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Vampire and Prey
by lookimacloud
Chapter
A New World
Draco could wait no longer. He strode toward the King's chamber, once his father's, now his own, intent on taking his Queen. Draco burst through the door and ordered any maids and servants out of the room with a harsh command. They left readily.
Draco looked around the magnificent chamber and found Hermione sitting in a chair in front of the fire. It was as hot as hell in the room, just how Draco liked it. He smiled. Hermione hadn't even turned when he'd entered. She sat in huge chair in front of the blazing fire. It engulfed her small frame and looked to have swallowed her. She was staring at the flames, which were licking their way around the embers in the fireplace. Draco new that she was wide-awake now that she had had her first taste of blood. But even as she was awake and aware, he pondered; she had no idea what was going on. "Hermione, look at me." He ordered. Hermione seemed to not have heard him, Draco knew better.
Draco ordered her once again and then remarked that if she didn't he could always force her. That got her angry, as he knew it would.
"You cannot force me to do anything Draco Malfoy," she cried out, spinning in the oversized chair. "I am not your puppet." she declared, pushing herself to the edge of her seat, balancing with her hands on the chair's arms. "What is going on here? Will someone please just tell me?"
Draco could tell she was upset, but he couldn't make himself care. He felt that it was not his duty to explain himself to her. He had no duties to her any more. In fact, it was she who had duties to him. It was her duty to give him a child.
"Draco?" she whispered in a voice mimicking that of the truly frightened.
Draco sighed.
"We are home." He began in a tone that almost made him sound bored "We are married and bonded." He continued, as if he were talking to a simpleton. "You will live here as my Queen and mother to my children. You will never go to that pathetic existence you called your life ever again. You will not work. At least at anything but your duties to me, your King and ruler, and your duties to all of Zandoffmoochenie. Now I have been very patient with you Hermione. You have led me in circles in your human existence for too long. Now there will be no more."
"I killed my boss." Hermione whispered as if she had not heard a word that was said to her. "It's just that something in my head made me want to bite him. Why would I want to bite Mr. Lockheart? I didn't mean to. Truly I didn't Draco. Biting him felt like the right thing to do at the time. I drank his blood! I'm going to be locked up!" Hermione quit her rambling and stood from her chair to gaze at Draco better.
Draco thought she'd gone daft. Hadn't she heard a word that he'd said to her? Just the thought of having someone issue an order to him set him on edge, only his parents had ever been able to do that. And then, to add to the fault, he had given in to Hermione's wishes and patiently explained to her her role, and she had not even listened.
It made him want to kill her all over again, but for good this time. Draco's blood boiled due to the intense heat from the hearth, the angry rush of blood flowing in his veins at her insult, and the sexual attraction he felt towards the woman who now belonged to him.
Draco stared at Hermione's brown hair, wild around her shocked and frightened features. Her hair had always been his favorite attribute of hers, not only for its color, but also because of the way he was able to spread it out over the pillow at night. It had been pulled back for the ceremony, but she'd released it at some point. Draco hated it pulled back. He wanted to see the mass of hair curl through his fingers, he liked it down.
Draco also noticed her creamy brown eyes that she always flashed at him when she was angry and not getting her way. They weren't flashing now. In fact, they now looked devastated. She would have to get rid of her soft heart. He would have to teach her to be more ruthless.
"You aren't going to be locked up. You are not going anywhere but where I tell you, you can go." Draco dictated. He must have jolted her back to reality again with that remark, because the vulnerable woman she had been, vanished, and in her place, was a woman shooting fire from her eyes, directed at him. Draco grinned.
"You bastard. I don't belong to you. I demand to know what you meant earlier, what you said did not make a lick of sense to me."
"Of course not." Draco agreed with her. He decided, she being his only source of amusement at the moment, that he would tell her once again what she'd missed before. "You are my wife and Queen over my kingdom, under my rein, and over my people, the Zandoffmoochenie. I am King over the Zandoffmoochenie clan. My rival is Blaise Zabini. He is son of the ruler Alec Zabini, King of the only other vampire kingdom in existence. You will obey my every order, and give me the heir I need. Other than that, I give you no other duties unless you find yourself in need of them." Draco smiled, satisfied. He felt proud that he was able to be so patient with her.
