Chapter 2:
"What the hell Cas, did you just angel her to sleep?" Sam screeched after he watched the brunette slump against Castiel's shoulder.
"She was about to try to kill all of us, accidentally. We need to get her out of here, do you have a room close?" Castiel asked as he shifted out of the bench, gently pulling Hermione with him. When he was out of the booth completely he hitched her up bridal style in his arms.
"How would she try to kill us?" Dean asked his friend as he pushed Sam out of the booth.
"I don't want to tell you now, you may jump to conclusions," Cas told them as he walked to the exit of the bar. He turned with his hand on the handle. "The address, Sam?"
Sam quickly rattled off the name of his hotel and Cas slipped through the door. Once Dean and Sam followed they realized that the angel had already transported himself and Hermione there.
"Don't you just love how nice and normal our nights always turn out?" Dean asked his brother with a sarcastic smirk before shoving his hands in his pockets and making his way to the Impala.
The next moment Sam jumped in and they were on the road to the hotel. Both brothers were preparing themselves for what awaited them inside the hotel room, but what they saw was not what they had expected.
Cas had placed Hermione on one of the beds, and was sitting on the edge of the bed holding both her hands in his.
Sam and Dean stood framed in the doorway. Neither of them had seen Cas treat any human like this.
"Are you coming in or what?" he said, his voice bringing the other men to their senses.
"This is sweet and all, Cas. But I am beyond curious, you have got to tell us what the deal is," Dean said to his friend as he plotted himself on the opposite bed. He was shocked to see genuine concern on his favorite angel's face.
"Jimmy was married, as you know. However, I knew that his wife wasn't his soul mate. My Father created each and everyone one of us with a second half. Someone to make us whole. Sometimes people find them, and sometimes they don't. Being an angel of the Lord makes me perceptive to God's creations," Cas paused and gazed at the brunette. "Hermione Granger was always supposed to be Jimmy's soul mate."
Both Winchesters looked at their friend in shock. "And that makes you love her?" Sam asked quietly. He knew that very little could wake her from angel sleep, but he still kept his voice low.
"That makes the part of Jimmy that is still inside of my long to be with her. She makes me feel," Cas awkwardly shifted and readjusted his trench coat, "peculiar."
Dean made a face, "Ew Cas. I don't want to hear about your urges."
Castiel smiled shyly and locked eyes with the brothers, "She is very appealing though, for a human."
Sam returned the smile. He had to admit to himself that he quite liked lovesick Cas. "I hate to break up the girl talk," Dean butted in, "But you said something about trying to kill us. Care to explain?"
Cas took a deep breath and shifted himself so more of his body was shielding the sleeping woman. Sam didn't like where this was going. "We won't hurt her, Cas. I promise."
"It's not you I'm worried about," Cas said quietly before continuing. "I knew something was different about her when I approached. She wasn't an angel or a demon, but she wasn't quite normal. I couldn't put my finger on it until right before I put her to sleep."
Castiel took a deep breath, "She seems to be a witch," he finished quietly.
What took place next happened so quickly that Sam had a hard time following it. Dean reached for the gun under his pillow, which Cas quickly blocked. Cas quickly wielded his blade holding it defensively before Dean had time to pull his own. Dean attempted to punch the angel, but Sam finally intervened and grabbed his brothers arm.
"Dean! Stop, Cas would never bring her here if there wasn't something else going on," Sam yelled into his brothers ear. During the scuffle Cas had completely positioned himself in front of Hermione. Sam could see one of his hands reaching out, ready to angel them out if necessary.
Dean shook himself from his brothers grasp and stormed to the other side of the room.
"Fine!" he yelled. With more force than was necessary he popped open the mini fridge and grabbed a beer. Sam wanted to tell him that he had already had enough to drink, but one glare from Dean shut him up.
"She's different from the witches you deal with. I couldn't place it at first but she doesn't get her spells from a book. It's in her blood. The reason I had to make her sleep was because the three of us set off some kind of alarm. I could feel magic tingle the air. She could have accidentally blown up that bar and killed us. Well, you, not me."
"Are you saying we can't kill her?" Dean asked exasperated.
"You certainly may not kill her!" Cas yelled. His voice was getting louder, making the walls start to shake.
"Will you all quiet down. I'm trying to sleep," they heard coming from the bed. All three men turned to see Hermione stretching and pushing herself up into a sitting position.
