"Fors Fortuna" (Hermione/Caradoc)

[hprare_cliche]

Title: Fors Fortuna
Creator: themightyflynn
Prompt: H39 [Creature!Fic]
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Hermione Granger/Caradoc Dearborn, mentions of Harry/Ginny and Ron/OFC
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Rating: Mature
Warnings (Highlight to view):*Vampire, bonding, mild sex scene*
Word Count/Art Medium: 14, 241
Summary: Hermione is assigned a new client, one who will change her life forever.
Author Notes: Dear inell, this is the most delicious prompt I have seen in ages, despite the fact that I haven’t written vampires in years. I hope you like it! ally_147, thank you so much for the beta; any mistakes in this are my own.

Luck. It all came down to luck with him, just as everything always had. The influence of Fors Fortuna had followed Caradoc Dearborn his entire life, giving him luck both good and bad. The fact that his Sire, Cora, followed the exact same Goddess that he knew had been his guiding light his whole life had only confirmed his decision to go with her in the winter of 1982. He Who Must Not Be Named had vanished six months previously, taking poor bloody James and Lily with him. Caradoc had been out celebrating the supposed victory with a few friends; people he had grown up with and fought alongside in the war. They had just discovered that they had passed their second- year Auror exams with flying colours and had decided to go out and do what people their age were supposed to do: go out on the piss and wake up the following morning next to someone who looked better through Firewhisky-blurred eyes. All of Moody’s teachings – constant vigilance! – had gone flying out the window when he had spotted Cora, however. Tall and busty, she had captured Caradoc’s attention so thoroughly that he had abandoned his friends and followed her home. When he had woken the next morning he had been looking through new eyes; those of a newly-turned vampire.

Cora had become the equivalent of a mother to him over the years; teaching him the ways of their kind as well as the worship of Fors Fortuna. She had given him nearly everything he could have hoped for over the past twenty two years since he had been turned and how had he repaid her? By running off the second he had heard that his last living relative had died so he could claim his family fortune and estate back before the Ministry sold it off for their own profit. This is where his bad luck had come into the equation. Having entered the Ministry Atrium and declared who he was and why he was there, he had promptly been arrested for impersonating the dead. Ironic really, considering the still-debated issue of whether vampires could be classified as living beings by the Ministry or not.

Now here he sat in a holding cell that stank of sweat, blood and years of built-up fear. He had been told that he would be assigned a caseworker from within the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures who would handle his case against the Ministry for both his property and his identity. The only hope that Caradoc held on that score was that the Ministry would take his case seriously enough that they didn’t give him a rookie who would be too afraid of him to help properly. He was jerked out of his thoughts when the door was shoved open and a man entered the room.

“You stay right where you are,” he grunted at Caradoc and pointed as though to emphasise his words. “Miss Granger will be here soon and if you try anything, I have permission to stake you.”

Relief spread through Caradoc’s chest as the realisation that this man was not the promised caseworker sank slowly through his surprise. Of course, with the man’s heavy build, Neanderthal brow and eyebrows that met in the middle of his eyes, he probably should have known that he was a guard rather than a caseworker, but he put it down to the nerves that had suddenly settled in his stomach. He really wouldn’t put it past the Ministry to assign him someone who knew absolutely nothing about vampires – or their struggle for rights in society – just so they could get to keep the large amount of money his family had accumulated over the generations. It took a few seconds for what the guard had actually said to penetrate everything else going through his mind. Miss Granger . He couldn’t possibly mean the Granger Caradoc had read so much about over the five years since the end of the second war, could he?

“Mr. Dearborn? Caradoc Dearborn?”

He glanced up as a strange feeling washed over him, rendering him speechless. The woman who had entered the cell was of average height, with frizzy brown hair and an armload of files and books. She was also apparently the reason Caradoc had temporarily forgotten how to breathe. Thankfully, it wasn’t a requirement for vampires, because he had no idea how long he sat there, simply staring at her. His mind had gone completely blank the second she had met his eyes and he recognised the connection immediately: this woman was his Mate.

One of the first things Cora had informed him of when he had first been turned was that vampires of their bloodline all had a Mate; one person they were destined to be with. It was a trait unique to their bloodline and many vampires had spent decades searching out that one person. The knowledge had always been in the back of Caradoc’s mind, but he had not allowed it to rule his life. Why should he go searching for someone who might not have even been born yet? But it seemed that Fors Fortuna had had a hand in his life once again: the Ministry had assigned him his Mate as a caseworker. It took a few seconds for his vampiric instincts to kick in, but when they did, he felt a rush of desire and longing so strong he had to resist the urge to declare his intentions right there and then. His natural inclination to just blurt out what he was feeling and what he had realised was being rapidly overshadowed by his common sense. What if he did and she scoffed at him? What if he did and she believed him, but rejected him? No, he would give it a few days, get a feel for how she reacted to him, and then tell her at just the right moment. Blinking rapidly as he attempted to clear his mind of the fog that had settled over him and taking a deep breath, he glanced once at the guard, seeing that he was watching the two of them with undisguised interest.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, unsure if he had managed to conceal his reaction to her from the guard. “I, uh, yes. I am Caradoc Dearborn.”

He kept his eyes fixed on hers as he stood to extend his hand in greeting. The hesitation on her face should not have hurt him, but he had to resist the urge to flinch when she eyed him warily. He needed her to trust him, needed it with a desperation that shocked him. Cora had warned him that when he met his Mate, he would begin to react to them as though they were already bonded, but he had not expected an emotional response so soon. He smiled when she shifted the books and files a little so she could grasp his hand. Judging by her lack of response, it was entirely possible that she had felt something from the point of recognition as well, but Caradoc knew that she wouldn’t know the significance if she had. Visibly gathering herself, Miss Granger straightened her posture as she sat down in the chair opposite to the one Caradoc currently occupied, a small wooden table between the two of them.

“I’m Hermione Granger – you may call me Hermione – and the Ministry have assigned me as your caseworker. I have your file right here and have been reading through it for the past few hours in an attempt to understand exactly what it is you’re expecting from this case. Unfortunately, I cannot work it out. Please forgive my ignorance on the subject, but why would a vampire wish to reclaim his family estate?”

This was all said in a rush of words that Caradoc had to concentrate to hear properly. If he was reading the cadence of her voice correctly, then she was nervous about something, although exactly what it could be was a mystery to him. Tucking his hair behind his ear, he leant forward to place his forearms on his knees, carefully planning out his answer before he even opened his mouth.

“My family, Miss Granger,” he began before he was interrupted.

“Hermione, please.”

Smiling as he acknowledged her words with a nod of his head, he continued. “We are – were – one of the oldest pure-blood families on record. We have fought in every war of significance in the history of the wizarding world, have contributed to the collective knowledge of magic and its properties and have held positions of power in various Ministry regimes over the centuries. My family estate is all that is left of our family name, because my sister died childless. If I allow the Ministry to just sell the property off to the highest bidder, I would be disrespecting everything my ancestors have done over the centuries.” He paused for a few seconds, wondering how much he should reveal, but decided on the truth, because she was his Mate and therefore deserved to know his motivations. “On a more personal note, I have nothing that reminds me of my family. I would be incredibly grateful if I was able to retain something of my mother’s. It’s a purely selfish reason, but if I just allowed the Ministry to sell everything of hers off, then I would never be able to forgive myself.”

