Fic: Semper Vigilans (2/?)
Title: Semper Vigilans
Author: Buffybot76
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, they are the property of J.K Rowling. I am simply borrowing them for my amusement and non-profit entertainment.
Pairing: Fred/Hermione/George
Rating: M
Summary: The twins had always known that they were different from other children, even those among their own family. It wasn't until they were older that the twins found out just how different they truly were.
Warnings (if applicable): Mild violence
Genre: Romance/Supernatural, eventual crossover
Semper Vigilans
- Chapter 2 -
Fred and George Weasley had always been mischievous boys. When they were younger they always tended to play pranks on their siblings, older and younger alike. School friends were not safe and anyone who crossed the twin redheads, well... Let's just say, their pranks tended to get a little less humorous.
Needless to say, everyone who knew the Weasley twins knew not to get on their bad side.
The twins had always known that they were different from other children, even those among their own family. It wasn't until they were older that the twins found out just how different they truly were from other people. They didn't know how or why, but they felt connected to one another, somehow, much more so than any of their other siblings. So much so that they could quite literally read each other's minds. Fred could hear George's thoughts and vice versa.
It had taken until their eleventh birthday to develop the ability to shield themselves from each other's thoughts, to filter the emotions and distinguish exactly who was Fred and who was George. But by that time Fred and and George were so in sync and knew each other so well that it hardly mattered. They could finish each other's sentences and took relish in confusing and/or annoying people with their constant Twin-Speak whenever they could.
When they were thirteen things changed yet again with the arrival of a new student at their school. Hermione Granger was a first year at the boarding school of Hogwarts, a very studious child who was intent on earning straight A's and following the rules. The complete opposite of the twins. That, unfortunately, made her an easy target for bullies who immediately targeted the bushy haired brunette. Calling her names like, "Little-Miss-Know-It-All" and "Goody-Goody-Granger" though she seemed, for the most part, oblivious to it, keeping her nose forever in a book to study as she hid out in the school's library. Though, on some occasions, the words and actions of others did tend to get to her. One such occasion just happened to be what brought Hermione into the twins' orbit and put her on their radar, so to speak.
They were just passing the cafeteria on their way to meet their friend, Lee Jordan, when the girl came barreling out of the cafeteria and bumping into them, knocking them all ceremoniously to the ground.
George was the first to feel the pulling sensation that seemed to flare to life as the girl frantically rose to her feet, mumbling a soggy apology while swiping at the tears slipping silently down her cheeks. She gathered her books quickly and shuffled off with a barely audible sniffle, leaving the twins to stare after her from their still seated position on the hallway floor. George looked to Fred and noticing the curious look in his brother's blue eyes, opened their link.
'Did you feel that, Gred?'
'Indeed, I did, Forge. What do you think that was about?'
'I don't rightly know. I think, perhaps, we should investigate.'
'I agree.'
With a synchronized nod, the red heads rose to their feet and followed their quarry at a discreet distance.
They trailed her through the winding hallways of the school, finally ending at the entrance to the library, which wasn't a typical hang out spot for the twins. It was not for a lack of interest in learning that they'd never entered the library, they had just never needed to. For some reason, during the course of their education, they simply knew things already, leaving it a moot point to study. It had all come to them naturally and they had never made it a point to wonder just where their knowledge came from.
They shared a look and shrugged before pushing through the swinging doors. The pulling sensation they'd felt earlier returned and they allowed it to lead them towards the back of the room and up a flight of stairs to the dusty set bookshelves that had been jokingly called the "Restricted Section" a portion of the library that hardly anyone inhabited.
There, settled between the stacks, Hermione sat with her legs drawn to her chest and her face buried against her knees as she slender shoulders shook silently. Without a word needing to be spoke, the twins moved to settle, one on either side of the crying girl. Her body stiffened when she finally felt their presence and she brought her face up to look, but not before swiping her wet cheeks dry on the fabric of her worn jeans.
"What do you two want?" She asked in a confused voice. "I already apologized for bumping into you earlier."
"Bumping into us, she says." George sent a teasing look over her head at his twin who returned the look with a grin.
"Mowed us down, more like. You have quite the tackling arm there, Kit. Might ought to try out for rugby, you should." Fred didn't know why but the urge for contact with the girl overtook him and he nudged her shoulder with his own as he spoke.
