Disclaimer: The only thing I own is the plot and Kuro (MINE!!!!)

A/N: Thanks to my reviewers and those Kuro fans. And I just need to say that my A/N often contains important info…especially if its in the first chapter so if you don't read it and then ask questions that were already dealt with in said A/N it becomes tiresome. It only takes a second to read the A/N.

Chapter 8

Butterfly

He stood behind her by the door looking at her in the mirror she stood before. Draco couldn't swallow. That deep dark nearly black red was definitely her color. Hermione looked through the mirror at the young man standing half way across her room. She watched his cool grey eyes slowly blink. They were his father's eyes. Draco's eyes traveled up the part of her back that was bare and lingered on the tendrils of soft waves that caressed her neck. Hermione shifted and began to fidget, nervous with the way Draco was watching her, but not saying anything to her.

Draco couldn't remember ever seeing her look like that. Sure there was the Yule Ball in their fifth year. She was beautiful that night…beautiful enough that he couldn't say a word to her without feeling like a doddering fool. This? This was inherently different. This wasn't a young teenage girl discovering what it means to be female. This was different. They were older. What stood in front of Draco looking nervously in the mirror before her was a beautiful young woman…the young woman she had grown into and suddenly as a young man Draco felt he was being left wanting.

Draco swallowed the lump in his throat as she turned around to face him.

"Your transfiguration skills are as impeccable as ever," he said with a slight grin on his face, slowly becoming more relaxed in her company.

Hermione looked at him curiously, looked down at her dress feeling the soft fabric of the skirt and then back up at Draco.

"I didn't transfigure this. I found it on my bed. I thought maybe one of you…"

Her words faded as she saw Draco shaking his head. No, neither he nor his father had any dress delivered for her use. Hermione's eyes shifted out the window…the sun was slowly setting. They needed to leave…soon. She stepped over to her bed picking up the gloves that accompanied the dress. Draco watched her work the one glove over her slightly bandaged hand and then slipped the other on with no problem.

"Ready," he asked not really expecting an answer as he held his elbow out for Hermione to slip her hand into the crook.

Downstairs Lucius stood in the middle of the room slightly tapping the cane his wand was kept in. He hated to be kept waiting…especially when there were things to be done and those things required Hermione's presence at the ball. He watched the sun slowly begin to set out the large windows and briefly glanced over the soft orange glow it cast on the beach. He watched the waves roll onto the beach.

So much had been lost while he insisted on playing the follower believing such a demeaning position would give him the power he desired…the power he was born for. The corner of his mouth quirked up at his own stupidity.

Never again.

He heard the soft thud of a closing door and the clicking sound of heels on the floor above. His eyes moved from the scenic view out the window to the staircase. Draco smirked slightly looking toward Hermione to see if she noticed. Lucius' face twitched upon seeing the vision of Hermione Granger in that dress descending the stairs. It didn't matter that she was on the arm of Draco. His eyes…as piercing as they were followed her all the way down the stairs taking in every curve she had and every breath she took. When she stopped in front of him, Lucius looked down his nose at her as if nothing was amiss.

"Draco, was there no wrap of some sort with this dress?"

Lucius' eyes had not left hers as he spoke to his son. Draco looked between the two and immediately remembered seeing one lying on Hermione's bed. As Draco disappeared back up the stairs Lucius' eyes shifted to her tinted lips. It was a nervous happy he noticed. Her warm eyes still looked up at him and her bottom lip was in her mouth slowly being nibbled on.

Lucius' mouth suddenly went dry.

He had to look away…it was the only thing that would save him. His eyes shifted only slightly landing on the curve of her neck. She was fidgeting. A tendril caressed her neck and Lucius closed his eyes for a moment. Merlin, what was taking Draco so long? When he opened his eyes that tendril was still there and that lip was till being nibbled on. Then Lucius did the unthinkable.

He reached out.

