Warnings for story: Language, Explicit sexual content, Alternate Universe, Not canon complaint. MENTIONS: RAPE AND MISCARRIAGE. I will not go into detail on this for I know these are hard subjects for some. Again, it just mentions it happened.
Disclaimer: JK still owns Harry Potter and all of its characters. I am just playing with them. I make no money. (unfortunately.)
A/N: Let me just say I write as a therapy for myself and myself only. Yes I take idea into consideration but I won't change to entire story because someone is unhappy. If you don't like how my story is going...Bye Felicia! Ima Braxton thanks a bunch and you know what for.
Credit: Aubrey_Snapefor being an amazing beta and Articcat621 for reading over these chapters as well and putting up with my crazy questions in the middle of the night.
Hermione led Harry to the library, closing the door behind her. However, even with the door closed, Hermione knew she was being watched; she could feel eyes on her. Glancing around the room, she found her mother sitting in a portrait, smiling at her. Father or Lucius must have sent her, she mused to herself.
"You look different," Harry stated after a moment of silence.
Rolling her eyes, Hermione went over and took a seat in one of the chairs. She motioned for him to take a seat as well.
"Glamours were place on me as a child, something that was out of my control. Would you like to blame me for that as well?"
Harry winced at her acerbic tone. "No, I just…" he trailed off, not sure of what to say. He was worried about how she would react.
"Just what?" Hermione drawled, sounding too much like Lucius Malfoy for Harry's liking. She could hear shuffling in a room down the hall and knew that Lucius and Severus were close if she needed them.
"I want you back in my life," Harry blurted out. He watched Hermione stiffen at his words before picking at her nails, a habit he knew she had when she was angry.
"You didn't need me for the past seven years. Tell me, what's different now?" she asked questioningly, her grey eyes looking at him coolly. "Or did it take you seven years for that guilt to finally fester over? That was one of your flaws, you carried guilt over everything."
Harry sighed and took off his glasses to rub his eyes. "Look, I know you will probably never forgive me. I understand that, Hermione, I do. I also know I deserve it." Harry put his glasses back on so he could look Hermione in the eye. "I was wrong, so wrong, for not saying something to stop what happened that night. I miss you, Hermione. All I can hope is that you will forgive me one day."
Hermione drummed her fingers across the arm of her chair. Harry could tell she was mentally fighting with herself over something.
"I'll leave. If you decide to forgive me, send me an owl and I will come back." Harry stood and started to walk towards the door.
"I stood by you though everything Harry." Hermione whispered. He stopped in his tracks and turned back to look at her. "I gave everything up for you; I left my parents, wiped their memories and sent them away to protect them, not that it mattered since they died anyways. Even when everyone doubted you Harry, who still stood by you?"
"You," Harry answered instantly.
"I know you probably want me to tell you that forgiveness is easy, Harry." Hermione spoke. "But it's not. Trust is even more difficult if I even give that one day."
Harry surprised her by pulling her in for a tight hug. "Thank you," he whispered, pulling back from her.
She shrugged away from him. "There is one condition, though. Sirius is never to know where I am or how I look. If I find out you tell him anything, you'll pay for it. Harry, I have my ways," she said menacingly. "You will never see me again. You'll never find me."
"I won't say anything; you have my word," Harry promised.
"We'll see," Hermione drawled. "Don't you have work to be getting back too?" she asked after a moment.
"No, I took the afternoon off," Harry said, his stomach emitting a loud growl. Hermione cocked her brow at him. "I never actually got to eat," he said, chuckling. His cheeks were red in embarrassment.
"Come, we can talk and get you something to eat in the dining room," Hermione spoke to Harry as she walked out of the room. Harry followed her through the halls.
"Hermione?" Harry spoke making her turn to him. "Sirius was really—"
"Don't Harry," Hermione snapped. "Don't go there. I don't care."
Harry stopped in the hall causing her to freeze as well, "Ok I won't go there but—," Harry paused choosing is next words carefully. "I— I may not know you perfectly like I use to, but I still know you. If you didn't truly care you wouldn't have snapped."
