Disclaimer: The following characters are owned by their respective companies.

Warning: Non graphic mention of rape, adult situations and tragic character death.

A/N: Inspired by the works of other fiction writers in these genre, particularly Sarhea.

In Story Books

In story books, there are always heroines. They are always strong, courageous and forthright. They come in all shapes and sizes. She would have been a great heroine,one the wizardry world would have sung praises of in years to come. But the realities of war was a far cry from the heroics of stories.

They did not know that Ronald Weasley was possessed, warped by the horcrux in the pendant they passed around until they could destroy it. All they could see was his anger. It cannot be said that they were not unaffected either. Harry was increasingly depressive and despondent. Hermione was feeling scared, Dumbledore had just been killed by their Potions Master and he gave them scant and vague instructions on destroying the horcruxes that gave the Dark Lord his power.

As Ron poised to leave them, the three argued and fought. He threw accusations, his irrational jealousy fueling his rage. But somehow, in a twist of fate, instead of him walking away and the two being able to go back to their camp, the savage monster of the Dark Lord closed in. Ron was the first who noticed the unnatural silence of their surroundings and bid his companions to be quiet.

Ronald Weasley, seemed to be the dullest amongst the Weasley brothers, had always been a fast thinker. Even though he was warped by the horcrux' darkness, Ron was the same boy who beat McGonagall's wizard chess board. He dove for Harry's invisibility cloak, stunned Harry and Hermione and threw the cloak on them as he tried to distract Fenrir from his friends' tracks.

When Fenrir came upon him, he faced the werewolf in a way that Gryffindor himself would have been proud of. He fought hard, he wasn't the usual victim that Fenrir feasted on after all, his favorites were young children. Perhaps, his fighting back, had been the reason for the brutality and death that the werewolf brought him. In the end, however, Fenrir won the upperhand.

In his desperation, Harry was almost able to fight off the body bind that Ron put him in, horror setting in, as he had been in the same situation before, having watched Dumbledore attacked in the Astronomy Tower. Only this, was a magnitude times worse. It had Harry thinking that perhaps, death by Snape's hand is kinder than one at Fenrir's. It would later on solidify what he'd seen from Snape's memories, that Dumbledore indeed asked his friend to deliver a friendlier death than one he'd have in the hands of the curse brought upon by the ring and in the hands of either Bellatrix or Fenrir Greyback.

Both teenagers were heavily bound by a dying boy's spell. Ron, despite his seeming weakness in spells, powered this body bind with all his strength, brought upon by his desperation to save his friends. Hermione looked on, her mind slowly breaking as Ron's body was violated. Their nightmares would haunt them for the rest of their lives and his face and body a grim reminder of why they fought on.

Fenrir was a vicious monster. Gluttony came with lust and as he consumes most anything in his path, his hatred of wizards and witches knows no bounds. He feasted on Ron's young body, and then, proceeded to devour him. Bile rose on both Hermione and Harry's throats that had they not been bound by Ron's spell, they would have thrown up.

Harry's grief and anger, simmered and boiled. While Hermione's mind hardened. Both are just seeing how ugly war could be. Fenrir would later leave. Hours later, the dead boy's spell would be unbound. Harry and Hermione had no choice but to recoup, go back to the Weasleys, to bring their dead son's mangled remains.

Ron's remains would be cremated, a precaution against his being a werewolf. But he was given hero's funeral with all the members of the Order in attendance. The Weasleys were devastated, the ugly truth of war finally stepping into their household. They had been lucky during the first war it seems. Ron's death was a terrible tragedy and Hermione's resolve at vengeance was cemented upon seeing Molly Weasley's quiet sobs.

The Order made Harry rest for a while. But Hermione forced them to let her go. She didn't say why she needed to go but they let her. They don't know if she's running away and they can't really blame her if she is. But she promised Harry victory, even if it is at the cost of her soul.

