.

Vampire and Prey

by lookimacloud

Chapter

A New Death

Hermione didn't seem to mind Draco's demand. She stared down at his 'gift' and then kissed him, but not as deeply as he would have liked. Draco couldn't wait to taste her lips with the full force of his passion. If Hermione knew what Draco had planned for her, then she wouldn't come willingly, and he didn't want to take her by force, she could no longer defy him. Not that she ever had.

"Come, let's get married now." He persuaded. "On our anniversary." On my true 'birthday', "It could be no better. On this night I have my inheritance given to me, and now all I need is my wife to exercise it."

"What do you mean, your inheritance? Draco what are you keeping from me?"

"I want you Hermione. I want to be your husband. I want to be a father. I promise you Hermione, that you will never, ever, be taken advantage of again. People will respect you because you will be my wife." How he longed to tell her what it was really going to be like. How he was going to become her King. How he was going to get her pregnant, and she was going to give him a son. How she was going to stand by his side while he ruled his Kingdom and wiped out his cousin's clan.

"Draco," She thought for a moment before she leaned over the bridge and shouted to the deserted sea, "I am going to marry this man and nothing is going to stop me."

Draco smiled, knowing that nothing was going to stop him either.

"Hermione, I want you to be my wife as soon as can be. I want to start our life together. Marry me now."

"Tonight?" she asked surprised.

"Yes," Draco reached for her hand, "For the best anniversary we could share, give yourself to me."

"Okay." She agreed.

Draco kissed her. Hermione's agreement was no necessary, she would have married him tonight anyway, but it felt good to have it. He was a little too excited however.

"Owe!" Hermione pulled back from the kiss, but stayed in the circle of his arms. "You bit my tongue a little bit Draco. It's nothing." She said when she saw what she took for concern on his face.

Draco was far from concerned. He wished he could kiss her as he wished to without piercing her tongue. She would have to die first, he reminded himself. She was not a vampire yet.

Hermione then learned, as it turned out, that Draco already had tickets to Vegas that night. She was literally swept off her feet. She and Draco were married four hours later. The wedding was a small ceremony with Elvis to give the blessing. It wasn't Hermione's dream wedding, but she was glad that she was finally married to Draco. Hermione fully planned on having a small ceremony when they got home. She wanted the flowers, and the white dress. She wanted her best friend as her bride's maid. Hermione made a mental note to call Ginny and ask her to clean her kitchen again. Ginny couldn't refuse if Hermione was on her honeymoon.

Draco carried her off to their suite at Caesar's Palace. He was grinning like he'd just secured something very precious to him. She knew the feeling. Hermione lived for those small smiles of his. Usually Draco was very reserved in his feelings. She knew obviously, that he loved her, but he was not one to wear his emotions on his sleeve. Hermione rested her head on Draco's shoulder and smiled too.

Draco carried her over the threshold of their suite and dropped her on the bed. "You get yourself comfortable wife." He all but purred, "I will be right back."

"Okay." Hermione whispered, snuggling down in the bed. "Don't be too long or I might just have to find a replacement."

"That won't be necessary. Believe me when I say that there is nothing that I would rather do then to make you my own."

"I thought you had already done that Draco?" Hermione teased.

"You just wait."

Draco walked into the bathroom and turned the tub faucet, pausing for a moment to make sure Hermione was doing as she'd been told. He then jumped out the window. Draco arrived at home a scant three minutes later.

"Father." He called, entering the secluded castle. "It is done."

His father came out of the shadows, his mate at his side. "Is she a vampire?" he asked.

"No, but she wears the ring. She is my wife and is obligated to do my will."

"Do you have the human?"

"That is what I came for. I need you to get her boss here, Diggory Lockheart. He is to be on a silver platter with an apple in his mouth. She wishes him naked. He will not be. He will be our meal for the ceremony."

"Yes." his father agreed. "You and your mother will teach this human what her duty is. My time here is nearly done."

Draco nodded to his father, and left. The water was almost half filled when he arrived back at the suite. He twisted the faucet to turn the water off.

"Draco? Aren't you going to come and warm me up?" Hermione called to him.

