"I really don't want to do this," Hermione complained, dragging her feet as she was literally dragged to the living room where Alice was doing the dress fittings. "I'm not even having a big part in this," she offered. She knew that she was an unexpected arrival in Forks and to the wedding so she really wouldn't have a big part. She'd be sitting on the pews with every other member that doesn't have a role.
Bella stumbled over her feet and turned back to her cousin in shock. "Excuse me? Of course you are! You're my best friend." Alice didn't even look up from her equipment with hurt or surprise. "You are my main bridesmaid, faggot."
"You're cracking out the useless insults i see," Hermione said, rolling her eyes and plopping down on the settee, legs sprawled as she inhaled her coffee. "But really? The main bridesmaid? Wouldn't you prefer me somewhere… near the back?" Both Alice and Bella shot her glares and she put her hands up in a defensive posture. "Okay, not near the back."
"Finish that cup and we'll get you in your dress," Alice ordered and Hermione looked sadly at her empty cup. What a time to fail her. "It's empty? Brilliant, stand up!" Hermione glared at the vampire before doing as she was told and getting to her feet. Immediately she was dragged to the centre of the room and was forced to stand on a small platform so that Alice could have a better view of the dress on Hermione and make it easier for her to make adjustments.
Hermione hated all this attention and her heart raced when her top was practically ripped from her body - she was just thankful that she'd put her glamours on that morning. When she saw the overload of fabric and girly colours in the corner, she almost fainted. Girl stuff was not for Hermione.
"Go to your happy place," Alice ordered, standing on a box to reach Hermione's hair and pull it into a bun quickly so that every strand of hair was out of her way. "I don't want to hear your heart beating as fast as it is - makes the blood sweeter - so go to your happy place and calm down."
Hermione glared at the pixie-like girl (although she knew that she resembled nothing to the pixies they encountered in Second year) before closing her eyes and tried to imagine this so called happy place.
It was hard for war heroines to picture a happy place - even harder for those who had undergone torture - but she managed it eventually. The Burrow's lake that was in the orchard.
"Hermione," a voice called, automatically bringing a smile to the young witch's face. She was sunbathing by the lake, Ginny and Luna by her side whilst Ron and Harry were jumping into the cool waters and trying to get some relief from the blistering heat. The girls, like the clever witches they were, had discreetly cast a cooling charm on themselves and their towels so that they were nice and cool but still under the sun to get their tan.
"Hermione, come swim with me?" The voice was so enticing, like a magnet calling to metal or honey to a bee. How could she resist? She could hear Ginny and Luna talking about the boys' figures in the water, giggling together about different features but their voices were muffled. They didn't seem to notice when she got up and made to move away. She didn't get offended - she barely noticed that they themselves were there anymore.
"Come on 'Mione, just a little bit more." She really hated swimming, so why on Earth was she getting up and following along? She could easily just return to her towel and carry on lying beneath the sun with a book in her hand but when she turned to head back, the scenery had changed and she wasn't by The Burrow anymore. There wasn't even a lake.
Instead, the grassy and orchardy area had changed to resemble a combination of a sandy and stony beach, logs resting at sporadic points and trees lining the edge between road and car park to the beach. Though the sun was still shining as brightly as it had been before, her cooling charm had worn off and she was definitely sweating now.
As was the group of topless boys - or men - who were standing with their legs in the water.
"Come on Hermione, you're baking out there." Paul. That was the ever-so-delicious voice that called to her and brought a tingle through her veins, making her heart skip a beat. She walked towards him and he met her halfway, his body dripping water. Her eyes watched with eagerness to each individual water drop that cascaded down his body, dipping across the muscles and pathing a path that she wanted to follow with her tongue.
"Go in the water with me?" His voice brought her mind out of the gutter and she looked up at him, her bottom lip between teeth and her mouth dry, a flush to her cheeks and her eyes glazed with lust. "It will cool you down. You look like you are experiencing a raging fire inside of you."
"I know something else that will help put it out," she breathed back and part of her jolted in shock at how sexy she sounded - Hermione Granger did not make sounds like that. But Godric be damned if she wasn't going to pounce on his body any second.
"Not that happy," Alice grumbled, bringing the curly haired witch back from her musings. She was extremely disappointed to be back in her Uncle's living room instead of on La Push's beach with Paul but eh, maybe they could go later when he was off patrol. "Done."
Hermione blinked at the reflection in the mirror. "Is this… me?" She giggled with amusement, looking around her for the model that they'd actually replaced the image with. "Whoever this is, she's beautiful!"