He reached out to brush that stray tendril of hair back to its rightful place. Hermione felt his fingertip barely caress her neck. Lucius heard her sudden intake of breath and froze mid-movement…fingers lingering on her neck. His eyes shifted back to her face. She was no longer nibbling her own lip, but her lips were slightly parted from the apparent shock at his touch.

"I got it," Draco said bounding down the stairs very aware that they needed to be going before Severus sent out a search party for his little princess.

Lucius dropped his hand immediately and Hermione took two steps back as if that could solve everything. Lucius watched his son place the deep red wrap around Hermione's shoulders.

Yes, indeed…never again.

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"What do you mean side-along apparition? I know how to apparate you know!"

They stood in the back of the house. Hermione had her hands on her hips and her cheeks were slightly flushed. She felt thoroughly insulted. Either Lucius didn't trust that she knew how to apparate sufficiently or he didn't trust her to do as she was requested. Either way he didn't trust her and it annoyed her to no end.

"Miss Granger," Lucius said looking down his nose at her. "My job is to watch over and protect you. That means side-along apparition."

Draco snorted in amusement next to Lucius. He leaned over to whisper into Lucius' ear.

"A pretty lame excuse, don't you agree? If you want her to touch you, just ask her."

Draco looked away and took a step back at the look of pure evil on Lucius' face. Hermione watched the exchange curious as to what was transpiring, but still annoyed at Lucius' distrust. Lucius turned to face Hermione again. He said nothing. He did reach out, however grabbing her upper arm and pulling her roughly toward him so that she stumbled slightly making him catch her against him. He stood her up straight and then stared down into her eyes.

"Take my arm, Miss Granger."

The look he gave her was a warning…a warning not to argue. Finally keeping her silence on the matter, she took his arm and closed her eyes, pressing her face against his arm as the uncomfortable feeling of apparition intensified with the side-along apparition.

They appeared just outside the gates of Hogwarts. Hermione looked through the gates at the castle. The last time she was there it was war and chaos. She took a deep breath determined to wipe those horrid memories out with something fresh and new. Her eyes shifted to the wizard she still had a hold of…he hadn't complained. Lucius stepped through the gates. Draco pulled up on the other side of her and the three of them made their way up the stone walk toward the large set of double doors that would grant them access to the ball.

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"Bloody hell!"

Harry looked curiously at Ron's outburst.

"Something the matter?"

Ron said nothing at first. He pointed toward the double doors of the Great Hall. The double doors had opened of their own accord as they had been charmed to do for the evening. Standing in the doorway was Hermione…a very beautiful Hermione standing between the two Malfoys, her arm looped inside Lucius' arm.

She looked around the crowded room. They had to be here somewhere. They had been separated for what seemed like forever. She was anxious for the familiar surroundings and bantering of her closest friends. It didn't take her long to find them. They were standing near a round table. Ron had his mouth hanging open like a fish and Harry had his usual grin on his face.

Lucius felt her nervous grip on his arm loosen and then she was gone, running across the room through the crowd and toward those friends of hers. An arm went around each so she was able to hug them both simultaneously. Lucius sneered at the cornucopia of love taking place only feet away. He noticed the wrap that she arrived in was no longer on her. His eyes drifted down and there was the delicate piece of fabric, pooled at his feet where she let it fall in her excitement to get to her friends. He picked the fabric up and stalked his way toward the young woman.

"Hermione, air," Harry rasp out.

"OH!"

Hermione let her arms fall and took a step back. It was typical Hermione to literally smother them in a hug…it felt right…it felt normal.

"Miss Granger."

Harry scowled slightly, but he did not look nearly as ill as what Ron looked when glancing at the man standing behind her. She turned and saw Lucius standing there holding out her wrap to her. She reached out to take it, her fingers barely brushing his in the process. He looked down his nose at her. Harry and Ron took a step forward as if they were protecting her from Lucius. He looked between the two young men and sneered slightly.

"Every breath, Miss Granger. Do not forget."

