Chapter Seventeen

The day of the ball had finally arrived and Hermione felt both excited and extremely nervous. Excited because she knew that Carlisle and Esme would be attending and she would get to see them and apologise, for not telling them about what was happening. She really hoped they would understand her reasons for keeping quiet on the matter, knowing that it wasn't her place to say anything, not until the three leaders of the Volturi had spoken to them all first.

She also hoped that they didn't comment or say anything regarding the vision she had of her own death. If they did mention it then she hoped it was done in the privacy of her quarters and not somewhere they could be overheard. The last thing she wanted was anything taking the attention away from the real reason why they were all there in the first place. Namely the Romanians and the War they were going to declare on the Volturi.

She was also nervous about the fact that she wasn't sure how the vampires of the other covens were going to respond to her. After all, apart from those who already knew her, no-one had ever seen anything quite like her before. She wasn't just a vampire but a witch as well. Her eyes were neither red nor gold but a normal, although unique, human colour. But most of all how could she explain to those who did not know her, about why her heart still beat in her chest. That was such a long story and one she didn't want all these strangers knowing. It was intimate and personal to her and those few who she had told.

That was not the only reason why she was nervous however, the other reason was Aro. Since she had ruined their wonderful evening out together by kissing him, and since he had said all those awful things to her, they had not been in contact with each other at all. True, she had spent all of her time hiding out in her quarters only letting Felix, Demetri or Marcus in, but she hadn't even heard him moving about in his room next door either. Not that she was listening for him.

She had however, almost gotten herself caught in his personal library the day before the ball though, as the lure of the books had been too tempting, which she couldn't ignore for long. So Hermione had succumbed and cast a silencing charm and disillusioned herself before apparating into his private library, checking to make sure that she looked around first for any signs of him, before she wandered around the dimly lit room, browsing the titles of his impressive collection. If it wasn't for the fact that Hermione was a vampire and so was always a translucent white colour, she would have surely been a dark shade of green perusing this library. She was so envious as this room was the things that dreams were made of. She had absolutely no words to describe how she felt being here, but she would have quite happily stayed. She was so engrossed in her perusal that she didn't hear anyone enter Aro's quarters until a high pitched woman's laugh, snapped her concentration.

She cursed herself at once as she realised she had let her guard down, and could be caught at any moment. So as she hastily backed away from the door, bumping into the table and almost knocking over a precious book. She covered her mouth with her hand, to stop the curse words from escaping and listened intently to the other room. The laughter had stopped and a silence had descended until Aro's voice could be heard saying,

"One moment please." Aro said, as his shadow filtered across the gap in the doorway.

"Damn it." Hermione cursed as she quickly cast her spells and apparated away back to her own quarters, as fast as she possibly could. She made it back just in time and so didn't see the small smile that tugged on Aro's lips as soon as the door had opened, and he witnessed her blurry form disappear from sight.

He inhaled the familiar scent of his mate, before closing and locking the door behind him once more. The feeling of pleasure filling him at the thought of Hermione having been there.

Other than almost being caught Hermione hadn't seen Aro since, but that didn't mean she did not think about him. The kiss she had initiated still played out in her mind, as she went over every little detail of it. She wished she could say it was a bad kiss, but honestly she couldn't. It was perhaps one of the best, and it may have even been the most perfect.

Every part of her wanted to yell that what they shared was all wrong, that he was all wrong, but that would be a lie. Despite her feelings and reservations everything felt so right and now she couldn't stop craving more. The only one piece of control that she had left to cling on too, when it came to giving into the temptation of Aro, was reminding herself that he was married.

She could not even hold on to the memory of what she and Severus had shared anymore, for Aro had sown the seeds of doubt in her mind. Was Severus still in love with Lily Potter, had he lied to her and played down Lily's memories? Even when she tried to rationalise things in her mind, that it didn't matter if he loved Lily or not, the biggest obstacle between them was never far away, and that was she was immortal and he was not. Their love was destined to be ruined from the beginning.

So with a new resolution she decided that she would concentrate on becoming a guard member and focus on the upcoming War. She had herself to think about as well as others, and just like how she didn't want the others to worry about her, she wouldn't lose her focus by thinking about unattainable men either. Besides, she had Felix and Demetri who were all the men she needed. She also had Marcus who was like a father figure and Caius who was like a brother. She could live without a romantic relationship for now.

It was because of this new resolution, that Hermione finally picked her outfit for the ball. She wanted to make a statement, and let everyone know that she was serious about her role in the Volturi guard and in the War. And she hoped that everyone picked up on that.

So it was with great excitement that Hermione got herself ready for the evening, styling her hair to perfection, and taking great care in getting dressed. Any nerves that threatened to surface, were quickly pushed back down from where they came from, as she replayed her character's name in her mind like a mantra. Knowing that she wouldn't be nervous going into the unknown, that she would walk in with her head held high no matter what.

If she wanted to prove to everyone that she was ready, then she had to walk into the dome room with all the confidence that she possessed. She had to show them all that she was a warrior and that she was fierce and could take on any challenge thrown her way. That she was everything her outfit was meant to represent.

Putting on her gold sandals and tying them around her legs so that they wound their way up to her calves, she straightened her dress up before adding the last pieces of her outfit. A yellow gold serpent coiled around her left upper arm and a pair of yellow gold earrings which dangled from her ears. She checked her appearance in the full length mirror, twisting and turning to look at herself properly, and couldn't help but feel pleased with the results. She was so glad that she still had her magic otherwise she would never have been able to have pulled off such a wonderful outfit. The only thing she needed now was her gold shield and her gold spear then her look would be complete.

