So I've been toying around with the idea of Hermione and Klaus being together since my first oneshot. This was intended to be another one, but it got too long so it will probably end up as three-shot. It was inspired by Placebo's song Running up that Hill. It was basically what gave birth to this whole idea.

It's not a continuation of The Sweetest Eyes, I've already begun a sequel on that.

It might be long as well, and it's a bit less fluffy.

This one is a lot less fluffy than the other, and I hope I was able to capture Hermione's hate and Klaus's, well, personality.

Anyways, moving on!

Make sure to read the bottom for definitions and stuff!

Disclaimer: I do not own either series, Harry Potter or The Vampire Diaries.

.:Part One:.
To Serve

...May 5th...

He could almost remember her words, the blood that stained her fragile, dainty hands. He could see her now, curled up to that boy's body, her lovely eyes going dry with the amount of tears that she was crying. He remembered appearing in front of her, both curious and amused by her and her kind. Klaus sometimes thought about the witch who sold her services to him in order to save that boy's life.

She pleaded, she prayed, she even sold the entirety of her own being to him.

She made a deal with him as if he were some deity that held such power.

He remembered that he smirked at her proposition and those hopeful eyes, and for some odd reason, he agreed. She looked so broken and hopeful, the way she grasped his pant legs as if she were just some common beggar. So quietly beautiful she was, Klaus had thought, when he rubbed the dry blood from her cheeks.

Such a tragic soul.

He grinned.

In exchange for his blood to heal the useless boy, this crying girl, who was barely an adult, would come to him in a six years time. Klaus would come to collect her, knowing that her kind would always keep up their end of the bargain. And so this witch, this woman, would be by his side for her entire existence.

Only in his death will ever be she free from his grasp.

That or her own.

"What are we doing here, brother?" Elijah's curious voice broke the spell of old memories.

Klaus gave his brother a dark, amusing look.

"We are here to collect something of mine, my dear brother. A business trip, you could say."

His brother didn't even blink at his words; he merely nodded as if he understood him and his eccentricities. If his brother had business in England, then he shall not question his younger sibling. Elijah knew that his brother needed much distraction after the whole incident back in the States.

"May I ask who you are doing business with?" the eldest Original inquired, casually fixing his hair.

Klaus gave his brother a sardonic grin.

"A wand-wielder that goes by the name of Hermione Granger."

~x~

...May 7th...

Hermione had been counting down her days, restless and hoping that he would not appear on her doorstep. She was afraid, and rightfully so since she, the brightest witch of their age, had foolishly sold basically her whole life to a monstrosity, a demon, a vampire. What a foolish child she was back then, six years ago, and now she was praying the price.

All in order to save Harry's life from a fatal wound to the chest.

His blood was everywhere, her hands were covered in it, and she couldn't stop it from pouring out from his chest. Applying simple amounts of pressure couldn't have bought him any more time to continue on. He was going to die, she knew that, but she couldn't give up on him.

She could never give up on Harry.

Hermione grimaced at the gruesome memory.

It was her dirty secret to keep.

Nobody knew about her deal with this creature.

It was only between her and this vampire, Klaus.

Hopefully he has forgotten about her by now, but then again, vampires never forget, especially an Original vampire like him. He would never forget the oath she made to him: to serve him and only him. Oh, how foolishly brave she was to do so.

Hermione was still the brightest witch of their age, and she will not let one brash, impulsive mistake change that. It was a decision that she cannot regret despite the fact it was the end of life as she knew it. No more Harry, no more Teddy, and no more Hogwarts.

For heaven's sake, she had to resign her position as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor a few weeks prior! She even had the goodbye letters written and sealed, ready to be delivered by her owls. If she were to say goodbye, she would as well do it properly with drafts and her special ink and quill. Hermione will go down in the most dignified manner, noble even.

But today she had the luxury to lose it.

"Merlin!" She cried, pulling out her hair in frustration.

She studied and researched like a mad woman about the Originals, more specifically about this Niklaus Mikaelson. Everything became difficult with each text she read, bringing her to older and rarer texts that barely told her anything specific about these old creatures. Information was scattered throughout different cultures, mediums, and legends. Hermione knew some information about this Niklaus, but not enough to make her feel comfortable.

All she knew was that she would be walking directly into the fiery pits of Hell.

Hermione's shoulders sagged a little, defeated and tired. She already had her bags packed as well as her boxes, waiting everyday for this vampire to come and take her. Did she need her things in her new life? What did he expect of her? What did Klaus want from her?

She knew she had to keep her end of the bargain. Vampires, Originals, expected things from humans when they make deals with them, much like demons. They were demons, dark creatures that preyed upon the living. Hermione was afraid because she knew that old beings, such as Klaus, were unpredictable.

She needed to honor her word or death will come to everyone she knew and care about.

Hermione wasn't stupid.

She bit her lip, trying to keep her sobs at bay, trying to welcome the warmth that the fireplace had to offer her but everything felt numb.

It was a sad and lonely night of many more nights to come.

Her life would be forgotten, her existence would be washed away in her friends' memories. The only thing that will always fully remember her would be these books, these useless books. Only the words of another would be her legacy.

Someday her friends would forget her face, her voice, her existence in their lives.

And that sad thing is that she might do the same.

So she drank to her heart's content that night, drowning in not only in liquor but her tears as well.

She drank until cried herself silly to sleep.

And in the morning light, Hermione faintly heard a soft knocking on her door.

Hermione politely told them to bugger off and leave her the hell alone all in one hurried sentence of a mumble.

She even remembered the soft chuckles on the other side of the door.