With those words he walked off to speak with someone he recognized from the ministry. Hermione watched him go and then suddenly the feeling washed over her…the feeling of being watched by someone other than Lucius. It was oddly warming. She looked around the ball as if searching for a face…searching for the face she expected to see.

"Hermione, he hasn't been treating you horribly has he?"

Hermione started at the sound of Harry's voice. She looked into his concerned filled eyes and shook her head.

"He's treating me just fine, Harry. There is nothing for you to worry about."

She thought of the folder with the name Monogatari Kuro, she thought of Kuro standing on the beach before her and she did her best to push the guilt of lying out of her mind. She looked around anxiously.

Lucius wasn't what you would call a happy camper. Seeing Hermione throw herself at those two imbeciles was enough to enrage him. It didn't matter that this new feeling of overwhelming jealousy could be perceived as unhealthy. It really didn't matter. For weeks now the only people Hermione was exposed to were Draco, Lucius and Severus. Why couldn't things just stay that way? No, she had to go to the beach and she had to attend the celebratory ball.

Lucius never was one for sharing.

He watched her swirl around the dance floor in his son's arms. He could hear her feminine giggle in reaction to a rather extravagant move Draco performed. Lucius' eyes shifted to the table Hermione and her friends had claimed as their own. Harry was watching Hermione just as he always did when he was concerned, but even he knew where his boundaries lie…at what point Hermione would inform him of what was and wasn't his business. Ron Weasley on the other hand looked ready to spit fire and drag her off the dance floor by her hair.

Hermione rushed off the dance floor when the song ended, dragging Draco with her in hopes of him joining their table. Harry stood up at their arrival looking only slightly wary…pretty good for what she really expected. Ron on the other hand looked livid. His ears had turned red at this point and his nostrils flared in a most unattractive fashion.

"What is he doing here," Ron asked not bothering to hide the malice in his voice.

Hermione rolled her eyes. Leave it to Ron to be the immature one.

"I invited him over here, Ron."

His eyes cut to her as if the look alone would kill her. His lips curled up in a disgusted sneer.

"Just how well are the Malfoys treating you?"

The sound of flesh against flesh echoed in the noisy hall. At least it seemed to those directly involved. Ron felt shell shocked when he realized Hermione had actually slapped him. She turned to leave and Ron went to follow.

"Don't you dare," she said with as much control as she could muster.

Ron stood there, holding his cheek as she stormed away through the crowd. He looked back at Harry, but even Harry looked angry.

"You deserved that one, Ron," Harry said as he sat down and watched Draco rush off to his father. Lucius looked as if he was coming their way until Draco headed him off.

Hermione maneuvered her way through the crowd and wandered off into the darkness on the side of the room. At least in that darkness she could seethe in her anger and look about the room for those eyes that seemed to set her skin afire. Across the room she could see Severus talking with Lucius…Lucius' eyes occasionally shifting toward her as if reminding her of what he said. Still, it was not Lucius' eyes she felt on her. Her mind thought back to the incident on the beach. Kuro. Those eyes…those dark eyes that penetrated you and made you feel naked before them.

Those were the eyes she felt.

She could feel his presence when he stepped from the darkness behind her. Slowly, she turned around and found those dark eyes staring back at her. She didn't have to ask; she knew who it was, but still she felt her lips move and heard herself ask the stupidest question she could have asked.

"K…Kuro?"

She would have rolled her eyes at her own stupidity if she could tear them away from the man in front of her. The corner of his mouth turned up. Hermione felt her heart thudding loudly in her chest.

"Yes, Hermione," he said with his deep accented voice.

Kuro stepped forward, one hand taking one of her hands, one arm wrapping around her waist and pulling her against him. Hermione started at the sudden movement, but his sudden stillness afterward pulled her eyes up from his rising and falling chest to his dark eyes again. He took a deep breath and stepped forward. To keep from falling, Hermione had no choice but to step back with each step he took so that as one they walked to the dance floor where they stood staring at each other.

