CHAPTER FORTY-NINE


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

Happy birthday, Brittani26! I'm unsure of the date or time giving the different time zones, but as I post this, for me it is still the 29th, so hopefully, it isn't too late for you. And if it is, I hope you had a lovely day. I know how much it sucks to have a birthday during lockdown, as mine was in May.

Q&A

Meldz - I can't promise anything but I will definitely give it a try. And yes, there will be some Cullen/Hermione interaction. There's only a few chapters left before I mark this complete, so they will be making an appearance as I am sticking with canon and the whole Edward/Bella and Renesme thing.

Bellislefan – When I update FFN, I also update AO3 and Wattpad, so everything coincides and I don't accidentally miss something.

MarciKyle – I do like to surprise you.


Page count: 18


Wednesday 4th December 2002

When the morning light streamed into the room, she'd barely opened her eyes before she found herself sitting at the kitchen table, the bacon, pancakes and eggs being gone from the plate in barely a few seconds.

"Whoa!"

She lifted her gaze, seeing her children's wide eyes as they stared at her, their own forks held mid-way to their mouths. Calla was blissfully ignorant as she sat in her high chair, using her hands to eat her own pre-cut portion of food whilst distractedly scribbling at a piece of paper with a red crayon.

"Hungry?" Demetri asked amusedly from his place stood by the oven with his arms folded and a fish slice grasped in his hand.

"Starving," she confirmed.

"I prepared for that possibility," he nodded, two plates appearing before her within the blink of an eye. A human blink, that is.

"You're the best," she sighed, reaching for her fork and doing her best to eat the food more slowly this time, but still, both plates were empty within barely a minute.

"You must be hungry, you don't even like bacon," he remarked.

"I don't care, I just need this hunger to stop, it's driving me insane," she grumbled, trying to distract herself by sipping from the tea that he placed beside her after pressing a kiss to the top of her head and returning to the oven. "I've got to say, the frilly pink apron suits you."

Ellie, Teddy and 'Ras burst into giggles as Demetri turned to face her.

"It does, doesn't it?" He agreed smugly, doing overly dramatic poses as if someone was taking his photo and it had the children laughing so hard, they went red in the face and Hermione briefly worried they'd pass out.

"How'd I get here?" She asked him.

"Vampire speed," he answered, once more turning towards the oven so he might cook her something else to eat, but during her wait, she rummaged through the fridge, devouring a block of cheese and the leftover pasta dish Alec had made for the children's dinner the previous day. "If your newborn bloodlust stage has been substituted with food, we might have to dramatically increase our grocery list to better cater to your needs," he mused, eyeing the now six empty plates of food she'd consumed in twenty minutes alone, and that was only because she was eating it quicker than he could cook it.

"She might eat all the food in Italy at the rate she's going," teased Alec as he stepped into the kitchen, taking a seat at the table beside Calla, easily dodging the napkin Hermione sent flying his way.

"Would you rather me be a rampaging blood fuelled newborn that attempts to bleed Italy dry, or a bottomless pit?"

"They both have their downfalls," he shrugged nonchalantly, smirking at her annoyed scowl and her waving her fork at him threateningly.

As Hermione tucked into her seventh helping of breakfast, this plate containing potato waffles and toast as they'd now run out of eggs, bacon and flour, Demetri set the small plastic cups before Ellie and 'Ras before half filling it with human blood, following that by giving a sippy-cup to Calla.

This was a normal sight for Hermione, the children ingesting the blood three times a day at mealtimes to balance their vampire side, and she and Teddy were the only ones to grimace in disgust.

"Have you tried it?" Alec asked curiously.

"Tried what?" She sought clarification. Alec tipped his head towards the blood-filled cups and she grimaced. "No."

"Perhaps you should," he suggested. "Just because you don't have a craving for it, doesn't mean you don't require it. If we assume you are a hybrid like the children, then it is likely you'll require the need for blood, too, possibly just not as often. It might help to satisfy your hunger."

"It's worth a try," Demetri agreed. "What have you got to lose?"

"All of the food I've ingested this morning," she quipped.

Demetri snorted before retrieving a glass from the cupboard and filling it with blood and setting it beside her.

"I can't do it," she shook her head. "It was bad enough that I had to do it with my pregnancies, but then I had a reason to do it. It was for them, not me."

"So do it for them now. If you keep eating the way you do, we'll have no food left to feed them," said Alec.

The glare she pinned him with was terrifying but despite that, his guilt trip had the effect he'd wished and she reluctantly reached for the glass, pinching her nose and taking a sip. She gagged at the taste and made to set the glass down but Demetri came up beside her, pushing the glass back towards her mouth. She glared at him when he pressed a kiss to the top of her head and winked at her before setting another plate of food before her and walking away.

Heaving a sigh, she decided to bite the bullet and taking a breath, she downed the remainder of the glass in one go and then reached for her tea to help rid of the taste it left behind.