A shiver ran down Hermione's arm at the contact and she leaned away slightly with wide eyes. Somehow, she could tell the twins' teasing wasn't meant to be cruel and it confused her. Hardly anyone had made an attempt at friendly banter with her since she'd started this school. She'd been somewhat of an outcast to be honest. A boy named Neville Longbottom had shyly spoken to her on occasion, but their interactions hadn't shouted 'bestest of friends'. There was Harry Potter, whom Hermione had met on the bus her first day, who acted as though he didn't mind spending time with her, but then that had been screwed up by Ron and his big mouth, spouting off hurtful things without thinking...
Something in what Fred had said caught her attention then, bringing her back to her present companions.
"Kit?" She raised a delicately arched brow as she eyed him in question.
"Er..." Fred glanced at his brother and then back down at the girl, for once at a loss for what to say. "Well..."
"It suits you," George interjected, bringing Hermione's attention back to him, then continued as if that explained everything. "Now, tell ol' Gred and Forge what got you so upset earlier."
This was incredibly weird, Hermione surmised. She knew of the Weasley Twins. Of course, everyone at Hogwarts had. Fred and George were mischief making pranksters and rule breakers. Both athletic and popular among the student body. Everything that Hermione Granger was not. So why were they taking time to see about her problems? Sure, it had been their younger brother, Ron, who had made the off handedly rude comment to her in the cafeteria that had brought on the onslaught of tears that had made her run away earlier, but they didn't know that. So why were they here?
"Well, if you must know, your brother's a right git." She said this matter-of-factly, not caring if the twins took offense at her bad mouthing Ron. To her surprise the older boys laughed in amused delight instead of being offended on behalf of their younger sibling.
"Cor, she's sure got ickle Ronnikins pegged, doesn't she, George!" Fred draped an arm around her shoulders, much to her surprise.
"That she does, Fred!" George agreed before slipping his own arm around her shoulders, slightly below his brother's nearer her shoulder blades. "So, what exactly did our beloved Ronald say or do this time to ensure his title of 'King of the Gits'?"
Hermione blushed at their sudden close proximity. She quickly shook it off though, as well as their arms, and rose to her feet, turning to stare down at them with hands propped on her hips as if preparing to give a lecture.
"You want to know what he said?" she asked, not really waiting for their reply before continuing, telling them what their little brother had said. And true to form, his words had indeed instilled his Git-ness in their minds. The twins shook their heads as they stared up at the now fuming girl. At least she wasn't crying now, they both happily took notice. Why exactly this fact made them happy, they pushed to the back of their minds.
They would ponder more on that later.
Instead, the twins rose to their feet and, turning Hermione, began herding her towards the exit to the library, once again one on either side. They proceeded to inform the brunette on the many different ways they tended to deal with their little brother, or anyone else for that matter, when they were being a pain. They then offered to instigate any one of those ways in order to establish a sense of retribution to her honor.
No matter how much Hermione tried to remind herself that she wasn't a vengeful person, that she normally would never have approved of what the twins were proposing, she instead found herself smiling in acceptance, and thus beginning an odd friendship between the three.
~*~*~*~*~*~
The Twins' Flat - Thursday Night
Fred sat on the couch cradling Hermione against him for a moment before looking over his shoulder towards the door that led to his brother's bedroom. "Oi, Georgie, get your lazy arse out here! Kit needs us!"
For a moment the only sounds in the apartment was the soft breathing from the brunette woman in his arms. Just as he was about to call to his twin again, the sound of movement reached their ears as George emerged from the depths of his room, donning pajama bottoms and hastily pulling a blue t-shirt over his head. He looked a bit disheveled, as if he'd been in a hurry to dress. When his head popped through the neck hole of the shirt, he cast a worried look toward the brunette in his brother's arms.
George was across the room in an instant, kneeling at Hermione's feet and drawing her gently away from Fred and into his own arms. She went willingly, slipping into the embrace like it was second nature, and perhaps it was. She sighed softly as the feeling of safety was reconfirmed. She felt Fred shift beside her, his arms going around her waist as he leaned into her as well.
"It was horrible," Hermione murmured into the crook of George's neck. "I had just gotten off work and was at my car when this creep who'd been harassing me earlier pulled a gun on me." The kneeling twin's eyes met his brother's over her head as they carried on a silent conversation.
'What the fucking hell, Forge?! How could you let that happen to her?!'