"Your Queen? Draco what is this? April Fools? My Birthday? National Prank Day? What is going on?" she cried as she threw her arms up in the air. Draco held his smile as if the thought of her outrage amused him. "The last sane thing I remember is that we got married in Vegas. Then I end up here with you. and you tell me that you are a King and a vampire. Correct me if I am wrong."
Draco nodded his head. "But you forgot to mention our bonding. That ceremony makes you mine as a vampire. No other can have you and you can claim no other. You are mine. Hermione I know that you are having a hard time accepting your new life, but this is the way it is. You will never have to work again, and you can kill anyone you please, within reason of course. You also must always ask me if you want to do anything. It may not be safe and the vampires under my Uncle's rule could catch you. That would not please me. Now that you wear that ring," he pointed to the ring on her finger. "you are mine and any child that you have will come from me. But you can have affairs with any other inside this home. I trust all here, but none from any other part of the kingdom, Hermione. You cannot be pregnant by anyone but me so that is not a factor here, but I will not trust anything that is mine to someone I don't trust. Do you understand?"
Hermione stared at him, flabbergasted. "Really. Draco this cruel game has gone on long enough and you are terrifying me. Please stop."
"This cannot stop. This is real Hermione. It is not at all in my nature to be patient, but I am trying. Do you require proof?"
Hermione nodded. Draco was not sure what would be the most fun way to prove it. He was having fun explaining it to her though. Just the thought that she was his, made him feel only fifty years old again. Should he bring to her another human as his dinner? He was starved; she'd drank the entire human at their bonding, leaving him thirsty. But no, that would just make her think of him as a man-eating human. What should he do? He could do something really boring and fly for her, but she would probably want him to turn into a bat. Stupid humans. They knew nothing. When Hermione just stared at him as though she thought he were crazed, he knew he was losing the battle in her mind. He thought of the next best thing to feasting, and she wasn't going to like it.
"I will force you to do something if you like." he offered, fingering his ring.
"That is impossible unless you physically over-power me. If you were able to accomplish that, why don't you make me believe you?"
"Oh Hermione, that is no fun. Besides, I want you to be willing in everything I ask you to do. I don't want to have to force you. But if you need to be forced into doing something, I wont hesitate."
Hermione glared at him. "Make me do something that I don't want to do. Just to make sure. I know all about mind control games and trances."
Draco shrugged. "Alright then Hermione, kiss me."
"No." she started backing away from him. "I wont do that even if you could force me. You are not my favorite person right now."
Draco didn't mind her words, they spurred him on. "So are you afraid that I am telling you the truth, my Queen?"
"Don't call me that." she ordered.
That made Draco frown. "You no longer have the right to order me about. Any man who challenges me gets exiled. I will not tolerate orders from you wife." Draco deliberately insulted her by referring to her human title. It was definitely not as grand being a wife, as his Queen. Unfortunately, Hermione didn't seem to understand the insult.
Draco noted that fact and continued, "Now kiss me." he ordered her again.
Hermione didn't move. She was terrified of Draco. She had no idea what was going on, what was true or not, or, what had happened to the man she loved. She shook her head and backed up another step.
Draco was furious, and aroused. Hermione could make him so mad, yet so eager to possess her at the same time. He clenched his jaw in frustration. Aside from his parents, she was the only vampire he had ever allowed to deny him, and order him. That would end tonight. Draco started to whisper into the ring, yet the moment his head and finger came closer, Hermione started to run. She tried to rush past him and out the door, but he snagged her. Draco clutched her in his arms while she struggled. "And who do you think is going to help you escape out there? The royal guardsmen, my mother?" Hermione quit her struggling.
"I see that you believe me now." he whispered in her ear and kissed it. "I don't know what you are feeling Hermione, nor do I care at this moment, but you do make me ache."
Hermione stood as still as a statue. "Who are you Draco? You are not the man I love. Where did he go?"
"He died with you Hermione. This is the real me. Now come, there is only one more tradition that needs to be fulfilled this night. It is expected you know."
"And what is that?" she asked calmly, fearing that he was going to say the wedding night. He didn't, what he said was worse.
"We need to make sure that you are pregnant by morning, or my people will be surly displeased with you."
