Hey guys! Here is another chapter...and its kind of soon. :)
Chapter 9
"Where are you taking me?" Hermione wondered as Alice lead her out the front entrance of the castle.
"I know that George is destracting but you really should pay attention to people when they talk to you. I told you, I am taking you to our place here."
Hermione's mouth gaped open in shock. "George is... is not distracting." she insisted. "We're just friends."
"Okay. Whatever you say," Alice replied grinning. She lead Hermione around the side of the castle toward where George had told her the Quitdditch pitch was. In the distance Hermione could make out the high rings and the elevated bleacher. Alice turned away from the path that lead to the popular sports arena and toward a huge white house.
"Wow" was all Hermione could say as they got closer to the brightly lite house.
"It's nice, isn't it," Alice replied, smiling at their handy work. It really was amazing what wizards and vampires could accomplish when they worked together.
"Nice? Its brilliant!" Hermione insisted as they made there way up the stairs to the front porch. The porch looked to wrap all the way around the house. It had several wooden rocking chairs scattered stylishly all around the front porch.
"Well, are you coming in or are you just going to stand there all day?" Alice teased as she walked through the front door. Hermione followed and was stunned at the beauty that was the living room. Beautiful furnishings were everywhere. The ceilings were high and had amazing lighting, although Hermione had no idea how they had electricity, seeing that wizards didn't find it necessary.
Through the door off the living room, Hermione noticed a black baby grand piano. That would be Edward's, she thought as she followed Alice through that door.
"Surprise!," came a loud chorus of voices as she came around the corner. Her whole vampire family stood there in front of a piece of strawberry cheesecake, Hermione's favorite.
"Surprise? What's the occasion?" she wondered as Esme rushed over to hug Hermione.
"We wanted to celebrate your first day of Hogwarts," Carlisle answered, taking his turn hugging his niece.
"Thank you," she replied, touched that they had gone to the trouble of it all.
"Its not everyday someone gets to take such amazing classes," Edward replied.
"Especially with so much you get to learn," Jasper added.
"Here's your favorite dessert," Emmett said, holding out the plate with the sweet thing.
"Thank you," Hermione replied, taking a bite of the cheese cake. "Oh, this is so good!"
"I'm so glad you like it sweetie," Esme led her to a sofa along the wall.
"We made it," Rosalie confessed as she takes a seat beside Hermione.
"Really?" she said, in shock that they would touch human food. Hermione knew how they felt about it.
Rosalie nodded, wrinkling her nose at the memory. "It was really disgusting."
"You really didn't have to go to all the trouble," Hermione said, quietly.
"We wanted to," Alice replied from the circle of Jasper's arms. She glared at Rosalie, knowing how Hermione felt.
"And we wanted you to know that we are here for you. We know that its a hard transition that you are having to make in such a short time," Carlisle added from an arm chair.
"And we want you to know that anytime you feel home sick or you need some where to run to, you can run here. This can be your home away from home." Esme finished, smiling at Hermione.
Hermione looked around the room, wondering how she ever thought that she could be alone here. She smiled at all of them, tears forming in her eyes.
"Thank you," was all she could say as she tried to keep her composure.
"We have one more thing we want to show you," Emmett said grinning.
"What? Do you have a swimming pool in the back yard or something?" Hermione asked teasingly.
"No, but that's actually a really good idea," Emmett stated enthusiastically rubbing his chin in thought.
"I don't think Albus would allow that, Emmett," Carlisle replied, grinning.
"Maybe," Emmett said, deep in thought.
"You've done it now," Rosalie teased Hermione as she stood and grabbed her hand to help her up."
"What did I do?" Hermione wondered, watching Emmett hurry up the stairs.
"You gave him an idea," Edward replied from her side, surprising Hermione. It was the closest that Edward had been to her in quite awhile. I've missed this, she thought, surprising herself. Edward grinned, but didn't mention it, for which Hermione was grateful.
Alice shook her head, but smiled, not wanting Hermione to think anything was wrong. Cool down,Romeo, she thought, trying to remind him to be patient.
"I'm sure that Emmett would have thought about a pool himself," Jasper replied as they made their way up the stairs.
"That's true," Rosalie agreed. "He has a thing for water."
"I sure do," Emmett replied from in front of the door at the end of the long hallway. "I've always wanted to swim with a shark, but they always swim away."
Hermione laughed at the thought of Emmett chasing sharks through the ocean.
"Move, you big oaf," Alice instructed Emmett teasingly. Emmett grinned and followed directions, revealing a wooden door with an "H" hanging in the middle of it.
"What's this?" Hermione wondered as she looked at each one of their faces.
"It's a room that we've made just for you," Esme replied.
"We know that you have a room in the castle where you will spend a lot of your time. We just thought that it would be nice for you to have a place to go if you just need to get away," Edward explained.
"And Carlisle talked to Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagal and they say its fine," Rosalie added, knowing that Hermione would be concerned about it.
"And you can bring your friends over anytime you like," Esme replied.
"But only if one of us are here," Jasper insisted, not wanting Hermione alone with...anybody.
"Do you like it?" Edward wondered as he opened the door.
Hermione gasped, shocked at what she was seeing.
"Its just like my room at home!" she exclaimed, slowly walking in, taking a look at everything.
"You don't like it," Emmett fretted, putting his hands on his hips, looking at everyone accusingly. "I told you we should have done something new and fresh."