'Calm down, Gred.' George soothed his brother, sending waves of calm through their link. 'I took care of it.'
Hermione was continuing with her story, unbeknownst to their telepathic communication. "And then this... this thing came out of nowhere and grabbed him and flung him out of the car. I couldn't move, I was so scared. I think... I think it killed him. I'm not sure." She shuddered in their arms. "It could have killed me, too."
"Never," George murmured without thinking, causing Hermione's brows to furrow.
She pulled away slightly in order to look him in the eye. "H-how could you know that?"
Fred shot George a warning look. George swallowed hard, attempting to gather his thoughts in order to come up with something to explain away his careless confession.
"What my darling twin meant was that it's possible that you weren't in danger from the creature. I mean, some animals are pretty smart, right? It could have sensed that the wanker was up to no good and acted accordingly."
"Right," George added, attempting to stir her thinking in another direction. A direction where she wasn't suspicious of him. "I mean; did it seem like it was going to hurt you in any way?"
Hermione was silent for a moment as she replayed her encounter with the creature in her mind. When her eyes had made contact with its glowing gaze through the passenger window, Hermione had been terrified, but that was mostly due to the adrenaline that had been pumping through her veins. If she was honest with herself, she hadn't been scared of the creature, not really, just of the situation she'd found herself in. Potentially being kidnapped and assaulted tended to have that affect.
"I suppose not," She said softly. George let out a silent sigh of relief, as did Fred.
"Okay," George grabbed her hands with his and gently pulled her to her feet. "How about we get you cleaned up, yeah?"
Hermione nodded weakly and allowed George to lead her to the only bathroom in the flat. Fred slipped into his bedroom, reemerging shortly with a red t-shirt and a spare pair of boxers for her to change into. He handed them to her as she stood in the doorway. "There are fresh towels in the cabinet above the loo. Take your time. We'll be right here when you get out." George assured her before stepping back to allow her to close the door, issuing a soft 'Thank you,' in their direction as she did so.
Hermione sat her bundle of clothes on the counter before moving to withdraw a soft towel from the cabinet and placing it within reach of the shower. Turning the knobs to adjust the temperature of the water, she began removing her blood spattered top. Her hands began trembling halfway through the buttons and she had to close her eyes for a moment in order to gather herself enough to make them stop. When she opened her eyes once again, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror above the sink.
She looked a right fright that was for sure. Her hair was wilder than normal, if that were even possible, and her brown eyes were wide and bloodshot from her crying and the terror of the events that had occurred. A soft sob escaped her lips as she wondered how the boys had not completely panicked upon seeing her in such a state.
“Ugh, this was an utter nightmare.” She muttered as she continued to remove her top with a little less trembling hands.
Once she'd divested herself of the stained blouse, she quickly removed the remaining articles of clothing and slipped beneath the gentle spray of water. She sighed as the warm liquid washed away the blood and grime as well as the remaining tension that held her body taut.
She took a sponge that hung nearby and used it to spread body wash over herself, completely removing the remainder of the night’s events from her body. She collected her thoughts and they immediately went back to the handsome men who awaited her in the living room. She knew she was safe here, with the twins. It was odd, but she'd always felt safe with them, from the moment they'd struck up their friendship her first year at Hogwarts and the consecutive years that followed. They'd been special to her for a while now...
She remembered the way Fred, and then George, had held her in their arms. It had felt nice being in each of their arms as they'd comforted her, but it hadn't been until they had both held her there on the couch that it had felt... right. She blushed furiously at that thought, trying to deny what all it entailed. She couldn't possibly fancy them both! Could she?
As she continued to muse over her feelings for the twins, the water had begun to turn cold, signifying that she'd been in there long enough. She turned off the water and, reaching for her towel, stepped from the tub and began to dry off.
~*~*~*~*~
Once Hermione had disappeared from view, George stared at the closed bathroom door a moment before turning to face his twin. Fred stood eyeing him from his place back beside the sofa. He let out a sigh, raking his fingers through his already messy red hair, doing nothing to giving it an even more unkempt look before moving to stand beside Fred.
'Did you really kill the guy?' Fred's mental question was reflected in his blue gaze. George met it steadily with his own.
'He still had a heartbeat when I left.' George assured, but he wasn't entirely sure how far his fangs had punctured Malfoy's leg. There had been an awful lot of blood. He shuddered as he recalled the coppery taste that had filled his mouth. Bitter and disgusting, just like the man.