~x~

...May 10th...

He has been watching her for a few days now, waiting and studying her as if she were just some skittish animal. She might as well as be with the way she always glanced over her shoulders, and how she would always walk among crowds. It was as if she was trying to comfort herself with the idea that he wouldn't be able to find her.

He smirked at the witch's antics.

Klaus didn't know what to exactly think of her.

Oh, you know exactly what you are thinking about her, Kol would say, grinning from ear to ear in that cheap imitation of the Chesire cat expression of his.

She looked different from all those years ago. The witch still had her long limbs and almost shapeless figure, or perhaps it was her clothes that were deceiving his eyes. Her hair was still wild with its coiling curls, and her face was void of any real emotion.

Cautious.

What a pity, he thought.

He really wanted to see fear in those warm eyes of hers.

And so he followed her, enjoying the way she sent worried glances over her shoulders, knowing that someone was watching her. Klaus smirked, sauntering down the streets of London as he followed her back to her home. He wondered why she settled to live among regular humans when this woman was a war veteran.

Yes, Klaus was no idiot.

He had taken a keen interest in this Hermione girl, and he had read about her from several books and articles from the beginning of her magical career until the end of the war. Such a loyal girl she was, and it made him think of her as a brave woman. A brave but foolish woman for even making a deal with him.

She was twenty-four now.

Perhaps she has become a bit wiser in the last six years since he had last seen her.

"Why are you following me?"

Well, that was a surprise, he didn't even notice her disappear in front of him.

Hermione's voice was shrill, and she looked like a peeved cat with the way her hair stood up as if that would defend her from him. Klaus chuckled, feeling the tip of her wand on the back of his neck. She was indeed a heroine, blind and stupidly bold.

"Why hello, Hermione darling," he greeted her with a pleasant smile, looking over his shoulder, "I've come to fetch you. Surely you didn't forget our deal?"

Klaus took pleasure in seeing those eyes widen in surprise and how her body slightly shook with fear, yet she held her ground when she stared him down. This witch was trying to put on a brave façade, and it intrigued him even more when she didn't run and scream bloody hell at the sight of him.

Most people tried to at least escape his grasp the first time.

"Klaus." It was horror whispered from her lips.

He loved the way she looked so courageous and fragile at the same time.

Such a pretty doll, and he was excited to play with her.

"Oh, Hermione." Klaus cooed.

~x~

...May 12th...

"Brother, we have been here over a week, and dear Rebekah is throwing a hissy fit because of our absence," Elijah frowned, swirling his aged wine out of boredom, "Have you contacted this Miss Granger?"

Klaus gave him a sly smile.

"Why yes, I have. She has agreed to come here tomorrow with her stuff. I've sent some of my children," he sounded so proud at the mention of his hybrids, "to her house just in case she needed an extra pair of hands."

Apparently his words had enough effect to catch his older brother's attention.

"You did not mention you were taking in any strays," Elijah's eyebrows furrowed together, slightly unnerved by his brother's calm expression. He knew his brother was a bit of his rocker, even more so after that incident with that Forbes girl, but now he truly believes that Klaus has, in fact, fallen completely off and far from his rocker.

Elijah could deal with his brother's violent mood swings, his deviant personality, and his overall strangeness, but he could not allow his brother to take in strangers as if they were lost animals, especially if they were a wand-wielder. They were not to be trusted, Klaus knew that, Rebekah knew that, and even the bloody Salvatore brothers knew that.

Every magical 'creature' knew that the English lot were the most prejudice and trickiest.

"You are taking in an English witch?" he sounded incredulous.

"Yes, brother, I am, and do not question me. I saved that boy she loved so much in exchange for her service, brother. Her magic is different from those other witches," Klaus chortled a bit too gleefully, "And I am her master, brother. Her owner."

"Nik," Elijah sighed, "What makes you think she will honor her word and not, oh I don't know, put everything on fire? Including both you and me?"

He got even more annoyed when his brother continued to guffaw.

"Oh, dear Elijah! It's perfect really, the way she was so desperate, to the point to even do an oath," Klaus's smile got even brighter as he leaned closer to his brother, "She can't betray us. Sure she can put our things on fire, but she doesn't know that. And if she does, not only is she dead, I can kill every person she has come to love so dearly."

"And if you are so clever," the eldest Original gave him an unimpressed look, "then why not simply compel her to do anything and everything?"

"Oh brother, you do not get it," Klaus started a bit dramatically, sipping on his own glass of wine, "It's better to see them terrified and fully-aware of what is at stake. Plus, she's a bit cute when she tries to be all brave. Endearing even."

Elijah shook his head in response.

His brother was a lost cause.

"Strays, my brother. One day she will bite the hand that feeds her."

If only he knew how true his words would be.

~x~

"Hermione, I don't understand. It's been six years," Harry choked up on his words, eyes bright with tears, "why are you leaving now?"

She patted his cheek with an almost sad smile.

"There's a bigger world out there, Harry. Bigger than Hogwarts, bigger than England, bigger than the life I have built here. I can't stay here when I know life is more than just this." She whispered, hoping that she didn't look so devastated. Klaus has come to get her, and she needed to be by his side.

Harry couldn't know what she has done.

He's not to blame for her decisions.

"But Mione-" she placed her finger on his lips, effectively hushing him.

Harry couldn't know she swapped their places.

"Harry, let me live my life," Hermione said the lies so flawlessly, "And keep Teddy happy. He needs you."