"No!" Hermione exclaimed, laughing and hugging Emmett tightly. "I love it! It feels like I'm actually at home." She hugged each one of them, ending with Edward. "You're the one who decided to make it look like home, aren't you?"
"We all decided," Edward insisted, not wanting to take all of the credit.
"But it was his idea," Alice confirmed.
Hermione threw her arms around Edward and he held her close. Over Hermione's shoulder, he raised his eyebrows at Alice.
Just because you need to be patient, doesn't mean you can't play up your assets,Alice thought to her brother grinning.
"Thank you all so much," Hermione gushed, so grateful for her vampire family.
"You're welcome," Carlisle replied. "You can come here anytime you like. Well, except when you are suppose to be in class," he added grinning.
Hermione laughed, knowing there would be a very small chance that she would ever skip class. "I'll probably stay here on the weekends a bunch." She looked out of the window and sighed. She didn't want to leave, but she wanted to check over her work that she had done earlier in the day.
"I should probably be getting back to the castle," Hermione said.
"I'll walk you back," Edward replied from his place leaning on the door frame.
"Oh, you don't have to do that," Hermione said, making her way past her vampire family, toward the stairs. "It's not that far of a walk."
"No, anytime you go back and forth between here and there, would you please make sure someone is with you? Please?" Esme requested, hugging Hermione tightly, but not too tight. "It would help me not worry so much about you."
Hermione grinned."Well, okay. If it will help you not worry, I'll let Edward walk me back."
"Thank you," Esme beamed, kissing Hermione's head.
"Good night everyone," Hermione said, waving as she and Edward walked out the door.
"Night!" she heard them saying.
Hermione smiled as they walked down the stairs of the porch and onto the path. She looked at the full moon, thinking how lucky she was to have such a wonderful family. I wonder if mum and dad know about this house and my new room, she thought.
"Yes, they do," Edward answered beside Hermione, where he walked with his hands clasped behind his back. With the moon shining down on him, walking along the path with the castle as his back drop, Hermione couldn't help but think that he looked like a prince from long ago. Like something she used to dream about as a little girl. A prince out taking a stroll in the moonlite evening, she thought as they got closer to the front entrance.
Edward smiled, but left her alone with the daydream.
"Your parents thought it was a wonderful idea. Esme didn't want your mother thinking that she was trying to take her place or anything."
"That's so Esme. I love her so much," Hermione replied, grinning. "My mum is my mother, but Esme ...I think she needs a title too," she insisted, trying to think of an approprite one.
"Well, you call Carlisle, Uncle 'C' sometimes. Why don't you call her Aunt Esme? I mean, they are married and all," Edward suggested.
"Thats a brilliant idea! I'll ask her next time I see her if its alright that I call her Aunt Esme," Hermione stopped and turned to Edward. "You really are a smart guy," she said teasingly.
"I can be that way sometimes," he replied good natured.
Hermione looked up at him and hugged him tightly, taking Edward off guard. "Thank you so much for everything. I don't know what I would do without you."
Edward pulled her close, taking in the lavender scent that was so intoxicatingly Hermione. "You're more then welcome. I want you to know that I would do anything for you, Hermione. Anything you need just say the word and it will be yours."
Hermione pulled back a bit and looked up into his honey colored eyes. She knew he meant every word he said, making her heart skip a beat and her knees turn to jello.
Edward quickly, but reluctantly let go of Hermione and took a small step away from her.
"There you are,Miney," came a voice from the front entrance to the castle.
Hermione took a deep breath and slowly let it out, trying to calm her racing heart. Then she smiled, because she knew who it was.
"Hi George," she greeted him enthusiastically.
"Oh, hello, Edward," George said, as he hugged Hermione. "Or should I call you Professor Cullen now? Mr. Cullen?"
"Edward is fine," he answered dryly.
"Where have you been? We were starting to get worried about you. Harry and Ron had decided to come looking for you, but I told them I didn't mind," George explained to Hermione.
"I bet you didn't" Hermione barely heard Edward say under his breath.
Hermione gave Edward a look and turned to George. "I was at the Cullen's house. I have a room of my own there that my Aunt and Uncle made for me," she explained happily.
"The Cullen house?" George asked, confused. "I don't remember seeing a house here on the grounds except for Hagrid's old hut."
"Professor Dumbledore helped us construct a house that would be suitable for us to stay in," Edward explained.
"Oh," George answered, nodding his head. he understood that they needed their own space.
"Well, you should be getting up to your room and I need to go hunt," Edward said after a few moments of awkward silence. "I assume that you can see her safely to Gryfindor Tower?" he asked George.
"I can. I can even walk her to the stairs to the girls tower, if need be," George answered, grinning.
"Thank you for walking me," Hermione said to Edward.
"Anytime," he replied smiling at Hermione. "Have a wonderful evening."
"You too," George replied as he lead Hermione through the front door of the castle.
Edward stood on the path, watching as they walked into the castle. There for a moment, before George had shown up, he had almost kissed her. He grinned as he thought of this, turning to go back to the house.
Edward Mason Cullen, came the thought as he got closer to the house. Alice had been watching, of course she had.
I'm not going to say this out loud, because Jasper would have a coranary. You need to be patient and stop. Be her friend, watch over her and let her be and make her own choices. You've already waited years. And really, whats a few more years when we are talking about eternity? Alice thought gently to Edward.
Edward sat on the steps of the porch and looked up at the full moon. I can wait, Edward thought. I'll wait as long as it takes.
So, what did you think? I hope you liked it. Review and let me know. Happy Reading.
