Chapter 4
It was pretty easy to see where the attraction lied in Edward Cullen. He was mysterious and cruel in a way that would satisfy any teenage girl's deep dark fantasy but proper enough to not satisfy it too much. At least that was what I concluded as I watched my sister drool over him with hardly any shame from across the cafeteria. It had been three weeks since I'd first set eyes on the Cullens and three weeks of avoiding Edward's ever so curious questions. Besides Edward and Jasper I'd not been approached by any member of the Cullen household which was odd in my opinion, well maybe it was because I could always sense a great urgency when a particular pixie like vampire passed by, and a distain from a long legged blonde. I didn't sense much from the burly twenty five looking year old one, maybe because there wasn't much to sense or maybe he was just used to suppressing thoughts with dear ole Eddie around.
"Put in a good word for me, will you?" Eva asked noting where my line of vision was directed. I chucked at the pining expression decorating her pretty face.
"I told you don't go there, so not worth it," I reminded her gently, or as gently as one could manage in regards to vampires.
"Ugh, I think it would be worth it," she replied with a gleam in her eyes. In shock I threw the lid of my bottle in her direction with a stunned chortle. From the corner of my eye I noticed the muscular vampire point and laugh in Edward's direction, no doubt in references to my sisters' desires. Without missing a beat Edwards line of vision turned sharply to mine with a playful glare. I didn't look away in shame at being caught, they all knew I kept a close eye on them.
Standing all of a sudden as if full of purpose Edward headed in our direction with a swagger only a man who could move at near the speed of light possessed. My sister dropped her gaze embarrassed and a slight whispering started up at our table.
"Mind if I take this seat?" he asked, directing his question at my sister knowing what mine would have been.
"Of course," Eva said returning her flirtatious smirk.
"So still planning your trip to the beach you were telling me about Hermione?" He asked finally turning his attention to me.
"Yeah we had to put it off until this weekend because of the bad weather, you want to come we totally have room?" Eva replied ignoring that he had been asking me. A smirk appeared when I heard a few of the boys at the table groan under their breath obviously not thrilled at the prospect of competing with Edward.
"There's room in my car," Jessica added in an attempt to be included. I knew there was no way Edward was going out to La Push, whatever was there was obviously a threat which meant I'd be making an excuse for Eva and I during the week. Then it hit me, the only competition to the Volturi.
"I am so stupid," I said out loud, shocked I'd never made that linked.
"Well obviously, but why?" Eva asked from across the table with a wicked grin. Werewolves meant magic and magic meant wizards of some kind and all that came down to one thing, a notification to an extremely smug wizard in the ministry.
"Yes do tell Hermione," Edward probed obviously knowing I'd figured it out.
"This is too fucked up," I said and I stood intent on leaving this school.
"You know you're gonna have to go to gym some day in your time in Forks High," Eva called after me.
"That might very well be true, but that day is not today," I called over my shoulder with a wave.
"See you later," Edward voiced catching up with me on my way out as he made his way back to his own table.
"Tomorrow," I replied thoroughly distracted.
"Maybe even sooner," he said with a wink. I growled at his baffling departure and headed out of the school until I was sure there was no one following me. After I apparated home I cringed at the sight of Charlie's cruiser outside of our house along with a car I didn't recognise. There'd be a metric tonne of questions about how I got home and why I was home so early. I sometimes regretted the infringement on my privacy my new 'family' enforced. Nobody had been asking why I'd missed transfiguration class when I'd been traipsing about Britain for the Horcruxes.
Swallowing back my resentment I headed up the drive and entered the house only to freeze as my senses stood on edge. I had to resist the urge to apparate right there on the spot.
"Dad?" I called out hesitantly while sliding my wand out from my holster and under my sleeve. Swinging around into an empty kitchen I suppressed my nerves and flashbacks to stop my shaking hands which were extended in front of me, one squeezing my wand with all my might. A death curse was on my lips.
"Bella? Is that you?" I heard Charlie's voice come from the living room and nearly collapsed in relief.
