I was anxiously looking at the security gates behind us, a nervous tick I picked up from my mother who always liked to be at things several minutes early just in case something unexpected were to happen.
I looked back to still see my grandfather several paces away, a hand firmly on each of the twin's shoulder's giving them a firm talking to.
I glanced pleadingly over to my grandmother who sighed.
"I didn't approve of the fact you were inviting two boys over to your home for summer vacation, but your parents assured me they trusted you."
The boys just came back each with a wide mischievous and proud smile upon each of their faces, each bowed their heads towards my grandmother, "There is no worry, Lady Ollivander…"
"...After all we've just become her sworn knights."
My grandmother let out a shocked gasp which caused me to furrow my brows and glance back at the boys with narrowed eyes.
However, my grandfather was already pushing us toward the gates and soon we started the long process of having our luggage checked little that it was (Erik and our trunks had already gone over with my father when he dropped by the weekend we came back from school).
The boys only looked at me oddly when the security professional asked about why all three of us had sticks in our bags.
With the biggest Weasley twin look-alike smile I could manage, I peered up at the security guard, "My friends and I are part of a large cosplay and larping community!"
The security guard furrowed his brow, "Larp?"
Someone from behind us spoke up, "Live action role playing."
I smiled at the other passenger with a nod before turning back to the guard, "We especially love larps based off the works off Tolkien but recent years many have taken on having their own wands for long distance travel since you can't very well board an airplane with a giant staff like Gandalf." I let out a laugh, partially due to the ridiculous reaction the guard had and also from that imagery. "I imagine you all would say something like 'You cannot pass!'" I let out a giggle. At this the guard cracked a semi-smile before nodding us forward.
After the twins and I had put our shoes back on and we headed over to our flight's gate they turned toward me, "What was that about Bells?"
I smiled darting a glance between the two, "I'm sure in your years of experience you've found the best way to lie is to barely lie at all."
George nodded.
Fred's eyes glinted wickedly, "A lie based on truth."
"Yep" the 'p' popped from my mouth. "Here we are!" Looking at the time on our tickets and the status on the electronic board above the info desk it looked like we still had to wait for another thirty minutes or so. The boys whispered questions in my ears at the various technology or 'muggle artifacts' as their father fondly called them. I answered concisely and they were quick studies with the basics of electricity, how the wireless worked and the like. I could still see they longed to get their hands on their own 'artifacts' soon but it seemed for the time they were satisfied with the wonder surrounding them.
As we sat in a corner, awaiting for our flight to be called forward the boys looked around George turned, "Father I think has mentioned this Gandalf, have you met him before?"
At first I thought he was making a joke and so I was in mid-chortle when I turned to see the serious and curious tilt to his head.
"Gandalf is one of the greatest wizards to ever be written about, however he was created by an author named Tolkien. At home, we have all the books; I can make copies of them for you two so you can have them there and when we go back."
The boys enjoyed the flight immensely. I was terribly worried that they'd grow bored quickly but with the endless things they could order from the first class menu (since grandfather had given us a limitless budget) and the inflight movies they were entertained well enough.
I slept when I could but the nerves had set in again. I missed my home. I missed my family. I missed the tribe. I missed the pack. But I was afraid, because I knew things weren't ever going to be the same in Forks after this summer.
I needed to set up the wards, wandlessly, around the whole reservation. I would be peaceable. I would be protective of my people, of my family. The Cullens had long ago made a treaty with the tribe, however other 'cold ones' had not. The Cullens, if they passed over the reservation's lines would receive a warning, something I'd cooked up with my tutor before summer. The other 'cold ones' would not receive that luxury.
I was relieved when at last though we made it home. Grandfather's friend in New York was someone that on any other day I would have wished to have expounded on his adventures, but I was exhausted and jetlagged. Mr Scamander was kind though and said that if I ever had any questions regarding any magical beings he would be happy to help.
The boys and I collapsed on my family's couch as my mother mother-henned them.
"Oh, Bella! You didn't tell me how handsome your young friends were!"
"Mom! That would be weird since I see them as brothers."
"Oh! Are we ugly in your eyes, then Bells?" Two pairs of dark amber eyes peered at me from beneath ginger lashes.
I let out a laugh, "No, no, you both are very pretty."
Of course that had to be when her father came back in the house with Erik who immediately bowled me over as soon as I met him halfway.