He had remembered the blonde haired git from their school days immediately, though he wasn't entirely sure if Hermione had. He'd been in her year, if he was correct. He'd been just as arrogant and unpleasant then as he'd apparently grown up to be now.
Fred nodded, his eyes darting toward the bathroom door. He could hear the sounds of water running and for a moment his mind filled with images of a naked Hermione, her body glistening beneath the spray of the showerhead. George growled as the image seeped through their link. They had to pull themselves back from such thoughts. Now was not the time.
'Do you think she suspects?' George inquired and Fred scoffed aloud as he stared back pointedly.
'No thanks to you. But give her time though, she'll figure it out. She's a bright one, our Kit.'
"Do we want her to figure it out?" George spoke aloud for the first time since Hermione had gone into the bathroom. He kept his voice hushed though so the sound didn't carry through to the brunette.
Fred gave a sigh that was laced with stress as he also glanced toward the bathroom door. "I don't know, I mean part of me wants her to but another part wants her far, far away from it." He admitted, then shook his head. "But honestly, it would be better for everyone involved if she knew."
"You're right. We need to be the ones to tell her, though." George stated with a firm nod of his head.
Fred cast him a look that said 'I know that, you idiot.' but instead replied. "How can we explain what we are when we don't rightly know ourselves? We've got to figure this out first, Forge."
"I say we man up and expand in our research. Look outside of Britain? Maybe we could find something in texts from other cultures..."
"That could take some time," Fred picked up the sound of movement from the bathroom and he realized that the sound of running water had ceased.
George noticed as well and replied mentally. 'It could, but it'll be worth it in the end. We have to know what we are. Why we can do what we do.'
'It's settled then. We'll expand our search to other continents. There's bound to be references to creatures that resemble our other form, somewhere.' Fred replied before the sound of the bathroom door clicking open ended their conversation completely. At least for now.
As one, the red heads turned to face Hermione as she reentered the living room.
~*~*~*~*~
Author's Note: I went ahead and posted the second chapter so you all would know that the first chapter does not by any means set the tone for this fic. I didn't want to put people off the story with the horror aspect of the first chapter.
Author: Buffybot76
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, they are the property of J.K Rowling. I am simply borrowing them for my amusement and non-profit entertainment.
Pairing: Fred/Hermione/George
Rating: M
Summary: The twins had always known that they were different from other children, even those among their own family. It wasn't until they were older that the twins found out just how different they truly were.
Warnings (if applicable): Mild violence
Genre: Romance/Supernatural, eventual crossover
Semper Vigilans
- Chapter 2 -
Fred and George Weasley had always been mischievous boys. When they were younger they always tended to play pranks on their siblings, older and younger alike. School friends were not safe and anyone who crossed the twin redheads, well... Let's just say, their pranks tended to get a little less humorous.
Needless to say, everyone who knew the Weasley twins knew not to get on their bad side.
The twins had always known that they were different from other children, even those among their own family. It wasn't until they were older that the twins found out just how different they truly were from other people. They didn't know how or why, but they felt connected to one another, somehow, much more so than any of their other siblings. So much so that they could quite literally read each other's minds. Fred could hear George's thoughts and vice versa.
It had taken until their eleventh birthday to develop the ability to shield themselves from each other's thoughts, to filter the emotions and distinguish exactly who was Fred and who was George. But by that time Fred and and George were so in sync and knew each other so well that it hardly mattered. They could finish each other's sentences and took relish in confusing and/or annoying people with their constant Twin-Speak whenever they could.
When they were thirteen things changed yet again with the arrival of a new student at their school. Hermione Granger was a first year at the boarding school of Hogwarts, a very studious child who was intent on earning straight A's and following the rules. The complete opposite of the twins. That, unfortunately, made her an easy target for bullies who immediately targeted the bushy haired brunette. Calling her names like, "Little-Miss-Know-It-All" and "Goody-Goody-Granger" though she seemed, for the most part, oblivious to it, keeping her nose forever in a book to study as she hid out in the school's library. Though, on some occasions, the words and actions of others did tend to get to her. One such occasion just happened to be what brought Hermione into the twins' orbit and put her on their radar, so to speak.
They were just passing the cafeteria on their way to meet their friend, Lee Jordan, when the girl came barreling out of the cafeteria and bumping into them, knocking them all ceremoniously to the ground.
