Disclaimer: The wonderful worlds of Harry Potter and Twilight are not of my creation, neither am I making any profit on this story.
Author's note: While my muse seem to have grown a bit tired of my dragon story she seems to have found a new area: HPxTwilight. I'm still working on my other story though – just slower...
Not that ff . net has been very eager to let me update or post anything *lifts disapproving eyebrow*
Hermione smiled as the minister declared them husband and wife, and she swore she had never been happier than when Ron kissed her like he'd never kissed her before. His blues eyes was focused solely on her, his smile so wide she was sure it matched her to perfection.
Like everything about him did.
She forced her eyes from her beloved's face and smiled at the people cheering for their union. All her friends, her parents returned from Australia, a sea of red-heads smiling at her and the man by her side.
So many people were smiling, and cheering for them – some even had tears in their eyes. Hermione Weasley had never ever been this happy in her entire life.
xXx
She kept spinning the ring on her finger, as she always did when she was nervous or uncomfortable. She let her eyes wander over her gorgeous surroundings and felt her heart sink in her chest.
They were supposed to see this together.
She waved her wand at the tent and it rose soundlessly, reminding her of the year spent in a tent just like it. She took her bag with her as she entered the tent and put it down on the floor next to the bed she sunk down on.
It was supposed to be a late honeymoon.
She put her face in her hands and screamed and screamed and screamed until the pain in her chest had turned into a much more manageable soreness in her throat. She felt the tears well up in her eyes and didn't do anything as they started running down her cheeks, dripping from her jaw. Ginny had held her so many times, rocking back and forth, telling her that it helped to let her emotions out while she herself had cried like it was Harry and not his best friend that had left them for good.
The silent crying didn't do anything to help the pain though, and she started sobbing as reality flooded her again.
Ron was dead.
Ron had been torn away from her.
Ron was gone forever and the only one she could blame was a poor clerk, that had mislaid the correct form for the cursed what-ever-it-was, and Hermione really couldn't bring herself to blame some random wizard who was just trying to do his work – she knew how chaotic the Ministry could be sometimes.
It didn't help the pain lessen though.
She grabbed her pillow and clutched it to her chest as she started sobbing loudly, her chest heaving, her head growing lighter from the insufficient intake of oxygen.
She screamed again – a useless attempt to vent her grief, sorrow, and anger.
She fell back on the bed, burying her face in the pillow and wondered why on Earth she had left their flat.
Ginny and Molly should have known she wasn't going to be less of a hermit here than in London – this only made it easier to isolate from the world.
But then again – why they had listened to any of Loony Lovegood's suggestions she didn't understand either.
The sharp pang of bad conscience of the name calling made her sobbing increase.
She wasn't just a grieving person – she was a bad one too!
She lost her breath as the thought hit her; she was being punished because she was such a bad person! Ron was taking away from her, because she didn't show enough appreciation – always scolding him and bossing him around instead of showering him with the love he deserved.
Fighting the urge to shake her fist at the sky for putting her in such pain, she acknowledged her thoughts as complete rubbish.
There was no deity punishing people if they were misbehaving.
There were no afterlife, and Hermione would never see Ron again.
Ever.
She fell asleep with her face half buried in the wet pillow when her crying had taken up the rest of her energy.
xXx
Outside the tent a big gray wolf heard the deepening in the grieving woman's breath and started howling.
This, Leah Clearwater swore to herself, is the last time I will grieve over you, Sam Uley.
There weren't room for that many grieving people in the woods around Forks. This woman would grieve enough for the both of them.
But she would come back and check up on her.
There hadn't been anyone to help Leah through her pain. There were Emily, but they both knew there were nothing she could do to help Leah, and she had eventually stopped trying.
She hadn't understood the pain.
She had caused it.
But Leah knew the pain.
She had wallowed in it for years – made it her one true confidante. The only thing she was sure of of all times.
