A.N/:
Lady Luna Riddle: Thank you! And about that Nicolas Flamel thing got the idea from Michael Scott's book series called The Secret of the Immortal Nicolas Flamel. You must read that book! It's great! It so happens that in that book Nicolas was in America, but sadly he was in San Francisco not Seattle. So I just twist it a little :)
skydancer2ooo: I'll try to put more lines for Emmett then in later chapters as you request. About Ron, he was banned at first, but Hermione taking pity on him let him use it but under strict surveillance at all times. :P I'm thinking of writing a one-shot side story about that, but I'll be concentrating on this story first. And it was 7 years after the Final battle actually, the final battle was in May 2nd 1998. :) Hermione was 19 then. Yes it's the end for human Riley, and sorry~ the date won't be mentioned in this chapter, but it will be in later chapters :)
Azure-x-Roze: Thank you, and yes it's Riley/Hermione. About the age thing will be explained in the *Story info section :)
Aslan'sWhiteWitch: Thank you! And the pack will be here in later chapters though. :D
Smiling SJ: Thank youuuu~ :3
GemmaMcA: Thank you, and updatiiiing~ x3
Emo Goth Chick: Thanks~ :)
Anonymous: it's explained below :)
brother bandit: Thaaaaaannnnkkkk yyyoooouuuu!
: Thanks! Here's the next chapter for ya, :)
*IMPORTANT: MUST READ FIRST*
*Story Info:
So, in this chapter a week has passed or at least 5/6 days. The Cottage is fixed, Jean and Eugene Granger have moved out of the Swan's house to the Cottage. Whereas Hermione, due to some major leaks in her room that occurs late at night when she was sleeping (Mind you, Crookshanks got the worst brunt of the leaks and insist that Hermione takes him along.), stayed with Charlie and Bella in the guest room~
Twilight characters whom Hermione have met briefly in the extent of those 5/6 days are only Billy and Sue. So really you didn't miss quite that much. ;)
And just to alert you, from here on out will be the start of ECLIPSE. :D
*AGE: Well since so many asked about their age I'll just clear this out for you lot :)
Remember the war is in May 1998, Hermione and the others spent 1 whole year to recollect and rebuilt what was ruined, Hermione then worked 2 years as an unspeakable, she stopped at 2001, and Harry & Ginny got married that year too. James Sirius Potter was born in 2002. That's already 4 years. So + 3 years = 2005, the year our Hermione is in now. 7 years after the battle guys. :)
Now many people asked me about Hermione's and Riley's age. Hermione is 26 (I miss calculated! Bella had her birthday already so that means Hermione must have had hers too, Gods I'm so stupid! My bad! Sorry!), she was born in September 1979. Riley is around 19, since he was born in October 1986. Bella as you know is 18, she was born in September 1987. The rest, you could look it up in the internet. :P This story takes place in the year 2005!
Well, now that's done. Here's the new chapter! Again, sorry it took so long! Well hope you like it :)
Lea
-HERMIONE-
I stroked my ginger cat Gently as I watched her ran her fingers across the page from the couch, feeling the dents where the writer had pressed the pen to the paper so hard it was visible from where I was sitting across from Bella who was standing near the window with a slightly pained pace.
"Bella?" I asked tentatively.
"It's nothing, I'm fine." Bella said hastily as she pocketed the paper. "Don't worry."
I made room for her on the small couch and she gratefully slump down next to me, letting out a deep sigh escape her lips.
"Jacob?" I asked.
She nodded, and I sighed.
I've heard a lot about Jacob from her now from the short time I've been here (which is only four days), from the whole werewolf thing to the motorcycle incident, and concluded right then that he is a teenager with an emotional range of a teaspoon, much to Bella's amusement when I said that out loud. Indeed Jacob Black's attitude reminds me of a certain Ronald Weasley in our Hogwarts days with that kind of attitude.
Meanwhile, back to the present, Bella just nodded in confirmation and sighed, slumping deeper into the couch.
Crookshanks, seeming to feel her slight distress, jumped up from my lap to hers and starts to purr, trying to comfort her. He seems to have taken a liking to her after that pie incident with Charlie two days ago.