A strange look crossed Hermione’s face, but it was covered quickly. “Thank you for answering; the inner workings of pure-blood families aren’t something I’m familiar with at all, unfortunately.” She paused as she straightened the files on the table, and Caradoc could have sworn that he could pinpoint the second that her ‘business persona’ came over her. “Now, to get down to the real reason I’m here: we need enough proof of your identity so we can satisfy even the stuffiest of Ministry officials. There are a number of tests that I could run on you, but considering they are designed to identify people who are suspected of having faked their deaths, I believe there is another way to do this.”

Caradoc smiled when he realised she was waiting for his permission. “You can run any test on me you wish; I highly doubt you could manage to damage me at all.”

This seemed to amuse her a little, as she quickly covered a small smile with her hand before getting back on track again. “My idea is that you would have knowledge of both the Dearborn family and the original Order of the Phoenix that only someone who had been there personally would have. Unless you’ve managed to break into the Ministry vaults and obtain it illegally, which I would say is nearly impossible. That knowledge combined, of course, with the fact that the Ministry has already identified the wand in your possession as being yours, should be more than enough to prove your identity.”

Sitting back in his chair, Caradoc had to admire the way Hermione’s mind worked. Almost anyone else who the Ministry could have assigned him would have just poked and prodded at him until they had the physical proof needed to identify him and that would have been that. He had heard much about Hermione’s campaigns for both house-elves and werewolves over the past few years, but had not expected someone like her to want to take an interest in a specific case. Not that he wasn’t grateful, because it meant that all of her unusual ideas and the determination he had read so much about would be focussed on helping him.

They spent the next hour or so going over various aspects of the original Order: the hierarchical structure, the members and their roles within the structure. Caradoc’s memory had always been an asset and he was fairly certain that he had answered everything to Hermione’s satisfaction, as she was smiling by the time they had finished. Next, they turned to Caradoc’s family. As it turned out, his sister had occupied the family position on the Wizengamot in place of their father, who had died during the first war. She had been well-liked within the Ministry and had many friends who had been more than willing to offer up information on the Dearborn family that only a member or close friend would know. He found this part of the evening much easier and he was smiling in return when Hermione finally declared that she had enough information to go off.

“If you would follow me, I should be able to obtain your release papers tonight so you don’t have to spend the night – or day, rather – in this cell.”

Standing so he could offer her his arm – an automatic reaction that had been bred into him by his mother, rather than having anything to do with the connection he hoped to form with her – Caradoc offered Hermione a smile when she took it with only a slight hesitation. The journey to the reception desk of the Department was punctuated with small surprises for him. He had begun to wonder exactly what the delicious scent he could smell was when they had been sitting in the tiny cell, but now it became clear: Hermione’s perfume wafted up to him as they walked and he couldn’t help breathing deeply, memorising her scent. His enhanced vampiric senses allowed him to differentiate between the combination of scents in the perfume and he made out both roses and a slightly spicy scent that reminded him of his time spent in India. The next surprise he got was when she asked about his vampiric heritage.

“The bloodline I am descended from is southern European in origin; Roman, to be more specific. We’re a small bloodline, because most of us are incredibly picky about whom we choose to turn.”

He left it at that for the time being, because there was no way he would risk scaring her off by admitting to the unusual circumstances they found themselves in, despite having heard the small increases in her pulse whenever he moved closer to her. No, he would continue to work with her on his case, getting to know her a little before mentioning anything about his ability to form a Mate-bond. If he was able to woo her a little before having to confess, then he figured it would be for the best. Thankfully, Hermione didn’t press him for more details and they continued on to the reception desk without him having to admit anything just yet.

Hermione had been right about the evidence she had collected: it took less than five minutes for the receptionist to come back out from the office holding Caradoc’s release papers. After he had signed them, he escorted Hermione out to the Atrium and to the floo connection that would take her away from him until Monday afternoon.

“Thank you for everything you have done for me so far, Hermione.” He smiled as she turned to look up at him, her hair flying down in front of her eyes. He reached to brush it away, noticing a small hitch to her breathing as he touched her skin. “I have a feeling that with your help, the Dearborn estate could very well be back under the proper supervision within a week, if you so wished.” The laugh that bubbled up out of Hermione surprised him, as he had not expected to see her so open while on Ministry grounds.

“Flattery, while appreciated, will get you nowhere with me, Caradoc.” She smiled up at him, sending a warm feeling through his stomach. “I’ll see you Monday afternoon at the Leaky Cauldron, right?”

He had decided to take a suite of rooms at the Leaky because of the pub’s convenience, more than anything else. “Yes, I’ll send you the room number so you don’t have to wait for Tom to bring you up.” Taking another deep breath in an attempt to steady the nerves that had once again flashed through his stomach, he forced the next few words out. “It has been an absolute pleasure meeting you.”

Releasing her arm, he dragged his fingers down her forearm so he could grasp hold of her fingers. Moving slowly so she had the option of stopping him, he raised her hand so he could brush his lips across her knuckles. He allowed himself to enjoy the small gasp she gave in response as well as the tiny increase in her pulse before releasing her completely and stepping back so she had access to the floo grate. He watched the flames for a long time as they died down back to the normal orange after she had exited. He had found his Mate in the most unlikely of places and there was now no way he was going to let her go.

*~*

The vampires of southern Europe are unique in one particular aspect: each and every one has a Mate. They possess the remarkable ability to form a soul-bond with one particular person, usually marking them as their own the second they have formed a close enough connection. No one knows the kind of magic that was cast to allow the kind of emotional bond that these vampires are able to create with their Mate, but there have been multiple studies that have shown the bonds to be true. Janet McLaughlin states in her work Blood Kin:

“I have made a study of southern European vampire clans and, with the help of a select few volunteer couples, I have come to some startling conclusions. The Mate-bond we see this particular line of vampires forming is very similar to the connections we see forming between monogamous animals. That is not to say that these beings are animals. No, they are so much more sophisticated than that and therefore, so are the bonds they form.

The mental connection each forms is unbreakable once it has been formed completely and they are extremely protective of their own. Even before they have bonded, these vampires will instinctively move to protect their Mates from any kind of harm, be it physical or mental. It is known that these bonds are life-long, be it the almost immortal life of a vampire, or the comparably short life of the human Mate. In the rare case of the vampire’s Mate not wishing to be turned, the vampire in question will live out the rest of their Mate’s life with them and step out to meet the sun the day after their Mate’s death. This is seen to be the most respectful way of honouring their Mate’s life: by telling the world that they are incapable of continuing on without them.”

McLaughlin’s findings while studying these emotional bonds have been invaluable in contributing to our understanding of the connections the southern European vampires form. Her conclusions have made communications between these clans and the rest of the world much easier, as we now know much more about the connection that exists between the vampire and their Mate and the effects it has on both the vampire and their Mate.

Hermione sat back in the chair she had claimed in the Ministry library, her mind racing. Her breath left her in a huge, slightly shaky sigh as what she had just read began to sink in. Caradoc had informed her that his vampiric lineage was southern European; Roman, to be exact. According to this book, it was entirely possible that Caradoc had a Mate out there somewhere. Of course, her mind had already made the connection between her reactions to him on Friday afternoon and what she had just discovered. Unfortunately, it was refusing to allow her to simply dismiss the idea that she could possibly be Caradoc’s Mate. She frowned, scrubbing her hands over her face as she ran over her reactions to him two days previously.

Firstly, there had been the moment of complete shock that she had experienced when she had entered the room. Her mind had gone completely blank and it felt as though some kind of magic had settled over her, although the quick diagnostic that she had cast had told her that she was not under the influence of any kind of magic. Harry had even checked for her later that night, confirming that there were no traces of her having been affected by any kind of mind magic. The fact that Caradoc was the first man in a long time to have captured her attention may have had something to do with it, but she liked to think that she was above believing in something like love at first sight. Tall and willowy with shoulder-length, curly dark blond hair and pale green eyes, Caradoc fit her usual type pretty closely and she knew that there was a strong underlying physical attraction there, but she could ignore that in favour of discovering the facts about what was really going on.