Hermione said nothing turning away walking to the dining room; she could hear Harry's foot steps behind her. Hermione knew in her heart, Harry was right.
Hermione called an elf to them. "Tippy!"
A small elf popped right in front of them. "Oh, missus, it's a pleasure to see you again." Tippy gave a huge smile to Hermione, who returned it.
"The pleasure it mine, Tippy. Could you please get something for Harry to eat? He missed lunch and will be taking it here," Hermione asked politely.
"Of course!" Tippy replied. Turning to Harry, she asked, "What would you like, sir?"
"Anything is fine," Harry answered, taking a seat at the table. He glanced at Hermione, who had taken the seat by him at the head of the table, with a confused expression on his face.
"They're free," Hermione answered, knowing what he was thinking. "They stay here because they want too."
"So what have you been doing?" Harry asked.
"I've studied to become a Master of defense. Severus has also been training me in Potions," she answered as the food popped in front of Harry.
"Why not just join the Aurors?" he asked as he took a bite of food.
"You know why, Harry," she answered, figuring the answer would have been obvious.
"Sorry, I just don't understand why a master of defense," Harry said with a shrug.
"It's a very touchy subject, Harry, not something I like to discuss. I've studied all different kinds of defense; including wizarding and Muggle, both physical and mental."
Harry looked closer at Hermione, studying her carefully, while Hermione had learned to hide her emotions carefully. Somehow, Harry was still the only person who could read her like an open book and apparently he still had the talent for it. He knew she was hiding something.
"Hermione, did something happen to you?" Harry asked.
She let out a dark chuckle. "You really don't want to know that, Harry. Well at least not right now."
Harry frowned at her words, before he could speak footsteps halted his words.
"Hello brother, father." Hermione smiled, looking over Harry's shoulder.
Harry paled slightly; he had never met Hermione's father before.
"Hello, darling. Your mother's portrait informed me that you were coming down to eat so we decided to join you," Abraxas spoke, coming to the other side of Hermione.
Harry looked up at the head of the Malfoy family, While he held a calm exterior Hermione could read the small amount of fear resting in Harry's eyes.
"Mr. Potter, we haven't had the pleasure of meeting before. I'm Abraxas Malfoy, Hermione's father."
"Harry Potter, sir," he said, holding his hand out across the table. Abraxas grabbed it, firmly giving it a shake. Hermione frowned at her father and brothers friendly behavior; she had guessed they would have been shut off and cold to him. The only thing she could guess was that they were following her lead.
"Pleasure to see you again, Mr. Potter," Lucius drawled, sitting down beside Harry.
Hermione suppressed a laugh; the look on Harry's face was going to be hard to forget.
"Mr. Malfoy." Harry gave a polite nod, finishing off his food. "Hermione, you're not hungry?" he asked, noticing she hadn't eaten.
"Not hungry," Hermione answered quickly, which Hermione believed to be a good thing.
"The Order will be meeting at Hogwarts tonight. Mr. Potter, you are welcome to spend the afternoon here until then," Abraxas offered.
"I can stay for a while. I have to meet Ginny before I go to Hogwarts," Harry answered.
SBHMSBHMSBHMSBHMSBHMSBHMSBHMSBHMSBHM
Hermione shut off the taps to the shower, wrapping a towel around her body as she stepped into the bedroom. A figure of black on the bed caught her attention. Severus was on the bed, watching her with a heated gaze. She stalked towards him, climbing in his lap with the towel still wrapped around her.
"I am not up here for this," Severus spoke tightly.
Hermione smirked; he was trying to stay in control. She allowed her towel to drop, rolling her hips against his hardness. She pressed her lips against his, allowing her tongue to run across his bottom lip.
"We need to stop," Severus growled his will close to being broken.
"Why? We're having so much fun," Hermione whispered, giving him a playful pout.
"That would be my point. We have to be at the meeting soon." Severus picked Hermione up and placed her on her feet as he stood and adjusted himself. "We can finish this later."