Bella muttered her thanks to the cat under her breath as she stoked its fur absentmindedly.
"So… Want to talk about it?" I asked her again.
She snorted and shook her head. "Bet you already have the gist of it anyway."
"Of course I do." I said in mock pompous voice.
"Oh how modest of you." she said, rolling her eyes at me and smiling slightly.
We chatted for a while longer, though it soon ended when Bella suddenly scrunched up her nose.
"Do you smell that?" she asked me.
I furrowed my eyebrows and took a wisp of the air. Indeed, there was the unmistakable scent of a smoking burner rising from the kitchen.
"I smell something burning… Is Charlie cooking by any chance?" I asked her.
A look of terror ran though her face, and before I knew it Bella had bolted out of the living room with Crookshanks on hand, heading for the kitchen.
I followed her, and when I entered the kitchen, I saw her yanking the microwave door open and pulled out what it seems to be a jar of spaghetti sauce that Charlie stuck in.
"What did I do wrong?" Charlie demanded.
"You're supposed to take the lid off first, Dad. Metal's bad for microwaves." Bella sighed as she placed Crookshanks on to the floor since he started to get fussy.
She then proceeds to swiftly remove the lid, poured half the sauce into a bowl, and then put the bowl inside the microwave and the jar back in the fridge; she fixed the time and pressed start.
Charlie, I noticed, watched the whole adjustments with pursed lips. Which I found quite amusing.
"Did I get the noodles right though?" he asked.
Since I was closest, I looked in to the pan on the stove; which I noticed was the source of the burning smell.
"Well, stirring helps, Charlie." I said mildly. I found a spoon and tried to de-clump the mushy hunk that was burnt to the bottom.
Charlie sighed.
"So what's all this about?" Bella asked him.
Charlie just folded his arms across his chest and glared out the back windows into the sheeting rain.
"Don't know what you're talking about," he grumbled.
Bella looked quite mystified by his response.
I wonder what's with his sudden surly attitude… I thought curiously.
"Did I miss something? Since when do you make dinner?" Bella asked Charlie. While the pasta lump bobbed in the boiling water as I poked it.
"Or try to make dinner, I should say." I added chuckling slightly at his obvious fail attempt. No wonder Bella was so terrified I mused.
Charlie just shrugged. "There's no law that says I can't cook in my own house."
"You would know," Bella replied, grinning as she eyed the badge pinned to his leather jacket.
"Ha. Good one."
He shrugged out of the jacket as if Bella's glance had reminded him he still had it on, and hung it on the peg reserved for his gear. His gun belt was already slung in place – when I asked, he told me he hadn't felt the need to wear that to the station for a few weeks. Since there are; 'No more sightings of the giant, mysterious wolves in the ever-rainy woods. . .' Bella quoted.
I prodded the noodles in silence, while Bella just stood there waiting for the time when Charlie would get around to talking about whatever was bothering him in his own time. I concluded then that he was not a man of many words when it came to Bella; he was fine when my mum and dad were here. Though I guess that's because mum was the one who initiates the conversation most of the time, and the fact that they were quite close.
I noticed Bella keeps on glancing at the clock. So when I took a look at the time, I realized that in half an hour Edward will arrive.
She had told me earlier on that Charlie grounded her so she could only meet Edward from seven 'till nine-thirty pm. And always inside the confines of her home and under the supervision of Charlie's unfailingly crabby glare. Well that is before I came. Ever since that I'm here, Bella told me he had toned down the 'unfailingly crabby glare', and just sits on the couch watching TV, and only coming up once in a while to check on the two. Edward found this very amusing; he told me that Charlie's been thinking for a while now if he could ask me to keep a watchful eye on them. He guessed that he'll probably ask later on, and it turns out, Charlie did ask me to after dinner.
Which I accept.
It's Slytherin of me, I know. Bending the truth slightly for Bella's advantage… But I am keeping my promise to her. And I'm not one to back down on my word.
