CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

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 Stephenie 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

Friday 24th July 1998

Hermione was frustrated. She knew there was something she was missing, and if she had the missing piece everything would slot together perfectly and the answers she was looking for would come to her. She knew something was different but she couldn't figure out what it was and why it was.

Demetri had yet to return from his task and it had almost been a week, she'd been having the same dream since his departure and as the days went by, the more oddities she noticed. During the day her thoughts often wandered away from her, as she thought back on her interactions with her two favourite vampires, as she analysed her memories on how they behaved around her and towards her, and as the days went by, the more she remembered, the more she became frustrated.

They were protective of her. They were protective of Teddy. They went out of their way to make sure she and Teddy had everything they needed. They watched over her and Teddy whilst they slept. They watched over Teddy when she was in her potions lab. They made sure she was safe, that she was sleeping and eating. They made sure she was never on her own, that there was always someone they trusted nearby -which they believed she was unaware of– in case there was a vampire that wanted to harm her. They kept her company, they kept her sane and their presence alone helped to calm her, helped her with the grief and pain the war had caused.

She was dependent on them, more so than she wanted to be and she was partially ashamed of herself, but mostly, she felt at peace. Moving to Volterra had been one of the best decisions of her life. During the day she sometimes felt sadness and grief but mostly she was content, and when they visited with her, she was happy in their presence.

She was missing something. She knew she was. She was having the dream, the memories from the past flittered through her mind, memories of the deaths, memories of the laughter and happiness, memories of the terror and panic, and memories of her interactions with Alec and Demetri.

The last memory before she woke was of her kissing Alec and Demetri during the final battle, and it replayed on a loop until her eyes fluttered open to see the moonlight streaming through the window, and she could faintly hear Alec's soothing voice coming from Teddy's nursery.

She sat up in bed and pushed her hair out of her face, reclining against the pillows once she'd rearranged them and she waited for Alec to return. It wasn't a long wait as he stepped out of the nursery and upon seeing and hearing that she was awake, his blood-red eyes locked on hers as they glowed in the darkness of the room.

"Is everything okay, I wasn't expecting you to wake until sunrise?" He asked, approaching and sitting beside her on the bed. He'd once been hesitant about such an action but with the passing of her time in Volterra, he'd soon lost that hesitation and grown more comfortable in touching her and sitting beside her.

He hadn't been expecting her to wake as he'd been using his gift on her every night to help eliminate the feelings when she relived her memories, and as a result, it was as if she was watching someone else's memories without the feelings being attached, making everything bearable and she slept through the night.

"What am I to you?"

"Excuse me?" He said, his eyes surprised and both of his eyebrows rose high, disappearing under his fringe.

"What am I to you?" She repeated, her eyes refusing to abandon his stare.

"I'm not sure I know what you mean," he replied, after taking a moment to think about his next words, which meant he was being careful and watching what he said to her, but why?

She narrowed her eyes, a sign of warning that she would soon be losing her temper if she didn't get the answers she wanted. It had been niggling at the back of her mind for months and she couldn't take it anymore. She needed answers. She needed to know the truth.

"Don't lie to me, I'm not stupid, there's a reason I'm known for being 'the Brightest Witch' and no matter how much I hate the title, I did have the highest grades in my year for six consecutive years. I know there's something you're not telling me, and I know there are factors involved which I can't seem to link together. I'm not stupid, so please, just tell me before I go insane from trying to figure it out."

He had a frown on his face, his eyes showing evidence of indecisiveness, of a war raging inside of him. Should he tell her or not?

"Do you think I haven't noticed?" She asked with a frustrated tone to her voice, as though she were trying to remain calm but struggling. "Because I have, Alec. I've noticed how protective you are of Teddy and me, I've noticed how you're always making sure I have everything I need, I've noticed that you're here, without fail, every evening to keep me company and that you're here every night when I'm having my nightmares. I've noticed that you go out of your way for me. You treat me differently to everyone else. You wanted your sister to spend time with me, to get to know me. And don't think I didn't notice the looks you sent my friends when I hugged them." His eyes widened minutely, showing his surprise.

"I've always been an observant person, and although I haven't been myself lately, that hasn't prevented me from noticing the way you behave towards me or around me. Every interaction between us has been playing on a loop in my dreams for a week. Since meeting you, my magic's been different, I can't explain how exactly, but it feels different. It's almost as if it's trying to tell me something. It flares up when you're nearby, you calm my nerves and worries, I feel like my old self when I'm around you."

His entire face seemed to soften at her words, making his angelic appearance impossible to tear her eyes from.

"Please, Alec, tell me what's happening?" She pleaded, a desperate look in her eyes and his resolve seemed to break.

"Before I can say anything, I must speak with the Lords."

"Why? I don't understand how any of what I just said relates to them."

"It doesn't but I trust their judgement, so I must speak with them. I will be back momentarily," he said before sweeping out of the room, the door closing behind him softly.

