CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Summary: Voldemort is dead but the war is not yet over, however, the light side is prevailing, even with the death of many major key players of the war. Hermione is forced to leave England and go into hiding, her fathers, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black leave with her. They leave for the States, a small town called Forks, which is said to be the safest place on Earth for her. But no one knew that the population of Forks included a family of Vampires and a pack of Shape-shifters.
Disclaimer: I don't own any canon events or characters, only those that I create. All rights go to J.K Rowling and Stephanie Myers. I don't make a profit writing or posting this fanfic.
Q&A
bitchthedoor – we have more Hermione and Edward interaction, as requested.
AN:
We're coming up to the chapter in which it will be revealed if Edward is staying or leaving. When we reach that chapter, I will tell you. I've been taking into consideration what some of my lovely reviewers have been saying, and I think I may write an alternative ending to this story. So whether you would like Edward to leave or stay, I'll be writing an alternate version anyway, so both sides are satisfied, but it won't be until much, much later, and you may have a long wait ahead of you.
Tuesday 21st November 2006
"Sunday!" a chorus of surprised voices called.
"Sunday," Carlisle confirmed.
The room plunged into silence, everyone looking between each other.
Hermione shared a look with her fathers and they nodded.
"Alright then, we need to prepare and we only have five days at best. Jasper?" she called softly, seeing that he was in a world of his own, likely reliving his memories. His attention snapped to her and she gave him a look of understanding.
"You're the expert, what would you like us to do?" she asked him softly.
He shifted in his seat and frowned.
"It's only a few vampires, we don't need to prepare," Sam spoke, scoffing.
The eyes of every vampire and magical practitioner present shot to him, making him lean back in his seat.
"It is just a few vampires, right?" Jared questioned.
"No, I am unsure of how many there are, by we're in double digits," Alice spoke, and they blinked and sat up taller.
"And we're not just dealing with vampires," Hermione said. "We're dealing with newborns."
"What's the difference?" Quil asked, frowning in confusion.
"Everything," that one word put them on edge. "Newborns only have one thing on their mind, blood. Nothing else matters and they will take down anything and everything in their way to get it, including each other. They have no control. They are stronger. They are faster. They are violent and vicious. Hearing the word "blood" is all it takes to trigger their hunger and if they catch the scent of blood..." she trailed off, allowing them to come to their own conclusions. She turned back to Jasper, who was watching her carefully and she smiled softly. "What would you like us to do?"
He closed his eyes and then sat up, his eyes darkened as did his expression, the aura around him became darker... crueller, and she knew a part of 'The Major' had come through.
"We train, no one here knows how to handle a newborn and you're right, we need to be prepared. I'll handle the physical training, can you handle the theory based learning? You have better resources than I."
She nodded. "I have several books that may prove to be useful. I'll scour my library and put together an information pack for everyone to read over, I can have it done by tomorrow night."
He nodded, seeming pleased. "Have you fought newborns before?"
Hermione shared a look with her fathers and they all nodded.
"We have unfortunately come across them and seen the damage they are capable of," Remus spoke. "There were several present at the Final Battle and it took five of us to take out just one of them, and we lost another three in the process."
Hermione looked down at the ground, as did Sirius and Remus as memories surfaced. Paul still with his arms wrapped around her, squeezed her gently and she was grateful for his touch.
"We may have come across them before, but our knowledge of them in battle in not as extensive as yours, and so we'll take our cues from you. We'll cancel our training sessions until this is dealt with," Hermione spoke.
He nodded. "Then let's go, newborn training starts now. We'll need more space, there's a clearing a few miles from here. It's deep within the woods so there shouldn't be any humans nearby."
"We can place Muggle Repellent wards around the area for safety," Sirius offered and Jasper nodded.
"Can you make your own way to the clearing, or will you need one of us to escort you?" he asked.
"Sirius and I can shift and follow you with the rest of the pack, it's Remus that won't be able to keep up with us. Although, once we arrive he'll be able to track our positioning and apparate straight to us," Hermione said and her fathers nodded in agreement. "If you all leave now, I'll go with Edward to Swan's house and I can place the Anti-vampire wards around the property, we'll meet you there."
"That'd be tremendously helpful," Carlisle said and she smiled at him.
They all stood, the vampires leaving out of the tent along with the pack and Sirius, whilst Remus stayed behind until Sirius sent him the signal. Hermione kissed Paul and Jacob on the cheek and she turned her attention to Edward, who was glaring in their direction, even after they left for the clearing.
"How long will it take you to get to Swan's house?" she asked. He turned his attention to her and although he was still clearly in a mood, his face softened slightly.
"Five minutes or so," he answered.
She held her hand out to him and he looked down at it in confusion. "I can have us there in the blink of an eye, the only problem being, I've never been there before and I don't have a mental image that I can conjure up to focus on."
"So you have to have been to the destination and seen it?"
"Yes, or be able to picture it in my mind, this can be from a photograph or from a memory from someone else," she shrugged.
"You want to read my mind," he stated.
