~*11*~

Betrayal

"Ginny!" calls a voice.

Ginny peeks her head out of her window, her hair falling around her face. Embry is standing under her window, looking slightly confused. "Why do you..?"

"Shhh!" hisses Ginny nervously.

Embry frowns. Ginny glances backwards, making sure no one was there, before swinging her legs over the edge of the window. Embry's eyes grow huge. Before he could get a word out, Ginny launches herself out of the window. She holds back her scream, knowing she could be heard. "Shit!" she hears Embry yell.

S\\\\\uddenly, she is no longer falling. She is in the safe, warm arms of Embry. She smiles up at him but is surprised by the look of utter horror on his face. "Are you alright?" he gasps.

Ginny nods and crawls from his arms. She grabs his hand and drags him into the forest. "You need to get me out of here!" she orders.

Embry frowns, but doesn't argue. Immediately, he transfers into a wolf. Ginny hops onto his back and they sprint into the forest, just in time too, because a Death Eater's head pokes out of Ginny's window before disappearing back inside.

GgGgGgGg

"So, there are people after you?"

Ginny peeks over a bookcase, looking into Embry's warm eyes. Muggle music plays overhead, setting a gentle atmosphere into the tiny bookstore down the block from the reserve. "They are the leftovers of Voldemort's followers from the war who can't seem to get over the fact that they have lost." she snorts. "They want revenge." she says simply, waltzing along the aisle.

Embry turns into her aisle, holding two cups of steaming coffee. Ginny takes the right cup happily and takes a long drink. "How did they know you are in America?" Embry asks with a worried frown.

"Work probably. My work life isn't exactly secret." replies Ginny, sliding into a chair. Embry sat down across from her. The calming smell of cocoa beans filled the air. Ginny watches the few muggles into the bookstore, most of them plugged into their computers or simply reading with a warm drink or a pasty. They look so peaceful, so at ease.

She sighs wistfully and wraps her fingers around the coffee. Embry raises an eyebrow at her. Ginny giggles and sits back. "What?"

Embry stares at her for a moment then smiles. "Nothing." he replied.

Ginny smiles. She looks outside the window of the shop and finds it to be raining again. Ginny is about to turn away when something catches her eye. A small blue cat is sitting right outside the window. It is pure blue and nearly see through, and what looks like blue mist floating around it. Ginny stiffens and immediately stands.

Embry frowns. "Ginny?"

But Ginny is already running to the door. She throws it open and makes eye contact with the cat. The cat stands, meows, then turns and runs across the slick road into the forest. Throwing her hood over her head, Ginny sprints after the cat. Once inside the forest, she looks around for the cat and spots it's tail disappearing into the forest.

"Wait!" Ginny cries, tearing after the cat that is so familiar to her.

She chases helplessly after the cat, following it's blue shape through the forest. Eventually, her legs got extremely tired and she had to slow down, and that is when she lost the cat. "No!" she cried, but it was already gone.

Ginny groans and bends over, breathing heavily. "Ginny, I thought you knew better than to yell out in a unknown place, especially with Death Eater's around." says a knowing, gentle voice.

Ginny stands up straight, eyes wide and wand out immediately. "Bullocks! I forgot how fast you were!" cries out a man standing in front of her, shielding his face.

Ginny immediately drops her arm and smiles happily. "Bill!" she cries happily, running over to him and throwing her arms around the old man.

Bill chuckles and hugs back the witch. "Hello, Ginny."

"Ginny! Where are you?" cries out Embry, who comes crashing into the scene. A confused facial expression overcomes him when he sees Ginny hugging Bill.

Ginny smiles and runs over to Embry. Grabbing his hand, she drags him over to Bill. "Embry, this is Bill, my boss." she says happily. "And Bill this is..."

"Embry, the werewolf. I remember him from his file." says Bill, clearly delighted. He sticks out his hand and Embry shakes it, looking extremely relieved that Bill wasn't some old creeper man.

"What are you doing here?" asks Ginny, confused but happy.

"I'm afraid that Hermione is in trouble." replies Bill, looking solemn. "Where is she? I must speak to her immediately."

Ginny frowns. Thunder rolls overhead, speaking of a quickly coming storm. "She should be back at the house. Why? What's wrong?" she asks worriedly, pulling her jacket sleeves over her hands as the rain slowly begins to fall.

Bill shakes his head and begins heading back to the coffee shop. "Embry, will you take me to the Cullen's house?" he asks.

Embry nods, looking confused and begins walking. Ginny runs in front of Bill and sticks out her arms. "No Bill, what's going on?" she demands.

Bill sighs. "This is confidential." he tries to push past Ginny but she refuses to let him by. The rain is falling faster now.

"Confidential my arse!" Ginny argues, some droplets of rain getting caught in her eyelashes, which makes her blink before regaining eye contact with a worried Bill.

Bill sighs again. "Hermione has made some friends that want to harm her." he explains, knowing he can't win this situation.

The rain begins to come down harder. Ginny frowns, folding her arms to her chest, the rain falling down her arm and off of her fingertips. "What kind of friends?" she demands, her hair beginning to stick to her neck.

Bill sighs and runs his hand nervously through his wet, gray hair. "The Volturi. She has been fraternizing with one of their guards and she is in grave danger."

HhHhHhHh

It was so cold.

Hermione steps into the Volturi castle, and immediately she shivers. It was so dark. Alec comes and stands beside her. "Are you cold?" he asks gently.

Hermione simply shrugs. Immediately, Alec takes off his coat and puts it around her shoulders. She doesn't protest and simply sinks into the jacket, sliding her arms inside and sighing thankfully. It smells like him, which sends a comforting feeling over Hermione. "Here, I want to introduce you to the Volturi." he says.