Her mind kept reminding her that this was a vampire. She couldn't avoid the debate going on in her head…the debate about how it could be so. For one, he didn't have her in any sort of trance. For another, he was warm. His skin was not cold and dead feeling as she had learned. And his heart beat…the simple fact that he had one was enough to raise eyebrows. So what was he?

She felt his arm tighten around her a bit. He wasn't hurting her, but it appeared he was making it perfectly clear that she was not going anywhere and if Hermione was honest with herself, she would admit she didn't want to go anywhere. She felt his body move against hers…the fabric of his dark clothing rubbing against the soft fabric of the gown she wore. She was aware they were dancing, but it was like she was on a cloud and the movements were so smooth. She swallowed.

"Th…The dress. It is from you?"

He looked down at her.

"Yes," he said and stopped dancing.

He could smell it.

Blood.

She watched the shift in his eyes and for a moment she wondered if she should fear him. Lucius feared him. Draco feared him. Severus feared him. If they did not she would not be kept under lock and key to keep her away from this man. His eyes suddenly holding some fire akin to anger peered down at her.

"You are hurt," he said. "Where?"

She could see the teeth that were just slightly elongated…not overly so. One would have to know to recognize the fangs for what they were. She found it difficult to swallow as she moved her hand…the one he held.

"I cut my hand earlier."

Something shifted. The realization that it was her own doing…her own clumsiness seemed to subdue the anger that was about to boil over. His eyes shifted to the gloved hand he held. Slowly he peeled the glove off. Keeping a hold of the glove he looked at her slightly bandaged hand.

She had been hurt.

She felt pain.

He knew pain.

He turned his head, bringing her wrist up toward him and allowing it to linger just under his nose. Closing his eyes he inhaled deeply as if taking in the scent of her perfume and committing it to the memory of every fiber of his being. Hermione's breathing had become more erratic as her eyes closed and she swayed slightly. She was sure if Kuro did not have a hold of her she would have gone down. Then she felt it…the soft warm sensation of his lips on her wrist. She gasped slightly as she felt his teeth glide across her skin, not bothering to try to break it. She felt his chest heave slightly against hers as he took a deep controlled breath.

No key was supposed to feel like this.

Very few people noticed Lucius. He was always excellent at hiding his true thoughts…his true feelings. Neither Draco nor Severus was included in this. One look and they knew Lucius was about to jump out of his own skin and snatch Hermione away. Severus had noticed the strange attachment Lucius had with the girl right after the final battle when he spoke at length about her during that battle. He was drawn to that fire. Right now…they had to get her away from that vampire though. Severus glanced around spotting those Order members that were set as guards around the place…each with orders that Hermione was a priority. They were moving in slowly as not to frighten the vampire and push him to do something rash. Hermione had to be kept safe.

There was something…something in the air…something very wrong.

Kuro stopped his devouring of Hermione and opened his eyes. She looked to be in a blissful state, but he was now on alert…looking around them. She slowly opened her eyes.

There were Death Eaters…one was bad enough, but there were at least three closing in behind her…dancing couples in their own world shifted slightly to let them through not paying attention to their actual identity to recognize their faces from wanted posters. As the Death Eaters closed in on Hermione, Kuro knew what they meant to do.

He would not allow it.

That was his pet they planned to take away.

They were traitors and would be punished as such.

Kuro immediately turned, shoving Hermione behind him in an attempt to keep her safe. One hand still held her wrist while his free one made some movement in the air. The Death Eaters' wands flew in the air and landed by Hermione's feet. She jumped slightly at the unexpected clatter of wands and felt Kuro's hand tighten on her wrist in response.

Hermione screamed.

It was all so unexpected.