So she was going to show up and wait for the moment where her help was needed, and she would give it, and perhaps that would be the thing that would help her past her own pain.
At last.
xXx
On the third day of crying in hiding Hermione noticed that she was hungry.
Very hungry.
So hungry she could eat just at much as Ron.
The thought made her cry again and she had to take another moment before she was able to get off the bed that she previously hadn't left for other things than the need to go to the loo.
She gave herself a critical look in the mirror and inspected her untameable hair and her red swollen eyes. She shuttered at her dishevelled appearance and ran her hand over the frizzy mane, trying to calm it. She stopped mid movement and withdrew her hand while the tears started to form in her eyes again.
Who was she trying to look good for? Ron wasn't around to compliment her any more.
She blinked to keep the tears from falling and scolded herself for thinking of him again – she was going to town today and get some food so she could stay hidden again without having to leave for something as stupidly basic as food.
She really should have realized she would need that when she arrived.
Stuffing her wand in her purse – the same purse she used on the Horcrux hunt – she took a deep breath before stepping out into the open air.
Where she almost tripped over a basket.
She crouched next to it and inspected it and it's content; it was waterproof, a bit old and it held a couple of apples, two bottles of water and what seemed to be sandwiches wrapped in paper. Hermione looked around, trying to find out who had left their lunch right in front of her tent and noticed a person standing in the far end of the clearing. Quickly rising, Hermione sneaked her hand inside her purse and grabbed hold of her wand as she watched the dark haired person leaning against a tree.
Nothing happened for several long seconds and the two just looked at each other.
Then the other person lifted his hand – as a greeting Hermione presumed – and the witch raised her own in response. Then the stranger turned around and jogged into the forest where he quickly disappeared.
Hermione frowned a the spot the stranger had stood for a moment before taking the basket inside – she would of course check it for poison and such likes, but she somehow doubted that the stranger wanted her any harm.
A witch could never be too careful though.
xXx
Leah rolled her eyes at Sam's anger.
The Cullen's turned Bella – that means they broke the treaty! he exclaimed and Jared and Paul barked enthusiastically in agreement. She stayed silent as she awaited the inevitable protest.
She was dying, and it's not like they turned her here, Jacob shot back and a low growl escaped the big wolf.
That doesn't change that she's still a vampire. Or that she's never going to love you back. She had expected a sharp retort, but Sam just took it to the next level. Wonder what Jakie-boy was going to do-
I'm not gonna let you do this! She didn't see that one coming either – she had expected the usual whimpering objections, but Jacob just seemed full of a new refreshing rage. Her tail whacked from side to side as she watch the two wolves rise and move towards each other, doing their utmost to look intimidating.
Do I need to command you or should I just teach you a lesson. Sam bared his teeth and snarled at the bigger wolf.
You will not teach me a lesson, the wolf stared intently at his alpha. I won't watch you destroy the leeches or our pack with your rash decisions.
You won't win a fight against me, Sam snarled in his thoughts and crouched as to jump at the other wolf at the first possible moment.
I won't fight you at all. Jacob took a small step backwards and Leah held her breath as she waited for the rest of his sentence. I'm leaving.
Than Jacob turned around and disappeared between the trees behind him.
Come back, Sam demanded in his alpha-voice, but the wolf didn't reappear.
I can't hear him, Jared thought and his wolf whimpered.
He left the pack. Leah's snide tone made the other wolf turn their eyes to her and she grinned in amusement. You don't get it? He left the pack. He probably went back to his beloved vampire to watch over her. Attacking the leeches will cost you dearly now Sam.
A surprised yelp made her focus move from her pack leader to her brother who looked at her with big eyes.
Before he started running the same way the Jacob just left.
No, Seth – come back! Yet again Sam's alpha-voice didn't seem to work as the young wolf stayed out of sight.
And hearing range.
Brilliant work, Sam, Leah snarled, Now you lost another.
