CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Summary: Sent to Volterra in order to negotiate terms of an alliance to end the war, Hermione's life is turned upside down as she is brought into the world of the Volturi, better known as the Vampire Kings. There she is made a part of a new kind of family and a most trusted member of the guard, whether she likes it or not, and surprisingly, she does. Rated M for language, violence and sexual content.
Disclaimer: I do not own canon events and characters, they belong to J.K Rowling and Stepenie Myers. I am not making a profit from writing and posting this fanfic. As for the descriptions of appearances for the Twilight characters, all my research is based on the books and not the movies, but I may have changed a few things regarding Alec's height and age.
Page count: 8
Sunday 17th May 1998
"What is this place?" Alec asked, his eyes alight in wonder, something she hadn't yet seen from him no matter what he'd been exposed to and Demetri mimicked his reaction.
"Diagon Alley, Britain's most popular magical shopping centre," she answered. "Try to keep your hoods up, we don't want to scare anyone should they recognise you for what you are, it'll be a pain in the arse to get you out of here," she said before pulling her own hood up to conceal her identity. "We're heading to that building over there," she pointed out the largest building in the alley and the gold of it shone in the sun.
They followed her through the crowd of shoppers and straight into the bank's foyer were she walked to the large counters at the end of the room which sat goblins.
"Name?" The goblin croaked, not bothering to look up from the document holding his attention
"Hermione Granger," she responded.
All the goblins looked up from their desks and glared at her.
"Well, that was strange," Alec muttered Demetri.
The goblin glared at her.
"Oh, for the love of Merlin, I paid for the damages and I did you a favour, the dragon was blind and dying, and if the government had discovered that you were keeping an endangered animal in the conditions you were, they would've gone through every inch of this place with a fine-tooth comb." He continued to glare at her. "Look, I'm just here to collect my belongings and make sure that the entirety of my vault has been transferred to the Italian branch."
"It has been, and you will find your belongings in the room on the left, after which you are to leave the premises, you are banned from entering."
"Lovely speaking to you," Hermione said sarcastically before walking away with Alec and Demetri following behind her amused.
"They don't like you?" Demetri noted.
"No, they really don't."
"Why?"
"This is the bank we broke into and in the process of escaping on the back of their dragon, which we stole, we also caused hundreds of thousands of galleons in damages. I don't know what they're complaining about, Harry and I paid for the damages, and Kingsley made sure there was enough in the Ministry budget to cover the rest of what we couldn't pay for, and they actually got a free remodelling out of it all, they're so ungrateful," she huffed in annoyance and they chuckled at her.
She opened the door that had been pointed out to her and she stepped inside, seeing the boxes upon boxes stacked on top of each other.
"What is all this stuff?" Alec asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Furniture and supplies for Teddy, boxes of files from the Ministry regarding the legislations on vampires, and the things that were salvaged and put into storage from parent's house, which has been sold and the money transferred into my account."
"Why did you sell your parents' house?"
"Well, since the house was burnt down to cover up their murders, I technically sold the land the house used to sit on. I'm not going to have use for it," she shrugged. She pulled her wand and shrunk everything down before putting it into her beaded bag. "Now, we're going to use the floo, and you don't have to worry about it, it's painless and the flames aren't real."
Alec took the cat carrier from her and she took Teddy from Demetri before they stepped into the floo and Hermione called out the address.
~000~000~000~
"You go ahead, I'll be right behind you." They looked hesitant to leave her on her own. "I'll be fine, I won't be far behind you, I just want to prepare myself before walking in there with a family of cats and a baby."
They reluctantly nodded and left her alone, walking down the hidden passageway they used to get into the castle rather than the public entrances.
"This is our home now, Teddy," she said softly, bouncing the baby in her arms as he stared up at her with his green eyes. His blonde hair flashed blue for a few seconds before returning to blonde and she chuckled. He was beginning to show his Metamorphmagus abilities and Hermione knew it was going to throw the vampires off when he was older and able to control it at will. "You will always be safe and you will always be loved. I will never let any harm come to you, I swear it," she whispered, placing a kiss to his head.
