SHE sat in the chair while the kids whirled around her, chasing after the miniature Golden Snitch on their practise broomsticks.
Hermione couldn't take it anymore. She stuck her hands on her hips, lowered her voice to a hiss and warned, "Hugo and Rose Weasley, if you don't land this instant-!"
And when that didn't work, she said, "finite incantatem", gave her wand a swish and flick and her two kids landed in a heap on the shaggy, burnt orange rug.
Then it was quiet in the empty house.
Suddenly, the wind bustled and howled outside, branches scraping the glass windows. Rose shuddered and Hugo's eyes widened.
Hermione's mouth curled into a wicked grin. "Now you've done it."
The fire in the pit spat and sparked: bright against the dark of the night.
"He's here."
Hushed whimpers echoed through the room as the thunder cracked behind the panes.
Everyone knew the story by heart. Hermione heard it a million times when she was young, and her mother heard it before her, and her grand-mother, and great-great grandmother and so on and so forth.
It was the story she told her kids over and over again while her husband worked the night shift at the Ministry. It always began the same way, and it never ended, because by that time, Hugo would be fast asleep and Rose would look so crestfallen that she'd instantly apologize to her mum for not listening and tuck into bed.
They knew the story by heart, and still, it never failed to capture their attention.
Hermione cast two logs into the fire and charmed the broomsticks and Snitch into the toy box. She sat back into her cozy, green armchair and tucked the blanket around her. Her eyes glistened.
"Once upon a time, in the deep, deep forest, there lived a great, black, wolf."
Rose and Hugo were huddled up on the rug, clutching their pyjamas bottoms. Quickly, they inched over so they were one breath away from their mother's feet.
"No one had ever seen him, but there were stories passed from mouth to ear.'
'They say the wolf lived in the darkest part of the forest. His coat was black, like charcoal. His eyes were like two round saucers and his paws were so big, that when he trod through the dirt, the holes would become ponds."
"That's big," Hugo whispered. "Bigger than me."
"One night, in a small house in the clearing, a mummy was rocking her little girl and little boy to sleep."
She looked at Rose. "They had red hair and big brown eyes."
"Like me," Rose whispered, tugging at the blanket.
"Yes, like you. But not like that. Anyways the little boy and girl did not listen to their mummy. They cried and ran around and made a big ruckus. And the ruckus was so great that...it echoed far into the forest."
Hugo bit his lip.
"Deep in the dark, black forest, the wolf opened one eye. Then he opened the next."
For emphasis, Hermione slowly opened her own eyes as she spoke.
"And he opened his big black mouth and licked his big black lips with his long black ... BOOM!"
Thunder rumbled through the room; Rose and Hugo screamed. Hermione, clutched her blanket tighter and the flames in the pit flickered wildly.
"No more mama, no more!" Rose cried and ran into Hermione's arms. "I won't do it again...I'll listen...I promise!"
But Hermione was staring at Hugo. Hugo was frozen, gazing wide-eyed at the window. Hugging Rose closer she followed his gaze to the window.
Two saucers stared right at her.
One crescent moon of pearly white teeth smiled beneath them.
In a flash of lightening, they were gone.
"Mama," Hugo whispered, frozen.
"It's time to go to bed Hugo."
"Bedtime," Hermione said stiffly. "It's getting late. Let's go."
She stood and toppled over the edge of the chair, Rose shrieking in her arms. It's okay, she heard herself muttering distantly as she stood up and walked to the stairs.
Up she went, with Hugo following suite.
She pushed open the door to the kids' bedroom and stilled. There at the back of the room, in the tall glass window, were the two white saucers.
One flash of lightening and they were gone.
She peeled back the blanket and placed Rose down. Behind her, sheets rustled at Hugo climbed into bed.
She kissed her little girl on the head. "Good night sweetie."
She kissed Hugo too and held him for a long time.
She left a night light on and closed the door.
Hermione went downstairs, the wand in her hand.
Step by step.
She knew where she had to go.
She put on a raincoat and her rubber wellies.
Pushing open the front door, she stepped outside and locked it behind her. She looked up.
Rose and Hugo's window had a small flicking light in it. Blowing them a kiss, Hermione stepped into the darkness and walked down the short winding path to the mailbox.
There was no one in sight on the street. Naught but the streetlamps.
Hermione stepped off the curb and walked down the lane. There was the start of the forest. Tall, prickly pines lined the outside of the trim.
Hermione took a deep breath. She held out the wand before her, the light flickering on the tip and stepped forth onto the grass. She looked behind her. She could still return.
Taking short steps, she began her walk into the darkness.
The rain was harder now, and the rest of her body dissapeared into the void surrounding her. The hushed whispers of raindrops hitting the foliage warned her as she walked.
Suddenly she heard a figure move through the greenery. She turned around, shining her light.
No one.
She walked forth, her feet sinking in the mud.
Suddenly, she sank into a deep puddle. Her boots filled with water and the wetness crept up her jeans.
"Ugh!" she mumbled.
A voice behind her whispered, "Hermionee...I want to hear the end of the story."
She turned around and came face to face with a big, black snout and two saucers gleaming in the dark.