Disclaimer: I own nothing...
Chapter 11
Hermione appeared into her room. She stood still for a long minute and then sobs wrecked her body. She threw herself at her bed and cried her eyes out. She curled into a ball; hugging herself closer and letting all her pain consume her.
How could he?
She was so sure her feelings were reciprocated! She was so sure that he loved her as well!
The way he kissed and held her last night, the soft look in his eyes as they made love.
And this morning...
But no...
He just wanted to forget Bella. In his eyes, she would never be as good as her.
Surprisingly, she didn't hate the Muggle girl. Yes, the intense feelings of jealously burned her up, but Bella had never harmed her. She was probably just as broken as Hermione, maybe more since she was with Edward for six months.
A soft knock on her door caused her to look up.
"Hermione? Sweetie? Are you awake, darling?" her mother's sweet voice was heard. "You have to get ready, princess!"
"I'm awake, mum!" she called out and cringed. Her voice was hoarse from crying and her mother paused.
"Hermione? Are you okay?" she asked concerned.
"Yeah, fine" she choked out, more tears falling.
"Open up, Hermione." she demanded and she had no choice but to obey. She just needed her mother. Helen walked in and gasped when her eyes landed on her daughter. She was curled up on her bed, her eyes swollen and bloodshot from crying.
"Oh sweetie!" she gathered the younger woman in her arms and rocked her back and forth. "It's okay honey, it's okay."
She stayed with her for half an hour. When she asked if it was about Edward, Hermione refused to answer. She accepted her refusal, assuming Hermione was upset she was leaving her new beau and advised her to get ready.
Hermione walked to her bathroom and looked herself up and down in her wide mirror. She cringed.
No wonder her mother assumed she cried about him.
Her neck was marked by a bruised love bite and another one was visible beneath her shirt's collar. Last night, they both were quite passionate. She sighed heavily as she waved her wand and erased her bruises. She still decided to wear a high collar shirt, just in case.
She packed her bags with a flick of her wand, too emotionally drained to do it manually like other times. She picked a clean outfit for the day: a simple black mini-skirt, short sleeved, blue polo shirt and blue ballet flats. She added a black man's hat and charmed her bag into a matching blue color. She rang the reception to send someone to carry her bags.
Her parents were unusually careful around her; they even tried to let her stay for another week. They were willing to sponsor her vacations since they were sure she was depressed for leaving Edward. She snapped at them and told them that she just wanted to go back to Hogwarts and never see that guy again.
She went to the lobby to wait for their taxi, sitting at the comfortable sofas and reading a celebrity magazine. They didn't dare approach her again.
Her heart was thumping loudly as the time passed at an agonizingly slow rate. She was afraid she wouldn't manage to escape before Edward was freed from her spell and he would catch her. Her emotions might have influenced her efficiency and even though he was supposed to stay like that for three hours, the thought of him escaping chilled her.
She chanced a look at the sky.
It was cloudy, preparing for a light rain... The sun was well hidden...
Damn...
That meant he could walk out of the hotel.
Finally, the time came. Without looking back, she boarded the vehicle. Her father stored their luggages in the trunk and tipped the hotel's vale. He slipped into the passenger seat just in time for the driver to start the engine. There was no turning back now.
Her feelings won out then and she turned to look at the hotel's entrance.
She knew it was ridiculous, but even though she was angry beyond belief with him, her heart was beating against her ribcage as a tiny flicker of hope broke through. She hoped she would see him coming out the hotel, running after her, yelling at her and when she wouldn't respond, following her to the airport, tracking her down and telling her how much he loved her.
She closed her eyes and a single tear rolled down her cheek when they turned the corner. Edward nowhere in sight.
After all, she had made sure of that.
88888
He fought against his invisible bindings. His minds heard her parents' thoughts as he tried to hear anything from her room.
Her mother had just come out of her room and his heart broke a little when he saw through her eyes how much pain he had caused her.
It's about Edward, I know it! Helen's thought were screaming at him. Maybe I should ask him to talk to her?
He let out a silent scream of desperation when she knocked on his door and he was unable to move. He mentally pleaded for her to realize something was wrong.
Maybe he's out...
He felt his eyes burning with unshed tears as he heard her walking away, leaving him to his silent prison.
His heart was hurting him; the seconds were moving impossibly fast and the bindings were still unbreakable.
He heard a soft knock from her door.
"Are you ready, Miss?"
"Oh, yes, thank you! My bags are over there."
He watched through the hotel employee's eyes as she opened the door, smiled politely, and showed him the three burgundy colored luggages. He collected them and followed her out.
"Did you have a good time, Miss?"
"Yes, it was lovely. My only regret is that I didn't manage to learn the language!"
They shared a laugh as he mentally screamed and raged as Hermione drew further away.
He prayed to every god he knew to not let her leave him. Not yet, not before he tell her how much she changed his life, how much he loved her and that he was lying! A chance was what he needed!
He concentrated on her parents' minds and found them in the small cafe. She was upset.
"Would you like to stay a week more, Hermione?"
She looked up suddenly and his hopes were renewed.
"What?"
"Well, your mother and I thought that it would do you some good. Another week of vacation! We can afford it if you'd like to stay. You'll have to move into a smaller room, but-"
"No, thank you!"
He closed his eyes.
And then they flew open in shock.
His body was starting to respond to his commands! Please god, don't let them leave yet!
"Hermione if this is about Edwar-"
"No, it's not about him! Stop asking me! I just want to go back to Hogwarts and my friends. I don't want to talk or see that idiot ever again, okay?"
She stood up and walked away, leaving two shocked parents behind.
He could move his lips...
The receptionist eyed Hermione with interest; she was, after all quite beautiful. Edward felt like strangling him. But he had his uses; he allowed him to stare at her.
His toes moved.
Their taxi was here. She smiled, seemingly relieved, but he could see the pain flashing through her honey eyes as she said her goodbyes and let her father board the luggage's.
No no no no no no no NO NO NO NO NO!
And then, she was gone...
He closed his eyes and dry-sobbed on the marble floor.
And he suddenly realized that he could now move properly.
He jumped to his feet, looked around the room and debated what his next action should be. He needed to find her; that was for sure. He ran to his window and threw open the curtains. He cried out in delight when he saw the dark sky above, the sun nowhere in sight. Maybe he had a chance after all.
He grabbed his wallet and ran down the stairs in vampire speed, he knew no one could see him, but he checked if someone was there anyway. Thankfully, that particular hotel had no security cameras in the stairway, so he wasn't concerned about exposing his secret.
He flashed a grin to the people passing by, causing a few women to stumble and jog down to the pavement.
A taxi stopped in front of him and he jumped in.
"To Galeγo-Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport please. And step on it; go as fast as you can." he spoke in the man's native language and when he saw him frowning, he threw a couple thousand dollars next to his seat.
The man's eyes widened as he stared at the money, then back at Edward.
"If you are there under half an hour, you'll have more." he said and the driver nodded and started racing.