Turn Up The Heat
The Guardians were split into two groups, male and female, for some review. Andy had moved the men to the staff lounge to go over technique. Unfortunately, having Severus nearby was proving to be quite a distraction.
"So what happened last night?" Andy asked eagerly, his eyes wide as he stared at Severus.
"I do not believe that is pertinent to the topic at hand," Severus replied stiffly.
"Please?" Andy begged. Severus made a noise of disgust in response, making Andy chuckle. "It's been like watching a muggle soap opera. We've got to know."
"I don't think begging him in front of all these sods will make him more accommodating," Draco drawled, folding his arms over his chest.
"Nothing at all?" Andy asked, clearly disappointed. He sighed, his expression petulant. He knew that Hermione wasn't one to gossip but she would surely be more forthcoming than Severus; Which meant that Andy would have to wait until later to get any information.
"Fine," Andy grumbled, making Severus smirk. He took a moment to refocus his thoughts before returning to their purpose. "While many of the skills you can learn in this area will not likely be needed in a fight against vampires, it is still important to learn them. What we do here helps you to understand yourself among other things. Self-awareness is key when you are a Siren or Guardian." He looked around at the men expectantly. "Any questions?"
"Why is it so important?" Neville asked. He frowned when Ron chuckled and Draco rolled his eyes.
"That's a great question, actually," Andy said, shooting a glare at Ron and Draco. "To use this ability," Andy explained, "you have to really be in touch with your own emotions. You're using your soul and your heart in addition to your mind. Many of the spells will likely fail if you're unsure of yourself. The spell Severus used yesterday required complete surrender; Of his soul, his pride and every ounce of love he could muster." He gave Severus an approving look. Severus rolled his eyes.
"How did it feel?" Harry asked, his eyes fixed on Severus curiously. He ignored Severus' sneer and said "I don't mean to pry. It just might help us to know what it feels like. It certainly didn't look easy. I know we participated, but it was nowhere near the same level."
Severus considered Harry for a moment, frowning. "It was exhausting," Severus replied hesitantly. "It was warm and felt very much like it does when you sustain a spell rather than simply casting it. You can feel a constant flow of energy and magic leaving your body through your wand. It was very similar in this case, except that it seemed to come out of my skin." He glanced at Andy, unsure of how to explain the sensation properly.
"It's a little unsettling at first," Andy said with an understanding nod. "That's why what you did was so amazing; It's surprising that you were able to stay focused. It feels like the magic comes flowing out of your pores." He laughed at the startled expression on Harry's face. "I hope that we won't need to resort to something so drastic again. Most of the time, you'll be able to get through several songs without breaking a sweat." He smiled at the others, suddenly looking excited. "Want to try it out?"
While the men practiced, the women remained in the Great Hall. Their intention had been to practice as well, but they were rather distracted also.
"Did you sleep with him?" Jenna asked Hermione, her eyes wide with curiosity.
Hermione blushed in embarrassment. Caroline came to her rescue, giving her arm a reassuring pat. "Jenna don't give her a hard time," Caroline said firmly. "Give them some privacy."
Sam looked at Caroline with a bored expression and then turned back to Jenna as if Caroline had not spoken. "I don't think they did," she said casually. "Hermione's not nearly embarrassed enough to have had wild sex all night."
"Sam," Caroline said sternly while Ginny giggled and Minerva did her best to not look amused.
"Oh come on," Jenna said in exasperation. "Give us something Hermione. A little girl talk does everyone good."
Hermione sighed, but she was smiling. "I did sleep with him, but only in the sense that we went to sleep in his bed," she admitted. "We've agreed to an exclusive relationship." She grinned at Minerva's nod of approval.
"Did he say that he loves you?" Luna asked, though she looked as if she knew the answer.
Hermione nodded slightly, her eyes suddenly misty as she thought of the night before. Ginny, Sam and Jenna cheered loudly while Caroline reached over and took Hermione's hand, giving it an affectionate squeeze.
