DISCLAIMER: I only Xavier, Cassie, Tanya, Bobby, and Alex are mine.

HIDDEN CHANGES

Chapter 13

When Hermione opened her eyes they were outside Tanya's house. "Geez what time is it here?"

Xavier looked over, "Around six a.m. I sort of feel bad I woke them up at 2 a.m. to get them ready. They also have school this morning."

"I feel sorry for them, but I am glad to be back here."She smiled as she recalled the first time she came over here during the summer.

Hermione looked around where Xavier had taken her. They were in a muggle neighborhood.

"We are at the front of the neighborhood but I need to prepare you for the people you will encounter. It is a very hectic household."

"Why did you pair them up if it is so hectic?"

"They work extremely well together and they care for each other like a family. Let's start walking." Xavier looked to Hermione as they began to walk, "Now they know who you are but you need to know their names. There is Tanya, Alexander, Bobby, and Cassandra. You met Cassandra once correct?"

"She was the really young one who was very serious at the meeting right?"

"Yes, the one with dark curly hair, but she is only serious when it comes to 'the business' as she calls it. She usually is full of energy. She loves to play and she is usually shy when she first meets people. I fear that she won't be shy around you and will just jump on you when she sees you because you have already met her. If you have Cassandra on your side everyone will like you just fine. Her birthday is tomorrow she turns six."

"Alright, Cassandra is the key to everyone's heart."

"Tanya is the red head with the long hair. Tanya doesn't like nicknames for her so just call her Tanya. She has a thick southern accent when she gets tired or has been drinking and she expects you to understand her. Just agree with her if you don't understand. She is the head of the house. She is strict when it is time for business but very welcoming. She tends to have a personality of that Weasley mother you told me about without the ridiculous amount of bossy-ness."

"How old is she?"Hermione asked.

"She is twenty-three but when she is at work she acts like she is forty and when she is partying well she acts like a twenty-one year old."

"Twenty-one?"

"That is the drinking age in the United States, not many under that age listen to that rule though."

Hermione nodded, "So I can't drink here?"

"Did you drink before?"

"No, but I liked knowing that I could."

Xavier rolled his eyes continuing, "Alexander answers to just about anything, Alex, Zander, Zan… but don't call him Al he hates it. Alex is the boy with the long blonde hair and he is 19. He is originally from England. He was all proper and polite before he met Tanya. She soon taught him how to loosen up. He also is acquainted with the magical world, he is related to some wizards so he knows more than the other. I mean they all know about it but Alex knows a lot about it."

"Why does he know so much?"

Xavier dodged the question continuing, "Bobby's real name is Robert, but don't call him that. He tends to be very aggressive when he gets upset. He has short black hair and is sixteen. He looks like he is just a punk but he is a nerd. He loves video games. I don't know why but he likes the more violent ones. If he starts randomly saying weird things don't worry no one really understands when he goes into 'nerd mode' as Tanya calls it. He broods after he gets in trouble but he is extremely playful. Alex and Bobby bond over tormenting Tanya. Oh and he just got his driver's license so he is very proud of that."

"What?"

"Driving age is sixteen instead of seventeen here. We are almost there, see it is the house on the corner."

"I am nervous."

"You will be fine."

"I mean I am meeting my new pack members right. What if they don't like me? What if they think my hair is too frizzy!?"

"Hermione shut up. They will like you fine. Tanya will love another girl visiting, Cassandra will love a girl friend to play with, Alex will like that you are a witch, and Bobby will like that you are a normal girl. Most of the girls who are Kanimas are rather… hmm aggressive."

As the approached the door Hermione tried to flatten her hair a little and smoothed out invisible wrinkles on her yellow sundress.

Xavier smiled at her as he rang the doorbell three times, "You are fine."

Hermione took a deep breath calming herself as she heard Cassandra squealing, "They are here! They are here!"

The door swung open and revealed the young Cassandra in a one-piece swimsuit who said quickly, "Hermymione! Come swim with me!"

Xavier looked at Cassandra and corrected her, "It is Hermione."

"Herminony?"

"No. Hermione."

"Hermimone?"

Xavier growled as Hermione crouched to be on Cassandra's level smiling. "Say it like this, Her-My-Own-ee"

"Her-My-Own-ee"

"That's right! Now squish all of them together."

"Hermyownee! Hermione!"

"You are so smart, but if you want you can just call me Mione"

Cassandra blushed and giggled putting her small hands on her hips, "I turn six tomorrow Miss Mione! I should be smart by now!"

Hermione smiled at Cassandra's attitude saying, "Well happy early birthday! You are becoming quite the lady. Now what was that you said about swimming?"

She heard a yell from the kitchen, "You can't go swimming after you eat Cassie you know that! I saw your little hand sneaking food!"

"But Miss Tanya!!"

Hermione turned to see a long blonde haired boy with a cowboy hat on running down the stairs laughing with a beanie in his hand. She backed up into Xavier who put his hands on her shoulders as another boy with cat ears buried in his black hair came running down the stairs yelling.

"Alex give it back!"

"Not until your ears go away!"

Xavier let go of Hermione and moved in front of her before took the beanie from Alex and smacked him upside the head taking the cowboy hat as well. "You look like a girl."

Alex blushed and mumbled something along the lines of shut up as white ears peeked out of his hair.

Xavier held both of the hats in his hands. "You both can't have your hats until your ears go down." Xavier stared at the two boys who calmed down immediately and their ears went away. Xavier threw the hats at the two boys. "Now, I want to introduce you two to Hermione. She is the newest cub of our pack and I expect you to be nice to her. I have to go talk with Tanya."

