Um, a rare crossover... fem!Harry/D in a Harry Potter/Vampire Hunder D thingy.
Warnings: AU, fem!Harry, Violence.

Vampire Hunter D: The Witch's Wish.

Prologue.

The rustle of wind made even the sturdiest of trees sway like lithe dancers. The moon was high, perked on the sky and grinning maniacally down to the Earth. Framing along the stone road, rows of hydrangeas were planted neatly, the deep purple flower reflecting a faint light from above, illuminated the well-kept path ahead.

There, crowning a hill, was a house.

The boy grinned happily, approaching the unassuming structure with a skip in his step. As long as he managed to get there, everything would be fine.

…

Witches' Grove. Mostly known as the Grove, is a town in Albion. They say it was founded by a witch, her house still stands in the middle of the forest. As of lately, really strange things have been happening there.

"This really is something else, huh?" A rustle of clothes. Left hand was raised to touch along the length of an invisible boundary, creating a precise bubble that cut the path of that left hand owner right on its tracks.

"A barrier, a powerful one" The voice was a low murmur. Dark eyes observed the rest of the road that led to a considerably large and prosperous town by the edge of the northeastern frontier. "The call came from there" He noted to himself since his keen vision able to make the faint contours of tiled roofs a few miles ahead. "Can you find a weakness?"

"Piece of cake, just keep to your left a couple of steps and you will find a small fracture, with enough force we can go through" The male did just that. Finding the fracture by the slight feeling of pressure from his fingers was easy, all he had to do was look for the telltale crack. A barrier this size had to have a few of those, even though it would take someone like him to find them.

A shimmer. Just where the barrier divided the road. The male simply rode through as if there was nothing there. Distantly, he could hear the shudder of effort coming from the large construct – as if his presence affected it more than he could predict.

Not his problem.

But he had to notice something. The world seemed… calmer, on the inside of the giant bubble. Even the sun was hurting less. Using his second vision, he could clearly see the pearly shade creating the dome extending even miles around the town.

Without another word, the dark male pulled on the reins of his mechanic mount and settled in a stable run toward the town.

Witches' Grove was quaint. That's the first impression that came to mind. Differently than most humans settling, the Grove was not the compact, efficient type of town. Whereas usually the buildings were tall and mostly non-descript with few details, the neat rolls of houses he could see here were exactly the opposite.

Orange-brown tiled roofs, with wooden ruffles just like those remote Dutch villages. Arched windows and paneled doors, the earthen tones of the foundations' bricks was what made the scene look so picturesque. Tall, rare willows in spaced segments, the streets were paved with stone so old, it was like a patchwork where the wore out pieces had to be replaced by newer ones.

The people were mingling around, stores open and vendors worriedly conversing with each-other. It didn't take long for them to notice him, though. He managed to go as far as the nearest intersection.

Alarm spreads quickly after all. It was darkly amusing and a little saddening to watch the town people scramble their females behind a line of work sturdy looking men, not all holding a make-shift weapon.

"Who are you and how in the seventh hell did you pass through the wards?" A tall man stepped forward. He had bright red hair that curled slightly over a high forehead. The dark male said nothing, stoically waiting atop his eerie horse. He was wearing durable leather vests over a cotton shirt and a woolen cap.

"Answer the damn question!" Another redhead, thinner, but equally as tall man called out. This one held a large shotgun trained directly at the intruding male's head. His clothes were much the same. "We don't take kindly to strangers, and you're quite strange, so state your name and how you got pass the wards"

Sometimes, it was best to acquiesce with the wishes of desperate folks. "I am D" He introduced, voice devoid of any emotion. "I am a hunter… now tell me, where are your children?" The last question was totally ignored though; he thought he was shocking enough to have them ignore it completely.

There was no child in sight.

D dismounted his horse, the men still held their weapons in alarm, though they relaxed their guard a bit. The same stocky red haired man and who could only be his brother joined the dark hunter by his horse, the thinner man still holstering the shotgun at D.

Seeing as men were approaching the hunter, more people clustered closer.

"A hunter you say? Are you any good?" Redhead asked, blue eyes narrowing.

"Wait. Did you say D? Are you really the Dhampiel hunter?" Shotgun guy lowered his fire weapon, garnering a few confused looks and getting D to be the target of a couple of analyzing ones.