Hermione wanted to tell him everything, the truth, but she doesn't. She simply stood in front of him with sad eyes in this empty house of hers. All these years were wasted on nothing but books and research, no love, no excitement. It was as if she simply stopped living because she feared it so. And so this empty life of hers was now boxed up and on its way to America, the Land of the Free.

Oh, the irony of her situation, she wanted to say.

But she couldn't because she can't.

Besides, her life wasn't one she would miss terribly, except her friends.

She would miss them terribly.

"But we both need you, Mione!" he shouted, sounding a bit childish with his words, "Don't we matter?"

Merlin, he sounded so tired, so old.

She could imagine see Teddy's teary eyes if he was here right now, pulling on her hand and begging her not to leave. She was his favorite Aunt Herowine, after all, and he was her favorite little boy. Hermione wouldn't have a chance against those tears of his.

So she held back her own.

"You do matter, Harry! But I'm wasting away! Don't you understand? You have Ginny and Teddy, and you have your own child on the way! What do I have? Books and research, theories, all these things don't matter if I don't," her voice cracked as much as her heart does, "if I don't live."

When did she become such a good liar?

Harry's head hung low, looking like a kicked puppy. With open arms, she held him tightly against her. Here she was leaving her life, her friend, her brother in order to protect him and everyone else. Who knew one decision would change several lives?

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I didn't know." Harry apologized softly, holding back his tears.

He reminded her of that little eleven-year old boy who was starved for affection all those years ago.

"It's okay, Harry."

It really wasn't, she wanted to say.

"I'll visit you whenever I can."

I can never come back, she needed to tell him.

"A-and I will bring back a hot bloke who's madly in love with me."

And that can never happen, she had to confess.

But instead she settled for those words and this small and last moment with her best friend, she enjoyed the small rumble in his chest as he chuckled. Her little Harry had grown up so much, and hopefully he'd continue on doing so without her. Hermione gave him a bright smile that meant absolutely nothing except a bitter goodbye.

She breathed in his sweet scent, knowing that Ginny was probably baking again in that picturesque home of theirs.

Hermione could almost see a house full of mini-Harrys and Ginnys, but all she can see now was her giving up a joyous and peaceful dream.

With one last squeeze, she let him go, hopelessly trying to keep everything together inside.

"Goodbye Harry."

Her voice sounded so small.

Harry's green, green eyes would always be remembered.

So green. So sad. Don't leave.

"Bye Mione."

Hermione turned away before she could even see that sad expression on his face. She walked away before she could even cry. She closed the door before she could really feel everything falling down around her. And so she disapparated with a small 'pop' before she could even change her mind.

She swapped their places in life.

Where Harry would a happy life that he deserved, Hermione condemned herself into servitude.

But that's okay.

She will be okay.

~x~

What Harry didn't know wouldn't kill, she thought, as she strolled beside a younger man, a boy really, in the streets of London. He claimed that he was sent by Klaus to escort her, and for a split second, she felt rage towards not only Klaus but the boy as well. Someone younger was to escort her?

Clearly the Original did not know of her history.

"Um, so what's a girl-" dark eyes rolled down her figure "-like you doing business with a man like Klaus?" He tried to be charming with that American accent of his and that pitiful excuse of a smile.

"The name is Hermione Granger. And I made an oath to him that if he were to save my best friend's life that I would give my services as a witch to him." She answered, straight to the point, no pussyfooting when it came to this.

He simply gave her a low whistle.

"Tyler Lockwood at your service, Hermione, and wow, well did he at least save your friend?"

"Of course he did, or I wouldn't be here today." She snapped, her anger coming from a low simmer to a boil. But being angry wouldn't help her situation either, and being snarky with this teenage boy wouldn't make her feel any better. It wouldn't change anything at all since everything was all said and done.

And so Hermione did a small breathing exercise that Ginny had once showed her.

"Well, what's a teenager doing with a man like Klaus? Much less, across a whole entire ocean from his family?" Hermione asked.

"Ah, right. Well, Klaus sired me," Tyler said with an awkward shrug, uncomfortable for admitting such a thing, "Can't really say no when he is like the Almighty with the bond."

"So you're a vampire?" She asked since she was a bit unimpressed by his appearance. Despite his football player physique, Hermione didn't find him intimidating. She pegged him as a young boy of this century, a young foolish boy who let himself into this mess. Like her when she was young and foolish, and perhaps she still was.

"Ah, no. I'm a hybrid, a werewolf-vampire to be exact," he answered her; scratching the back of his neck as if they were discussing something so mundane like the weather rather than the fact he was a hybrid.

Especially a werewolf-vampire.

"A hybrid?" She felt fear shot up her spine at his confession, "How is that even possible?"

Her voice sounded so shrill.

He shushed her, making sure she wasn't attracting unwanted attention on the streets with the way her voice was rising up an octave. Tyler didn't appreciate the way she looked at him as if he was a little boy nor did he like the fact that she now looked at him with such disdain, displeasure. That angry expression didn't suit well on her lovely face, and he knew that he would get a hell of a beating if he brought her to Klaus, pissed off and ready to bite.

"Can you not freak out? Just for a second please?" He brought his finger to his lips while he placed a steady hand on her shaking shoulder.

She flinched at his touch.

"Get your hands off of me!" She hissed, slapping his hand away from her.

"Just bring me to your sire," she spat out the word with such disdain, "Vampire-Werewolf hybrids are against nature. In the end, you will all be punished for being such things. Our kind doesn't use earth magic as much as we use core magic, but the balance of energy flowing throughout this world is important. Being nearly that nearly indestructible is unnatural. Do you know how horrible nature will retaliate because of this?"

