Disclaimer: I do not own anything and make no monies writing this.

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Chapter 8

When the sun started going down, Hermione made sure her home was neat. She knew Eric and Godric would be by soon and wanted them to feel welcome and comfortable. She had just put a few books back onto the bookshelf when she heard the "knock" and smiled when the wards alerted her to her company. Telling them to come in and then smiling at the looks on their faces she let them know the wards had informed her who was at her door. She could see the relief in their eyes and behind that there was still awe, which made her smile widen. It was wonderful that something she was so used to could cause such wonder in these two ancient beings. When she told them that they were the only ones to see her home a bit cheekily, she loved the smiles they gave her. Then it sunk in that Eric was there too, not that she minded but she was a bit confused.

Then Godric kissed her on the cheek and she blushed terribly. She loved the sweet gesture but was amazed how it affected her. When she commented on Eric being there, she blushed all the way to her toes from his comment. Really, the man was incorrigible. Hermione secretly loved his attention and knew, then, life around Eric would be quite interesting. When Eric had excused himself to go to the bar, he had kissed her forehead again and reignited her blush. He was chuckling as he walked out of the tent and took to the sky. Hermione stood there for a moment and then shook her head and turned to Godric.

"Please, have a seat. Is there anything I can get you?" Hermione asked as she sat on the couch.

"No, thank you." Godric replied as he sat on the couch as well, a cushion between them, turning his body towards her.

"Well, where should we start?" Hermione asked, smiling, as she turned her body towards him.

Still smiling, Godric motioned for her to start, if she wanted.

"Alrighty then." Hermione said as she thought of the question to start with. "Is there any area I should steer clear of?" she asked.

"I have nothing to hide, however, know that whatever question you ask, I will attempt to answer to the best of my abilities and some of the answers you may not like." Godric told her with a serious look.

"Fair enough." Hermione replied, understanding what he was saying a bit too well.

"Okay, how about, how long have you been a vampire?" she asked, figuring it was a safe question to start with, momentarily forgetting she had been told this the night before.

"For over two thousand years now." Godric answered and watched her face light up. He chuckled at her response and the look of awe on her face.

"Oh, right, you told that to me while at the office." At Godric's nod, Hermione continued excitedly once it clicked the ages of her new vampire friends. "Oh, my Merlin! I can't even imagine living for so long. There's so much you have seen! You have seen lines literally change on the maps, countries change names, empires rise and fall, the many wars, oh, now I have no idea where to start. I have so many questions running through my brain!" Hermione exclaimed, completely overwhelmed by how much this one being alone had seen during his long life, er unlife(?), whatever it was called.

Godric smiled widely at her with a twinkle in his eyes, "Yes, I have seen all of that and much more."

Hermione stared at him wide eyed for several moments before she shook her head to clear it and then suggested, "Why don't we take turns then? I know you are curious of my world just as I am curious of yours. The only thing I ask is to not get too personal. I'm not quite ready yet to speak of myself on such a level. I will understand if you wish to not answer personal questions as well."

"There is no question you can ask that I would mind answering, just remember, my answers may not be to your liking. There has been much I have done in the millennias I have walked this earth and not all of my actions are honorable." Godric told her.

Hermione started the questioning and they spent the next few hours going back and forth. She wanted to know about him and this world and he asked questions about hers. When the subject of the war she had been in came up, she told him the general details about it. It was enough for Godric for the moment. He was surprised by her reactions or lack thereof, in a few cases, in regards to his answers. Granted, they really didn't get too personal this go round. It was more learning about the other's world more than anything really personal.

Godric was amazed to learn about the governing bodies of her world and she was amazed of the hierarchy of this one. He had commented and asked about several things he had read in Hogwarts: A History. He asked her about its accuracy and was fascinated how the book truly reported on the history of her world. It seemed it was more accurate than any history book in this world. When she asked him about his human years, Godric got a faraway look on his face and told her what it had been like.

He told her of fighting the Romans and how his people had held them off for so long before the Romans' numbers finally overtook theirs. How he was dragged through the street as a trophy but he had held his head high. Well, as high as he could, considering he had been beaten pretty badly and was battle weary. He told her about the customs he grew up with and then watched disappear when his people were integrated with the other tribes around. He told her of his family and how he had to watch as his father was killed in battle then his mother was "given" to another tribe's leader. He told her of his sister who had been learning the Druidic ways, who was eventually killed by the vampire who made him. He then, briefly, told her of his turning. He wouldn't go into any details, yet, of his maker but she picked up on his distaste for the being.

In between her questions, Hermione told Godric of her world: the Ministry of Magic, the Wizengamot, Gringotts Bank, the various jobs and what some entailed, the first Wizarding War, the Second Wizarding War, Hogwarts. As she was about to go into the various beings and creatures of her world, there was a "knock" on her "door". When Hermione opened the flap, there stood Eric. He had changed his clothes and smiled at her. She stepped back to allow him entry before retaking her spot on the couch.