"What?" she reared back, pushing her arms free of Draco's grasp. "You think I'm going to give you children? After all this?"
Draco frowned, "Of course we will have a bonding night. This is your peek. Tomorrow night will be too late for the cycle. My son must be conceived tonight."
Hermione was frozen. She couldn't think. He wanted a baby from her. No, a son, she corrected. Tonight, as if there was a certainty that tonight would give him one.
Hermione stupidly tried to remember if she had learned anything in school about vampires. She couldn't recall anything. As far as the world was concerned, vampires were a myth.
Draco started walking towards her. Hermione realized that she'd backed up. She now stood only a few inches from the four poster bed. How on earth had she gotten herself into this?
While she was contemplating her circumstances, Draco had backed her against the bed, and kissed his ring. Suddenly, Hermione was so hot with wanting that she really wanted his kiss. All he had to do was stand there. She was such a mush when Draco was around. Apparently, it didn't matter if she was mad at him.
Draco leaned inward and kissed her. Hermione melted.
Draco's kiss was like an aphrodesiac. It must be a vampire thing. No, she thought, she did not want to ruin the moment. Tonight, it would be just them. Tonight, was her wedding night and damn anyone or anything that came between them.
Draco ran his hands over her stomach, running them over the light green night gown she'd put on.
"Sleep with me Hermione…" Draco commanded. He almost asked. Draco realized he had to get into better control of himself while around his Queen. If he weren't careful, he'd find himself asking her if he could rule his kingdom.
His command didn't matter though, Hermione still took it as a question, "Yes. Kiss me Draco. Don't stare, kiss me." Hermione latched onto his head and devoured his mouth. Maybe a command or two from her wouldn't be all that bad.
He eased the silk gown up. It slithered over the back of his hands to her mid-thy. She let out a little moan as he snaked his palms over her warm stomach. He eased his hands up to cup her breasts. The mounds fit nicely cradled in his palms.
Draco squeezed them and heard her gasp. Hermione tilted her head back, offering her tantalizing neck to him. Draco leaned forward, following her angle, and trailed his tongue over the length of her throat. He squeezed her nipples and bit her right over her pulsing muscle, keeping his fangs in check.
Sliding his arm around her torso, Draco pulled Hermione flush against him and climbed over the bed, placing her in the center.
"You're so beautiful, Hermione." Draco said, still kissing her.
She'd have to stop turning him on if she didn't want him to lose control and bite her.
"You shouldn't cover yourself up with sleep wear." he added, taking his lips away from her hungry mouth, moving them to her shoulder, kissing her.
Hermione gave herself over to another moan. Draco took his time kissing her shoulder, as he ripped the gown from her body. The silk tore with ease. Hermione arched her back into his hand and he trailed his fingers from her breast, down to her haven.
His fingered danced at her core before he shifted to circled her wrists with both of his hands, holding them at her sides. He didn't want any distractions. Draco nuzzled her stomach, playing with her belly button.
Hermione nearly screamed, she was so frustrated. Draco was restraining her wrists. She was burning with pleasure, in need or relief, and he wasn't nearly as crazed as she needed him to be.
Finally, he left her stomach. Hermione was actually relieved at that, until she felt where he was headed next. She pulled at her restraints, but Draco wouldn't release her. She tried counting sheep, that helped, until his loving mouth found it's goal.
Hermione screamed as she had never screamed before. Tears leaked down her cheekbones, her body arched, straining to get away, but Draco would not relent. He sucked her little nub until Hermione felt spent with all of her mini orgasms.
When she thought it couldn't get better, he bit.
Draco felt her shiver. He knew when to push, when to suckle. He was more familiar with Hermione's body than she was herself. When Hermione began to relax with her final release, Draco shrugged out of his shirt and tore at his pants.
He came over her and rested his erection against the juncture of her thighs.
He moved his hands down her neck and then lower, stroking her breasts softly as she let her mouth open, in shock or pleasure he couldn't tell. He was definitely looking forward to pleasuring her again tonight. Her breathing came hard and fast, his fingers kneading gently, not groping.
"I love you Draco." she sighed, snuggling down into the bed. She had a sated, pleased, look on her face as she allowed her body to rest.
Draco didn't answer. He wouldn't.
