Chapter Sixteen
The weeks seemed to fly by in a flurry of activity in the Palazzo dei Priori, as the dome room was getting decorated for the upcoming ball that was being held on Halloween, which was now only two days away. The guard members were busy training and preparing themselves for battle. And since the dome room was out of commission they had to use the smaller hall for practice sessions. This meant that the guard members were put into groups so that they could practice, without the room being overcrowded.
Heidi had to hire several new secretaries to help deal with the organising of the ball and all of the administrative work that went along with it. Unfortunately for two of those secretaries they only lasted a couple of days before they were disposed of, for not taking their roles seriously enough.
The three Volturi leaders spent a lot of time in their shared quarters planning for a War against the Romanian coven, while also taking time out of their busy schedules to teach Hermione to become a guard member.
She herself was incredibly busy. Not only did she have three lessons a day with each of the Volturi leaders, but she had to have extra practice lessons at fighting with Felix, and also have time to practice her magic. For Hermione there was no room for error, her life literally depended on her skills and capabilities. After the vision she had, she took everything more seriously than before, understanding the importance of what the Volturi were teaching her, more now than ever.
Although she didn't tell anyone about the vision, her change in attitude and the fact that she took her lessons much more seriously, didn't go unnoticed. Caius had seen the change in her behaviour almost at once and when he asked her about it, all she said was that they had a battle to win and she was going to prove to everyone that she was guard member material.
He had been somewhat appeased by her answer but also felt like she was keeping something back from him. And the last thing he wanted to do however was push her into talking when she clearly didn't want too. When he discussed his concerns with his two brothers, they dismissed them saying that she was trying to do her best to become a guard member. And that from everything they knew about Hermione already, it wasn't unusual for her to put her all into something.
Over time however they too saw the determination and focus that she had and felt like she was pushing herself too much. So after the three leaders sat down to have a discussion once more about their concerns for her, Aro decided that she needed a break.
Using this as an excuse to have some more alone time with her, when he wasn't teaching, he made a simple suggestion to her at the end of their last lesson, which was two days before the ball.
"Hermione, my brothers and I have noticed the recent change in you. You seem incredibly driven to learn as much as you possibly can, as quickly as you can. And although we admire the way you have taken things so seriously. We are also quite concerned. There isn't anything wrong is there?" He asked, before looking at her seriously. "You do know that if there are any problems, you can always speak to one of us. We are here to help and to listen." He reached his hand out and covered her dainty one with his, savouring the feeling of her skin against his own.
Since their very first lesson things were moving smoothly along for them. He could see that she was still slightly more cautious around him than she was with his two brothers, but they seemed to be developing a nice friendship. After every lesson, she seemed more at ease with him and he in return enjoyed hearing her musical laughter fill the silent room or the wide smile she wore, especially when it was aimed at him. He was not afraid to touch her in friendly intimate ways, a slight touch to her hand, pushing a stray curl behind her ear, a friendly pat to her arm or his favourite, placing his hand on the small of her back to guide her. But he knew not to push things. He didn't want to spoil what they had so far established and if he made one single wrong move, then he knew he would scare her off and possibly back into the arms of the waiting dark wizard.
She looked at him quizzically, not wanting to show her nervousness at his words. All it would take for him to learn the truth, would be for him to take hold of her hands and use his power on her, to see her every thought and memory. She couldn't let that happen. They all needed to keep their focus and prepare themselves for what was coming, and they couldn't do that if they worried about her.
She smiled sweetly at him and squeezed his hand in return, not failing to notice the way his eyes grew wider and darker. During the past few weeks they had become closer, to the point that she rather enjoyed his company now. But still a part of her didn't trust him, not because of something he had done recently, for he had been nothing but kind and considerate towards her, but because of their past experiences together. Also every time she felt relaxed and at ease with him, she felt the connection they shared and would back off. The last thing she wanted was for these feelings to ruin their newly found friendship.