The three Death Eaters went flying back through the crowd of now onlookers. At the same time a bright light shot passed Hermione's head barely missing her and hitting Kuro in the back causing his grip on her to loosen just enough that Lucius came up behind her, wrapped his arms around her so that she could not move her arms and pulled her back up against his chest, keeping her there. Kuro turned around…panic taking him to the edge of his sanity.

"Not accustomed to losing control are you," Lucius taunted as he tightened his grip on Hermione pulling her closer up against him.

Two Aurors…two Aurors that Lucius knew only too well, stepped forward each grabbing one of Kuro's arms. Hermione had a feeling he could have easily escaped their grasp, but something in his eyes…something shifted as he looked at her and Lucius' arms around her. He looked back up into Hermione's eyes and she saw it…the exhaustion…the giving up. Harry and Ron ran up…neither saying anything about Lucius' hold on her, but clearly they were informed at least in as much as who this person was. Hermione watched in worry as they pulled a very acquiescent Kuro from the Great Hall.

Hermione was struggling slightly against Lucius' hold, but he did not let go until Kuro was out of sight. She jerked away and looked at Lucius fuming made. Her flushed cheeks made Lucius smile slightly. She shook her head in disbelief.

"He wasn't going to hurt me you dolt."

She turned and ran toward the double doors. The crowd parted as she ran. Out in the corridor several people watched in wonder having already seen two Aurors leave with a strange man, now Hermione Granger was running after them? She ran out the castle doors and rushed down the walk toward the gates. She could barely make out the shadowy form of the three men stepping outside the gates.

"Wait," she yelled.

They paid her no attention. As she reached the gates she realized she was too late. She threw herself at them, fingers interlacing the bars as Kuro looked up at her before disappearing into the night.

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"Where that vampire is being held is on a need to know basis and you do not need to know."

Hermione glared at Lucius over the rim of her glass of pumpkin juice.

"You have only a couple days to prepare for the start of your seventh year. Perhaps that should be your priority as history tells us it usually is with you," Lucius said turning back to his lunch.

Hermione tossed her napkin out of her lap and into her plate as she left the table obviously not happy. She stormed through the main part of the house and up to her room. She paced back and forth for a moment. It had been days since the ball and Lucius would not give her the slightest hint as to where Kuro was being kept. She had received her letter from Hogwarts announcing the start of term, but still Lucius would not tell her. Lucius left to purchase her books, but would not tell her. It was driving her mad.

In this time she had come to the conclusion that the warmth and protection she felt at night was Kuro. She hadn't felt it since his capture. Each night was cold and empty and Lucius often found her curled up on the sofa as if simply not being in her room would give her some sort of comfort.

A soft knock at her bedroom door pulled her out of her thoughts. She turned her head curiously as the door slowly opened and a white blonde head poked in as if testing to see if it were safe to enter. Rolling her eyes at Draco's occasional silliness, she pulled him in and shut the door. He smirked and leaned against the closed door.

"Father is leaving at midnight."

She looked at him strangely.

"Leaving? For where?"

Draco shrugged his shoulders.

"He just told me I was to keep an eye on you from midnight until about two."

Hermione looked at him. She blinked. What exactly was Draco getting at?

"Be ready to leave at 12:10."

With those final words he left her room.

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Hermione sat in her window seat, her knees pulled up to her chest as she stared out into the night watching the ebb and flow of the ocean beneath. She glanced at the golden clock on her wall.

It was midnight.

From the corner of her eye she caught movement from beneath her window…movement of some shadowy form moving across the grounds toward the outer boundaries of the charm on the house. She sat up a little straighter noticing the hooded figure leaving the house. It could only be one person. Her hand pressed against the odd coolness of the glass as she leaned forward closer to the window as if that alone would help her to see better.

With a slight popping sound Lucius Malfoy was gone.

She stared at the spot for a moment wondering how often he had left in the dead of night and for what purpose. Her door suddenly burst open. A wide eyed Draco stood there.

"Okay…not one word to anyone about what I am about to show you."