She smirked, slowly pushing him against the wall. One hand held him in place as the other slid down his chest to his zipper, undoing it. Slipping her hand inside, her fingers caressed his length. Severus grunted, letting his head rest on the wall. He felt Hermione slide to her knees, she undid his pants and tugged them down. Severus slid his hands into her wet hair, allowing Hermione to have her way with him.
"You're insatiable," Severus stated, buttoning his pants back together while he watched Hermione get dressed.
She grabbed her black lace shirt and pulled it over her white tank top. "You are too, Severus." She smirked, putting on her boots. "Are we late?"
"A little, but you know Order meetings never start on time." Severus held out his arm for her to take and led her down the stairs to the main fireplace.
"Where are we Flooing to in the castle?" Hermione asked, grabbing a handful of Floo powder.
"The Great Hall. The castle is empty except for the teachers and Order members who might all be there," Severus told her. He was worried about how she would handle being back in the midst of the full Order tonight.
"This should be a ball of fun then," Hermione said sarcastically before disappearing in a green flash.
She stepped out into the Great Hall, smiling. The Hall held so many good memories from her past. Looking around, she saw the Hall was filled with Order members she had not seen in years. The Weasleys she saw first; no one could miss all that orange hair. Ginny caught her eyes instantly; the girl had been her best girl-friend for many years.
Also among the group were Kingsley, Hagrid, and Professor McGonagall. Gazing around the room, she saw Remus, Tonks, Harry, and Sirius all huddled by the fireplace talking amongst themselves.
Severus steered her to the other side of the room, away from Sirius. The two of them sat down at the Slytherin table.
Looking over, Hermione caught Harry's eye. He gave her a slight nod, which she returned.
After a few moments, the fireplace flared up and revealed Draco Malfoy. Some of the other Order members started whispering, giving them questioning looks.
"Well, that was a warm welcome." Draco stated with a cocked brow, earning a glare from his table. "Then again maybe I can stay the center of attention."
"Always the optimist, Draco," Hermione mocked.
"I try."
As Severus fell into conversation with Draco, as Hermione rested her head on his shoulder. Closing her eyes, she allowed her senses take over so she could listen to the conversations around her. She narrowed in on Remus speaking to Sirius.
"Really? Must you watch her?" Remus asked, slightly annoyed.
"No, but she's part of the Malfoy family and I don't trust any of them. I don't know who she is," Sirius said, his voice full of skepticism.
"Sirius, what if she hears you?" Remus asks with a smirk, watching Hermione smile slightly. He knew she was listening as her vampire hearing was as good as his werewolf hearing.
"Please, she is across the room resting her head on Snivellus' shoulder and her eyes are closed." Before Sirius could say anything else, Hermione's eyes popped open; she lifted her head leveling her glare straight at Sirius. Her eyes narrowed before glancing at Remus, who was trying to hide a smirk.
Sirius wondered if she really had heard what he had been saying. He would be watching her closer.
Albus walked through the doors, coming to the front of the room.
"I would like to say first that it's good to see all of you, but it's not under these terms," Albus spoke in a grave tone. "I know some of you may have problems with the Malfoy family being here, but I ask that you place that aside as they have done by agreeing to work with us. The growing threat of vampires needs to be stopped and we must all work together to achieve that. I know we all don't want another war to break out." Looking around the room, he saw everyone was agreeing. No one spoke a word against him.
"Our last meeting had a few members there, so I will give a review of what we have so far. There is a vampire dead set on nothing but power. He doesn't care for blood status, but simply wants to overturn the wizarding world to take control. I have heard that not every vampire will be standing with Viktor, so we will be sending someone to see if we can sway them to fight on our side. From what I've read in vampire customs, their allegiance comes with a price." Albus stopped speaking, turning his blue eyes towards Hermione. "Miss Malfoy, I must ask a very large favor of you."
"What?" Ron Weasley shouted, standing up. "You're going to ask one of them to do something instead of one of the qualified Aurors in this room? Sirius and Harry are head of the department! What about Tonks? Or me even?"
Hermione rolled her eyes at his actions.
"Mr. Weasley, please explain how you're going to find an elder vampire that has been hidden for years?" Albus asked a hint of steel in his voice.
