CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
Summary: Sent to Volterra in order to negotiate terms of an alliance to end the war, Hermione's life is turned upside down as she is brought into the world of the Volturi, better known as the Vampire Kings. There she is made a part of a new kind of family and a most trusted member of the guard, whether she likes it or not, and surprisingly, she does. Rated M for language, violence and sexual content.
Disclaimer: I do not own canon events and characters, they belong to J.K Rowling and Stephenie Myers. I am not making a profit from writing and posting this fanfic. As for the descriptions of appearances for the Twilight characters, all my research is based on the books and not the movies, but I may have changed a few things regarding Alec's height and age.
AN
What? A new chapter that I've spent three sleepless nights agonising over to the point I think my eyes are going to fall out?
Surprise! It's back!
Q&A
TwistedWorldsExist – Yes, this will be completed, and I'm hoping to get it done before next year as there's only a few chapters left.
DarkSorcerer888 – Read on to find out.
Page count: 20
Tuesday 3rd December 2002
"Mama, wake up."
Demetri inhaled a deep breath and his eyes closed briefly before they darted to his eldest daughter. She stood atop the little stool she'd dragged from the bathroom that allowed her and her siblings to better reach the sink when brushing their teeth. She leaned over, her face directly above her mother's as she stared down at her in confusion.
"Papa, why won't mama wake up? She's been sleeping for a long time."
Demetri took a second deep inhale and despite not needing it, it did help him to better gather his bearings. Shifting slightly on the couch and readjusting his youngest daughter in his arms whilst she was quietly feeding on her bottle, he looked to his eldest daughter, seeing her saddened frown.
"Ellie, come here," he said softly.
She listened and jumped from the stool to the ground, her curls bouncing around her face and shoulders with the movement before she crossed over to the couch and pulled herself up onto the cushions beside him, sparing her youngest sister a brief glance before looking to him expectantly.
"Is mama poorly?"
"No, she's not," he promised. "Mama's just sleeping."
"But why has she been sleeping for so long?" She questioned.
"You know that mama is different from us, yes?" He began.
They'd had this conversation before, of course, when the children had returned from the market with Jane and Felix several hours after Damara's birth, but they'd been too tired from their trip and too excited about meeting their newest sister to actually listen or understand what he and Alec were trying to tell them.
Ellie nodded slowly and thoughtfully. "Mama's a witch, she has magic. You and daddy are vampires, and me and my brothers and sisters are special 'coz we have magic like mama's and we're vampires like you and daddy."
"Yes, mama's a human. Human's are not like us, they're not as strong or fast and because of that, they get hurt easier and it takes them longer to get better. When your sister was born, something happened and your mama wanted us to protect her. Snape had to cut your sister from your mama's tummy and that made her really poorly. To save your mama, we had to make her like us," Demetri explained. Ellie tipped her head to the side, staring up at him bemused. "Mama's just sleeping whilst she becomes like us. She's turning into a vampire, so when she wakes up, she won't look the same."
"She'll have red eyes," she guessed.
"Yes, and she won't eat the foods you and your siblings do. She'll be like me and daddy. But when she becomes a vampire, she won't be allowed to see you for a little while."
"Why not?" She frowned. "I miss her. I want her to wake up," she added sadly.
Demetri had to take a moment to reconstruct the pieces of his breaking heart. He and Alec had been alternating between watching over Hermione, waiting for the signs that the transformation was almost complete and when that happened, as a precaution and for the safety of the children, they'd be evacuated to a hotel. It was a difficult decision to make because neither he nor Alec wanted to keep Hermione from her children and vice versa, but as a newborn, they didn't wish to risk it.
Her bloodlust would take months, if not years to fade and control, and they didn't know how she'd react to the children being half-human with blood flowing through their veins and a beating heart. And Teddy, he was most at risk being completely human. As much as they didn't wish to do it, they had no choice. When her bloodlust had calmed, then they'd allow visitations until they were sure she had control and the children would return to them permanently.
"New vampires are very strong and fast, we have to be careful that she doesn't accidentally hurt you or your siblings. That's why you'll be staying with Aunt Jane and Uncle Felix at a hotel. But when mama's better you can come home and everything will be alright."
"When will she wake?"
"We don't know. Your mama's a very strong woman, because of that, it's taking longer for her to become a vampire but I'm sure it won't be much longer. And I'm sure that you'll be home before you know it."
"Ellie, it's bedtime," called Alec, his footsteps following his voice when he entered the room.
"I don't want to leave mama," she folded her arms stubbornly.
Alec's expression softened and he came to a stop before her, crouching down to her level.
"I know you don't, and your mama knows that you love her very much and I know she misses you and can't wait to see you again. But I also know that mama wouldn't be very happy if you didn't go to bed and get some sleep. Your sister's already asleep and your brothers are waiting for you so we can read a bedtime story. Why don't we read mama's favourite tonight?"