Hermione wanted to end him right then and there, feeling the old Gryffindor soldier that she was once resurfacing. She knew she could do it easily with one spell, but she also knew that this was a young boy she would be taking a life from. She already killed so many, so why not add another abomination on the list?

At first, his expression spoke of sadness, but all that quickly morphed into childish anger.

"I know, but I wanted to escape the pain of being a werewolf. You don't understand how painful it is to live by the moon, to give into these horrible instincts that aren't your own. So don't lecture me. You don't know."

And then everything came crashing down on her.

The memories of Professor Lupin and his wife Tonks were overwhelming. The memories of how difficult Remus's lycanthropy was, how he struggled to maintain his humanity, and all the hardships he had faced in his tragic and short life. Though, she knew that he would never trade it for a different monster so it would be easier. He understood himself well enough to know to know that just because one path was easy doesn't mean it wouldn't be more destructive.

And life rewarded him, albeit, a bit short.

All she could see were their happy expressions slowly becoming more solemn and hardened as the war continued on, but their hope was still there with that love they held for each other. She remembered the fleeting happiness on their faces of the birth of their son, Teddy. And within the span of a minute or so, she felt all the anguish and longing.

And she looked at him again with a blank expression, all feelings distinguished like a blown out candle.

"I may not know what it feels like to have your bones to break and reform into something else, but to trade a lesser burden for another? Only because the pain was easier? Coward." Was the only thing she said before moving on.

And Tyler couldn't help but to feel as if she truly exposed him for what he was.

~x~

...London-May 12th, 10:00 PM...

"You think yourself clever, don't you, Hermione?" Klaus asked, though, not really interested in what she had to say. He was merely passing the time they had on their flight since his brother decided to go in the occasional 'non-talking' phase.

It was safe to say Elijah was a bit peeved.

"Don't call me by my name," she spat, her pretty face twisted in a horrible scowl that didn't quite suit her.

Klaus clicked his tongue at her in disapproving manner, but he felt so great and drunk that he didn't even bother in reprimanding his new pet just yet. He was too giddy over the fact he has gotten hold of a wand-wielder, not to mention the most brilliant witch of her age. He simply chuckled at her attitude.

"Then what should I call you, love?"

She sent him an irritated glance. Here she was next to an Original vampire, no hybrid, and she couldn't bring herself to feel fear. Not now when all she felt was this anger that coiled tightly at the center of her being. Hermione didn't want her life too end just yet.

But Hermione couldn't help herself when he had taken the liberty to start spouting such idiotic nicknames for her.

"Don't call me by my name, don't give me pet names as if I am more than just a tool to you, Niklaus." She hissed, not caring if she pissed off the Original or not, "Call me Granger. You and I are nothing to each other. Just a witch and a monster that parents tell their children at night."

And in one swift motion, he had her jaw gripped tightly between his fingers, snarling into her face as if he was just some rapid dog. She saw his eyes brighten and change into a bright amber color, both frightening and surprising her at his quick transformation, but she simply squashed the feelings down as quickly as they had appeared. So his hybrid side comes out, ready to lash out at her.

Was it wrong that she felt fascinated by the way his veins protruded around his bright eyes?

Hermione lifted her chin slightly, her jaws clenched together as she looked defiantly back at him. If Klaus wasn't so downright pissed at her attitude, he would have chuckled and simply patted her on the top of her head. Oh, but no, he was a mean drunk, and even more horrid when provoked.

"Look here, sweetheart," he hissed, "You are mine now. I will call you anything I want. Remember, girl, you sold yourself to me in order to save that pathetic boy."

He leaned close to her ear, and she could feel his lips form into a smirk against her skin.

"And besides," he breathed, sending shivers down her spine, "I'm not the only horror that they tell their kids at night, witch."

She struggled, she screamed, she even tried kicking him away from her but it seemed like her anger only fueled his. His grip began to tighten, making the pain even more unbearable, and Hermione knew she will have bruises there that she would have to hide. All she knew and saw at that moment was that ferocious expression of his.

"Klaus, you are going to break her jaw if you continue doing that."

Elijah's voice seemed to have instilled some sense and control back into the furious hybrid. Hermione felt his grip loosening as his fury died down, and finally, after a few moments later, he released her. He merely grumbled underneath his breath, trying to maintain his composure. The witch gave the other Original a thankful look, knowing now that she could not mess up around this violent man.

"Whatever," she heard him say in a petulant tone, reminding her of a pouting Teddy with the way he shifted his eyes and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Hermione listened to Elijah's exasperated sigh, and before she knew it, Klaus was once more in her personal space.

She could smell the sweet wine on his breath.

"What are you-" "Sleep, Hermione. It's a very long flight. Sleep until I wake you up, okay Hermione? Sleep." Klaus's voice dropped an octave as he tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. He gave her an expression that was akin to tenderness.

Lies.

She saw the way his pupils dilated at a fast rate, and for some strange reason, her body became heavier as her mind became cloudier. Hermione fought to stay awake, but it seemed that the man's words had a strong effect on her. The only thing she remembered was his arrogant smirk before she shut eyes, her mind slipping away in favor of dreams.

Damn vampires and their mind-compulsion.

~x~

...A Day Later...Bangkok, Thailand-May 14th, 10:00 AM...

As it turns out, America wasn't their initial destination, and for some odd reason, Hermione felt a sense of disappointment. She was hoping perhaps that whatever he needed her to do would be done and he would let her free from their deal, but that was like hoping for the chance to return something back to a shop after the thirty days mark. It was a horrible comparison, but that's what she felt at the moment.