"How do you feel?" Alec asked, absentmindedly handing Calla a green crayon when she pointed to it.

"Disgusted," she grimaced, but she did feel the calming of her stomach. "But a little better," she begrudgingly admitted.

"It's likely that once your newborn stage is over, you might require less blood, just as we only require one feed every few weeks," he tried to appease her. "But for the time being, it might be best to do as the children do and ingest human blood at mealtimes. We just have to ask Snape to increase his order from the blood bank to cover you and the children."

"Has anyone thought to ask how he gets it?" Said Demetri.

"Yes, his only reply is a glare and the slamming of a door in your face," answered Hermione.

"You would think that finding his mate would make him more chipper," Demetri mused.

"I don't think that's possible," Hermione injected, "Believe it or not, he's happier here than I ever saw him at Hogwarts."

"How do you know?" Demetri challenged. "He's like a stone wall, the man never cracks a smile and I've never heard him laugh."

"The day Snape smiles, is the day the world ends," said Hermione, Alec and Demetri chuckling at her. "Anyway, does anyone outside this suite know I'm up and about?"

"No, in all honesty, we haven't left through the door since Darama's birth, and neither have the children. We have had visitors in the form of Jane, Felix and the Lords but they never stayed long. They are preoccupied preparing the castle for your newborn stage, so everyone is on high alert and all security measures are being assessed and increased," Alec told her. "In fact, I believe a meeting is taking place this morning with the Coven. We were planning on moving the children to the hotel today, but it appears we no longer have to."

"Then shall we surprise them?" She suggested. "It's been a long time since we gave them a good shock. I think the last one was our discovery of my first pregnancy with the twins, given how disruptive it was. Calla and Damara were less of a surprise because they knew it was possible. But they believe I'm going to wake to be a fully-fledged vampire, imagine their surprise when I walk in, looking for the most part, exactly the same and without trying to maul my children."

"Felix might just call it the greatest trick you've ever pulled on the Lords," chuckled Demetri.

"So, are you in agreement?" She asked. "To make it more entertaining, perhaps we can have the children introduce me."

"The meeting is set to begin in thirty minutes," Alec informed her.

"Let's get the children ready and we can gatecrash halfway through, it's been a few years since I crashed a party. The last being Harry's birthday bash my first year here and it was a blast."

~000~000~000~

Alec and Demetri helped open the large doors to the chamber room and Teddy, Ellie and 'Ras all slipped through the small space, easily navigating between the crowd of gathered Guard and Coven members, the large room falling into silence when their presence was noticed.

Lord Marcus stood from his throne, looking down at the children in surprise, knowing their fathers hadn't wished for them to leave their sight whilst they watched over Hermione.

"Children?" He questioned.

"Hi, Grandpa," they replied as one, grinning up at him as they continued their approach, it being much easier when everyone parted to make a pathway to the dais. Given how close they were in age, they were more like triplets, often doing things together as Fred and George would.

"Do your fathers know you're here?" He narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Yes," smiled 'Ras.

"We have a surprise," continued Teddy.

"It's a really good one," Ellie beamed proudly. "Do you wanna see?"

"Of course, we wish to see," replied Aro happily, leaning forward in his thrown.

"Okay, but you have to count to three," she said bossily.

"Very well," he acquiesced. "One, two..."

"No," she interrupted, her hands settling on her hips as she looked up at him unhappily. "You're doing it wrong."

Caius snorted and said quietly, "Fantastic, there's two of them."

Aro briefly shared a chuckle with his co-ruler before looking back to the young child, the little hybrid being an almost clone of her mother in personality, attitude and bossiness.

"Everyone has to count. It's a magic trick. It only works if everyone helps," she told him.

He laughed before looking out towards the gathered vampires. "Well, you heard the young Lady Eleanor. Everyone must count."

Ellie giggled and clapped her hands together when a loud chorus of 'one, two, three,' sounded.

"Now say the magic word," she instructed.

Soft chuckles sounded before the chamber filled with various words; abracadabra, alakazam, hocus pocus, please and thank you.

"Thank you," called Teddy, his hair morphing into a brighter shade of blue in his excitement and happiness.

"And now, the magic," finished 'Ras.

"MAMA! WHERE ARE YOU?!" The three children chorused loudly.

The large doors exploded open but magically stopped before hitting the stone walls and as Hermione stepped into the chamber with her husbands on either side of her, Demetri with Calla perched on his hip and she cradling Damara, the large chamber room echoed with gasps and noises she wouldn't have heard or understood before.

Marcus nearly lost his balance, Caius visibly spluttered and Aro almost tripped over his feet in his haste to stand from his throne.

"Did you miss me?" Hermione grinned.

For the first time in a long time, the Three Lords were at a loss for words and Hermione's grin widened.