She pursed her lips before nodding reluctantly. "Okay, papa said mama will wake soon. Maybe she'll wake when we're asleep and she'll kiss us goodnight."
Alec smiled tightly. "Maybe she will," he agreed.
He reached out, lifted his eldest daughter from the couch and set her on his hip as he rose to his feet.
"Night, Papa," Ellie said, waving to Demetri over Alec's shoulder as they took their leave.
"Goodnight, Ellie," he replied, his eyes watching her retreat and once she was gone, they moved to his wife.
Ten days.
It had been ten days since Damara's birth and Hermione's injection of vampire venom. Ten days of watching over his wife whilst tending to his children and his newborn daughter. Ten days of silence and unresponsive behaviour and movements. There wasn't so much as a twitch on her part and that was something that worried him. The transformation was one of the most painful experiences to exist, as he knew from experience, but she showed no signs of suffering. As a precaution, Alec had periodically been using his gift on Hermione in hopes that if she was in pain, he gave her a small reprieve before he was called away by one of their children.
Understandably, the Lords had freed them both of their duties in order to care for their wife and children, and they weren't expected to return until after Hermione's transformation and her learned control of the bloodlust and her new abilities, no matter how long that may take. They did receive visitors in the form of Jane, Felix and the Lords, but for the most part, they were left alone whilst the castle was in preparation for dealing with a newborn, and that meant a severe increase in security measures.
Barely half an hour after Damara's birth, Demetri had been charged with tending to the newborn whilst Snape healed any physical injuries and Alec had ridden her of the blood and ruined clothing. The bedsheets had been discarded and replaced and Hermione had been set in the centre of the bed, dressed in her favourite silk nightgown with her hair neatly brushed and fanned out across the pillow.
When the children returned, Hermione simply appeared to be sleeping and all traces of the previous blood and terror-filled trauma were gone, sparing the children from witnessing their mother in such a way.
They'd known that Hermione would likely face the transformation for longer than the average person, as not only was she incredibly strong and stubborn, but she was a witch. A Sorceress. They didn't know how that would affect the transformation but they hadn't been expecting to reach day ten without a single sign of her waking.
Damara drew his attention and after setting the bottle aside and burping her, he stood from the couch and crossed over to the bed, slowly settling their ten-day-old daughter against Hermione's chest, allowing her to take comfort in her mother's presence.
It had become routine to do this every night before settling her in her nursery. Even after the ten days that had passed, Hermione's temperature was still higher than expected, her heartbeat had slowed considerably but was still detectable, her chest still rose and fell but did so only every two minutes, and she still smelled like her, if only a little sweeter. These signs weren't comforting to someone waiting for their wife and mate to wake into an undead life.
"I'm not sure I can take much more of the waiting," said Alec as he returned from putting the children to bed and he came to a stop on the other side of the bed, his eyes watching their wife and daughter. "She should have completed the transformation by now. As a precaution, we might have to move the children to the hotel tomorrow, rather than waiting for the signs of her waking."
"I don't like the thought of keeping them from her, or us, for that matter."
"Neither do I," agreed Alec. "But we must for their safety."
"Why did you hesitate?" Demetri asked unexpectedly. He'd been wanting to broach the subject for days but hadn't had the time or heart to do so.
Alec brushed a hand through his hair before reaching out, his fingers ghosting over Hermione's sleeping face, noting the warm temperature of her skin. It had been the same for four days. Whilst it had lowered, it wasn't enough for the usual ice-cold temperature of a vampire.
"We all knew it would happen. She was prepared for it. But when it became apparent it was to happen that day... I froze. It felt too soon. I wasn't ready to lose her," he admitted quietly.
"The transformation ensures we'll never lose her. She'll be with us forever," Demetri replied.
"No, I wasn't ready for her to lose her humanity. You know as well as I, once the transformation is complete, things change in ways that can't be explained. I won't love her any less as a vampire, but the reason she is so special is her humanity and her compassion. She is everything we're not. She is warm and soft and full of life. I wasn't ready to lose that. But when faced with the dilemma of losing her humanity or losing her for good, I knew there was only one choice."
Seeing that Damara had finally drifted to sleep, Demetri was careful in lifting her from Hermione's chest and into his arms before he settled her in her nursery for the night. After checking on the children and seeing they were sound asleep, he returned to Hermione's side, Alec already being perched in a chair by the side of the bed and with a book in hand. Following his lead, Demetri took a seat of his own, settling in for another night of watching over his wife and tending to the newborn that would wake for a bottle in a few hours time.
~000~000~000~
Moonlight streamed through the windows and bathed the stone floor in a silver hue, the dying flames in the fireplace offered some warmth from the chill of the castle, casting shadows over the nearby furniture.
Silence reigned, only broken by the soft inhales and exhales of sleeping children. The scent of burning wood lingered in the air, mixed with a faint scent of soap and bubble bath from the children's earlier bath time.