At exactly 8pm a knock on her door sounded and in walked Marcus, looking handsome in a simple long black suit jacket with burgundy cuffs and matching buttons, black trousers, a burgundy waistcoat, a crisp white shirt and black cravat. His hair was pulled back with a burgundy coloured velvet ribbon.

He spread his hands wide as he took in the sight of her, before taking her hand in his and twirling her around slowly.

"You look completely enchanting mio angelo. I can see that I will be the envy of all the single males out there tonight." He chuckled slightly and said, "Good thing I have this with me to beat them all away." He held up a black walking cane causing Hermione to giggle timidly.

"I hardly believe that Marcus. I think they will be far too nervous of me to notice anything else." She said, smoothing down the front of her dress nervously.

Marcus moved closer to her and tilted her head up so that she was staring into his vibrant red eyes.

"Hermione once they get over the shock of meeting you, I won't lie and say it won't be because it will, they will come to adore you, just like we do." He smiled fondly down at her and took her small delicate hand in his. "You will be wonderful tonight, I have every faith in you and I feel very honoured indeed to be the one escorting you. I almost feel like the proud father taking his daughter out to her coming out party." He said puffing out his chest slightly.

Hermione giggled shyly, before standing up on tiptoe to kiss his pale cheek.

"Thank you Marcus, I appreciate your kind words. I feel honoured that you agreed to escort me. So thank you again."

Marcus frowned slightly and shook his head.

"They are not just words mio angelo, nor do you need to thank me for anything. Just believe me when I say that before you came to Volterra my life seemed dark and empty, although I'm not sure why. It was almost as if something important was missing. Then you my angel came, bringing sunshine and warmth with you. You brought life back to this old tired man, and for that I am eternally grateful. I see the bond that we share and I am so glad that I am not alone in feeling it." He smiled at her affectionately and squeezed her hand. "I know that I could never be what your real father was, but know that I am here for you no matter what. You already feel like a daughter to me and I promise I will not let anyone harm you in anyway."

Hermione was completely stunned at Marcus's admission and felt overwhelmed with affection and gratitude for him. The honesty and sincerity in his voice filled her heart with love. She flung herself into his arms and buried her face in his chest trying hard not to let her tears fall, in case they ruined her makeup.

"Thank you Marcus, I can't tell you how much that means to me. I never thought I would find someone like you here when I first came, but I'm so glad I did. I would gladly be called your daughter." She let go of him as he chuckled lightly into her hair.

"Come mio angelo, the time for sentimentalities is over. We have a party to attend and some guests to woe." He kissed her forehead before she quickly checked her appearance once more over at the mirror.

With a nervous sigh she fixed a stray curl, straightened her shoulders then picked up her spear and shield before awkwardly taking Marcus's arm.

He laughed at her again, the amusement shining in his bright red eyes as he asked,

"I know that this goes with your outfit but how on earth do you suppose to dance while holding onto these things."

She smiled and wrinkled her nose as she gazed up at her new adopted father.

"Ahh you see I am a witch after all, and I do have a wonderful sticking charm in mind."

Marcus looked at her with some confusion and quirked his lips up slightly.

"A sticking charm and what, do tell might that be."

She laughed at him and replied,

"You just have to wait and see. I'm sure the audience will be thrilled by a little bit of a magic show."

Marcus shook his head in pretend dismay, unable to hide the small smile from forming.

"I can see that I'm going to have to keep an eye on you. Shall we."

"Before we leave may I just change a little bit of your costume first?" She asked, a small smirk playing on her lips.

He raised a curious eyebrow and looked at her.

"I suppose if you must." He said.

She laughed and waved her hand, casting wandless magic on his clothes. She stepped back and looked at him, a small satisfied smile on her face.

"There that's better, now we match." She said proudly.

Marcus looked down at himself in amazement, no matter how much magic she produced he was always still impressed by all the things she could do and the way she made it look so effortless. He laughed with approval when he noticed the changes she had made. Instead of his outfit being black and burgundy like it was before, it was now black and gold, a perfect contrast to her white and gold outfit.

"Perfect." He whispered squeezing her arm fondly, and with that the newly found matching father and daughter pair left Hermione's quarters and headed to the dome room, where they were the last ones to arrive. Little did Hermione realise just how much she would be the main attraction that night?


Aro was always meticulous when it came to planning these kind of events, from the décor, to the music, to the guest list and even to the way the event itself was planned out. He did not like mistakes or unplanned surprises, so except from the administration work he did most of the planning himself.

Some guests who had travelled far were given rooms for a couple of nights, those who lived close by came on the evening of the ball. To stop humans from being suspicious about why there was a fancy dress party at the Palazzo dei Priori he always made sure that Heidi and her secretaries made posters advertising a private Halloween themed ball. Of course if any of the humans were interested in purchasing tickets to the event, Heidi and her human secretaries would have to convince them that they were unfortunately sold out, in that charming way of hers.

This meant that when the real guests came to the Palazzo all dressed up in their costumes, no humans were surprised or alarmed. It was a clever ploy that they used often when there would be a large gathering of vampires, and they needed cover so not to be exposed.

This evening was all about asking coven members to join them in the fight against the Romanians, which was Aro's main priority. It was also about introducing Hermione to the other covens and perhaps enrolling her into the guard. According to both Marcus and Caius she was ready, so tonight would be a sort of test for her, to see how she would handle being in a difficult situation.