"Yes," he hissed under his breath. Draco retracted his eager fangs, and walked out of the shadowed room over to the bed.

Blood, oh yes blood. He would have her blood soon.

Draco leaned into her. Hermione welcomed him with open arms. "Kiss me Draco." She pled.

He kissed her, first on the lips, then across her chin. Hermione shivered in anticipation. Draco did too.

He moved from the base of her throat, to the side of it. She would be his forever. Draco breathed in the scent of her skin; he nuzzled her hair with his head, teasing himself. No more wait, he thought. No more wooing. No more daylight. No more dry food. It was the end of his suffering.

Draco hissed his approval and bent to her neck. "Hermione, watch me. This is the beginning of your death."

Hermione's passion filled gaze rested on her husband's just before he sank his teeth into her neck. Hermione screamed. Draco was biting her. Why? Oh God it hurt. "Draco?" she cried with the pain.

The pain was excruciating. She tried to push him away, to let him know he was hurting her. Draco wouldn't budge. With each moment, Hermione grew more panicked. Draco was holding her down. In her panicked state, she screamed. The world was going in and out of focus when Draco finally lifted his head.

"What was that for? My neck hurts now. I..."

Hermione's body spasmed. Her face had gone pale. Draco stood and pulled a chair over to the bed. He then sat and watched her. The deed was done. Her blood had been well worth the wait. Draco felt alive and relaxed. He sprawled his legs out before him, and watched the change.

She was screaming now, her body still shivering. Blood trailed down the column of her throat, soaking into the pillow. "Draco." Hermione moaned.

"You're mine now," he whispered, satisfied. Hermione's pain induced eyes stared him down, heavy lidded though they were. "When you finish with your change, I will take you to my castle. Then we will be bonded. You will be too weak to do anything to stop it. Just obey me and you will be fine, my Queen."

Hermione passed out. Either from the pain or the shock it didn't mattered, nor did Draco care. He picked her limp form up into his arms and stared down into her face. She felt wonderful in his arms. Oh and she had been sweet. She was now vampire, though she wouldn't stir until he brought her to her maids. Once they fed her a reviving potion, she would be back with him. Draco jumped out of the window, just as a shout and the banging of security sounded at the door.

The wind billowed through his hair, and over his coat. The force of it pushed Hermione hard against him. She was going to marry him now, by his laws. He had to bond before midnight. Looking at the moon, Draco judged that he had about two hours to get the deed done.

"Father." Draco called about the shadows of the castle. "Mandala." he called again. The maid materialized before him. Draco placed Hermione into the bulky woman's arms. "This is my Queen. Take her to my quarters and ready her for the ceremony." Draco watched as the maid walked away. More like, he watched Hermione until he disappeared from view.

His father came in the room. "It is done?" he questioned.

"Yes." Draco affirmed "It is done. We will bond before sun up."

"Good. I will spend the rest of my time with your mother. She greaves for me."

ooooo

Draco had the ballroom readied for the ceremony before Hermione woke from her death. He even had Diggory Lockheart placed on a platter on the back table, all set as his Queen's chosen sacrifice. Vampire Lords by the many came to witness the binding of their Prince and his prey. All that was missing from the picture now, was their future King's Queen, and his parents.

When Draco called for them, the King and Queen promptly walked side by side through the ceremonial path that ended their bonding, honoring the King's rule. As the King and Queen sat in their chairs for the last time, Draco called for his bonding mate to present herself.

The servants quickly escorted an out of sorts Hermione forward. She was dressed in all black from shoulder to toe, and was too stunned by her surroundings to do much of anything but stare. "Draco?" She questioned, spotting him amidst her confusion. "Where are we? I feel ill. Can someone tell me who all of these people are? Draco…"

Hermione stopped rambling when she saw how emotionless Draco's eyes were. What had happened to her new husband? Was he having second thoughts?

"Bring forth the sacrifice." Draco shouted into the silent room.

Hermione watched in a daze, as a silver platter was carried to them from the back of the big room. They had to be the center of attention. Everyone was staring at them. Who were these people? Why did she feel so weak? It was Draco who held her in the circle of one of his arms facing the crowd. Hermione couldn't have stood if he hadn't been holding her. Hermione noticed then, what was on the platter, Mr. Lockheart, tied in a fetal position. Hermione tried to go to him. She didn't get past two wobbly steps before Draco hulled her back up to his side.