Next on her list of strange things was the fact that, despite her natural reluctance to get close to anyone she didn’t know, she felt as though she had connected with him on a level that she had never experienced with anyone before. She had become much more cautious about whom she associated with after the end of the war– a natural consequence of going through what she had gone through, she had been assured. The ease she had felt around Caradoc was disturbing to her, but only when she was not around him. When she had begun to question her reactions, she had thought back and realised that there was nothing in her thought process that had warned her that her behaviour was unusual. Considering Harry had confirmed that she had not been affected by any kind of glamour, she knew she had more research to do before she could form a proper opinion on that part of the meeting.

“Hermione!” She jumped as the sound of Ron’s cheerful voice reached her from across the room. “Aren’t you done yet? It’s Sunday afternoon and you’re supposed to be at our house entertaining your nieces. All these books will still be here when you get back. Besides, you’ve spent more time in libraries over the years than anyone I have ever met; there can’t be that many books you haven’t already read.”

Smiling as she turned to meet his humour-filled eyes, Hermione had to admit that maybe he was right; she really should give this a rest for a while. “Sorry, Ron. I, uh, lost track of the time.”

Standing quickly, she began to tidy up the books and papers she had left scattered across the table. She had stayed friends with Ron after the war, despite their disastrous attempts at a relationship. They were too different and they had discovered that after about six months of getting on each other’s nerves. Ron had gone on to marry a lovely witch who was one of Fleur Delacour’s friends and they had started producing an enormous brood of children almost immediately. Celeste was currently pregnant with baby number four and was always incredibly grateful when Hermione volunteered to take care of the three older girls. That is, when she didn’t get distracted by her work or by the independent study she regularly took on.

“So what is it you’ve been slaving over this time?”

A sudden rush of reluctance tensed Hermione’s shoulders, surprising her into silence. There was no reason for her not to tell Ron about Caradoc, so why would she hesitate? Maybe it was another signal that she really was Caradoc’s Mate? Or maybe she just didn’t want to blurt out something like that only to be proved wrong when she asked Caradoc about it herself. Either way, the thought occurred to her that she really should wait until she was with both Ron and Harry before she told either of them anything, as they tended to want to ask the same kinds of questions. Putting Ron off for a little while would have no bad consequences, anyway.

“Just some work stuff. I’ve got a new client that I should have researched better before meeting him.” She gathered up the books she knew she would want to read more from later on and stuffed them in her bag, not noticing Ron’s silence.

“You have a client you haven’t researched properly? How does that even happen?”

The amazement in his voice would have annoyed her once, but now she just brushed it off. Once they had gotten over their hormonal teenage years, she and Ron had become quite good friends again and she realised that he was just joking with her. Smiling as she handed him her heavy book bag, she lead the way out of the library to the Apparition point.

Ron and Celeste had purchased a house a little ways away from the Lovegood residence when they had married four years previously and had been extending it in the same way Ron’s childhood home had been extended as their family grew. Grinning as she heard a shriek even before they had come into view of the front door, she knelt down in anticipation. Sure enough, a small, redheaded girl ran around the corner into her arms a few seconds later.

“Aunt Hermione,” Margaux called as she collapsed into Hermione’s arms. “Mama said you were supposed to be here half an hour ago!”

The accusation in her voice had Hermione smiling as she pulled back. “I’m very sorry, Margaux. Can you forgive me?”

Margaux stepped back so she could eye Hermione critically in a way she was sure she had picked up from her father. “Maybe. Why are you late?”

Despite her looks, Hermione knew that Margaux had inherited her mother’s brains. “I was at the library and lost track of time.”

“Oh, well that’s alright. Come on, Mama’s in the kitchen.”

Hermione turned to Ron with a small smile as Margaux ran off, calling to her sisters. She stood as he reached her, a bemused look in his eyes.

“I know, I know; I’m in trouble with that one.” He chuckled as they made their way into the house. “Come on, in you go; Harry and Ginny should be here by now.”

Her mind began racing the second she entered the house. If she could get both Ron and Harry to herself for a few minutes, she could fill them both in on what she suspected and get their advice. It would be nice to have Ron’s opinion on the idea of forming a bond with someone as well, because he knew everything Bill and Fleur had gone through when they had bonded properly after the war. Her decision made, she turned her focus on the people beginning to swarm her. She greeted everyone, making certain to spend equal amounts of time with each of Ron and Celeste’s three girls as well as baby James until she was able to get Harry and Ron’s attention after tea.

“Alright Hermione, what’s going on?” Harry asked the second they were out of earshot of the children. “Ron said something about a new client?”

She knew she should have expected Ron to pass off the worry over her behaviour to Harry, but surprise shot through her anyway. Smiling as Ron gave her a sheepish look, she motioned for them to sit as she sank down onto one of the lawn chairs out the back of the house. The sun had set already, but she could see them easily enough in the reflected light from the house.

“I do have something to tell the both of you, but I need you both to promise that you will keep quiet until I’m finished.” She took a deep, hopefully calming breath as they both nodded silently. “Alright. Ron’s right: I have a new client and what I need to tell you has to do with him. You know that we’ve kind of been stalled with what we can do for the house-elf rights, right? Well, so I have something to do, the Department has been assigning me new cases– the ones that they think will require someone with a little more experience than the regular workers they would assign to them. My newest client’s name is Caradoc Dearborn and–”

“Wait, Caradoc Dearborn? How is that possible? Didn’t he die during the first war?” Harry was leaning forward, his forearms on his knees as he frowned at her.

Realisation dawned in the back of Hermione’s mind at once. Harry had mentioned once that Moody had given him a lecture on various older Order members. She couldn’t quite recall if he had mentioned Caradoc, but judging from Harry’s reaction, the name must have registered on some level with him.

“Technically, no. And you promised to be quiet until I had finished,” Hermione responded, then had to raise a hand to prevent him from asking anything else. “Caradoc came to the Ministry on Thursday to request that he be allowed to place a claim on his family’s estate and fortune, because his last living relative had recently died. The Ministry immediately locked him up and sent me in on Friday with the express instructions to discover who he really was and what his intentions were with regards the Dearborn fortune. Well, it turns out that it is him: he was caught and turned into a vampire six months after your parents were killed, Harry. He has been living with his Sire for the past twenty- two years, but has come back because he doesn’t want the Ministry to sell off his family estate for their own profit.” She paused here, not wanting to lose them when they obviously had questions that needed to be asked.

“He’s a vampire?”

“The Ministry will just let a vampire take their family’s estate back?”

She smiled as they spoke over each other, knowing now that this had been the best way to deal with her confusion over what was happening. “Yes he is, and yes they will, if I have anything to do with it. There’s no reason for them to not allow it, as he does have the right to the money and estate that would have rightfully been his if he was fully human. There’s more to this, however, so if you’ll hold the questions until after?” She waited again until they had both nodded before continuing. “The reason I was in the library this afternoon is because I had a very strange reaction to him. No, before you ask, it wasn’t mind magic because Harry has already checked me over for that. I can’t really explain it, but it was like I had known him my entire life. I relaxed completely around him and was more open with him than with anyone I don’t know.”

“Hermione, I don’t see what so strange about being attracted to someone,” Ron began, but she silenced him with a glare.

“I decided to look up his line of vampires. It turns out that each and every one of the vampires descended from this bloodline in particular has a Mate. They all have that one specific person in the world that they are a perfect match for. When I was reading, it all seemed to just click. What if I’m Caradoc’s Mate?”