Aro knew that although he was eager for everyone to meet her, he couldn't just spring her on them without warning. That would be too dangerous for Hermione and he couldn't put her in danger, not if he could prevent it.

So he had planned this evenings events with meticulous care and precision. He and his brother Caius would meet and greet their guests while Marcus saw to Hermione. He would make a welcome speech and alert them to why they were all there and then he would tell them about Hermione, there way to win the War. Once he saw their reaction to the news about her, Marcus would bring her into the room to meet them all. If everything went smoothly, like he hoped it would, then they could enjoy the ball afterwards. That was his plans anyway, he just hoped things went that easily in reality.

The costume Aro had chosen represented his status in the Volturi. He opted for a bronze and black medieval King's tunic, with a high collar and lace up torso. He wore a pair of black trousers, which were tucked into a pair of black boots with a matching bronze turnover just below the knee. He wore a bronze coloured cape and a small gold crown upon his head. His sleek raven hair flowed down his back making him look regal and proud. He wore a sheaf on his hip and tucked inside was a real sword.

Sulpicia, who would be on his arm for the ball, was of course going as his Queen. She wore a long bronze and black medieval dress, which was rounded at the shoulders, and draped down past her wrists. Her brown hair was piled high on her head and she wore a matching gold crown. Her bodice was fit tightly and was embroidered at her bosom, which was on display slightly. Like Aro, she wore a matching cape and they both wore their Volturi crests around their necks with pride and with honour.

While Aro watched her getting ready, he couldn't help but be mesmerised by Sulpicia's grace and elegance. She had been his partner from almost the beginning and although he did love her then, years had passed and things had changed, at least for him they had, long before he had even met Hermione.

He had always known that she was not his true mate, but he loved her anyway and changed her before they married. They had been happy and like any other couple in love, but over the years' things grew stagnant and he knew that she was no longer enough. The love he had for her was no longer of the romantic kind, it was more friendship than anything. But she had always been loyal to him so he had stayed with her, more out of duty than of love.

Then the unimaginable happened, he had finally found his mate and when he did, everything changed again. The gap between him and Sulpicia widened further, although they kept on playing their roles of devoted husband and wife. Things changed even more after Hermione had come to live in the Palazzo.

Aro had wanted her to be kept near him so arranged for her room to be next door. He needed the security and reassurance of knowing she was close by and that she was safe. He was at his happiest when the bond they shared was content at feeling her presence. But over time as they remained closer, the bond deepened and soon craved more. Aro often found himself distracted by it and by her. So much so that he found he could no longer perform his basic marital duties with his own wife.

Ever since Hermione had come to the Palazzo he had not once been intimate with Sulpicia except for chaste kisses, despite the pretence they put on. It was not fair on her, if he was thinking about another woman, and not just any woman but his mate. The thought of even being intimate with Sulpicia was like a betrayal to Hermione, even though he knew that it should have been his wife and her betrayal that he was thinking of.

As he gazed at Sulpicia now, dressed as his Queen and equal, he couldn't help but wish that it was Hermione on his arm. He was becoming impatient and wanted nothing more than to finally claim her but he couldn't, not until she admitted what they both knew. That they were meant to be with each other, that they belonged to one another. Until she admitted that to herself, she would never fully be his.

So for now he had to play the part of devoted husband, all the while thinking of the one woman he truly wanted to be with. If Sulpicia knew that their marriage was over she didn't say anything or act like anything was wrong. He was certain that if she did suspect things were wrong then at least she wouldn't know why.

He had not been the most loyal husband to her in the past, he had affairs behind her back, and he knew that she deserved better than what he could give her. She deserved to be happy with her own mate.

If he and Hermione were to be together, things would be so much different for them. The bond would bind them together completely, more than just a marriage ever could. If he claimed her as his own and marked her, then they would remain faithful and loyal to one another, the mark would warn other males from approaching her, and their relationship would be for eternity. Just like what Marcus and Didyme had together.

But that was just a dream for the moment. For now, he had to focus on the ball tonight. He had to let go of Hermione and his wants for this evening and be the leader that everyone knew and expected him to be. And for that he needed Sulpicia, his Queen, on his arm. If they wanted to get the other covens to help them in this War with the Romanians, then they had to put on a united front. He had to be the leader preparing them for battle, he had to be the devoted husband and head of his coven, if his followers were to follow. Everything depended on this night and he couldn't be the one who disappointed. He was ready.

Sulpicia had been sitting watching Aro in her vanity mirror, the look on his face showed that he was deep in thought, and the thoughts he was having were not good ones. He was under a lot of pressure, she knew that, and with pressure came responsibility and duty, something which she knew that her husband took seriously.

Tonight was important to him. First he had to convince the other covens to join them in this War. Plus he also had to convince them of Hermione, knowing that there could be an uproar at the fact that once again he had broken his own laws by not destroying her.

Her marriage had been going through a rough patch recently, she knew that the stresses and the pressure were getting to him more than usual, causing him to pull away from her. With that a gap had also formed in their sexual relationship as well, but she loved him, and she knew that despite these problems he loved her too in his own way.

As the leader of the Volturi's wife, Sulpicia was well aware of her role tonight, she had been on his arm for thousands of years, supporting him, remaining loyal to him and being by his side. Tonight would be no different.