"What's going on?' she asked again.

This time he answered her. "We have to go through a little ceremony right now in order for me to get my inheritance." He whispered in her ear.

"Oh." Hermione accepted that answer readily. Draco knew she still was not thinking clearly enough to understand what he had told her, because she didn't ask any more questions.

As soon as the giant tray was rested upon table placed before them, Draco's parents rose from their throne and took their positions on either side of Hermione. Draco backed away and motioned for them to begin.

Both the King and the Queen held hands, leaned forward, and pierced either side of Hermione's neck with their fangs. Hermione just stared at Draco, stupefied. She would feel no pain from the biting and would never again, but Draco knew she felt the pressure of their deadly kisses.

These piercings were yet another tradition of the Vampire Bonding Ceremony. Both the parents of the Prince, bit his chosen Queen as a show of their acceptance. The bite itself made sure that part of the King and Queen were placed into the future heir of the throne, the child Hermione would carry as soon as it was fertilized; the insured egg that had been there since the very moment Draco had placed his bonding ring on her finger. This child, Hermione could not prevent having, now that she wore the ring.

When the biting ended, his parents backed away from Hermione, leaving her standing alone. She shot a quick glance over at them, and then placed her hands around her neck as if to ward everyone away. Draco motioned for her to come to him, and when she didn't do as he'd requested, he looked down at his own ring, and kissed it. Hermione immediately came forward, following the order.

Draco had only to kiss his ring, to have Hermione do anything he wished, even if it was not of her own will. Draco's father had used this ring's power many a time on his 'wife' when she'd irritated him, and now that legacy had been passed to him.

Draco took hold of Hermione's hand, noticing how cold she was compared to him. She would remain so until she'd had her first meal. He held their joined hands up above their heads, to the resounding cheer of the room. There was only one thing left for her to do. Draco's personal servant came forward with a sash, and tied Draco and Hermione's wrists together. Draco then took his Queen forward and motioned for her to have the first bite of her human sacrifice.

Hermione looked down at her boss. Whatever was going on, she didn't like it. She felt like she was going through hell. Something was wrong with her. The last thing she could remember, were her flashbacks through her life and the way Draco had just sat in that chair, wherever they were at the time, and watched her with his assessing gaze while she suffered a pain that she couldn't now place. And for some beguiling reason, Draco now wanted her to do something with her boss.

When Hermione glanced up at him, and then back down to the human, he realized that she wasn't deliberately defying him, as he'd first suspected she was. His quick irritation left him. She acted like she was being forced to eat her own cooked meat. Draco whispered an order into the ring and kissed it. Hermione immediately bent her head and bit into the man's neck. The poor human screamed through his mouth's binding. Draco savored those screams. They meant that Hermione was now officially his Queen. He couldn't wait to get her alone where he could sire that child.

Unfortunately, this now meant that he had to kill his father.

This tradition had started when one Vampire, his great, great grandfather, had tried to take over the throne after his heir married. From then on it became a law, that on the Prince's 250th birthday, he would marry, bond, and then kill his father. There were only three ways to kill a vampire. Not eating, which was reserved as due death for prisoners set in the dungeon, going through childbirth, which was greatly feared by his people, or how he was going to kill his father tonight, with the ancient sword of Zandoffmoocheni the greatest Vampire King who ever ruled.

Draco's mother and father kissed for the last time. Then his father sent his mother away to not witness this death. His father took the sword, which was forever tied to his side, and placed it into his son's outstretched hand. He stood back, and waited.

The sword had been passed on. Draco was King.

Draco studied the black, ruby encrusted sword for a full two minutes, while he came to terms about what he had to do. He then looked at his father and hugged him one last time. With that done and sorrow in his eyes, Draco thrust the all-powerful sword into his father's midsection and watched as his father disappeared into a black substance that would rest forever on the sword's blade as part of its very coloring.

Author's Note: I hope you like my story. Please review.