She asked him where they were, and he simply said, "Not America, that's for sure."

Hermione quickly discovered that he had the same annoying humor as Draco Malfoy.

And the thought made her ache when she realizes that she even misses that idiotic prat.

"We are going to some temple grounds," Elijah told her one morning when he entered her room, his face as stoic as always, "Nik would like to see the reclining Buddha in Wat Pho, he says that he enjoys seeing the feet."

He said it in such a straight face that sometimes Hermione thought that he was pulling her leg at certain times. Honestly, with half the things that come from that mouth should not be said with that serious face of his.

Hermione learned that they were in Bangkok, Thailand.

She found it amusing that two of the oldest beings ever would go to such a tourist sight.

That day she saw the way the brothers interacted with each other, but she still felt nothing for these people. Klaus and Elijah would argue, similar to the way Ron and Ginny would, but in the end, they always agreed on one thing. It was too familiar, too normal, too human. They were simply here in her life because of they needed her.

But she didn't want to feel that sense of security just yet.

These were the oldest vampires that have ever roamed the earth, despite one them being only half of an actual bloodsucker.

Hybrid.

She needed to ask Klaus, oh how she hated that name, how it was possible for him to be such a creature. However, she never brought herself to ask him in fear of him lashing out her, bruising her sometimes when he felt the need to prove his dominance over her. His possession over her.

And so she simply stayed by their side.

Hermione quickly learned that Klaus and Elijah were the best people to learn history from when she stayed silent beside them. They were practically the best sources when they've practically roamed the earth since the fall of Rome. They astound her with their stories, and sometimes, she would see them with a certain knowing smirk on their lips.

It was as if they had plenty of inside jokes between them.

"I've always enjoyed the East," Klaus told her on the way from one of their temple runs, "They love to integrate the old and the new, and it makes me feel like I'm stuck in between times."

Hermione stayed silent, uncaring and blank.

And Klaus found it very annoying with the way she avoided looking him in the eye.

"I want verbena in my collection of herbs." She told him, trying so hard to keep her eyes outside of the window, as if the passing streets and vendors were so interesting from this place in the car.

He gave her an indescribable look.

"You get what you earn."

And he went back to sipping on his expensive champagne.

~x~

Hermione woke up with a start as a storm continued to rage outside of her large hotel window. She didn't know where they were, but she was guessing there were still somewhere in Asia with its monsoon season. They traveled somewhere out of Thailand, and all she knew that they were closer to the eastern coast. With her wand, Hermione casted a quick anti-break charm on her window, and with a reassured sigh, she crawled back into her sheets.

She was sad and lonely, but not enough to long for the either of the brothers' company.

And she thanked whatever deity was listening to her when the brothers decided to get separate rooms for her. Hermione knew that she wouldn't have been able to keep her sanity if she were to share her actual space with them. Though, she didn't mind Elijah much since most of the time he's such a stick in the mud.

But she would have at least put Klaus's eyebrows on fire a few times in order for him to leave her alone. Hermione longed for her home that wasn't exactly home anymore. The only thing that makes her think of it as such is the memories she has, the emotions she felt, and ones she loved that still remained.

Ron couldn't be counted as the one of the few that remained, however. How could he when he was in a comatose state? His heart was still beating and his lungs were still breathing, but that didn't mean he was living. She loved him, but she realized that the love she felt for him would have changed to resentment later on in their lives if he were still well today.

Hermione wasn't the type to settle at home and have a ton of kids when she knew that her spirit was beyond the job of a typical house wife. Would it be terrible of her to say that this was one blessing she saw from Ron's downfall? The pressure of marrying and loving him for all of her life being lifted off of her shoulders, the relief she felt of him gone?

Was she a terrible person for seeing that?

But then again, it seems she traded a life from one that restrained her to one where she was controlled. It was unintentional with the way things played out, and she couldn't say it was for the better either. The only thing that comforted her whenever she felt lonely in this life is that Harry and everyone else was safe.

"Goodnight." She whispered to no one.

Or perhaps to these hopes and these thoughts that kept her up at night.

Hermione sighed, letting the rain's pitter patter against her window lull her back to sleep.

She didn't even notice her door closed quietly.

~x~

"So you were actually friends," she gave him an incredulous look, "with Napoleon Bonaparte?"

Even her words sounded so ridiculous to Elijah's ears, but he simply chose to stay out of this conversation. He was far and distant from his brother during the French Revolution, preferring a calmer and more suitable life in England. He was well-fed, and that was all that mattered to him.

When the humans went hungry, so did the vampires.

He knew that he wasn't cut out for the Parisian life during the revolutionary years, and it still astounds him that his brother was able to live off those people, those revolutionaries. But then again, his brother always enjoyed carnage and chaos.

"His wife, Josephine," he let the name roll off his tongue as a purr, "Was truly exquisite. Lovely, and very warm when it came to welcoming men to her bed. It's such a shame she chose a life of a sad love instead."

Hermione rolled her eyes, ashamed that she was even listening to this part of their conversation.

Man-whore, she thought, her face contorting into a look of disgust.

And it was if he knew what exactly crossed her mind, he slammed his bottle of gin down.

"French women were and still are fun to play with." Klaus snapped, sticking his nose into the air as if he were just some toddler.

"Still doesn't change the fact you were and probably still a loose man," Elijah quipped, downing his scotch, "Or..what's that term they use nowadays? Oh, right, gigolo."

"Oh do shut up, brother."