Hermione eyes widen. "What? I thought I was just going to wait?"

"Please, they would be delighted to meet you." Alec replies. He leans over and takes Hermione's hands and laces her fingers with his. "I'll be right beside you the entire time."

Hermione stares at their hands and slowly nods. He smiles and begins to lead her down the hall. His hand is freezing, sending electric spikes up her body. When they arrived outside the throne room, Alec nods to Hermione and pushes the door open with his free hand.

Alec gently lets out of her hand and immediately, Hermione feels exposed. He walks in and smiles. "Aro. Cauis. Marcus. It's been a while."

Hermione look up from the ground to see three vampires sitting in what looks like to be thrones at the front of the room. They were so cold. Their icy red eyes seem to be looking right into her soul, making Hermione feel self conscious. There was something extremely royal about them. Maybe it was the way they held themselves. Hermione could feel their judgement grazing her body. Standing straight, she looks straight into the eyes of the one sitting in the middle.

The eye contact was nearly breathtaking. It was like he was trying to break her without words or movement. Simply his stare was enough to break the spirit of a normal human. But Hermione wasn't any normal human. She is a witch who has faced death and lived to tell the tale. She is a witch who has overcome adversity at the highest level. But most importantly, she is a young woman who has overcome her inner demons.

Hermione held her head high. I am stronger than you.

Finally, eye contact was broken. The vampire in the middle looks to Alec, his face expressionless. Hermione lets out a small breathe of air, realizing she had been holding her breathe. "I see you have brought a friend." he says icily.

"Yes, Aro." Alec says, turning to Hermione and smiling. "This is the witch who is studying the Olympic Coven and the wolfpack in Forks."

Aro immediately looks back at Hermione. Immediately, he stands and suddenly he is right in front of Hermione. She jumps and looks nervously to Alec. Alec looks slightly worried, but it is dismissed. He looks her over again. "Marcus, will you update Alec on the statuses of the over covens. I want to speak to this young witch alone."

Hermione immediately looks to Alec helplessly. He nods gently, saying it will be okay. Aro smiles a strange smile, takes Hermione's hand and leads her out of the hall. His hand was freezing, sending icy chills up her arm. "So, my witch, I am surprised you are... Friends. Considering the relationship we have with the Cullen's."

Hermione shrugged, taking her hand out of Aro's. "The Volturi hasn't really done anything to Ginny and I, except for Jane torturing us."

"But, Jane killed Alice." Aro said, stopping in his tracks. He looks deep into Hermione's eyes, like he was searching for resentment.

Hermione nods. "Yes, but I didn't really know Alice at the time. Yes, her death was sad but I didn't know her very well."

Aro looks Hermione over carefully, trying to find faults in her words. Hermione held her head high, and stared right back at him. She looked right into his red eyes, and chills went up and down her spine. Voldemort. Hermione the first to look away, feeling helpless. Aro frowns. "Oh, you are frightened."

Hermione shakes her head, brushing her hair behind her ears. "No, I just... Knew someone with red eyes like you once." she murmured.

Hermione walks forward, hoping that Aro wouldn't press the subject. "Another vampire, perhaps?" he asks, sliding up beside her.

Hermione shakes her head. Aro frowns and stops. "Ahhh... Tom Riddle, yes?"

Hermione freezes. Her heart begins to race. "How do you know about him?" she whispers, barely able to get the words out.

Aro snakes around Hermione and stands in front of her. "He tried to recruit us for his little... Battle. We obviously declined." Aro's face is expressionless, but it was clear he was trying to get under Hermione's skin. "We don't get ourselves entangled in the... Magical world."

Aro's face after he spoke the two words looked so disgusted that Hermione looked away. "You obviously do not like my kind." she whispers, looking at her feet.

Aro chuckles. He begins to mark circles around Hermione, and gently brushes her hair off of her shoulder, exposing her neck. Hermione watches him nervously. "Hermione!" calls Alec's voice.

Hermione breathes out thankfully. Alec jogs up behind her, and throws his arm around her shoulders. "Ready to head back to Forks?"

Hermione nods and smiles, thankful to get away from Aro. "Yeah, definitely." she says, looking nervously back at Aro.

Aro smiles at Hermione. "It was delightful to meet you, Hermione."

Hermione simply nods. Alec turns her around and walks her down the hall. "How'd that talk with Aro go?"

Hermione shrugged. "He's... Creepy."

Alec laughs a half hearted laugh. He seems, different. Hermione looks up to him. He looks troubled. "Alec, is something wrong?" asks Hermione.

Alec stares at his feet. He looks up, his eyes almost burning red. Hermione slowly backs away, but Alec is suddenly in front of her. He stares deep into her brown eyes, and Hermione ca see sadness floating inside the red depths. "I'm sorry." he whispers.

Hermione frowns. She is about to say something when Alec leans down and suddenly, he is kissing Hermione. Hermione squeaks in surprise, but doesn't pull away. Immediately, her eyes flutter closed and she wraps her arms around his neck. Alec pulls her closer, but abruptly pulls away.

He then bends his head down to her neck. Hermione closes her eyes, expecting soft kisses on her neck. But instead, something sharp and cold sinks into her neck. Hermione screams and pulls away, grabbing her neck in shock. "Did you... Did you bite me?" Hermione screams, her eyes wide.

Alec looks devastated. "I'm sorry." he says helplessly.

Hermione reaches for her wand, but a burning sensation comes over her body. Gasping, Hermione grabs her heart. Her vision starts to waver as pain slowly increases up her body. "Alec.." she screams.

The pain took over, and all to be heard was screaming.