Shut up, he shot back and he growled deep in his throat.
Whatever. I need to get back – I have work in an hour. Leah started running before Sam could answer, but he didn't try to stop her to her great delight.
As she phased back she allowed herself a mirthful laugh. It really was amusing watching Sam's world and power crumble beneath him.
She sobered a bit after she got her clothes on – her new persona shouldn't laugh at other people's misfortune.
But come one – he had it coming.
xXx
Hermione had gotten used to stranger and the baskets of food. They were always containing for enough for two days. They were waiting outside the tent around noon and the stranger would stand across the clearing waiting for her to come out and retrieve the gift.
The food hadn't been poisoned yet, but Hermione still tested every offering.
Today was going to be different though.
After fifteen days in solitude and after receiving six baskets of food, she was now starved for something less substantial; human company.
She grabbed a blanket and made sure her wand was in her jacket's pocket and stepped outside.
It was a beautiful day, much nicer than it usually was, with the sun shining down softly, making the tree leaves glow bright green above her head. She made sure the stranger were across the clearing before spreading out the blanket on the ground and sitting down instantly starting to spin the ring on her finger.
She was going to stay there until the stranger gave up and came over.
Which he did surprisingly fast.
And as he got closer Hermione felt a bit embarrassed and seriously relieved as she noticed, that the stranger in fact wasn't a man – despite the height.
"I'm Leah," she told as she settled in front of Hermione on the blanket. "I live in the reservation."
"Hermione," the witch said as she opened the basket and gave her company a sandwich, an apple and the second flask of water. "I'm from London." She took a peanut butter and jam sandwich and took a bite of it. They ate in silence, and Hermione enjoyed just being in the present of another thinking being.
Ron would have been proud of her.
The pain came back, she had forgotten about it for a moment when she had waited anxiously for her stranger to join her. Now it returned, dulling her senses and making her eyes watery.
Distraction – I need to distract myself, she though and frowned a bit as she tried to come up with something to keep her thoughts on less dangerous topics. Her eyes fell on her sandwich.
"I like your peanut butter and jam sandwich, though I suppose you use jelly instead of jam. I hate it when I get whole berries on my sandwiches." She smiled tentatively at the other woman.
"I'm glad," she simply responded and continued eating her own sandwich.
Hermione really hated the whole berries. She would always eat around them or give them to Ron – that man would eat anything and everything. The tears welled back up and she had to put her sandwich down to avoid crushing it.
"You really should talk about it." Hermione look up at Leah who was watching her with a neutral look on her face. "It gets easier if you talk about it. Or so I've heard. I can at least assure you it doesn't help if you keep it to yourself."
The two woman looked at each other in silence before Hermione gave in, "I was told to let my emotions out," she started and Leah looked thoughtful for a moment.
"Did it help?"
"Not really." Leah looked contemplative at her sandwich. "I let out a lot of emotions and it never really made me feel any better." She looked up. "But I probably didn't do it right either."
Hermione felt a small smile grow on her face. "What happened to you?" she asked as her curiosity got the better of her.
"If I tell, you have to tell too," Leah declared a with determined facial expression.
"Okay."
"My boyfriend left me for another woman. My cousin. It was love at first sight, and even though he tried to fight the attraction he ended up giving in. The hard part was having to be close to them afterwards – I had first row seat to their growing romance and happiness. It was awful. I was impossible to be around – pestered everyone around me with snappy comments and downright mean behaviour."
"What made you move on?" Hermione asked.
"I heard another woman crying alone in a tent one night and decided there shouldn't be that much grief in one forest. It's big but not that big." Leah smiled and Hermione felt a bit embarrassed as she realized she was the one the other woman her heard.
"My husband..." She started spinning her ring and she cleared her voice. "My husband was killed in an accident on his job." A tear ran down her cheek and another was soon to follow. She wiped them away angrily.
She hadn't come out just to cry on another's shoulder.
