As soon as Hermione awoke, she knew that her tormentor had fed again. She felt weak and lightheaded, the headache that she had increased ten-fold. Attempts to get out of the bed were demolished by a throb and a groan. Rolling over on her side, she huffed, and forced up. The world was spinning, and the pain was almost unbearable, but she managed to pull herself to her feet. Hobbling around, her eyes growing accustomed to the darkness, she groped for the door. She found the doorknob, and twisted it. She started backwards. There, standing with a smile on his face and a tray in his hand, was her captor.

“Good morning, Hermione,” he said, “I do hope you had a nice sleep. You were out for quite a while, you know. I presume the shock of discovering that you are becoming a vampire was too much for you to handle.”

She swallowed hard. She had nearly forgotten what had been said to make her faint like that. Now, it all came rushing back, and she felt her stomach lurch. She ignored it, and placed her hand to her head. It hurt so very, very much.

“Still have that awful migraine?” the vampire asked her, and she glared at him.

“I notice that you have not given me your name,” she said coldly, “and it is very hard to talk to you without knowing it.”

“Ah, I thought you might realize that in time,” he chuckled, and he placed the tray down on her bedside table, “My name is Valil, and I am the alpha male of our vampire clan.”

“Valil,” Hermione smirked, “Nasty name.”

“Blame my parents, not me,” he said. She tried to nod, but it pained her too much. Backing up, she sat down on the bed. Valil followed her.

“You really shouldn’t try to operate with that horrible headache,” he stated, “You can’t function properly. Get rid of it.”

“And how did you say you did that again?” Hermione asked, forgetting momentarily what would rid her of this agony.

“Just eat something,” he said, “Or drink, if you like. I even brought you a tray.”

He picked it up off of the table and held it before her. All that she could see was a glass full of red liquid. It was tall and clear, and the smell was…the smell was…magnificent.

“What is it?” she asked, her eyes wild with desire and hunger.

“You don’t know?” Valil asked, “It’s sheep’s blood, poured fresh this morning.”

“I …I want…I want to…NO!” Hermione uttered, her mouth watering but her heart disgusted by the thought of drinking blood.

“Hermione, you mustn’t fight temptation so severely,” Valil hissed, and he brought his mouth close to her ear, “It is what you want, and you must take it.”

“No!” she shouted, and she tried to leap up, but the pain in her head had increased once more. It throbbed now with her every movement. She started to cry, her tears falling down heavily. She didn’t want this, and she didn’t need it. All she wanted was to be back in Ron’s arms, sitting in the Gryffindor common room and sharing a humorous story with him and Harry. It wasn’t fair, what had happened to her. She could feel Valil’s breath upon her neck.

“Drink it, Hermione,” he said, “It will ease your pain and soothe your thoughts.”

He brought the glass close to her. The smell was sensational, so inviting and mouthwatering. Her eyes went wild. Forgetting everything, she lunged forward and drank the glass down. The blood tasted sweet and satisfying, and it slid down her throat magnificently. The world had disappeared as she devoured her meal, now content with what she had become. When the last drop was gone, and the pain in her head had disappeared, she glanced over at Valil.

“That was…so…delicious,” she said, and she felt hunger enter her again. She longed for more. She needed more. Valil smirked. “I will teach you to feed tonight, my love,” he said, and she looked at him sideways.

“My love?” she asked, “No, Valil. I may have a taste for blood, but I could never love someone like you. You are so evil and vile, and you are a vampire too. I could never…”

She thought that the light had changed. In a sudden, sweeping movement, Valil had disappeared. There, sitting before her on the bed, was Ron. She gasped, and moved forward, not thinking about what had really happened. She traced his face, feeling his warm cheeks.

“Could you love me, now?” he asked her, and she was entranced, thinking that her true love really had returned. She brought her lips to his, and the kiss seemed to last forever. She felt happy again, for the first time in weeks. She felt his arms wrap around her. Then, his face changed, and she was kissing Valil. Somehow, however, it felt right. She felt safe in that moment, as if she was with someone like her. He pulled away, and the spell was broken. He was evil once again, a vampire. Somehow, though, she couldn’t resist listening to him. He was a leader in her eyes now, however evil she found him.

“Feeding time, Hermione,” he said, and she stood up, expecting to be led out of the window. Then, realizing that it was morning and that Valil couldn’t go out in daylight, she grew confused.

“Now?” she asked. She saw his teeth elongate, and a hiss came from somewhere deep inside of him. He grabbed her wrist, restraining them down. For some reason, she felt a rush of excitement within her. Knowing that that sweet sense of numbness was about to come again was like a dream come true. She let out a small laugh, and Valil knelt down to whisper something to her.

“A few more feedings, and it will be complete,” he said to her, “However, you become mine tonight…my pupil and my queen. Surrender to your dark side.”

Without a further word or gesture, he sunk his fangs into her throat. She felt part of her humanity slip away as he drank, and she closed her eyes and fell to sleep again.