"Honestly Aro thank you but there's nothing wrong believe me. It's just that there is so much going on just now, and I want to prove to everyone that I have what it takes to become a guard member." She pulled her hand away from him and laughed. "Believe me if you think I'm bad now then you should give me a test." She said jokingly, remembering how uptight and harassed she used to become when she was studying for exams. She was an absolute nightmare back then and too her, nothing had been more important than studying for an exam. Looking back at herself now she could only laugh at how naive she was.
Aro smiled at her and sat back against his chair, missing the feel of her already.
"Yes I can imagine." He grinned. "Hermione you have been doing exceptionally well, better than anyone I have seen previously. Marcus says that you are doing brilliantly studying about the history. Caius says that your fighting skills have improved greatly." He clasped his hands and placed them on top of the table. "And I think you are doing amazing. You know who the leaders of all the covens are, and your Italian is coming on great."
She snorted at this and shook her head.
"It isn't great Aro you're just being kind." She laughed. Learning Italian had not been as easy as she first thought it would be. She struggled with the pronunciation at times, and became frustrated with herself for not picking it up fast enough. Aro made everything look so easy and the way he spoke Italian, was mesmerising. It was almost like he was serenading her at times, as it sounded so musical to her ears. She could now understand why Italian was called the language of love.
Aro was also a much better teacher than she thought he would be. He was patient and understanding, he went over every little detail with her until she eventually got it right, and he took his time, never pushing her or piling too high expectations onto her.
"Now come Hermione, do not be too hard on yourself. You are getting there and are much further along than I thought you would be at this point." Aro admitted, and it was the truth. Despite a couple of small obstacles, and an incredibly stressed Hermione, she was picking everything up so much quicker than he thought. With more practice and some tweaks, he would wager that she would be fluent in only a few short months. He was incredibly impressed by her skills and the ease in which she could learn things, and to him she was an absolute delight to teach and to watch.
"If you say so Aro." She said with a small playful smirk.
He felt the small flutter in his stomach, as she said his name. Somehow this small little gesture always made him feel like such a smitten fool.
"I do, now there's something that I wanted to ask you." He said feeling slightly nervous. "My brothers and I have all noticed how hard you have been working lately and to reward you for your effort, I thought you needed a break. So tonight how would you like to go outside the walls of the Palazzo and see some of the sights of Volterra?"
He remembered the conversation they had on their way to Volterra when she first arrived, the time Demetri and Felix had laughed at her because she wanted to see the sights. And so thought it might be something nice for her to do and see. He wanted to be the one who took her because he wanted to see her face; he was also selfish as well and wanted the credit in making her happy.
Hermione was so taken aback by his suggestion that at first she didn't know what to say. So she simply stared at him in shock before eventually finding her voice.
"I thought you didn't leave the walls of the Palazzo?" She asked quietly.
Aro chuckled lightly then said,
"I said we rarely left the Palazzo not that we didn't."
"And you would leave to come out with me?" She asked hesitantly, making sure that she understood him right. That it would be him who was taking her out and not one of the other leaders or the guard members.
"Of course mio caro. If anyone deserves a break it is you and I would be honoured to be the one to show you around. If of course you will let me?" He was playing the smooth gentleman card, hoping that she would fall for his sweet display of consideration. And he was not displeased by her reaction.
She flung herself into his arms and wrapped her own around his neck, leaving him momentarily stunned at having his mate so close to him, and felt himself pulling her tighter to him, unwilling and not wanting to let her go. He inhaled the sweet scent of her hair and savoured every feel and every contour of her body pressed against his own. They seemed to fit so perfectly together.
Disappointment coursed through his body, as all too soon she pulled out of his arms and moved away, revealing a breath-taking smile on her beautiful face. He didn't think he would ever get enough of seeing that smile.
"That would be lovely Aro. I can't believe you're going to take me out and see the sights, I can't wait." She rose from the chair, picking up her notebook and pens before placing them back into the small beaded bag. "What time shall we meet at and where?" She asked.