She looked up to find Leah looking at her with compassion. "I'm sorry," she said and smiled briefly.
Hermione gazed at her ring and stopped spinning it and started caressing it with her middle finger instead.
"So am I," she whispered quietly, but apparently not as quietly as she thought she had, as Leah leaned over and gave her knee a friendly pat.
They finished eating in silence, but Leah promised she would be back the next day before she left with the empty basket.
xXx
"What do you mean he won't come back?" Leah demanded and looked at Sam infuriated.
"He has apparently joined Jacob's new pack." He looked lovingly up at Emily as she placed a big plate of pancakes in front of him and Leah snarled at the affection the two others showed each other in everything they did around each other.
"What are you going to do about it," she asked, trying to get his attention back at the problem at head.
"What can I do?" he snapped back, obviously annoyed at her tone.
"I don't know – I'm not the alpha!" She threw her hands up in desperations. Was he really just going to let Seth wander around with Jacob as his only ally?
"Nothing, that's the answer. He decided to leave the pack – there's nothing I can do to get him back if he doesn't want to." Leah looked at her alpha with a gaping mouth as he started on his pancakes. She frowned after watching him for a moment, her mind set on what she was going to do about the situation.
"Right," she said and got up from the chair. "If there's absolutely nothing you can do, it's up to me to make sure, nothing's going to happen to Seth."
She started towards the door, before Sam called her back, "Wait, Leah – what are you going to do?"
She turned in the open door and shot him a pitiful look back. "What do you think?" she asked, sarcasm seeping into her voice. She turned her back on him again and walked out.
She heard the way he stood so fast his chair fell over and the way he almost jumped to the door. She heard him demand that she stopped and came back, but she didn't care any more.
She wasn't a part of his pack.
xXx
"You know what?" Hermione asked one day as they sat under a big tree in cover of the drizzling rain.
Leah shook her head as she chewed on a ham and cheese sandwich.
"I'm sick of wallowing in self-pity! I'm sick of being oblivious to my surroundings! I'm sick of being stuck in that tent all day!" She looked expectantly at Leah.
"Good for you," the other woman said. "What are you going to do about it?"
Hermione frowned. She hadn't really thought about that. To be true she hadn't decided to stop her useless grieving until this moment. Sulking in the tent hadn't helped her move on, but being in the company of Leah was very comforting.
"I have absolutely no idea," she admitted. "Do you have any?"
"Well," Leah started, clearing her voice as she contemplated the possibilities. "I guess doing some hiking would be good. You know, walking around in the forest – admiring the trees and such." Hermione nodded thoughtfully. "I can get you a map and stuff you need if you want?"
"That would be lovely!" Hermione exclaimed and she resumed eating her apple.
"I'll do that," Leah said with a small smile and attacked her sandwich again.
"How are your heartbreak going?" Hermione asked after a while, as she realized they never really talked about Leah and her man trouble.
"It's coming along." She smiled at Hermione and wiped her hands free of bread crumbs after stuffing the last bite into her mouth. "I kinda left his clique of friends, and started hanging out with another crowd. Although it's pretty much the same people, just fewer of them, and only the ones I like the best."
"That's nice."
"It is. I guess I should have left Sam's... gang long before, but I just needed someone to show me how. It turned out to be a guy with a heart as broken as mine and my little brother." Leah chuckled and Hermione smiled at the sight.
"We're an exceptionally gloomy couple, aren't we?" she asked and Leah looked at her with mirth in her eyes.
"You could say that." She emptied her bottle of water and laid down on the blanket. "But I'd always prefer to be a part of a gloomy couple to be gloomy all by myself."
"I second that." Hermione leaned against the tree and started spinning her ring. "Do you ever wish that Sam didn't fall in love with your cousin?" she asked the into the air and gazed at Leah out of the corner of her eye. She was lying peacefully with her eyes closed and her hands beneath her head.