Ron fell silent.
"Miss Malfoy is a master of defense; I am sure she will be able to handle it. I have counted on her before." Albus turned back to Hermione giving Ron no time to speak. "Now, what I ask is that you pay a visit to Marcus. Through my contacts, I've heard rumors of him in Dartmoor hiding in an old wizarding mansion."
"Sounds like Marcus," Hermione said. "I won't expect a warm welcome from him. He was not happy with me the last time I left his company."
"Why?" Albus asked curiously. The rest of the room listened in.
"Let's just say we did not agree with one another," Hermione said with a dark humor.
"Wait, you know a vampire elder?" Ron snapped again. "Harry filled me in on the last meeting, why would you hide something like that?"
"Ron, stop. Now," Harry said, coming up to his side.
"I have to agree. Why now?" Sirius asked, standing as well but keeping his eye on Ron. Ron's temper had gotten worse over the years.
"My personal relationships are no one's business but my own. Just because I know him doesn't mean I can just up and visit. He moves frequently and is often hidden well," Hermione said to him coldly. Albus handed Hermione the envelope telling her where she needed to go. "As it was said before he is nearly impossible to find except for the ones who know how."
"You just think you're better than everyone else because you're a Malfoy," Ron growled, stepping in Hermione's way. Severus and Draco made no move, knowing Hermione could handle herself, but still watched carefully with their hands trained on wands ready if anything happened.
"I'm going to ask you to move one time," Hermione said. "So move."
Ron just glared down at her.
"I'm done with this." Hermione made to move around him but he grabbed her shoulder. Hermione quickly dropped the envelope and latched her hands onto his wrist and elbow, and in the blink of an eye, she snapped his elbow backwards. Ron let out a howl of pain before dropping to the floor.
"I'm not better than anyone else, but I know when to keep my hands off someone," Hermione spat, glaring down at him.
"Here," Sirius said, handing her the envelope she had dropped. "Ignore the idiot on the floor."
"Trust me, I am." Hermione turned to Albus. "I will be in touch as soon as I can."
"Of course. None of us want Viktor to begin an all-out war," Albus said, looking to her with a saddened face.
"You really trust them with something like this?" Molly spoke up, asking the question the rest of the Order wouldn't.
"Molly, I am. They are here at my request," Albus stated to the Weasley matriarch. "I have known Miss Malfoy for a while now and we have worked together before. We trust one another."
Molly turned and coldly looked at Hermione simply because she as a Malfoy. Hermione stood her ground, returning the glare with one that could rival her brother's.
"Mrs. Weasley, as much as your opinion is not wanted, I will do what's best for the Order and I am here only at Albus' request. Now I have a mission to do and would like to leave," she spat at Molly, walking to the door but not getting out in time.
"Don't you dare speak to my mother like that!" Ron yelled, going after Hermione. As quickly as Ron got up, he was back on the floor under the wand of Sirius Black.
"What the hell, Sirius?"
"Quit making a fool of yourself and the Order," Sirius growled, digging his wand into Ron's throat. "For you to lay your hands on a woman— I don't care who she is, you will never do it again. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal." Ron shoved him, getting up. "I thought you hated the Malfoys; isn't that why you broke it off with Hermione?" he spat at Sirius.
Sirius' neck turned a deep red, causing Hermione to remember the last time she had seen Sirius that angry.
She and Ron had gotten into a huge fight, with him yelling at her telling her she should stop whoring around letting Sirius screw her in the dark. Sirius had walked into the room at Ron's words and pinned him to the wall in front of everyone. No one had known about their relationship until that day.
Sirius threw a curse at Ron, knocking him back down to the ground. "Bring up Hermione again, I will have you in a wizarding duel, boy, and you will not walk out of it."
Hermione quickly left the room as Sirius turned to look at her. She had to get away from him… she didn't understand why he was acting the way he was.
"Miss Malfoy, wait!" someone called out, following her. Hermione ignored them and kept walking on.
"Hermione, stop."
She froze. That definitely caught her attention.