Slowly she rose from the chair and made her way across to him, kneeling she took his hands in her own, and nuzzled her cheek against them.

"Do not fret my beloved. Tonight will go well you will see." She whispered with a small reassuring smile.

Aro, who had been so deep in his thoughts, hadn't even realised she had come over until she spoke. He turned his eyes to her and smiled, though it wasn't a real smile.

"Thank you my sweet. I do hope you are right." He replied helping her to stand to her feet.

He removed his hands from hers and opened out his arms to her, and she came into them willingly. How she missed these intimate moments with him?

"How do you think the others will take to Hermione? It is your plan on inducting her into the guard is it not?" She asked closing her eyes as she felt her husband tense at the sound of the other woman's name.

She was no fool. She saw the way her husband swooned over the other woman, but she also saw the way the other woman seemed disinterested in him. Her heart appeared to belong to the dark wizard, which Sulpicia couldn't help feel relieved by. She knew that her husband coveted those with power, he lusted over them until he finally had them where he wanted, and she did not expect Hermione to be any different. She was also aware of her husband's numerous affairs over the years, but turned a blind eye to them because of love. As far as she could tell, Hermione and her husband had not crossed that physical threshold, but she could tell he wanted too.

Leaving Aro was not that simple, she had devoted her whole immortal life to him and to the Volturi, and it was the only home that she had ever known or could remember. To leave the place she had lived for thousands of years and the people she loved would be unimaginable. So she ignored his infidelity like a good wife, keeping her place secure. And as far as she could tell he had not been unfaithful to her in a long time.

Aro pulled his head away slightly and looked down at the woman in his arms, she was so trusting and loyal.

"Yes it is. According to my brothers they think she is ready, so I don't see why we can't induct her tonight. Hopefully they will see just how much she can bring to the guard and to this War."

Sulpicia nuzzled her cheek against the fabric of the tunic and sighed.

"Yes I can see why you need her so much."

Aro's body stiffened again at her words and this time he pushed her away from him.

"What do you mean?" He asked feeling tense.

"Well, you need her to win this War don't you? You and the guard need her powers yes?" She asked, trying not to hide her suspicion.

Aro relaxed as he understood her meaning and ran his hands down Sulpicia's arms.

"Yes you are quite right my sweet. This War is more taxing than I thought. The last time it lasted for a century, so I'm hoping that with coven members fighting alongside us and with Hermione's powers, it will be quick and swift."

Sulpicia could hear the strain and worry in his voice. Sometimes she was glad that only she saw this softer side to him, a side that he would normally consider weak amongst men. Gently she lifted her hand up to cup his cheek, looking straight into his eyes as she quietly whispered,

"It won't come to that my beloved." Feeling bold, she crushed her body to his, pressing her lips against his own and kissed him. She kissed him with all the pent up frustration and passion that she felt.

He didn't respond at first, instead he tensed at the action, before he shut his eyes and responded to her. But when he closed his eyes it was not his wife's face that he saw, it was Hermione's. With her image burned into his mind, he began to imagine that it was her who was kissing him, with such passion and vigour and as his thoughts took over, the kiss deepened and he responded fiercely. Consuming the woman whose body he was crushing, wanting to get as close to her as he possibly could.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back just as fiercely. She had missed this level of intense passion with Aro, the likes of which they used to always share, in the days when they could barely keep their hands off each other.

She moaned into his mouth, alerting Aro to the fact that this felt wrong. Her lips were not the same sensual ones as his mate. Her taste was not the sweet nectar he had sampled, causing him to hunger for more. And her scent, the scent that filled his nostrils and clung to her body was not the sweet vanilla and honeysuckle, mingled with her own underlying unique smell. This scent was familiar in its own way, but it was not hers.

His mind and body finally caught up with each other, as he realised that this was all wrong, that the person he was kissing was his wife and not his mate. Feeling disgusted by his actions, he pulled away from her, turning his back on the woman who had stood by him through it all.

He hated himself for it, but Hermione was the one who he wanted, the one who he needed. She consumed his every thought and his every desire, becoming almost like an obsession to him now. Sharing anything with Sulpicia, despite the circumstances, wasn't enough anymore.

"Aro what is wrong?" Sulpicia asked, hesitantly placing her hands on his back. Things were going so well and then just as suddenly as the kiss began, it stopped. With Aro pulling away from her once again. She tried to hide the hurt that she felt, knowing that she was losing him.

He moved away from her with the pretence of adjusting his clothes, but truthfully the proximity to the woman who was not his mate, smothered him. At times he wished that he had never met Hermione, because knowing she existed and being apart from her was almost too torturous to bear. There was a limit to how long he could be with her, without being with her, and he was hurtling towards that limit fast.

"We will be leaving soon my sweet. Heidi will be knocking on the door at any moment. I do not want her to catch us in a moment of…. lust." He said with a small smile, trying hard not to wince.

Knowing that he was keeping something back, she adjusted her own clothes and nodded her head slowly, in a show of understanding.

"Yes, that would not do." She agreed, hiding the disappointment that she felt.

Just as she finished speaking a knock sounded on the door and Aro smiled, relieved that he had been right.

"Ahh you see." He said. "Come in." He called out making sure that he was ready.

Heidi walked into the room wearing a black leather catsuit, knee high back leather boots, a small black cat face mask, with pointy ears and a long thin tail that she held in her hand, twirling it around like a whip.

