Part Three

Chapter One

Hermione sat in her garden looking out across the expansive grounds, with an opened letter lying on top of the table in front of her. The moment she had seen the writing, she instantly knew who the sender was and couldn't wait to hear his news. She had opened it carefully, although she was full of excitement, but as her eyes drifted over the written words, she felt her heart sink and disappointment settle in. She had not been expecting what was in the letter, and so now sat feeling confused and lost, wondering what she should do about it.

It had been over four years now since she had made the decision to leave Volterra and not return back to Hogwarts, and she hadn't once regretted that decision. Until now. Although she still met up occasionally with Dumbledore and Remus, as well as Marcus, Felix and Demetri, it just wasn't the same. She felt incredibly isolated and missed them all terribly. She also felt as though something was missing from her life, but didn't want to think or dwell on that feeling for too long, so she pushed it away and concentrated on Morvin, who she knew missed her family also.

Sitting back in the chair with her feet propped up on the foot stool in front of her, she could hear laughter coming from Morvin, who was currently playing with Nafeesa somewhere on the grounds, and smiled to herself. She loved nothing more than hearing her daughter laughing, considering all that she had been through over the years.

It was with that thought that Hermione's smile quickly faded from her lips. Glancing back down at the letter, she bit her bottom lip with worry. The contents of the letter didn't only affect her, but also Morvin as well, and if she knew her daughter as much as she thought she did, then she knew that Morvin would be heartbroken.

Leaning her head back against the chair, Hermione shut her eyes and thought over the last few years. Like she always did when it came to making a difficult decision, she thought of Morvin and what she thought was best for her. So with a deep sigh Hermione became engrossed in her thoughts and memories, starting from four years ago after they had just left Volterra.

Four Years Ago

The moment they had apparated away from the Palazzo, Hermione and Morvin landed on the grounds just outside the French Chateau. Hermione didn't know where they would go after leaving Volterra, but thought that Lucius wouldn't mind terribly if they came here for a while, until they had planned out what was next for them.

Looking around warily, Morvin glanced up and tugged on Hermione's hand, getting her attention instantly. She kneeled down and squeezed her daughter's hand reassuringly before asking,

"Are you alright sweetheart?" Her voice showed some concern, as she knew that Morvin might be a little scared and unsettled. Even though leaving Volterra was for the best, she had still just been uprooted away from her family and moved to an unfamiliar country, yet again. A stressful experience for any normal child, never mind a child with Morvin's past history. Hermione knew it would take time for Morvin to relax fully, but had vowed to help her as much as she could.

Morvin nodded her head in agreement, before looking around at the surroundings.

"Why are we here mother?" Morvin's little voice asked in Hermione's mind. The last time Morvin had come here was with Athenodora during the battle in the Hoia-Baciu forest. On Hermione's orders, Athenodora had activated the portkey for them when the battle became too much.

Although she had spoken out loud for the first time since she was a human back at the Palazzo, Hermione knew that it would take Morvin a long time to be able to speak openly and confidently out loud in the future. She had patience though and would support her daughter no matter how long it took. Even if she never spoke out loud again, Hermione would still be there for her no matter what.

"One of my friends from Hogwarts owns the Chateau, he let me stay here once before and I don't think he would mind if we stayed here for a couple of weeks. So that we can decide what we're doing next." Hermione smiled up at her daughter and brushed a stray curl away from her eye. "Think of it as a holiday little Mo, just us in the countryside, we can do whatever we want?"

Morvin beamed down at Hermione, causing her heart to sore at the sight.

"Whatever we want?" Morvin asked with a mischievous glint in her eye, causing Hermione to laugh and nod her head.

"Yes, whatever we want." Hermione agreed.

Morvin smiled again, then swiftly tapped Hermione on the shoulder and said,

"Tag you're it." Before quickly running away in fits of laughter.

Hermione simply kneeled rooted to the spot as she watched Morvin, run and play like any normal child her age. She never had the freedom before to explore her childish nature, now she did, now she was free. And for the first time since leaving Volterra, Hermione knew she had made the right decision for them. Morvin needed this chance, this freedom to explore and just be herself. And so did she. This was their time together.