Hermione opened her eyes in apparent question, as he spread her legs and thrust into her. They both gasped.
"How does this feel, Hermione?" he asked in a whisper, easing out and thrusting back.
"Oh Merlin." She panted, "Don't stop."
For the fourth time, Draco did as she commanded. Finding her hips, Draco forced them into a rhythm with his own. When he was close, he used his finger to find her pleasure and brought them both over the edge.
ooooo
Hermione woke with Draco lying next to her. She felt very strange. She had a craving, but she couldn't place it. Hermione felt Draco's arm around her and she could not budge. She remembered everything that had happened last night. She still wasn't sure that she believed it though. Hermione lifted her head to look at her surroundings, and noticed that she was still in that same strange room. Last night and this morning had been very real. Hermione plopped back down on the bed, unaware that her movement woke Draco.
She remembered that Draco had said that she was his property now, and that she was a vampire. She quickly felt her teeth; they were normal. She remembered how Draco had told her that she needed to have his child, her hand came to rest on her stomach, she hoped that weren't true. Hermione cursed his appeal. No matter what happened before they'd slept, she still felt strange now. Hermione put the feeling aside for the moment.
Nothing Draco had told her last night was true, she was sure of it. She had no fangs after all. Hermione felt her teeth again and sighed. She stared at the ceiling. She wished that it weren't so bright in the room. The light was killing her eyes; she squinted.
"You'll get used to it." Draco murmered.
Hermione jumped. She thrust his arm off of her, and scrambled out of bed. She took the covers with her to shield herself, but that momentary action caused Draco to be naked. She blushed. "Get used to what?" She asked, backing away from him.
Draco stretched his arms over his head, and eased into a sitting position. "The light. It can be a pain to look at, but you will get used to seeing in the daytime. The night is better though, no glaring sun. As for your teeth, they will come when ordered to, or instinctively, in front of a meal. You should have small teeth now, but they should be full tonight." Draco rubbed his eyes with closed fists and yawned before he continued. "Vampires don't need much sleep. We usually sleep only about two hours between night and dawn. But when the women are pregnant, they generally sleep about the same amount of time as humans do. You should have the same symptoms and everything that pertains to the humans."
Hermione was shaking when he finished with his little speech. She didn't say anything to him however. She just wanted to leave. She knew he wasn't telling the truth, but the possibility of it still terrified her. Hermione backed into a corner and stood there. She watched Draco as he went to the bathroom and rinsed his face with sink water. She even stood in the corner and waited until he had finished taking a shower. It wasn't until he was almost finished dressing, that she had a few questions of her own.
"Draco?" her voice had softened so that it was a mere whisper.
Draco, with a vampire's superior senses, heard her plea for attention. "Yes?" He turned to face her.
"I believe you. You have been watching me for a long time haven't you?"
"Ever since you were born."
Hermione nodded. "I remember. I remember seeing you all the time, but as I grew up you disappeared, and I thought that you were part of my imagination. Could you talk to me for a while? I want to ask you a few questions."
Draco didn't say anything then. He just walked over to the chair in front of the fireplace and sat down. He then motioned for her to take the other chair. Hermione slowly moved out of her corner and sank into the chair across from his.
"Am I pregnant?" was her first question. Draco nodded. Hermione hugged her mid-section and swallowed convulsively. "You are the King right?" again Draco nodded. "Could you please speak to me?" Hermione choked in a soft cry.
"Yes I am King." Draco answered.
"And that would make me Queen." Hermione sighed. It wasn't a question, but Draco nodded anyway. "I remember what you told me last night. I remember every word. Draco, you don't really kill innocent people all the time right?"
"No." he answered. "We rarely kill at all. Most of the time we just drink until the human is on the verge of dying. Then we heal their wounds, and they forget we were even there. We generally only kill the bad humans. The ones that kill their own kind. Those are the treats."
"But my boss…I killed him."
"He was your first. He was meant to die. I will teach you when to stop and how to get around the veins in the neck so that you don't kill."
"Has anyone ever drank from me?"
"No." Draco vehemently denied. "Anyone who tried to get near you would have been punished. You were mine since the day you were born. I chose you the day I saw your mother in the park, pregnant with you. I was on the hunt for a mate and she was the first pregnant human that I saw."