Go figures when one of the most dangerous creature was not only a killing machine but a large slut as well, even far as sleeping with the wife of one of the greatest men in history. She scoffed at his words, sending him a dirty look or two before returning to packing her things.

Well, Napoleon and Klaus did have one thing in common that might have attracted dear and sweet Josephine.

Their arrogance.

She had bought a large amount of sun-block and tanning lotion that day.

They have decided they wanted to leave the mainland towards Southeast Asia, like the Philippines. Klaus wanted to get a tan, which made Hermione snort at the idea of a vampire tanning. Though, she had always wanted to see the sunset in Manila Bay.

"They have beautiful beaches with white sandy shores and pretty waves," Elijah drawled.

She just shrugged, wanting to appear nonchalant.

All Hermione hoped was that they would both burn and die.

~x~

...June 1st...

The first time she saved him was in one of the regions in one of the western Visayan islands, a name that she couldn't get her tongue around due to that accent of hers.

She had found Klaus in near the local river behind a village, getting his arm gnawed off by a *manananggal, a creature that she vaguely remembers as a distant relative to Klaus's type of vampire, if she remembered correctly. It turned out he had accidentally fed on a woman who was in her first trimester, and he was ambushed by the dark creature, wanting to eat the woman's baby obviously. For an Original, he was quite idiotic for ignoring the tik-tik sounds that could be heard off in the distance.

Drunk or not, she had expected more from somebody of his caliber.

Of course, Klaus was freaked out because only half of its body was hovering above him.

He said that it's been a long while since he has seen one of these creatures, and Hermione simply scoffed at him. It would have been easier to throw salt on it, he said, after she burnt the creature into a crisp with a simple flick of her wand. She simply told him that she wasn't the type to carry condiments around on her person.

If he was so capable, he should have already killed it at the moment it starting snacking on his arm. Hermione should have let the creature gnaw his arm off, it wasn't like he wasn't going to heal quickly anyway, and she knew that the idiotic hybrid could take of himself despite his surprise.

She needed to remind herself that he was the bad guy, like Voldemort, except more dangerous and, well, immortal and close to being indestructible.

After compelling the dark-haired beauty to simply forget everything, Klaus plopped down on the ground, and Hermione wanted to curse at him because he even made that look so graceful and dignified. Hermione glanced at his arm, seeing that it was already healed, but she knew better than that.

His ego was torn to shreds at the moment, but why did she care?

"Here," she offered him a large piece of chocolate, "It will make you feel better."

And before he even gave her crap about how the bloody hell was that suppose to help him, Hermione gave him one of her infamous glares that screamed 'Just listen to me and do it already.' In the end, Klaus relented and grudgingly took the chocolate out of her hands and nibbled on it.

"Are you really the oldest ones out there?" She asked, sitting beside him.

He gave her a thoughtful look.

"Probably not, but the oldest ones that are the most human-like and not a mindless feeder," he replied in a bored tone, still eating his chocolate.

She gave him a disbelieving look.

"Hey, at least we don't eat babies."

"Right," Hermione said with a doubtful expression, but he simply shrugged as if he didn't mind that she didn't believe him. That was last thing she said before they slipped back into their usual silence, both too busy with their own thoughts to even strike up another conversation.

Hermione found out that he had a secret sweet tooth that night.

That was something she didn't want to know about at all.

~x~

...July 3rd...

After that night, Klaus started to treat her differently.

From somebody that was just a simple tool to him to perhaps someone close, not quite, to his level. He would enjoy their verbal spars, appreciating her quick witty tongue and snarky comments to keep him amused. Hermione became somewhat more relaxed around them, but not enough to let down her guard.

Never that.

They traveled to France, near the south despite the fact that Hermione wanted to stay in Paris and see the catacombs, but was politely vetoed by Elijah. Klaus simply stayed silent, brooding over something with the way he kept sighing like some heartbroken teen. She raised an eyebrow in question at his brother, who simply turned a blind eye and asked the flight attendant for a screw driver.

He promptly drank himself to oblivion during that one long flight.

It seemed that the longer their trip was, the more Elijah kept drinking himself into a sea of alcoholic beverages, but Hermione kept telling herself that she didn't care if the Original drank himself to his own death.

The less the merrier, she said.

But she knew that didn't mean that, and that's what scared her.

She was actually fond of the vampire despite the fact he obsessed over his hair just a little bit too much.

"What's wrong with your brother?" Hermione asked the older Original one afternoon.

Elijah paused in his futile search for his favorite pair of cuffs links, sighing before he looked over his shoulder to give her an exasperated expression. They both have watched the hybrid sigh and wallow in his little ocean of self-pity and loathing that he has created for himself, and to be quite honest, they were sick of picking up bottles and dead bodies after him.

They were all blonde, tall, with lithe figures, and it made Hermione wonder if she needed to add serial killer on her list that she had created for the hybrid.

Hermione would watch him some days, doodle away in that stupid sketchbook of his, only to have him throw the book down in a childish manner before tearing the pages out and throwing them into the hungry mouths of the fire. She would only give him an annoyed look before returning to her own thoughts, staring off into the pretty flames that settled in the hearth in front of her. It wasn't like she didn't mind him ignoring her.

Elijah's voice brought her back from her own little world of logical thoughts and all.

"He promised to bring someone to Paris before," Elijah whispered as if scared to wake up his sibling, though, for what reason she didn't know why since his brother was passed out cold on the couch, "And my brother, bless his dead heart, is still in that ah-"

He paused as he struggled to find the right term to describe his younger sibling's situation.

"Achy-breaky heart phase." He finished lamely, though his handsome face serious as ever.