Immortality would ensure that she can match the monster who violated her beloved friend, it would ensure she can fight off the other monsters so Harry can face his destiny. She knows, however, that it would take more than the Dark Lord's death to finish the war that had long festered in her adoptive world. Immortality would ensure that she can rise up from the ashes and fight while her enemies are growing old or dying. But it was the first step to her damnation. Her 11-year-old self would have been horrified at her actions, of breaking the Laws of Physics and the basic tennets of magic.

Due to the problems Hogwarts faced, such as having Death Eaters as administrators and teachers, Irma Pince had not noticed that she lost a good number of books from the Restricted Section as she had been too busy making sure the student body remained for the most part, unharassed. The missing books would all either pertain to the lives and works of Nicholas Flamel, the mechanics of vampirism, creating permanent bonds, protection shields, occlumency and a 1500 year-old book on the Volterran Treaty.

Nicholas Flamel was not that hard to find, especially if you looked hard enough. It only took Hermione a good 23 days to locate the old couple and 4 days to get them to talk to her. It seems rumors were good in making people think that something indestructible can be destroyed. But Hermione was not easily conned. She pointed out the stone's indestructibility to its Creators, Nicholas and Perenelle and begged them to help her.

They had really wanted to rest. But to leave the stone without a guardian posed for bigger problems. But they cannot allow for its misuse and despite being a Gryffindor and as far as the couple can see, a good person, Hermione was already walking through the gray lines of decision. Nicholas agreed for a price. The price being, was that she would always be the stone's guardian. She had no choice but to agree. It was an experimental procedure, with only a 78% of succeeding (meaning her survival) but Flamel was positive that they could make it work. They fused it with her heart.

The pain she went through as the old wizard performed the necessary procedure made the teenaged witch scream. But her screams ceased as she remembered Ron's pain and anguish. Her resolve strengthened and her silence was a puzzle Nicholas and Perenelle would ponder over as they settled their affairs for good.

The Volterran Treaty was established by the old Wizengamot, long before Hogwarts was established. The Volturi had just conquered over the old rule of the Romanians. It was a courtesy that the then open-minded regime had advocated. A long worded agreement that the Wizengamot preferred the new government over the old animalistic bacchanalia. They only agreed to maintain the secrecy of the supernatural world with a few tiny details. These had been one of those details. Under an amendment to the Treaty, they have a clause that a coven may protect a witch and fight her battles provided she proves her worth to the coven and gives them a life in return.

Hermione feared that Voldemort may approach the vampires for support, Dumbledore once mentioned the possibility during one of the Order meetings that the teenagers were not allowed to attend but listened in on. They already have the werewolves in their group but the vampires fight in a more organized manner and therefore would make better soldiers. She knew what she had to do. She prepared for this in less than a month but she was confident she'd managed. Meanwhile, she assured Harry that she'll be back with reinforcements.

It took a phone call before she was escorted from her hotel some towns away from Volterra. The three kings were amazed that someone from the wizardry world remembered the old pact. But her request to be taken, not just by any coven, but by Volturi itself was unprecedented. No other witch dared to pit herself against the reigning power. Aro delighted when he was allowed a peak into her thoughts, he exclaimed with an almost childish glee that her mind is like a wonderful vast library waiting for him to explore. He kissed her hand and sincerely told her that he'd regret it if she fails as he wants to walk into the library of her mind once more. She knew then, that she would have to practice her Occlumency skills harder so that they would become second nature, if she were to stay with this coven.

In an instant, she was pitted against the powers of the Volturi. After what felt like hours (for the vampire who fought against the witch), when only moments had passed, Hermione sat in a chair still encased by her erected shield and read on while the vampires surrounding her turned to physically attacking her shield. They had, of course, failed. Aro was laughing in joy by the scene about him, Caius looked on suspiciously, while Marcus, simply looked bored.

Hermione got up from her chair, walked while still encased by her shield. She then approached the kings and walked on the center of the dais. The room stood still, the guards uncertain on how to protect their masters from such a threat. Dimitri jumped, to physically restrain her but quickly bounced off from her shield.

