.

He did and wondering curiously as to why she asked before she moved with such agile speed as she slash his right wrist and he dropped his sword in a moment breath and tried to stop the bleeding of the wound before it bleed him dead but she grabbed his arms and held him still.

"What trickery is this? Are you trying to kill me with your scheming treachery!" He cried out but she and her sister join his side, watching the crimson flow drop in small droplets to the ground as they spoke together for the first time, "Do you swear by the blood that runs in your very veins what we ask from you, you shall give what we desire, by the vows of your own life that we hold in our hands, to take with you to the grave in the end?"

"Yes." He said before the two smiled and then the dark queen bit her thumb and blood swelled at the tip and pressed against the wound and then the other bit hers and pressed hers to it as well. The cut instantly closed and then disappeared completely from sight.

"Then it shall be done." They went back to sit down and then the dark queen move her knight in, capturing her sister's king in check, "Check."

"Yes, the deal is seal, this bond will not be broken when you accomplish what we want." She moved her castle and the prince looked to them after he stared at his own wrist with no cut but dry blood still there as if he hadn't really dream this had happened.

"When shall I know then?" He stared perplex as the two along with their beasts turn to stare at him with their glowing eyes.

"You won't, we will." She moved to guard her king from her sister's knight. "Now go, our discussion is finished but we shall see you from time to time by our own regards to see that you keep your end of the bargain."

"Because if you don't, then we shall take it from you, along with your life." Alexander nodded and Hermione and Keller watched him leave the room.

When the double doors had closed, the brown-haired queen looked to her companion across from her while petting the head of the white wolf whose head lay in her lap, "Looks like everything is going according to plan. Don't you agree?"

"Indeed everything is certain to go well to plan…" She smiled before making one last move on the board and had her sister's king in her grasp. "Checkmate."


Hermione and Keller watched the two queens rose from their seats and head to the door, their long dresses trailing behind them while the wolves at their side followed and everyone in the room bowed their heads as they walked on by.

Hermione and Keller went after them to where they stepped outside the council room and saw the sisters making way to part by the corridor, the dark queen looking outside to see the pale sky becoming clear through the small opening with the curtains drawn around the halls and corridor but sensing the change in the night to break for day.

"It will be dawn soon, and I must rest now sister for we must be certain everything goes well with our plan. Until tomorrow when we must meet. Sleep well fair queen of the moon."

She said as her sister nodded and said the same in return, "As we must always part so until the next evening. Sleep well dark queen of the night, and may our plan be successful to us and our kind." She and her wolf companion left, retiring herself for the days to come.

The dark queen nodded, looking to the wolf by her side and rubbing his chin before looking back at her sister's departing back. "Indeed let us hope. For both our sakes sister."

And walked away, leaving Hermione and Keller to looked at each other to see if they should separate and follow each or followed just one of them.

"I'll follow the dark queen, you follow the white one and meet back here in say ten minutes or come looking for me."

They split up, Hermione going after the white queen and Keller followed the dark queen, catching up as she made their way down another hall, descending down a granite staircase into a darker corridor where barely any light shown through except the burning torches hanging on the scones on the wall.

They made their way to the end of the hall where a dark door laid and she entered it, followed by the black wolf and Keller.

The bedchamber they enter was covered from roof to floor in black or red furnishing. The four-poster bed with dark curtains with a wooden canopy and feather mattress and pillows, scent with roses sprinkled on the sheets, the black pine wooden drawers and lavished tapestries that dare not let the sun enter this chamber and a latern hanging from the ceiling giving as much light to the room itself.

"Wow." Keller looking at the vanity table with all its combs, hairpins and perfume bottles and saw the polished mirror.

"Looks like she and her sister are living the life of luxury here." She said before the woman approached and Keller watching as she sat down by her vanity table, removed her crown placing it to the side and picked up one of the ebony combs and started running it through her hair.

She hummed a soft melody while brushing her locks before the black wolf jumped on her bed, with his paws out in front of him and under his chin, watching her with its silvery eyes.

"I don't trust him." An unknown voice spoke and the queen turn, looking curious, "And why is that love?" Keller turned her head and looked to where the black wolf, strangely he looked more dog than wolf.

He spoke again as he talked of the prince, Alexander Corvinus, "I sense distrust and suspicion in him. He was certainly confused when you and your sister did not specify what you desire and frighten what you did. I could smell it course through his blood and he suspect that you will turn against him."