Hermione's eyes fluttered open with perfect vision; she'd never seen the world so clearly. She briefly wondered if that was how Harry felt when waking for the day before he slipped his glasses atop his nose, because it was as if she'd been looking through a blurry looking glass and was suddenly presented with binoculars.
She could see colours and shades she'd never known to exist, she could see the dust particles floating before her, she could see the atoms that made up the cracks and chips in the stone of the ceiling above her.
Pushing herself into a seating position, she briefly noted the dark night sky and emptiness of the room she occupied. There was something familiar about it. She recognised it but she didn't, and couldn't remember why.
She searched her memory, finding that the answers she sought eluded her. She could make neither hide nor hair of the thoughts that flittered through her mind, too many to focus on a singular one, and feeling too out of sorts to attempt to.
Something had happened. She couldn't remember what, only that something was responsible for her sudden memory problem and her improved eyesight.
With a frown marring her features, her hand came up to her stomach when a sudden and painful cramp twisted and knotted her insides. Instinctively, one thought entered her mind.
Hungry.
She was starving. She was so hungry she'd kill for the hunger to be sated.
Unsure of what she was doing or where she was going, she allowed instinct to take over, finding herself climbing from the bed and out of the warmth and comfort it offered. She noted the cold temperature in the room but it didn't bother her as she thought it would, not even when it brushed against her bare skin.
Her feet carried her across the large room in seemingly what would have been in the blink of an eye, and she tipped her head in confusion when she realised she now stood in a kitchen. A kitchen with a fridge and cupboards fully stocked with food. She could smell it. Her stomach rumbled and cramped tighter, her throat burned and her mouth watered as she inhaled deeply through her nose.
She hadn't realised she'd moved until the fridge light bathed her face and she was stuffing the first item she'd grabbed into her mouth, gnawing at it like a half-starved caveman.
Butter, she was literally eating a stick of butter and though she knew she should be disgusted at the very thought, she couldn't think of anything but satiating the hunger within her.
Dropping the wrapper onto the ground, one hand reached for a half-eaten sandwich and another drew back with an unopened packet of ham, Hermione barely stopping herself from eating the plastic packaging it was contained in, too.
Both items were gone and devoured within a matter of moments and she turned her attention to the yoghurts, forgoing any attempt to use a spoon and simply tearing the lid from the pot and pouring the dairy product into her mouth. By the time she'd eaten half of the contents in the fridge and the floor was littered with empty packing and wrappers, something caught her attention.
Cookies.
Someone had baked cookies recently. She darted towards the oven and pulled open the door, her stomach rumbling at the sight of the freshly baked goodies that sat on the long since cooled baking tray. All twelve cookies were gone within three seconds.
Dropping the baking tray to the ground with a clatter, she searched through the cupboards, pulling free tinned fruit and custard, surprisingly being able to physically pry the tin open without the use of a tin opener, and once again, pouring the contents into her mouth, feeling it cover her mouth, chin and dripping onto her chest, soaking into the fabric of her nightgown.
She licked her lips clean and used her fingers to clean the remainder of the custard and food from her face and clothing before licking her fingers clean, too. Being too busy with ensuring no food escaped her, her attention wasn't drawn by the soft footsteps that approached and she didn't startle and spin on her heel until she heard the hitch of breath.
She knocked the empty tins from the counter and to the ground as she turned towards the noise, instinctively falling into a defensive stance and her hand reaching for her wand up her sleeve, but it wasn't there.
Two men stood before her, two of the most beautiful men she'd ever seen, one slightly more rugged and the other more angelic in appearance. Wide blood-red eyes darted between her and over their shoulders in worry, the action so quick, it was almost as if it had never happened.
They were familiar to her, but she wasn't blind to the way they both stood taller and deliberately positioned themselves before the door, as if to block her access. Neither was she blind to them sharing a not so subtle glance or the way the angelic-looking young man slowly raised his hands, palm facing upwards, as he watched her intensely, looking as though he were waiting for something.
"Hermione..." He began, his voice soft but firm.
Her head tipped to the side in confusion like a puppy dog, her hair falling down her back and spilling over her shoulder, tickling against her skin. Her eyes darted between them curiously.
She felt it. Butterflies in her stomach. Warmth pooling in her chest. Her heart pounding in her ribcage. They were important to her. They were special.
Why couldn't she remember?
Her hands fisted in her hair and her eyes closed tightly, a sharp pain settling in the back of her skull as though she'd been hit over the head, or worse, been under the influence of a Stunner and Body-bind, because Merlin knows they had some serious side effects after recovery.
"Glykó sýntrofo."
Her breath caught in her throat.
She knew that voice. She recognised those words.
She could feel the memories trying to come forward, but it was as if there was something blocking them. Realising she'd been holding her breath and feeling the burn in her chest, she inhaled deeply, and as she did so, a myriad of scents assaulted her.