She awoke shortly afterwards, her hunger there, but without the headache. She had fed earlier, and so there would be no symptoms declaring that she needed immediate feeding again. Still, the thirst for blood was enough to drive her crazy. She felt like an addict without their drugs, wanting something that she couldn’t have at that moment. She hopped out of bed and hustled to the bathroom, rinsing her face off to try and tame her need. Closing her eyes so that the water didn’t get into them, she reached for a towel and then looked at herself in the mirror. She startled herself.

Hermione’s reflection was faint, more like a shadow of a figure than an actual person. She was as pale as a lily, and dark circles surrounded her eyes. Her eyes were bloodshot red, as if she were tired. She looked dead. And then, after a few moments of shock, she came to a conclusion that threw her into sadness.

i>I am dead: dead…or soon to be dead.

She heard the bedroom door open and Valil stepped in.

“Hermione?” he called, and she remained where she was. Though she would have to become a vampire, and though she had kissed him and thought him her master, she refused to give in to his demands. Seeing herself in the mirror had restored her strength. She knew he would be inside in a few moments, that he would find her soon, but for now she was alone. It was enough.

“Hermione?” he called again, and she could hear the malice strung throughout his voice. One second later, he was standing in front of her in the bathroom. He was angry; she could see it in his eyes.

“Why didn’t you answer my call?” he asked, and the blaze in his eyes almost gripped her into another trance. She snapped her eyes to the floor.

“WHY?!?” he uttered, and he gripped her by her throat. Hermione yelped in pain, his fingers enclosed over her freshly opened wound.

“I was busy in the restroom,” she said, trying to loosen his grip, “I’m sorry.”

He dropped her, and she fell in a crumple on the floor. Massaging her neck, she kept her eyes on his shoes.

“We have a banquet to attend tonight,” he hissed at her, and offered his hand. She took it, feeling his icy skin in between her fingers, knowing that she would soon be this cold.

“With your fellow vampire friends?” she asked, and he nodded.

“They are anxious to meet you,” he said, “and we have a large feast prepared. You’ll love it.”

Hermione tried to push the sweet thought of the taste of blood from her mind. It reminded her of what she was becoming.

“When do we leave?” she asked.

“Now.”

The scene was awful. A large mob of vampires had gathered in the hall of Valil’s castle. Hermione, who had never left the sanctity of her bedroom, was amazed at first by the magnificent craftsmanship of the stone. Then, turning to where the mob was gathered, she gasped in horror. They had tied a being to the side of a pillar and were standing and jeering at him, throwing tomatoes and bananas at his face. She knew that he was the grand feast, and she felt her stomach drop. It was Hagrid.

“Ladies and gentleman,” Valil bellowed, and the crowd died down. Hermione kept her eyes on Hagrid, focusing on those black beetle eyes. He couldn’t see her; he didn’t even know that she was alive. She knew she had to do something.

“Tonight, I have brought a very special guest with me,” Valil continued, and Hermione felt a horrible foreboding wash over her, “It is she who will get the first bite upon this giant’s throat. Welcome Hermione Granger, soon to be the newest member of our clan!”

She watched the heads turn to face her. Hagrid lifted his head up, searching the crowd. Many parted so that she could walk up to him. Sick to her stomach, she kept her eyes on her friend’s face. She glided towards him, and Valil used his magic to lift her up in the air so that her face was level with Hagrid’s. She turned around.

“Please, Valil!” she pleaded, “Please don’t make me do this! He is my friend!” “NOW, HERMIONE!” he bellowed, a growl escaping him. She turned back to Hagrid, tears streaming down her face.

“Hermione!” Hagrid said softly, and he was crying too. She reached her hand up to wipe his tears away.

“Hey, Hagrid,” she said, “Are you okay?”

“Yer alive,” he muttered, “They told me you was dead! Thought you’d git the best of ‘em!”

“I’m going to save you, Hagrid,” she said, “I’m going to get you out of this.”

“T’ain’t nuffin ‘at can save me, Hermione,” he told her, “Harry’s dead, and the world’s over. Might as well die at the ‘ands of vampires anyway. They transformed you, ay?”

“No, I’m still mortal for now,” she said, “Listen to me! I’m going to pretend to suck your blood, okay? Pretend to die completely. They’ll think I’ve sucked you dry after I perform this spell. I read about it in Quintessence: A Quest.”

“You ain’t got no wand, ‘Ermione!” Hagrid said to her. She grinned.

“Why do you think I took that summer class on nonverbal spells without wands?” she asked, and she wiped her tears. Then, moving forward, she brought herself close to Hagrid’s throat.

“Sleep well, Hagrid,” she whispered in his ear, and she bit him very lightly. He dropped off to sleep, and she uttered the spell.

He was dry. Later, after the gathering was over and Valil was asleep, she would sneak out and wake him up. He would be able to escape then. Slowly, she turned to the ground.

“The giant was beaten far too much,” she said, “I was too thirsty, and I drank the rest of the blood in his body.”

Numerous boos came at her from the crowd. Up against the wall, she could see Valil, smirking. She knew he thought that she had killed Hagrid. Crying secret tears of joy, she left the room, licking her lips to savor the small amount of blood left on her lips from where she had bitten her friend. Though she had saved him, she felt self-hatred enter into her being. She knew now, as she yearned for more blood, that she was indeed becoming a vampire. No one could save her from that.