"Of course not, we cannot have him backing out if he knew what we demanded and told him what we wanted. And we needed to seal the deed with his own blood and ours for the pact to be tighten, nothing can break that vow."

She turned and picking up where she left off, the comb running through her hair faster. The wolf jumped off the bed and before her eyes, a man with hair like the moonless night and eyes of cobalt blue went to his queen's side and pluck the comb from her hand.

"You know you will somehow prick your scalp and rip your lovely locks if you keep doing that." He pulled the comb through her hair gently and the she closed her eyes, purring content with him, feeling his fingers stroking her and feel him pull back her hair to place a warm kiss on the back of her throat.

She made a soft sigh and her hand move to touch his as it was brought to her and she turn around and stared at him.

"Let's retire for now, it would be ill to waste the day before plotting more with the others of our plan."

"You are right my love." She said stroking his chin and feeling his warm lips kissed her fingertips as she brought them across his lips. "Join me then?"

He grin devilishly as he touch her skin, her face and lips with a gentle caress, "Now how can I refuse. I always do whatever you desired my queen, my love." He said, his hand reach behind her dress, undoing the lace where the dress slowly fell from her voluptuous figure. She undid the top of his tunic and soon he carried his queen to the bed, where he pulled the dark curtains around them, leaving them from any prying eyes that would have watched.

Keller heard the moans coming from the bed and Hermione stepping in the room, finding her after she waited ten minutes then went to go search for her and saw her staring at the closed curtains.

"We may not be heard or seen but I don't like the whole idea of seeing or hearing others doing it."

Hermione rolled her eyes and tried to grab her hand and walk towards the door to get out of there but Keller stopped and was looking to the vanity table again, seeing something caught her eye.

"Keller come on. We got to find a way out of here, Keller!" Keller was looking through the ebony jewelry box, moving her hand over the necklaces and rings that were covering the object she had seen.

"KELLER!" She rushed to her side just in time to see the room was spinning faster and out of control before their very eyes and disappeared.


"James I'm telling you they vanished from this very room. I swear! Look!" Lily said as she open the door to Remus' where Hermione and Keller had been only to find no one there just like she said.

"See!" Everyone did before they appear out of nowhere, Hermione falling out of midair and landing on the bed with a plop while Keller fell to the floor hitting with a hard thud, "Gah!"

Lily and the boys saw Hermione groaning and Keller saying, "God there has got to be a better way than this!"

As she was getting up and rubbing her back while everyone rushed into the room, Remus and Lily went to check Hermione while James and Sirius help Keller, asking if they were all right and what had happened.

Remus touched Hermione's forehead and told Lily to fetch some water and the first case kit in case and she left in a hurry before one of them could protest.

Keller was struggling to sit up without the two boys' help, "Sirius I'm fine, but yeah sure my ass hurts like hell thanks but I had my better landings and such and so did Mione, at least I think." She felt something hit on her pants and looked down to see a crimson droplet and raised a hand to her upper lips and pulled back. Her fingers came away red and sticky with her blood.

"Oh great, now I'm bleeding!" She held a hand over her nostrils before Sirius headed to the bathroom and grabbed a pad of toilet paper and hand it to her. She held it still before she pulled back, the bleeding stop and wiped her face and nose with the tissues. Hermione was being check over by Remus before he confirmed she was all right.

"What happened to you two, Lily said you disappeared and vanished but you reappeared back in here." Hermione nodded. It was definitely weird how they vanished to that time period and came back here.

She then decided to tell him what happened, "Remus we were at some palace or castle or whatever and there were these two women discussing with some prince—"

"Yeah that's right and then this one woman and wolf were talking about a plan and, oh my god, we saw lycans and vampires."

"Lycans and vampires?" James placed a hand on Keller's forehead, "Exactly how hard did you hit your head?" Keller glared and swat his hand away, "Guys you got to believe us, we saw these two women, calling themselves the queens of the moon and night or something and they were talking and—"

"Whoa back up for a sec, two queens, and lycans and vampire, why in the world—"

"Sirius if you let us talk, we'll tell you guys what happened. Keller groaning to herself, "This is going to be a long night then…"

"I'll agree with you on that Keller…" Hermione said as Remus helped her up while thinking this was going to be an all night deal for them.