"Good for him," Caroline said. "I'm so glad it worked out. I was worried about him." She winked at Hermione and then turned to the rest of the women. "Alright, enough messing around. We've got work to do so the guys don't think we've been goofing off."
"I like to goof off," Sam muttered, smirking when the other women laughed.
"What are we going to do?" Ginny asked.
"Something simple," Caroline replied with a grin. "You're going to boil a cauldron full of water." She chuckled at Ginny's look of disappointment. "Did I mention that you will not be using your wand?"
Hermione, Ginny, Luna and Minerva followed Caroline to a large cauldron full of water. At Caroline's request, they dipped their hands into the water and found that it was icy cold. "The trick here is to push out a lot of energy," Caroline instructed. "Your magic and energy is directed into the water, causing the molecules to vibrate and produce heat. No wand needed." She nodded to Sam and Jenna as she moved to her keyboard and began to play. Sam and Jenna strummed their guitars, watching the female Guardians.
Hermione began to sing, focusing on letting the energy within herself build. The others joined in, their faces lit up in their enthusiasm. Luna's head bobbed to the rhythm while Hermione and Ginny tapped their toes. Minerva was patting her hand against her thigh with the lively tempo.
Caroline beamed proudly, listening to their exquisite four-part harmony. The buzz of energy in the Great Hall made her want to sing or dance as well. She could see steam beginning to rise from the cauldron.
The water came to a rolling boil as the women finished their song with a flourish. They started laughing and hugging one another. Even Minerva was having difficulty containing her excitement.
"That was amazing!" Ginny gushed, before bursting into giggles again. "I feel wonderful."
"That was fun," Luna said, her wide eyes twinkling in merriment.
"That was perfect," Caroline told them. Her sisters nodded in fervent agreement. "Well done."
Some time later, the men rejoined them. When they walked in, the women were singing and dancing. Ron looked around, wondering what they were trying to accomplish. Their was no cauldron, no moving objects and the women didn't appear to be focused on anything in particular. "What are they doing?" Ron asked with a frown.
"They are singing and dancing," Severus replied, rolling his eyes impatiently.
"Obviously," Ron retorted. "I was wondering what their purpose is. They don't seem to be effecting anything in the Great Hall."
Andy chuckled. "No, they're really just singing and dancing," he said. "They're having a good time." He watched the women until their song ended and then he clapped his hands in appreciation.
They all sat down around the large table, the women fanning their slightly flushed faces. "Alright, we have a few matters of business to attend to," Harry said seriously. "We are having an emergency meeting with the Order this afternoon. We need to address a few things before we deal with the press."
"What about the press?" Hermione asked sharply, frowning at Harry.
Harry sighed. "Rita Skeeter has been nosing around again," he replied reluctantly. "She was at my birthday party and managed to witness some portion of the vampire attack. She reported that you're a vampire now and that we're trying to cover it up. I received half a dozen owls from Kingsley in one day. He's having trouble keeping this thing under control. They need to see that you're alive and well."
Hermione let out a disgruntled huff of breath and crossed her arms over her chest irritably. "I really don't want to be paraded around in front of Wizarding Britain," she grumbled. She looked up at Harry with a sigh. "I suppose we really have no choice. We can't have you losing your credibility." She frowned thoughtfully. "Why is it so important that we meet with the Order first?"
Harry hesitated, his eyes darting to Caroline and Andy. Andy spoke up first. "That's not the only thing in question," he said carefully. "Grant has apparently informed his minions that the Freemans are more than they appear to be. The rumors are going to be horrible. As much as I hate to have such a large group in on the secret, we may have no choice. The Order may not stand behind us if we're not more open with him."
Silence fell over the Great Hall has they considered their precarious position. Telling the entire Order the truth about the Sirens was a risky move. Harry grinned when he had a sudden idea.