"Not necessarily, if you focus on Swan's house and only her house, I won't even have to invade your mind, so I won't see anything you don't want me to. You won't even know I'm doing it. Of course, I'm not going to force you into anything you aren't comfortable with."
"The idea of someone being able to read and see my thoughts, when it's my gift, is..."
"Strange, I know," she said softly.
He sighed and then nodded, giving her permission. She smiled at him and pointed her wand at him.
"Legilimens," she whispered with her eyes locked on his golden ones, and then her wand dropped. "Done," she told him.
He frowned. "That was it?"
"That was it," she confirmed.
"But I didn't even know you were doing it."
"It took me a second to find the image of the house and then I pulled back, I have everything I need." She held her hand out and he took it, his ice cold skin heating beneath her warm touch. "I'm not entirely sure how this is going to affect you, seeing as I've never apparated with a vampire before. Just remain calm and we'll get there in one piece."
Before he could comment on her last words, she spun on her heel.
They landed within the cluster of trees nearby Swan's house. Hermione landed on her feet perfectly fine, Edward, however, was as still as a statue.
"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly, her free hand coming up to rub his arm in a comforting gesture.
"Yeah, that was..."
"Like you're being squeezed through a tube that's too small? I know, I promise you get used to it, Paul and Jacob have," she smiled. "So, how do you want to handle this?" she asked him.
He frowned.
"We should tell her," he sighed. "Not about you, but about the newborn army coming. We need to warn her so she can be careful."
"We may actually need her," she spoke.
"What?" he asked, looking as though he believed he had misheard her.
"We'll need her. The wards I'm going to place around the house will keep vampires out, but it won't stop them from coming for her. They have her scent now and they'll stop at nothing to get to her, they're coming here, to Forks, where there are innocent people."
His eyes widened. "They'll kill everyone, Forks is a small town, but there's too many people to protect."
"Exactly, we can lure them into a trap, we already have the advantage of the newborns not knowing the existence of the pack, nor myself and my fathers. If we lure them to a place we know, such as the clearing we're going to be training at, no one will get hurt. Jasper said it's miles away from humans. It's the best option we have, and if we have her, they'll follow her scent straight to us."
He sighed. "I thought that after you'd gotten her suspended, we wouldn't have to deal with her anymore."
She smiled softly, squeezing his hand. "Once this newborn army is dealt with, I'll alter her memories. She'll remember everything that happened between the two of you as well as me, but she won't remember that you and your family or vampires, nor will she remember the pack's secret or everything that happened over the last couple of years, including what's about to transpire. As far as she's concerned, you're just a normal teenage boy she dated and later broke up with, before her jealously of me surfaced."
"She won't remember anything?"
"She won't remember anything," she repeated. She reached up and placed a kiss to his cheek. "Now, before we go and inform Miss Clueless," he snorted at her, "we need to talk." He frowned. "We are going to have a mature conversation, I'm sure we can handle it, you're over a century in age and I've always been more mature than my peers." He scowled, knowing what she wished to speak of. "Edward, you can't act the way you have been. I thought you understood our bond, I thought you understood that I need all of you."
"I do, it doesn't mean I like it though," he said, rather childishly in fact.
"I don't understand what you're going through, but I will tell you what I told Jacob and if the roles were reversed, I know I would not like having to share you with two other women, but I would like to think that I'd do my best to get along with them for you." He looked down at the ground. "Are Jacob and Paul really that bad? Do you truly hate them?"
"No," he admitted. "They're more tolerable since meeting you."
"Can you please just try to get along with them?" she pleaded. "I get it, you don't like each other, but even Rosalie is trying her best, she hasn't thrown an insult around in days, though she has been a little jittery lately, she's probably going through withdrawal," she mused and he chuckled, shaking his head and turning his eyes back to her.
"To be blunt, Paul and I have had sex," Edward shifted his body weight slightly. "But you knew that already, as does Jacob. Neither of you took the news well. And now, my bond with Paul is complete, as a result, I am able to get a feel on his emotions and if he is in need of help, I will know, and the same in reverse." His eyes widened. "I'm not going to lie to you, my relationship with Jacob is progressing and yes, my magic is pushing for me to complete the bond with him, but I won't, not yet, no matter how much I would like to."
"Why not?" he asked curiously.
"Jacob is not comfortable talking about sex, which means he's still not confident in himself and he still gets embarrassed when the subject is brought up, and so, I am waiting until he is comfortable. Now, you're a whole different kind of problem," she said dryly.
He stiffened. "No. It can't happen. It won't," he shook his head.
"Why not?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. "We've been over this, you can't hurt me."
"Physically I can," he argued.
"I do have magic and potions, remember? They will reduce the risk of any injury that may occur. And if we don't complete the bond, I, well..."
"Well what?" he demanded.
"Even though I will have Jacob and Paul, without our complete bond, my magic will suffer. It will be unpredictable and uncontrollable. I'll be dangerous. I won't ever be happy or complete. There'd be a part of me missing. A third of my heart. A third of my soul."