My father cleared his throat after eyeing the scene with calm but slightly critical eyes, "Billy called and said they are having a bond fire later tonight. Do you think if you rest up now, you'll be able to make it?"
The boys looked as if they were about to sprout ears and wagging tails as they nodded eagerly before looking my way.
I sighed, "I'll go take a nap, so we can make it."
It would seem we would barely be able to take a breath before jumping straight into the fray.
Fred and George were not blind, they had seen how their Bells seemed to flag in strength the closer she got home. They had worried about her as she took her nap, worried after she came down refreshed (and Billy sat with an idling pickup truck at the front of the house) that she might just overdo it if she came out tonight.
Bells, though, always surprised them.
She shined her trademark grin at them.
"Ready for a real bonfire? This time with s'mores?"
"What are sem-mores?" They asked.
She just laughed and shook her head, they followed as they found themselves doing since the first time they found her chaotic light on the train that day.
As dusk descended and the boys removed themselves from the tightly packed muggle transportation device they found themselves faced with a view that took their breath away.
She came up beside Fred, and leaned her head against his arm.
"The real thing is even more gorgeous isn't it?"
They just nodded.
As the stars came out that night and they sat upon the intialled benches that Bella said she 'helped' Billy carve when she was younger along with several of the other boys, they tried s'mores which were delicious concoctions made with a cushiony spongy-like sweet that was heated up in the fire until it nearly was completely on fire before sandwiched between the thin biscuits and some rich chocolate.
Then the tales of the native tribes of the Washington coast began. The creation myth of the different tribes and how the Quileute tribe got their name, 'of wolf'. How in the legends the wolf warriors would protect their home from those who sought to decimate it, the 'cold ones'. Of a treaty that was born only a couple hundred years past between certain 'cold ones' who weren't like the others and as long as they did not step on tribe land then the tribe would keep their secret.
It was then that the twins turned their attention to Bella who seemed to be barely keeping her emotions together, they could see the sadness in her eyes as she looked at the youth around the fire. The twins looked at the boys she'd introduced them to: Sam, Jacob, Jared. So young and yet already transforming into warriors, and yet here they grinned at the stories as if they were just stories.
It was them who informed Bella of the younger boys sneaking off with some older boys.
"Hey, Bells! It looks like some of the older kids are going into town and your pups are sneaking off with them."
In the flickering light of the fire it almost looked like Bella's eyes flashed golden before she turned to Billy.
"It's too dangerous for them, Uncle Billy!"
He looked to her, "Will you go with them, they'll go regardless to what you and I say." His smirk was sad and filled with irony, "They think they are teenagers like the rest of them now."
Their Bells stood her hands clenching at her sides, "The boys and I will protect them."
Fred and George just looked at each other as they ran off to follow after their little leader; hopefully her fears would be for not.
The older boys had gone in and I caught up with my boys before they could. They turned and their eyes widened at my taller height and slightly older features. It was as far as I had been able to practice so far with my metamorphmagus powers but it would do for that night.
"Boys, please let me cast a notice-me-not charm on the three of you."
Sam glanced at her, his dark eyes slightly narrowing, "I don't know Bella."
"It won't hurt and it would just make me feel like we will all be a little safer. The twins and I will have them on us too; we can still have fun but we won't be bothered by anyone else. Please." I pouted giving him the best puppy dog eyes I could manage before he let out a heavy sigh.
"Fine, fine. Just drop those eyes."
"Thank you Sammy boy!" I kissed him on the cheek, simultaneously waving my hand on his other side placing the charm. "Now that wasn't so bad was it?"
The dark haired boy tried to frown but a small smile was pulling at the corner of his lips.
"Forge and Gred are you good?" Chorusing 'yes's came from behind before I turned to the last two boys. Jacob looked like he was resolutely stubborn but knew better than to but heads with me on something but Jared actually looked a little scared. "I'd never do anything to hurt you Jared, you can close your eyes if it will help."
Jared shook his dark brown haired head resolutely.
Sam piped up to cheer up his tribe brother, "It just feels like a tingle, it barely tickles before its done."
Jared stood tall and nodded his head; I bent forward and kissed his forehead placing the charm as he was distracted just like Sam.
"Alright boys! Let's go have some fun! Try to stay in sight of each other at all times but other than that…."
"Have fun, we know! You're not our mom you know." Jacob passed by me into the club and I pouted but followed the others who were chuckling and following behind. I however was secretly glad to see not as much residual sadness from his mother's death had stayed in Jacob's eyes, in comparison to back during yule.