Hermione ran her hands through her hair and made a noise of frustration. She had been so close to getting her answers! She sighed, and knowing she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep, she needed something to help her relax, so she left the bed and headed to her bathroom to take a bath.

~000~000~000~

There was a knock on the door before Alec stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. When he turned his eyes to her, it was to see her lounging on one of the couches by the lit fireplace and reading a large book whilst wearing nothing but a bathrobe and her damp hair left falling down her back.

His eyes swept over her frame before he remembered his manners and composed himself.

"So, are you going to lie to me or tell me the truth?" She asked, not taking her attention off her book, a book coincidentally based on vampires.

"That is your decision," he replied, moving to sit on the couch opposite her.

She looked up from her book.

"Meaning?"

"If I am to tell you the truth, I can't take back the things I reveal. I am not responsible for your responses or reactions, and I can't be blamed for what I reveal. I'm not at fault."

"Alright, now I'm intrigued," she said.

Closing her book with a snap, she put it beside her before standing and disappearing into the bathroom. She returned moments later with dry hair held in a ponytail and dressed in a t-shirt, jeans and converse on her feet, and she retook her seat.

"I don't like being lied to, I want the truth, all of it. I'll do my best to remain calm and to control any potential outburst."

"What do you know of vampire relations?"

She frowned, nibbling at her lip in thought. "To be honest with you, not a lot, everything noted in books is more than likely biased or incorrect, so anything that I've read is likely to be wrong, but that wouldn't matter since there isn't much information on the topic. I believe it's similar to that of werewolf relations."

"Werewolf relations?" He questioned.

She nodded. "Yes, werewolves have a life mate, essentially the other half to their soul. They will be perfectly suited to each, where one excels at one thing, the other will excel at another. Where one falls, the other rises. Once they've found their life mate, there is no one else. They are loyal, they are protective, they are each other's happiness and purpose. It's rare for a werewolf to find their mate, which is why we were all overjoyed when Remus found his life mate in Tonks. The bond between the werewolf and the mate is private, therefore no intimate details are known regarding their relationship."

"From what you've described, werewolf and vampire relations are similar," Alec said.

"So vampires have life mates, too?" Well, death mates?" She corrected.

"Yes, we do, and it's not often a vampire finds their life mate, even with our immortality. For a vampire, their mate is said to be their perfect companion in both life and death. They complement each other in a way that's difficult to describe, but it's as you said about werewolves, where one falls, the other rises. A vampire can find true happiness with their mate and no one else."

"Alright, why are you telling me this?"

"You are aware of Lord Marcus' ability to sense and see the bonds between people," he stated, but she nodded anyway.

"Yes, I am."

He seemed to hesitate but Hermione pinned him with a glare.

"Well, upon your arrival here for the negotiation talks, he was able to see a bond between you and me."

"What type of bond?" She asked curiously, her head tipping to the side slightly in an adorable manner.

He didn't answer, she'd never seen a vampire look afraid before, but that was definitely the emotion she saw on his face. She stood and started pacing back and forth; he wasn't going to tell her, she would have to figure it out for herself.

In her mind she ran through everything she knew, she thought about their interactions, their conversations, the way he responded to her, his protectiveness over her. He was always kind and gentle, he was caring and protective, she'd even seen the slight possessiveness in the way he would always be sure to touch her when they were walking the corridors together. And when she'd kissed him at the battle, it'd been on impulse, her brain had no say in the matter. She'd expected him to push her way, but he hadn't, he'd responded to her kiss, holding her to him. Why had he done that?

And then it hit her like the Hogwarts Express.

She spun on her heel to face him, almost losing balance as the speed of the movement.

"Mates," she whispered, but of course he heard and she saw hope flitter across his face. "Alec, am I your life mate?" She asked.

"Yes," he admitted.

"But I'm human," she blinked slowly.

"Lord Marcus is certain you are my life mate, he believes that because he was able to see the bond between us whilst you're human, it'll be even stronger once you're a vampire," he replied.

He watched her reaction. She was stood, rooted to the spot and her face was blank as she stared at him, she wasn't even blinking.

Everything now made sense to her, she now understood his behaviour and actions, and she understood why her magic had wanted her to return to Volterra, it was where she was needed because it was where Alec resided. She knew that she needed him as much as he needed her. She was anxious about the future but she wasn't afraid of Alec or what it meant to be his life mate, she knew he would never hurt her and he would kill those that did.

His voice flittered to her ears, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"You mean to change me?" She asked. She didn't hate vampires, but she didn't have a desire to be one either.

"Only if it is what you desire, and only if you are on your death bed," he confessed, he didn't see the point in lying to her, not anymore.