"Yeah Dad," I replied entering the room only to stop dead.
"Your home a little early," he commented ignoring his guest completely.
"Gym was cancelled," I lied easily.
"Oh well lucky you," he joked with a fatherly grin that unsettled me. "Well this is Dr Cullen, I think he was saying you've made friends with his son in school," he explained. "Well you and Eva," he added as an afterthought. "Where is Eva anyway? Didn't she have gym as well?" He continued suspiciously.
"Different classes," I spun my web further. I turned to 'Dr Cullen' and glared at him, saying nothing. Charlie noticed and continued the conversation perhaps supposing correctly that I wasn't as friendly with Edward as Dr Cullen had been led to believe.
"Dr and Mrs Cullen have invited us to dinner Hermione, isn't that lovely?" He asked obviously testing the waters. Then what Edward said about seeing me sooner then I'd expect suddenly clicked into place.
"So lovely," I replied, sarcasm echoed in my voice clearly.
"Well I couldn't help but invite friends of my children, this town is rather..." Dr Cullen chose his words carefully, "restricting and they've had a hard time getting to know people," he declared while his elegant voice made it seem like it was a Shakespearean sonnet he had just spoken.
"Well I've always said the Cullens are the best kids around here, never once had to give them a telling off and that's with all those fast cars they drive," Charlie replied with a grin. I scoffed at his ignorance, making both my father and the vampire turn to face me.
"So when is this dinner date?" I asked while disguising my worry with amusement so as not to let Dr Cullen knew just how exposed I felt.
"Tonight?" The vampire suggested with an open smile. Charlie returned the smile obviously admiring his spontaneity, which really wasn't spontaneity at all, just a method to catch me off guard. Just then Eva's truck pulled up conversation was taken up by how early she was. Soon enough her footsteps were heard in the hall.
"You owns that awesome car outside?" Her voice called from the hall. Dr Cullen and Charlie shared an amused look.
"Dr Cullen?" Eva's voice all but shrieked as she entered the room.
"So lovely to see you Miss Swan," came his polite response.
"Dr Cullen is your doctor Eva?" I asked feeling a little queasy at the thought.
"Yeah he's like the only doctor in Forks really," she answered as if I was stupid for not realising that sooner.
Soon after that Eva was filled in on the evenings planned activities and we all said our goodbyes, albeit mine stiff, to Dr Cullen until tonight.
"Jesus Hermione, could you have been any more unpleasant?" My father's voice probed, it didn't shake my resolve.
"Don't you have friends in La Push?" I asked ignoring his claims in favour of a question and a subject change. I began plumping the couchs' cushions so as to busy my hands.
"Oh not that rubbish for God sake," he cursed.
"What?" I questioned with genuine confusion.
"Wasn't that why you were asking?" Charlie replied looking stricken by his assumption and the explanation he'd have to provide.
"Wasn't what? What are you talking about? I was only asking 'cause we were going on a trip there in a few days," I asked not even having to feign ignorance.
"We've close family friends down there. Not remember Jacob? Well I suppose you're more Rachel and Rebecca's age and Eva Jacob's," he concluded more to himself. The names did ring a bell somewhere in my mind, something about a mud pie. It was too hazy to make any real conclusions so I dismissed it entirely.
"What do they have to do with the Cullens?" I asked knowing the answer myself but curious about what Charlie would have surmised from the unusual situation he was oblivious to.
"Some local folklore they've managed to link to the Cullens. Don't put too much stock in it, it's a load of rubbish. The Cullens have done an awful lot for this community," he told me. 'Awful,' being the operative word, I thought to myself haughtily. So Charlie's friends had tried to warn them, that was mighty generous in my opinion. Not many species would put their secrets on the line like that.
"Good friends so?" I finished aloud more to myself.
"The very best until the fight over the Cullens," Eva's voice cut into the conversation.
"Eva," Charlie's voice warned obviously not wanting to add to my apparent grudge.
"Any way I could subtly convince you not to go to this thing," I asked somewhat hopefully.