Even Aro could see that she was a stunning woman, despite her powers of persuasion. She was one of the woman who he had slept with behind his wife's back, so he knew what lay underneath the catsuit as well. Before, he would have been easily swayed by her choice of outfit, but tonight not even she could tempt him from the woman who he knew was getting ready next door.

Heidi arched a perfect eyebrow up and grinned at Aro, a catlike predatory glint sparkling in her eyes.

"Do you like?" She asked flirtily, ignoring the fact that Sulpicia was even in the room.

"Yes very fetching." Aro said not responding to her suggestive tone, surprising both women. "Now I take it the reason you are here is because all the guests have arrived and are waiting in the hall?" He asked feeling suddenly impatient.

"Yes Master Aro, they are all waiting for you and Master Caius to make your entrance." She replied feeling disappointed at not causing the normal reaction to the man who had been a previous lover.

"Good." He turned his attention to his wife and smiled, extending his arm out to her. "Are you ready then my sweet?" He asked.

She smiled brightly at him taking his arm.

"I am." She replied.

They followed Heidi to the secret entrance to the dome room that led to the double staircase, where they met Caius and Athenodora who were dressed as an English Lord and Lady in matching silver outfits, which were complete with white wigs.

"What on earth are you wearing brother?" Aro asked with a hint of a smile on his face.

Caius grinned looking down at himself and shrugged.

"I thought it was quite fetching." He replied.

Aro chuckled and nodded.

"Yes quite." Before sighing and settling his nerves. It was time to put on his leader persona. "After you then brother." He said letting Caius and Athenodora lead the way.

The occupants of the dome room fell silent as they watched two of the Volturi leaders descend the double staircase. The three thrones that normally sat in the middle of the room, had been pushed back against the wall underneath the stairs, creating space to allow the visitors in and for the dancing that would be taking place later on. The audience watched as the two leaders guided their wives to their seats, with Caius taking his seat on his throne, as Aro stood tall and proud in front.

He looked around at all the faces, noting who was familiar and who was new, as the guard members circled the room, standing at the exits in case of trouble. Although they were all dressed up and ready for some fun, they had a duty to uphold as well, and so stayed alert in case of any bother.

"My brothers and I would like to begin by saying how happy we are seeing you all here this evening. For those of you who have already been to the Palazzo welcome back, and to all the new faces I see, welcome to the Palazzo dei Priori." He clasped his hands and let his gaze wander over the crowd of about one hundred and fifty, not including the guard members. "Now before I go over the purpose of this visit, I must first tell you all the rules. No-one will hunt, humans or animals, within the walls of Volterra, those who are found doing so will be punished accordingly. And finally if anyone intends to cause trouble tonight-" With that he smiled maliciously, the warning evident for all to see. "Let me remind you that Jane there." He said pointing out the young vampire who was dressed in a black gown and cape, a sweet smile on her young face. "Will have great pleasure in dealing with you."

The audience all knew of Jane's power of pain and none of them wanted to be on the receiving end of it.

"Now." Aro said clapping his hands once, drawing everyone's attention back to him. His face took on a serious expression as he looked at them. "The reason why we have asked you all here tonight, is because it has come to our attention that the Romanians have been building up an army and wish to declare War on the Volturi, and not just us. They want to annihilate large covens, and those who have members with special gifts." He paced in front of the audience, ignoring their gasps of shock and their quiet murmurs. "From our sources it seems they have more than 500 soldiers, and counting. We have also heard that they have a secret weapon, although we do not know exactly what that is. We plan on sending guard members across the Romanian border to find out any information. We have strength and power in the guard unlike any other, but we need more numbers." He stopped pacing and looked out to the audience. "That is why we have called you here today, so that we can ask you if you will fight with us. You do not have to like or respect the Volturi, but this War isn't only just about us. If they win they will come for you. If the Volturi win, then we promise peace against your covens. We do not ask you to respond now, go back home and speak to your other coven members, but we must know by winter. The Romanians plan to strike in February."

Again the room was filled with murmurs and whispers, as they began to deliberate about what Aro had just said.

"What of this secret weapon though?" A man Aro knew as Franco asked. "If such a thing exists then how can we possibly defeat it?" He did not hide the concern in his voice as he spoke.

Aro couldn't believe that they had reached this topic so quickly, he wanted to prolong the subject of Hermione for a little while longer, but it was obviously not meant to happen.

He smiled showing off his small perfect white teeth then said,

"The Romanians secret weapon, may or may not exist Franco. They may be saying that as a way to scare you and us. But the Volturi has a secret weapon of our own, one that we are proud to show you all this evening."

Franco held his head high with suspicion then asked,

"And what is this so called weapon that you claim to have?" He respected the Volturi and some of their ways, but it did not mean he liked them and he certainly did not fear them like others did either.

Aro laughed, enjoying this vampire's tenaciousness and sparring. It was refreshing without being overly disrespectful.

"Not 'what' my friend but who?" Aro replied rather cryptically.

Franco frowned, as the others looked from him to Aro.

"I don't follow." Franco replied.

Aro smiled knowingly then said,

"The secret weapon that we have is not a what but a who. In fact the person is a female, but she is no ordinary female." He let his gaze drift around the room and smiled smugly. "She is no ordinary vampire either. A little while ago a woman came to the Volturi, a witch in fact with some important news. She told us that a young witch had been in a battle with powerful wizards and during this battle a vampire was drawn to her and bit her. Changing her. According to this witch, the young woman in question had both her magic and enhanced vampire powers. We of course didn't believe her, for such a person to exist would mean a law was broken. So we went to see for ourselves if such a claim was true, and guess what it was. Her name is Hermione and not only is she a very powerful witch but she is also an exceptionally powerful vampire who has been living here, training with us and tonight we hope to induct her into the guard. So you see Franco, the Romanians may indeed have their own weapon but so do we." Aro grinned, but behind that mask his nerves rattled. This was the moment of truth to see how they would react.