She then bent down and released the lock from the cat carrier and the five kittens bounded out whilst Crookshanks was a little more controlled and she chuckled at them.
"Right, my little kittens, I want you on your best behaviour. You are to follow me and not leave until we have met our hosts. Once we return to our rooms, then you're free to explore, but for now, I need you to stay close to me and Crookshanks."
The kittens were sat staring at her, listening attentively with their tails swishing side to side and they meowed at her.
"Thank you," she said and then she slipped the empty cat carrier into her beaded bag.
She took a deep breath and stepped into the tunnel and when she came out on the other end, Alec and Demetri were stood waiting for her and she rolled her eyes at them. They didn't encounter anyone as they made their way to the chamber, which meant they had either been asked to stay away for the time being, or they were all waiting for her in the chamber, she knew which she preferred.
As agreed, Alec and Demetri entered first, as they wished to warn the three Vampire Kings to their new guests.
"Alec, Demetri, we are pleased to see you back," she heard Aro say. "I trust everything went well."
"Not as planned, but they were victorious, yes," answered Demetri.
"Excellent and how was your time in Britain?"
"Eventful, My Lord," Alec spoke. Hermione almost snorted; that was putting it mildly. "Eventful and enlightening."
"I don't doubt it was. And where is the lovely, Miss. Granger?"
"My Lord, we've returned with more than expected," Demetri said calmly.
"How so?" Caius asked, Hermione thought he likely had a raised eyebrow to go with the question.
She took a deep breath before stepping out from behind the door and into the chamber.
The Chamber was empty apart from Aro, Marcus and Caius, Alec and Demetri, and the blonde, of whom she still didn't know the name of. When she stepped in and all eyes turned to her, they widened when they saw the baby in her arms.
"Explain," Aro demanded with a slight frown on his face.
Hermione handed Teddy to Demetri as she passed and the others watched the practised motion in intrigue before she walked up the dais and stopped in front of Aro. She held her hand out and he took it, noting that she wasn't fearful of his reaction. It was almost as if she knew he would allow the child to stay.
Hermione lowered her shields and gave him access, showing him everything she wanted him to see, from the planning to the battle, to what she had done regarding Teddy but she didn't allow him to see any conversations surrounding the topic of Sorcery, not yet.
He kept his eyes locked on hers, as he slowly released her hand.
"How you have suffered, My Dear," he said, sounding almost sad on her behalf.
"I did what was required of me, as I always have. And after seeing what happened, I hope you know that I cannot give my Godson up."
"Bring the child forward, I wish to better see him."
She hesitated before turning and walking over to Demetri and he handed Teddy back to her.
"Would you like to share with the rest of us, Brother?" Caius spoke.
"One moment," Aro replied, his eyes firmly fixed on Hermione as she approached him.
He looked at her expectantly and so she shuffled Teddy in her arms before manipulating Aro's into the right position -much to the amusement of Alec and Demetri- and then she placed Teddy in his arms, hovering close by.
"A remarkable part of life, wouldn't you agree?" He commented, his blood-red eyes trained on Teddy's face.
"Yes, I would," she said softly.
"The child is important to you?"
"Very much so, yes. He is more than just my Godson, he is now my son by the laws of the old magics, and nothing can take that right away from me."
"Is the child as unique as I saw in your thoughts?"
"Yes, he is. His father was a werewolf," she said, sending a less than pleased look to Caius when he snarled and Aro chuckled at her.
"Ignore him, Dear, you were saying?"
"His father was a werewolf but it's impossible to be born with Lycanthropy as it's only contracted through a bite or scratch during the full moon. Teddy is different from other magical children, he will be able to sense when other werewolves are nearby and his senses will be sharper than a human's. Aside from the fact he is a wizard and will be displaying signs of magic within the next few years, he is also a Metamorphmagus, which he inherited from his mother. It's a rare ability in which the witch or wizard is able to change their appearance at will." Aro looked delighted and it had her on edge. "He's already begun to showcase his abilities, even at his young age, but as he ages, he will learn to control it at will."
"And by changing his appearance, you mean?" Marcus prompted.