"Dhampiel?" Whispers ran through the crowd. The hunter was used to them. But to his surprise, no words of contempt left these people's lips – they were intrigued by his half-blood status, discussing his looks and just gossiping. Little by little, an electrifying feeling started to run amongst the townspeople.

"Isn't this a very unusual reaction? Maybe they've run out of pitchforks" Left hand's whispers had D's eyebrow shooting up. Indeed, for what had to be the first time in his life, he wasn't being received by distrust just because of his half-blood, these people were more concerned about the fact he was a foreigner in their town – that he was a Dhampiel seemingly calmed them down was a miracle.

A very strange and suspicious miracle.

"If you're really the Dhampiel hunter, then we want to hire you!" Redhead came a few more steps closer. D resisted the urge to flinch back, keeping his emotionless face in place. "My name is William Bawny, this is my twin brother Charles, why don't you come to our house where we can discuss things more quietly?"

The awed whispers were getting annoying very fast.

Wordlessly, D caught his horses' reins and nodded. William smiled tiredly, parting the circle of worried people neatly since he had the dhampiel following after him. As awestruck as everyone was, they still had this fearful respect for his presence. Well, at least that removed some of the previous twilight zone feeling that had crawled up his spine.

A number of uncountable eyes followed after them. D could hear each and every heart beating becomingly.

Thankfully, the track to the Bawny home wasn't long.

"You can leave your horse in the stable" Charles, the younger red haired brother pointed to an adjoined building just right of their house. The house itself followed the same patterns of the town, though instead of bricks, it was built by thick lumbers piled one on top of the other.

The brothers followed after D to the stable, where the black mechanical horse was tied with a basin of water for its tank. To the brother's credit, there was a door that led from the stables to an antechamber before the kitchen area – so the three entered from there.

When they were all comfortably sitting in the living room, D shot them both with his imposing stare, silently demanding answers. Trading glances with his Charles, William started.

"Two weeks ago, little Dan Mitchelson disappeared into the forest. We spent days searching for him but there was no trace. Just when we thought him dead, other four girls disappeared. Daisy and Rose Miles, Dorothy Campbell and July Kzarveritch… we searched all over the place but just like the Mitchelson kid, there was no clue… until a week ago, when all of our children just were gone. Two hundred innocent children…" He paused, took a deep breath then finished "Then, a few days ago, that strange barrier around town. We can't leave, no one can enter."

"We want you to find the children and find out what is causing the barrier" Charles put in. "We're willing to pay you half a million dollars, one fifth now, the rest when we have the children back"

D's face showed nothing, but his eyes were flashing when he finally spoke. "There is no guaranty the children are still alive" Someone had to point it out, these people seemed too naïve to process that possibility.

Again, the brothers exchanged glances.

"They are alive" William spoke confidently. "We cannot accept that our children are gone, but we can't go outside the barrier"

D nodded, thoughtful, his mind firing up possibility after possibility. He wasn't willing to bet on anything right now though.

"If anyone knows where the children are, then it's the witch" Charles pointed out with a soft growl in his voice. The thin face was hard, and his lips were pressed tightly together. "She has them I'm sure, the other folks agree with me"

William visibly tensed. "Don't be so hasty throwing around accusations" The larger man cut through his brother's glare with one of his own.

"This witch. Where do I find her?" D broke the two out of their staring contest. William clicked his tongue while Charles smiled grimly.

"In the forest, we've never been able to find her house, but it's there… during the coldest nights we can see the smoke rising from the fireplace"

Interesting. Another barrier perhaps?

"I will be going then" The dark hunter stared intently at the two red heads. Charles nodded, eyebrows furrowed while William reached for a leather purse from inside a vase – the money hidden in there, it seemed.

"Listen hunter… everyone pooled this money so we could hire someone worthy to investigate the children's disappearance. We're placing the whole town's hope on you, so please, please bring our children back"

…

Dan Mitchelson was a cherubic boy. With curly strawberry blonde hair and sky blue eyes that glimmered when he smiled. His face was boyish and chubby, which made the six years old child very beautiful in his own way. He was friends with all his neighbors – but his best friends were his two second cousins Daisy and Rose, because even though they are girls, they knew how to have fun.

Then, there was Dorothy, Daisy and Rose's best friend – she was the daughter of Mr. Campbell, the baker from the end of the street. Mr. Campbell always had a tray of cake crumbles when they went to visit, so Dorothy was alright to hang out with. And finally, Dan's almost brother (since they were so close and together all the time) July, who was the son of one of his father's friends, so they kind of grew up alongside each other.