Everyone began to look around the room, with fear and suspicion written across their faces at such a revelation.

"Why was she not destroyed?" A woman asked.

Aro turned his gaze to her, but did not know who she was.

"Because she agreed to join the Volturi, and has more power than we have ever seen. Why destroy such an asset?"

"Where is she?" Another voice asked.

Aro smiled slightly and said,

"She is currently with my brother Marcus and soon they will be here."

Loud chatter erupted around the room then, as the large group of vampires didn't know how to digest this news. They didn't like the unknown so the thought of Hermione, brought fear to many.

"How do we know we can trust her?" A male voice asked.

Before Aro could answer, a familiar voice cut in.

"I can vouch for her." Carlisle Cullen said, walking towards Aro with a grim look on his face. "Some of my family and I have had the pleasure of meeting Hermione when she was first turned. The powerful Wizard who is the Headmaster at the school she attended wrote to us asking if we could help her." Carlisle paused for a moment before saying, "We saw her powers at work, and we fought alongside her when her school was attacked by werewolves. She may be different to what we have ever seen but believe me when I say she is trustworthy, she is loyal, and she is a pleasure to know. Not only that but she is also like family to us." He turned to Aro and said, "If the Romanians do plan on declaring War then Aro is right, she is an asset to us all. But do not forget that she is also so much more than just a weapon." The last part was said more as a warning to Aro than to anyone else. He knew of the vision she and Alice had, and with Aro proclaiming her to be their weapon, showed that she was instrumental in the War, putting her life more at risk. He didn't like this situation but there was nothing he could do.

Aro picked up on Carlisle's warning immediately and raised his eyebrow at him in curiosity.

"Carlisle is right; Hermione is indeed more than just a weapon. And tonight we hope that after all her training she will finally be part of the guard."

Three loud knocks suddenly sounded from the large wooden doors, and all at once a large smile broke out on Aro's face. The excitement of seeing his mate again filling every part of him. "Ahh I do believe that is her now." He said just as Carlisle removed himself from the front of the room, to head back to Esme. "Felix and Demetri if you please."

He took a step back as the two vampires moved quickly to the door and opened it revealing the vision that was Hermione. The excited smile he wore suddenly vanished as pride filled him. He was utterly enchanted by the beauty as she walked in confidently holding onto his brother's arm.

As soon as he took in her costume he smiled at her choice, realising who she was meant to be at once, and admiring her boldness for it. But then again he expected nothing more from her.

She wore a slim fitting floor length Grecian style one shouldered white gown, with a long slit up one side. Her slender waist was cinched by a large gold belt and in the customary Grecian style she had a golden embellishment at the shoulder, with the hole in the middle.

Her locks were messily piled up, with curly tendrils falling down her back. She had gold leaves decorating her hair as well as a double banded gold hairband. She had a golden cuff around each of her wrist, and a golden snake coiling itself around one of her upper arms.

Just like the Goddess of Wisdom and War Athena she was portraying, she had the shield and the spear and looked every bit the fearsome warrior and Goddess. As she made her way through the hall, Aro found all the previous thoughts he had leave his mind, as he became completely consumed by her. From the moment he saw her standing in the doorway, the sun shining against her back illuminating her from behind. He could have sworn that his heart, which had been as cold and still as stone for thousands of years, fluttered briefly in his chest.

This was his mate and seeing her now in all of her splendour and glory, he wanted nothing more than to share this news with the world. She belonged to him and no-one else. On this night Sulpicia may have been his wife and Queen, but Hermione was his Goddess and his everything.

Hermione held her head high as she walked in amongst the stunned vampires. Marcus's presence next to her was both comforting and reassuring, as they made their way to Aro at the front of the room. She tried to avoid looking at him but as they moved forward, she chanced a glance and saw his eyes transfixed on her.

She tried to hide the shock at seeing the heated expression burning in there bright red depths, and tried to stop her own excitement at building, knowing she had this effect on him. No-one had ever looked at her with so much desire and longing.

Breaking away from her gaze, he stepped to the side allowing Marcus and Hermione to enter the front, and watched with pleasure as they turned to face the rest of the room.

Hermione whispered something into Marcus's ear, causing jealousy to stir deep inside of Aro. He didn't like how close his brother and Hermione seemed to be, even though he knew there was nothing romantic between them. It was the fact that she was close to Marcus instead of him that he didn't like.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Someone yelled out. "You try and claim she is a vampire except we can all hear her heart beating."

Hermione was not fazed by this, although it was the question that she had most wanted to avoid.