"I never met my mother. She died when I was born. You didn't kill her did you?" Hermione asked, full of long term sorrow.
"Now Hermione, I would never kill your mother. You are taking this too well. I expected you to still not believe me this morning. Why the sudden change?"
"I guess part of me wants to believe you because I love you. But part of me is telling me that this is not real and that I know vampires don't exist. I guess the major part that believes you, is the knowledge that that ring you put on me works and I cannot get it off."
"The ring will not come off until I take it off. It will stay on for a while yet. But even after it's off it won't matter. You will still need to do everything that I say and can still be forced to it without the ring. The ring is merely a symbol to all that I have claimed you. Now Hermione, I have a lot to do today and I would like to get to work. I have answered your questions and now if you would get dressed, I will have breakfast brought to you here. Then after that, my mother will give you a tour and you can get to know your surroundings." Draco stood.
"Do you have any books to read on vampires?"
"Of course. I will have someone bring them here for you. I have work to do." Draco started for the door.
"But what about my friends and job? I still have those don't I?" Hermione asked. Draco turned to see tears in her eyes.
"No," he growled, "You will never go back there again." How could she even want to with all that he was offering her? He seethed.
"But why?"
"I have already explained it to you several times. I will not repeat myself again." Draco donned his black cloak and walked to the door.
"Draco one more question?"
Draco halted. "What?"
"Where are we?"
"In my room, in my castle, under my rule. Anything else?" he asked.
"What part of the world?"
"France. My mother will be here shortly. You are not to leave this room unless she is with you. Do you understand me?"
"Yes." She replied, knowing that she would do exactly as she pleased.
Draco no longer scared her, nor did her new position. If she now had power over people in his eyes, then she would wield it. Hermione was still freaked out, and she knew that none of this could truly be real, but if Draco wanted her to play along, then she would. She would play her role to perfection.
The first change she would make, was the No Killing or Drinking Humans law. She still hadn't dared to consider that she had murdered her boss with nothing but a bite. Not only was it a strange occurrence, but she was absolutely terrified of what it meant for her future.
They couldn't be in France, she reasoned. This was Vegas. Anything happened in Vegas, she'd been told. Draco was just messing with her. How dare he think that he could order her around all the time?
Hermione decided that she would meet his 'mother,' as he'd planned. She would also get a tour of his 'Kingdom' and drink the 'blood.' Then she was going to catch the next flight home. Draco would have to chase her down and win her back. This game he was playing on her was the first and last straw. Victor had played games on her, though admittedly not like this. Draco had vowed to her when they'd first started dating, that he never played games. How stupid she was for believing him?
There was a knock on the door, startling Hermione to reality. She spun around and stared at the barrier between her and the rest of the world. Should she open it? If she didn't, how much would it change things if someone were really out to get to her? Was it a slave or Draco's mother? Hermione walked over to the door. "Who is it?" she asked clutching the door handle and the quilt in both hands.
"Sally, Your Majeste. I brought your breakfast."
Hermione sighed in relief, even though she still didn't really know who would enter. She opened the door a crack and saw a sweet-looking woman standing with a tray. The tray held a goblet containing a dark liquid. Hermione opened the door wider and allowed the young woman entrance.
Sally stepped in and stared at her with open curiosity. Hermione didn't know what to make of her. "How old are you?" she asked Sally.
"115, Your Majeste." Sally bowed her head.
The young woman didn't look more then 18 years old.
"I'm 26." Hermione supplied. "I am also finding this hard to believe," she admitted. "How much did Draco pay you?"
"Pay me Your Majeste?" she asked, looking up.
"Will you stop 'Your Majeste-ing' me?" Hermione asked. "I want to know who paid you and how much they paid you, to act like I am your Queen and a vampire."
"His Majeste would have me exiled if I failed to show you the respect that you deserve. Please don't ask me to drop your title." She pled. "Nobody is paying me anything to call you my Queen. You are whom I claim." Hermione must have looked stunned, because the young woman bowed her head again, "The King bonded with you last night."
"If I am a vampire and this is real, then prove it. Besides this damnable ring, nobody has proved any of this to me." She thought for a moment, "Draco said that later when my teeth come in, I could will them to appear. You are an old vampire…so show me what he meant." She commanded, knowing that the servant wouldn't be able to.