The silence that followed this question was so complete , Hermione began to wonder if they had actually heard her. Harry was the first to recover, stirring out of the stupor with a bit of a jolt.

“His Mate? As in, he will want to bond with you? Maybe turn you into a vampire?”

“Well, that’s why I needed to speak to the both of you. I am completely stumped on this one and I need advice! I’m seeing him again tomorrow to organise the rest of his case against the Ministry, but I need to know what I should do. Should I just ask him? Should I ignore it until I’m sure either way? And what if I do ask and it turns out that I’m not? How am I supposed to be expected to deal with something like this when there isn’t any standard reaction I’m supposed to have?” She paused when she saw the looks on their faces. “What?”

“You’re frustrated because there’s no set way to react when you suspect you might be a vampire’s Mate?” The humour in Harry’s voice should have annoyed her, it really should, but she found herself smiling back instead. “What does your gut tell you?”

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes – Harry tended to look at life through the experienced eyes of an Auror more often than not these days – Hermione let out a small sigh. “I need to confront him and get the truth. If it turns out that I’m not his Mate, then we can just continue on as normal. If I am... I’ll deal with it when I come to it.”

The twin smiles the two of them offered her told her that they found her amusing more than what she had said, but she ignored them. If she was going to deal with this discovery, then it would be in a way that made the most sense to her and if that involved taking matters into her own hands, then so be it.She had never been in the habit of tempering her opinions and didn’t really see a reason to with Caradoc either.

2

Caradoc knew that tonight was going to be different from the last time he had seen Hermione. He knew that he would have a few hours of her undivided attention without interruptions from a Ministry Guard reminding her that they were there for a particular reason and he was going to take full advantage of the opportunity presented to him. Not that the Leaky Cauldron offered that much in the way amenities, but it was the best he could do at such short notice. Until he could get his family estate back from the Ministry, he would just have to put up with everything the Leaky could provide and hope that Hermione wouldn’t judge him based off of his living conditions.

His fingers twitched with nervous tension as he turned a page in the book he was reading. He had been in touch with Cora over the weekend and informed her that he had found his Mate. Her reaction had been exactly what he had expected it would be: happiness combined with a warning to be very careful about how he approached her. Many vampires over the years had discovered their Mate only to scare them so thoroughly that they refused to have anything further to do with them. Caradoc had no fear that he had scared Hermione, although just how he was to go about forming their bond was a little nebulous to him at that moment. He figured he would just follow his instincts, which were telling him to court her in the old-fashioned pure-blood way. She seemed the type of woman who would respond well to a little old-fashioned wooing, so that was what he would do. Long-stemmed roses, candlelit dinners, horse rides in the snow, and all other kinds of cliché things that he had found too cheesy to treat any woman to in his past. Hermione would have it all if he had his way. A sharp knock at his door jolted him out of the thoughts.

“Enter,” he called, frowning slightly at the excitement he could hear clearly in his voice.

“Good afternoon, Caradoc,” Hermione greeted him as she entered and moved to stand a few steps away from him in the middle of the room. There was a gleam to her brown eyes that had not been present on Friday afternoon.

“Hermione?”

The fact that she had not moved any further into the room was strange to him, but he couldn’t work out what was wrong. He had to wonder if he really made her that nervous, because it had not seemed that way before. She still carried an armload of books and files, although there were many more books in this pile than there had been on Friday. Standing and taking a small step forward, he stretched his hand out towards her automatically.

“Is there something wrong? Have I –” His words were cut off when she turned to face him fully and held a hand up to silence him.

“You have a Mate.”

If it was possible for the blood to leave a vampire’s face, then Caradoc was certain that that was exactly what had happened to him. His stomach swooped and he swallowed hard against the rush of shock that had numbed his body. How could it be possible that she knew? Had he given her enough information about his heritage on Friday to allow her to discover something like this herself? He didn’t think he had, but then, this was the woman who had helped Harry Potter in his defeat of Voldemort, so who knew what she was capable of discovering? Of course, it was entirely possible that he had underestimated her intelligence, an idea that sent a shock of guilt through him.His surprise seemed to increase when he realised that he had no idea how to interact with a woman who was completely independent; he was so used to dealing with the kind of women who expected him to take care of them that he had automatically assumed that Hermione would be the same. But then, he reconsidered, most of the other women he knew were the Mates of various vampires he had met over the years and were used to being treated almost like royalty by their Mates.

“Caradoc?”

Her voice was soft, almost as though she didn’t want to startle him, an idea that had an almost hysterical laugh bubbling up out of him. Why he had thought he would be able to hide anything like this from his Mate was beyond him and with his recent run of bad luck, he knew that this shouldn’t surprise him. Taking stock as she stared at him like he was losing his mind, he had to admit that this was the way him finding his Mate was probably destined to play out. She was obviously much more intelligent than him – probably more intelligent than anyone he had ever met – which meant he had no chance of fooling her and hiding what he felt. Straightening up, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“How did you manage to work that out from what I told you of my heritage?”

“There is only one vampiric bloodline that still identifies with being Roman specifically, rather than Latin. From there, it was a small jump to connecting my own reactions to you to the descriptions of a Mate-bond in the books and studies I found.”

Her fingers flexed by her side, although if it was from nerves, she hid it very well. Her words indicated that she knew that she was his Mate, even if she hadn’t said so exactly, which left Caradoc in a strange position. Did he continue with his original plan to romance her, or did he give it all up? The choice was taken from him when she carefully placed her load of books and files on the coffee table and moved to stand in front of him.

“I know that I’m your Mate–” she waited long enough for him to nod slightly before continuing “–and that you need time to see if we can connect on the level you need to be able to properly form a bond. But I also know that if we don’t knuckle down and create an air-tight case to present to the Ministry, then you’ll never get your property and accounts back. With that in mind, I would like to take you out this Friday.”

Caradoc blinked at her, trying to process what had just happened. “You – you’re asking me on a date?”

She rolled her eyes in what appeared to be exasperation and he could have sworn he heard her mutter men before she moved to take hold of his hand, guiding him to sit on the lounge. The sudden contact sent a jolt of what felt very much like desire through his system and he had to stop himself from holding his breath in anticipation.

“I like you. You fascinate me and that is incredibly rare for me to find.” She paused, glancing down at where she still held his hand. Turning it palm-up, she traced along one of the lines, sending tingles up and down his arm. “I would like to explore what we could have together, but it can’t be during the time when we’re supposed to be working. So, yes, I’m asking you on a date.”

Desire ripped through him as she met his eyes with a confidence that he was pretty sure wasn’t feigned. Staring down into her eyes, he knew that he was in for a hell of a ride with this one, even if she decided that she wouldn’t accept the bond. Raising his free hand slowly, he brushed a strand of flyaway hair from her face, receiving another shiver of desire when she leant forward a little.

“May I?”

He almost flinched in embarrassment when his voice came out in a whisper, but that was pushed aside swiftly when Hermione gave a small nod. Sliding his hand around so he could brush his thumb gently across her lips, he breathed deeply, savouring the tension he could feel between them in the few seconds before their lips met. The kiss was soft and slow and Caradoc found himself more listening to Hermione’s reactions than paying attention to the pleasure of his first kiss with his Mate. Her pulse had increased quickly the second their lips had connected and he could have sworn that he heard a soft sigh. The sound relaxed the tension in his shoulders that had built when she had shocked him so thoroughly a few minutes before. He forced himself to pull back after only a few seconds, not wanting to overstep his bounds. The kiss had really been more of a pressing together of their lips than an actual kiss, but it was more than he had hoped for from the day and he knew that it was all he needed for the time being. His Mate was willing to give him a chance and if that was all the influence Fors Fortuna was able to exert, then he was more than happy.