George was the first to feel the pulling sensation that seemed to flare to life as the girl frantically rose to her feet, mumbling a soggy apology while swiping at the tears slipping silently down her cheeks. She gathered her books quickly and shuffled off with a barely audible sniffle, leaving the twins to stare after her from their still seated position on the hallway floor. George looked to Fred and noticing the curious look in his brother's blue eyes, opened their link.
'Did you feel that, Gred?'
'Indeed, I did, Forge. What do you think that was about?'
'I don't rightly know. I think, perhaps, we should investigate.'
'I agree.'
With a synchronized nod, the red heads rose to their feet and followed their quarry at a discreet distance.
They trailed her through the winding hallways of the school, finally ending at the entrance to the library, which wasn't a typical hang out spot for the twins. It was not for a lack of interest in learning that they'd never entered the library, they had just never needed to. For some reason, during the course of their education, they simply knew things already, leaving it a moot point to study. It had all come to them naturally and they had never made it a point to wonder just where their knowledge came from.
They shared a look and shrugged before pushing through the swinging doors. The pulling sensation they'd felt earlier returned and they allowed it to lead them towards the back of the room and up a flight of stairs to the dusty set bookshelves that had been jokingly called the "Restricted Section" a portion of the library that hardly anyone inhabited.
There, settled between the stacks, Hermione sat with her legs drawn to her chest and her face buried against her knees as she slender shoulders shook silently. Without a word needing to be spoke, the twins moved to settle, one on either side of the crying girl. Her body stiffened when she finally felt their presence and she brought her face up to look, but not before swiping her wet cheeks dry on the fabric of her worn jeans.
"What do you two want?" She asked in a confused voice. "I already apologized for bumping into you earlier."
"Bumping into us, she says." George sent a teasing look over her head at his twin who returned the look with a grin.
"Mowed us down, more like. You have quite the tackling arm there, Kit. Might ought to try out for rugby, you should." Fred didn't know why but the urge for contact with the girl overtook him and he nudged her shoulder with his own as he spoke.
A shiver ran down Hermione's arm at the contact and she leaned away slightly with wide eyes. Somehow, she could tell the twins' teasing wasn't meant to be cruel and it confused her. Hardly anyone had made an attempt at friendly banter with her since she'd started this school. She'd been somewhat of an outcast to be honest. A boy named Neville Longbottom had shyly spoken to her on occasion, but their interactions hadn't shouted 'bestest of friends'. There was Harry Potter, whom Hermione had met on the bus her first day, who acted as though he didn't mind spending time with her, but then that had been screwed up by Ron and his big mouth, spouting off hurtful things without thinking...
Something in what Fred had said caught her attention then, bringing her back to her present companions.
"Kit?" She raised a delicately arched brow as she eyed him in question.
"Er..." Fred glanced at his brother and then back down at the girl, for once at a loss for what to say. "Well..."
"It suits you," George interjected, bringing Hermione's attention back to him, then continued as if that explained everything. "Now, tell ol' Gred and Forge what got you so upset earlier."
This was incredibly weird, Hermione surmised. She knew of the Weasley Twins. Of course, everyone at Hogwarts had. Fred and George were mischief making pranksters and rule breakers. Both athletic and popular among the student body. Everything that Hermione Granger was not. So why were they taking time to see about her problems? Sure, it had been their younger brother, Ron, who had made the off handedly rude comment to her in the cafeteria that had brought on the onslaught of tears that had made her run away earlier, but they didn't know that. So why were they here?
"Well, if you must know, your brother's a right git." She said this matter-of-factly, not caring if the twins took offense at her bad mouthing Ron. To her surprise the older boys laughed in amused delight instead of being offended on behalf of their younger sibling.
"Cor, she's sure got ickle Ronnikins pegged, doesn't she, George!" Fred draped an arm around her shoulders, much to her surprise.
"That she does, Fred!" George agreed before slipping his own arm around her shoulders, slightly below his brother's nearer her shoulder blades. "So, what exactly did our beloved Ronald say or do this time to ensure his title of 'King of the Gits'?"
Hermione blushed at their sudden close proximity. She quickly shook it off though, as well as their arms, and rose to her feet, turning to stare down at them with hands propped on her hips as if preparing to give a lecture.