Still, when I heard about this particular rule about Bella meeting Edward, I find it highly hilarious on how Charlie had no idea that Edward spends almost every night in Bella's room, he's been climbing silently through her second-story window this whole time. Which I found out the hard way… Ruddy vampire trying to give me a heart attack… and he was doing it on purpose too…
Charlie sat down at the table with a grunt and unfolded the damp newspaper there; within seconds he was clucking his tongue in disapproval.
"I don't know why you read the news, Dad. It only ticks you off." Bella said.
He ignored her, grumbling at the paper in his hands. "This is why everyone wants to live in a small town! Ridiculous."
"What have big cities done wrong now?" Bella asked as she also took a seat.
"Yea, I thought it's been a quiet for a few weeks lately." I piped up.
"Quiet?" he grunted. "Seattle's making a run for murder capital of the country. Five unsolved homicides in the last two weeks. Can you imagine living like that?"
I silently chuckled humorlessly. Oh I have lived worse than that… I thought.
"I think Phoenix is actually higher up the homicide list, Dad. I have lived like that." Bella said. I noticed her hands shook slightly.
"Well, you couldn't pay me enough," Charlie said.
Looking at the clump, I sighed in frustration and gave up on saving the so called dinner and settled for serving it; much to Bella's amusement. I had to use a steak knife to cut a portion of spaghetti for the three of us. I noted though Charlie was watching me with a sheepish expression.
"Sorry bout that 'mione." He said as I served the dish.
"It's fine, I've had much worst." I reassured him. Which is true; Ron, Harry, and I only survived on burnt mushrooms and trout while on the run.
Charlie then proceeds on coating his helping with sauce and dug in. while Bella and I disguised our own clump as well as we could and followed his example without much enthusiasm. We ate in silence for a while, when we finished I proceeds to bring the dirty dishes to the sink to wash and put a way. Charlie started to can the news again after thanking me, while Bella picked up her much-abused copy of Wuthering Heights from where she'd left it this morning at breakfast, oh how madam Pince would cry if she saw its condition.
I've just finished putting the last dish on the cupboard when Charlie cleared his throat and threw the paper on to the table.
"You're right," Charlie said. "I did have a reason for doing this. I wanted to talk to you."
I picked up Crookshanks from the floor as Bella laid the book aside; I cringed mentally when the binding was so destroyed it slumped flat to the table.
"You could have just asked." Bella said.
Charlie nodded, his eyebrows pulling together. "Yea, I'll remember that next time. I thought taking dinner off your hands would soften you up."
Bella laughed at that. "It worked – your cooking skills have me soft as a marshmallow. What do you need, Dad?"
"Well, it's about Jacob."
I winced at his choice of topic as I saw Bella's expression hardens.
"What about him?" she asked through stiff lips.
"Easy, Bells. I know you're still upset that he told on you, but it was the right thing. He was being responsible."
"Responsible," Bella repeated scathingly while rolling her eyes.
"Right. So, what about Jacob?" she asked.
Charlie's face was suddenly wary. "Don't get mad at me, okay?"
"Mad?" she asked raising an eyebrow.
"Well, it's about Edward, too." He muttered quietly. Bella heard it loud and clear though and narrowed her eyes.
"Please excuse myself. I'll just go and take Crookshanks here with me upstairs…" I muttered as I exited the kitchen.
I shook my head as I made my way upstairs. I just hope all that bit of 'spying' I did for him will ease him up…
-BELLA-
"I let him in the house, don't I?" he said in a gruff voice.
"You do," I admitted. "For brief periods of time. Of course, you might let me out of the house for brief periods now and then, too," I continued jokingly. Oh I know I was grounded for the duration of the year…
"Though I've been pretty good lately," I stated.
"Well, that's kind of where I was heading with this…" And then Charlie's face stretched into an unexpected eye-crinkling grin; for a second he looked twenty years younger.
I saw a dim glimmer of possibility in that smile; I wonder if this is Hermione's doing… I mused.
"I'm confused, Dad. Are we talking about Jacob, or Edward, or me being grounded?" I asked slowly.
His grin flashed again. "Sort of all three," He said.
"And how do they relate?" I asked, cautiously.