Various food items, burning wood and ash, damp and cold, bubble bath and soap... But the two scents that stood out the most originated from the two men before her, one of citrus and the other sandalwood. Taking another deep inhale, their scents invaded her nostrils until they were the only thing she could smell and it helped to nudge her mind into releasing a fuzzy memory. As she felt her hair tangle around the metal bands that sat on her finger, she drew her hands back and allowed her eyes to open as she stared down at the two completely different rings that sat on her ring finger.
Something in her sparked to life and that memory played through her mind vividly. Partying and laughter, dancing and music, flowers and sunshine, joy and fireworks, formal wear and gowns, speaking vows and sharing kisses. Her wedding day.
They were her husbands.
Her eyes snapped to them.
"Alec? Demetri?" She questioned softly.
Again, they shared a glance, this one showing slight confusion.
"How are you feeling?" Alec asked her, his eyes watching her as though she were a wild, caged animal and he was expecting an attack.
"I don't know... Odd... Different... Like I'm me but I'm not, like everything's changed but nothing's changed," she replied slowly, her brow furrowing in confusion. "What happened?"
"You don't remember?" Demetri questioned, again, sharing a glance with Alec.
"No, it's like I want to remember but there's something blocking it, preventing it from happening... My vision... I can see things I couldn't before, I didn't know there were so many shades of the same colour. I smell things I couldn't before, I hear things..."
"How are you so calm?" Alec asked in surprise, his eyes slowly analysing her perfect yet relaxed posture. "Are you not thirsty?"
"Thirsty?" She repeated slowly. "You know, I think I am," she nodded in agreement.
Before she could blink, she'd already crossed to the fridge, removed the carton of orange juice and she drank the remainder of the beverage before setting the empty carton aside on the counter.
Alec and Demetri blinked slowly in surprise, unsure of what they were witnessing. She wasn't displaying the typical behaviour of a newborn; they hadn't even expected her to be awake. Demetri had left her so he might tend to Damara and Alec had been checking on the children. Only when they'd heard a loud clatter from the kitchen had they both decided to investigate, believing one of the children to have snuck out of bed in search of a midnight snack, only, they hadn't expected to see their wife awake and surrounded by food wrappers and packaging.
Oddly, she stood before them, her chocolate brown eyes searching their expressions, with flecks of red breaking up the colour and making her eyes appear larger and brighter. Her skin had always been pale and there was only a slight difference from before. To them, she'd always been beautiful but now her soft and kind features appeared to be more so, if that were possible.
Her skin was blemish and scar-free, perfectly soft and perfectly pale. Her wild hair had been tamed to perfect curls, the frizz being replaced by a soft sheen that was amplified by the moonlight. The curves she'd developed over the years after having birthed four children and gone through three pregnancies were more pronounced and her breasts looked slightly larger and perkier, and the horrific scar on her arm, whilst still present, had faded to an almost unnoticeable blemish. The vampire venom had only enhanced her best features and to them, that was everything.
As a human, she'd been beautiful but as she stood before them as a vampire, she was stunning. A beauty most female vampires would envy.
And despite that, they could still hear the slow beating of her heart in her chest. They could still see the slight tinge of pink that filled her cheeks. They could still see the rise and fall of her chest.
How could that be?
They could see the food packing collecting by the fridge and her feet. She'd woken and her instinct hadn't been to find blood, but to find food?
"You desire orange juice?" Alec asked her slowly.
"Yes, it was very refreshing, just what I needed, I feel much better. What happened? Why are you stood over there? Why won't you come closer?"
Demetri took a slow and measured step forward, his eyes locked firmly on her. "I don't want you to panic... But it's been ten days..."
"Ten days since what?" She interrupted.
"Since we were forced to change you," he answered softly.
Hermione made to take a step towards him but paused before she did so, his words flittering through her mind on a loop.
Forced to change her?
And then it hit her. The eyesight. The hearing. The hunger. The confusion. The strength. The speed.
"I'm a vampire," she whispered as understanding sunk in.
She closed her eyes to take a moment to compose herself and before she knew it, she'd darted towards Demetri, ploughing into him so hard she sent him backwards and into the wall behind him, a creator forming under the force.
"Oh, Merlin!" She gasped in horror and pulled herself away from him, backing up until she stumbled into the kitchen table. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. I just wanted a hug. I swear, I didn't mean to hurt you. I would never!" She cried, her voice taking a tone of hysteria as Demetri groaned in pain and pulled himself free of the wall she'd almost sent him straight through.
Alec's eyes darted between her and Demetri, looking as though he wished to help the other vampire but he didn't want to relinquish his post by the door. Was he guarding something? And his hands? Was he preparing to use his gift against her should he have to?
"It's alright, glykó sýntrofo," Demetri assured her gently, brushing the dust from his robes. "I know you would never hurt me deliberately. You're a newborn, you're stronger and faster than anyone currently in the castle, and you're still learning to control your new abilities. We once had to be careful not to hurt you and now, you must be careful with us."