"Well, My Loves, I think we've officially done it. We've shocked them speechless," she looked to her husbands, both of who appeared to be doing their best to keep their expressions neutral. "Why's everyone staring? It's not as if I died... Oh, wait..." She trailed off innocently, smiling at her children when they giggled.

"Mama's back!" Exclaimed Ellie, and she ran towards Hermione before wrapping her arms around her thigh and pressing herself against her, quickly being followed by her brothers as they surrounded her.

"And she's like us!" 'Ras said proudly.

"How?" Was all Marcus managed, his red eyes quickly darting between Hermione's almost unchanged appearance, her children and the control she was demonstrating around them.

"Listen carefully," she encouraged, patting her free hand against her chest, right over where her heart was situated.

A concentrated expression flittered across his face before his eyes widened and his mouth parted in surprise.

"You have a heartbeat," he stated dumbfounded, being able to distinguish between her slightly slower heartbeat, compared to the children's faster heartbeats.

"That's right," she grinned. "It seems vampire venom is no match for my Sorcery. I woke last night without Alec and Demetri noticing as they were checking on the children. After some discussion, we have theorised that I am not a vampire, but rather, a hybrid, just as the children are."

"That's not possible," Caius muttered.

"Well, I'm standing right before you with a beating heart, so it very much is," she shrugged, smiling to Alec when he silently took Damara from her arms so she might have them free. "So, I'll share with you what we've discovered so far. I do possess the newborn strength and speed and I do have the enhanced senses. However, I lack the bloodlust. When I did feel hunger, I craved food, not blood. This morning, after my seventh plate of breakfast, Alec suggested that I ingest blood as the children do, just so we might see how it affects me. As before, I was disgusted in having to do so but when I did ingest it, it did help to satisfy my hunger. I'm still able to cast my magic and I've recently discovered that I no longer need the use for my wand, it appears, the venom helped to strengthen me in that regard. Oh, and I might require the need for sleep, as I did find myself tired and was able to sleep for a few more hours," she added, taking great enjoyment in their speechless surprise.

"However, there are many things which we don't yet know. Are my vampiric abilities on par with yours? Am I just as invincible? Am I susceptible to illness? Will I age? What are my magical and vampiric limitations? All of these will have to be tested, something I'm sure Snape will be able to aid with, as we all know, he loves a good research project. And with my apparent lack of bloodlust, I imagine we can begin shortly... What? Vampire-Witch got your tongue?" She teased.

When chuckles rang out, it helped to break the Three Lords from their surprise and Aro slowly approached her, coming to a stop before her, his red eyes analysing her closely.

She arched an eyebrow.

"My Dear, you are a sight to behold," he complimented, taking her warmer hand in his colder one and bowing over it.

"Physically, the changes are minimal," she pointed out.

"And that is a compliment in itself," he replied. "You have access to your magic?"

"Yes," she nodded. "As I said, I will have to test my limitations but with the magics I've cast so far, nothing appears out of the ordinary, if only that I no longer require my wand, as I said before. I'm not entirely sure where it is, if I'm honest, and that thought should terrify me but it doesn't."

"You truly are a remarkable woman and you have done it again. You have made the impossible possible."

"Well, I do like to keep you on your toes," she quipped, hearing the chuckles and sniggers from the Coven and Guard members. "So, it appears I've been napping for ten days," she began, once again hearing laughter at her words, "What say we do a few preliminary tests. The increased security measures to contain me are no longer needed, so we may as well do something with our time. Perhaps we might test my vampiric abilities? It is taking a little while to adjust," she admitted. "I don't even realise I'm doing it, Demetri and Alec have to tell me."

"It's been a while since we last witnessed a duel," Caius spoke from his place sat on his throne.

"Don't be so put out," she chastised, "I'm a human being... Was, a human being," she corrected, "Not a circus animal that performs for your amusement. As much as you might have missed my duels with the Guard and others willing to challenge me, I also know you adore my children and you were just as happy as everyone else when we discovered I was pregnant."

"Speaking of the little one, perhaps it is time to officially introduce her to the Coven," Aro intervened before an argument could begin.

Nodding in agreement, she pried her children from her legs and she and Demetri approached the dais, following after Aro. Climbing the steps, they turned to face their audience, and with Demetri having set Calla down and taken Damara from Alec, he shifted the eleven-day-old infant in his hold so he might better present her to the Coven.

"Well, given what we know so far, this might possibly be the last child born to the Coven and if that's the case, you best enjoy it," said Hermione, hearing the chuckles and sad sighs mixing together. "So, our daughter is now eleven-days-old and is in perfect health."

"And we have chosen to name her Damara," Demetri took over. "We know how excited you are to officially meet her but given the current circumstances and the events of the previous week and a half, we ask that all visitations to our suite are delayed until after the weekend."

Looking over her shoulder, Hermione did her best to hide her snigger but ultimately failed, when she saw Marcus' expectant expression. Subtly nudging Demetri with her elbow, he looked down at her before peering over his shoulder, holding back his amusement as he silently crossed to the youngest-looking Vampire King.