"Hermione can get them to keep our secret," he said slyly. She shot him a bewildered look and he grinned again. "Don't you remember when we started Dumbledore's Army? You had each member write their name on a piece of charmed parchment."
Hermione gave a surprised laugh. "I had forgotten about that," she said. "That's a good idea."
"What was it charmed to do?" Andy asked.
"Anyone who betrayed us was in for a nasty surprise," Ginny said with a smirk. "The word 'sneak' across their face in big red bumps."
"We'd need something a bit more forceful for this though," Hermione said. She turned and met Severus' gaze. "Want to help with this?" she asked him.
"My pleasure," he replied with a smirk.
"Why am I not surprised?" Harry muttered, chuckling when the others laughed.
"On a less disturbing note," Caroline said, rolling her eyes, "Draco has something for each of you. The geode we got from the Siren's cave was pretty amazing. The crystals inside it were beautiful. He's had them made into something you can wear that will both enhance your abilities and give you resistance to it." She nodded to Draco and continued as he walked around the table handing small velvety bags to each of the Guardians. "When you wear the crystal, your sensitivity to the music of the Sirens or the other Guardians will be heightened. But you will retain your free will and the ability to resist it's call. In battle, if the Sirens sing to draw the enemy closer, you can continue with your own tasks without fear of being drawn to us."
Hermione opened the bag to find a delicate silver chain with a deep red crystal pendant in the shape of a heart. The pendant felt surprisingly warm against her fingers. She smiled when Severus took the necklace from her and fastened it around her neck, his fingertips brushing against her neck momentarily. "These are lovely," Hermione said.
Severus frowned as he discovered that the men had been given rings. The band was wide and silver with 4 small red crystals evenly spaced around it. "You expect us to wear these?" Severus asked, his brow creased in a frown.
Draco huffed impatiently, rolling his eyes. "Of course," he said. "Those rings are actually solid crystal coated with tungsten, leaving a few openings for the crystal to show. The necklaces are also made from tungsten. Tungsten is an incredibly strong metal on it's own, but I've also had it charmed to be unbreakable. Just put the ring on your hand and it will adjust to fit the wearer."
Severus sighed and made to put the ring on his left hand but Draco stopped him. "Other hand," Draco said, his tone seeming to imply that this was obvious.
"What difference does it make?" Severus retorted irritably.
"Your left hand is for a wedding ring," Draco replied with a smirk. "You may need that eventually." Severus growled in response, making the others look away to hide their amusement.
"They're all great Malfoy," Harry said, kindly drawing the attention away from Severus. "We know that they work?"
"I tested it out," Draco said, lifting his right hand to show him own ring. "I sat through the Sirens interrogating the vampire and I was perfectly fine."
"What vampire?" Hermione asked, looking a bit startled. Her eyes darted to Severus in question.
"We have the vampire that attacked you," Severus replied quietly. "We have him locked up. He is completely secure. We wanted to question him to find out what his leader has planned." His lips twitched in what could almost be considered a smile when her eyes widened in curiosity. "He was spectacularly unhelpful," he told her. "He had been instructed to abduct Caroline, but when we disrupted the plan he panicked. He decided to bite Caroline and then escape while we were distracted with trying to save her. However, it was not Caroline. It was you, and he did not anticipate that while I was at your side in an instant, your friends went after him."
Draco rolled his eyes at the memory. "Potter, Weasley and Longbottom forgot how to use their wands and tackled the vampire," he said with a smirk. "If there hadn't been so much blood everywhere it would have been hilarious."
"It is a bit funny," Ron muttered, making the others chuckle.
"Anyway," Draco said firmly, eyeing Ron, "my father has requested an audience with us. I've left him in the dark since the attack so I thought now would be a good time to let him know what happened on our end. He may have more information about Grant as well." He paused and looked toward the door. "As if on cue."