Usually, none of the children caused trouble. They loved to play by the river, picking berries and flowers and chasing the woodland creatures. All of them were about six or seven years old, it stood to reason they didn't mingle too much with the elder kids – some of them were mean, and Gerard Duckali liked to bully Dorothy, who was plump with rosy cheeks and a bit overweight.

One day, while exploring along the river side, Dan got lost from his friends. He tried to backtrack, but it was already afternoon and the sun was sinking down, casting confusing shadows and scaring the little boy into tears.

"Hey there munchkin, what are you doing so far into the forest?"

Turning around, Dan's blue eyes widened. That had to be the prettiest lady he's ever seen. Wiping the tears from his eyes hurriedly (men don't cry, and he was man, right?). He question registered in his suddenly calm mind and he answered, still hiccupping a little.

"I-I'm lost…"

The lady smiled kindly, showing dimples on each cheek and a sparkle inside deep green eyes. She offered a hand. "Come with me, I'll take you back to the road back, we might even find your little friends" Her hand was soft and warm as it encased Dan's. "My name is Iliana, what is your name?"

"Dan" He gained a little more courage and smiled back at the lady.

…

The first thing the dark hunter did was go to the road connecting the town to the forest path. There was a distinct track trailing in, sign of a stampede of feet coming and going constantly. Sounds of rushing water reached his sensitive hearing from the left, and his nose was able to pick the different human scents that passed recently. He was no hound though, so it didn't matter much.

What did was what his left hand could tell him.

"Can you sense something?" The thin, pale hand was lifted, palm facing the forest.

"Yeah… right through there, maybe a mile or two, feels powerful" D nodded silently, curling his fingers over the palm and tightening his sword's leather' strap with the other hand. The darker than black heavy cloak was useful to protect him against the irritatingly humid air. He'd trust the parasitic demon to guide him to the right place.

Without any more dallying, D pressed forward, following the trail in a brisk pace. Although he believed the children were lost, that little spark of hope that maybe not all of them were gone yet, insisted in being a nuisance in his consciousness.

A Witch. Accused of kidnapping children. How… old.

"Hey D… something in this town makes no sense, I hope you're keeping on guard through this" The demon only spoke what was already in his mind. Rare and very, very strange were the occasions in which he found himself not considered a monster just because he was a Dhampiel. The townspeople felt distrustful toward him at least until he revealed he was a half-breed. Then again, he hasn't heard of a noble in the area yet – maybe this town escaped the Nobility's eyes and was vampire free, so they didn't appreciate the fear of living alongside such creatures brought the common folk.

His armor protected him from the wild flora as he waked, the foliage under his feet was a little tricky though, he had to apply all his balance and grace to be able to move without making a sound, a true hunter of the night – the thought made him cringe internally.

"There! Just ahead! Look around D, there should be some marking nearby" Left hand piped in, whispering just loud enough so the hunter would be able to hear. D followed the council, sharp eyes calculatingly passing through the path. It didn't look any different from normal, but if his old companion said there was something here, then there should be.

There. His senses widened their scope. A faint buzzing started to grate into his own particular brand of inherit magic – it led his eyes to an almost invisible mark, painted carefully in a glossy gold paint that reflected the forest's colors around it, making it really hard to point out.

A triangle with a circle fit in the middle, and a line dividing it in two.

"Let me see it!" Left hand demanded. D felt the urgency in his partner's voice and traced the symbol with his hand, not touching it but coming close enough. "D… This is fishy… don't you remember this symbol?"

Not particularly. It was geometrical and didn't spark any memories. At least none that came instantly to mind.

"No" His low voice rumbled.

Left hand cussed a string of words that had D clenching his hand just to shut him up. "Are you kidding me?! D! Think back, way back, before you left-!"

Understanding crashed over him, making his face become even stonier and his eyes harder than black diamonds. Unsavory things from his childhood bubbled to the surface unbidden, and suddenly he recalled just where he saw this symbol before. An old book in his sire's library, a little boy seeking a haven where he'd be left alone and a hopeful afternoon reading about Death. His sire caught him before he could finish even the first page and he never had the chance to enter the library by himself again.

"Do you understand now D? Whoever this witch is, she knows what this means… be careful kid"

Taking a moment to re-compose himself, D strode forward in fearless purpose. This case became more serious than he thought it could (missing children were not to be taken lightly), but a witch who had any knowledge of what might have been in that book was dangerous, too dangerous to be left alone.

