The Muggleborn Vampire: A Dramione Story

Chapter 15: The Final Test

"Good evening, Albus and Minerva. Come on in."

Hermione walked around the coffee table to stand in the center of the living room as she watched Severus greet the Headmaster and her Head of House at the front door of their shared living quarters. He seemed to be talking to them in hushed tones before permitting their entrance, in which Hermione could have overheard with her vampiricly inheanced hearing but chose to ignore it so she could focus on making sure she was presentable. She was wearing a pair of Muggle jeans, a purple jumper, black fuzzy socks and her fingerless gloves; the outfit was acceptable enough considering that she didn't know about their visitors when getting dressed this morning. She would have to talk to Severus later about giving a girl some time to prepare before inviting guests over. That's not the best thing to spring on someone without warning!

Running her fingers through her hair, she took a calming breath as she heard the end of the neighboring conversation and saw Severus usher in Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall. 'I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.' She chanted in her head and plastered a nonchalant smile on her face.

The smell of blood smacked her nose as they entered, causing Hermione to inhale sharply and flinch slightly. She had forgotten what human blood smelled like, since she had only smelled it once before when she came into contact with Madam Pomffery' s scent in the hospital wing. She was used to smelling other sorts of animals, of course, but she found that human blood smelt a bit sharper and more pronounced and complex. It was like she had only been in contact with the smell of sugar and butter cookies in the past, and she was just now meeting the scent of chocolate chip ones.

Hermione shook her head to dispel the odor in the air and began breathing slow, shallow breaths through her nose and out her mouth. 'Remember: these are friends, not prey,' She told her inner vampire, 'they are off limits.'

"Hermione! It's so nice to see you! You're looking great!" Professor McGonagall greeted her in a cheerful voice. She approached Hermione and automatically went in for a hug before pausing in mid-lean and opting to offer a hesitant hand instead.

Hermione smiled, thankful that she wasn't pulled into an embrace, and grasped McGonagall's outstretched hand and shook it gently. Her gloves worked marvelously as she was unable to feel the professor's pulse or the heat of her skin. "Hi Professor. It's nice to see you too."

Relief filled the McGonagall's eyes as she took the offered seat on the couch.

Dumbledore approached her next, and after seeing the success in the women's handshake, offered her one as well. "Miss Granger. It seems your training has been satisfactory so far."

"Yes sir, Severus and I have been working every day and I am feeling confident in my self control more and more."

"Wonderful! And it looks like you are handling my and Minerva's presence fairly well." He smiled as he sat on the couch beside McGonagall.

"I believe so." Hermione shrugged as she accepted one of the wing backed chairs Severus brought over from in front of the fire place and sat across from Minerva on the other side of the coffee table. Severus sat beside her across from Dumbledore.

"Don't be so modest, dear." Minerva smiled. "You seem pretty in control."

Hermione chuckled and fiddled with the lace on her gloves. "You should have seen me when you first knocked on the door. We've been practicing with rabbits, so I wasn't sure what to expect. But really, you don't smell too different, just a bit richer."

The two professors on the couch chuckled and she could see Severus rolling his eyes beside her, but he wasn't denying it.

"What says you, Severus? Do you think she is ready to attend classes again?"