"I didn't mean to do it," she promised, sniffling.
Alec and Demetri darted a glance to each other. Was she crying?
"I know," he took a step towards her and she took a step backwards, being afraid that should he get too close, she might accidentally hurt him again. "I'm fine," he promised, and then he closed the distance between them, slowly drawing her against his chest and into a hug.
Her hesitation was so brief that neither of them had noticed it and she soon buried her face into his robes and folded her arms around him.
"Be gentle with me," he reminded her when she squeezed a little too tightly. "I know it can be disorientating and difficult to process, but it will and does get better, you just have to be patient. And I promise, Alec and I, we'll be with you every step of the way. We won't leave your side until we're sure you're comfortable being by yourself."
She released a soft sigh and inhaled his comforting scent, tightening her hold on him.
"Am I hurting you?" She asked, her voice slightly muffled by his robes.
"No, that's perfect," he replied, pressing a kiss to her forehead and feeling the colder-than-human-but-hotter-than-vampire temperature of her skin.
They had a lot to discuss.
"You said you were forced to change me? Why?" She questioned. He hesitated in answering. "Why won't you tell me?"
He released a sigh. "The baby," he admitted.
She was too fast for him. With her newborn speed, he wasn't able to tighten his hold on her or prevent her from tearing herself away from him, her wide eyes darting between him, Alec and the doorway he stood before.
"Oh God!" She whispered, her hand coming up to cover her mouth, some of her memories slowly coming back to her and although they weren't clear or vivid, she was able to make some sense out of one or two of the memories.
She'd been pregnant. She'd gone into premature labour. She'd begged them to save the baby over her. That was the reason behind her change.
She was only... How old was she again? Twenty-two? Twenty-Three? She supposed it didn't matter, now she was a vampire. Un-dead. She wouldn't age.
She'd come to terms with the knowledge that she'd one day be changed, she'd just never thought it would happen to her when she was still so young, or because there'd be complications that meant choosing between her life or their baby's.
Demetri was right; it was a very disorientating and strange experience but despite that, she believed she'd be coping far differently had she never planned for this one day happening. She'd accepted her fate and come to terms with her decision and that helped to ease some of the burdens of learning that she'd been changed and was now a vampire.
"The baby?" She questioned.
"Absolutely perfect," Demetri assured her.
"That's why you're stood there," Hermione looked to Alec in understanding. "The baby's behind that door, you're protecting it from me."
A sad expression crossed Alec's face, both hearing the pain in her voice and seeing the way it filled her beautiful features. "We can't risk it," he offered softly. "Whilst they are a human-vampire hybrid, they do possess blood and a heartbeat."
"But it's my baby. I would never hurt it. I can't even remember if it's a girl or boy!" She cried in distress.
She was a mother and her child, her newborn baby, was being kept from her. How could they think she'd ever harm it, regardless of her being a vampire.
"A girl. A little girl as beautiful as her mother," Demetri interrupted.
"I need to see her," she said adamantly.
"Hermione, don't..." Alec warned. "Neither of us wants to keep you from her but we have to be aware of the risks and do our best to avoid potential disaster. I don't wish to have to fight you and I know you wish the same, so don't make me do something I'll never forgive myself for doing."
"She's my baby. I have to see her. I need to know she's healthy. I can't remember what she looks like!"
"Hermione," Alec's expression grew stern and he raised his hands a little higher, the action clear. He'd use his gift to subdue her if he had to.
As a newborn, she had the speed and strength, but against Alec and Demetri, she'd likely have to put up a fight and no matter how angry she was at them for keeping her baby from her, she would never forgive herself for harming them. But that didn't mean she was going to allow them to keep her from her daughter.
Demetri took a step towards her in an effort to help calm her, but she ducked beneath his larger body, her eyes darting between him, Alec and the door appraisingly, trying to devise a way to get past them.
A gentle cry suddenly sounded and if it weren't for Hermione's new and improved hearing, she would've never heard it.
She saw Alec and Demetri's eyes widen in panic and Hermione felt her head swim and her stomach twist unnaturally. Her baby needed her.
She took a step forward and as Demetri moved to cage her in his arms whilst Alec subdued her with his gift, she was able to dart out of the way and without realising it, she'd spun on her heel and felt a familiar tug behind her navel.
One moment she was in the kitchen and the next she was in the nursery. Not wishing to spare another moment on how that had happened or why, she crossed over to the cot and peered down at the crying, wriggling infant.
With her olive complexion, dark hair and tiny hands and feet, she was beautiful. Without hesitation she lifted the crying infant into her arms, gently rocking her and muttering soft words of comfort as she crossed to the rocking chair by the slowly dying fire, taking a seat and shifting her daughter more comfortably in her hold.