"I mean he can change his appearance, from hair and eye colour to his skin colour to his facial structure and height. He can become a completely different person and you would never know."
"Remarkable," he muttered in reply.
"The child may stay and you have my word that no harm will come to him," Aro spoke.
"Thank you," Hermione said, bowing her head before she reached down to take Teddy from him. "I imagine that as he grows, he will bring a little life to the castle."
Aro chuckled. "I imagine he will," he nodded in agreement.
"May I?"
"Of course," Hermione answered Marcus and she stepped closed to him and placed Teddy into his arms, showing him how to best hold him.
Marcus' stoic expression softened to the point Hermione thought he might cry if he were able to, and her mouth twitched into a smile at the sight before she turned her attention back to Aro as he sat in his throne before her.
"I have spoken to Kingsley regarding the changes to the legislation surrounding your kind and he has agreed that changes need to be made. He has been made the Interim Minister of Magic, and there is to be an election held within the next few weeks, and it looks as though Kingsley's going to win. Kingsley will need a little time to clean up the Ministry and rid it of those that were Voldemort sympathizers and those that are corrupt, which he's already started doing, and he's going to get someone to start working on those that will take over their families seats on Wizengamot. Whilst he's doing that, I'm going to be going over the legislations that are already in place to determine how I can change them to better suit your kind, whilst also carrying out research and independent study projects."
"Wonderful," Aro clapped his hands.
She followed his eyes when they were trained on something behind her, and it was the kittens as they bounded into the room with Crookshanks following behind them at a leisurely pace.
"Ah, about that, it turns out my cat's been busy whilst I've been away, this morning was the first time I'd seen him since April, and I had no idea about the kittens until they showed up."
"When the witch is away, the cats will play," Aro commented amusedly.
"Of that, I am now aware," her eyes flickered over to the kittens again, seeing that they were play fighting with each other whilst Crookshanks looked bored as he sat watching them.
"Wheezer!" Hermione hissed, seeing that he was slowly inching his way towards the blonde vampire.
Hermione left the dais, paying no mind that Marcus was still holding Teddy, who had fallen asleep in his arms, and Marcus was too busy watching him. She quickly reached the kitten before he could reach the blonde and she picked him up, holding him up to her line of sight and she scowled at the kitten as he meowed at her in indignation.
"Don't look at me like that, you little demon, I told you to be on your best behaviour." She held the kitten to her chest and turned to the blonde. "Sorry about him," she said, looking sheepish. "He's the trouble maker of the litter." The blonde just stared at her, her red eyes glowing. "I'm sorry; I don't know your name."
"Jane," she replied calmly, her expression blank. There was something frightening about it, if Hermione was honest. "I'm Alec's sister." Hermione's eyes widened. "His twin sister."
Hermione's turned to look over her shoulder, her eyes locking on Alec before they narrowed slightly.
"You didn't tell me you had a sister."
He looked at her sheepishly. "I didn't?"
"No, you didn't, why didn't you tell me you had a sister? A twin sister?"
"I...forgot?"
"Boys," she muttered with a roll of her eyes before she sighed and made her over to the other kittens, placing Wheezer on the floor. She took the cat carrier from her bag and opened it. "Sorry, but I can't trust you, in you go." They didn't appear to be pleased, but the five kittens made their way into the carrier and Crookshanks followed them in, nuzzling her as he passed and she locked the carrier door.
"They listen to you," Caius observed.
She shrugged. "It's their instincts due to my feline Animagus form."
Hermione caught Teddy shifting from the corner of her eyes and knowing he was due a bottle, he was going to wake. She summoned his milk formula and magically prepared it, allowing it to cool, knowing she was being watched as she did so.
"I wanted to talk to you about something, before you see it through Alec's and Demetri's thoughts."
"And that is?" Caius arched an eyebrow.
"Anything that is said in this room, does not leave this room. Ever."
"Now I'm intrigued," Aro said, sitting taller in his throne. Hermione quickly threw up a non-verbal and wandless Silencing Charm around the room to prevent anyone else with oversensitive hearing from listening in.
