Chapter Ten

Time seemed to move slowly as Hermione waited outside with Eric while Bill called the police. Sam remained inside with Sookie, until the police arrived.

"What were you thinking of?" Eric asked Hermione softly after the police questioned them and went inside to question Sookie, Bill, and Sam. "Before I grabbed you."

"During the Battle of Hogwarts," Hermione told him. "When my Potions Professor was dying. I saved his life."

"He meant a lot to you." It was simply a statement that was neither accusatory, nor inquisitorial.

"Yes," Hermione nodded. "He still does."

Blue eyes searched hers, "Were you lovers?"

Hermione felt her face flush, "That's none of your business."

Sookie and Sam came out of the house and talked for a while before Sam went back in to get Bill. Hermione walked over to her cousin and sat down next to her. Hermione didn't know what to think, let alone imagine what was going through her cousin's mind. Sam came out and offered to call Jason, which he did, however he was unable to reach the male Stackhouse. Soon, Bill came out with Sheriff Bud Dearborne and Detective Andy Bellefleur.

Sookie stood up with Hermione next to her, "Bill, what's going on?"

"They're about to move your grandmother," he told the women.

"Sookie, Hermione," Andy spoke up. "You both might what to go sleep at a friend's. Someplace less isolated."

Sookie frowned, "I'm not going anywhere."

"Hermione will come with me," Eric said with an air of authority.

Hermione glared at the blonde vampire, "No I will not."

"Perhaps, the detective-"

Sookie interrupted Bill, taking Hermione's hand, "No, this is our house. We're staying right here."

They all watched silently as the coroner and his assistant brought out Adele's body on a stretcher in a black body bag.

Bud then turned to the two cousins, "I'm truly sorry about your grandmother."

"Are you all done in there 'cause I'd like to clean up?" Sookie requested. "If that's alright?"

Bud sighed, "All right." He then paused before adding, "You both call us at the first sign of anything."

Andy looked to Sam, "Keep an eye on them."

The Shifter nodded, "I will."

"They are right," Bill told Sookie and Hermione. "You should not stay here."

"I agree." By the look on Bill's face, both the telepath and witch could tell that the two vampires rarely agreed on anything.

Sam nodded, "You both can have my trailer and I'll sleep at the bar."

Sookie still held on to Hermione's hand, giving it a slight squeeze, "We're safe as here as anywhere."

"I can protect us," Hermione said confidently.

Bill searched Sookie's blue eyes, "Sookie, I have to go."

"It's almost dawn," Eric added.

"I will come back later," Bill told them to which Eric nodded.

Sam stepped closer to the women, "I can take it from here."

"Don't worry about me. Go," Sookie said to Bill, and he nodded and left.

Hermione looked to Eric, "I will be fine."

She could tell the blonde vampire didn't want to go, but because it was so close to dawn, he had no choice but to leave.

Sookie sighed and addressed Sam, "Uh… there's an extra mop around back. Would you mind getting it for me?"

Sam frowned, "Sookie-"

Hermione turned to her cousin and pulled a stray blond hair behind her ear, "Do you want me to clean it up with magic?"

Sookie shook her head, "No thank you." She looked to Sam, frowning, "Gran had lot of pride in her home. She wouldn't want anyone to see it like this. "

Sam left the brunette and blonde women to go get a mop.

Hermione let out a shaky breath, pulled out her wand, and in Gryffindor red wrote, "Gran was murdered. We need you" and sent it to Draco.

Sookie arched an eyebrow, "What was that, a wizarding text message?"

"Basically," Hermione nodded. "I created the spell myself."

When Draco arrived a short time later, he was disheveled and looked like he hadn't slept. Hermione looked up when he walked into the kitchen and saw the disbelieving look on his face at all the blood.

"It's like when you were tortured," he said softly.

Hermione looked around and replied softly, "Oh. I didn't realize I bled that much."

Both Sam and Sookie looked at Hermione's scars, but didn't say anything. The rest of the night the four remained quiet as they cleaned the kitchen before throwing out the dirty rags and mop. What more could they say after losing someone so special?