It didn't take more than a couple of steps for the scene around him to melt and change drastically. The dense forest simply ceased to exist, and there in front of him was a house surrounded by a well-cared for garden.

The house was three stories high, thin with crumbled sides, it seemed as if someone took a house from a roll of houses and planted it there… There was no fence he could see, then again, with a protection like that barrier, what could a fence do? To make things even more surreal, the mail box still stood in front of a pebbled path that led to the front door, reading in cheerful letters '#12 Grimmald Place'.

A power unlike any he's ever felt before washed over him. D could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end – caution – his vampire blood was singing in ecstasy, this hunt would be fabulous, he couldn't wait for the time when he could sink his aching fangs on the neck of this powerful being and make that power his and- that wasn't going to work. Bloodlust clouding his judgment was never a good thing…

A light was lit inside the house. The first floor's windows blazing bright, warm light onto the garden beyond, it was enough to startle the beats inside of him back into his control. D's hand traveled to the handle of his sword as he approached the door with caution filled steps.

Should he knock?

"You know, it's impolite to stalk a lady's home like that" A breath, the sound of a sword cutting through the air in a deadly whistle. There was nothing there. "Behind you!" D's swirled on his nimble feet, pointing the tip of his sword to a gap of empty space just in front of him. "Oh my…" That same voice. Female, a strange accent he could just place next to his… no… but it was close enough.

"Show yourself" His voice was hard and commanding, his power rose in challenge in a cloud of darkness around him. He heard the woman suck in a sharp breath, and the next moment, his orders were met when a young woman, between sixteen and seventeen, materialized from the air right in front of his sword, blinking large green eyes at him like a startled doe.

A satin smooth whisper in the back of his mind was compelling ungraceful thoughts into his mind, the predator longed to get out, just a little, just a nibble, she'd even like it- if he didn't jump her like a common beast.

She had to be the witch… not the most beautiful woman he's seen, but her power made up for it in spades. It was a warm honeyed cape all over her skin, making her glow as if lit by an inner fire. Pure green eyes, large and curious, were staring at him with a mostly hidden calculating glint in them behind an elegant glasses frame.

Just as suddenly as her eyes met his, he saw her face brighten in recognition. His heart sped up in response to that expression.

He wanted to sink his sword deeply into her heart, but the moment dragged on and she didn't say a word, though her eyes were bleeding recognition. She knew him. She knew him. Or maybe she knew his sire, that'd would explain the presence of that symbol.

Which was dangling from her dainty neck. Wore like common jewelry.

"Who are you?" His low tones filled her garden. In the distance, all forest sounds stopped being important. All that mattered was the vibrations caused by his voice and the soft beating of her heart, like butterflies wings inside her ribcage

"I'd be glad to answer that, as soon as I don't have a bloody sword about to poke my eyes out!" She huffed, puffing out a long strand of russet colored hair that drifted to her face with one short breath. When he hesitated, her eyes narrowed into slits. "Don't be blinkered, you're the one holding the pointy end of your sword at me!"

"Where are the children?" He wouldn't relent. All his instincts were screaming at him to be wary of the young woman who stood unblinkingly in front of the business end of his sword.

As soon as he ended his question, however, he face cleared with understanding.

"You're a hunter? They hired a hunter to come after me? Blimey! It's been a while since I've been into town!" She smiled, it was a dangerously deceptive smile. "I took the children, yes, I won't beat around the bush, but I won't be giving them back yet"

She obviously knew he was a Dhampiel, yet she chose not to voice it. Almost bristling, the only thing stopping his blade from killing the witch was the fact she had hidden two hundred children somewhere and he had no idea where to start looking.

"Where are they?" His voice escalated from menacing to dangerous in a heartbeat. Everything in him was insisting he end her existence right here and now, the tread of sanity grounding his thought process was that single fact: He now knew the children were alive, from the way she spoke her words.

A blink. Plentiful eyelashes fluttering over a creamy, smooth cheek. "I will return the younglings safe and sound… I promise, but first, we have a more dangerous monster to catch" the wind blew between them. "And you've led it right here…"

In an instant, he was leaping back just in time to avoid being impaled by a huge black scythe that descended from the air above. The world revolved into chaos in an second.

