From the silence came two shadows cloaked in the thick darkness. A man's voice broke the silence, cold and deep.
"The blood moon is approaching Master. What are we to do?"
A woman answered, her voice something old and wise.
"We wait, Kronus, we wait."
"But your grace, would it not be wise for us to act now, while we are at our strongest?"
The woman chuckled but it was no a kind nor happy sound. It was cold and distant but held a note of unfathomable sadness.
"Oh Kronus, sometimes I forget how young you are. Do you so easily forget that I am always at my strongest? Am I not your master? Am I not the one who sired you into this eternal darkness?"
"My lady, forgive me. I meant no disrespect. I meant only that they would not be expecting us."
"Not so young Kronus. Remus Lupin is no fool and he is always expecting me. He knows better than to let his guard down. He also knows that I would strike him down with my dying breath."
"Certainly you would, my lady. You are the strongest of us all. That is why we call you master."
The shadowed pair continued on until they reached their destination. It was a large stone mansion, old style and castle like in its magnitude and sheer size. The woman pushed through the heavy oak doors as though they were a cloth cover and entered a large and magnificent entrance room.
The elegantly decorated room was flanked on each side by a grand staircase that met at the open, overlooking hallway. The people who had been lounging about quickly rose to their feet as the woman passed through them. Many bowed their heads as she passed, whispering her name some sinking to their knees to kiss the hem of her cloak.
At the top of the stairs stood a man, his hair golden but dulled from the darkness of the mansion. He met the woman as she reached the top. She kissed his cheek and beckoned him to follow her into her study.
"Hermione, my lady, what is your plan of action against these filthy beasts? The time for retribution is upon us." The man sat in a chair facing the cherry wood desk.
Hermione removed her cloak and hung it over an empty chair. She was a vision of beauty of the darkest kind. Soft brown curls cascaded down her back and in the correct light one could see highlights of the purest red among the dark locks. Her eyes were a cinnamon brown in her human form and were accentuated by long dark lashes. Her skin was as pale as the fullest moon and her body was slender and strong. Lips of the softest pink sheathed her monstrous teeth. She was Hermione, queen of the elite vampires and she was planning her next move in a war much older than she.
Hermione sat down at her desk, locking her fingers together and closing her eyes in thought. The blond man waited silently. He knew better than to rush her. She could easily rip his throat out if she wished to do so. She was magnificent and strong which made her the deadliest of her kind. She opened her eyes slowly and took a breath.
"Caesar, have I ever told you how I became what I am?"
He hesitated, trying to draw on the best answer. Hermione was very private and very rarely shared personal information with the rest of the coven. She was going to place her confidence in him and Caesar did not want to screw it up.
"No, my lady, you've never said. I felt it inappropriate to ask."
She smiled, showing off her sharp teeth.
"Very well then. I suppose a story is in order. I was a young girl once. Human and all that came along with it. I went to a famous school for witchcraft and wizardry and I was the smartest witch of my age. I was even in love once, to the savior of the magical world. We had hardships, as everyone does, but love overcame all. Or it did until I met Taunis Marconi. Taunis, as you know, was the leader of this coven prior to me. We met when my husband and I were vacationing in Romania. Taunis kidnapped me, turned me, and the brought me here."
"That is fascinating my lady. May I ask how you came to be the leader of our coven?"
"I killed Taunis. He made a grievous mistake when he made me a vampire. He did not take into consideration that I was a powerful witch already. My enhanced magical ability plus the traits of a vampire make me a deadly foe. Taunis crossed me, made me angry, and so I killed him. I ripped out his heart and then I sucked him dry."
Caesar sat in silence, stunned by his master's violent past. He knew that she was deadly and not to be crossed but he had never known that she had personally killed the first leader of the European vampire coven. He was shaken from his reverie as Hermione began speaking again.
"And when I killed him, I took over the coven and bettered it."
"Master, may I ask, how is it that you know Lupin on such a personal level?"
Hermione bowed her head slightly. Memories bombarded her mind as she remembered the days of her youth.
"Remus Lupin, at one time, was like family to me. He was one of my professors at school and then later became a friend. He was like a father substitute for Harry, my husband."
"So then what happened? We were at peace with the werewolves for a great length of time. How did this war become rekindled?"
"Ah, now that is a story worth telling. After the fall of Voldemort, Lupin faced off with Fenrir Greyback, leader of the werewolves and Lupin's sire. Lupin killed Greyback and then usurped leadership of the pack, much as I did here. He managed to tame the werewolves and made peace with our coven. A few months after I was converted I went home. I needed closure. Instead, Lupin set me up. He betrayed me."
"Remus what's going on? What are you doing" Hermione was frantic, trying to make sense of what was happening.
"I'm sorry Hermione, I hope that you can understand. You are just too dangerous to live. I cannot allow it. You're the leader of the most powerful vampire coven in the world. And we both know how the blood lust works. You'll kill and you'll enjoy it. There will come a time when you will live only to kill. That can not happen."
Listening to the words of her old friend, Hermione felt something inside of her snap. She felt herself losing control and fast. Her eyes turned icy white and her teeth elongate, making her a fearsome sight. The Pack backed away, trying to distance themselves from her. She stood and glared at Lupin.
"You have just made a mistake that will cost you your life Remus. Did you think t\killing me would be that easy?"
She laughed maniacally and charged Lupin. She caught him by the chest and the two flew backwards through the air. Lupin hit the ground with a thud and Hermione landed on top of him, pining him down. She leaned in close to his neck and took a long deep breath.
"Mmmm, you're right, killing will be nice. And I'll start with you. I love you Remus, as family, but you have just earned your death sentence."
As she leaned in to bite him, an incredible pain shot through her chest. She looked down and touched the wooden stake that was protruding from her chest. She looked back at Lupin.
There was a deep sadness in his eyes. It was regret and hurt, love and determination. Hermione blinked, her eyes wide and lowered her voice to a dangerous growl.
"You will die for this. If it takes an eternity I will kill you and your mangy dogs."
There was a loud crack and all that remained was a large bloodstain on Lupin's coat.
Retelling her past made Hermione tired. She dismissed Caesar and retired to her private suite. She striped down to her underwear and fingered a diamond ring that was dangling from a chain around her neck, and sighed.
"Oh Harry, I wonder what has become of you."
At the same moment, a hundred miles away, Harry Potter say playing with a white gold wedding band, thinking of his lost Hermione.
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