"Not anymore."
"Why?" Hermione asked and looked at her wedding ring.
"I realized Sam was a jerk." Hermione was forced out her moodiness as a sudden laugh left her lips. "But he was! Always bossing us around and eating all the food! And he'd get pissed all the time – he really has a horrible temper." Hermione started laughing fully and she doubled over, grasping her side as she panted for breath. "What was Ron like?" the question stung a bit, but it wasn't a surprise the Leah wanted to know.
"He could be a bit of a jerk too," Hermione said smiling as her eyes grew a bit glassy. Leah was watching her closely from her her position on her back. "We would argue a lot – we always did that – and I would boss him around. Then he would get furious and we would shout at each other before we jumped each other and started snogging like teenagers." Leah nodded although she wasn't completely sure what 'snogging' was. "He was really moody," Hermione continued, "and he was so argumentative! He just had to be right, and he never was when he was arguing with me!" Hermione smiled at the memory and went back to spinning her ring. But he was so brave – there weren't anything he wouldn't do to protect the people he loved." She hid her face in her hands. "And I miss him so much," she added as the tears started pouring from her eye sockets.
Leah pushed herself in a sitting position and pulled Hermione in for a hug, letting her cry into her shoulder.
"I know you do, everyone can tell."
"I know he wouldn't want me to be this upset, but I just can't help it – everything remind me of him somehow!" Hermione threw her arms around Leah's torso and her crying increased. "I just feel so bad for being the one still living!"
"Why would you feel that? Would you rather Ron was the one left, mourning your death?" Leah asked pushing Hermione a bit away so she could look her in the eyes.
"Yes! No? I don't know!" Hermione cried exasperatedly. "He would know how to handle it – he would be able to move on!"
"Do you really think that?" Leah lifted her eyebrow at the puffy eyed witch who shook her head.
"No," she admitted. She leaned back against the tree and started spinning the ring on her finger again. "I'm probably the one best fitting for surviving this. Doesn't mean I have to like it."
"No, but it means you eventually will have to move on."
"I know."
They sat in silence for some time before getting up and tidying up after the meal.
"We were supposed to have come here on our honeymoon." Hermione gazed at the orange tree tops and sighed.
"Weird place to come on a honeymoon," Leah muttered and grabbed the basket.
"We grew rather fond of camping."
xXx
The shapeshifters kept to the furthest corner in the living room. The were standing shoulder to shoulder, the contact calming them in a room so completely filled with their mortal enemy.
Leah felt very happy that Quil and Embry had chosen to join Jacob's pack too – five wasn't many compared to the enormous amounts of vampires, but it was more than three.
And of course Sam's pack were going to help during the fight – he just didn't want to be present at the strategy planning.
Seth had laughed when Quil told them, and declared that their old pack leader was afraid to be in the same room as several covens of vampires. He stopped laughing when Leah with a perfect pokerface stated that he was too.
The truth really wasn't comfortable.
She wasn't paying much attention to the meeting after the small, bouncy leech told when the Volturi would arrive. Jacob would explain their roles in the fight anyway.
And it was the only thing she was interested in – the fight.
It was so infuriating to be so close to so many vampires without being allowed to attack them. It would be nice with some proper venting.
It would be nice to get to rip some blood-sucking heads of their necks. She smiled as the prudish, mind-reading Cullen shot her a disgusted look, and she chuckled silently.
The attention her amusement gained her made her sneer at the vampires – they really were too easily distracted!
She yawned and scratched her neck as she waited for the meeting to end.
xXx
"You seem excited," Hermione stated peeling a banana carefully. They were wearing big coats and she had cast a few spells on the blanket to keep it from getting cold or wet when they melted the snow with their body heat.
"Yeah? Well, I am!" Leah grinned, nervous energy shining in every movement she made. "We have a big fight tomorrow. I did mention that I play basketball, right?"
"You did. Who are you playing, since you're this excited?"