Those words of comfort quickly morphed in the words of a lullaby and within moments the crying stopped and soft brown eyes stared up at her. Eyes that she'd gotten from her.
"Damara," she whispered in remembrance, the happenings of the day she'd be changed coming back to her without obstacle. "Damara, my beautiful little angel," she gently traced the pad of her finger down the infant's cheek, feeling the soft, warm skin beneath her touch. "I promise, mama will never leave you again," she vowed, lowering her head and pressing a kiss to her forehead, feeling a wet tear streak down her face.
She'd known her husbands were present and had been for quite some time, she'd known they'd been carefully observing her behaviour and were prepared to intervene should something appear amiss, but she hadn't wished to give her attention to anyone but her daughter.
When the infant released a yawn Hermione continued with her softly sung lullaby, shifting her to lie against her chest and rubbing circles on her back until she fell into a peaceful sleep. Only then did she lift her gaze, spying the stunned, confused but proud expressions of her husbands.
"I would never harm my child, vampire or not," she swore. "She is my blood and I carried her for however many months it was. It was my hormones she wreaked havoc on, my bladder she kicked insistently, my sleep she disrupted, my eating habits she altered, and I wouldn't change any of it even if I could."
"We had to be cautious," Demetri said gently, slowly approaching and crouching down before her and the rocking chair. "You would never forgive yourself if harm should come to her and it is by your hand. You have to understand, newborns are not only stronger and faster, their lust for blood is unmatched by no other, as is their rage and aggression. I have seen a newborn kill their own sibling and they showed no remorse or understanding for what they'd done. For a newborn, there is only one purpose and one goal. To feed. To satiate the hunger and thirst, and that is something that can take months, even years to learn to control."
"But you," Alec continued, stepping further into the room and moving to stand behind Demetri, his eyes darting between her and the sleeping infant she held against her delicately, as though she were afraid she'd break in her very hold. "You are demonstrating control, unlike anything we have ever seen before. The moment you detected a life force you should've been relentless in pursuing and killing it, no matter the age, gender or relation to you."
Her brow furrowed. "Perhaps it has something to do with my previous ability to Occulade my mind. Occlumency requires immense focus and mental discipline and compartmentalisation. The greatest traits and assets are usually carried over and perhaps intensified during the transformation, correct?" She nibbled her lip in thought. "I did have my shields up before the transformation, as usual, and if that's the case, surely the vampire venom had some effect."
"That's possible," Alec nodded in agreement, "However, we believe something else may be the cause."
"And that is?" She prompted.
"During your transformation, you showed none of the signs we were expecting. If you had, we would've never left you alone and we'd have known you were due to wake and we'd have been there. When you woke, what was your first thought?" He asked curiously.
"It's a little fuzzy," she admitted.
"That's normal, it'll take a few days for your mind to catch up with the rest of your body," Demetri assured her.
"It was something to do with my eyesight and if Harry felt the same when wearing his glasses opposed to not wearing them."
"It wasn't that you were hungry or thirsty?" Alec checked.
"No," she shook her head. "But when I did realise I was starving, I found myself in the kitchen and I couldn't seem to stop myself from eating anything I could find. I just wanted the hunger to stop."
"And did you crave blood?"
"No," she muttered. "The thought never even crossed my mind. Actually, the thought alone..." She trailed off with a grimace.
"Do you know how you got here?" Demetri asked.
"I can't remember," she frowned in annoyance.
He gave her a gentle smile and reached up, his hand encircling her free one. "You apparated."
"What?" She spluttered, blinking in surprise.
"You apparated," he repeated. "Even with your speed, we might not have been able to stop you, but we would've seen you. You disappeared before our eyes, as you often used to do before falling pregnant with Damara and you were forced to stop for her safety. And not only that, have you seen yourself yet?"
"No, I haven't had the chance."
He smiled before rising to his feet and giving a gentle tug on her hand, indicating he wanted her to stand and follow him. She didn't relinquish her hold on Damara, only shifted her into the cradle of her arm as he led her over to a mirror.
It took Hermione a moment to digest that the woman that stood before her, was, well, her. Whilst the changes were quite minimal physically, it was almost as if she was an entirely different person. And as she took in the almost flawless skin of her face, the redder, plumper lips of her mouth, the longer, darker lashes that surrounded her eyes... Her eyes. They were her own, still chocolate brown in colour, only blood-red flecks were now present.
"You are breathing."
She startled slightly, Alec's voice unexpectedly drawing her from her daze.
"After the transformation, it's instinctual for vampires not to breathe. We only learn and get in the habit of doing so as a way of blending in with humans. You are breathing because you have to, although, you only appear to be taking a breath every three minutes."
"You also have a heartbeat," Demetri added, his gaze locking with hers in the mirror. "The average rate for a human adult is between sixty and one hundred beats per minute. You have a heart rate of only twenty beats per minute."