He frowned slightly. Although he had nothing to hide by taking Hermione outside the walls of the Palazzo, he knew the rumours and speculation would grow at his actions and the last thing he wanted was for Sulpicia to find out and wonder what was going on. Only the three leaders knew that Hermione was his true mate and he wanted it to stay that way for now. The last thing he wanted was for anything to jeopardise the possibility of any relationship with Hermione, and despite what people may think he also didn't want to hurt Sulpicia anymore than she would be. So he had to tread carefully for the sake of everyone involved.
"I shall meet you at the doors of the Palazzo around 9pm. It should be dark enough for us then to not draw any unwanted attention to ourselves. Oh and I would advise you to wear something dressy but casual. It would be more appropriate for when we go to the Balze Cliffs."
The excitement welled up inside of her at his words. She couldn't wait to get outside and see parts of Volterra. It would be better if it was in the daylight, but at the moment she didn't care. She was going outside and that's all that mattered.
"Thank you again Aro. I will see you tonight." She gave him a small smile and left his quarters. She had an outfit to plan.
Hermione felt nervous as she got herself ready for her evening out with Aro. At first when he had invited her to go out into Volterra and see the views, she thought nothing more than two people going sightseeing together. Now as the day progressed and she began to get ready, she started to wonder if this was date she had agreed too. Surely it wasn't, surely she was just overthinking things too much, as she tended to do sometimes.
Aro had told her to wear something that was dressy but casual so she picked a pair of black trousers, a red and black floral sleeveless top and a black pair of ballet pumps. To complete her look she pinned back her hair and applied the minimal of makeup. When she was ready she packed her small beaded bag, before heading out to the front door of the Palazzo. She had often walked passed this door, but never had she seen it open until now.
Aro was already standing there waiting for her, his back turned so that he was facing away from her. He wore his customary black trousers and black shiny shoes, and the shirt he wore was black with a white pinstripe. He had once again pulled his raven hair back completing his dark and mysterious look.
When Hermione touched his arm, he turned around and she gasped in shock and instantly recoiled back at the sight of him.
"What have you done to yourself?" She asked, trying not to reach up and touch his face. He had put in a pair of black contact lenses, turning his eyes from blood red to a reddish brown colour.
He smiled broadly and blinked a couple of times.
"It is a mere precaution that we must take when we go outside amongst the humans. Although it is dark, our red eyes are still visible. Like I said before we must always try and avoid drawing any unwanted attention to ourselves. I think me having red eyes would cause quite a stir wouldn't you agree?"
Hermione laughed and nodded her head in agreement.
"Yes I think it would. I remember the first time I ever saw the red eyes of a vampire. I was hysterical, and that was just me looking into the mirror." She said remembering the first time she had seen her own eyes. It hadn't been pleasant and out of everything that happened to her, seeing her eyes for the first time had been the worst of it all.
"Shall we." Aro said cutting into her thoughts and holding out his arm to her.
She smiled timidly, feeling her nerves once again kick in. Over and over again she had to remind herself that this wasn't a date, that this was just Aro being nice and offering to accompany her outside that was all, there was nothing else too it.
"We shall." She whispered, linking her arm with his.
Aro had taken a great deal of trouble to make sure that no-one from the guard would be near to see them leave. But as they strolled out of the Palazzo arm in arm, both focused only on each other and not on their surroundings, neither one noticed the small movement in the shadows of one of the windows, as someone watched them leave. Hermione was getting far too close to the Volturi members and the leaders, and they didn't like it at all.
The first stop Aro and Hermione made was to a quaint little wine bar in the middle of the town center. They sat outside savouring the night sky and the people walking around, oblivious of the two dangerous vampires that lurked amongst them. To normal humans they simply looked like a handsome couple, out enjoying a romantic evening. They were beautiful together and except from being too pale, looked like any other couple.
The waitress who served them couldn't take her eyes from Aro, who looked quite dashing where he sat. He had this presence about him that instantly captured your attention. For the whole time that she was at their table, she flirted shamelessly with him while keeping her back turned to Hermione.
Hermione would have been annoyed if it wasn't for the fact that she found the whole situation rather amusing. And also because for the whole time the waitress flirted, Aro gave no indication of being interested and kept his own gaze on Hermione. The one who did have his attention.