The next morning and afternoon found Hermione sitting with Draco as Sookie's friends and neighbors poured into the house to give their condolences. The parade of people seemed to never end, and Hermione found that she couldn't keep up with so many faces. If she had to guess, at one point, the whole town must have showed up. Though, she could tell by some of the people's faces, they were insincere, coming over only to be nosy.

Hermione looked to Sookie and could tell her cousin was just hanging on by a thread.

Finally, the telepath broke when a large woman opened the fridge and pulled out a half-eaten pecan pie, "Maxine Fortenberry, you put that pie down right now!" She jumped up and snatched the pie away from the woman and held on to it as if it were a life-line, "This in Gran's pie!"

"I'm sorry, I was just making some room," Maxine's voice was sincere, however the look she gave Sookie had Hermione question if the woman truly meant it.

Tara took Hermione's hand and put her other arm around Sookie, "If you'll excuse us. I need Sookie and Hermione upstairs." Sam and Draco went to follow but the black woman stopped them, "Just give us a little girl-time." As they reached the stairs, she called to her cousin, "Come on Lafayette!"

The four chose to got to Hermione's room, seeing at it was bigger than Draco's room across the hall. Lafayette laid down on Hermione's bed while the woman sat quietly.

Sookie was the first one to speak, "I shouldn't have lost it like that."

Tara shook her head, "Don't you be sorry for yelling at that old snoopy bitch. She's been sticking her nose where it doesn't belong for years."

"Said," Lafayette nodded. "I mean, if she talked any more shit, she'd be shaped like a toilet."

He and Tara laughed. Hermione had to smirk because even after spending a few seconds in Maxine's presence, she knew the two cousins spoke the truth.

Sookie paused, then let out a breath, "Gran's gone."

"She's really gone," Hermione frowned.

It was true she hadn't known Adele that long, but the woman welcomed Hermione and Draco with open arms and gave them the love of family. She had touched their lives… And now there was a void in her place.

"Yeah, she is," Tara said softly.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do," Sookie said. "Can't even think straight."

"Well, of course you can't," Tara told her. "How can you with all these circling buzzards? You know, you're not their entertainment. You don't have to dance for them. You just gotta feel whatever you're feeling."

"I'm not sure I'm… feeling anything," Sookie frowned. "I'm just numb."

Hermione let out a breath, "I feel the same way." She nodded, "Numb is good."

"Yeah," Lafayette agreed.

"Numb is probably exactly what you both need right now," Tara told them before her brown eyes looked to Sookie. "Stop worrying about being so damn appropriate. This is not an appropriate event."

"Thank you for getting me out of there," Sookie said. "I haven't had a single minute of silence."

"You can't seem to block anything out right now?" Hermione asked, to which her cousin shook her head.

Tara gave Sookie a small smile, "You want me to tell them to shut the hell up?"

Sookie let out a laugh, "I wish it were that easy."

"It is," Lafayette told her and pulled a baggy full of pills out of his pants pocket. "Your wish is my command."

Sookie shook her head, "Oh, no. I don't do drugs."

He gave her a pointed look, "Sook. Relax. This is not drugs. This is just a Valium." He handed her one, "I'll tell you what. Put it on your nightstand just in case you change your mind." He turned to Hermione, "You want one?"

"No, I have something in case I feel anxious."

He then stood up, "I'm gonna go and check on the circling buzzards."

"Lafayette?" Sookie spoke up.

"Yes, ma'am?"

She handed him the pie, "Would you mind taking this downstairs for me?"

He gave her a soft smile and took it, "I will guard it with my life."

The woman laid down on Hermione's bed, finding comfort with the closeness it afforded. Hermione was thankful, her bed was as large as it was, a California King, as it allowed them plenty of room to spread out. They began to talk about the funeral that would take place the next afternoon.

Tara turned to Sookie, "You want me to call anyone? Your cousin Hadley?"

