Disclaimer: JK still owns Harry Potter and all of its characters. I am just playing with them. I make no money. (unfortunately.)
A/N: Silv3rfox, I must say you got it right. Bravo!
A/N: Ok I owe you all the biggest apology for not updating sooner. Real life got in the way...alot! Between work and my husband getting a new job it has been nuts! as well as awful migraines that i have had nearly three to four times a week and lasting all day, it's been difficult to write anything. I have a doctor's appointment with a neurologist on the 27th hopefully its nothing bad. Again please forgive me for not updating sooner!
Credit: Aubrey_Snape for 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, stop."
Hermione froze. That had caught her attention.
"Damn it," Hermione hissed balling her fist in irritation. She turned around and saw herself facing Ginny Weasley. "How do you know? Did Harry tell you?"
"No!" Ginny blurted her eyes going wide. "Wait, Harry knows?" Ginny asked, suddenly confused.
"He found out at Malfoy Manor. Severus and I were arguing and as Harry came through the fireplace, Severus spoke my name." Hermione crossed her arms over her chest. "Now, I'll ask you again; how do you know?"
"Your eyes," Ginny explained, stepping a bit closer to her. Fidgeting she continued explaining. "They gave you away when you looked to Sirius, when he looked at you. A monkey could put the pieces together."
"Some people have not put it together," Hermione said, cocking a brow. Hermione could feel the nervousness roll off her in waves.
"Therein lays my point," Ginny replied with a smirk. "I'm glad you here, Hermione." Her voice holding a genuine happiness to it.
Hermione looked at the floor, absentmindedly rubbing her forehead. "You can't tell anyone, Ginny. I am only here for a short time. I'm only here to end this with Viktor."
"I won't tell anyone, I promise. I hope you will forgive me." Ginny was quiet for a moment. "This time, please tell me where you go."
"As I told Harry, it'll take time," Hermione said with a shrug. "Although as I remember, you were not there that night."
Ginny lunged abruptly throwing her arms around, Hermione. Squeezing tightly she would have suffocated any normal human being. Ginny let go of Hermione almost as quickly as she had touched her.
"Stay safe, Hermione," Ginny said as Hermione made her way to the door.
"Always am," Hermione replied, casting a glance over her shoulder.
-Two and a half weeks later-
Albus stood with Sirius in the Great Hall discussing matters of the Order. Albus worried in the back of his mind about Hermione. She should have been back by now and this worried him.
"Should we start searching for her, Albus?" Sirius asked. He, too, felt uneasy about the girl's lengthy disappearance. "The women has been gone to long."
"Give it another—"
Albus' words cut off as the fireplace exploded. Out stepped a man, or what first looked like a man. His long black hair was tied back at his neck and he was dressed impeccably. A dark red button up shirt and black pants adorned his body, paired with a long black coat and black boots. His blood red eyes looked around the room, a smirk on his face.
He yanked Hermione forward, his grip tightening on her throat. He hoisted her into the air and glared at the pair of them.
Hermione laid dirtied, blood covering almost every inch of her. She struggled against his grip, her hands latching onto the wrist wrapped around her throat.
"You sent her," he spoke with a deep, baritone voice, "to pay the price of my allegiance?"
"You must be Marcus?" Albus said calmly.
Sirius ripped his wand from his sleeve and pointed it at the vampire elder. Sirius wasn't one to take any chances.
While Albus was acting calmly, he was somewhat nervous. He kept his eyes trained on the person before him who was holding his Order member.
"My reputation precedes me," Marcus muttered. His red eyes turned to Sirius. "Try and throw a spell, wizard, and I will rip that arm off before you can even mutter the word." As he glanced at Sirius, a sickening smile came across his face. He turned to Hermione.
"Oh, my sweet girl, this is just too rich."
"Screw you, Marcus," Hermione spat. She struggled against his grip, which he tightened in response. She hissed in pain.
"Why are you here?" Albus asked the elder, watching him carefully.
"Ah, yes," Marcus said, turning his attention back to the Headmaster. "She paid the price for my coven's allegiance against Viktor. His reign needs to end," Marcus said seriously. "My brother has become too wild and can no longer be controlled. I will allow it no more."
"We are very pleased to have your allegiance," Albus said, tilting his head slightly in a mock bow. "Now I ask you to let my Order member go," Albus asked, steel in his voice and the twinkle in his eyes gone. He watched as Hermione tried to get out of Marcus' grip.
"No one knows your little secret do they?" Marcus laughed, raking his eyes over Hermione.
She growled at his words.
"Ah, yes, now I remember. Your little problem," Marcus taunted her, laughing as her growl deepened turning more animalistic. "That's right, let out the beast, the one you constantly deny."
In a flash Hermione found her strength and grabbed him from behind. She threw Marcus to the ground.
Sirius looked on in shock of what was happening before him.
Hermione glared down at Marcus, her eyes now bright red.
"You have no right to speak of things you know nothing about!" she hissed.
Marcus laughed. "Oh, I know more than you think I do."
"What do you know!" she demanded, grabbing him by the throat.
"I know every detail about that night." He smiled, taunting her. "I have watched you very closely."
"You're no better than Viktor!" Hermione spat.
The taunting smile on Marcus' face immediately disappeared, replaced by rage. He pulled her hand from his throat and pulled her to the ground so he was on top of her. His hands wrapped around her throat in a bone-crushing grip.
"Do not forget your place, young one," he spat, his voice growing deeper. "You forget who you are speaking to. I am a vampire elder and you are beneath me. Never compare me to the monster my brother is, be glad that I like you for you would be dead if I did not. "
"Let her go!" Sirius shouted. Even if the woman was a Malfoy, no one deserved such treatment. The pain in the woman's eyes hurt him more than he would care to admit.