Getting to her feet Hermione chased after her daughter laughing and smiling just as broadly, as they began to play a game of tag. Neither one had any troubles or worries at that moment. They were happy and content in each other's company, as they ran, laughed and played, and for now that was enough for them both.

They ended up staying at the Chateau for two weeks, and during that time they spent their days exploring the surrounding countryside. They went hill walking, picked beautiful vibrant flowers, swam in rivers they found, played hide and seek, and visited shops when the weather permitted them to go out amongst the humans safely, without fear or risk of exposure.

Morvin had been around both magical and non-magical people before, so Hermione had no fear of her being drawn to human blood. Just like she had, Morvin possessed the ability to not be tempted by the allure of a human. So the two of them blended in well with others, and thanks to Hermione still having her magic she made it easier for them to fit in. They met a lot of new people on their adventures away from the Chateau and although Morvin was always shy and timid, she did very well on their outings. And because she didn't speak out loud, everyone assumed that Morvin was mute, which Hermione didn't correct. It helped them blend in even more as Morvin seemed to melt the hearts of everyone they came across.

In the evenings they would retreat back to the Chateau, and after the first couple of nights they had established a routine, just like any normal mother and child.

Hermione would bath Morvin, then sit and brush her hair for hours while they chatted, or while Morvin read to them. Sometimes their roles were reversed and Morvin would sit brushing Hermione's hair, while she read to them or would instead tell her stories about Hogwarts and her friends, and all the trouble they had gotten up to over the years. Morvin couldn't get enough of hearing those stories, and wished one day to visit Hogwarts castle and see all the magic for herself.

When she had told Hermione this, Hermione could only smile and say,

"Perhaps one day." Knowing that day would be a long time coming, for she honestly didn't know if she could return to Hogwarts and face her past. She couldn't tell that to Morvin though, as the last thing she wanted to do was disappoint her daughter and she doubted Morvin would understand her reluctance either.

At night when the sky was clear, they would lie outside on the grass and simply star gaze while holding each other's hand. It was simple things like that, which they enjoyed and it brought them closer together, strengthening the bond they already shared.

During their time at the Chateau, Hermione kept her promise and taught Morvin how to hunt. They started off slowly with Hermione first teaching Morvin how to run through the forest and climb trees. Morvin seemed to be a natural at this and loved the freedom that came with just being able to run wild. Once she had mastered that, Morvin then observed Hermione hunting, before trying it for herself.

Her first time at trying to hunt a small dear didn't go very well, and it ended in Morvin covered in dirt and blood, and a rather painful drawn out death for the dear. But Morvin was young and inexperienced and Hermione knew that with practice and time, Morvin's ability and technique would improve vastly. For now however, she was doing better than Hermione could have ever hoped for.

After two weeks of staying at the Chateau, Hermione and Morvin toured around Europe, never staying in one place longer than two weeks. They went to Spain, Portugal, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Holland, and Russia before finally returning back to the Dragon Sanctuary in Romania.

Morvin had been so happy to see Charlie and Phil again, and she became even happier when Dumbledore arrived with Remus in tow. She had never met Remus before, and the moment she saw him she became instantly scared, as she could tell that he was different from anyone else she had ever met before.

Hermione sat Morvin on her knee and spoke to her soothingly, as she explained all about Remus to her.

"Remus here is one of my very best friends and when I first changed into a vampire it was him who helped me. You see he knows what we went through as he has to go through his own change as well."

Morvin looked skeptically from Remus to Hermione and said,

"But he's not a vampire like us."

Hermione laughed at how observant Morvin was, and hugged her tightly to her chest. It really was amazing how similar they were at times, as Morvin was just as curious about knowledge and asking questions, as what she herself was.

"That's right sweetie Remus isn't a vampire. He's a werewolf." Morvin gasped out loud and turned large frightened eyes towards Remus, before burying her face into Hermione's neck. "Hey it's alright sweetie, he won't hurt you. I promise." Hermione said while stroking her daughter's hair in order to comfort her. "Remus is a good werewolf. Just like how there are good and bad vampires, good and bad witches and wizards, and good and bad humans in the world. Remus is a good and wonderful person and not only is he a werewolf but he's also a wizard as well."