Hermione broke through Renata's physical shield. The guards around them would have held their breath had they needed to breath and exclamations started to fill the chambers as she got nearer. Renata was about to throw herself physically at the intruder but was thrown out of the shield as Hermione placed her hand on Aro's cheek. The ancient closed his eyes in pleasure as he understood Hermione's reason for vengeance, her fusion with the philosopher's stone and her strength of will. For the first time since he was turned, Aro was obsessed.

Before she could choose who amongst the member of the Volturi, Aro volunteered to be her protector. She had been surprised. She thought he was married and that would invalidate him as candidate according to the treaty. However, since the literature about his coven had not been updated in a thousand years, it did not narrate the death of his wife just a century before. Of course, Marcus was also a widower, but Aro wanted to have this fiery prize. Especially, when he found out that he did not need to turn her into a vampire because she'll remain immortal as he and this means they could utilize her powers for the coven's endeavors. Before, Aro chose a subservient beautiful wife. Sulpicia was a very beautiful human, she possessed everything he looked for in a mate and in turn, became a very beautiful vampire. He was disappointed by her lack of abilities but this did not sway him from his intent of making her his wife in his loneliness seeing as both his sworn brothers gained their mates. It was not a love match but she had been a good wife, until Didyme's death, when she needed to be locked up in the tower and only had Corin to keep her from boredom. He knew she resented her incarceration and already started to resent him, unlike Athendora who really loved Caius and willingly retired to such a life. But he did not pay it much heed, until she committed suicide in her desperation. He had not had the initiative to seek another wife until Hermione came.

It was a small hurried ceremony, but Aro made a show of giving invitations to all the known covens and as was the practice of his time, gifts to his "guests" for the upcoming nuptials despite their being unable to attend given the brief preparations for the wedding. He uncharacteristically agreed, for both of them to be bound in fidelity within the marriage and for neither to be able to kill the other in any means and even through the use of other people. But he added the clause that Hermione should be prepared to satiate his sexual needs. In another world, and in another time, Hermione would have grown embarrassed by this statement, but she only accepted passively knowing that Aro's desire would help her in her cause. Although, She was a bit put off by his casual boasting of being the first man to touch his bride, but she came to understand that the vampire she's marrying was born from a different time.

Hermione had been prepared to actually marry into the Volturi, she had not expected the speed upon which she would accomplish her goals. She placed her small beaded bag on the bedside, it was stocked with an array of blood replenishing, healing potions and bags of blood. She had expected pain, not just with the removal of the last vestiges of her innocence but with the intercourse with a vampire.

But he surprised her with his uncharacteristic gentleness. Perhaps it had been due to his consideration, but it could be his growing obsession with the girl. Marcus would later tell him that the bond of affection is growing for Aro. It would not yet grow for the girl, but Aro remains hopeful, that he could erase some of her pains and that perhaps, he need not to be lonely for the rest of his immortal life.

It took 8 days, not counting breaks (meaning Heidi gave Aro the occasional tourist or for Hermione to eat and attend her toilet) for both Aro to be physically sated and Hermione to be satisfied that they conceived. Despite Aro and the rest of the coven's objections, a pregnant Hermione left Volterra to help Harry seek out the remaining horcrux.

Nobody knew of her condition during the war. Being a witch, her pregnancy with the dhampir progressed as it does a normal one. Besides, with the planning she put in before she even went to Volterra, they managed to get most of the horcruxes. She was almost tortured in the Malfoy manor when the Volturi guards rescued them with Dobby's help. Demitri had never been more highly praised by his master for his ability.

The wizardry populace was surprised by the participation and help of the vampires, as Aro used the excuse that Voldemort has the werewolves on his side and according to the Volterran Treaty, the Volturi's goal of maintaining the secrecy of the supernatural world goes before anything else. Nobody dared turn it down in their desperation. There were a few raised bows however, when he kissed the hand of one Hermione Granger, a Hogwarts student. Harry presumed that this was the help she was talking about. Hermione could only nod but did not explain how she courted their favor. They would win the war, the wizardry population felt both thankful and wary of the ancient vampire coven and did not know what to think of when it was rumored that innocent muggleborn, Hermione Granger courted their help.