Hermione just simply shook her head, not wanting to bother to get her head around his train of thought. Did he really just use a Billy Ray Cyrus song to describe his brother's weird behavior? She would think that after living a thousand years one would have the great ability to describe any situation in an eloquent manner.

"Are you sober?" Hermione asked incredulously, scooting a couple steps away from him.

Elijah merely laughed at her before sauntering his way out of the presidential suite.

Originals were just so odd.

Hermione glanced over the still body of that damn man that took over her life, but she felt her maternal side swell up at the sight of him sprawled on the couch with his hands hugging his sides. Before she could even question her own actions, she placed a blanket over him, finding him a bit less intimidating and perhaps even a bit more charming.

It was probably because he wasn't hurling dagger threats or any other large objects around and about, going on and on about his great was.

"For someone so old, you act like such a royal prat.: She chuckled, letting her fingers brush against his soft cheek. And for a moment, Hermione felt her heart soften at the sight of him leaning into her touch. Perhaps there was more to him than this first layer of a paranoid maniacal man.

"Caroline." Klaus mumbled, sighing in content at the soft touch.

And as if she was just doused in ice cold water, Hermione jumped back, both confused and somewhat afraid of what she has just done. Here she was traveling the world with two psychotic Originals, petting one of them as if they were some common household cat, and getting hurt because he uttered another girl's name.

What's wrong with her?

"Car-Hermione?"

She couldn't even bring herself to look at him, and before he could even latch onto her hand, she scurried away to her own suite, burying herself in her sheets. If only Professor Snape could see her now, running with her tail between her legs and hiding beneath covers in order to avoid the outside world.

As if that would stop a certain Original from barging in and ripping the damn blankets off of her, demanding answers from her that even she didn't know, but the angry footsteps never came nor did any of his arrogant comments from the other side of her door. Hermione didn't know why she felt the familiar ache of disappointment in her heart.

So she just ignores it, not bothering to even go out to dinner with them that night.

Some courageoud Gryffindor she was.

~x~

"Well, well, look who's out and about," Klaus drawled, amused at the way she glared at him, "Elijah and I haven't seen you in over three days, sweetheart. I was getting a bit worried. Good thing we could still hear your heart beating."

He gave her sultry smirk just to tease her, and he took pleasure at the sight of her reddening cheeks.

"Go to hell." Hermione ground out in a sickeningly sweet voice, pouring herself a shot of scotch before she gave into her nerves.

Gosh, when did she blush at the sight of his smirking face? It should annoy her; infuriate her like it did before, but now that's all shot down to hell ever since she touched his cheek. Perhaps he slipped something in her drinks prior to that day because in no way would the logical, normal Hermione blush because of him.

"I have reserved place there, sweetheart. Such spit-fire, aren't you?"

She promptly singed the tips of his eyebrows.

"Why yes I am, Klaus." Hermione gave him a smirk over her shoulder before retreating to who knows where.

It took him a week or two to grow his eyebrows back to normal.

~x~

...August 7th...

When they arrived to America, Klaus had told her that they weren't going straight to their actual destination just yet. He wanted to take a detour, he said, but somewhere deep down, Hermione knew that he was being a coward and trying to postpone their arrival, but she humored him. Elijah had simply left them after the flight, telling them he had business to take care of.

Hermione wished he would take her with him.

She didn't want to be alone with Klaus, much less in a car to who knows where for who knows how long.

The Original hybrid seemed chipper this morning with the way he swayed in his driver's seat, shades on, making him look like the total bad-ass he wanted to be, but that didn't impress Hermione much. She hated those eyes of his, especially when they lit up when he took pleasure at someone else's expense, she loathed that stupid smirk of his, and most of all, she detested the way he said her name.

The way he would say it so softly makes her want to sock him in the face.

Klaus didn't impress her at all.

She tried to ignore his presence in the car, watching the roads and trees pass by quickly as they continued to travel north. Hermione vaguely registered that the words from Frank Sinatra's New York, New York was being played in the car, but it was the second voice caught her attention. Surely he wasn't going to annoy her all the way to wherever their destination was?

With angry, brown eyes, she turned to yell at him, but her harsh words die at the tip of her tongue at the sight of him smiling and singing along. Begrudgingly, Hermione had to admit that he had a pleasant voice, but not as smooth as Frank's. Never smooth as Frank's. However, he looked a bit pretty with the way he basically gave her a show of his skills.

He turned to give her another one of those smirks that she despised so much.

The only thing she could say without making a complete and utter fool of herself was a snarky, "Shut up and drive, Klaus." He responded with that stupid, stupid laugh of his, and he continued singing, louder than ever.

Hermione couldn't help but smile.

~x~

Klaus brought her to the Big Apple.

And it was safe to say that Hermione was definitely impressed by this.

However, he slips back into that somewhat sad, somewhat angry mood of his, and she knew that he probably promised somebody else that he would show this city to them. Another girl, but the fleeting emotion of jealousy was quickly washed away with a quick shot of vodka.

She didn't want to think about that girl Caroline right now.

It's not like she had to be jealous over anything since she detested this man.

"So what would you like to do, Hermi?" He asked casually, using the nickname he had picked up from their visit in the Philippines. Apparently a hermit crab reminded him of her and not only her cranky attitude but her tendency to hide as well. She hated that nickname.

"I don't know," Hermione replied honestly, her eyes bright with wonder, "There's so much to do and so much to see."

He gives her an eye-side glance paired with a discreet smile.

"Do you like art?"

She rolls her eyes at him.