"Okay." He sighed, raising his hands as if in surrender. "Well I don't know if you noticed or not, but I've been asking Hermione to keep watch on you these past days… Er, like a secret agent you could say."
I snorted at that.
"And well she told me many things really, and most of them are how good you've been… So what I'm really trying to say here is that I'm thinking maybe you deserve a parole for good behavior. For a teenager, you're amazingly non-whiney."
My eyebrows shot up.
"Seriously? I'm free?" I asked incredulously. Is he serious?
Charlie held up one finger. "Conditionally."
My enthusiasm vanished.
"Fantastic," I winced.
Well at least I'm technically free… I thought sourly.
"Bella, this is more of a request than a demand, okay? You're free. But I'm hoping you'll use that freedom... judiciously."
"Meaning…?" I trailed off.
He sighed again. "Look. I know you're satisfied to spend all of your time with Edward -"
"I spend time with Alice and Hermione too," I interjected.
"That's true, what you said about Alice, but when it comes to Hermione I'm talking about before she came here." He pointed out, "You have other friends besides the Cullens, Bella. Or you used to." He added.
We stared at each other for a long moment.
"When was the last time you spoke to Angela Weber?" he threw at me.
"Friday at lunch," I answered immediately.
"Outside of school?" Charlie asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I haven't seen anyone outside of school, Dad. I'm grounded, remember? And Angela has a boyfriend. She's always with Ben. And If I'm really free, we could've double." I pointed out.
"Okay. But then..." He hesitated. "You and Jake used to be joined at the hip, and now -"
"Can you just get to the point, Dad?" I cut him off. "What's your condition exactly?"
"I don't think you should dump all your other friends for your boyfriend, Bella," he said in a stern voice. "It's not nice, and I think your life would be better balanced if you kept some other people in it. What happened last September…"
I flinched. Just got to bring that up now does he…
"Well," he said defensively. "If you'd had more of a life outside of Edward Cullen, it might not have been like that."
"It would have been exactly like that," I muttered.
"Maybe, maybe not."
"The point?" I reminded him.
"Use your new freedom to see your other friends, too keep it balanced."
I nodded slowly. "Balance is good. Do I have specific time quotas to fill, though?"
He made a face, but shook his head. "I don't want to make this complicated. Just don't forget your friends…" he said. "Particularly Jacob…" He added before I could think things through more than that.
A greater dilemma than the first.
"Jacob might be... difficult." I muttered.
"The Blacks are practically family, Bella. Remember that." he said, in a stern fatherly voice. "And Jacob has been a very, very good friend to you."
"I know that…" I sighed.
"Don't you miss him at all?" Charlie asked in frustration.
My throat suddenly felt swollen; I had to clear it twice before I answered. "Yes, I do miss him," I admitted, still looking down. "I miss him a lot."
"Then why is it difficult?"
I sat there quietly for a moment.
"With Jacob there is a... conflict, dad." I said slowly. "A conflict about the friendship thing, I mean. Friendship doesn't always seem to be enough for Jake."
I left him the details. He doesn't need to know. Heck, no one should know really. Well except maybe Hermione… no normal human should know these conflicts between these Vampires and Werewolves. I shouldn't have. But it's too late to turn back now anyway if I wanted to.
"Isn't Edward up for a little healthy competition?" Charlie's voice was sarcastic now.
"There's no competition." I said as I give him a dark look.
"You're hurting Jake's feelings, avoiding him like this. He'd rather be just friends than nothing."
Oh, so now I am the one who's avoiding him? I thought bitterly.
"I'm pretty sure Jake doesn't want to be friends at all." I said acidly. "Where'd you get that idea, anyway?"
"Well uh…The subject might have come up today… you know… with Billy. . . ." he blushed in embarrassment.
"Oh, so now you two gossip around like old women's?" I said glaring at him.
"Billy's worried about Jacob, Bella" Charlie said. "Jake's having a hard time right now… He's depressed."
I winced, but kept my eyes on to the table.
"And then you were always so happy after spending the day with Jake." Charlie sighed.
"I'm happy now," I growled fiercely through my teeth.