Having her interest peaked, Morvin turned her head to look at Remus again, before she spoke to Hermione and said,

"Just like how you're a vampire and a witch."

Hermione beamed proudly at her daughter and stroked her cheek lovingly, an intimate gesture that didn't go unnoticed by the others in the room.

"Exactly sweetie just like me."

Morvin frowned then turned curious eyes onto Remus.

"He isn't going to turn into a werewolf now is he?"

Hermione laughed and shook her head in the negative.

"No sweetie he's not going to turn into a werewolf just now."

At her words, Remus let out a small chuckle. He couldn't hear what Morvin was saying, but from Hermione's side of the conversation he could only guess.

"I only change when it's the full moon Morvin but even then I take a special medicine. This medicine helps me so that I don't change fully. I may look like a werewolf and act a little like a werewolf, but my brain-" He said pointing to his head. "Is still me. That means I can't hurt anyone."

Morvin looked at Remus thoughtfully, then feeling brave said,

"You still smell like a werewolf though, even when you are a wizard."

Remus laughed loudly at her words, feeling both surprised and pleased at hearing her talk to him. Turning his gaze towards Hermione briefly he said,

"She is definitely your daughter Hermione." Turning his attention back to Morvin he smiled then said, "It's funny you should say that Morvin, because your mother's nickname for me is wet dog. While I call her bloodsucker."

Morvin giggled at that then said,

"I like those names, they're funny. But I think I'll stick with uncle Remus?" Feeling at ease with the werewolf, Morvin moved away from Hermione and slowly made her way over to Remus, never once taking her eyes off of him. Although she felt she could trust him, she still couldn't help but feel wary around new people. Especially one who was also a werewolf.

Reaching out a tentative hand, she took Remus's own and squeezed it.

"What's it like being a wolf? Is it scary? Does it hurt when you change?" Morvin asked curiously before settling herself comfortably on Remus's knee.

Hermione who was watching the whole exchange, couldn't help but smile proudly at her daughter. Ever since Dumbledore had cast the memory charm on Morvin, she had improved so much when it came to interacting with other people, especially those who were males. She was still shy and timid, but it was a vast improvement compared to how hostile she used to be.

Seeing Morvin now, sitting chatting happily away with her best friend, was so much more than she could ever have hoped for. As if sensing her rising emotions, Dumbledore squeezed her hand gently and smiled, while his eyes twinkled madly.

"She is doing splendidly Hermione. You are doing a great job with her."

Hermione smiled then shook her head softly, causing her curls to gently sway.

"It's not me Albus it's her. She's so amazing." Since the others were busy doing other things, Hermione turned her attention fully towards Dumbledore. And although she was reluctant to ask, she had to know, for her own piece of mind. "Albus, how has Severus been since he returned to Hogwarts?" She asked in a small voice.

The last time they had spoken together still played in Hermione's mind. She cared deeply for him, and that she felt would never change. But she couldn't give him what he wanted at that time, as she had to focus on Morvin. She hadn't wanted to hurt him, but the sad truth was she had.

Dumbledore smiled sadly at Hermione, sensing her reluctance at wanting to talk about the wizard.

"He is as well as can be expected." That was the truth, but not the whole of it. Dumbledore wasn't sure what had happened been Severus and Hermione, but he could guess.

Ever since the young Potions Professor had returned back to Hogwarts, he had been more reserved and quiet than usual with his colleagues. His normal short temper was even shorter and his patience was at an all-time low. But he didn't want to tell Hermione that, as she was already feeling enough guilt, without having to feel more.

Accepting his words, she gave a small nod of understanding before turning her attention back to her daughter. And just as quickly as it had begun, the topic of Severus Snape was now closed for discussion.

They stayed at the Dragon Sanctuary for three months, spending some of that time with Dumbledore and Remus, who on the odd occasion brought Dora and Teddy along. Hermione had been so happy to see her friend and to meet her Godson for the first time, and Dora had been so excited to hear all about the trouble Hermione had been up to since leaving Hogwarts.