Hermione was amazed that he didn't wrestle the newborn from Demetri as he looked to be considering doing. When her daughter was settled in Marcus' arms, his attention was solely on the infant as he stared down at her adoringly, absentmindedly returning to his throne and taking a seat without lifting his gaze from her.

"Now that my daughter's been Marcus-napped," she began, hearing the laughter ring out, "Shall we get on with the testing? What should we try first?"

"Strength," Felix suggested and despite the large crowd, he was the tallest, towering over everyone by no more than half a foot, making it easy to locate him.

"How do you wish to do that?" She tipped her head curiously, she and Demetri descending the steps and returning to the centre of the room.

Without words being spoken or instructions given, the crowd all shifted closer to the outer edge and walls, and the children were ushered into a corner for safety.

Felix slowly approached her before halting before her, Hermione having to tip her head back to look up at him. He grinned down at her and with Hermione still not being used to her new abilities, it wasn't until she found herself being lifted off her feet and hugged tightly that she realised he'd even moved. And the hug, he was hugging her far tighter than he ever had when she was a human but even still, she knew he was holding back. Felix was revered for his exceptional strength, something that surpassed that of a regular vampire.

"I'm glad you're back, it's been too quiet."

"I don't know if I should be flattered that you missed me so much, or if I should smack you for insinuating I'm the noisy one in the castle, especially when there's an infant, a toddler and three young children that also reside here," she replied, folding her arms around his neck and hugging him back, also using more force than she'd once been able to.

He laughed and hugged her tighter, testing her boundaries and not wishing to hurt her. She supposed it was both for her benefit and her family's. By hugging her, he was able to test her ability to withstand his strength and her own physical ability without a physical fight, without harming her and without risk of upsetting her children should she be harmed.

"Doesn't hurt," she told him. "Neither does that... Or that... Nope, that doesn't hurt either," she promised each time he tightened his hold. "I think we best end this, I can practically feel my husband's jealousy."

Felix laughed and sent Demetri a wink, earning a scowl in return. Whilst he and Demetri were brothers in everything but blood and that Demetri knew she would never commit adultery and that Felix considered Hermione a sister, the large vampire often flirted with her to get a rise out of Demetri, her vampire being incredibly jealous, more so since the transformation and the slight changes to her appearance, making her more appealing to the humans.

Hermione tightened her hold and slowly increased the pressure, and she didn't stop until Felix winced and he set her back on her feet, drawing back from her.

Looking up to the Three Lords, only two of them peering down at them as the other tended to the infant in his hold, Felix said,

"She appears to have the full magnitude of a newborn vampire's expected strength, if not, possibly more so. Whilst I didn't use the extent of my physical ability against her, I did use more than I would with any other and she was unaffected. And she was able to cause me pain."

She snorted and rolled her eyes, folding her arms over her chest. "Try birthing four children, you big baby," she interrupted, hearing the sniggers that filled the room and he peered down at her, his red eyes glittering in amusement. "When you push three human beings out of your vagina, then you can complain about pain... As for my strength, when I heard Felix wince in pain, I hesitated. I'm certain I could've used more force, something I imagine will take me some time to learn to control. But again, is this permanent or simply because of the newborn stage?"

"That is something that can be later tested," said Aro, "And something we may not know until the newborn stage is complete. Moving on," he instructed and Felix silently left her side, moving to stand beside Demetri and receiving a not so subtle slap upside the head from her husband. "Perhaps we might test speed next?"

"That's easily done," Hermione nodded. "But in order to achieve accurate results, we should have a number of others participate."

"And your plan?" He questioned.

"We have, say, five randomly chosen members, men and women complete a lap of the castle and its full grounds, and each one will be timed. This will allow us to determine the average time it takes to do so and we can compare my results to theirs."

With the chosen vampires randomly selected, they completed their laps of the castle and grounds and Hermione soon followed. Calculating the results, they found the average speed for those five vampires was 170mph, and Hermione managed to reach 182mphs, completely acceptable for a newborn.

Next, they moved onto sight, smell and hearing, pitting Hermione against other members of the Coven as they had previously in order to determine the true scale of her abilities. Again, once finished they determined her abilities to be as expected of a regular and newborn vampire.

When Caius suggested they move towards testing Hermione's vulnerability, she hesitated, not wishing for the children to witness the many methods he planned to use against her. As such, they agreed to wait until the following day when the children could be otherwise distracted or present elsewhere.

"Are you still immune to our abilities?" Aro mused.

"I do have access to my magic," Hermione reminded him, "And yes, I believe I am. We know from past experiences that abilities that are psychological are ineffective against me, and this morning out of curiosity, Alec attempted to use his gift to incapacitate me. It didn't work. And as we know, if one doesn't work, they all don't work. With the majority of my vampiric abilities tested, we should call Snape; he'll be able to give us the answers we need regarding my ageing and whatnot."