The contrast between my words and tone broke through the tension. Charlie burst into laughter, and I just had to join in. his laugher was surprisingly contagious.
"Okay, okay," I agreed, trying to calm my self and taking deep breaths.
"Balance." I said.
"And Jacob," he insisted.
"No promises, but I'll try."
"Good. And, oh, yeah, before I forgot, you've got some mail, it's by the stove." Charlie said as he shoved his chair away from the table and stretched as he got to his feet. He walked over to where the mails are and toss the thick envelope at me. It skidded across the table and thunked into my elbow.
"Er, thanks," I said awkwardly. Puzzled by his pushiness.
But then I saw the return address, the letter was from the University of Alaska Southeast.
"Wow. That was quick." I muttered. "I guess I missed the deadline on that one, too." I shrugged. Charlie just chuckled.
I flipped the envelope over and then raised a questioning eyebrow at him.
"And why is it open…" I asked him pointedly.
"What?" he said innocently. "I was just curious."
"I'm shocked, Sheriff. That's a federal crime." I snorted.
"What's a federal crime?" Hermione asked as she reentered the kitchen again with Crooks. "And good to see that all the tension is gone now, I thought I was about to choke on it all." She said dramatically.
I just rolled my eyes at her antics.
"Well for starters, this so called Sheriff here, Hermione, just opened my mail without my consent." I huffed.
"My, my, Chief swan, that is a federal crime." She grinned as she walked over to me and sat down. "Didn't know you had it in you!" she said jokingly.
"Oh, just read it already." He grunted.
We snickered.
I pulled out the letter, and a folded schedule of courses. Hermione was looking curiously from over my shoulders.
"Congratulations," Charlie suddenly said before I could even read anything. "Your first acceptance."
"Congratulations Bella." Hermione said as she gave me a one armed hugged.
"Thanks, guys" I thanked them.
"We should talk about tuition. I've got some money saved up –"
"Hey, hey, none of that. I'm not touching your retirement, Dad. I've got my college fund."
What was left of it anyway… I thought.
Charlie frowned at that.
"Some of these places are pretty pricey, Bells. I want to help. You don't have to go to all the way to Alaska just because it's cheaper."
"Don't worry dad, I've got it covered. Besides, there's lots of financial aid out there. It's easy to get loans." I said.
Hermione's eyebrow practically few up to her hairline,
Er… Guess she caught on to my bluff… Just hope it wasn't too obvious to Charlie. I hadn't actually done a lot of research on the subject… I winced.
"So..." Charlie began,
"So what?"
"Nothing. I was just wondering what... Edward's plans are for next year?"
"Oh."
"Well?"
There were three quick raps on the door and Hermione laughed as I obviously sighed in relief. Charlie just rolled his eyes at me as I jumped up way too eagerly from the table and head my way to the front door.
"Coming!" I called.
"Go away…" I heard Charlie mumbled.
"Charlie!" Hermione admonish.
"I didn't say anything!"
I just rolled my eyes at them (somehow I've been doing that a lot lately) and wrenched the door out of my way – ridiculously eager, mind you – and there he was, my personal miracle.
"Hey." I smiled a little at my anticlimactic greeting.
He brushed my cheek with the back of his hand and chuckled. "How was your afternoon?"
"Slow." I said simply.
"For me, as well." He pulled my wrist up to his face, our hands still twisted together. His eyes closed as his nose skimmed along the skin there, and he smiled gently without opening them. Enjoying the bouquet while resisting the wine, as he'd once put it.
I heard footsteps approaching then, I'm guessing the one stamping his feet on the way was Charlie to express his customary displeasure. Edward's eyes snapped open and he let our hands fall, keeping them twined.
"Good evening, Charlie." Edward greeted politely when he turned around the corner.
Charlie grunted at him, and then stood there with his arms crossed over his chest, glaring at our twined hands all the while.
"Charlie, you're being rude." Hermione chided, appearing behind him with the cat on hand. "Hold him for a minute would you uncle? I for one want to greet our guests, unlike you." Hermione said pointedly as she handed him Crookshanks.