He blinked in surprise. "We'll have to complete the bond eventually Edward," she said gently. "To be honest with you, my magic is pushing me to do so."
"I'm sorry?" he questioned, a surprised look on his face.
She couldn't help herself, she giggled at him and his facial expression softened at the sound and his cold heart melted.
"My magic is pushing me to complete our bond, it's not yet as strong as Jacob's, but it's not far behind either. My magic can sense your hesitation in our relationship and that in turn affects my magic's response to you. That's the only reason the sensation isn't as strong as Jacob's. Not because of me and what I want, but because of you."
"Hermione, I..."
"I know," she nodded in understanding. "You don't want to hurt me, but you do want me?"
"Of course I do, you're my mate!" he rushed out, horrified that she had even needed to ask that question.
Maybe he should've made her worth to him clearer. Maybe he should've been more affectionate with her. Maybe he should've stopped distancing himself from her, because he realised, it was him. He was the one that was hesitant in their relationship. She often reached out to him, told hold his hand or she would brush against him as they walked in the corridors and he would flinch, before gingerly taking her hand in his.
She had so much confidence in him. So much faith. So much hope. She believed in him and she cared for him, and that he knew. Jasper didn't need to confirm it, even if he had.
He needed to change. He had been waiting for his Rosalie, for his Alice and his Esme and now he had found her, and he was all but pushing her away. He would be more affectionate. He wouldn't shy away from her touch. He wouldn't be hesitant. He wouldn't worry. And, he would work on getting along with Black and Lahote. He would do it for her.
"Then believe me when I say that the completion of our bond is possible, but only if you allow it to be." He nodded. "Good, I've finally gotten through to you. You not only have impenetrable skin, but you also have a thick skull." He laughed at her and she smiled. "Hug?" she asked.
He sighed, reaching out for her and she stepped into him, wrapping her arms around him and his arms wrapped around her in return.
"Hermione, you don't ever have to ask," he said gently and he felt her smile against him.
She sighed when cold lips brushed against her forehead, and a cold hand came to her chin, gently tilting her head up. Her eyes locked onto Edward's.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly.
"Sorry? What for?" she frowned.
"I'm sorry for being distant with you. I'm sorry for not trying."
"I understand."
"But you shouldn't have to, I'm going to try harder to get along with everyone. I'm going to try harder to reign in my jealously. And, I'm not going to be distant with you anymore," he said, his eyes falling to her mouth, and her tongue darted out to swipe at her lip without even realising she had done it.
"Edward, I'm not going to force you into anything you aren't com..." her words were silenced when he ducked his head and captured her mouth in a kiss.
She had expected him to just pull away after the first touch of their lips, but he didn't. He slowly moved his lips against hers and she was surprised by his actions, but she wasn't going to complain. He truly wasn't going to distance himself from her anymore. He would worry and she knew he would, but he was beginning to let go of his fears of hurting her.
Her hands moved from around his back, to wrapping around his neck and she rose up onto her tiptoes as his hold on her tightened slightly. She knew she had to be careful and as much as she wanted to deepen the kiss and explore his mouth with her tongue, she knew she couldn't for if the venom in his teeth were to get into her blood stream, well, it wasn't hard to figure out what would happen.
Instead she settled for nipping at his lip and she gasped when she found herself being pushed up against a tree. He pulled back from her, looking worried.
"Did I hurt you?"
"No," she shook her head, pulling him back to her and her hands fisted into his hair, tugging lightly.
A surprised groan tore from him and she smiled, pulling back from him so she could regain her breathing. He was looking down at her in awe, his bright golden eyes glowing in the darkness.
"I wholeheartedly agree with your decision to no longer distance yourself."
He laughed at her, the deep, rich sound washing over her and she pressed her forehead to his chest, before looking up at him, smiling at seeing him smiling.
"I suppose we better do what we came here for." His smiled dropped. "I know, I know, if we're quick we can get back to the others and discuss the plan for Sunday. You should be the one to tell Swan, she won't let me anywhere near her. Whilst you're talking to her, I'll start on the wards for her house. They won't affect you whilst you're inside, but once you step off the property, you won't be able to enter again. Okay?" he nodded, but he still didn't look pleased with the idea that he had to be the one that had to speak with her.
She pecked him lightly on the mouth and his smile returned. "Off you go, I need to map out the perimeter and set markers so I can ground the magic into the earth."
"I'm going to pretend I know what that means and leave," he responded and she laughed at him.
They walked to the edge of the trees, The Swan Residence coming into their view. It was just a regular house with a hideous red truck sat on the drive, she couldn't help feel smug that her magical tent was much nicer.
"I better get this over with," he grumbled grumpily and he stepped out of the trees and walked to the front door, knocking.
"Hey, Edward," she called softly, knowing he would hear.
He turned his head to look at her, even as the kitchen light was switched on and footsteps were heading towards the door, and she knew only Bella was at home, her father had yet to return.
"I'm falling in love with you."
His answering smile was dazzling.