"There is a reason you've been so adamant that I return and stay here, I've always known that but I didn't know your motives behind it. But now, I think I do."
"Please, enlighten us, Miss. Granger," he prompted, looking amused.
"I don't know how but you knew, you knew before I did, what I am, didn't you?"
"And what would that be?" He asked innocently.
She narrowed her eyes. "You know I'm a Sorceress. What I want to know is how?"
"Not why?"
"No, I've figured that part out. Having me as an ally would make your coven all but invincible and no one would dare to challenge your authority. You could do your best to manipulate me into changing the world to the way you want it to be, but I won't do that, so you'd be wasting your time trying. So, how did you know I was a Sorceress before I knew it myself?"
He sat back in his throne and clasped his hands in front of him, his mouth twitching into a smirk.
"Albus Dumbledore has visited Volterra, not once, but twice in his lifetime, the first being the time of the First Wizarding War which we refused to aid in. The second time was but two years ago." Hermione kept her face passive as she knew he was looking for a reaction. "He came to us for aid, but this time, he brought information. Information about one of the most powerful witches that would walk this earth, and who would change the ways of the world for the better. And he left. When you came here, I knew you were the one he spoke of. He never told me your name, only what you had achieved during those five years of your magical life. Your explanations were similar to the ones he gave us, and I'd come to realise that you had a similar presence to Albus Dumbledore. One of power, importance and knowledge. We agreed with Albus Dumbledore to consider his proposal of aiding with the war, if, we had the chance to meet you, and low and behold, it was you that was sent to negotiate terms with us two years later. And you, My Dear, are everything he said you were to be and so much more. You are more powerful than I expected you to be at your young age. And with you, the Volturi will be stronger than ever."
"You do know people aren't allowed to know of my existence, yes?"
"And why is that?" He arched a challenging eyebrow.
Teddy woke and he began fussing so she walked over to Marcus and took Teddy from him, shifting him into the right position before feeding him his bottle, continuing with their conversation as she did so.
"I've sacrificed a lot in my life but I will not sacrifice my right to privacy. If people were to discover my classification, it would bring danger to not only me, but Teddy and I took a magical vow to protect him with my life, should I fail, I'd die as punishment. If my classification is discovered, I will be coveted for my power. There will always be someone that wants something from me and there will always be those that try to manipulate me into changing the world to the way they believe it should be, and I can't risk that. If I'm to change the world for the better, like I'm meant to, then I have to allow my magic to guide me, and it's never steered me wrong yet. I must be kept a secret, for all our sakes. Otherwise, you'll have thousands of magical folk banging down the doors to get to me, and I don't like the idea of that fight; too messy and too tiring."
"Very well, your identity as a Sorceress will be kept secret... For now."
She scowled at him but it was the best she would get for the time being.
"Onto other matters, this evening there is to be a ball in your honour." Hermione's mouth almost fell open but she managed to control herself. "We are to be celebrating the victory of your war, the changes to our life that are soon to come and your new residency here with the Volturi. Tonight you will be introduced to the members of the Coven and the Guard, and tonight, we will be issuing a public warning that harm is not to come to you or the child."
"A ball? As in poufy dresses and dancing?" She grimaced.
"But that is the only kind, Dear."
She groaned and he chuckled at her.
"I don't really have anything that is ball worthy," she commented.
"A dress has already been purchased for you."
"Lovely," she muttered and he smirked at her whilst Alec and Demetri chuckled. "And what of Teddy, he's a six-week-old baby; I can't exactly leave him on his own," as she said this, she banished the empty bottle before shifting Teddy so she could burp him.
"Then he will have to be in attendance also."
"Talk about starting them early," she mumbled. "Very well, if that is all, I would like to retire for a short while before the ball tonight, us humans need sleep and rest and it has been a long day of travel."
"We will speak this evening, and I would like for you to make a list should there be anything you require."
"I will, My Lords," she bowed her head before turning to leave the room.
She left the cat carrier behind as she knew either Alec or Demetri would grab it for her, and so she waited outside, knowing they would need to speak with Aro before they were excused.