"Allow me." She said to the two leaders. Turning her attention to the room, she flicked her hand sending her spear and shield flying to the wall, avoiding hitting anyone as it hurtled through the air, before it stuck in place. Gasps filled the room before complete silence descended. "Yes, as you can see I am not a normal vampire, I was once a witch and somehow managed to keep my magic as well. The short story of my heart is, I was involved in a Wizarding War and during this time because of my actions, something extraordinary happened. My reward was a beating heart, although as you can probably hear it does not sound like a regular human heartbeat. I understand your curiosity in me but please know this, the threat of the Romanians is very real and they have only one thing in mind. Kill the Volturi, destroy all the covens who pose a threat to their power and rule the world. As both a witch and a vampire I do not intend to let that happen. I intend to destroy them just like they want to destroy us. So the question you need to ask yourself is, are you with us?" She looked at them with an air of confidence and defiance, despite the nerves that she felt. The only way to win them around was to show no fear, and she hoped with everything that she had that she was successful in this task. She wouldn't want to be the one that stopped them from joining. She didn't want to let Aro down.

"What kind of powers do you have exactly?" A small woman asked hesitantly, from behind a gold mask that she was wearing.

Hermione wanted to roll her eyes and sigh at being asked this question once again, knowing that the only way to explain was to demonstrate like she had done previously.

"When I first came to Volterra and met the Volturi guard members, they asked me that very same question." She said with a small smile as Marcus squeezed her hand reassuringly. This action did not go unnoticed by Aro who once again felt the feeling of jealousy stir inside of him. "I gave them a small demonstration of my powers so I will do the same for you now." She let her gaze drift over the crowd then said, "I can disappear and reappear anywhere I wish, depending on the distance of course, in a blink of an eye." With that she vanished causing the crowd of vampires to gasp and look around for her. They swivelled around as one to look at the doors to the dome room when they heard her voice. "I can also become invisible." She said vanishing into thin air. "But still be in the room." Her voice said from nowhere. Deciding to have some fun, she walked amongst the crowd touching them, causing them to jump and shriek before appearing back at the front of the room. "I can also perform magic, I can make things disappear, change the colour of an outfit or object, or turn a room into darkness." With that she waved her hand and all the lights in the dome room went off, causing the vampires to gasp with uncertainty.

From the darkness a voice asked,

"And how are these fancy tricks going to help us win a War over the Romanians?"

Hermione easily followed the voice, and when the lights flickered back on, she reappeared standing toe to toe with the large bulky man who spoke up. She tilted her head and smiled, a smile that left the large man unsettled.

"Good question." She admitted before shifting her position into one of defense. "How about this? I can take Jane's power and enhance it by tenfold, not just on one person but on this whole room at the same time. I can take anyone's power and manipulate it to my own advantage." She smiled again and asked innocently, "Care to see?"

He shook his head vigorously then stammered,

"N-no."

"My disappearing maybe a trick to you, but imagine how I can successfully advance on a person without them knowing." She disappeared again and appeared behind a man, her arm wrapped around his throat. "My combat skills aren't too bad either." She said with a grin, not taking her eyes off the person who first asked the question. Letting the surprised vampire in her grasp go, she moved forward, causing the people surrounding her to back away slightly. "If you are still not impressed then how about this." She said looking directly into the eyes of the vampire who asked the question. "I can pick up a man by his throat. Without even touching him." At this she raised her hand and let her magic pulsate through her. The vampire who asked the question gasped in shock, as he was lifted off the ground. His legs kicked out and panicking he grabbed at his throat where he could feel the slight pressure of an invisible hand. "I could make you fly around the room if I wished, or I could just as easily snap your neck in half." She added a little more pressure, letting him feel her strength, before dropping him unceremoniously onto the ground. "Once your neck has been snapped I can easily magic you on fire." She smiled again before bowing her head in respect to the man. "I hope that has adequately answered your question, and I do apologise for using you in my demonstration. But since you asked and all that." She smiled, holding out her hand to him.

Reluctantly, he looked from her face to her hand, before accepting it. Slowly she helped him to his feet and stepped back, not wanting him to feel any more nervous than he already was.

"Thanks, and no problem I did ask." He said trying to add a little humour.

"I can do much more than that, but I'm afraid showing you would take too long and we are here to enjoy the ball that the three Volturi leaders have put on for us." She turned her attention to Aro who had a wide proud smile on his face, as he nodded his head and turned to the crowd. Hermione took her place back beside Marcus's side, and upon greeting her, he took her hand in his and smiled fondly down at her.

"Thank you for that Hermione. Now since you have all seen her for yourself maybe that will encourage you to join us in the fight against the Romanians, but for now as you deliberate your answer, let us enjoy this evenings frivolities, after all the night is still young." He turned his attention to the live band who began to strike up the music. As was customary, Aro guided Sulpicia onto the floor, with Caius and Athenodora following behind.

Marcus turned to Hermione and whispered,

"Care to share a dance with this old man mio angelo?"

She smiled at him warmly and nodded her head.

"Of course."

And with that the three leaders started the dancing off in a slow waltz, as vampires from the guard and some of the covens joined in. While others stood around the room, watching and discussing about all that they had heard.

Sulpicia looked over her shoulder to Marcus who was smiling wildly, affection shining in his expressive eyes. It was nice seeing the change in him, no longer was he the introverted sour man he had been. He was currently in deep conversation with Hermione, who was smiling just as broadly between giggles.

She leaned into her husband and whispered,

"Beloved I must say how nice it is to see Marcus and Hermione get on so well together. Do you think there may be a romance between them?"

Aro wanted to growl out loud at his wife's observation. The bond Marcus and Hermione seemed to share was obvious to everyone, but what exactly that bond was, was not yet understood. If his brother had romantic feelings towards her, knowing that she was his mate, he would not be at all pleased.

"I have no idea my sweet." He said, trying to hide the sudden rage that consumed him.