"Taking into account your control, your lack of bloodlust, your physical appearance, your heartbeat, your ability to apparate and your ability to shed tears, we're quite certain that you're not a full vampire."
"I don't understand," she frowned, slowly turning away from the mirror and facing her husbands.
"We think you're a hybrid, or perhaps that you possess mostly vampiric DNA but you still possess your magical abilities. We can't be sure until we test your abilities and limitations and until Snape is able to examine you, something that won't be approved until we're certain your control won't slip."
"Is that possible?"
"We've never heard rumour of such a thing," Demetri confessed, "But neither had we heard a tale regarding human-vampire hybrids being born, and we know that it is possible no matter how incredibly unlikely and rare an occurrence. Witches have been turned before and they did not retain their magical abilities. However, they are not you. You, who is a Sorceress."
"My magical power could certainly be strong enough to fight the venom from taking over my body, at least completely. When reading through Dumbledore's research, I found a passage in which he admitted to being bitten by a werewolf in his early-twenties. Not only did he survive the bite, not only did he escape Lycanthropy, but he went without a scar and suffered no side effects, such as the potential mood shifts or the enhanced senses. But if that's the case, why was I only partially protected?"
"Snape injected the venom directly into your heart in hopes of decreasing the time taken for your transformation. It seems to have had the opposite effect. Most are complete within five days, those that are stronger have been known to take up to seven. You took ten days, likely due to your magic fighting the venom."
"This is a lot to process," she sighed. "But you're right, we will have to test my limitations. Do I only have the enhanced speed, strength and senses? Are they up to par with yours? Am I considered a vampire? A hybrid? Will I continue to age? Do I have access to all of my magical abilities or just some of them? Has the venom strengthened it? You said I apparated? I did so without my wand, and I've never been able to do that before. Am I as indestructible as you? Am I still susceptible to illness or death? Will I require blood to sustain me, or will I rely on food as I did before?"
"That is a lot of experiments," chuckled Demetri, giving his head a shake. "I see the transformation has not changed you."
"Is that a complaint?" She arched an eyebrow.
"No, you have always been perfect as you are," he smiled.
"Kiss-arse," Alec snorted. Demetri scowled at him and Hermione felt a giggle bubble from her, her two husbands looking to her in surprise.
"What?" She sobered quickly.
Alec cleared his throat. "Let's just say, if I were a human, I'd have gladly offered myself to you."
"What?" She repeated in confusion.
"Vampire allure, you definitely have it," Demetri explained.
"But it doesn't affect other vampires," she pointed out.
"Not unless they have a gift such as Heidi's," he corrected. "Perhaps it's because we're your mates."
Hermione opened her mouth to respond but she paused and her head snapped towards the door, her hearing picking up on the sound of a soft snore that was followed by the shifting of a blanket.
Before her husbands had the chance to explain or she had thought to question them, she was gone from their side, reappearing in a room that held three single beds, all of them occupied. One continued a young girl with hair similar to hers and cuddled next to her was a young toddler with dark hair, one contained a young boy that appeared to be a mirror image of Alec and the third bed held a slightly older boy with blue hair.
Oh Merlin! She'd forgotten. She didn't have a baby. She had children. Plural. Five of them!
A tear slipped down her cheek and she felt Alec and Demetri's presence beside her.
"I'd forgotten," she whispered in horror. "How could I forget I had five children?"
"It's not your fault," Demetri promised softly, his hand settling on the small of her back. "There is only so many times we can explain that the transformation is disorientating. The human memory suffers greatly, which is why most remember very little about their human lives. The more recent memories before the transformation are the ones most likely to remain, so you would have remembered within the next few days. However, given what we've learned so far, it's possible you won't suffer the memory loss as others do, and that in itself is a gift."
"Ten days, you say?" She asked quietly, not wanting to disturb her sleeping children. "How were they?"
"They missed you," Alec answered. "They asked every day when you would wake. Teddy demanded we read to you every morning, 'Ras ensured we set a plate for you at the table so you would be able to join them when you woke, Ellie would brush your hair and Calla liked to draw you pictures of flowers."
Hermione sniffled as another tear fell down her cheek.
"My poor babies," she whispered.
"They missed you, but they know you would never abandon them and they patiently waited for you to wake. For the most part, Jane and Felix helped to keep them entertained and of course, Damara has been perfectly fine."
Hermione's eyes darted between her five sleeping children before she made her decision. She crept forward and crouched beside Eleanor's bed, shifting Damara in her hold before reaching out and settling her hand against her eldest daughter's shoulder and gently shaking her awake. She stirred but refused to wake, something that made Hermione chuckle.
"Ellie," she called softly.
At the sound of her voice, her daughter seemed to spring upright, her eyes widening as she slowly took in the sight of her mother.
"Mama!" She cried before flinging herself towards Hermione, luckily missing Damara in her hold.