Cassandra ran up to Hermione and hugged her around the waist. "She is my new best friend!"

Bobby smirked at Alex and then looked to Cassandra sadly, "I thought we were your best friend Cassie! I am so sad now!"

Alex hugged Bobby and patted his back, "It is okay Bobby! We can get through this together!"

Cassie's lower lip began to tremble, "You two are still my friends! I can have more than two best friends!"

Alex looked at Cassie, "No you have made your mind up."

Cassie looked on the verge of tears and Hermione didn't know what to do.

Tanya walked in dressed some cut off shorts and a tank top with an apron on and a wooden spoon in hand, "Bobby! Alex! Stop it you are making her cry!"

Alex laughed, "Come on Miss Tan-Tan!"

Tanya growled and hit him on the head with the spoon, "I'll give you Miss Tan-tan!"

Bobby gasped and whined, "Xavier! Tanya is abusing Alex again!"

Tanya looked at him, "Stop whining!"She then noticed Hermione and gave the spoon to Bobby to hold, "You must be Hermione! I have heard about you, come on into the kitchen we can girl talk!"

Bobby turned to Alex squealing, "OOO girl talk!" giggling like a maniac.

"You sure are good at that Bobby." Alex commented.

Xavier walked in, "Tanya, the food is going to burn."

Hermione smiled at the group they seemed very friendly and she knew she would fit in just fine.

Hermione smiled as she thought on that day and she and Xavier approached the house. Xavier looked at Hermione worried as he rang the door bell three times. Alex opened the door and revealed that he was about to go to sleep only wearing his sleeping pants gesturing for Xavier and Hermione come in.

Tanya was rushing around downstairs in a pants suit yelling up the stairs, "Are you two ready for school? I have breakfast down here."

Bobby rubbed his eyes yawning as he walked down the stairs and leaned against the wall. "Yeah, Yeah. I don't see why we have to go. I am so tired."

Cassandra slumped down the stairs obviously exhausted and leaned on Xavier, "I don't want to go. I am sleepy."

Xavier scooped her up and held her, "You have to go to school. I am sure Hermione would like you to learn more. How about if you go to school Hermione will come pick you up from school?"

Cassandra smiled and nodded, "Are you okay Miss Mione?"

Hermione nodded, "I am sure I will be fine."

Xavier watched as Bobby began to doze off leaning against the wall. "Bobby!"

Bobby awoke with a start and looked around, "Man! What the hell!"

Xavier tossed Bobby a pepper-up potion, "Drink that you will feel better."

Hermione looked to Xavier, "Does that work on them and do you always carry that around?"

Xavier looked over, "Yes it works fine on them and I only carry it around when I know someone is going to need it."

Bobby sniffed at it, "It smells gross."

Hermione looked to him, "It only tastes bad for a second and then you feel much better."

Alex walked in and looked over at the potion, "You better have more than one of those."

Xavier sighed, "I have two more one for you and one for Tanya. Cassie is too young to have one."

Alex nodded, "So what are you going to do? Send her to anger management classes?"

Hermione shrugged as Xavier said, "I will teach her some calming techniques and how to control her temper."

Bobby tossed back the potion and made a gagging noise, "Oh cause you never lose your temper Mr. Cool."

"I am very calm and collected."

Alex snorted, "I really think we should just take her to one anger management session and help her build off that."

Xavier thought for a moment, "That is probably a good idea but for now Hermione you can rest."

Tanya hurried into the room, "Food is ready. Hermione I am not sure if you are hungry but I made enough for everyone if you want to join. I also have a trundle bed pulled out in my room for you to sleep on. Xavier did you want to stay here or are you going back and forth?"

Xavier looked over, "I am not sure yet, I have to have meetings with many different people. I'll probably be here some nights but not every night. I'll just take the sofa when I am here though."

Tanya put her arms around Xavier and Hermione leading them into the kitchen where Alex, Bobby, and Cassandra were eating. "Don't give me that crap Xavier, I know you don't sleep well on sofas I will have a bed made in one of the boys rooms. I mean where do you usually sleep?"

"I usually sleep with Hermione."

A crash and a clatter was heard, apparently Alex dropped his plate and Bobby dropped his fork and a unanimous "WHAT?" was heard.

Hermione blushed clarified as ears began to come out of her hair, "No no no! I mean he sleeps in the same bed but he is in his jaguar form and he sleeps at the bottom of the bed on my feet and I mean… well… Um… I have to go to the bathroom. Excuse me!" Hermione put her hands over her ears as she walked to the bathroom.

Alex muttered, "What a perv."

Bobby looked over agreeing, "What a lecherous old man."

Xavier was tensing up, "I haven't touched her!"

Tanya looked at Xavier sternly. "Why have you been there?"

"The dormitories there are all together. All the girls sleep in one room together and they have curtains around each bed to give them privacy. I sleep on the bottom of Hermione's bed because I can't sleep anywhere else in the room."

"Why haven't you just gone to your home?" Tanya demanded.

Alex looked over, "You love staying in your house I don't know why you would want to stay at that castle."

"I haven't gone to my house because it was blasted to tiny bits by Alex's lovely parents!"

The truth about why Xavier is always around Hermione comes out! Please keep the reviews up special shout out to LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL and FredWeaslysFutureWife. Please keep up the reviews everyone. The next chapter is almost done and will be up soon. Please continue to review it gives me confidence to keep cranking out these chapters fast.

Mousie

aka Meg