Hermione sat up straight, bringing her feet down to touch the floor and nodded her head in acceptance of Draco's condition. He strolled across the room at a rather quick pace, pushing his blond hair out of his eyes. He stopped directly in front of Hermione, peering out the window behind her as if to assure himself that his father was indeed gone.

"Alright, let's go," he said grabbing her hand and pulling her from her seat and leading her out the door.

Draco led her out of the house, stopping approximately in the same area his father had disapparated from. He kept a hold of her and gave her an apologetic look for what he was going to have to do. She knew they were going to apparate and that she would have to go along with side-along apparition. She nodded her head alerting him that she knew and understood. In seconds she began to feel that uncomfortable feeling she was beginning to know too well.

She had closed her eyes during the process. Not that it really did much good, but it made her feel less queasy when doing side-along apparition. When she opened her eyes she recognized immediately where they were…she recognized it because one of her worst memories took place in the manor that lay before them in its extravagant eccentric beauty. Draco felt her shiver slightly next to him and he could imagine why. She was tortured in that house by the wand of Bellatrix. He, Draco, had looked her in the face and denied recognizing her. The house had bad memories for them all.

He squeezed her hand.

They walked through the gates and entered the dark house. For all intense purposes it appeared empty…deserted until a house elf popped up in front of them. It bowed low to the ground.

"Tell no one on we were here," Draco said in a stern voice.

The house elf nodded over enthusiastically and nearly begged to fetch Draco and his guest some tea. Draco declined the offer and continued to lead Hermione to a door she knew well. The darkness of the stairwell sent chills down Hermione's spine. The stench of the stale air made her want to be sick as it came with a surge of unpleasant memories. She continued on though.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs though, Draco let go of her hand. Hermione stood there in the darkness of what was nothing more than a dungeon. She could see the cell he was in. A couple steps closer and she saw the black chains hanging from the wall keeping him chained inside his cage. Kuro sat on the dirty floor, back leaning against the stone wall. The chains rattled with every move he made.

Hermione stepped up to the cell, her fingers wrapping around the black iron bars of the cell…the cage he was being kept in. Why was he even there?

"Her…mi…o…ne," Kuro drug her name out in a rough raspy voice.

She blinked at him wondering what he could want. She had seen him use magic beyond anything she had seen…magic that didn't require a wand at the ball so why didn't he use it to get out of here?

He was weak.

The chains rattled and Draco started at the sudden sound. Kuro moved slowly across the dirty floor. Realizing how weak he was, Hermione slid down to the ground, hands still on the iron bars. He held something in his hand…a piece of parchment. How long had he had it? He held it as if he knew she would come. When Kuro moved to pass the parchment to her Draco stepped forward. Hermione noticed and her eyes cut to him with angry fire dancing in them.

"No, Draco," she said sternly causing Draco to step back.

Kuro smiled ever so slightly, though even that held a weakness beneath its malice. She turned back to Kuro, letting go of the bars with one hand and reaching for the parchment he was offering. As soon as she pulled the parchment from his fingers, he moved back across the cell, laying his head down on a cot that sat in the corner…his dark eyes closing.

The tears were still falling from her eyes when Draco drug her out of the manor in a mad dash home before Lucius arrived.

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She still wasn't talking to Ron after his crude comments at the ball, but she still tried to run to Harry when she spotted him amongst the mass of read heads on Platform 9 ¾. A large hand wrapped around her upper arm, preventing her mad Gryffindor-like dash. She sighed, irritated and looked up at Lucius.

"Do you mind," she spat.

Lucius looked down his nose at her. The girl had been unbearably difficult and moody for a couple days now. He sneered down at her.

"You know, I am being forced to have you as a guard…forced to share my Head Girl quarters with you, you could allow me this time with my friends."

His snarl faltered. He couldn't hide it. He stared down into her warm eyes that appeared so angry with him and yet pleaded with him at the same time. He let go of her arm.