Hermione smiled and held her to her, breathing in the bubble bath and cookie scent that surrounded her. Hermione wasn't sure how Ellie didn't wake her siblings but they continued to sleep undisturbed. "I missed you."
"I missed you, too," Hermione replied.
"You were sleeping for ages."
"I know, but I'm better now and I promise I won't leave you again," she promised her eldest daughter, amazed by the lengthy hug she was gracing her with. Hermione usually struggled to get the child to hold her hand, never mind give her a hug.
Ellie drew back from her, her small hands settling against her cheeks as she stared at Hermione appraisingly.
"You don't have red eyes like papa and daddy said you would," she commented. "They said you'll look different but you don't. Papa said we're not allowed to see you, he said we have to stay in a hotel. I don't want to. I want to stay here with you."
Hermione smiled at her and reached up, brushing her curly hair back from her face. "Papa and daddy thought I'd be like them, that when I woke, I would be too dangerous and I might accidentally hurt you. But we've recently discovered that I'm not just a vampire."
"You're not?" Ellie tipped her head.
"No, Sweetheart. I'm like you."
Ellie's eyes lit up and a smile pulled at her face. "Really? You're a vampire and you have magic?"
"Yes," Hermione confirmed. "We think my magic protected me from becoming a full vampire like your fathers, and instead, I'm more like you."
"That's brilliant!" She exclaimed happily. "Your eyes are so pretty."
Hermione smiled. "Not as beautiful as yours. You have your daddy's eyes. Now, I've missed my little vampires, so what do you say we wake your brothers and sister and have a sleepover in mama's bed?"
"Can we have cookies?" She asked excitedly. "Papa helped us bake them after dinner."
Hermione smiled guiltily. "Ah, I'm afraid I ate them all by accident. You see, I was very hungry when I woke."
Ellie pouted but said, "That's okay, I forgive you. You were asleep for a very long time, I bet you were very hungry."
"I was," Hermione nodded, "But, I do have some special chocolate ice-cream, if you want some." Her daughter nodded enthusiastically. "Alright then, you wake your siblings and I'll get the ice-cream ready. Be sure to help Calla, remember, she's much younger than you are."
Rising to her feet, she turned on her heel and left the room with her husbands following behind her, Hermione smiling as Ellie's excited shouts filled her ears.
"Chocolate ice-cream at three o'clock in the morning? The venom's made you soft," teased Alec.
"Well, you won't be snuggling with us," she huffed, entering the kitchen and pausing for a brief moment to experimentally wave her hand, smiling when all of the mess she'd previously left behind suddenly vanished and the kitchen was returned to its former cleanliness. "I think I might have access to all of my magic," she told them, as she absentmindedly summoned the ice-cream from the freezer, as well as a selection of spoons.
"That's a terrifying thought," muttered Demetri.
"Oi, I can hear you now," she told him, looking at him over her shoulder. "And you know what that means... You two can no longer have secret conversations I won't and can't understand," she smiled smugly.
Returning to her bedroom, she climbed into bed and settled Damara on her chest once more and as she did so, her husbands and children arrived, Hermione smiling when Teddy and 'Ras scrambled over and onto the bed, hugging her carefully after she reminded them to be careful around their new sister. When Calla and her husbands joined them on the bed, she explained to Teddy and 'Ras all that she knew as she had with Ellie, and once she'd assured them she wasn't leaving them and she was fine, they all tucked into the ice-cream.
Sometime later, after several outbreaks of the giggles and laughter and the ice-cream being eaten, her children fell asleep with chocolate smudged across their faces and being snuggled between her and her husbands.
"I can't believe I almost lost them," Hermione whispered, her eyes darting to each of her sleeping children.
"We wouldn't have let that happen," Alec assured her. "We might've had to keep them from you, but it wouldn't have been forever. We would've moved mountains to ensure our family stayed together."
"And that's why I love you," she sighed, a yawn suddenly overtaking her.
"Are you tired?" Demetri questioned in surprise, although he wasn't entirely sure why that did surprise him. After all, she was still breathing and eating human food so it wasn't entirely impossible.
"I think so," she nodded. "Perhaps I require sleep. There's only one way to find out."
Hermione shifted to get more comfortable, batting Alec's hands away from her when he made to remove Damara from her chest so she might sleep more comfortably. As Hermione closed her eyes, she drifted to sleep, surrounded by her husbands and children.
When a few minutes had passed, Alec lifted Damara from Hermione's chest and into the cradle of his arm, knowing she would soon be waking for a bottle. With Hermione's slower heart and breathing rate, it made it difficult to determine when she'd fallen asleep, and so he had to wait until time passed without movement from her.
"Well, it appears we both got what we wanted," Demetri remarked softly.
"And that is?" "Her human tendencies remain and she's our forever."
"That's not something we know yet," Alec argued. "She may age, she may not, only Snape will be able to tell us. But for our sake's and the children's, I hope you're right."