Sally didn't argue with her Queen about her age, even though there were vampires much older than she. She opened her mouth and reared her lip back. Sally liked her new Queen. She was holding up a lot better under the shock than Sally had expected. Her Queen was brave to demand proof as she was. Sally wanted to impress her Queen with the size her vampire teeth were. She was determined to show her their full length. Sally told herself that it was time to stick her teeth into something solid yet soft, the sweet smell of meat and blood…
The minute that Sally's two teeth became longer and pointier, Hermione jumped back. She almost screamed. This was real. There was no doubt now. Oh crap, she was dead!
Hermione tripped over the blanket and fell on her bottom. The sweet Sally came back to her then.
"Oh," Sally rushed forward. "I didn't mean to frighten you Your Majeste. Please tell me my sentence now so I can begin it. Oh, forgive me again Majeste. I am forever speaking out of line." She helped Hermione to stand and then backed away from her, with her head bowed once again. Hermione thought that she looked like a frightened child.
"It is okay Sally." Hermione assured, "I told you to prove it didn't I?"
Hermione didn't know why she wasn't as frightened as she should be. She felt that even though this was abnormal, she actually wanted to comfort the vampire for proving she was a vampire.
"Sally?" Hermione rushed. "Draco told me that I am pregnant. Is that true?' How she thought Sally would know, she didn't know, but Sally knew she was a vampire didn't she? Besides, Hermione didn't care if she was in her right mind now. She needed to know any way that she could know, about anything that these vampires had done to her.
"Yes, you are." Came an unfamiliar voice from the doorway. "Sally back to your duties please."
Sally nodded her head and bowed out of the room.
Hermione turned at the sound of the voice. Standing in the doorway, an elder woman with Draco's silver eyes, was assessing her. Hermione stood straighter and prepared herself to meet the former Queen. She was still a Queen, Hermione cautioned herself, no matter that there were now two of them. It must be strange for Draco's mother to have someone with her title now living in the same domain. The former Queen looked very sad. Well, Hermione didn't want this world. All that she wanted was her life back. Draco's mother could have everything back, including her son.
"It is only right that you replace my bonding with yours, and my King with my son. I will help you to settle into your new position. Then I will join my King."
"I don't need help 'settling in.'" Hermione said. "I need help getting out. Why is it that your husband isn't still ruling if he is alive?" she couldn't help but ask.
Draco's mother gave a sad smile. "He is not living." the woman took a deep breath, as if to hold herself together, and continued, "Draco killed my King last night during the ritual. I now have the same choice that you will someday have, the choice to die with him or die when I choose to. I will help you settle in first, and then I will have Draco kill me." She spoke as if nothing bothered her above the fact that she had lost her husband. Hermione felt sorry for her.
Oh Lord, with all of the vampires that she will end up feeling sorry for by the end of the day, she would probably even forgive them. She needed to get a hold of herself and get out of there as soon as possible. Draco had killed his father?
Seeing that Hermione wasn't going to say anything, the former Queen continued, "I know what you are thinking Hermione." She hoped that using Hermione's name would help to calm her. "You are trying to understand this, but we seem like a bunch of murderers that you need to escape. I know this, because that is how I felt when I had first been bonded. Don't try to run Hermione. It will only get my son angry with you, and you could get captured by my bonded brother's kingdom. They will hold you prisoner. I suggest that you stay on the grounds. The men do all the hunting here. They bring us food."
"Are you telling me that the women here have no other existence besides to live here and have children?"
"Hermione it is not like that. It is like a world of our own here that the humans don't know about. The men don't kill, they just bring home animal meat after their hunt and it lasts the kingdom breakfast, lunch, and dinner."
"Well I wont allow it. They are hurting people; Draco said so. I know all about vampires even if I didn't believe in them until now. I know that you kill even though everyone here is trying to gloss over the facts."
"No. You know what you read in books and watch in movies. Humans know nothing about us but the bare facts."
"That is besides the point. You were once in my position right?"
"Yes. And you will one day be in mine. Draco was the only child I was able to give my King. I hope you will be able to give yours many more."