Hermione's work is not yet done, as somehow Fenrir managed to escape in the midst of the battle. But she knows she is only months away from the birth of her child. She has to retreat, at least for a while, to Volterra to give birth to her child.

When the battle ended and the victory was won, Harry would receive a note near his bed that Hermione wants no more part in the wizardry world as she saw the horrors of its worst but that she would always remain to be his friend and that she is a letter away, but not to seek her out for a while because she is trying to compose herself. Harry sought the comforting arms of Ginny. He understood just how deeply Ron's death had wounded Hermione and how the war scarred all of those involved for life.

They didn't know what to make of her and they didn't really know how to tell her story except in all its simplicity. They wrote her part as a heroine, a child trapped between the two worlds, facing the biases and prejudices of her adoptive world. They wrote of how brilliant she is, her role as strategist and support for the hero of the Wizardry realm. They wrote that she sought the vampires to fight for the light, but did not speculate on how she got them to do it. For, Hogwarts: A History, is a school book after all. They only wrote of her disillusionment due to war but not that she grew disillusioned with the wizardry world itself. There were rumors that she made a pact with the devil for immortality and consorted with vampires. But then again, there were many other rumors that the wizardry world did not know what to believe.

Hermione went home with Aro to Volterra. Aro, a manipulative scheming murderer, is also a good masseuse. He rubbed his bride's feet, with such loving care that Hermione would often look at him suspiciously. He gave her jewelries, chocolates and flowers. Until, Hermione told him that she hates flowers and prefers books instead. She still hasn't allowed him to go past her surface thoughts even though he tries to cajole her into it. Who knew red eyed vampires can give puppy dog eyes?

Thus, he started lavishing her with all sorts of books as present and allowed her, the first person other than himself and the one who installed the temperature control of his priced library, to walk inside his personal library. His former wife Sulpicia was simply not interested. There, Hermione found carved works, scratched literature, tomes and scrolls from different periods of time, some even older than her groom who was born during the Bronze Age. She gave him the first spontaneous kiss she ever gave him outside of their marital bed. She may not have fallen in love with him quite yet, but the books are helping.

His sense of humor was weird, it was to be expected, he was from another time. But he found her to be funny, even when she wasn't trying to be. He had almost forgotten what it was like to feel human emotions in the passing time. She reminded him of these. He was also a very attentive father to be, listening to the thoughts of his offspring while in the womb. He was often found with his hand on her bare stomach, figuring out what his offspring is up to, giving his wife a glass of blood (Hermione had long ago stopped thinking where he got the blood from) when his child thirsts. Or he could be found ordering his guards to procure whatever human food, his wife craved for. While he took the time to do his work as one of the rulers of the Volturi, every free moment he had was spent with his hand on her bare belly and speaking to the baby as if it could understand him. He explained that the baby could understand emotions and neurological reflexes and it enjoys his presence. Hermione would roll her eyes when she found him reading pregnancy and child care books.

Hermione was of course, very useful to him and the Volturi. Unbidden, she sought permission from the three to set up intricate networks of shields and protection around the city of Volterra and the fortress itself, making it impossible for anyone to apparate within its bounds. Hermione would later on invent a unique shield, which makes anyone who thinks of malicious intents towards the Volturi be thrown out of city bounds. She had only wanted the best for her would be child. Or children, if you ask Aro who is hopeful, that this offspring would not be their last.

The proud husband would later be found inviting different covens to Volterra and seeing their reaction to the protection of the city and fortress. Because of Hermione's reluctance at introductions as his consort, he only offered that a witch sought the protection of his coven under the Volterran Treaty and left it at that.

As Hermione planned, she was able to finish the intricate network of shields and protection around Volterra before she gave birth to a beautiful girl she and her husband would name Aurelia.