The club was built to be a sort of party central for all the youth in Forks. A safe place with safe entertainment; where teens could hang out, dance, and go on dates but all with proper supervision. There were three tiers and due to our ages, even with my slightly older looks, only kept us in the first two. The dance floor was on the main level, the next level was an almost speakeasy style 'bar' that served only non-alcoholic drinks but had nicer food than the cheap appetizers you could get on the ground floor and then the top floor was the lounge for the older teens (15-17 respectively).
It took me a while to relax at first but soon enough I was out on the dance floor laughing as the twins made up new dance routines to the 'hip' fad music that played all through the ground level. The 'pups', as the twins and I had started to affectionately start calling them much to their chagrin, were having a ball especially when I let them use my shiny black credit card my grandfather gave me to get us some food when we got tired from all the dancing. The older boys joined us off and on, occasionally grabbing some food or staying long enough for me to buy them a drink before heading off.
I turned to the twins to find their grins so wide it looked like their whole heads were eclipsed by them, their eyes wide as they still took all the new culture in.
Fred rose, "I'm going to go back to the dance floor to get my groove on, as the kids say these days."
I shook my head laughing so hard I nearly fell out of my chair, realizing that must have been a phrase his father picked up at some point.
"Have fun, Gred!"
I smiled and leaned toward George, "Not in culture-shock yet?"
He dipped his fry, or 'chip' as they call them in the UK, in some ketchup before popping it in his mouth. His hand rose to his chin as he seemed to ponder the question with great intent.
"I think we would have gone into shock at the airport. So many artifacts...I mean technology...learning about how things actually work that sort of thing. The flight helped, I think, slow things down."
One of the older boys came by rushing to grab his coat before glancing down at us, "You paid already right?"
"Yep!"
"Great!" And then he was off.
"Hey where are you going?" I called after him, then glanced around trying to see the other older guys but didn't see any of them. "Come on, George, we better gather up the pups or else we might get ditched."
It was going to be another boring day in the town of Forks. It was like any other town their family found themselves in. Their cover would hold for maybe twenty years if they were truly lucky, but usually they moved within a decade.
He was resigned though this was to be his existence forever bored, forever reliving high school, forever watching others live through the circle of life that he could not.
His sister and her mate were making out in the alley behind him, at least they had something for the monotony.
"Beware the jabberwock." There was a giggle to his side, it would seem his other siblings had arrived.
He sighed and turned his pale nearly colorless eyes towards the pixie beside him, his other sister who grinned up at him with her secret smile but lately always held a warning in her eyes.
"We are done." The rough sexual undertones of the blonde vampire from behind him spoke.
"Yes we all heard."
"You are such a stick in the mud, you bastard." Teeth were bared and he and the blonde were in a staring match before he looked away resigned. The blonde haired woman who to others looked like an angel, her family knew she was farthest from the truth, looked up at the club's glowing sign. "This is new, perhaps it'll entertain us."
He shrugged and followed the rest of his siblings into the establishment and was immediately assaulted by the thoughts of horny teenagers every way he turned.
Then in the center were several tribe members, some came down the stairs in the back. One made eye contact with him before furiously whispering with the others.
Even as him and his siblings went further into the building, the tribe members almost seemed to flee the establishment (except for several young ones left behind in the middle of the dance floor).
The ones on the dance floor looked nearly ready for their shifts but as he drew closer, his pixie sister and her mate beside him, he could smell that they hadn't yet (even underneath all the pheromones and sweat he could tell). His family's arrival to the town had obviously activated their genes, but something seemed to be stopping them from fully shifting just yet. It was curious.
"Be careful…" His pixie sister whispered, her voice always so whimsical was strangely taking an edge, "You may just be killed by their Alpha if it thinks you threaten them."
He turned toward her but then that's when he saw something in the corner of his eye.
"Is that...?"
"Be careful." His sister whispered urgently.
There was some sort of aura of light around a young girl coming down the stairs from the second level. It wasn't quite an aura, no it was something else. Something familiar. Something he was sure he had seen before.
"Edward." His arm was caught in vice-like hold, and he nearly didn't turn but his sister was stronger than she looked. He was turned before he could blink, her tiny hand gripped his collar, "I can only tell you so many times, be careful brother. Do not meddle with things you do not understand."
