Author's Notes: Okay, so here we are. Please, do not read this story if you aren't prepared for OOC-ness. It will be like that, since, you know this is a PAST life. And things tend to be DIFFERENT in other lives and realms. Okay?
For all of you people who decide to continue reading, please tell me if you like the -- er, so called-- twist or whatever in the end. The character twist. If not, do you have a suggestion? I am open for ideas.
And, as I've promised, here are the warmest shoutouts ever to Misao, Demon Master, duj, Black-rose23, silver-star-0, eckles, Ashley Wood, longingtotouch, blackcoat-245 , divabee, crazzymonkey, BOB, Jessica-McConell and Slayer of the Evil Penguins who have been so KIND to review the first installment. Thank you, guys! You own my soul. loves
Oh, and – I know I had some typos, but I am too lazy to correct them. Sorry!
Now... Onto the story. Please review it once you finish reading! Love.
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Part Three – The Terror
Hermione Granger gazed around herself, desperately trying not to let her jaw drop in astonishment. But she failed miserably, because her mouth was widely open and almost touching the dusty road she had been standing on.
Hermione looked at her feet and the lower part of her body. It was obvious that her regular clothes were gone. Instead, she was wearing a very heavy dress and leather boots.
"Merlin and Agrippa…" she said to herself, amazed. "If it isn't the Wild West…"
"Not as amazing as the Egyptian Pyramids, but we're surviving."
Hermione turned around. She saw a male figure sitting on a big brown horse just a couple of meters away, wearing a large hat on his head which was shadowing his face.
"I didn't realize anyone was around…"
"Well, except me and you, it does seem a bit bleak…"
Hermione had an odd feeling that she had heard that voice before, but couldn't remember where or when, because it was a whole different accent and way of speaking. Even her own voice sounded completely different, now that it had lost the usual British accent.
Hermione was curious to learn why the voice was familiar to her, but didn't have a chance to do so.
A sudden loud gunshot was heard, making her startle unpleasantly.
"Damn!" the man cursed loudly. "Pardon my language, ma'am. But it must be noon already. Quickly, there's not time to lose. Get on the horse!"
"W-what?" Hermione asked confusedly.
"You wanna get killed or not?" he said impatiently, and as he noticed a flick of fear in Hermione's eyes, added. "Good, now hop on!"
Hermione wasn't sure what to do. She could either stay there, on the street, being clueless about where to go next… or… get on the stranger's horse and, possibly, have her life saved.
Why was she leaning towards the second option?
"I-- I don't think I know how…"
"Don't know how?"
Hermione could sense the tone of disbelief in his voice, so she shook head, feeling her cheeks going red.
"You've gotta be kiddin' me! No? Here, then, let me help you!"
He skillfully jumped off the horse and then lifted Hermione up in the air.
In the next moment, Hermione was sitting on the back of the horse and the man climbed it again, toeing the animal in thighs. The horse started galloping at once and she instinctively grabbed the man around his waist.
"What was that thing about surviving?" said Hermione, slightly ironically.
The man laughed. "Not my fault you've decided to play damsel in distress at this time. It's noon, after all."
"Yeah, I heard you say that before too. Why's it so important the time of the day?"
The man didn't reply for a moment or two.
"I've already realized you must be an out-of-towner, but still, everybody knows why you can't be on the streets of Monmouth at noon. Especially not when the sheriff is on the important meeting in the other city!"
"Well, apparently," replied Hermione, feeling extremely strange for being the ignorant one. "not everybody knows."
"Yeah, seems so. Okay. It's because of the -- the Mad Red Twins terror. Still sure you haven't heard about it?"
"Mad Red Twins?" repeated Hermione mechanically, completely flabbergasted.
There were only two pairs of twins she had ever known in her life.
The first one were Parvati and Padma Patil (one of them being responsible why she was here in the first place, remembered Hermione bitterly), and the second pair was…
"Oh, no! It can't possibly be! It is absolutely ridiculous! You don't mean -- Fred and George Weasley?!"
The consequence of her last sentence was nearly lethal, because the horse did a mad jump and Hermione and cowboy nearly fell off. He, however, managed to calm the animal down, but Hermione noticed he became slightly more tense that he was two minutes ago. She could hear him cursing in his chin, before speaking again.
"Nobody calls them like that. Not even the bravest of men. Except maybe the sheriff, but he's hardly afraid of anything. Plus, I don't think those are their real names. More like Frederick and Georgian. You call them as though they're your friends. No wonder my horse's gone wild… Dare say you don't know anything about the terror again?"
"But I don't know about it, I swear!" justified Hermione herself quickly. "And I still don't believe it to be true! They just aren't like that!"
"They aren't like -- what?" he said coldly.
"They don't... terrorize people." said Hermione, and then remembered all those times they'd turned Hogwarts students into canaries or made their ears twice as big. "Okay, they do it occasionally, but certainly not with guns!"
"Obviously," he said, and the tone of his voice went from cold to icy. "they haven't touched your family before."
Hermione's stomach jumbled.
This couldn't be happening. He couldn't be talking about Fred and George as criminals! It's insane!
"I – I - I…"
Hermione tried to apologize, but found it very difficult. She was still having troubles to absorb the horrible information.
Hermione was sure she would never be able to forgive herself for entering the Gypsy's house. (And as soon as she goes back to her normal time, she though, she'll have a very serious talk with Lavender and Parvati. Or, even better, a duel…)
"Yeah, yeah, you didn't know and you are sorry." he said quickly, not waiting for Hermione to finish what she'd started. "So, where am I taking you? Where do you live? Don't tell me you don't know that either, or I'll seriously start suspecting you're a liar and a thief, who's just using my noble manners to drag me to bed and then rob me."
"Ahh, don't worry, I think I know the answer to this question…" Hermione muttered suddenly realizing a word was going through her mind repeatedly.
Could it be the name of her house? Ranch? Whatever?
"Eastern Blue Walley. Yes, that's it."
"Okay, not too far from here." he nodded and Hermione felt relieved. At least she knew something in this messed up wild world. "Be sure you're holding tightly 'cause I'm about to speed up!"
Hermione didn't need to be told twice. She gripped him nervously, feeling the horse going faster and faster.
After about ten minutes riding in silence, Hermione saw a big house on their left. Instinctively, and quite unexplainably, she yelled:
"That's it! There's my house!"
The cowboy just nodded and turned left. They approached the porch, where a woman was sitting in a rocking chair, looking rather grim.
"Jane Granger!"
"Pretty name." whispered the cowboy, before helping Hermione get off the horse.
Hermione wasn't sure if she agreed with him. Jane was her middle name, but it seemed to be her first in this life.
"Where have you been? We've been worried sick!"
"Hi, mum." smiled Hermione, ignoring her mother's annoyed tone. She felt incredibly happy to be able to see a familiar and loved face. "I was just fine. This boy brought me home."
"So I can see." responded Mrs. Granger.
"Howdy, ma'am." grinned the cowboy widely as he jumped back on his horse. "I've got to go! Nice meeting you, Jane!"
"Oh, but wait!" yelled Hermione, turning around, suddenly aware she hadn't seen his face at all or asked for his name. "May I, at least, know the name of my savior?"
"I thought you'd never ask." he smiled at her. "It's Wood. Olio Wood!" he shouted in respond, before kicking the horse and cantering away.
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