“Mmm. ” Hermione hummed as she pulled back as well, smiling up at him with shining eyes. She only allowed him to enjoy the sight for a couple of seconds, though, before standing quickly and gathering up the books and files. “Right, so we can work on this table over here?”

He blinked rapidly as he watched her move over to the desk in front of the window. He had been more than willing to just sit there for a few minutes – or even a little longer – but he knew she was right. Standing and moving over to the desk, he reached into one of the drawers to pull out an old pair of reading glasses. A small noise from Hermione had him glancing up at her to see her eyeing the glasses with surprise. He smiled.

“While vampirism is able to cure physical defects like diseases and eyesight problems like short-sightedness, I have a flat spot on my retina that makes it impossible to read small writing close up. Being turned doesn’t change you physically that much, so I am stuck with the glasses forever, unfortunately.” Placing them on his nose brought the tiny writing on the case files into focus and he frowned. “How is a case that involved a werewolf going to help me?”

The bright smile that lit her face had Caradoc smiling back, although he did not know why. The vague thought occurred to him that it was because he was reacting to her the same way he would react if they were already bonded, but he ignored it in favour of focussing on the here and now. Yes, he would try to convince her to accept his claim, but in order to do that, he had to be here now, not caught up in his own thoughts. Hermione indicated that he should sit as she spread the files out on the desk, arranging them in an order Caradoc couldn’t figure out.

“As you know, I’ve worked for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures since I graduated Hogwarts. It was my first choice of career because I wanted to make a difference in the lives of the underprivileged in the wizarding world, like house-elves and werewolves. Now, my work for the house-elves has been stalled for the past few months while the legal process is at work, so I can’t bring any of those files with me. These are all werewolf rights cases that have been successfully argued over the years. Now, I know that there’s a big difference between werewolves and vampires, but I figured if we can work out what worked best for the werewolves, then maybe we could try something similar. There aren’t actually that many vampires who wish to integrate back into society, which is why I figured I haven’t found any vampire rights cases. Generally speaking, once a vampire is out, they are out. There is no going back, because the Ministry knows about all the ones who own property.”

Caradoc smiled as he watched Hermione speak from over the top of his glasses. There was no way he wanted her to be blurred, not when she was speaking with such passion; she became so animated when she spoke about something that obviously held a lot of meaning for her and it made her eyes shine brilliantly.

“So do you have preference about where to start?”

He almost jumped when he realised that the end of the little speech was actually a question directed at him. “No, not really. I’ll read whatever you put in front of me.”

By the time 10pm rolled around, Caradoc had almost come to regret those words. They had actually managed to get through the stack of files that Hermione had brought with her and she had organised them into piles on the desk. Each pile was sorted according to what had won the case and he was pretty sure that if it was up to Hermione, they would also be colour-coded. Sliding his chair back with a scraping sound that caused his head to throb in objection due to his enhanced hearing, Caradoc gave Hermione a satisfied smile. Considering the amount of work they had gotten through, he felt he had a right to feel a little smug about their progress. Of course, the fact that he could hear her heart rate increase when he smiled at her gave him all the motivation he needed to do it more often. He removed the glasses and slid them back into the drawer as she stood and stretched.

“I think it shouldn’t take more than a week to put together a strong enough case to present to the Ministry, the way we’re going,” she told him with a smile that caused his hands to clench at his sides in an attempt to prevent himself from doing something stupid. “By this time next week, you may very well be a completely free man.”

Free. The idea both excited and terrified him. Having his rightful property back where it belonged was the reason he had gone to all this trouble in the first place and the thought that he could achieve that goal within a week was astounding to him. The part that terrified him was wondering whether Hermione would want anything to do with him after that week. What if they didn’t have the connection required? What if she simply turned him down? He shook his head to clear the worry from it as she finished gathering the books she was taking with her.

“It will all be thanks to you and your tireless hard work. Merlin knows I’d never be able to do this all on my own; I wouldn’t even know where to start.” He rose to stand beside her, automatically reaching to brush that one strand of hair out of her face again. He could hear her heart rate increase and her breathing hitch when his fingers brushed against her skin, but he held back, wanting to do this right. “Sorry. I really should learn to control those impulses.”

“No, it’s fine.”

Hermione sounded slightly flustered and when Caradoc looked closer, he saw a slight blush tinting her cheeks. Once again unable to resist the possibility of physical contact, he held his hands out with a smile.

“Allow me,” he offered, reaching for the stack of books that she was balancing precariously on her hip. The look of surprise that crossed her face amused him as they began to walk down to the Apparition point.

“You know I can handle nearly anything that Diagon Alley at ten o’clock at night can throw at me, right?”

“Yes, I am painfully aware of the danger you have been in previously,” he replied carefully, not wanting to give away the level of emotion running through him. “As long as I am able to and as long as you allow me to, however, I want to be able to make sure you are safe.”

The silence that greeted that statement had Caradoc glancing down at her in an attempt to gauge her reaction. He was pretty sure the faint blush had returned to her cheeks, although it was a little difficult to tell in the darkened street. Stepping into the side alley that the Ministry had deemed safe for Apparition, she turned to meet his eyes properly and Caradoc simply stopped breathing. Her eyes were simply startling, shining with a mix of emotions Caradoc had not expected.

“Hermione?”

Instead of responding verbally, she stepped forward, closing the gap between them slowly. There looked to be a tiny bit of indecision in her movements, so he stood still, hoping that she would make the first move. He had no idea why it was so important to him that she be willing to take this step on her own, but he found he couldn’t spare the thought processes to analyse it. He watched as she seemed to debate her actions before raising a hand to brush through his hair. A slight pressure on the base of his skull pulled him forward and he went more than willingly, knowing that if it was possible for his heart to race, then it would be by now.

The kiss was soft, almost hesitant. He allowed her to control their pace, keeping his tongue firmly behind his teeth despite wanting nothing more than to be allowed to deepen the kiss. Her hand tightened its grip in his hair for a few seconds before she pulled back after what he estimated to be less than thirty seconds. He kept his eyes closed as she dragged her hand through his hair and down the side of his neck, determinedly holding back a shudder.

“Thank you,” she whispered as she took the books back from him.

Reluctantly reopening his eyes, he offered up a smile in the seconds before she twisted and Apparated away. Taking his first breath in at least two or three minutes, Caradoc flexed his fingers, realising that they were trembling. He shook his head as he turned around to make his way back to the Leaky; he may have very well found himself in way over his head with this one.

*~*

Wednesday morning dawned bright and sunny for Hermione, matching her mood almost perfectly. The warm feeling that had started in her stomach with that first kiss on Monday afternoon had pretty much ebbed away by that time, but the memory of how it had felt was still with her. If this was what it felt like to just be kissed by your Mate, she was unsure she could deal with anything else; it may overwhelm her. The thought had had her smiling all morning as she sorted through the books she had brought back with her.

She had heard others in the Department complaining about being assigned to vampires, because it meant they didn’t start work until the afternoon at the earliest, but that didn’t bother her. If being assigned to a vampire case meant being able to spend a warm summer day outside rather than cooped up in the Ministry – or the Leaky in this case – then she really didn’t see the problem. Of course, none of the others had found their clients to be what basically amounted to a soul mate yet.

