"I just don't want to be alone, not after that," Hermione admitted. Sirius said nothing walking over her as she pulled back the covers, he laid down watching her as she closed her eyes. She had been asleep for a few hours, as he finally seen a peaceful look on her face again, not pain not a grimace.
He dozed off sitting up beside her.
Hermione woke feeling fingers playing with the ends of her hair, her eyes shifted glancing around she found herself to be laying on Sirius' stomach. His breathing was slow as if not to wake her, from her slumber. the movements of his fingertips slowed; She could feel his gaze on the back of her head. Stretching slightly Hermione turned over, looking up to him.
"Hey," She whispered.
"Hey," Sirius replied. "Did you sleep okay?"
Hermione nodded sitting up, she stood from the bed. She heard Sirius sighed as he stood as well his footsteps soft as he moved behind her.
"Please don't shut back down," Sirius whispered placing his hand on her shoulders.
"This is hard Sirius," She replied crossing her arms. her eyes glanced at him. "I am scared to open up to you the way I was before."
Sirius turned her around making her face him, he gently placed his fingertips under her chin. "Not the way it was, Hermione. Make it something new."
Hermione thought for a moment he was going to kiss her as his eyes wondered down to her lips. He leaned forward placing his lips on her forehead. "I am going to go. Let me know if you need me."
Sirius said nothing else leaving the room.
Moments later Hermione heard he bedroom door shut, she found Severus standing in her room. Normally in the past this situation would soon be followed by sex but by the look Severus held on his face; she knew this was not the case.
"Something wrong, Severus," Hermione asked feeling her hair raise, as his face darkened. His black eyes shined dangerously as he looked over to the bed seeing it messed up.
"I see you enjoyed your night," Severus spoke monotoned, looking slightly disgusted.
Hermione raised a brow at his words, along with her rising temper. "Enjoyed wouldn't be the word I would use. What exactly would I have enjoyed from last night, Severus? Tell me."
"You slept with Black last night." Severus accused.
"Are you talking about Sex or Sleep, Severus. You're being very vague." Hermione said snidely.
You had sex with that pig. After everything," Severus paused glaring. "You fall right back into his arms. I thought you were better than that."
Hermione gave a dry laugh placing her hands on her hips, before walking directly over to him. "For your information, I didn't have sex with him. We talked I slept and so did he. I guess I am only good enough for you; when I am in your bed right, Severus?"
Hermione shook her head leaving her room and a silent Severus behind.
Hermione stood in the shower thinking of everything that was happening, Sirius, Viktor, the Elders. Getting dressed Hermione decided to wander across the manor, see as the weather outside was less than pleasant. Wondering aimlessly down the halls Hermione found herself in the closed off a portion of the manor. A door set before her with chains on it; Hermione grabbed her wand pointing it at the lock.
"Alohomora," she spoke watching the lock drop to the floor. "Well, that was easy," She comments as she turns both handles opening the doors wide. Dust falls in her face, the movement of the door disturbed the resting dust. Walking deeper into the darkened room, Hermione couldn't see far, grabbing her wand she flicked it; light flowed from the tip.
Looking around Hermione could see how large the room was, she pointed her wand around looking for the lighting in the room. Finally looking up, she found an enormous chandelier hanging above her with candles in it.
With a wave of her wand, it candles flared to life as well as the other seven just like it. As the light filled the room, Hermione stood in awe of how big the room was. Tables set still perfectly set as dust covered them. like the room was just left and closed off. Hermione's curiosity got the best of her as she began searching the room when she come across a very large painting hanging on the wall; walking over to the portrait; she slide her wand back into her sleeve, her fingers ran across the nameplate at the bottom of the frame. Malfoy, she read her family name on the plate, she looked up eye the portrait in interest.
The man in the frame looked like a perfect replica of her father, the woman at his side was beautiful, long dark blonde hair reaching her waist with eyes as green as a forest.
"That is Armand Malfoy and Cecilia Malfoy, the beginning of the Malfoy family."
Hermione jumped turning around to find her father smiling at her. "Father, a little more warning next time."
"Your suppose to have excellent hearing my darling," He smirked watching her frown. "I had always wanted to know what was behind those doors."
"Why didn't you?" Hermione questioned.
"I was forbidden to come back here," He replied simply. "after I took control of the family I was too busy to venture back here."
"Forbidden? Why?" Hermione asked looking at the silverware on the tables; the Malfoy family crest resting on the silverware. Hermione chuckled inwardly.
"I don't know," Abraxas replied following behind his daughter.
"How did you know I was down here," Hermione questioned.
"There was a ward on the door when you removed the lock."
"What was this room?" Hermione asked.
"I have been digging lately in some of the original parchments for The Manor. This was the grand ballroom, it was built with the original Manor." Abraxas began. "The land was given to the Armand Malfoy by William the conquer. The girl in the portrait is one of William's daughters."
"You seem to know a lot about this room," Hermione smirked at him
"Yes but still have no idea why it was closed off," Abraxas spoke sounding slightly baffled.
"I can tell you why." A small voice spoke up. Hermione turned sharply seeing a young teenage girl in a portrait. "I was there that night."
"What happen?" Hermione asked walking over to the portrait quickly, the curiosity high between both her and Abraxas.