"How much did you hear?" Sam asked quietly.
"Just enough to know you want to kill me," she replied just as quietly. When nobody spoke further, she reached into her boots and pulled out a slender piece of wood. "You want to kill me over this."
Castiel positioned himself in front of her again, but Hermione stood and pushed him away. In quick strides she made her way into the center of the room. She looked at all three men in turn. Dean looked angry, bordering on frightened. Sam looked like he was trying to solve a puzzle that was a little out of his league. Castiel looked relieved, but nervous over something. Her safety maybe?
"Now I have no idea where I am or how I got here. All I know is I am in a room with people who want me dead. I want to know how I got into this mess. I want to know how you know what I am and I want to know who you are!" Hermione screamed, her voice getting louder with every word.
"The truth?" Sam asked. Hermione only nodded in answer. Sam shared a look with his brother and Cas.
"I made sure you were unconscious before I brought you here. It was for your safety as well as the safety of everyone else in that bar. They are only nervous because it is their job to hunt supernatural beings, but I won't let them hurt you," Cas told her.
Hermione spun and faced the angel, "And how do you know who I am?"
Castiel sighed. He didn't want to tell her everything, not yet. However he knew she was a strong character and wouldn't stop until she knew the answer.
"I could sense the magic flowing through your veins. I couldn't pinpoint it exactly until right before you unintentionally tried to harm us," Cas explained.
Hermione merely lifted a brow. He knew she wanted more information. In lieu of verbal explanations he showed her. Castiel watched her eyes go wide as the lightning in the room reflected his large set of wings onto the wall behind him.
"An angel?" Hermione asked in a whisper. In two steps she was standing in front of him. Her hands came to rest on his shirt front. Slowly they traveled past his collar, up his neck, and landed on either sides of his face. "My mother used to tell me stories about angels. I always thought they were an idea, a symbol. I never thought I would ever be able to reach out and touch one."
"Normally you can't. I chose to live in a vessel so that I could help people here on earth." Cas told her in a hushed tone. He found himself unable to focus on his voice with the feeling of her small hands on his face.
Her hands were still on his face when he felt the urge to kiss her. For a second he pushed it back, but then the human part of him took over.
Castiel leaned his face down and touched his lips to hers. It was a strange feeling. Being an angel he had never had the chance to try it. He felt her tense, then relax and kiss him back.
If he had thought that merely touching her was good, he found that kissing her was better. His hands came up to her neck, and for the first time in years he let Jimmy take over completely. After all, he was the one who knew what to do.
Somewhere in the background he heard someone clear their throat. He was tempted to ignore it, but he knew that now wasn't the time to give into his human impulses. Castiel pulled back, and couldn't help but sneak a smile at the dazed look on Hermione's face.
"Not saying I didn't like the peep show, but really? Now is not the time, I'm still not convinced she won't kill us," Dean said from his spot at the other side of the room.
Hermione still had her hands on Castiel's face when she spoke. "Believe me, if I had wanted to kill you, and I could, I would have already done so."
With one final smile at the angel she turned to face the brothers, though most of her attention was on Dean. "I am not here to cause trouble," she told him as she tossed her wand onto the floor between them.
"How do I know you're not lying?" Dean demanded as his fingers visibly flinched. Hermione could tell he wanted to reach for a weapon.
"You don't, but do you really think I could lie about bad intentions to an angel?" she replied quietly with an eyebrow raised.
Dean comically opened and closed his mouth several times, before making a face that could only mean he believed her.
Hermione extended her hand, making her wand fly into it, before smiling at Dean.
"You mean you don't even need the stick? What was the point of throwing it down?" he asked gobsmacked.
Hermione tilted her head, "Call it an act of good faith. I would never hurt innocent people."
Hermione walked over to the desk in the room and rummaged around until she found a piece of paper and a pen. All three men watched as she scribbled a message and stood. "Well, I am exhausted. I think it is about time I get back to my own room," she told the collective room before walking back over to the angel. With a smile she handed him the piece of paper. "Or whatever," she said with a shrug before twisting on she spot and disappearing with a loud crack.
"What's on the paper, Cas?" Dean asked his friend. Before Castiel had the chance to answer Dean had walked over and snatched the paper out of his hand. Once he saw the paper he grinned.
"Well, I'll be damned," he started before clearing his throat of the bad choice of words, "Little Cas here got some digits!"