…

Chapter 01: Iliana

Iliana noticed she wasn't getting any older on the day of her thirtieth birthday, when she looked at her bathroom's mirror after brushing her teeth and saw the same face she's always seen every year. At first, she wistfully thought her genes were exceptionally good, but even Ron, who looked a lot like his father and inherited the Weasley's longevity, was starting to develop a widows' peak. Hermione looked a lot more mature as well, and that didn't have anything to do with her two children.

Neville had a white streak of hair growing just at the side of his forehead. It was thin, but those singled strands only served to show Iliana that her friends were moving on while she stayed the same.

The very next day on August first, Iliana was parking her broom at the nearest magi-geneticist (a relatively new brand of studies developed to prove once and for all that there was no noteworthy difference between a pureblood wizard and a muggleborn one) for an in depth exam. She was ushered into the examination room as soon as her feet came in, being recognized as a National hero sometimes had its perks.

"Before we start anything I want a vow of silence from all of you who will see my exams" The witch stated forcefully, not wanting to risk anything untoward getting into the ears of the media, and consequently made public knowledge. As of lately, the more paranoid and busybody magicals were campaigning that she was to be the next dark lady – they were considered insane and treated as such – but the seed of misgiving was there, she didn't need anything more to make it grow.

The magi-geneticist frowned, lips pursued. "Don't worry Ms. Potter, all of us have sworn Confidentiality Vows to our patients, but if it makes you feel better, we can vow again in front of you" The two nurses behind him nodded agreeably. "I, Darwine Charl DuPea do solemnly swear to keep the results of one Iliana Lilly Potter a secret to myself, and myself only, so mote it be" The wizard's wand was raised as he spoke the words, and by the end of them, the wand blinked out with a burst of magic that tied the wizard to his vow.

After the nurses repeated the vows, Iliana felt comfortable enough to declare. "Then I, Iliana Lilly Potter, do hereby assign you as my personal doctor"

She sat through a myriad of exams, from a modified MRI to measure her magic waves to a complete genetic scanning that made possible to draw her genetic makeup.

The results were enough to make Iliana want to hurl away her breakfast.

"It seems, Ms. Potter, that you have an active vampire gene… Probably somewhere in your ancestry is a vampire" Doctor DuPea read out from his notes, sharing bewildered stares between the nurse who wasn't tending to a pale and trembling Iliana.

"How?" The surprised witch whimpered helplessly. This was a tragedy. If the bigots of the wizarding world found out about her newly found vampiric status, she'd be tagged as a dark creature and ran out of the country so fast she'd get whiplash'ed. "How can this be? Both mum and dad were humans, and I don't crave blood, I'm not a vampire"

Clearing his throat, the doctor answered the best he could. "We all have DNA. There are twenty three pairs of chromosomes responsible for storing all there is to know about us inside genes. The genes are like blue-prints, the moment we're formed, our genes provide information about how tall we're going to be, the color of our eyes and hair, even our gender… Our genes are a compilation of winning data – everything that'd help us thrive is used, every generation we're evolving slowly, but surely advancing thanks to the experiences of our ancestors…"

Iliana nodded, she could understand that layman's explanation. "Yeah… but how does that relate to me?"

"I was getting to that" Dr. DuPea placated. "Now you see, vampires are a completely different race from humans, even though they've evolved from us. In a genetic level, the vampire's genetic makeup is more complex. A vampire's inherit magic contorts a normal genome in a level even beyond the most current studies. There are many rules to becoming a vampire as I am sure you are aware" Dutiful nod. She had a couple of vampire acquaintances.

"Like to become one you have to be a virgin?" Even the nurses were now paying attention, to Iliana' slightly hysterical amusement… Even in witchcraft there were a couple of rituals that could only be performed by virgins, and virgin blood was a coveted ingredient in a lot of severely illicit potions. There was something about purity that amplified magical potential.

"Right. Now, usually, the union between a human and a vampire results in nothing – female vampires are barren since their biological cycle stops the moment they turn. But to males there is a different case – a man's gonads never stop producing seeds, though they're sterile unless in a very special case. A witch can bear a vampire's biological child thanks to her magic gene, which can adapt her own DNA in a way to match her partner's genes and produce offspring – According to several studies, a witch will always be fertile thanks to poor survival rates in earlier civilizations, your magic have adapted in such way to make sure the species continues…

The child born between a witch and an immortal, vampire, veela and even fae will be of its mother's blood, but the father's gene will be present from then on in the blood-line… It's not rare, on the contraire, after Merlin's generation, a lot of magical families gained one variant of magical gene from creatures. All settled magical families today have a little bit of a colorful ancestry… my opinion is that both the Potter and Black family had a vampire's gene, and when they joined in your father, it got transferred down to you. It was recessive, sleeping without doing anything inside of you, and it usually stays that way – never waking up, it's impossible"

Brain squirming, Iliana grabbed her forehead. "So you're basically saying I've inherited a recessive vampire gene from a greatgreatgreat grandmother's love affair with a vampire"

Smiling mirthlessly, the doctor assented. "Basically, yes"

"How did it wake up? If it's impossible, how did it become 'active' to the point where I'm not getting older?"