"Who doesn't like art?" She quipped, placing her belongings in her own room.

They were sharing a suite together, which pissed her off since she was looking forward to a night without him.

And he flashed her one of his infamous flirty grins.

"Even body paint?"

Hermione took her wand and promptly levitated him up and out of their window.

Klaus could survive the fall, and it would give her some hours to herself.

~x~

...August 15th...

During their stay in New York, Klaus had insisted on her using his card.

I don't want something ugly beside me when she's casting a spell, he said with a snooty tone.

Hermione took his words as a terrible subtle way of him telling her that she looked atrocious, and in that blind fury, she bought everything that a girl like her could ever wanted. Books, clothes, shoes, everything materialistic and shallow thing that could ever have come into existence. The only thing that stopped her from running through his fortune was when the card was declined.

Damn it.

She felt good about herself when she strolled in their shared suite along with a long line of bell hoppers holding her bags. Hermione expected him to throw a loud temper tantrum, and even kill a few people, possibly her even, but all he did was look at her from his seat in the living room and gave her an approved smile.

It shocked her.

It also infuriated her.

What kind of game was this man playing?

And once the last person was out the door, she went for this throat with her raging questions. It was after her screaming and ranting for about five minutes did she stop for air, and from her even more atrocious hair to her splotchy red skin did he laugh. He laughed in her face as if it was all a joke and that she didn't spend about half of his fortune on useless things.

But no, he laughed because she was being silly.

"No, Hermi, I don't mind and besides, I've lived for a very long time. You hardly made a dent in one of my fortunes. Now run along and leave me alone. The Mentalist is on, and I do appreciate some Patrick Jane time,." Klaus shooed her off as if he was her mother and she was just a kid.

She gave him a seething look before stomping away like a petulant child.

Hermione gave half of the things she had bought to charity the next day.

~x~

...August 29th...

In all of the months she had spent with the hybrid, he never once snapped at her violently since she saved him during their trip to the Philippines. Yes, he said harsh words, the most insensitive things, and everything that would have crushed her self-worth if she were any other person, but he never physically lashed out on her, well, to the point of where it actually marked her. He told her he was above that, saying it in a wistful manner, and it was if he was struggling to maintain that promise.

But today was different.

Hermione had just finished bathing and getting ready for dinner, and before she could even put on her shoes, he stormed into her bedroom with an intent to only hurt and possibly kill anyone that was in his way. But fortunately, he couldn't kill her because he needed her too much in his plans.

The thought didn't comfort Hermione though.

"What the blo-" her words were cut off as soon as her air was. He had her up against the wall by her delicate throat, nails digging painfully into her skin. Hermione imagined that trickles of blood were already appearing.

"Why do you smell like that?" he snarled, his teeth bare and his eyes bright.

The strong and soothing scent of lavender invaded his senses, bringing back memories that he hopelessly tried to bury. Memories of those cornflower eyes, the crinkle of her smile, and that heavenly scent that used to drive him wild, and he wanted to laugh at his pathetic state. He had given Caroline so much power over him to the point where the memories of her sweet smell made him want to rid of this woman's skin in order to have relief.

To rip of Hermione's soft, golden skin.

Someone he thought who was unworthy to wear her lovely scent.

She simply choked, desperate for air. Hermione's tiny hands grasped onto his arm, failing to pull his tightening grip away from her neck. It was dangerous, it was terrifying, and it was what Hermione needed to remember that Klaus was a monster.

He violently slammed her against the wall once more.

"You have no right…No right! To smell like her at all!"

She released a whimper, aware of his breath near her neck.

Aware of his bared fangs near her neck.

"No right….no right to smell like her….No right to be like her….You can never be my Caroline…" he whispered, sounding a bit broken and unsure.

Hermione clawed at his hand once more.

Let go, Klaus she wanted say. Please, Klaus she wanted to beg. Fuck off, Klaus she wanted to shout.

But she couldn't because she can't.

"You can never be Caroline…you have no right to smell like her," he repeated dully, lifting up his head to look into her lovely, amber eyes. And with a blink of an eye, he was already gone from her room, leaving her to gasp for air.

Sweet merciful Merlin!

Only the aching pain around her neck and his clean scent were the only proof that he had almost killed her. A reminder of what he truly is.

Hermione knew that Klaus wasn't a man. He was a monster, albeit, a broken monster. Though, that didn't change the fact that he had almost choked her to death, and for that, Hermione was back to her first stage: retreating to her shell.

Klaus scared her.

After that, Hermione went back to her usual vanilla scent.

Because it was safe.

"A wise old owl lived in an oak;
The more he saw the less he spoke."

-Edward Hersey Richards-

WHAT IS THAT?

*Manananggal- In Filipino folklore, manananggal is a type of aswang (shape shifter, witch, a monster in general), and resembles the Western version of the vampire. Stories of this creature are very popular in the Visayan region of the Philippines. It can split is upper and lower halves, using the upper-half to fly, and makes tik-tik noises from afar despite the fact it is actually really close. It preys on pregnant women, and uses its tongue to feed off of the baby inside of the mother. It is said that is hates garlic and salt, and that if you see half of a body on the ground, throw salt on it first.

AUTHOR's THOUGHTS:

Well, that took awhile for me to find a good end to part one. I am going to continue The Sweetest Eyes, but I don't know how long that will take. I hope everyone enjoyed reading this. I certainly enjoyed writing it all out, planning it while I'm just doing regular things in everyday life.

Anyways, do you have any thoughts you would like to say?

Then feel free to leave a review.

Thank you very much, and until next time!

-The Red Strings-