"I mean honestly Hermione I don't know what they taught you over in England but that would be impolite," he scolded lightly.
"Scotland," I corrected instinctively.
"What?" Charlie asked with a bemused expression.
"Didn't you hear? Apparently Hermione has been in Scotland all this time," Eva answered his question sending an unreadable look in my direction.
"You're mom always-" Charlie tried to probe with a hurt look in his eyes.
"You know mom she's so scatter brained she hardly knows what country she's in half the time," I attempted to remedy my blunder.
"So she still visited you every weekend like we agreed upon?" Charlie asked looking for an affirmative answer.
"Agreed upon?" I questioned gazing into his brown eyes so like my own.
"Well we agreed that if you wanted to go to a boarding school she'd have to visit you every weekend. In case you didn't like it," was his firm reply. I felt oddly touched at that moment that he'd considered my well fare even after all the years I'd not visited him.
"Well of course," I lied, muggle visits were out of the question and extremely dangerous with all the repelling that went on in that area.
"Well good," he supplemented and a sigh left his body along with what seemed all the fight he'd stored up for a phone call to my mother. "We'll set off in a quarter of an hour, no exceptions," he added that last bit with a glare in Eva's direction.
"God I don't take that long. What am I gonna wear?" Eva voiced as she raced upstairs.
Heading up at a more sedated pass I mentally prepared myself for the patronus I was going to have to send. I chose to change into clothes that I could more easily fight in as a precaution, I had sensed no malicious intentions from Dr Cullen yet I spent most of the allotted quarter of an hour trying to make it seem like I wasn't dressing for an upcoming war. From what I'd picked up from grazing at his surface thoughts this was a way of establishing if I was a threat to their continued existence.
Finally deciding I was decent enough looking I drew my wand, after shooting a locking charm at the door. My otter came to me after a few seconds of thoughts about Christmas at the burrow obviously suppressing the missing faces.
"Tell Harry," I spoke hesitantly. "That there's a situation here, nothing serious, just that I'd like his opinion about a settlement of werewolves... and maybe vampires" I finished cringing at the reaction I knew Harry would have. My otter turned to fly off but I stopped him. "Also tell him I'd like to kick his arse over the Malfoy stunt," I added hoping the patronus would pick up on my anger, even if it was an embodiment of everything honest and good in this world. With that my otter was gone and a comparative darkness fell on the room.
"Have you started talking to yourself?" A voice came from outside my door, out of breath obviously just having arrived.
"Just trying to pick an outfit," was my reply as I cancelled the locking charm and Eva rushed in dressed in a very lady like skirt and blouse. She took in my clothes with distain.
"Really Hermione?" She asked gesticulating at my Weasley jumper, jeans and warm boots.
"We are in the middle of winter Eva," I explained as if to a small child, she stuck out her tongue only adding to the image. We joked all the way downstairs, teasing each other almost fondly.
The drive was slow and my apprehension only grew the more we were encompassed by forest. These encounters with the Cullens would be the death of me. Beside me Eva was squirming in the police cruiser, obviously anxious to make a good impression with her future in laws. I chucked at the idea of a vampire married to a human, how preposterous. She'd need to let go of this crush sooner or later and I voted for sooner.
We passed the entrance four times before we managed to find the beautiful house. Different from any wizardry spenders it was special for its modern look. Windows covered the majority of the front of the house and I imagined the beauty of the light streaming in every morning, it was so different to what I had imagined and I berated myself for being insipid. Maybe just maybe there was a glimmer of individuality left in these beings.
Pulling up I noticed just all the beautiful cars my father had observed on his traffic duties. There was no doubt in my mind that they all crammed into that Volvo every day not for a feeling of familiarity but to remain as disregarded as they could.
Charlie knocked on the door with a forced smile and I smirked, I had been wondering where my antisocial father had disappeared to. A beautiful slightly older vampire opened the door with a warm smile. Charlie handed her a bottle of red wine and thanked her profusely for the invitation.