Remus had already explained to Dora about Morvin, which Hermione didn't mind as they were married. So Dora wasn't surprised when she got to meet the little girl for herself. She was happy for Hermione and could see how good the two of them were for each other.

Morvin also fell in love with Teddy, who was now starting to crawl about. She was also completely fascinated by the fact that both Dora and Teddy were metamorphmagus's and often got Dora, the more experienced one, to perform for her.

The most important thing for Hermione however, was seeing her old friend Nafeesa again. The moment they had arrived at the Dragon Sanctuary the first thing she had asked Charlie was,

"How is Nafeesa doing?"

Charlie grinned at his friend before giving her a tight squeeze then said,

"And hello to you too. It's nice to see your doing so well." He said sarcastically, with a cheeky grin on his handsome face.

Hermione laughed and rolled her eyes at him in return.

"Sorry I'll start again then shall I. Hello Charlie how are you? Now how's my dragon." She said the last part in a more serious voice, causing Charlie to shake his head in dismay.

"Really Hermione." Putting his hands on her shoulders he smiled and said, "She's fine, honestly. She's fully recovered now and only last week was able to hunt for the first time since her injuries. You can see her whenever you want. She'll be pleased to see you. That girl is bloody stubborn." Letting out a fake cough, he then muttered, "Just like her rider." But Hermione was able to hear him.

With a pleased smile she elbowed him in the ribs, causing him to almost buckle over in pain, as he tried to catch his breath.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry Charlie. I keep forgetting how strong I am."

"My fault." Was all he was able to choke out, until the winded feeling had subsided. "Remind me never to give you any cheek again."

After that Charlie took Hermione to see Nafeesa, before she could do any more harm to his person, and watched on with a large beaming smile as Nafeesa saw her rider for the first time in months.

The moment Hermione had stepped foot into the enclosure, Nafeesa had stepped out of her cave, locked eyes with Hermione before flying straight over to them. She was going so fast that she barreled straight into Hermione, knocking her onto the ground, before she quickly started lapping at Hermione's face,with her long forked tongue.

Unable to contain her laughter and merriment, Hermione cupped Nafeesa's large cheeks and just let her continue with her onslaught, as Charlie shouted,

"That's right Nafeesa you get her."

After what seemed like hours later, Nafeesa finally stopped her attack on Hermione, before falling down exhausted next to her. Although her injuries had fully recovered now, she was so out of practice when it came to exerting herself that she still tired easily.

"I've missed you so much Nafeesa. I couldn't wait to see you again but wanted to make sure you had recovered first." Hermione said running her hands lovingly over Nafeesa's familiar black scaly skin. "I am so sorry for putting you in that position. I wish I could have done more to protect you. In fact no, I wish you hadn't been there to get hurt in the first place. Can you ever forgive me?" Hermione asked looking into those intelligent yellow eyes that she had so missed.

As if answering her non-humans question, Nafeesa made a gentle mewling noise before nuzzling her head into Hermione's stomach.

Hermione smiled and stroked her friends head before she heard Morvin calling out for her.

"Over here little Mo." She answered back.

Just like she had done with Hermione, Nafeesa became excited once again at seeing Morvin. With much less vigor and more gentleness than you would expect from a large powerful dragon like Nafeesa. She ran towards her, stopping before she knocked into Morvin and began another assault, much to Morvin's delight.

Getting back up to her feet, Hermione dusted the grass off her clothes and turned to Charlie while the other two were busy playing and catching up.

"How is she for flying now?" She asked.

Charlie smiled and said,

"She's been flying short distances like from her cave to here, but for now that's all the exercise she's been getting. Longer distances cause her to get tired quickly, so she has to build up her strength and stamina." And so that was exactly what Hermione did.

For three months she spent every day with Nafeesa, and sometimes Morvin, depending on whether there were visitors at the sanctuary or not. And exercised with her. They ran together, hunted together, and flew together until finally Nafeesa became stronger and fitter than ever before.

Nafeesa flourished with all the attention that she was getting from Hermione, and enjoyed spending time with her rider once again. Morvin was a delight also, and brought out Nafeesa's more playful side. The balance they all shared together was perfect, and each of them brought out the others better qualities.