"Um..." Leah seemed to think a bit more than a question like that needed. "A team from Italy – my coach used to coach them, so we agreed to meat up and have a friendly game."
Hermione nodded and took a bite from her banana.
She loved bananas.
Ron had loved when she ate them too. He told her that she was hot when she ate it, and she had rolled her eyes and told him he was being vulgar.
They had sex on the kitchen table afterwards.
Hermione smiled at the memory, before her eyes widened and she gaped in surprise.
"I just thought of Ron without tearing up!" she cried out, staring at Leah, secretly needing to be assured that it was a good thing.
"That's great!" Leah grinned at her. "What did you think of?"
"Er – sex..." Hermione felt a bit uncomfortable admitting it, but Leah usually was very good at staying calm no matter what happened.
"That's... great too." The grin turned into a teasing smirk. "Sex aren't really meant to make people cry, that's what luuuurv-making is for."
Hermione laughed and threw her banana peel at the other woman who was barking with laughter.
"Moving on to serious subjects," Leah said and sobered quickly. "What are you doing tomorrow?"
"I don't know," Hermione said slowly, a bit taken aback by the sudden shift in conversation. "Some more hiking I presume. I rather like walking round and about. The trees are very beautiful and the view when you go higher is spectacular." She noticed the impressed look on Leah's face and realized that she wasn't supposed to be able to walk that far if she was to return to her tent every evening. "I run on a lot of my trips," she tried to explain her slip.
"Right..." Leah still looked doubtful, but she seemed to brush it off. "Do you have your map?" Hermione nodded and quickly went to retrieve it from the tent.
"Here," she said and handed it to her friend.
"Okay..." Leah laid the map out on the blanket between them and pointed to a spot up west. "Have you ever been up here?" she asked her unblinking eyes resting on Hermione's face.
"I don't think so." she admitted, a small frown marring her face. "Is it nice?"
"Fantastic view!" Leah declared and the grin returned to her face. "You should go there tomorrow!"
"I guess I will," Hermione smiled back. She folded the map back and shoved into her pocket to her wand.
They leaned back and watched the treetops like the usually did when they were done eating, enjoying the look of the dark branches against the white sky and the silence.
"You said, you thought about Ron without wanting to cry, right?" Leah asked suddenly, breaking the silence.
"I did."
"Don't you think that's kinda big?"
"I suppose..." Hermione had a small feeling where Leah was going and her fingers went automatically to the ring, slowly spinning it on her finger.
"I think it's time that you took it off."
"I know." She didn't feel the urge to cry, but instead a weird empty feeling in her chest. "It's very fitting actually."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. It was our four years anniversary yesterday." Hermione saw Leah nod out of the corner of her eye.
"Definitely time now..."
The silence grew back.
"Can I wait to do it tonight?"
"I don't think that's a good idea," Leah said slowly. "But you know that too."
"I do." Hermione drew a big breath and took a moment to admire the way her hand looked with the ring on before taking hold of the thin gold band, quickly pulling it off. The hand looked oddly naked with the small piece of jewellery.
Leah smiled to her, for the first time that day looking entirely at peace.
Hermione realized the following morning that she had in fact been to that place out west that Leah had suggested. She also realized that never really had wandered east.
xXx
Leah watched along with the others while the Volturi entered the clearing, dark figures in sharp contrast to the serenely white snow.
She couldn't wait for it to get tainted with the marks of war, fight, and struggle.
They seemed a bit surprised by the amount of vampires and werewolves that were making up their welcoming committee, and Leah didn't blame them – she was damn impressed too, even if she didn't care one minute for some of the young boys who had started phasing suddenly as the number of guests with the Cullen's grew.
Some of them weren't more than thirteen.
And they were probably going to die.
Her thoughts snapped back to the scene in front of her, as a dark haired leech started walking towards Team Cullen. She fought the urge to snicker, as that would be totally inappropriate. But she couldn't wait to share it with the others when they phased.