"Possiamo prega di avere una bottoglia del 1999 Ornellaia, Tenuta di Marchese Ludovico Antinori?" He briefly flicked a glance to the waitress and with a slight wave of his hand said, "Questo e tutto." Instantly dismissing her.
Hermione chuckled slightly as she watched the waitress storm away in a huff, obviously not having the desired effect on Aro.
"Is something amusing you mio caro?" Aro said somewhat oblivious to the waitresses flirting.
Hermione looked at him, with a small twinkle of amusement burning brightly in her eyes.
"I don't think she was pleased with the way you just dismissed her like that. After all I'm afraid she may have tried to use all her best moves on you."
"Nonsense." Aro replied, brushing off her comment. "It's just that I cannot abide rudeness in people and found her rather intolerable." He grinned, before gazing around him, noticing a male sitting to the side of their table eagerly watching Hermione. At once he bristled with jealousy wanting nothing more than to go over there and sink his teeth into the man who dared leer at his mate.
Hermione who saw the quick change in Aro, turned her head to see who he was looking at and caught sight of the man grinning at her. She frowned at him before turning her attention back to Aro.
"I guess we are even then." She stated, just as the waitress came back with their bottle of wine and two crystal glasses.
Leaving the couple to it, Aro moved and poured two glasses before going into his pocket and pulling out a small flask. Hermione raised her eyebrow suspiciously as he poured the contents into the glass. She could smell the sweet aroma of the blood and watched intently as Aro stirred it into the wine before smiling and taking a sip.
"Ahh it makes the wine taste so much sweeter." He replied, knowing that anyone who saw what he did wouldn't know what he had just poured into the glass.
Hermione frowned slightly but didn't say anything regarding what he had just done, so instead she brought up a safer topic and asked,
"Why did you bring me here?"
Aro smiled taking another sip of his wine before saying,
"I thought it would be nice to do something normal mio caro, and what better than to enjoy a glass of wine in the evening under the night sky." He smiled sweetly then said "Afterwards I thought we could then progress to see the Porta all' Arco since you already mentioned your eagerness at seeing it. Before moving on to the Balze Cliffs and then back home to the Palazzo." He sighed and placed his clasped hands in front of him as he gazed at her from across the table. "I know it is not much mio caro but all the historical buildings are closed at such a late hour."
Hermione reached out to take his hand in hers and squeezed it fondly.
"Aro it is much more than I could have imagined. Thank you for bringing me out here. It is exactly what I needed." She smiled before gazing around. "How did you ever find this place?" She asked curiously taking a sip of her wine.
Aro was mesmerised by the action as the wine left her lips looking moist and glossy, with a slight tint of red to them. He could not tear his gaze away from them and wondered what they would feel and taste like against his own, with the added delight of the wine. He hoped to find out one day when she was more of a willing partner, but for now he could only let his mind wander and guess for him.
"One of the secretaries happened to mention the fine wine that they served here when she found out that we were connoisseurs. However, our expertise lies only with the red wine, as we find the white wine far too bitter for our pallet." He said with a knowing smile.
Hermione chuckled at him taking another sip of her wine. It was nice but she couldn't quite define the flavour. Her taste buds were so much more different now than what they used to be.
"It's nice." She replied swirling the red liquid around in her glass. She suddenly wondered if wine had the same effects on vampires than what it did on humans. But she wouldn't ask Aro that, as she didn't want to come across as being stupid.
He sat watching as the thoughts raced through her mind, and wondered what exactly it was that she was thinking, but didn't want to ask.
"I'm glad you enjoy it mio caro." He smiled fondly. "So the ball is in a couple of days are you looking forward to it? Have you got your outfit picked out yet?" He asked curiously.
She sighed and sat back against the chair, cradling the glass in her hand.
"Honestly I'm a bit nervous. I'm not sure what everyone will think of me." She admitted feeling somewhat vulnerable saying that in front of Aro.
"I'm sure they will all love you Hermione, and you will find that there's no need to worry. Carlisle and Esme will be there, so that should help with your nerves." He said reassuringly.
She smiled and nodded her head.