"Are you aware that wizarding folk have a longer life span than humans?" She asked and he shook his head, surprised by the news. "Oh, well we do, most can live to one hundred and fifty, some have even lived up to two hundred. I found one of Dumbledore's journals in the library and he believes that those who are classified as Sorcerers and Sorceresses may live longer, possibly double that, but it is unknown if that is to be true or not. As it is, we age slower than muggles. Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I did not want to overwhelm you, you've been forced to face and deal with a lot of difficult circumstances, I didn't want to put any pressure on you, I didn't want to force you into anything or make you feel as though you are obligated to be a part of my death. Everything is your choice."

She sighed, scrubbing a hand over face before she crossed over to him, sitting down beside him and she took his hand in hers, not caring that the coldness of his hand was sucking the heat from her skin or that it was making her hand go numb.

"Alec, I had thought I made my feelings for you clear, I had stopped trying to hide them weeks ago." He frowned in confusion. "I did not know of my being your life mate, but I was sure there was something happening between the two of us. My magic is always alive when around you. You calm me. You make me feel safe and cared for. You make me feel appreciated and understood. I know that you will not harm me, but protect me and I hate to think what would happen to those that wish me harm," she shook her head. "I didn't return to Volterra because of the contract, I returned because my magic wanted me to come here, I needed to be and I didn't understand why, but now I do. I need to be here because you are here, this is your home, your family, your place in the world and I have to be here for you. I do not feel obligated to be with you in any way, my feelings are my own, as are my choices."

"What are you saying?" He asked, his voice little above a whisper as his eyes slowly travelled her face.

"I'm not going to run screaming for the hills, and I'm not going to abandon you or reject the bond we share. I do not blame you for our current situation, neither of us are to blame and it seems some higher power has decided that we are to be what the other needs, just as some higher power decided I was to be a Sorceress. I know it will be difficult for a while, seeing as you're a vampire and I'm a human, but we'll make it work for us."

"You want to be with me?"

She smiled at him. "Of course I do, I wouldn't have kissed you at the battle if I didn't want to be with you." His eyes widened. "Even back then I knew something was different, I knew there was something you were hiding from me, but my feeling and choices were and are still my own. The bond we share does not dictate how I should feel or how I do feel."

"And how do you feel?"

"Honestly, I'm falling in love you," she admitted.

She made a sound of surprise when his cold lips were suddenly upon hers, his arms wrapped around her and he was careful not to hurt her when he pulled her against him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and she was aware of how careful he was when he moved his lips over hers, being mindful to keep his venomous fangs away from her. She grew lost in their kiss until a thought entered her mind and she pulled back from him.

"Wait a minute, what about Demetri?" She asked. "Do I share a bond with him, too? His behaviour is similar, if not identical to yours."

He sighed though he didn't release her from being pressed against him.

"Yes, Lord Marcus confirmed that you also share a bond with Demetri, you are his life mate, too."

"I didn't think that was possible," she commented.

"Neither did we, for a vampire to share a life mate with another goes against the very bond itself. It's never been seen before, until now, that is."

She bit her lip. "I'm falling in love with him, too," she confessed.

"I know; I wasn't blind to the way you looked at him."

"No, only to the way I looked at you," she said amusedly.

"Are you going to choose between us?"

She frowned. "Why would I do that?" She asked in confusion. "I am the life mate of you both, it wouldn't be fair if I chose between you. My magic reacts to Demetri the same as it does to you. You both need me in your lives and need you both in mine. I could never choose you over him, or vice versa. I need you both and I want you both."

~000~000~000~

It was late evening when she received word from Alec that Demetri had returned along with the others, and she was excited to see him. She waited for him to arrive outside the castle whilst Marcus watched over Teddy for a short while. She hadn't been outside long when Felix and Jane approached and they exchanged greetings and smiles before they stepped inside the hidden tunnel. Demetri wasn't far behind them and when he saw her he smiled widely, making Hermione dizzy before she shook off the effects of his vampire allure.

"Hermione, it's..." He didn't get to finish his sentence, because as soon as he was close enough, Hermione launched herself at him.

Demetri caught her without incidence, as her arms wrapped around his neck and he held her to him. Before he could question her actions, her mouth crashed against his, and despite his clear surprise, he wasted no time in taking advantage of her actions. He was careful when moving his lips against hers but that didn't make the kiss any less intense or enjoyable. Her hands fisted into his hair and she tugged at the strands, pulling a surprised groan from him. She pulled back from him breathless, her chest rising and falling quickly, whereas he was fine. He stared at her in awe, his blood-red eyes wide and bright.

"Welcome back, Mate," she whispered with a smile.

His eyes widened to the point of her thinking they were going to fall out of his head.

"You know?"

She nodded. "I knew something was happening and I was able to break Alec down enough that he dropped some hints without directly telling me anything, I figured out the rest myself. That I am the life mate to the both of you."

"You're not mad?"

"A little at first," she shrugged. "But it's all forgotten, and I won't be choosing between you both, that's not fair to anyone involved. So, come on, let's get you to the chamber so you can debrief the Lords and then we can talk afterwards."

She was lowered to her feet and he took her hand in his as they walked to the chamber together.

"By the way, I'm falling in love with you."