"Well I think they are well suited to each other. Just look at how happy they are." She looked into her husband's face, waiting for some kind of reaction but none came.

Aro let his gaze wander to his brother and his mate, and tried to push down the burning anger that he felt. They did in fact look happy in each other's company and this did not sit well with him.

"I can see that." He said sounding snappish, instantly dismissing the conversation.

They did not converse for the rest of the song, and every once in a while he caught sight of Hermione. Their eyes met briefly twice, and both times the pull he felt wanted to consume him. He wanted nothing more than to go to her, but he couldn't. Not yet.

Hermione was enjoying talking with Marcus, since their earlier discussion they seemed more at ease together in each other's company than they had before. It was almost like a shift in their relationship had happened, cementing them now as father and daughter.

While they were dancing she often felt Aro's eyes on her, and the two times she had dared herself to meet his gaze, the heat she saw in them wanted to burn her. She was more drawn to him now than ever before, and could feel all her previous resolve slowly melting away. The need to be with Aro was becoming too powerful to ignore, and the more she tried to ignore it, the more she needed him.

"Are you alright?" Marcus asked her, his face full of concern.

She shook her head momentarily, before looking up at him.

"What yes sorry I'm fine." She said. Out of everyone in the Volturi she wanted nothing more than to talk to Marcus about what she was feeling, and although she trusted him explicitly, she felt that by admitting she was drawn to a married man, she would be disappointing him somehow. And she couldn't bare that thought, not so soon after the development of their newly found relationship.

"Hermione you know that I am here to listen and talk with, should you ever need to. For anything." He said reassuringly.

The guilt she felt at hiding these secrets from him of all people, was threatening to overwhelm her. And in that moment she was so close to confessing, needing to release her fears and worries to someone she trusted.

But at that moment as she looked away from his penetrating gaze, and into the face of someone so familiar. She gasped audibly in shock, and stopped dancing right there on the dancefloor. Marcus who had followed her gaze, smiled knowingly down at her and whispered,

"Go, have fun." She looked away from the familiar face, realising where she was and what she was supposed to be doing.

"Marcus I'm so sorry it's just that I-"

He cut her off instantly and said,

"Hermione I know, now go." He bent his head down and kissed her cheek fondly before letting her go. "If you need me, you know where I will be."

She smiled up at him and squeezed his hand affectionately whispering her thanks, before setting off into the direction of the faces she so missed.

In front of her eyes were Carlisle, Esme and they were not alone as she had believed them to be. Alice and Jasper were also there to her pleasant surprise, although seeing the grim expression on Alice's face, she suddenly felt herself become nervous.

"I can't believe you are all here." Hermione said with a small timid smile, which only Carlisle and Esme reciprocated. Jasper nodded his head like an old friend, while Alice frowned.

"That's it, that's all you have to say." Alice said throwing her hands up in agitation.

"I'm not sure what exactly you want me to say." Hermione replied, feeling both her defenses going up and her stomach sinking at seeing her friend look so visibly upset.

"Well you can start by telling me what the hell that out there was." Alice said.

Hermione frowned in confusion and asked,

"What do you mean?"

Alice sighed and folded her arms across her chest, feeling exasperated by her friends behaviour.

"You out there performing your little demonstration. Hermione what the hell is going on with you? The person we just saw out there wasn't you, not the you that we know and care about anyway. Hermione you've changed, you're becoming one of them."

Hermione understood now and smiled, although it was a smile that did not reach her eyes.

"Alice I am one of them now. I plan on joining the guard as soon as they will let me." She replied honestly, taking Alice's hand, but the other vampire pulled away.

"Hermione you are not one of them. You will never be. Come back to Forks with us, keep away from them and the War. Please." She begged.

Hermione frowned and shook her head.

"No Alice. Volterra is my home and the Volturi are my family now. I have friends here, and a life, I fit in." Hermione replied, hoping that her friend understood. But she didn't.

"They are not your friends and certainly not your family. They are using you Hermione." Alice exclaimed in frustration.

"No they're not, they need me to help win the War and I plan on doing so."

Alice groaned in frustration realising she was losing this battle.

"Just before you came in Aro proclaimed you to be their secret weapon against the Romanians. Believe me Hermione he does not care about you. He is using you. Please come back with us tonight, if you don't then you know what's going to happen in the War. You're going to-"

Hermione pulled Alice to the back of the room instantly silencing her. The anger was apparent in her face as she said,

"Do not speak of that here, in front of them." She said sternly.

Alice's eyes widened in shock as realisation dawned on her.

"You haven't told them yet have you, about the vision." It was not a question but a statement. "Oh my god I'm right. Hermione you have to tell them. You need to tell Aro about what you saw."

Hermione shook her head vigorously at her friend's words.

"No." She said determinedly.

Alice's gaze drifted over Hermione's shoulder and at once her body tensed.

"Hermione." But before she could finish what she was saying, Hermione cut in.

"Alice no, I will not tell the Volturi, especially not Aro about the vision. They have enough to think about at the moment. And that's final."

"Tell me about what vision exactly." Aro's annoyed voice said drifting over her shoulder, causing Hermione to squeeze her eyes shut and sigh in defeat. She hoped that things wouldn't come to this but she had let her guard down. So much for constant vigilance, she thought thinking of Alastor Moody. She opened her eyes, but did not turn to face Aro just yet.

To find Hermione's dress type in Prom-Dresses-Shimmer-59223 in Google then go to images. It is the first dress that appears (or should be.)

* mio angelo- my angel