Aro nodded in agreement and opened his mouth to instruct a member of the Coven to retrieve the grumpy wizard from his apothecary, but Hermione interrupted with,

"Perhaps we might break for lunch?"

Aro arched an amused eyebrow.

"What? It's lunchtime," she defended herself. "Not only is Damara due a feed and the children lunch, I'm starting to feel the hunger pains and if I don't get food soon, I'll be ransacking the entire marketplace."

And to prove a point, her stomach chose that exact moment to give a loud rumble.

"That is fascinating," Aro mused.

"Disturbing," Caius corrected, distractedly peering down at his nails.

"It's not my fault," she argued.

"Very well," Aro intervened before she and Caius could begin a squabbling match. "Return to your duties," he instructed the entirety of the chamber. "We will all reconvene tomorrow morning so we might finish conducting our testing of Hermione's abilities."

~000~000~000~

"I'm starving," complained Hermione, staring down at her empty plate sadly.

"You've eaten eight plates of food," Alec replied amusedly, lifting his gaze from the feeding infant in his arms and to his pouting wife who sat across from him at the table.

"And I'm still hungry," she argued.

Demetri laughed before setting her ninth helping before her and pressing a glass of human blood into her grasp.

"Drink it, all of it," he told her, ignoring her grimace. "If you want the hunger to fade, drink it. I only ordered the groceries this morning but it seems I might have to place a second order. Thankfully, they are expected to arrive this evening and the children won't go without their dinner."

"Don't be so dramatic," she scowled. "There's plenty in the cupboards."

"You ate the rice uncooked, devoured the tinned fruit and custard, inhaled the rice pudding and we witnessed you drinking the ketchup as if it were tea," Demetri deadpanned. Hermione sent a scowl to Alec when he sniggered, the vampire being unaffected as he set the feeding bottle aside and began burping Damara.

"Don't forget the pasta, Papa," 'Ras injected. "Mama ate the crunchy pasta."

"Also uncooked," Demetri agreed, ruffling the young child's hair.

"And the biscuits," chimed Teddy.

"And the bread and jam," added Ellie.

"And you almost ate the cat food," Alec smirked. "Crookshanks was not impressed."

"It's not my fault," she sighed, burying her face in her hands.

"We know, but you have to drink the blood."

~000~000~000~

"You can't do anything right, can you?" Snape grumbled, pushing his way through the door and past her, heading straight for the couches and coffee table.

"And hello to you, too. Thank you for the well-wishes and compliments on my health," Hermione rolled her eyes. "And you should know by now, I do like to keep you on your toes. From what I've heard, you've found yourself in a bit of a never-ending loop at the apothecary and you're bored out of your mind. So, here I am to provide you with a challenge and a new research project."

They'd decided to complete the remainder of the tests in the comfort of their suite, without an audience and so Hermione could be close to her children who were playing in the nursery whilst the youngest two were napping with Alec and Demetri watching over them.

She closed the door behind her and crossed to take a seat on the couch, seeing Snape startle slightly.

She sighed and pushed her hand through her silky hair, removing it from her face. "Sorry," she apologised, understanding why he'd startled. "I'm still not used to my new abilities and it's taking some getting used to."

He cleared his throat and didn't comment on the matter further as he straightened his posture and turned to face her, peering down at her.

"I had thought they were over-exaggerating your control, but it would seem not," he remarked, his eyes slowly analyzing her. "I have been informed of the happenings so far but I feel it best you tell me everything you know and everything you remember."

Nodding, Hermione she told him everything, doing her best to remain perfectly still as to not startle him and to keep her voice slow and steady, lest she accidentally breaks into vampire-speak and all he'd hear would be static.

"Interesting," he mused to himself, his eyes locked on the parchment that hovered before him and the quill that self-wrote his notes so he might have something to look back at. "Firstly, I'll examine your magic core."

Hermione held herself still when he slowly approached with his wand in hand and he muttered the incantation, his head tipping slightly in thought as he stared down at the bright silver glow, the misty smoke twisting and twirling before her stomach.

"Not only does your magical core appear to be firmly and completely intact and without injury or disruption, but, it appears to have grown in both size and strength."

"Understandable," Hermione nodded. "The venom enhances the best qualities and features, my most significant ability is my magic, and not only that, I'm a Sorceress. I had suspected there was a power growth giving that I no longer require my wand. Before the transformation I was able to cast non-verbal and wandless magic, but not to the extent I am capable of now. I can apparate freely and from what Alec and Demetri have told me, without the accompanying 'crack' that alerts others."

"I believe the only explanation you were spared the full vampiric transformation is because you are a Sorceress."

"Me too," she agreed.

"Moving on."

He removed a scalpel and empty vial from his potions kit before stepping closer, Hermione automatically offering her left palm so he might take a sample. Only, things didn't go to plan when Snape pressed the sharp blade to her skin and Hermione released a giggle at the tickling sensation.