"Yes I can't wait to see them. I just wish the others were coming as well. I miss Alice." She replied honestly, unable to hide the wistfulness in her voice.
After Hermione had the vision of her own death, things had been quite tense every time she spoke to Alice. She hated the fact that she was keeping something so important from her friend, but knew that she couldn't speak about it until after the ball. Alice didn't probe her on the subject but every time they spoke, Hermione knew her friend was hoping she would tell her. Every time they hung up the phone, it was to the sound of Alice's voice sounding disappointed.
It was strange how she and Alice shared some visions but not others and wondered how that was. They had both seen the vision of her death but only Hermione had seen the one of the battle. It was curious indeed.
"Yes I always rather enjoy seeing Alice myself." Aro replied with awe. He made no attempt to hide the fact that he coveted Alice, or rather her powers of foresight. He had always admired her gift and knew how useful it would be to the Volturi, to be able to see and predict the future the way that she did. He also made no attempt to hide his desire to have Edward and possibly even Bella in the guard as well. They were three very powerful vampires and would provide the Volturi with even more power and insight.
Hermione was a wonderful and rare blend of all three of their powers combined. She was able to predict the future on occasion but it wasn't a reliable power like Alice's. She could see into people's minds, show them her thoughts and talk to people, but she couldn't do it the way that Edward could, by simply looking at someone. And although she had the power to protect and shield people, it wasn't as advanced as Bella's power was. They would be a great asset in his eyes.
Hermione was different, she had these powers but on a lower level. But she did have something much more than that as well. She had powers that she had only just begun to tap into. Once she came into herself and into her powers, Aro had no doubt that she would probably be the most powerful vampire he would ever meet, and this thought excited him. The other three may be great in their own right but Hermione, she was much more special and rare and he coveted her more than anything else. Not just her powers but her body, her mind and most of all her heart.
Hermione seen all those thoughts cross his face, the awe, the admiration, the respect, and the want. And letting her mind come to its own conclusion, she guessed that he was thinking of Alice, as they filtered across his face.
She could not stop the feeling of jealousy from consuming her, or the hurt that she felt at seeing him admire Alice so much. As crazy as it sounded she felt more upset at his reaction to Alice, than she did at seeing him with his wife or knowing what they got up to on occasion.
Finishing her drink in one long gulp, she put the glass back on the table with much more force than she intended to, cracking one side of it.
"Are you alright mio caro?" Aro asked with concern, noticing the pained expression on her beautiful face and seeing the crack in the glass.
"Yes I'm fine." She said somewhat clipped, refusing to look him in the eyes. Instead she looked around making sure no-one had noticed before casting a wandless spell fixing the crack she had made. "If you don't mind though I would like to head to the Porta all' Arco now." She said, not wanting to be in such an intimate place with him anymore.
Aro furrowed his brows in dismay wondering what had happened to cause such a change in her before calling the waitress back over.
"Possiamo prega di avere il conto ora?" He asked feeling slightly frustrated at Hermione's change in behaviour. Things were going so well until she had mentioned Alice, and he had admitted how he enjoyed seeing her too. Then understanding suddenly dawned on him, causing a small smile to creep onto his lips.
He understood that Hermione was reacting this way because she was jealous at his reaction towards Alice. He could not help feeling gratified by that, knowing that again for her to feel something akin to jealousy must mean that she then felt something towards him.
"Naturalmente Sir, subito." The waitress replied with a flirty smile, mistaking Aro's for something else.
Once again he dismissed her and gazed at Hermione, feeling both fascinated and curious at the sudden revelation.
"So mio caro, you did not answer my earlier question have you got your outfit picked out for the ball yet?" He asked, reclaiming her attention once more.
She sighed, knowing how foolish she had been at her sudden feeling of jealousy and gave a small embarrassed smile to Aro.
"Yes, I have as a matter of fact." She replied running the tip of her finger around the rim of the glass, the action causing a slight whistling sound to emanate from it.
"Do you care to elaborate mio caro or have I to guess?" He asked feeling intrigued.
She laughed at him, relaxing back into his presence.