"You want to know what he said?" she asked, not really waiting for their reply before continuing, telling them what their little brother had said. And true to form, his words had indeed instilled his Git-ness in their minds. The twins shook their heads as they stared up at the now fuming girl. At least she wasn't crying now, they both happily took notice. Why exactly this fact made them happy, they pushed to the back of their minds.
They would ponder more on that later.
Instead, the twins rose to their feet and, turning Hermione, began herding her towards the exit to the library, once again one on either side. They proceeded to inform the brunette on the many different ways they tended to deal with their little brother, or anyone else for that matter, when they were being a pain. They then offered to instigate any one of those ways in order to establish a sense of retribution to her honor.
No matter how much Hermione tried to remind herself that she wasn't a vengeful person, that she normally would never have approved of what the twins were proposing, she instead found herself smiling in acceptance, and thus beginning an odd friendship between the three.
~*~*~*~*~*~
The Twins' Flat - Thursday Night
Fred sat on the couch cradling Hermione against him for a moment before looking over his shoulder towards the door that led to his brother's bedroom. "Oi, Georgie, get your lazy arse out here! Kit needs us!"
For a moment the only sounds in the apartment was the soft breathing from the brunette woman in his arms. Just as he was about to call to his twin again, the sound of movement reached their ears as George emerged from the depths of his room, donning pajama bottoms and hastily pulling a blue t-shirt over his head. He looked a bit disheveled, as if he'd been in a hurry to dress. When his head popped through the neck hole of the shirt, he cast a worried look toward the brunette in his brother's arms.
George was across the room in an instant, kneeling at Hermione's feet and drawing her gently away from Fred and into his own arms. She went willingly, slipping into the embrace like it was second nature, and perhaps it was. She sighed softly as the feeling of safety was reconfirmed. She felt Fred shift beside her, his arms going around her waist as he leaned into her as well.
"It was horrible," Hermione murmured into the crook of George's neck. "I had just gotten off work and was at my car when this creep who'd been harassing me earlier pulled a gun on me." The kneeling twin's eyes met his brother's over her head as they carried on a silent conversation.
'What the fucking hell, Forge?! How could you let that happen to her?!'
'Calm down, Gred.' George soothed his brother, sending waves of calm through their link. 'I took care of it.'
Hermione was continuing with her story, unbeknownst to their telepathic communication. "And then this... this thing came out of nowhere and grabbed him and flung him out of the car. I couldn't move, I was so scared. I think... I think it killed him. I'm not sure." She shuddered in their arms. "It could have killed me, too."
"Never," George murmured without thinking, causing Hermione's brows to furrow.
She pulled away slightly in order to look him in the eye. "H-how could you know that?"
Fred shot George a warning look. George swallowed hard, attempting to gather his thoughts in order to come up with something to explain away his careless confession.
"What my darling twin meant was that it's possible that you weren't in danger from the creature. I mean, some animals are pretty smart, right? It could have sensed that the wanker was up to no good and acted accordingly."
"Right," George added, attempting to stir her thinking in another direction. A direction where she wasn't suspicious of him. "I mean; did it seem like it was going to hurt you in any way?"
Hermione was silent for a moment as she replayed her encounter with the creature in her mind. When her eyes had made contact with its glowing gaze through the passenger window, Hermione had been terrified, but that was mostly due to the adrenaline that had been pumping through her veins. If she was honest with herself, she hadn't been scared of the creature, not really, just of the situation she'd found herself in. Potentially being kidnapped and assaulted tended to have that affect.
"I suppose not," She said softly. George let out a silent sigh of relief, as did Fred.
"Okay," George grabbed her hands with his and gently pulled her to her feet. "How about we get you cleaned up, yeah?"
Hermione nodded weakly and allowed George to lead her to the only bathroom in the flat. Fred slipped into his bedroom, reemerging shortly with a red t-shirt and a spare pair of boxers for her to change into. He handed them to her as she stood in the doorway. "There are fresh towels in the cabinet above the loo. Take your time. We'll be right here when you get out." George assured her before stepping back to allow her to close the door, issuing a soft 'Thank you,' in their direction as she did so.
Hermione sat her bundle of clothes on the counter before moving to withdraw a soft towel from the cabinet and placing it within reach of the shower. Turning the knobs to adjust the temperature of the water, she began removing her blood spattered top. Her hands began trembling halfway through the buttons and she had to close her eyes for a moment in order to gather herself enough to make them stop. When she opened her eyes once again, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror above the sink.