Snape's eyes glazed over for but a moment before he scowled down at her annoyance.

"Sorry," she apologised sheepishly.

Clearing his throat, he tried once more, this time Hermione being able to muffle her laughter but the blade didn't penetrate the skin. Snape's brow furrowed thoughtfully.

"Impenetrable skin," he said aloud, the quill working to quickly jot it down on the parchment.

Hermione's head tipped slightly. She believed herself to be similar to the children and because of that, had expected to be vulnerable in some capacity. Snape was able to draw blood from the children and they were capable of being injured, the many scraped knees and cut palms they received when out in the playground were evidence of that. But it was theorized that once the children matured, they would grow into their vampiric abilities and that was why they were monitored closely as they aged. As it was, they were already faster and stronger than a human child and they possessed the enhanced senses.

"Perhaps try something forged in dragon fire," Hermione suggested, knowing that even vampires weren't immune to dragon made weapons.

Snape nodded slowly before retrieving a dagger from his potions kit, the blade silver and the handle made from dragonhide. Of course, he had one with him, Hermione rolled her eyes.

When he pressed the blade to the heel of her palm, she hissed in pain as it sliced through her like she was made of butter. Snape paid no notice as he collected the steady stream of blood, filling the vial before drawing back and setting it and the dagger aside. When he turned to face her once more, he blinked slowly at the sight of her now healed and red-stained palm.

"Incredibly fast healing," he said, the quill once more noting it on the parchment. "For the time being, I will return to my rooms and conduct the experiments. If I require anything else from you, I will send a Patronus, otherwise, leave me alone."

"Charming," Hermione snorted, folding her arms over her chest.

Snape barely spared her a glance as he gathered his belongings and strode towards the door, taking his leave and the door shutting behind him with more force than was necessary.

"Missed you, too," she snarked.

~000~000~000~

The sky had long since grown dark, the moon making an appearance and her children were sleeping soundly in their beds and Hermione darted her eyes between each of them, watching the rise and fall of their chests, hearing each breath they exhaled and smelling the bubble bath scent that clung to their skin from their earlier bath.

Snape had returned shortly after dinner and whilst the children were preoccupied in their rooms, Alec and Demetri sat with her whilst Snape explained his preliminary findings. Whilst there were a number of variables that needed to be retested and taken into consideration, and some deeper analysis was required, Snape believed he could give them the answers she needed.

After spending hours locked away in his lab and research facility and examining her blood, he'd determined that the cells in Hermione's body were no longer reproducing and as such, the answer to her question, would she age? No, she wouldn't. Whilst her heart beat, her body required oxygen, she was capable of bleeding and she needed food to sustain her, she would never age.

It seemed as though she'd gotten the best qualities a vampire had to offer; beauty, speed, strength, senses and no longer ageing. In reverse, she'd kept some of her human qualities, the warm skin, the bleeding, the breathing, the eating of food and she'd kept her memories. Just as her children, the vampiric and human DNA was perfectly balanced within her, her Sorcery having protected her from a full transformation.

Whether any of the variables would change was unknown and as such, she and Snape agreed to regular testing, at least for the time being.

Out of curiosity as to her ability to conceive another child, she'd asked Snape to examine her and he'd later determined that with her no longer ageing and her half-dead half-living status, that no, she wouldn't be able to conceive again.

A small part of her was upset by the news, and although she was happy with her current five children and she knew how lucky she was to have even conceived them, it was the finality that hurt most. Before she'd had the option, she chose whether or not to have children and now, it was impossible. She suspected this was something most female vampires felt at least once during their un-dead existence. The regret of not having children and the inability of not being able to have them.

Snape had left soon after to disclose his findings to the Lords and Hermione spent some time with her children before having them take a bath and putting them to bed, Hermione reading to them until they fell asleep.

Releasing a sigh, she knew she should leave them be despite the fact she wanted nothing more than to watch them sleep all night, and she left to her bathroom, deciding a bath was in order. After filling the tub with hot water, bath oils and bubble bath, she secured her hair atop her head, stripped off her clothes and stepped into the water, submerging and reclining with a rolled-up towel supporting the back of her neck, taking the time to process the happenings of the last forty-eight hours.

He was almost silent in his approach and if she didn't possess the abilities she now did, she wouldn't have heard him at all. Opening her eyes and turning her head to the left, her eyes locked with the red gaze that belonged to her husband as he crouched beside the bathtub, putting him at eye level with her.

She felt her mouth tug into a sleepy smile, not because she was tired, far from it in fact, but rather she couldn't remember a time when she felt more relaxed, more at peace. The water rippled when she moved to the side of the bathtub, her arms folding atop the edge and her chin resting on her forearm.

"I'm getting a very delightful sense of déjà vu," Hermione muttered softly, her hand lifting to his face and her fingers softly trailing from his cheek to his jaw.