"You see, like that." Hermione was furious. "Don't vampires ever show any emotion? My husband just killed his father! You loved him didn't you? Of course you did, you wouldn't have been married to him otherwise."
"You have much to learn Hermione. Come, sit and we will talk some more about it."
Hermione felt like she was the avenger of all new Queen vampires. She wanted to change their way of life so that they didn't live in such a cold existence. But, she reminded herself, she didn't believe in vampires. And she really didn't want to get more involved in this lunacy than she already was.
"I loved Lucius when I had first met him. He was perfect. Then he made me his Queen and I hated him, much like you hate Draco now. Over the next nine months that I was pregnant with Draco, I began to fall in love with my King again - "
"You mean husband." Hermione interrupted.
"Well, yes." Draco's mother sat in a chair in front of the fireplace and gestured for Hermione to sit in the other.
Hermione glared at the chair as though it would move out from under her, and sat. Draco's mother gave her an amused look. Hermione tried not to look like she'd noticed.
"But, on the topic of husbands and wives, we don't use the human terms for bonding here." the elder woman continued, "Here we are King and Queen, bonded mates. In any case, it is not in a vampire's nature to love or to feel any kind of deep feeling but a need to satisfy his or her purpose in the Kingdom. Lucius was using that ring on me every time I refused to do his bidding too. I was as willful as I am sure you will be. Then, over the nine months I was pregnant, he began to feel. He didn't want to force me and took the ring off. He still ordered me around when I became too difficult though." She laughed.
"Draco wasn't like this before last night." Hermione inserted. She wanted answers.
"Of course he wasn't." the Queen replied. "Draco became anyone he had to be to win you. While courting you, he became that man so that one night you would marry him. That night was last night. Now that he bonded with you, his mate, he doesn't need to pretend anymore."
"Are you saying that he never loved me?" Hermione seethed.
"Well, he perhaps does care for you. My King and I noticed that last night. His face softens when he looks at you and he is very protective."
"But he never loved me." Hermione repeated. It made no sense.
"I will let you in on what I know to be truth Hermione, Draco will come to love you. He will fight it just as Lucius fought loving me, but he will love you." Draco's mother gave her a serene smile. Gazing into the depths of her memories, she continued with her story, "On the day of Draco's birth, I almost didn't make it. That scared Lucius because as he put it, he was 'getting used to having me around'. Lucius was the one who had saved me then. He had the entire castle in a frenzy. Having Draco had made me weak for almost two months. I was in a coma for almost a month, or so I was told when I woke up. It was the strangest feeling I had ever felt, even stranger than you feel now.
"During that time, Lucius had not eaten or slept much, the only thing that he had done, was try to cure his dying Queen. You didn't know that there was death after death did you Hermione? There is only one way that we can kill our race with honor, and that is to use the sword of Zandoffmoochenie. But we can die on our own from hunger and childbirth. I hope that you take my story as a lesson Hermione, and as hope. Draco will love you."
The woman reached for Hermione's hand and gave it a squeeze. This surprised Hermione almost as much as the story had.
"Draco has asked me to take you around the castle today, but I don't want to do it until you have thought this through. I think that you should have this day to yourself for those thoughts. I believe that my son is already falling in love with you child. He has been calmer lately, now that he finally has someone of his own. He has wanted you for so long Hermione; I can see it in his eyes. I know that you can find happiness here. You will make new friends as I did, and I will be here as long as you need me. Go and look out the window and see your new homeland. I will leave you now."
"Thank you for helping me. What do I call you? Your Majesty?"
"No, no. That title is only for servants and others who are not family. Call me Narissa."
"Thank you, Narissa."
Draco's mother smiled and left the room.
Hermione sighed. She had done so much thinking lately that she feared that her head would explode.
The former Queen had a convincing and nice story, but Hermione was still scared. She was happy with her life. She didn't really want to be Queen. It was reassuring to know that Draco liked having her there, but she was after more. He would have to bend further. She would not leave her life for this existence. She would have to find a way to book a flight home as soon as she could. Hermione sighed, impulsively marrying Draco was more than she had thought it would be. She made a note to herself to never be that impulsive again.