"Ah, you are just in time to hear of the magical beasts and beings of her world." Godric commented to Eric.

"Excellent." Eric said. "I read Fantastical Beasts and Where to Find Them and, if it was correctly written, you have some truly fascinating creations in your world."

"That we do." Hermione replied with a smile. She then went on to tell them about the creatures and beings she knew of. Of those she had met personally, those she had interacted with and others she had learned about. Godric was amazed by the many different species of beasts and the other beings in her world. It amazed him to hear of actual werewolves, the ones Hollywood liked to portray. Unlike their world, which intrigued Hermione, where the weres would be considered more animagus in her world. Now that was an interesting topic all by itself to them. To imagine being able to transform into an animal and not "smell" like that animal, that would be amazing. A vampire could always tell who was what, the werewolves smelled like dogs and the werecats, be it tiger, panther, etc. would smell like felines. Then shifters had their own smell just as witches had theirs. It was how vampires could tell them apart and know how to handle a situation.

Hermione was amazed that no one in this realm could transform like in her world. Here the weres were totally different. Then there were the shifters, "witches", trolls, and several others; not as many as in her realm but more than she thought there would be. It was comforting to know they existed in this world, even if most were hidden from the human world. She could understand that, very few muggles knew of the wizarding world. It was how everyone stayed safe, well safer, anyway.

After several hours of question and answer, Hermione asked Eric how his club was doing.

"It is doing well, the usual clientele. I would have much preferred to be here instead." He answered, winking at Hermione and making her blush again.

"What my child is not telling you is that he sits on a throne on a dais for the "clientele" to fawn over." Godric told Hermione with a gleam in his eyes.

Hermione couldn't help the gobsmacked expression and laughed. "You're kidding right?" she asked.

"I am afraid he is not." Eric answered. "My child, Pamela, thought it would be a gas as well as profitable for me to sit upon a throne in the center of the bar. Much to my dismay, she was right. At least about the profit part. I am not exactly thrilled to be objectified but the business does do better when I sit there for a few hours each night." Eric told her with a blank face.

Hermione burst into peals of laughter, causing the two vampires to grin at her. She couldn't believe Eric would do that! She couldn't wait to meet this Pam, she sounded like the type of female she could get along with. When she finally calmed down and noticed them grinning at her, she shrugged her shoulders.

"You have to admit, it is comical. I would never have imagined you sitting on a throne for others to gawk at and fawn over." Hermione chuckled.

When Daisy popped in with food for Hermione, Godric took advantage to fill Eric in on their conversation before he arrived, not wanting Hermione to repeat herself. After she finished eating, making sure there was nothing she could get them, the conversation went to Eric sharing a bit of his life with her. He, like his Maker, wasn't afraid to answer any question she might pose. He just made sure that Godric's condition to answering was his too. He didn't want her to be shocked by his honesty. The answer, sure, but not his honesty to the question.

Hermione couldn't believe how willing they were to answer her questions. She tried to not get too personal but sometimes the conversation would veer off on its own. She appreciated their honesty in answering, even if it was personal. She knew one day she would tell them more personal things about herself but she wasn't ready yet and was thankful they accepted that. She had only had about a year to adjust where they had centuries to.

As they were about to end the night, Hermione felt the portal open again. She went completely still, getting her visitors attention immediately.

"What is it Hermione?" Eric asked.

"The portal has opened back up. Would the two of you mind going with me to check it out?" she asked them and was relieved at their nods.

"I'll apparate us there, it'll be quicker. Eric? Is there any way for you to know if the office is clear or not?" Hermione asked, not wanting to surprise anyone or appear in an object that had been moved.

"There is not. Will that be a problem?" Eric asked.

"Well, would anyone change the furniture around since you left?" she asked instead.

"There should not be a reason to, no." Eric answered.

Hermione thought for a moment before she gave a slight nod.

"I'll just disillusion us then. That way, if anyone is in the office, we won't be seen." Hermione told them. At their confused looks, she explained disillusionment to them. They agreed that it would probably be the best bet.

Once she had them disillusioned, Hermione told them to hold on and do not let go. When she felt them grasp her arms, she turned on her heel and apparated them away. After seeing that they were alone in Eric's office, Hermione took the spell off. When she saw their faces, she couldn't help the chuckle from escaping.

"Sorry, I should have warned you how it would feel." Hermione apologized to them. "It does get easier each time." She informed them.

"That is good to know. That was a really strange sensation." Godric commented.

When Hermione looked toward the portal, her breath caught. The only person she would miss from her world was staring back at her!

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