"I don't know… a traumatic magical experience such as being hit by the killing curse and surviving it, or being the receptacle of a horcrux, or even being bitten by a basilisk and showered in phoenix's tears – from that to a burst of accidental magic in your childhood could have done it, magic is truly an amazing and unpredictable thing" The doctor recited from her medical file, shooting an almost amused look at his glaring patient.

"How do I stop it? People will start to get suspicious, because if those idiots find out about this, they're going to chase after me worse than the slandering they're doing now"

"I'm sorry Ms. Potter, there is absolutely nothing we can do" Dr. DuPea shook his head grimly. "While you're not even a Dhampiel, you're effectively immortal, or at least will age very slowly… there is no way to predict what will happen from now on"

Grinning self-deprecatingly, Iliana dry heaved again. "So after everything Voldemort did to avoid death, I gain the means on a silver platter and I don't even want it"

She stayed a few hours in that clinic, conversing with the doctor and learning all she could in the time about genetics and vampires in general.

As soon as she left, Illiana flew directly to her home in number 12 Grimmald place, the house Sirius gave her, and holed herself up in her room and didn't come out until three days later when there were no more tears to cry.

She was going to be seventeen forever… Just the thought had her stomach curling in itself in fear and pain.

The next thing she did after three days ignoring her concerned friends, was call all the gang to a private meeting in her home. Hermione, Ron, Neville, Luna and Ginny – no respective spouses were present with the exception of Hermione and Ron, who were married.

"What is going on Lana?" Hermione asked, seeing her friend pale faced and hazy eyed. "What's gotten into you? Those stupid, vapid, brainless people are not giving you trouble again, are they? If they are, we could always ask Malfoy to-"

"It's not that" Iliana cut her friend before she could go into a tangent. Hermione flushed, but closed her jaws with a snap that had Ron wincing at her side in Iliana's living room.

"Then what is it?" Ginny prodded, eyeing the russet haired girl from hair to toe. "Just get out with it! We're worried about you!"

Neville discreetly nudged Ginny, but the lithe red headed woman ignored him in favor of staring down Iliana, silently ordering her friend to open her trap – Iliana was always doing it, closing herself off and pushing away the people that worried most about her.

"I-I went to a magi-geneticist because I was worried I wasn't… getting older" Iliana didn't sob, but she was trembling before the stares of her close friends. "I have an active vampire gene. It is stopping my aging… I might be immortal…"

Hermione, Ginny and Luna were instantly at Iliana' side, throwing limbs over arms and hugging the panicking girl…

"Oh sweetheart, you're getting through this, you're strong Lana, stronger than anyone I know" Hermione mumbled against Iliana's neck, drawing all she had to comfort her best friend.

"You still can do magic, Lana, you're still a witch, so be proud of who you are, we are proud of you" Luna said, pulling on a red/brown strand and smiling brightly at Iliana when she turned her head to look at the blonde.

A chorus of agreement ran through the room. Iliana allowed her eyes to close, for the first time since her birthday, she felt calm.

…

As her friends said, she started to get back into gear with the famous hardheadness she was known for. The very first week was spent in a kind of daze as she tried to readjust to the new knowledge that she'd outlive all her loved ones.

Iliana spent time with everyone, fixing her feet back to the ground and remembering that beyond her body's extra perks, she was still Iliana inside, and she shouldn't forget about that. It took a while more than she'd have liked, but in the end of that first week the witch was almost back to where she's been – all it took was realizing that everything she's lived through with the people she loved most would never leave her heart, and for as long as she lived, they would live along with her.

She was now sitting in her living room with Hermione, her friend said she had a surprise.