She looked to the left and noticed that old Cullen was walking up to meet the approaching Volturi-dude. She really didn't care for this. Too much tense waiting, too little fighting.
"Carlisle, my dear friend. It's been so long since last we met!" Leah doubted there were anyone present that couldn't hear every word spoken – there were not a single not supernatural being present.
"Aro, you speak the truth," Old Cullen said, and Leah assumed the dark haired vamp was the Aro-guy. "I would have preferred..." Leah frowned at the weird stop, but then she heard it too, smelt it too.
Her eyes widened in shock and fear when she realized what was happening.
Hermione, her new and only true friend had apparently decided to walk east instead of west, and she was just about to walk into the middle of a big werewolf-vampire versus vampire-fight.
Leah, and every other beings in the snow-clad meadow stared speechless at the forest. She thought she might have heard the little psychic Cullen whisper that she hadn't seen anything about this happening, and Leah damn well hoped she hadn't, otherwise she would be the first one to fall at her claws.
Her heart started pounding in her chest when the whistling form of Hermione appeared, and she stopped staring confused at the gathered people.
Leah couldn't breath as her friend apparently decided that the brightest thing was to walk up to the two men in the middle of it all. She would have screamed for Hermione to run away, if she could only remember how to speak. But no, she was left to watch her friend walk into to certain death.
xXx
Hermione really hadn't suspected this when she started her hiking trip.
Really, she hadn't.
But then again, with her track record, she should have suspected something like it.
So instead of panicking like any normal person would do, she did the only logical thing and walked to the middle of it.
That's what Harry and Ron would have done.
She soon realized just what she was up against, and she couldn't help but smirk at her own obliviousness – she should have noticed that there were vampires residing close by.
And somewhat prominent vampires – why else would Aro be here?
"Hullo, there," she greeted when she came into hearing range of the two stunned vampires. "You're Aro, I presume? Leader of the Volturi, self-acclaimed vampire royalty?" She held her hand out at the vampire, who took it speechlessly and nodded. She turned to the other vampire. "I'm afraid I don't know who you are?"
"Carlisle Cullen," he said, frowning slightly as he shook her hand too. "I'm leader of the residing vampire coven."
"And a vegetarian, I can see," Hermione smiled and put her hands on her hips. "And what seems to be going on here?"
"Who are you?" Hermione looked a bit surprised at Aro's question, but soon regained her posture.
"Oh, I'm so sorry – I totally forgot to introduce myself! I'm Hermione Weasley. I work for the British Ministry of Magic, the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, which I'm quite certain that you are familiar with, Mr. Aro?"
Carlisle cocked a brow at the sheepish look the appeared briefly on Aro's face.
"But no one answered my question," Hermione said and smiled at the two vampires.
"We're here to see that a human with the knowledge about us was changed. You know, to our assure our secret," Aro smiled charmingly at the young witch, who wasn't at all impressed with his explanation.
"I'm sorry to breach your bubble, Mr. Aro, but you don't have the jurisdiction to care for cases like this. As you might know, Clause 73 clearly states, that it is the local wizard governing body, that is responsible for the secrecy when magical beasts are involved. And no matter how how civilized your covens may be, you're still counted as magical beasts by the wizarding society." She turned her focus from her reprimand of the Volturi leader to the blond vampire. "I don't understand what Leah and her friends are doing here though. They clearly aren't vampires."
"They're shapeshifters," Carlisle said surprised by the small woman's extensive knowledge. "Wolves," he added as an afterthought.
"Oh!" Hermione was again surprised, and she felt a bit daft for not noticing earlier. "Intriguing. And how came you to join forces?"
"You could say that we saw beyond old enmity and united to fight a greater enemy, but you could also say that they're friends of my daughter's."