"You can guess all you want but that doesn't mean I'm going to tell you. No-" She said shaking her head slightly. "I think I'll keep it as a surprise." She smiled at seeing the disappointment flash briefly across his face.
"Shame, but I guess that whatever you have decided to wear will suit you perfectly. I'm sure you mio caro, will be the belle of the ball." His tone sounded slightly flirtatious but he found that the more time he spent with Hermione, the less he could control himself. The pull grew stronger the longer they spent in each other's company and soon he knew, nothing would be able to make him control it. He wouldn't want to either.
After paying the bill Aro, ever the gentleman, once again extended his arm out to Hermione, who took it graciously and without any hesitancy. It appeared that she too was feeling more at ease in his presence, as he did in hers. Again this worked well in his favour, because soon she too hopefully wouldn't be able to resist what was between them.
He escorted her down the narrow winding streets, which were fairly steep to the Porta all' Arco, while Hermione walked with an excited twinkle in her eye, as she gazed up at the large beautiful archway.
"Do you know much about the history of the archway?" Aro asked, curious to see how much research she had done before arriving here in Volterra.
"Just a little bit such as, it is the main gateway into the city of Volterra and was built in the 4th century BC. It is the most famous Etruscan piece of architecture here as well. There has been lots of rebuilding over the years and because of wear they are unsure who the three heads belong too."
Aro looked up at the top of the archway and smiled.
"They say that the three heads belong to the triad of Gods, Volterra's guardian's named Jove, Juno and Minerva from the Greek and Roman mythology, but we do not know for certain, as there has been much speculation over the years." He turned his gaze towards Hermione who was running her hand over the sandstone wall. "The alternative names used are Jupiter, Juno and Minerva." He whispered. "You may be interested to know that every year the people of Volterra re-enact the story of when the people protected the gate in the Second World War."
Hermione looked at him, her eyes wide with interest as she simply asked,
"What happened?"
He chuckled, enjoying seeing her looking so interested in the city's history.
"Well in 1944 when the fighting began and the Germans lay siege to the city, the people of Volterra filled the gap with stones saving it from destruction and to stop it from being a focus of attack. It was a wonderful thing to witness, seeing the people come together to protect something so wonderful and precious." He replied letting his gaze linger on her face much longer than what was necessary.
She looked at him with utter fascination and said,
"You were there."
He chuckled again and grinned, causing her to look suddenly shy as she realised her error.
"You forget mio caro the Volturi have been here for thousands of years. We have seen so much history take place including the siege." His grin turned somewhat menacing as he said, "The people could not protect themselves from the German's so we may have broken one of our laws to help."
Hermione understood exactly what he meant, and despite what the Germans had done, still felt the horror of the soldiers being killed. No matter how long she was a vampire for, she could never imagine ever getting rid of that nauseating feeling when it came to consuming human blood.
Noticing Hermione's horror stricken face, Aro held out his arm to her and she took it once more.
"Now let's head to the Balze Cliffs. I suspect you will marvel at the view." Aro said and he was right.
He easily guided her along the edge of the cliffs, behind a building called the Camaldolese Abbey, which was in a state of abandonment because of how precariously close it was to the edge. These cliffs were a natural phenomenon caused by the erosion of the ground causing a large abyss to appear, that swallowed part of the city and some medieval buildings.
"Quite breathtaking isn't it." Aro said helping Hermione sit down onto the ground as they gazed over the vast landscape.
She turned to him and nodded. Despite the fact that it was now dark and the stars were out, Hermione could see better than any human could. As much as she was enjoying the view, she couldn't help but feel that coming here in the daylight would be a much superior experience, but she doubted if she would ever get that chance.
"Yes it is." She replied looking at him intently. "Can I ask you a question?" She asked in a quiet curious voice.
He turned to her and smiled, nodding his head.
"Of course you can, ask away." He said stretching his legs out in front of him, enjoying the way his left leg brushed against hers.
"Do you miss it?" She asked rather vaguely, her gaze wandering back over to the landscape in front.
Aro frowned then said,
"Miss what? I'm afraid I do not follow you mio caro." He replied feeling confused.