"The year was 1688 and we Malfoy's knew how to hold a true ball everyone what here, Royals from every place you could think; muggles, wizards, everyone. Being invited to a Malfoy ball was beyond privilege if you weren't here you were no one, of true standing at least." The girl explained paused as if the memories played before her.
"Whats your name?" Abraxas asked.
"Lucrezia Malfoy, sir." She bowed slightly.
"What actually happened that night?" Hermione asked again sounding slightly impatient. The mystery of this room had Hermione's attention enraptured; something to keep her mind off of the other problems.
"We were all murdered that night; except my older brother," Lucrezia began. "My father mother and I were killed first. In the Choas, my brother was hidden and somehow overlooked, oh so I had believed." The girls face darkened.
"What do you mean?"
"He had us all killed to take over the family." Lucrezia spoke bluntly. "He came here years later to the family painting and confessed, happily about it."
"If he wanted to take over the family. Why not just kill your parents?"
"I was apparently a nuisance. He told everyone muggle borns had broken into the manor and killed all of us, thereby fueling the hatred for muggle borns. While I have not been able to leave this room, I could still hear the world continue on."
"How did your brother hide?"
"Besides letting our murders into the manor? There is a stone on the fireplace that slides inward, opening a passage. Though, I do not know where it leads."
Hermione's face lit up slightly looking up at her father, only to fins him over at the fireplace already looking.
"Thank you," Hermione spoke quickly, jumping up to go to her father.
Abraxas ran his fingers over the stones of the fireplace; until they found a loose stone. Pressing it in; the bricks in the fireplace moved, letting the dust that had settled, move for the fist time in years. "Looks like we will be having an interesting afternoon," He said glancing into the fireplace watching an opening open up.
"Looks that way," Hermione replied taking her wand in her hand. Flicking her wand at the opening, the light of her wand lit the darkness. Walking closer to the entrance Hermione Saw stairs spiraling downwards. Flames sprang to life on the torches lining the walls, causing Hermione to jump back slightly.
"Jumpy?" Abraxas smirked looking down at Hermione who glared back up at him.
"Forgive me," Hermione replied snarkily. "Flames happen to do that since you know, I am a vampire now."
"Then be more aware of you surroundings," Abraxas advised moving past her going down the stairs.
"Very funny." Hermione grumbled following her father down the stairs until they entered a opening in a study, bookcases lined the wall behind and an old desk covered in scrolls and potion bottles.
"I am going to light the room, that alright with you?" Abraxas asked cheekily; earning a glare from his daughter. The room filled with light as Abraxas lit the torches.
"Father?" Hermione asked not letting her eyes leave the wall she was looking at. "Can you explain that?" Hermione questioned pointing to the medieval weapons lining the walls as well as a few different wands.
Abraxas looked at the wall in confusion, "I can honestly say I have no idea."
Hermione turned back around going over to the desk, blowing the dust off of the scrolls; Her eyes widened as she took in the information on the scrolls. "I think I have an Idea, Vampire hunters."
Abraxas frowned coming over to Hermione's side. His eye grazed over the paper, looking down at the bottom of the page finding a Malfoy signature. Shifting through the papers, he found one listing all of the vampire elders, with lines crossing out names.
"Vampire hunters?" Hermione said with confusion evident on her face.
"Elder hunters." Abraxas corrected. "Someone was trying to eradicate vampires."
"Wow, good to know the Malfoy family hated vampires as much as Muggleborns." Hermione blurted out earning a sharp glare from her father. "Sorry." Hermione apologized quickly.
Abraxas cleared his throat looking back to the paperwork.
"Some Malfoys, actually worked for a living. aLthough we were not very well remembered for it."
Hermione sighed looking up, "More portraits."
"None of this is in the family records," Abraxas spoke up dropping the papers on the table.
"Yes because our family is known for telling the truth." /he mocked leaning forward in his chair. "I am Alastair Malfoy."
"I guess we are getting family history today," Hermione whispered as her father simply nodded in agree. "Were you a hunter?"
"I was until I was killed by and Elder. when you kill an Elder their whole lines die with them, so when you kill them you have others unhappy about that and come after you. Especially if they have a mate."
How many elders were there when you started," Hermione asked.
"there were twelve, I had killed three and my son had killed five until his daughter was kill by one. He stopped after that."
"So would he have personal journals about killing them?"
"Yes, he did. The top Shelf has his journals there. All hand written and in order." He told her before raising a brow looking her over. "I am guessing the Elder you after turned you?"
Hermione's eyes widened.
"Don't look so surprised, I hunted vampire elders down. The look in your eyes tells me this was never something you wanted."
"No, I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy," Hermione replied quietly.
"Use the books as you see fit. Trust me, you will need all the information in those journals."
A/N: Okay, well as you can see i am back. I will still be a little slow with updates, my husband had surgery so I am taking care of him. I cannot Thank you all enough for being as patient and as you all have been after the suicide in my family.
A/N 2: I want just a little something between Hermione and Abraxas and I thought of this while watching Anastasia. Nothing made my muse spark even a little till I watched that...and yes I do mean the cartoon. Now don't worry Hermione won't be going medieval Buffy the vampire slayer but she will gain some useful knowledge from the books. I do have some new stories, one-shots, and a part two to one of my one-shots. Thank you all again.