Soul mate. She had almost convinced herself over the weekend that what she felt for Caradoc was actually just plain old attraction which, she was more than willing to admit, she hadn’t felt for anyone in close to a year. Her work had always been her main focus because it had seemed so much more important than finding someone to keep her bed warm. But not this time. Caradoc had confirmed it Monday when she had basically ambushed him in the hotel room: she was his Mate. It was a strange feeling, knowing that Fate or a divine being or even just chance had thrown her into this situation, but she found herself smiling at the idea as she sat out on her balcony eating a quick lunch before heading out. She had a few things to do before meeting Caradoc that afternoon, things that might very well make their work easier. Grabbing her bag and stuffing the now-shrunken pile of books into it, she made her way quickly out of her flat to the local Apparition point.

Spending the rest of the afternoon wandering Diagon, shopping and chatting with the shop owners she knew was one of the more peaceful days she could remember spending for a long time. Perhaps she should begin to request vampire cases when she ran into a block in her other work? It would certainly offer her some much needed relaxation time. By the time to meet with Caradoc rolled around, her energy levels felt as though they had been recharged by the day just wandering aimlessly and she was eagerly anticipating seeing him again.

Anticipation built up in her rapidly as she followed the Alley to the Leaky. It surprised her how quickly she had begun to desire him, but figured that it was natural. If they were destined to be together, then of course she would find him attractive. Of course, after the previous two days and the way he had treated her – like she was some kind of high-born lady rather than just another bint to be used and thrown away –she knew that there was little chance of her not finding him attractive. Apparently being treated like a queen could have an effect even on her.

The door to Caradoc’s hotel room was sitting ajar when she made her way down the hall. Pushing gently, she had to remember to breathe normally – or at all – as she entered.

“Hermione, come on in; take a seat, please.”

The warmth in Caradoc’s voice was matched in his green eyes as he smiled at her from behind the desk they had used the past two days. He had rearranged the room so that the desk was sitting in the middle of the room, allowing him to walk all the way around it. Hermione smiled in response, but instead of sitting as he had suggested, she moved to stand next to him. They had managed to finally properly sort through every file and case that could possibly help them on Tuesday and that work appeared to be what was lying in neat piles on the desk. She could have sworn she heard Caradoc breathing deeply very deliberately when she brushed her hand against his in greeting. Her smile widened, allowing herself to revel in the knowledge that she could affect him with such a simple touch.

“Have you worked anything out?”

Taking one last deep breath, Caradoc moved away from her, circling the desk so he was standing on the opposite side. Pointing to one stack of papers, he began to explain, “These are cases where a werewolf was denied their application, so I don’t think they’ll be any help unless we have to resort to studying why they were denied. This pile is cases that were very close to being denied, but were saved at the last minute by a switch in judge. Again, not very useful, but a last resort if we need it. The third pile near you is cases well thought-out and argued. They all won based purely off the genius of the caseworker involved. That last pile over there is miscellaneous cases that were won by legal loopholes mostly. I think the best shot we might have is a combination approach...”

The next few hours were filled with technical discussions of the legal system. Hermione found herself surprised that Caradoc was so knowledgeable about some of the laws, but she figured that he must have been planning this for a long time. Well, that combined with the fact that despite his young appearance, he had been on the Earth for twenty years longer than she had. Hermione’s eyes were blurring a little by the time they stopped for a break and she happened to glance at the clock on the wall. She blinked and scrubbed at her eyes, unwilling to believe what they were telling her, but it was true: the clock read 9:50.

“It can’t be that late already,” she muttered with a small frown. “We’ve only just started.”

Caradoc, sitting on the lounge with a blood flavoured lollipop in his mouth, merely grinned at her. This was the most relaxed she had seen him, his long, denim-clad legs stretched out in front of him and his arms rested along the back of the lounge. Considering that she knew that they were destined to be together – whether it was by fortune or luck – she knew that it was a very good thing that she was attracted to him. She just wished that it was maybe not this much just yet. Sure, it would have been fine in a few days, when she was free to be distracted by things of a decidedly non-work-related nature, but surely it would be better if they got the case over and done with first? She smiled back and began picking her books up. It wasn’t until she heard a small noise behind her that she realised that he had moved at all, but when she turned, he was standing behind her, an unusual look in his eyes.

“Caradoc?”

“I was wondering if you would allow me to show you something before you leave?”He held out a hand towards her when she didn’t respond immediately. He wasn’t standing close enough to touch her, so she knew that she was being given the choice. “Please?”

Hermione smiled as she accepted his hand. Staring into his eyes, she found that it hadn’t been a choice; there wasn’t a chance she would turn him down. The idea was strange, but she knew she was safe with him; whether it was because of the bond or not, she just knew. Surprise rippled through her when she realised that he was leading her to the roof of the pub. She was about to question why they were going to the roof when he pushed the door open to reveal what looked to be a picnic set out under the stars.

“I know it’s late, but I was hoping to treat you,” he murmured as she stepped closer.

The picnic rug was set out with an assortment of food and bottles of what appeared to be juice, all of which had been placed under preservation charms. A warm feeling began to spread through Hermione’s chest as she turned to look at Caradoc. He was standing just behind her, watching her reactions closely. She knew that he had been incredibly nervous around her Monday afternoon after she had basically just blurted out what she knew, but over the course of the past two days, he seemed to have relaxed a lot; enough so that she could clearly read the desire in his eyes as she met them. He didn’t act on it, though, instead choosing to take hold of one of her hands and bring it to his lips. It sent tingles up her arm and caused a slight blush to spread across her cheeks and she found herself reacting on instinct. Moving close enough to place both hands on Caradoc’s shoulders, she stood on tiptoe so she could kiss him on the cheek.

“It’s wonderful, thank you.” She slid her hands down his shoulders so she could grasp one of his hands and led him over to the blanket. “May I ask about your clan?”

The wide, unguarded smile he offered up told her she had hit on the exact right question. They had yet to speak about anything truly personal and Hermione thought this a perfect opportunity.

“My clan...” Hermione watched as a thoughtful look crossed his face, one that she recognised from moments she had seen him deep in thought. “Cora – my Sire – is the head of the clan. Unless one of us finds our Mate, then each of the members have been turned by Cora. She’s quite old-fashioned when it comes to things like that; she likes to be sort of like a mother figure to each of us.”

“How many of you are there?” She found it a little strange that there could be a vampire clan living in London that the Ministry knew nothing about.

“Five at the moment, including myself. There used to be more of us, but many have left over the years to form their own clans or to join with others. We live on Cora’s family estate in the Scottish countryside along with her family members. Yes; real, live family members,” he added with a smile as her eyes widened.“It’s an unusual arrangement, but it has worked for Cora for many generations.”

They continued talking about such a wide variety of subjects that Hermione wound up feeling like she had opened up completely for the first time with anyone. They spoke of their childhoods – he was raised pure-blood, but not the kind Voldemort had recruited; their experiences at Hogwarts – he was a Ravenclaw the year below James and Lily; their lives during the war – Cora had apparently managed to prevent a few clans from joining the Death Eaters simply by talking them out of it. Hermione was yawning with almost every second breath by the time they had managed to get through the food and drink, or blood in Caradoc’s case. Glancing down at her watch, she realised that they had managed to spend nearly three hours up there, simply talking and enjoying each other’s company; it was 12:30 Thursday morning. Smiling as he offered her his hand so she could rise, she found herself greatly looking forward to whatever was to come next.

3

Nerves shivered through Caradoc’s stomach as he waited for Hermione to arrive at the Leaky that Friday night. They had actually managed to make a lot of progress with the case the day before and he had convinced her to put aside the work for one day. Of course, he knew that she had probably spent that morning working anyway, because that was exactly what he had been doing. As much as he was looking forward to this date, he knew he couldn’t let himself get sloppy when it came to his family estate. The Ministry would surely love to swoop in and confiscate it from him the second they found a loophole large enough to wriggle through. A sharp knock at his door snapped him out of his thoughts and he stood, straightening the Muggle suit he was wearing. Not knowing where they were going, he had erred on the side of caution and assumed she would choose somewhere fancy.