Aro was getting angry with the witch. First she came waltzing in and questioned his authority, telling him he didn't have any jurisdiction, and now she had the nerve to ignore him to chat with that abnormality about the mutts, that were smelling absolutely appalling.
"Listen," he hissed and the young woman turned her gaze back to him. "I don't think you understand just exactly who you're messing with-"
"I believe I do," she said, effectively cutting him off. "You're Aro, the gentlemen behind you are Marcus and Caius, and you're leaders of the organisation called Volturi, that claims they have some sort of authority over the remaining vampires. I believe that it is you, Mr. Aro," Hermione said drawing her wand from her pocket, pointing it at his chest, "who does not understand who I am. I am Hermione Weasley, born Granger, and I am a part of the Golden Trio and a witch. I can kill you with a single word and get away with it because I saved the magical society from a evil wizard with a couple of friends of mine. I expect you now the name Harry Potter?" She smirked when the arrogant look on Aro's face seemed to slide of, as if it melted. "I'm glad we agree on this, and now – if you don't mind taking the rest of your organisation and bugger off before I feel the need to contact the nearest auror-office and report your claiming authority and jurisdiction you do not possess? It would please me so very much!"
Hermione smiled at Carlisle as Aro started walking back towards his army, defeat shining from him like an aura.
"Now, Mr. Cullen-"
"Carlisle, please!"
"Carlisle, then." They smiled at each other, both the definition of good manners. "If you wouldn't mind introducing me to your family and friends? I'm presuming that the entire vampire population on your side isn't a part of your family." Carlisle laughed heartily, feeling in higher spirit than he had in a long while as they started walking towards Team Cullen, as Leah had dubbed them.
"Your assumptions are correct. We are so lucky as to be housing several other covens. And of course we have our dear friends, the shapeshifters from La Push, one of which you apparently already know?"
"Oh, yes! Leah have grown to be a dear friend of mine, keeping me company while I'm camping out in the woods."
"Camping?" Carlisle looked surprised. "Isn't that terribly cold this time of year?"
"Magic. Everything is a lot easier with it." She looked up to see Leah and several guys her height, but bulkier advancing towards them. "But if we could wait with the introductions for a while, Carlisle, I believe I have some explaining to give and receive with a friend of mine." Carlisle nodded and walked towards a blonde woman who looked as if she was about to weep with joy – which she of course couldn't, seeing as she was a vampire.
"Hermione! What on Earth did you just do! Are you a witch? Why didn't you tell me?" Leah looked like a thunder cloud, but Hermione found it hard to keep her eyes on her friend, as they seemed most happy when resting on one of her friends, a very tall, black haired, very handsome young man that kept looking at her in a slightly funny, but also very nice way. Leah frowned at her Hermione's wandering gaze and shot her friend a sharp look.
And broke into a big grin, before collecting Hermione into a big hug.
"Wait here a moment, Jacob, and I'll introduce you," she said as she dragged Hermione away from the others by the arm. "We're just going to have a bit of a girl talk first."
She stopped several yards away from the group of shapeshifters that looked oddly after them.
"How are you feeling right now?" Leah asked with such serious feelings showing on her face, that Hermione could only raise her hand to show her naked ring finger. "Very good, but beside that – how do you feel?"
Hermione contemplated the question for a bit. "I fell better than I have in a long time," she finally decided on. "I'm still broken hearted, but I think I just regained the will to go back to work. I totally forgot how great it feels to tell of annoying know-it-alls – and I should know – I am one!" Leah smiled but Hermione knew she hadn't answered fully yet. "I miss Ron – terribly – but I have the will to live and fight on."
Finally satisfied, Leah pulled her into another big hug, enveloping Hermione in a comfortable warmth. Pulling away, Hermione finally noticed the playful smirk.
"You know what they say the best cure for a broken heart is?" she asked and continued before Hermione got a chance to answer. "New love! And come on now – I want to introduce you to my alpha Jacob. I think you're gonna love him!"