Hermione sighed and copied Aro's pose by stretching her legs out in front.
"Sorry, I mean do you miss the sun. You know going out in the daylight, seeing everything in the light of day rather than in the cloak of darkness. Feeling the sun's rays, warm against your skin." She turned to look at him again, repeating her question once more. "Do you miss it?"
He sighed and let his gaze drift over the landscape as he took a minute to ponder her question. He had never really given it much thought, because being a vampire for thousands of years eroded such memories.
He frowned and said,
"Honestly mio caro I do not know." He replied. "I have been alive for so long that I no longer think of these things anymore. I can't remember what it was like feeling the sun's warmth against my skin. So really my answer to that would be no. I simply cannot miss what I do not remember. But seeing everything in the daylight-" Again he thought for a moment then said, "I guess the answer to that would be yes I do. But the truth is that with daylight comes danger and exposure. Those things put me off venturing out into the daylight, which is why we hardly leave the Palazzo unless we have too. The darkness is reliable and safe, so we tend to go out at night." He looked at her once more and smiled. "So I suppose that yes would be the short answer."
Hermione smiled back at him and took his hand in hers, realising how big this gesture was for him.
"Thank you Aro, for bringing me out today. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it."
He sat up slightly, never once taking his gaze away from her, as he watched the loose curl flutter teasingly in the breeze. He twirled it around his finger briefly, before tucking it back behind her ear.
"Believe me mio caro the pleasure was all mine. Sometimes I need reminding of how good the outside world is. So thank you for showing me that."
Hermione had no idea what caused her to do it, but suddenly she found herself in Aro's arms with her lips pressed against his, as they shared an intimate kiss on top of the Balze Cliffs.
His body had stiffened at first and when she went to pull away, he responded, pulling her back against him and kissing her fiercely. She felt herself melt against him as her whole body came alive with passion and desire, the connection they shared exploding within them. In that single moment everything in the world felt right.
His lips against hers. Her body against his. His hand snaking up to her neck. Her hand cupping his cheek. In that moment it was just the two of them in the world, no-one else existed. That was until the pleasure she felt built up causing her to moan out loud, and the passionate noise she made brought her crashing back down to reality.
All of a sudden she realised that not only was she kissing Aro but she was enjoying it, and despite her reluctance to stop, she did and pulled away from him abruptly, noticing the shocked expression on his face.
"Aro I am so sorry. I should never have done that." She said standing up quickly and covering her mouth with her hand, still feeling the tingle of his lips against her own.
He stood up and reached out for her but she pulled away from him again, and stepped backwards.
"Hermione there is no need to apologise. It was the heat of the moment, that's all." He smiled reassuringly but watched in dismay as she shook her head, the curl he had tucked away previously falling down her face once again.
"No. It was a mistake and I am truly sorry." She said feeling ashamed of herself at the fact that in the heat of the moment she had kissed Aro, the Volturi leader, her friend and mentor, and not forgetting a married man. "Oh god." She said turning her back on him, trying to stop the overwhelming feeling of guilt from engulfing her. "I need to get back to the Palazzo Aro. I'm sorry for ruining your evening." She said.
"Hermione listen to me you ruined nothing. The kiss we shared was not a mistake despite what you may think. It was inevitable."
She whirled around so fast and glared at him.
"How can you say that Aro? I just kissed a married man, that is unacceptable."
He took a step towards her but did not dare try and touch her again.
"Hermione be honest with us both for a moment. You cannot deny what we feel, the connection that we share is growing stronger. We belong together." He said flinging caution to the wind.
"No we don't. I don't know what this thing between us is but it cannot go on." She said angry at herself for causing this situation between them. Things had been going well for them until now, until she had spoiled it.
He frowned and said,
"This thing as you call it, cannot be stopped Hermione. You are my mate and the sooner you admit it to yourself, the sooner you and I can be together."
She shook her head no and moved away from him, feeling confused and excited all at the same time.
"No we're not. What we have is nothing more than attraction that is all. You are married and I-" She stopped midsentence as she thought of Severus, suddenly feeling like she had just betrayed him.