"I think this is going to work" Hermione used, looking down at the strange Hallows' pendant. The familiar symbol made Goosebumps run down her arms. Hermione, her smart and resourceful friend has been trying to tie a permanent glamour into an object, which would allow Iliana to 'grow old'. "Try it on" The Hallows' pendant was shoved at the other witch's hand.

Hermione look at her with an expectant expression. Noticing Iliana's darkening stare as she held the jewelry, the expectant look turned sheepish. "I'm sorry Lana. I just thought it was fitting considering everything… I was hoping we'd be able to have a good laugh in a few years, but now I see it was insensitive"

"It's alright, you're right, this is brilliant Hermione, I'm just currently not in the mood to appreciate the humor" Green eyes were cast low. The gears in her mind spinning madly as she looked down at the unassuming piece of white gold. In a way, it was morbidly funny – Death's own symbol being bared by the only Witch in history to survive the Killing Curse twice, and even become immortal by some convoluted genetic accident.

Maybe she'd have found it more humoring had Luna presented the idea. Luna had a peculiarly close relation to the Hallows after all the research her father made personally on them. But her blonde friend had her own family to take care of, even Hermione was sacrificing time she could have spent with her children to comfort Iliana.

Her bushy haired friend nodded sadly. "Just… try it on, let me see if the charm works, if it does, I can enchant something else" Suddenly feeling guilty at her perceivable childish behavior, though it wasn't really seeing as she's been through hell and back thanks to the ambition of wizards who'd thought they could conquer Death – Iliana shook her head.

"There is no need, if this works, I'm keeping it" Her hands rose to place the Hallows' pendant around her neck. The effect was instant. Iliana's face morphed a little, her cheeks hollowed slightly, making her high cheekbones more prominent and her skin changed parlors, becoming visibly older and marked by age. Her eyes lost a little of the vivacity, becoming a placid green fitting of a thirty years old respectful woman – she was thin, mature and haughty looking, but there was kindness in her eyes that made her seem more of a nobly dignified lady than the cold beauty that was Narcissa Malfoy, for example.

Iliana rose, wobbling a step since her legs were an inch or two longer and it made her perception faulty, and summoned a mirror with a wave of her hand.

"I look like mum" Were the words leaving unstable lips. "Hermione, this is… brilliant…" This way she wouldn't be persecuted because she wasn't aging – she could spend however long her friends lived with them.

"You look beautiful" Hermione said smiling, her own words wobbly. "The charm will show your physical age Lana, or at least how you'd have looked"

Iliana chuckled mirthlessly. "If that's true, imagine how I will look when I reach two hundred… I might have a longer beard than Dumbledore!"

At least until then, she'd hopefully know what to do.

…

London was alive tonight, Iliana noted, watching the people come and go through the night life keeping a fraction of the population awake and partying like there'd be no tomorrow. She herself was dressed sensibly, seeing as she appeared the physical age of sixty two, it wouldn't do to dress scantily as she's seen the younger girls of this generation do – a granny dressed like a high class hooker should be a laugh and a half.

Shaking her head in amusement, Iliana continued on from where she stopped, easily finding the club she's came in search for. 'Red Velvet' blinking in neon lights above a recluse building. The double barreled door was dark and imposing, covered in spikes and chained like the gates of hell.

The witch smirked. The dramatics were working, for the line of people waiting to gain entrance in the club was rounding the block.

Ignoring said line, Iliana strode purposely away from the themed door and went for a close alleyway. There, a particularly non-descript metallic door with a plaque saying, 'R.V. workers entrance' and a couple of bags of garbage littering around a larger trashcan.

Opening the door was easy – a twitch of her finger and the lock was unmade – so Iliana entered the club, exploring the workers lounge that connected to the kitchen and bar. No one stopped the formally dressed woman, but the witch could feel an extra pair of eyes that didn't belong to the humans around.

"What do you want here?" Resisting the urge to smirk again, Iliana turned around to pierce the one who spoke with her sharp green gaze, not showing any startle. He was tall, dark haired and as pale as chalk. Vampire.

This time she grinned. "My name is Iliana Potter, and I am here to see an old friend"

It was time to ingrate herself in the immortal community. After Voldemort' stunt, the MoM has been mending relations with the otherwise perceived 'dark creatures' such as vampires, werewolves and even giants… Iliana offered to play liaison, which worked just perfectly because then, she'd have access to the vampire world.

And that mean access to information about them…

The vampire eyed her sharply, recognizing the name.

"Master Alucard will see you in his office"

Her research has gone far, very far.

…