She looked a right fright that was for sure. Her hair was wilder than normal, if that were even possible, and her brown eyes were wide and bloodshot from her crying and the terror of the events that had occurred. A soft sob escaped her lips as she wondered how the boys had not completely panicked upon seeing her in such a state.
“Ugh, this was an utter nightmare.” She muttered as she continued to remove her top with a little less trembling hands.
Once she'd divested herself of the stained blouse, she quickly removed the remaining articles of clothing and slipped beneath the gentle spray of water. She sighed as the warm liquid washed away the blood and grime as well as the remaining tension that held her body taut.
She took a sponge that hung nearby and used it to spread body wash over herself, completely removing the remainder of the night’s events from her body. She collected her thoughts and they immediately went back to the handsome men who awaited her in the living room. She knew she was safe here, with the twins. It was odd, but she'd always felt safe with them, from the moment they'd struck up their friendship her first year at Hogwarts and the consecutive years that followed. They'd been special to her for a while now...
She remembered the way Fred, and then George, had held her in their arms. It had felt nice being in each of their arms as they'd comforted her, but it hadn't been until they had both held her there on the couch that it had felt... right. She blushed furiously at that thought, trying to deny what all it entailed. She couldn't possibly fancy them both! Could she?
As she continued to muse over her feelings for the twins, the water had begun to turn cold, signifying that she'd been in there long enough. She turned off the water and, reaching for her towel, stepped from the tub and began to dry off.
~*~*~*~*~
Once Hermione had disappeared from view, George stared at the closed bathroom door a moment before turning to face his twin. Fred stood eyeing him from his place back beside the sofa. He let out a sigh, raking his fingers through his already messy red hair, doing nothing to giving it an even more unkempt look before moving to stand beside Fred.
'Did you really kill the guy?' Fred's mental question was reflected in his blue gaze. George met it steadily with his own.
'He still had a heartbeat when I left.' George assured, but he wasn't entirely sure how far his fangs had punctured Malfoy's leg. There had been an awful lot of blood. He shuddered as he recalled the coppery taste that had filled his mouth. Bitter and disgusting, just like the man.
He had remembered the blonde haired git from their school days immediately, though he wasn't entirely sure if Hermione had. He'd been in her year, if he was correct. He'd been just as arrogant and unpleasant then as he'd apparently grown up to be now.
Fred nodded, his eyes darting toward the bathroom door. He could hear the sounds of water running and for a moment his mind filled with images of a naked Hermione, her body glistening beneath the spray of the showerhead. George growled as the image seeped through their link. They had to pull themselves back from such thoughts. Now was not the time.
'Do you think she suspects?' George inquired and Fred scoffed aloud as he stared back pointedly.
'No thanks to you. But give her time though, she'll figure it out. She's a bright one, our Kit.'
"Do we want her to figure it out?" George spoke aloud for the first time since Hermione had gone into the bathroom. He kept his voice hushed though so the sound didn't carry through to the brunette.
Fred gave a sigh that was laced with stress as he also glanced toward the bathroom door. "I don't know, I mean part of me wants her to but another part wants her far, far away from it." He admitted, then shook his head. "But honestly, it would be better for everyone involved if she knew."
"You're right. We need to be the ones to tell her, though." George stated with a firm nod of his head.
Fred cast him a look that said 'I know that, you idiot.' but instead replied. "How can we explain what we are when we don't rightly know ourselves? We've got to figure this out first, Forge."
"I say we man up and expand in our research. Look outside of Britain? Maybe we could find something in texts from other cultures..."
"That could take some time," Fred picked up the sound of movement from the bathroom and he realized that the sound of running water had ceased.
George noticed as well and replied mentally. 'It could, but it'll be worth it in the end. We have to know what we are. Why we can do what we do.'
'It's settled then. We'll expand our search to other continents. There's bound to be references to creatures that resemble our other form, somewhere.' Fred replied before the sound of the bathroom door clicking open ended their conversation completely. At least for now.
As one, the red heads turned to face Hermione as she reentered the living room.
~*~*~*~*~
Author's Note: I went ahead and posted the second chapter so you all would know that the first chapter does not by any means set the tone for this fic. I didn't want to put people off the story with the horror aspect of the first chapter.