Then her hold of him was gone and the girl was gone from the staircase, and he couldn't find her in the crowd. The pulsing of the lights on the dance floor distracted his senses, on a hunch he decided to stand by the exit. There she was ushering the young wolves like some sort of small mother bear; how odd and strange. His eyes narrowed and his eyes blinked, only to open them to find their eyes had met across the way and he believed if he still had a heartbeat it would have stopped for the look of pure unadulterated hatred that shined in her glowing golden eyes.
He was here. HE was here.
Why? Why couldn't I have one night? One night in my home before this shit happened. Before I had to deal with the sort of look I could see seeping into his features. A look that I remembered, a look that made me want to throw up all over the black and white tiles of the club's floor.
I was too young for this, the Bella from the other dimension had been too young for this shit.
The look of fascination. The look of obsession.
Why? Why?
How could he already be obsessed?
I could vaguely hear the twins beside me, my eyes blinking and my breaths began to quicken. Oh no, I couldn't have a panic attack here! Not where I was most vulnerable.
"What's wrong, Bells?"
They were on either side of me now their faces blocking my view of my nightmare.
"I….He's... here." My voice barely even left me.
Their eyes widened and they began to look around, before both seemed to lock onto him at the same time, "We could take him."
That comment woke me up like an ice bucket of cold water had been dumped on my head and I grabbed both their arms, "No! You can't! We need to get the boys out of here and if the idiots that took us here ditched us thankfully I have my cell and a nice ol' police car will pick us all up."
They still were locked in position in front of me and just between their shoulders, I could see Edward eyeing them. He was measuring them, the smirk on his lips made me think he found them unworthy.
I yanked at both their arms and pleaded my eyes, failing to hold back the sobs that were barely being held back, "Please just help me get the boys out of here safe; that is my top priority." A wavering smile came upon my lips, "I think the best pranksters in the world could help that get done...without what they teach us at our fancy school." There was still the possibility he could hear us, despite the distance and pounding music, and I needed to keep magic our trump card.
George leaned forward and kissed my forehead while Fred made circles on my back whispering in my ear to 'take a deep breath in, let the breath free' a few times before I nodded my head and I turned my head to the the pups who had drifted back to the dance floor during the drama. Chin up and turning on my heel, not daring to look back even as I could feel his gaze drill into the back of my head I made eye contact with the boys, "We are leaving."
Sam who was closer to my age was a bit more perceptive and so he saw how the boys seemed to be flanking me, protecting me, his eyebrows furrowed but he dragged the resisting younger boys along with us.
I turned back to the 'pups', "No matter what, get out through the exit and meet me outside."
Jacob and Jared were dragging their feet but Sam was looking at me with worried eyes and nodded as I mouthed, "please" toward him.
We came to the exit and low and behold guess who situated himself right next to it.
I was too tired for this, I did not have patience to deal with him rationally.
Sam was out the door with barely a glance toward the Cullen by the door, the twins dragged a particularly whining and nearly temper-tantrum having Jacob and Jared…..I turned back from the doorway to find Jared looking up at Edward with narrowed eyes.
"Jared, get outside now." I was speaking very concisely, afraid I was going to throw some very nasty spells soon if we didn't get out of there soon.
"But…" Jared made eye contact and his eyes widened.
"You will obey me Jared, now go." My voice was a low growl. As he passed me through the doorway and I turned toward everyone else looking for the van the other kids took to bring us here.
Then ice suddenly seemed to travel up my arm.
I turned slowly to find he was closer now, his hand upon my arm and he was bending toward me so that his eyes were nearly level with mine.
"So you are the Alpha?"
I had to fight every instinct in my body not to try to just yank my arm from his grip, it would make no use.
"Bells?" The twins called, the fear creeping into their voices.
I barely turned my head, "Stay with the pups, keep them safe."
My eyes narrowed on Edward's, on the nightmare before me and made sure not to blink. I wouldn't allow him to see any weakness.
My lips pulled tightly over my gritted teeth and my voice came out like a growl, "Kindly remove your arm from mine, before I remove it for you."
Then, damn. He took a long whiff. Then, there was a moment of him looking thunderstruck and it was my moment to get free, for his grip had loosened and I was at last free.
"I will warn you very clearly Edward Cullen. You threaten me, my family or my pack again; and you'll wish that the worst thing that happened to you was in 1918."
Casting a wandless spell that my tutor had crafted as a student, something any Slytherin needed to make sure no one could literally stab them in a back, I turned my back on the nightmare of my childhood and now the nightmare of my reality and walked toward my friends who had thankfully found the older kids vehicle.