The close relationship between dragon and rider still astounded those who worked at the Dragon Sanctuary. They had always known that dragons were intelligent, powerful and loyal animals, but Nafeesa and Hermione's relationship proved that even further.

They all knew that Nafeesa was not tame by any means, she was still a wild, dangerous and powerful dragon at the end of the day. But those who were neither a threat nor a danger to her, or her rider, were safe in her company. She was loyal to them, as long as they in return remained loyal to her. But she was intelligent and seemed to know who could or couldn't be trusted.

That was proven when one of the people at the sanctuary, Adalyn, could not get near Hermione, Morvin or Nafeesa herself. She was no danger to them, but Nafeesa knew that the witch didn't like Hermione. She was jealous of her. Her beauty, her personality, her powers and the fact that Hermione was everything she would never be. Nafeesa sensed those feelings and didn't trust the witch anywhere near her non-human.

After three months of living at the Dragon Sanctuary, Hermione began to feel like it was time to move on again. Morvin had settled down happily at the sanctuary, but Hermione couldn't help but feel like she needed to spend some time with vampires of their kind as well. After all unlike Hermione, Morvin wasn't half witch, half vampire. She was a full vampire, and the last thing Hermione wanted was for Morvin to forget who and what she was.

So she spoke to Charlie about her feelings and came up with a plan. Returning to Volterra was out of the question, but perhaps there was somewhere else they could go instead. And so with that in mind Hermione had called Alice and spoke to her about them coming to visit them in Forks. Alice of course was incredibly excited by this news and readily agreed, and so did Carlisle, Esme and the others. The only person she had left to speak to now was Morvin, and she had a feeling that perhaps, that particular conversation wouldn't go down well.

When the time came to speak to Morvin, Hermione waited until it was just the two of them and sat her daughter down in Nafeesa's enclosure. They were picking flowers in the grass, while Nafeesa was happily lazing on her side.

"Morvin there's something I wish to ask you; how do you feel staying here?"

Lying her head on Nafeesa's stomach, Morvin looked up at Hermione from thick eyelashes and said,

"I like living here with Uncle Charlie and Uncle Phil. I like getting to spend time with Nafeesa, but I really enjoy spending time with you the most."

Hermione smiled at her daughter before twirling a buttercup between her fingers.

"I love spending time with you as well sweetheart, and of course Nafeesa, Charlie and Phil. But don't you want to spend some time with other vampires just like us. Don't you miss that?"

At her words Morvin sat upright and looked at her mother.

"I don't want to go back to Volterra. I want to stay here. Maybe Grandfather can come and visit, just like how Grandpa Dumbledore and Uncle Remus visits." Morvin's panicked little voice said in Hermione's mind.

She smiled fondly as she thought of her father and how much she was missing him. Since leaving Volterra they had corresponded with each other, sending letters on a weekly basis. He told her everything that was going on in Volterra, excluding the topic of Aro, while she wrote all about her and Morvin's travels. She wanted to see him, Felix and Demetri desperately but they never seemed to have the time just now. Whether that was the case or whether Aro forbade them from meeting her, she wasn't sure.

"No sweetheart I don't mean going back to Volterra. Do you remember my friends who we met before the battle, Carlisle and his wife Esme as well as Alice and the others? Well they've invited us to join them in Forks and stay for however long we want to."

Morvin frowned in confusion then asked,

"Where is Forks mother?"

The first part of their conversation had been easy, but explaining to her where Forks was and what that would mean for them, was going to be the difficult part.

"Forks is in America sweetheart. It would mean we would leave here and go and live over there for a while. It also means that none of our family will be able to visit us as often as they do now. I know it's a big step but it might be good for us. The Cullen's are wonderful people and I think you will enjoy it there."

If Morvin had the ability to cry, she would have. So far all they ever did was move about from one place to another, never staying long enough and never getting the chance to meet new friends. She missed her family and hated the thought of not being able to see them. Spending time with Hermione was great, and she loved Hermione so much, but she was a young girl and sometimes she felt like she needed more than just her mother around.