Sookie shook her head, "No one's heard from her in over a year. Since she ran away from that rehab Gran pain for. I don't even know how to get a hold of her."

Hermione shrugged, "I didn't even know about her."

"What about Bill?" Tara asked. "You gonna invite him?"

Sookie gave her a look, "Tara, he can't go."

"Oh, right," Tara felt a little foolish.

"It's not like you've known a lot of vampires," Sookie reasoned. "Kinda takes getting used to."

"I'm not sure I'll ever get used to it," Tara commented, then noticed Sookie's disbelieving look. "What? So not everyone is as open-minded as you. Shoot me. You should hear the things people are saying."

Sookie grimaced, "I do. Bill did not kill my grandmother."

"Don't you get all mad at me," Tara told her. "Nobody is blaming Bill. Exactly. Didn't you tell me he has some scary-ass friends?"

"Not all vampires are like that," Sookie said.

Hermione wasn't so sure she felt the same way after their trip to Fangtasia.

"I'd fucking lose it if anything happened to you," Tara said softly. "You know that, right?"

Hermione whole-heartedly agreed.

"Tara, last night was so horrible," Sookie was saying as they heard tires screeching and the front door slam open. "I don't know how I would've gotten through it if it weren't for Bill. When I'm around him… I don't know how to explain it exactly, but… it's like I almost feel normal."

The girls were interrupted by Jason Stackhouse bursting into the bedroom.

Sookie stood up, "Jason-"

All three women were surprised and horrified when Jason smacked Sookie across the face causing her to land back on Hermione's bed.

Both Hermione and Tara jumped off of the bed, Tara yelling "What the fuck!" and Hermione shouting "Bloody hell!"

"It's your fault," Jason told Sookie. "Gran is dead because of you. It should have been you!"

Tara grabbed him when he advanced on his sister again, "Bitch, don't you lay a hand on her."

Hermione pulled out her wand and aimed it at Jason's throat, "Touch her again it will be the last thing you do."

"She's screwing a vampire, Hermione," Jason glanced at Hermione's vine wood wand briefly in surprise. "A fucking vampire!"

Tara pushed him away, "Yeah, well, that vampire was there for her when you weren't. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Is that how your grandma raised you?"

"To beat on your own sister?" Hermione demanded.

Tara was close to tears, "Look at you. I don't even recognize you anymore."

"Get the hell out of here," Hermione nearly growled.

"Get out! Get out!" Tara pushed Jason out of the bedroom and slammed the door closed, then turned to Sookie. "You okay?"

Both girls hugged Sookie. The blonde didn't respond, shocked that her brother would lay a hand on her. She grabbed the medicine off of her nightstand where she had placed it and swallowed the pill.

After Sookie fell asleep, Tara and Hermione made their way downstairs.

"All right, everybody!" Tara yelled. "Sookie needs her rest."

"It's time for everyone to leave," Hermione added.

When no one moved, Tara glared, "What the hell are you all staring at? You heard us. The sideshow is over. Now get! Let's go. Let's go. We appreciate y'all coming out, we love y'all."

Hermione nodded, making a 'shooing' gesture with her hands, "Yes, thank you."

"Come on, let's go. Let's go. Thank you. That means you too, Sam," Tara ushered people out of the house. Sam walked over and Tara gave him a look, rolling her eyes, "Look, I get it. But right now, she needs to be alone."

He glanced up the stairs, then looked from Hermione to Tara, "All right. Well, if there's anything I can do, you call me."

"You're a good friend, "Tara paused. "Now get the fuck out of here. Please."

Sam smirked, "All right."

Tara looked to the remaining stragglers, "Don't make me throw y'all out myself, because you know I will."

Arlene, Sookie's red-headed coworker and friend sassed as she left, "I heard you Tara."

Maxine walked slowly, giving Tara a look as she walked around the younger woman and Hermione.

"Bitch, move," Draco scowled, his gray eyes piercing her, while Lafayette frowned.

Maxine glared at the two pairs of cousins before being the last one to leave the house.