"Fine, Miss Granger. Be aware I will be under an invisibility cloak just outside your compartment."

She nodded and ran off toward a smiling Harry. Lucius watched her go. Draco walked up behind his father and patted him on the shoulder.

"If you love something set it free…"

"Draco," Lucius warned turning toward his son. "Not now."

Draco smirked as his father walked off disappearing in the small crowd of students and parents.

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Luna was doing it again…speaking of things that did not exist, yet in her mind they did. Harry looked across the compartment at Hermione and smiled knowing she was growing irritated with Luna's lecture. Luna didn't seem to notice, continuing on like she was some all knowing professor on the subject.

Hermione turned her head to look out the compartment window at the passing landscape. Letting Luna's voice fade into the back of Hermione's mind, she pulled out her little planner book and opened it up. A piece of torn parchment laid inside…a piece of parchment a supposed vampire gave her. How could he be a vampire? He was warm…so warm…flesh and blood, not the undead. Kuro was very much alive…she felt his heartbeat against her own chest. So, why was he being held in Malfoy Manor like some caged animal treated as something less than human? Did he not have rights? Did he not have feelings? Her mind was running away with a million thoughts. S.P.E.W. was becoming S.P.K.W. as she sat there watching the landscape, feeling the parchment between her fingers and remembering the way Kuro looked trapped in that cell…caged to the wall like some animal. First, she had to find out exactly who or what he is. She glanced down at the parchment and the intricate handwriting.

Monogatari Hanajima.

Perhaps she also needed to find out who this person was and why Kuro gave her the name.

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Harry's eyes darted around the common room, checking to make sure no one was listening…or at least openly listening.

"Why, Hermione? You never ask to borrow the invisibility cloak."

She sighed, realizing she would need to explain at least part of it. She sat down on the sofa in front of the fire and explained to Harry her need to do a bit of research while Lucius slept…in her room. His eyes narrowed suspiciously. They had both agreed that Ron did not need to know her 'guard' was around even as she slept at night. Harry was a bit uncomfortable with it, his only consolation being that Lucius had to stay in Gryffindor tower.

Harry didn't say anything though. He reached down into his bag and pulled the shiny material from it handing it to Hermione with another glimpse around. He still carried it around with him like a security blanket. Hermione smiled, kissing him on the cheek and ignoring the blush that crept across his cheeks.

It took her quite a while to find the right book even though she knew it would be in the restricted section and she knew she had seen the book before…read it even. She pulled the old tome off the shelf and quietly laid it on a table. It was a history book on vampires.

She searched the table of contents until she found the chapter called "Monogatari." She knew she had seen that name. Hermione was always excellent at skimming through paragraph picking up the important points and this is what she did. She quickly found that Monogatari Rui not only was a samurai, but was the first vampire in the family. Quickly she discovered there were a total of five vampires in that family…born into the family…born not made. That was odd. There were four men and one woman. The information though long winded was not complete…if they were born and not made how does that explain the first one, Rui? What did that even mean to be born one?

She rubbed her head and continued reading in detail now. The family, the Monogatari family were royalty…royalty in the vampire world anyway. Their world, their "Darkland" as the name was translated into was hidden from muggles and wizards alike still caught in a bitter, but silent war that was steadily growing louder. Rui was King…Kuro was the Crown Prince, the next in line for the throne. Her mind tried to process all of this and simply came up with more questions…more questions without answers.

Hermione read and re-read the chapter trying to find some sort of information that could help. She read until her eyes grew weary and her eyelids grew heavy. Slowly her head fell to the book in an uncomfortable slumber filled with images of war and caged men.

A/N: Please don't forget to review!

Also, Becky requested another trailer of one of my stories from Forgetfullove on you tube. She requested Iris and actually used the actor I imagine playing the part of my beloved vampire if his actually story were ever made into a movie…anyway…the link is on my profile page…please watch and leave a kind word for Forgetfullove. She put a lot of work and effort into it!