"Gladly, but first—" He reached into his coat and pulled out a seriated dagger. He plunged it into her thigh, turning it as he did.
Hermione screamed out in pain.
"I hope you enjoy trying to get that out. It is terribly hard without a werewolf, wouldn't let just anyone touch that nasty death and all." He looked down at her. "Soon all the secrets will be brought to light," Marcus whispered, looking into her eyes. He swiftly grabbed her hand and pulled the ring from her finger. "Enjoy the light, dear girl." Holding the ring in his palm, he crushed it.
"We shall speak soon." Marcus spoke as he turned and the way he came.
As soon as the ring left her finger, Hermione felt her skin begin to burn from the sunlight flooding the room. She began to crawl towards a corner, trying to find some darkness. The dagger in her thigh felt like someone was ripping her flesh inside out. The vampire in her was fighting to live.
Albus flicked his wand and slammed the shutters to the window closed.
Hermione sagged in partial relief. Her leg began to burn as if it was burning her from the inside out. The burn brought the memories of her painful transformation rushing in her present.
"Albus, I need Severus and Remus now!" She gasped out.
Nodding, he sent a Patronus out, calling both men to them.
"Let me help you," Sirius said, cautiously approaching her. His eyes took in the blood seeping onto the floor. Hermione let out a deep warning growl, halting Sirius's cautious advance on her.
"Stay away from her!" Severus' deadly voice broke the silence as he billowed passed the wizard. Remus followed close behind his eyes locked on Hermione's formed.
As Severus came to Hermione's side, he wrapped his cloak around her.
Sirius watched the two interact.
"Severus?" she asked, her voice laced with pain. She clung to his coat like he was her life line.
"I'm here now. Everything will be all right," Severus consoled her. He picked her up and pulled her into his arms. "Lupin, call her father and then meet us in the Hospital Wing. Be quick about it." He moved past them, carrying Hermione upstairs.
Remus summoned his Patronus. "She's here, come quickly." The Patronus shot out the window, disappearing. He turned on his heels and went as fast as he could to the hospital wing.
Sirius was hot on his heels. "She's a vampire?"
"Yes," Remus answered curtly. He knew Sirius was about to find out that Miss Malfoy was really Hermione.
"You knew?" Sirius asked in disbelief.
"Yes, I knew. I'm a werewolf, I could smell her," Remus said, sounding annoyed.
"And you didn't think to share that with me?"
"No, and I have my reasons why—" His words died when he saw Hermione laying on a bed covered in blood.
"Lupin, I need you now. The dagger has gone through the bones to the other side," Severus said, coming over with blood on his hands.
Remus quickly moved to Hermione's side to help.
"Remus, please, you need to get it out," Hermione begged him. "It bloody hurts! Just please, get it out." She whimpered as Remus came to her side.
"Do you need anyone before I pull this out?"
"No." Hermione shook her head, grasping his arm she asked."Where's my father?"
"He's coming."
"Okay. The edges of the dagger are serrated and they are designed to grab at the flesh as it comes out. Just please, get it out of me Remus. Please," Her voice cracked from the pain.
Sirius stood back, watching curiously at how she was pleading with Remus. It was almost as if she knew him.
"You can stand over here," Severus snarled at Sirius, who glared at the Potions Master once his back was turned.
"All right, Severus, let's get this out," Remus said, trying to remain calm.
Severus gave Hermione the strongest pain potion he could. As she drank it, she watched Severus close the curtain around her bed.
Sirius's eyes narrowed. The two of them spoke as if they had known each other for years. Something was going on he was going to find out what it was.
SBHMSBHMSBHMSBHMSBHMSBHMSBHM
After about an hour, the dagger had finally come out. While removing it, the dagger had done its job of trying to pull apart the flesh on its way out.
The pain had made Hermione yell out in agony, the sound echoing against the large walls of the hospital wing.
Remus and Severus had then quickly cleaned up the blood, allowing Hermione to self-heal.
Severus helped her to get some new clothes on after he cleaned the old blood off her. He had to give her some of his blood to help her heal faster.
Remus watched as she fed, the redness of her eyes and her fangs intriguing him.
Once she finished, she laid back in the bed. Severus sat in a chair next to her, a compress on his wrist.
"You can open the curtain, Remus," Hermione said, looking to him.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
Hermione nodded. "And thank you for everything."
"You're welcome," Remus replied. "I will always be there for a friend."
Hermione gave him a small smile.
Opening the curtain, they saw Albus, Sirius, Harry, and the Malfoys standing there.
Albus immediately stepped forward, his blue robes swishing around his feet. "I want to thank you. The price you had to pay was-"
"It was nothing," Hermione cut him off. "It had to be done. Besides, I'm already healing. I will not let Viktor hurt anyone the way he hurt me." She sat up, feeling her strength returning already, thanks to Severus' blood.
Harry stepped forward, an expression of shock on his face. "There's no way someone… normal would have survived that. Are you a vampire?"
"Yes, but luckily for me I am already dead, no need for you to worry." Her words cut at Harry like a knife but he knew she had her reasons.
Abraxas, who had been scared out of his mind with worry, came and sat on the edge of her bed. "You're never leaving again. You scared the hell out of all of us. I've listened to your screams too many times; I can't do it again.
"Never, father," Hermione whispered. Her brother and nephew stood on the other side of her bed.
Sirius, whom had been quiet the whole time, stood back and watched how Abraxas and Lucius interacted with the girl. Watching them whisper, he finally realized who she was.
"How are you related to the Malfoy family?" Sirius asked, his eyes locked on Hermione. His face was unreadable.
"She is my daughter. I am sure you remember her." Abraxas stood from her bed and glared at Sirius. His hand twitched towards his wand. He wanted nothing more than to hex the man standing before him.
"Hermione?"