Alec's eyes fluttered closed and he inhaled deeply through his nose, his head tilting further into her touch before his eyes opened, his mouth twitching into a smirk.

"Do you want to join me?" She asked. "I don't bite, Alec, that's your forte," she added.

Alec released a chuckle. "And now it's yours," he pointed out. "You might not be eating people, but I've seen you devour a roast chicken," he teased. "Are you challenging me?"

Her mouth twitched into a smile, her fingers ghosting over his bottom lip and he pressed a gentle kiss against the pads of her fingers.

"I don't know, am I? And if I was, are you willing to accept?"

He laughed, the angelic sound no longer affecting her as it once did but that didn't make it any less beautiful or alluring.

She tipped her head slightly, her eyes narrowing and her lips pursing.

"What is it?"

"I..." She opened her mouth and then closed it, hesitating as her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Has there ever been something you can't tell me?" He asked softly.

"No," she admitted. "I don't know what it is. I have this feeling. This urge, need. I felt it last night, this morning, at lunch... But it's getting stronger, a knotting in my stomach that's uncomfortable."

"And?" He prompted.

"I... Want to bite you," she admitted, her gaze locked with his and searching for his reaction. "I want to sink my teeth into you and never let go."

Alec's mouth tugged into a smile and he reached up, drawing her hand away from his face, pressing a kiss to her palm and then entwining their fingers together.

"From my understanding, that's normal," he said reassuringly. "We're mates, I've always felt the need to bite you, to mark you as mine, but I knew I had to be patient, I had to wait until after you had been turned. And now that you have, that need you have to bite me, it's to mark me as yours, to seal our bond."

"But won't I hurt you?" Her brow furrowed in concern and her bottom lip was captured by her teeth.

"No. Yes, it's incredibly painful when one vampire bites another, but when a vampire bites their mate, marks them, it's said to be one of the most pleasurable experiences to be had. There is no ritual or ceremony involved as there might be with other beings; it's simply a marking site is chosen and bitten."

"And where do you want to mark me?" She asked curiously.

His eyes slowly travelled across her face until they latched on her neck, more specifically, the junction of her neck and shoulder. Hermione giggled and Alec's eyes were drawn back to her own.

"Really? My neck? Seems a bit cliché, don't you think?" She teased.

His eyes crinkled as he fought his own laughter. "Perhaps," he agreed, "But it's where your scent is the strongest and to a male vampire, his mate's scent is the most alluring part of her. Mated male vampires can track their mates for hundreds of miles through scent alone."

Her eyes fluttered closed and she released a soft sigh when he leaned in closer, his nose ghosting over her neck and she tilted her head to offer him better access. She felt his smile against her skin before he pressed a feather-soft kiss to her incredibly slow pulse point.

"Just do it," she muttered.

One moment she was sleepy, calm and relaxed, surrounded by warm water lapping at her skin and soft kisses being pressed to her neck and the next everything changed.

The peace and calm were suddenly and unexpectedly replaced by fogginess in her brain, a shudder racing down her spine, fire coursing through her veins and a knotting in her stomach. Within the blink of an eye, she felt her pulse racing, her breath catching, a tidal wave ploughing through her. Her hands gripped the edge of the bathtub so tightly, it gave way beneath her strength, fracturing in her hold with some water breaking free and splashing against the floor.

She couldn't find it in herself to care, she could barely focus on anything but the stars bursting before her eyelids, the ringing in her ears, the gasping cry that fell from her lips and the spasming of her inner muscles as she clenched her thighs together in hopes it would help absorb the pleasure, the aftershocks.

It seemed to last for an eternity but in reality, can't have been more than a few moments and without warning, she fell back, slipping further into the water. Silence reigned and after taking a moment to calm her racing heart and breathing, she struggled to open her eyes but when she did, Alec was staring at her; his eyes darkened to black, crimson blood coating his lips and teeth, his clothing damp from the water that had broken free of the bathtub. She'd never seen him stare at her so intensely, stood so perfectly still like a statue.

Her mind was fuzzy and difficult to focus after what she'd just faced. The most intense orgasm she'd ever had in her life. There had been no foreplay, no teasing or dirty talk, no sex, he hadn't even touched her!

Her eyes locked with his, she brought her hand up to her neck, feeling the already healed and raised scar left behind by Alec's fangs.

"What's going on in here? I thought I heard a cat being strangled. Has Simba fallen into the toilet again?"

Demetri stepped into the bathroom before halting to a stop, his eyes slowly taking in the scene before him and he inhaled deeply, freezing for a moment before his gaze snapped to her, Hermione seeing his red eyes slowly darkening to black. He could smell her arousal.

"Alec marked me," she breathed out.

"Is that so?" He responded, approaching her. "Then it is only fair that I mark you, too. Don't you think?"