"What is it with you Swan women?" Alice cursed, standing next to Hermione so she could see that the mirror wasn't tampered with.
"I'm a Granger," Hermione corrected smugly though her heart wasn't fully into the counter. She truly looked like a model in the dress - Alice worked wonders. "Thanks Cullen, you ain't so bad." Alice rolled her eyes before fiddling with some of the layering, just to get it sit right.
"What are you thinking about?" Paul asked, leaning on his elbow as he looked down at Hermione; they were at another one of the Pack's barbeques at Sam's and were slightly separated from the group as they laid under the stars.
"My happy place," she murmured, her eyes shut with comfortability and her lips tilted into a soft smile. "It's you," she told him, opening her eyes so that her chocolate ones connected with his darker orbs. "I haven't had a happy place in so long and to find out that it's you…" She shook her head and smiled, tears springing into her eyes. "I love you. I don't care that it has only been a few months - i love you."
Paul blinked at her in shock before his thoughts scrambled together and he surged forward, claiming her lips in a kiss so ferocious that she moaned like a harlot. She responded instantly and the two duelled tongues before their paces slowed and the kiss turned into one of sweetness. He pulled away when oxygen became a necessity. "I love you too."
"How was the date?" Jacob asked, jogging to catch up with Paul after the Pack had split up from one of the group lunches. "I haven't been able to see 'Mione in a couple of days and it's been as if you've avoided me lately so i never got to know how it went."
"Avoidance? Wow Jake, that must really come to a shocker." Paul glared at the younger boy before storming off towards the road and path where his car was parked. He hadn't come by wolf because risk of talking to Jacob was too high - and he was still pissed off.
"You're still pissed about that?" Jacob asked, throwing his hands up in the air with annoyance. "It was just a minor disagreement."
"You doubted my control and insinuated that i could hurt her," Paul roared, whirling to face his wolf-brother. The Pack all stood close by, ready to break up a fight if needs be; Quil was in the woods, wolf form ready to pounce between the two. "She's my imprint and i would be more likely to hurt my Father than her. How dare you say that i could've hurt her and how dare you act like it was anything but a massive insult! You have no right to act the kicked puppy so drop the act!"
"But Hermione-"
"Hermione is a smart and wonderful woman and i am so fortunate to have an imprint smart enough to understand everything before i can even figure out how to tell her! I don't need to skirt around my wolf tendencies and i don't need to lie about where i was for dinner or why i'm suddenly making excuses to leave when a wolf howls because she knows. She knew the danger the moment she asked me to change - and you also have no claim on her."
The sound of a bike heading towards the tense group was enough to distract Paul from his anger - and for the group to let out a breath as the tenseness dissipated slightly. When the bike pulled up, a female figure climbed off; a jean clad leg swinging over the seat of the bike as they got off. Paul's eyes were instantly drawn to the rear end of the figure and he felt a stab of guilt at ogling a female who wasn't his imprint - and so he raised his eyes, taking in the white vest top that was covered by a leather jacket.
The helmet came off and he practically sagged with relief when realising he was perusing Hermione's body - then came the shock to why his imprint was there.
"Hey!" she called, shaking her hair free from the recent confinement. "You free for lunch?" She walked over, pecked him on the cheek before giving a small wave to Embry and returning her attention back to him. "If you're busy then i suppose you better cancel because i'm taking you out this time."
He grinned at her matter-of-fact tone and wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning in to connect their lips quickly. She blushed slightly and he sensed that she wasn't comfortable showing affection in front of the Pack. Tough. He kissed her again.
"Matter of fact, i was talking to Jacob."
"Was being the operative word. You're coming with me." He raised an eyebrow at her tone before resting his arm on her shoulders as they walked back to the bike.
"As long as i get to drive." She snorted and shoved her helmet on her head, pulling a spare one from the seat.
"And have you miss the delightful chance of holding me? No sirree." She swung her leg over the bike and settled down. "Get on. We've got a picnic to eat."
"I guess the date went well then," Jacob said as the two figures rode away on Hermione's bike. She had barely looked at him and he knew that he had to make up with her soon - he didn't like the rift that had suddenly formed between the two because of his big mouth.
"No shit," Seth muttered, shoving past as he walked to Leah's car.
I'm so sorry for the long delay. I don't really have an excuse except that my muse left again. Because of that, i'm aiming to have a 3,000 word chapter coming up next - just to say sorry. Please leave a review for what you want to see in here before the wedding and/or what you liked about this chapter. I love hearing from you all.