"Round and round the mulberry bush…. the clouds are made of ashes….. down goes the brave man's soul….his skin split through with gashes…" he sang, his voice sugary and sweet. His fingers rubbed the handle of the knife as if it were his pet, a loving child. The blade- silver metal, at least a foot long- was rusty, crimson dripping from its edge. The words he sang went along with the tune to "Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush"- a children's song, Dean realized. He had remembered hearing it when he and Sam were kids. And now Sam was singing it, his face contorted with fury. Blood stained his blue plaid shirt, his cheeks.
"Sam…." Dean warned, holding a hand out in defense. With the other, he pushed Castiel behind him, shielding the angel from his brother. The Impala was parked back in the lot of the motel. Blood splattered on the puke-green motel carpet.
"What's happening?" Castiel asked, tugging at the collar of his brown trench coat. Sweat beaded the angel's skin as Dean and him backed away, hitting the end of the bed. The sheets were stained with unidentifiable brown spots and streaks.
"I….I think it's getting to him," Dean answered, sitting on the end of the mattress, never taking his eyes off his brother. Castiel shuffled to the side, standing against the wall, watching Sam's every move. The demon's brown eyes were filled with malice as he gritted his teeth and let out a roar of frustration, pulling his arm back, then letting the knife fly at his brother. Dean ducked as the blade sailed through the air, landing with a thunk in the wood of the headboard. Red splotched the white pillows as it dripped from the metal.
"Shit, that was close!" Dean shouted, pointing a finger at Sam, "you could have killed me if that hit me!" He jumped off the bed as Sam shrugged. His eyes were cold and empty. Castiel gulped.
"Wasn't that the point?" Sam asked blankly. Dean peered out the window, saying, "Are you stupid?"
"No. Are you?" Sam countered, his fingers twitching slightly. Dean shivered slightly at the gaze from Sam- full of bloodlust- or lust in general, he thought. He had seen the way Sam looked at Cas, after all.
"Sam, this is not time for games," Dean muttered, "we need to get moving. I'll get the car started, you guys get your stuff together okay?" grabbing his coat off the back of the chair, he slipped it on and grabbed the door, slamming it behind him as he left. He could feel Sam's gaze bore into his back, even with the wood barrier. Briskly he walked down the hall until he reach the elevator, and he punched the button on the wall. There was a ding, and the elevator doors opened, revealing the small empty compartment. Good, Dean thought, I really need to be alone right now.
Castiel was back- and at the worst time possible. Sam was crazed by demon blood, and Castiel was not there to help him for at least a year. And now I just left him in the motel room with my crazed demonic brother, he thought. He watched the lights of the numbers indicate which floor the elevator was on, wiping a tear that he found sliding down his cheek.
"Damn it, Cas…..Sam….." he muttered with heartache. He hated seeing his brother like that, careless and bitchy. And Cas…he couldn't even go there. There were too many things about Cas, he couldn't pinpoint just one. The elevator dinged again, the doors sliding open.
"Could never get the hang of these useless Muggle inventions," a redheaded man said over his shoulder to someone as he came in the elevator, carrying a large suitcase with him. A stout woman followed him in, holding the hand of a teenage girl, who looked annoyed by the fact that her mother held her hand in public. Following them were a set of twins, wide grins on their faces as the waved around sticks, chanting nonsense to each other and laughing. After them were three other kids- a redhead boy with a rat on his shoulder, a girl with messy brown hair, and a boy with messy black hair and round glasses. Dean watched them curiously as they piled into the elevator, making him push himself into the corner to accommodate everyone.
"Well, ask Harry about it later!" the woman said to him- probably his wife, Dean thought, surveying the crowd of orangey-haired people- a family? And two friends? Dean thought as the red head girl tore her hand away, saying "Mummy! It's embarrassing to hold your hand!"
"Now Ginny-" the woman started to say but turned her attention to the twins- "Fred! George! No spell-casting in the… Harry dear, how do you say it?" The black haired boy whispered in her ear and she continued saying, "right- no spell-casting in the elevator!" Dean's eyes widened.
"Spell-casting…?" he asked himself, looking at the group curiously. The husband nodded his head, turning around (he was closest to Dean) saying, "Yes, spell-casting-whoa!" He cried out once he noticed Dean. He was at least a foot taller then the man. He looked Dean up and down as if he were a model in a magazine, asking, "Molly- look it this one! Almost as tall as Hagrid!" The woman- Molly, Dean now knew- pushed her way to the back of the elevator, then squeaked with surprise, "Most definitely!" Then, taking Dean's hand, she shook it saying, "Molly Weasly, dear. This is my husband Arthur- then we have Fred, George, Ginny, Ron, and their friends Hermione and Harry." She pointed to each one as she said their name. Dean knew his face was slightly red- from crying a little- so it was embarrassing to have strangers see him like that. Hermione- that was her name, wasn't it?- had her face buried in a large book while the Harry kid took off his glasses and cleaned them on his shirt.
"D-Dean," Dean answered.
"What was that dear?" Molly Weasly asked, "my hearing isn't what it used to be, you know." No, I wouldn't know, because I don't know you, Dean thought as he answered, "Dean. Dean Winchester."
"Any family, Dean?" the woman asked, a bright smile on her round face. Dean ran a hand through his hair. The three kids- Ron, Harry and Hermione- were now looking at him with interest, the big book still open in the girl's hands. She shut it, a cloud of dust floating in the air. Ron and Harry coughed, telling her "to not read in such a tight space, okay?" Arthur nudged Molly, saying, "Now dear, don't bombard the poor man, we just met him!" There was a sudden flash in his eye, and he leaned down, whispering, "Do you think he knows?" Dean raised an eyebrow as Molly said, "Probably, I mean, he knows spell-casting, after all." Could they possibly be hunters….? Dean thought, then shook his head.
"No…." he mumbled to himself, chuckling.
"No what?" the twins said simultaneously, popping up from behind him. Dean jumped, screaming with fright as Mrs. Weasly pointed a scolding finger at them, "Boys! What did I say about Apparating!" The two boys rolled their eyes, mischievous smiles on their faces.
"Sorry, Mum," they answered as the elevator dinged, the doors opening. Arthur and molly pushed everyone out of the elevator and into the hallway, saying, "Everyone have their keys?"
"We need to be at the station by three in the afternoon! Remember that!" Mrs. Weasly told everyone as she ushered them off, reaching into her pocket for the key, squinting at it.
"I need to get new glasses," she told Dean as she too dyer husband to follow the kids.
"Room fourteen," Dean read the number out loud for her, then said idly to himself "Oh, that's right next to my room. I'll have to tell Sam to keep the door unlocked for me if Cas decides to just disappear again…" Realizing what he just said, his face fell. He broke into run suddenly, leaving Molly Weasly in the hall with her kids and husband as he ran past them.