Hermione couldn't help it, between his unwavering gaze and alluring tone of voice, she nodded in a fashion similar to a bobble-head doll.

"Where do you wish to mark me?"

He smirked down at her and held his hand out expectantly. Silently, she set her hand in his and allowed him to help her stand, the water sloshing and the winter chill of the castle assaulting her skin. Alec was quick to settle a towel about her shoulders, not for her modesty but rather they still weren't used to her being so invulnerable and it was habit to do so.

"I know exactly where I plan on marking you," he promised, his gaze barely leaving hers when a soft cry filled the silence.

"It's 'Mara, I'll see to it," Alec said aloud but mostly to himself as they only had eyes for each other.

Rolling his eyes to himself, he took his leave and allowed them a moment alone whilst he tended to their youngest daughter. As Alec left the room, Hermione found herself being laid out on the large bed and Demetri hovered above her, fully clothed whilst she was completely naked.

Well, that didn't seem fair.

"Despite it no longer being disorientating, it is still annoying," she told him.

Demetri chuckled, his hand settling palm flat against her stomach before his fingers ghosted over her stretch marks, the scars of her pregnancies having faded to almost nothing. Only those with exceptional sight would be able to see, and the only ones who would be close enough to do so were her husbands. The scar caused by the impromptu c-section was slightly more visible and Hermione might've felt self-conscious if it weren't for the way Demetri's dark gaze fluttered down to it, his expression softening before he lowered his head and pressed a kiss to the scarred tissue.

"I never did thank you," he muttered.

"For?" She prompted.

"For finding the strength to hold on long enough for our little one to be safely delivered to us. You are the strongest woman I have ever met."

"That is partially because of you. If I didn't have you, my recovery after the war... It would've been a terribly different outcome."

"I don't believe that. You are the one that came to Volterra and all but demanded we help, you are the one that negotiated with the Lords when others were too cowardly. You are the one that overcame the deaths of those you loved, that survived a war, that accepted the responsibility of raising a newborn. I am certain you would've done all of those things without me or Alec."

She sighed when his mouth moved lower, just below her bellybutton.

"Where do you plan to mark me? And you should be prepared for the moment I respond in kind."

"I'm looking forward to it," he promised. "As for where..." He trailed off, his body shifting over her slightly until he was able to press a kiss to her inner right thigh, the exact spot where Fenrir Greyback had once bitten her, the evidence of his teeth marks left behind in a long since healed scar.

"Alec marked my neck," she remarked.

Demetri snorted. "So cliché," he muttered, his voice muffled slightly by the skin of her thigh.

"That's what I said, but he said it's where my scent's strongest."

He hummed. "It's not the only place," he disagreed, peering up at her, his eyes darting between her face and her uncovered centre.

Hermione felt the heat flooding her cheeks. It still amazed her that after five years together, her vampires could make her blush.

And then without warning, his fangs sunk into her inner thigh, replacing Greyback's scar with his own.

Hermione blacked out.

~000~000~000~

Her eyes fluttered open, her vision perfectly clear as Demetri hovered above her, his expression mostly concerned but she wasn't blind to the smug smile tugging at his mouth.

"Is it going to be like that every time?"

"No, in some instances we might feel the need to re-mark each other, but the sensations produced are never as powerful as the first initial bonding," he replied. "Sometimes we choose to use the same marking site, other times we choose another."

"I suppose it's my turn, if we truly want our bond to be sealed."

"But before we get to that," interrupted Alec, returning from tending to Damara and he crossed to the bed, taking a seat beside Hermione, barely batting an eyelash at her current nakedness and her second husband hovering over her, still fully clothed. "I believe we made a promise to you on our wedding night."

"A promise?" Her brow furrowed in concentration.

"A promise that could only be fulfilled once you faced the transformation," Demetri continued, his fingers rubbing lazily patterns against her bare hip.

It took her a moment to recall what they were referring to but when she saw Alec's arched eyebrow and the slight smirk tugging at his mouth, she remembered and her eyes widened and her mouth parted in surprise.

"Oh," she said breathily.

They both smirked at her.

"Oh," they chorused.

Hermione swallowed.

"But remember, once we had to be careful with you, and now, you must be careful with us."

"I'll try," she promised. "I think I'm going to love being a vampire."

Demetri chuckled whilst Alec corrected her by saying, "You're a hybrid."

"If you annoy me, I'll bite you," she warned.

"Is that a promise?" He all but purred, lowering himself until he lay beside her, his face so close to hers their noses were almost touching.

"Yes."

"Good."

And then his mouth was pressing against hers, her eyes fluttering closed whilst Demetri's hands moved to explore the subtle changes of her body.

She knew exactly where she was going to mark them. Alec on his neck, just as he'd done to her, and Demetri his forearm.

Yes. Hermione really was going to enjoy her new dead-but-alive status. She'd vowed to love her children and her husbands forever.

And forever began now.

She couldn't wait to see what the future held for her family.