Everyone turned to find Lucius Malfoy being ushered into the Great Hall by a house-elf. He looked as if he hadn't aged a day in the last ten years. His long, white-blond hair was secured at the nape of his neck. His eyes were no longer gray; now they looked black and cold. He eyed everyone mutely for a moment before meeting his son's gaze. "What on earth has been going on?" Lucius demanded. "All this trouble for a few half-breed women."
Draco stood up, an irritable scowl etched on his face. "One of these half-breeds is my wife," he said coldly. "She is worth everything."
"Ass hole," Sam muttered under her breath, glaring at Lucius. Her expression softened a bit when George chuckled.
"So, what happened?" Lucius asked, sounding bored. "Grant is furious and the public is in a panic because the Mudblood was turned into a vampire."
Severus stood up so quickly that it startled the other Guardians. He moved forward until he was nearly nose to nose with Lucius. "Do not call her that," Severus hissed.
"My my," Lucius said, sounding amused. "How very touching." He side-stepped Severus and strolled casually toward the table. He glanced over his shoulder at the potions master. "A professor lusting over an ex-student. She's at least twenty years your junior. Though, I can't blame you. She does smell delightful." He leaned closer to Hermione as if enjoying her aroma. His hand caressed her cheek gently as he leered at her. She slapped his hand away indignantly while Severus watched with clenched fists. Lucius wisely clasped his hands behind his back, knowing that he was pushing his luck and it was quite likely that Severus would attack him.
"How have you escaped becoming a vampire?" Lucius asked, eyeing the faint scar on Hermione's neck from the bite.
"Severus made a potion to stop the process and clear the venom from my body," she replied stiffly.
"They don't have a cure," Draco said quickly, seeing his father's body tense. "The potion wouldn't work for someone that has already completed the transformation. But they're getting closer."
Lucius nodded, taking a step away from Hermione. He wasn't fond of resisting the urge to feed, and standing so close to such an easy meal wasn't helping. He felt certain that he'd barely manage to sink his teeth in before he'd end up with a wooden stake in his back. Clearing his throat, he looked over at the Freeman sisters. "Grant is saying some very strange things about you," he drawled, folding his arms over his chest. "Things that couldn't possibly be true," he added raising one eyebrow. When nobody spoke up he sighed impatiently. "The rumor is that you are sirens."
Caroline and her sisters rose from their seats and approached Lucius. They looked perfectly at ease and confident, which could be attributed to the fact that they had eleven Guardians watching their every move. They waited patiently while Lucius circled them, occasionally leaning in closer to breathe in their scent. He paused just behind Caroline and reached up to touch her back, between her shoulder blades. "Wings?" he asked with a thoughtful frown. Caroline gave a stiff nod in confirmation.
Lucius moved to stand in front of the Sirens with an uncharacteristically bewildered expression. "How is this possible?" he murmured. He turned to look at the others and found that they were all standing now, watching him closely. "And what role do the rest of you play?"
"Guardians," Ron responded coldly, his eyes narrowed in dislike.
Lucius ignored the hostility and smiled. "This is valuable information indeed," he said, his eyes raking over the Sirens. "No wonder Grant is so desperate to get his hands on you. Especially my daughter-in-law here." He reached out to touch Caroline's face, but she backed away.
Sam took a step forward, glaring at the vampire. "We will crush you," she snarled viciously. "Keep your hands to yourself."
"Father, kindly remember that you are here because I allowed it," Draco said, crossing his arms imperiously. "Mind your wandering hands. Do you have anything that you can tell us about Grant's plan?"
"Not much I'm afraid," Lucius replied calmly. "He is a lunatic and he's desperate, as I said. He's preparing raiding parties to attack various towns. I can tell you that he is planning to attack the families of his known enemies. I think it's safe to say that he has realized that Miss Granger is an enemy since she took Caroline's place at the party. Potter and Weasley would be next on the list based on their association."
The Guardians exchanged anxious looks while the Siren's sighed wearily. "This sucks," Sam muttered.
Lucius eyed Sam with a slightly amused smirk. "Indeed," he agreed smoothly.