Moving to America might be fun, she liked the Cullen's and knew they were good people. But she would miss her family. Especially Nafeesa. Thinking of the dragon by her side, Morvin turned wide eyes to Hermione and grimaced.

"We can't go mother; we can't leave Nafeesa again."

Hermione smiled and looked at Nafeesa, who had raised her head up at the sound of her name being spoken.

"Actually I spoke to Charlie and he said it was alright if we took Nafeesa with us. I have my magic so can easily hide us. Plus, he thinks she's ready for long journeys now."

Hearing that changed everything for Morvin. Flinging herself into her mother's arms she smiled happily.

"Yes. Let's go to America."

They stayed at the Dragon Sanctuary for a couple more weeks, so that they could say goodbye to Dumbledore, Remus, Dora and Teddy, before the three of them set off on their long journey across the Atlantic Ocean.

Before leaving Romania, Hermione had purchased a map and planned out there journey ahead. They stopped in several places across Europe in order to hunt and for Nafeesa to rest, before she eventually made the journey across the sea. The moment they had reached land they made a stop at White Mountain National Forest, which was situated between New Hampshire and Maine, on the Northeastern part of the United States.

Here they were able to blend in unseen, so that the three of them could hunt and Nafeesa could rest without them being exposed. The forest was big enough for them to hide in, especially with Hermione casting strong wards to stop muggles from coming anywhere near their camp.

They stayed there for a couple of days before setting off to their next destination which was Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota. When they reached there, Hermione done the same things as she had done before.

During their brief stay here however, Hermione had sensed other nomad vampires around, although they couldn't get near them because of the wards she had placed. If she could sense them, she couldn't help but wonder if they could sense her as well.

They didn't stay there long as she didn't want to risk exposing either Morvin or Nafeesa to unknown potentially dangerous vampires, so they left after only a day and headed to their next stop called Bitterroot National Forest in Idaho. This was there last stop before they reached the Olympic National Forest in Washington, where the Cullen's lived, on the outskirts of the small town of Forks.

They reached the middle of the forest, so that they could hunt before heading to the Cullen's but from almost the moment Nafeesa had landed, both she and Hermione could sense something amiss. The smell was wrong and a sense of danger surrounded them, causing both their hackles to rise.

"Hold onto me and don't let go, unless I say so, alright." Hermione said, as she lifted Morvin onto her back.

She never dropped her guard, as she kept her senses focused on the surrounding area. Looking at Nafeesa and seeing the scowl on her face, they began to slowly make their way cautiously through the forest.

After walking for an hour, the sense of danger began to grow and the unpleasant smell around them got stronger and stronger. Not liking the situation at all, Hermione was about to tell Nafeesa that they were leaving, when something caught her attention.

Angry, quick paced, footsteps could be heard running through the forest and straight towards them. Listening closely Hermione could make out several footsteps but couldn't determine the number in the group.

The unpleasant smell became stronger the closer the footsteps got, and almost at once Hermione recognized who or rather what had caused it.

As quickly as she could Hermione whipped out her wand from her sleeve, and cast a large, strong protection charm around them, just in time as several large growling wolfs surrounded them.

They were unlike anything Hermione had ever seen before. They were not the same type of wolf as Remus, a child of the moon. They were more like large vicious dogs than anything else. But what they were didn't matter at the moment.

They were growling and baring their teeth at her family, ready to attack and kill at any moment. So if they wanted a battle then that's what they would get, as Hermione was prepared to protect her family no matter what the cost was.

Without taking her eyes off the group of wolves in front of her, Hermione pried a frightened Morvin from her back and sat her on top of Nafeesa.

"Take her away should anything happen to me." She instructed Nafeesa, despite the fact both of them knew that nothing would happen to her, she was far too powerful and had taken on much more dangerous beings than these wolves. But she could never be too careful.

Stepping forward Hermione held her wand up ready to start firing spells off, and bared her teeth at the group of growling wolfs in front of her.

The Cullen's had never once mentioned living close to a large pack of vicious wolves, so she never expected that this would be there welcome.

"Let the battle commence." She thought suddenly, ready to cast her first spell at the large alpha wolf snarling from straight in front of her.