"This is because of the dark wizard." Aro replied with unconcealed jealous rage firing through his body.
She gazed at him warily and said,
"No, yes, I don't know." She sighed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "It's more because the kiss was a mistake. You are married and I will never play second best to another woman." She said somewhat defiantly.
Aro laughed sarcastically and stared at her.
"You think I would ever allow you to be second best Hermione. No mio caro you have it the wrong way."
Hermione's eyes furrowed in confusion as she asked,
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means that as my mate you will never be second best, you will be my one and only Hermione. Nothing could ever compare to what we would have together. But can you say the same about your wizard?" He asked raising a curious eyebrow at her.
She frowned feeling her annoyance build.
"Don't bring Severus into this, this isn't about him. It's about me not wanting to be with a married man."
Aro laughed again.
"Ahh my dear sweet Hermione. You fear that you will be second best for me, but all along you have played second best to a ghost, a mere memory this whole time." Her eyes widened in anger at his words and he grinned knowingly at her, unable to stop the hatred he felt towards the dark wizard who stood between him and his mate. "Despite what he may have said to you, you forget I saw his thoughts, I saw what was in his heart. Tell me Hermione do you really believe what he said about the flame haired green eyed beauty that he loved all those years ago? Do you think that after everything he done in her name, it could all be wiped away so quickly by another woman? By you?"
Hermione reeled at him, slapping his face as hard as she could.
"How dare you speak of things that you know nothing about?" She hissed out.
The slap, although not entirely unexpected, left him feeling calmer. He hadn't meant to hurt her with his words, he just wanted her to realise the truth of the situation.
"Hermione I'm sorry, that was completely uncalled for. I shouldn't have said what I did. So I apologise. But if you cannot answer this question for me, answer it for yourself. If that witch was still alive today and he had the chance to be with either one of you. Who do you think he would choose, you or her?" He sighed seeing the hurt register in her eyes then said, "Put you in a room with another woman and for me there would only ever be one choice, without any hesitation. Could that be the same answer for him?"
Despite her anger at Aro, in her heart this question had always lay dormant until now. When Severus had told her that he no longer cared for Lily like he used to, she wanted to believe him. But after what he had done for her, protecting Harry, atoning for his sins, turning to the good side, she couldn't fathom how all of that love could be wiped away in a single moment. But he claimed it had.
Then there was the time Severus had argued with Aro, it was easy to see that he still loved Lily and he probably would always still love her. If he still had feelings for Lily Potter, then could there ever be room for her.
She had told Aro that she didn't want to ever be second best, was that all she was in Severus's eyes, the consolation prize? Or did he love her as much as he said he did.
With these thoughts now running rampant in her mind, it still didn't change the situation with Aro. No matter what he was still married and even if he could, Hermione could not betray Sulpicia in the way that he wanted. With nothing more to say on the subject she simply said,
"Take me back to the Palazzo, now." And he did.
The journey back was quiet and subdued, the tension between the pair palpable. What had started as a lovely evening quickly turned into a disaster, and as Hermione entered back into the safety of her own quarters, she knew that she had no-one else to blame but herself.
She needed to get a hold of herself and fast. The ball was in a couple of days' time and the last thing she wanted was everyone to see the obvious tension between her and Aro, especially since his wife was going to be there. How was she supposed to look the other woman in the eye, knowing what she had done and said behind her back? No. She needed to put an end to whatever was going on now and quickly. The only thing she had to figure out was how she was going to do that.
Italian to English translation
* Possiamo prega di avere una bottoglia del 1999 Ornellaia, Tenuta di Marchese Ludovico Antinori? - May we please have a bottle of 1999 Ornellaia, Tenuta di Marchese Ludovico Antinori?
(1999 Ornellaia, Tenuta di Marchese Ludovico Antinori) is a bottle of red wine made in the Tuscany Provence.
* Questo e tutto- that will be all.
* Possiamo prega di avere il conto ora- May we please have the bill now.
* Naturalmente Sir, subito- Of course Sir, right away.