Hermione left for the airport that very day. She was surprised that she was able to find her way out of the castle without too many hold-ups. But, seeing that everyone knew who she was, she had no trouble passing people on her way out. Stepping outside was interesting. She watched everyone walking about. It seemed like the castle was the center of a little village. There were probably about five hundred Vampires, underestimated of course.
Hermione realized that these were the people she would be ruling, this semi-large community of people. She hated the thought of it. But, the only way that Hermione could even to get out of the main gates of the community and into the real world, was to tell the guards that she had Draco's permission. They actually believed her, and finally opened the gates as she'd demanded they do when she'd first approached them. So much for the power of being 'Queen'.
Hermione booked a flight that afternoon.
The airport was crowded and stuffy. Hermione didn't have any purse with her, although she'd managed to smuggle out her credit card. She got hit in the knee by running children, and had almost fallen to the ground. She had to wait to board her flight due to some reason that she hadn't bothered to inquire after. When she had finally managed to board the plane, hurt knee and all, she had ended up sitting next to a very sweet elderly woman with a hunched back and a salami smell on her breath. No matter how much she tried to avoid conversation with the lady, Hermione still had to listen to an entire three stories about the poor gray haired cat with the broken paw that the vet was about to euthanize. Hermione pretended to be asleep for the fourth story. All in all, it was nice to be around normal people again.
Hermione was relieved when the flight attendant started giving safety instructions with an English speaking translator.
Hermione, still pretending sleep, tried not to listen to the cat lady's continued tales. She needed the rest after such an eventful night. It would probably set her head straight. She couldn't sleep though; she needed to think.
The room, it was white, blurry. 'Hermione, I think she'd responding…'
It was bright. The walls were too bright. Her body ached. She needed something,
someone. She couldn't think. Couldn't remember. Was she on a plane? Was she a
vampire?
There was movement all around her. Someone had grabbed her hand, maybe. She
couldn't move her right arm. Maybe she was sick. Maybe Draco was controlling her. He
had drugged her, was bringing her back.
She moaned her anger, but couldn't do more than that. Someone was calling her name.
Someone was mad at her. What had she done wrong? She needed to warn them away…
"…and then poor Artibicus needed a shot. He had kitty diabetes. Now, how on earth cats get diabetes I don't know…"
Hermione shook her head in confusion. Had she dreamed? That time it felt so real. Maybe this was a side effect of knowing Draco. Maybe it was a vampire thing. She would have to ask him. Hermione forced that thought away. There would be no asking Draco anything. She had no desire to see that man anymore. As soon as she got home, she was going to get an annulment and that was that.
She had to tell Ginny. Oh that was going to be hard to explain.
"…Artibicus was such a sweet willed thing. He never even tried to run the mouse out from under my sink. Now Deatreese, he would have attacked that mouse until there was nothing left…"
Hermione wondered how she was going to make sure Draco never saw her again. She would need his signature on the papers from her lawyer, but she wasn't sure she needed to be in the room while he did it. Who was she kidding, Draco wouldn't give her an annulment. This was the man who had told her that she needed to have his child pronto. And not because of his undying love for her, she reminded herself. She wished she could rip him a knew one.
Hermione ran her hand over her taunt stomach, wondering. She certainly hadn't used protection last night. She knew Draco hadn't either. If Draco told his lawyer that she was pregnant, they probably wouldn't be able to get an annulment. Damn him. Hermione felt her throat closing and the beginnings of tears. She was going to cry. She couldn't handle any of this.
What was she doing? What mess was she in? She was married, and possibly pregnant, to a psycho boyfriend who never loved her to begin with, and lives with people who think they are vampires. He murdered his father and, oh Lord, she had murdered her boss.
Hermione dropped her throbbing head in her hands and prayed for peace. She prayed this was all just a dream.
"…my neighbor Arthur Jennings has told me for years, he says, 'Erma, you have too many animals. If you take in any more cats or dogs I'm calling the animal people on you.' I told him for years that he can have as many as he wants as long as he doesn't take my cat Biddy. But old Arthur just doesn't want any. I been telling him for years I'd share, but he just storms back…"
Hermione drifted into a deep sleep.
Author's Note: Thoughts about my story and/or chapter are encouraging. Please review.
Special thanks to,
Winter Midnight
NA
voldyismyfather
numbdramione2005
TwinsConspiracy
for reviewing my previous chapter.