“Enter,” he called, trying to curb the nerves that he could hear in his voice.

The sight that greeted him when Hermione pushed the door open told him he had made the right decision. Clad in a deep red dress that clung to her curves with a matching shawl draped over her arms behind her back, Hermione was completely stunning. She had managed to coil her hair on top of her head in such an intricate design that Caradoc was sure he would not be game enough to tryto touch it at all lest it fall apart.

“Caradoc?”

He blinked, realising that he had been staring for just a little too long. “You look absolutely beautiful my dear,” he murmured as he stepped up to her. “May I?”

The slight increase in her pulse had him smiling as he leant in towards her. He brushed his thumb gently across her lips, savouring the feeling of electricity jolting through his stomach before he claimed her lips. He was almost certain that she would accept his claim as her Mate and her reactions to him over the past few days encouraged that thought. Pulling back reluctantly after only a few seconds, Caradoc kept his eyes closed, simply enjoying breathing in her scent. The brush of her fingers across his cheek brought a small smile to his face and he held still, letting her explore.

“Open your eyes.”Obeying silently, he found her watching him with an amused expression. She grinned before pressing their lips together again quickly. “Thank you.”

It turned out that Hermione had managed to get reservations at one of the most exclusive wizarding restaurants; one that Caradoc knew had a waiting list longer than he would be willing to wait. They were shown upstairs to a table situated just near a balcony that showed the clear summer night outside. Hermione offered him a bright smile that sent his stomach flipping when he automatically reached to hold her chair for her.

“Do I even want to know how you managed to get reservations here?”

“There’s a permanent reservation for those of us who participated in the war,” she explained with a small smile. “I’ve never had a reason to use it before, but this is worth it.”

The soft light projected from the flickering torches on the balcony turned her skin a delightfully rosy colour when she blushed as she was doing right at that moment. Caradoc took a few seconds to send a silent thank you up to Fors Fortuna as he watched her, marvelling at the fortune he had been blessed with. He had never thought it would be possible for him to connect so quickly with someone who had basically been a complete stranger a mere week before, but here he was, staring into the eyes of his Mate. He blinked when she began to speak again after they had ordered.

“May I ask you something personal?”

“Of course; I’ll tell you anything you wish to know.”

“How do the bonds within your bloodline work? Are they purely a physical thing, or is there a deeper connection; a more emotional one?”

He smiled; he had actually been expecting this kind of question much sooner. “While there is a physical aspect to the bonding itself, the connection is purely emotional. The process identifies the person a vampire is most compatible with on a number of levels: physical, mental and magical. It’s just like the Muggle idea of a soul mate, but the connection we form is real and permanent.”

“The emotional aspect...” She paused, glancing out the window as though gathering her thoughts. “Is it real?”

“Hermione, my dear, I have been falling quite hard for you since the second you entered that cell. I am certain that you are aware that nothing can replicate true love, not even a love potion. Anything you are feeling is you alone.”

Their food arrived at that point, meaning Caradoc missed seeing Hermione’s reaction to his words, although he could hear the rapid beat of her pulse quite clearly. He had not expected to have to admit to his feelings before the night they bonded, but maybe it was better that she know beforehand.

“What’s being a vampire like?” The assessing look Hermione shot him over a forkful of pasta told him his response was being measured against something, although what that something could be was beyond him. “I mean, I’ve obviously read a bit about it, but getting a personal perspective on it would be fantastic.”

He sat back in his chair, eyeing his fish as he considered her question. His personal experience had not been that bad, mainly due to Cora and the life they led at her family’s estate. His was not a ‘normal’ vampiric life, however. Meeting her eyes, he took a deep breath and prepared to tell her the truth as he saw it.

“Anyone from my clan has a life much easier than that of a wandering vampire. We have a home, a family of a sort and the reassurance that if we go out into the world, we will always be welcomed back.” The smile she offered up at that warmed him, encouraging him to continue. “If you go out into the world, however, it is a highly different experience. You would know yourself from the few vampiric cases that have gone through the Department in your time that we have little to no rights. There are always people out there who also think that becoming a Vampire Hunter is a brilliant idea that will bring in a lot of money when they sell our blood and fangs on the black market, so anyone out on their own has to be vigilant enough to not fall into one of those traps. It is a rough life that I would not want to live.”

Hermione was silent for a while, obviously absorbing the information he had given her. Taking the opportunity presented, he took in the way the firelight flickered in her eyes, the small movements of her throat as her pulse beat steadily and the way the fingers of the hand that didn’t hold the fork tapped a light pattern on the white tablecloth. Yes, he decided, his Mate was the most beautiful woman he had ever met; all he had to do was convince her that he was worth the chance. Caradoc continued to watch her as she finished her meal, then sat back in her chair with a soft smile.

“So what you’re telling me is that Cora has spoiled you, basically.”

Her words shocked a laugh out of him, one that she joined in with. It lit her eyes in a way that he knew the firelight had no chance. Standing, he offered her his hand.

“May I have this dance?”

Leading her out onto the balcony, Caradoc pulled her into his arms, enjoying the feeling of having her close. The song the unseen musicians were playing was slightly up-tempo; one that could easily be waltzed to. The discovery that Hermione couldn’t quite keep the beat to the song probably shouldn’t have amused him as much as it did, but he found himself unable to prevent a wide smile. The smile only widened when she mock-glared at him.

“Dancing isn’t on the list of desirable requirements for a Ministry employee,” she grumbled at him through the smile that hadn’t really left her face all evening.

Caradoc opened his mouth to respond, but the band changed to something slower right at that moment. “Perhaps this is more your style?”

He pulled her closer to him, wrapping an arm around her waist and the other around her back. A small hitch in her breathing told him that the questions about his heritage and the bond they could form were not purely academic. Her arms slowly snaked up around his neck, one hand moving to trail through his hair, which he had left loose for the evening. He stopped breathing when he felt her fingers tighten in the hair at the nape of his neck, pulling him down towards her. Every kiss they had shared up until this point had been slow, safe and almost cautious. This one, however, was so much more than that. He didn’t know if it was due to his telling her about the emotional connection the bond prompts, or if it was just the fact that they were standing on a balcony beneath the stars, but he felt as though this was some kind of confirmation. The scent of her rose perfume invaded his senses and he knew in that moment that he would never be able to do without this brilliant witch in his life in some form.

4

Taking a deep breath, Hermione pushed the door to Caradoc’s hotel room open. It was Saturday afternoon and she had spent the entire morning lost in her own little world. She had thought that going on that date the night before would have tempered some of the roiling emotions she felt whenever she thought of Caradoc, but it seemed to have made it worse. Of course, the fact that she had instigated a kiss that had left the two of them panting just after they had finished tea probably hadn’t helped her situation. She generally had no idea how to react to being treated the way Caradoc treated her, but found herself reacting on instinct more and more often with him. And those instincts were pushing her to get as close to him as possible as many times as possible. Butterflies rushed through her stomach as she entered the room.