"Think nothing of it, we're only delighted to have you," she waved her hands dismissing his pleasantries as she spoke, introducing herself as Esme. She led us into the living room where stood six other vampires, all of whom I recognised. Esme wrapped her arm around Eva who beamed at the attention while I stiffened ready for a fight. "I believe your girls know my children," she commented to my father while introducing each one. "I thought they could enjoy each other's company while we headed to the kitchen," she explained in a kind voice which didn't fool me. I didn't like my father and I being separated but it had been his choice to come here and I couldn't interfere with his live too much with my past misgivings.
With that Eva and I took a seat on a modern yet comfy two sitter after being greeted politely by a vampire named Alice who I was startled to sense could read everyone's future but my own, she was a smart girl though and was starting to put the disjointed images together, though slowly. I scanned the room for any additional powers turning my gaze in Jasper's direction I was glad to note that I was immune to his emphatic abilities also. Thank Merlin for occlumency.
"So Hermione, we hear through the grape vine that you've come all the way from Britain to come to school here?" Emmett's booming voice came from my right and I turned to face him. Okay if they wanted to play happy homes I'd be more than willing.
"Scotland to be precise," Eva replied clearly desperate to be included in a conversation with the illusive Cullens.
"What part?" Rosalie's voice came, out of everyone she seemed to be struggling to maintain this cool charade of indifference. Her question sounded stilted and I sensed an undertone of bitterness.
"Some mountain somewhere," Eva answered once more for me, I smirked as Rosalie grew irritated by my sisters' interruptions.
"Have much family out there?" Edward asked looking directly at me hoping Eva would get the message, but of course how could she resist discourse with her crush.
"Only our mother," Eva answered, very much enjoying herself. I could tell she was trying to switch the conversation more to her liking but she hadn't thought of a way yet.
"Missing your friends over there?" Jasper asked and was pleased to see the words catch in Eva's throat as she struggled to articulate my feelings without knowing them herself.
"Very much so," I replied saving her before she embarrassed herself too much. Eva turned surprised by my answer.
"Do you find it hard to keep in touch?" Alice asked with a concerned tone that almost fooled me.
"I thought it best to leave it a while so I'd make new friends here," I lied not wanting to mention that many of my friends, including Ron disproved of my venture to America. They thought I was running from my feeling, little did they know it was here I had come to embrace them.
"Do you plan to go to college in America," Edward asked, interest evident in his beautiful voice.
"Actually I have a job lined up in Britain after I finish here at Forks," I replied finding no reason to have to remember a lie. Eva's gaze found mine and I saw surprise clearly displayed in it.
"Where?" Eva asked for once talking her attention from the Cullens to place it on me.
"Just a government job a friend of mine offered," I replied hesitantly not wanting to give too much away.
"What kind-" Jasper began but was interrupted by the sound of the door bell. My head whipped around and I immediately tried to sense if this was the Cullens artillery coming to their aid but they were as surprised as I was. Heaving a sigh of relief I watched as Edward called to his parents that he was going to answer it and headed towards it until he was out of my line of sight. I listened carefully as I knew everyone else in the room was. I gathered that they were unused to guests, and it was no wonder with their less then sunny dispositions in school and the seclusion of their house.
"I should have guessed," I heard a familiar jaded voice come from the hall. "Hermione Granger in?" He asked, his Surrey accent stood out sorely from the American ones I had grown used to. Before I could help myself a smile had broken across my face.
"And you are?" Edward's voiced asked and I had to laugh at his frustration at yet another mind he couldn't read. Harry had mastered occlumency shortly after the end of the war, every auror had to. Everyone in the living room and most likely the kitchen were listening and waiting for his response, myself included.
"An old friend that has come a long way," he replied and I could hear the tension in his voice, he obviously wasn't taking being civil to a vampire well.
"Well, come on it I suppose," Edward's voice came forced. I held my breath and waiting to see Harry not prepared for the changes in him.
So sorry I forgot my disclaimer for the last few stories but no I do not own Harry Potter or Twilight. Please review it really does help with my writing :)