"What? I am greeting him." He muttered as he cradled the hissing cat awkwardly. "And I don't think the cat likes me very much 'mione…" he whispered warily.
I stared at Charlie in amusement while Hermione rolled her eyes and greeted Edward.
"It's good to see you again Edward." She said as she gave him a hug.
"You too Hermione," He grinned. "Thanks for the help by the way…" he added when Charlie was out of earshot.
"No problem." Hermione waved off. "Well I'll see you lot later on, I'm going to head of to the cottage for a bit." She said as she grabbed her coat from the hanger. She glanced at the time and gasped.
"Goodness gracious! I'm late! Mum was already expecting me 10 minutes ago!" she cried in panic. She hastily put on her coat, grabbed her beaded bag, and clumsily put on her dragon-hide boots. Yes, I thought. Dragon-hide boots. Amazing isn't it? Wonder what happened to the old fashioned leather… I mused.
"Do you need to borrow the truck?" I asked her.
"No, no. I'm fine, I'll manage." Hermione said, scampering hastily past me and bolting out of the door.
"Ok, well dinner's at seven!" I called in after her as she dashed her way through the pavements.
She waved and called back in affirmative, as she disappeared through the corner.
"Well now that's done. Come on Edward; let's go to the living room." I said as I closed the door behind him.
- NO ONES POV-
This was the first time she walked over to the cottage.
Usually Charlie or Bella would be here with her with the car/truck. Now that she's going on foot, she realized that it was a bit of a long walk. She could've borrowed Bella's truck when she offered earlier on, but she thought it wasn't necessary at that time. Now though that it's starting to rain, she deeply regretted her decision…
Picking up her pace, she groaned when the rain becomes heavier. "Oh for goodness sake!" she cried, shivering when harsh wind blew past her.
She cursed her idiocy for forgetting to bring an umbrella in her rush.
As she ran the remaining distance to the cottage, she thanked Merlin that it got a veranda. No way, and not even the very first edition of Hogwarts: A History could persuade her to stand in this cold blasted rain any longer.
"Mum!" she called, knocking on the door shivering.
Bustling noise came from within the house before the soft voice of Jean Granger called through the door. "Coming!"
When Jean opened the door, the sight Hermione was greeted with was quite amusing. Her mum was covered head to toe with flour.
"Mione!" Jean cried. She was about to give her a hug, but she changed her mind when she saw her state and crinkled up her nose in disapproval. "You, my dear, is wet."
Hermione snorted. "While you, dear mother, are covered in flour,"
Jean blushed before she huffed in annoyance. "Your father wouldn't help me make the dough for the breed." Jean muttered as she closed the door behind her.
Hermione just rolled her eyes fondly at her mother as she quickly cast the Drying Charm on herself and Scrougified her mother from the flour.
"Thank you, love." Jean said as she kissed Hermione's cheek lovingly.
"No problem, mum. Where's dad?" she asked.
"Right here poppet, in the living room!" the voice of Eugene Granger bounced through the halls.
"What's gotten him so occupied there that he couldn't help you around the kitchen?" Hermione asked her mother incredulously. "He knows better than anyone how utterly rubbish you are in the kitchen. Yet he still lets you take over?"
Her mother just shrugged and went back in to the kitchen. When Hermione bounded over to the living room to meet her father, she was expecting to see her father engrossed in his newspaper on the couch. However, never had she expected to be tackled by a mass of red hair when she entered. Making her trip and topple over on to the floor with a rather loud Ooof.
"Careful now love. Don't forget the baby!" called a distinct panicked voice from her right.
the woman above her snorted.
"Oh hush, you. I'm fine!" The woman admonished. "Mioneeeeee! Oh how I miss you so much!" she cried as she tightens her grip around her torso, making her hard to breathe.
"Er, You're killing her there..."
"Oh, sorry!" the woman said as she let go sheepishly.
Hermione gratefully took a lungful of air and proceeds to stared flabbergasted at the two people in front of her. Her eyes widen like saucers in recognition.
"What in the name of Merlin are you two doing here!" She exclaimed in utter astonishment and incomprehension.