The sight that greeted her inside stole her breath away from her the second she entered. She could see pieces of parchment spread out over the deskin the middle of the room and stacked in piles in the corner of the floor, but that was not what she focussed on. Caradoc stood behind the desk, his palms resting on the top. His shoulder-length hair was pushed back behind both ears, but soft curls fell down in front of his eyes, which he kept absentmindedly shoving back out of the way. His pair of black-framed glasses sat on his nose, magnifying his pale green eyes as he scanned the top sheet of parchment. Hermione felt her heart rate increase as he glanced up over the top of the glasses, a small smile twitching his lips up at the corners. Moving slowly into the room, she had to wonder if he knew what he looked like to her, or if this was a complete accident. She came to the decision that it was totally accidental when he straightened and shoved a blood-flavoured lollipop into his mouth.

“C’m lookit this,” he mumbled around the lollipop, grinning at her as best he could without losing the treat. “Might’ve found somefing.”

Her curiosity piqued, Hermione moved closer, drawing in another deep breath as she stood on the opposite side of the table to him. She had no idea what the infuriating scent was that he always wore, but it drove her to distraction. It had never occurred to her before that it was possible to be distracted from her work simply by the smell of the man she was working with, but Caradoc was certainly proving the idea right. She glanced up as she heard a deep chuckle from the other side of the table.

“It mi’t help if ‘oo lookit it from the right ‘ngle.”

The sound of the laughter in his voice had Hermione’s insides trembling, but she steeled herself and moved around the table. Standing just to his left, she leant over the spread parchment, trying to push aside the knowledge that he could probably hear how fast her heart was beating. The table held four sheets of parchment, each spread out and held down by various things he had obviously poached from around the room. Frowning as she leant in further, she realised that he had pieced together bits of old cases that had resulted in a win for the client in question. The difference this time, however, was that each of the clients had been creatures and they had been the ones to win the case, not the caseworker.

“This is...” She paused, leaning over so she could see the connections clearer. “Oh, my God.”

“You think it’ll work?”

The lollipop was gone, leaving Caradoc speaking normally again. The hope and excitement she heard in his voice was almost heartbreaking as he waited for her response. She glanced up at him, smiling wide as she saw everything reflected in his magnified eyes.

“Of course. Look ...” She unthinkingly moved over in front of him so she could reach the top of the top two pieces of parchment easily. She didn’t even flinch when his hand landed on her hip as he leant over as well, his breath tickling her ear. “If we take clause twelve of Regulation eighteen and combine it with the win that Josephine Harlocke had when trying to reclaim her family lands, then it shows you have a legitimate claim. There are no other living relatives who could possibly have a better claim than you do, so they can’t dispute that. Then, when you combine that knowledge with the Guidelines for the Treatment of Non-Wizard Part-Humans paragraph seven, clause three, it allows you the right to Ministry representation. The Ministry now has an obligation to at least help you find representation beyond what help I can give you. Now, this last sheet...” She trailed off as she moved slightly to her right and became painfully aware that she was now pressed fully up against him.

“Hermione,” he breathed, all of the emotion in his voice changed to something very different. The hand he had on her hip clenched tight, almost as if that was the only thing holding him back. “If this isn’t what you want, tell me now and I’ll back off.”

She could hear his control wavering in the slight tremble to his voice and it brought all of the previous butterflies back to her stomach. She knew that this was it, the moment she had to decide for certain whether she wanted to spend the rest of her life – or un-life – with him. Taking a deep breath that, surprisingly enough, managed to help calm her a little, she knew exactly what she was going to do– exactly what she had always intended to do. Turning to face him fully, she leant in close to breathe in his scent as her arms wound up around his neck. She smiled when she saw his eyes shifting to a deep, penetrating black.

“You have to be absolutely certain,” he cautioned her, the warning in his voice almost drowned out by the lust. “There’s no going back if you change your mind.”

“I’m certain,” she breathed, unable to put much more force behind her voice as she stared up into his eyes. “I want this; I want you.”

He took a deep breath, an action that was just as endearing now as it had been when she had first noticed it. She reached to push yet another blonde curl from his face, this time allowing her fingers to brush against his temple. The responding shiver she received had her smiling. The knowledge that she could have this kind of effect on someone was heady, causing her pulse to race and her breathing to quicken.

“Hermione...” The look he was giving her could have melted even the iciest of hearts: full of longing and an almost desperate need. “ You are my mate; my perfect match. I will understand if it’s too much to ask and a simple word from you and I will never mention it again, but I need to know. Will you do me the honour of accepting my claim?”

Hermione could see the tips of his extended fangs every time he opened his mouth and, instead of scaring her like she knew it should, she found it more exciting than anything else. She was simply not the person this kind of thing happened to and now that it had, there was no way she was going to turn it down.

“I accept your claim as my Mate, Caradoc,” she murmured, offering him a wide smile before he claimed her lips in a possessive kiss.

Her arms tightened around his neck and her legs wrapped around his waist when he lifted her up, his arms holding her close to his chest. She could feel them moving, although she much preferred to focus on him rather than where he was taking her. The touch of the softness of his bed had her smiling into the kiss again. Allowing her hands to drag through his hair, she put a little pressure on the back of his head, deepening the kiss for a few seconds before he pulled back gently. The hungry look in his now-black eyes dragged small whimper from her and she locked her legs around his waist even tighter. Smiling down at her, he leant in close, trailing one hand along her thigh under the long skirt she wore. Her back arched as she felt her knickers being pulled aside and his fingers entering her. She clenched her muscles, earning herself a low chuckle.

“Please, Caradoc,” she whispered. “I need you.”

The noise he gave in response sounded more like a growl than anything else as his free hand fumbled with the buttons of his fly. Needing to feel him with her, she removed his fingers and replaced them with her own, releasing him from his jeans. Locking her legs tighter around his waist allowed her to feel his erection pressed against her hip and she moaned, her movements quickening as her desire for him heightened.

“Shh, my love, it’s OK .” His voice was low and rough with lust as he stared down at her, his breath coming in short gasps.

Hermione was about to respond, but he forestalled her by leaning down to lick a stripe just below her ear. She shivered and tightened her grip on him, her head falling back against the pillows. The groan she let out as he entered her was completely involuntary and she squeezed her muscles around him again. Moving with him as he thrust deep inside her, Hermione encouraged the fire building in her stomach by running her fingers all over him, discovering exactly where to touch to bring about the best reactions. It wasn’t long before he managed to find that one sweet spot inside her that had her seeing stars. It only took another hard thrust at her g-spot before Hermione was tipping over the edge, her body spasming around Caradoc as pleasure spilled through every inch of her. She felt a sharp prick in the side of her neck where he had licked a few minutes earlier before everything went black.

*~*

Caradoc panted as he heard the life draining out of his Mate. Keeping a close watch on how fast she was fading, he judged that she was as close to death as he could risk having her before he released his grip on her neck. Biting down on his own wrist, he held it to her mouth, encouraging her to drink from him. The sensation of having her sucking on his wrist sent pleasure rushing through his chest and he knew that if he had not come just then, it would have made him hard again fairly quickly.

“Hermione,” he whispered when she finished sucking on his wrist. It only took about a minute for her to take a deep, shuddering breath, her eyes flying open to lock immediately with his. “My Mate.”

“Yes, I’m yours,” she replied with a wide smile that sent his stomach fluttering. “And you are mine.”

Caradoc gathered her into his arms and rolled them over so she rested on his chest. He knew that she needed the rest and it was best that she get it now before he took her to meet Cora and the rest of their clan. The next few weeks would be a bit busy for the two of them, with Hermione adjusting to her new life as well as the both of them continuing the case for Caradoc’s estate. Once it was back in his possession, they would move in and begin to form a life of their own, maybe even start their own little clan here in London. Their bonding ceremony had to be prepared for as well. Yes, their lives looked to be very busy over the next few weeks. He had no idea what he had done to deserve it, but Fors Fortuna had been incredibly generous to him in this life and there was no way he was going to squander it.

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