Blood/Magic - Harry Potter/True Blood (8/9)
"Reinforcements?" Alcide said. "Who?"
"Angelique, for one," Hermione said, rolling down her window to let the breeze in as Alcide drove. "She works for the Bureau, she'll be extremely interested in knowing that there's Dark magic going on in her district."
"The FBI?" Sookie asked.
Hermione shook her head. "The Bureau of Magical Intervention," she explained. "It's the governing body for wizards in the United States."
Sookie's eyes went wide. "You have a government?"
Hermione shrugged. "So do the vampires, don't they?" she said. "And the werewolves? We all have our own intrasocietal issues."
"There's no unifying werewolf government," Alcide interjected. "It's just scattered packs."
"Oh. Sorry." Hermione stuck her hand out the window, letting the wind blow between her fingers. "Anyway. I'll let Angelique know. She's on a committee for magical regulation, she'll know who to call."
There was a long silence. Then: "Hermione, why didn't you tell Alcide you can tell if they're related?"
Alcide looked sharply at Hermione. "What?"
Hermione gave Sookie a dirty look. "Thanks a lot," she said crossly.
"What?" Sookie shrugged. "He deserves to know."
"You said you wouldn't read my mind," Hermione accused.
"Well. You projected. I couldn't help it -- it was like you screamed it," Sookie said defensively.
"Will you two stop fighting for one minute!" Alcide hit the steering wheel with the palm of his hand. "Hermione."
"What," Hermione said, scowling.
"Is it true?"
Hermione sighed. "Yes."
"How?"
"Yeah," Sookie said, poking her head between the seats interestedly, "how?"
Hermione sighed. "I'll show you when we get back," she said.
Once they were back at her house, Hermione found a pen Angelique had handed her one day. She'd forgotten to return it. She put it in Alcide's hand.
"Don't hold it tight," she said. "Just let it rest on your palm."
"A pen is going to tell us if your friend is Alcide's sister?" Sookie asked.
"It's not the object itself, it's who owns it," Hermione explained. "It's an old spell. They used it back before there was much interaction between wizarding communities. When there was a much smaller, um, marital pool." She tipped her head meaningfully.
"I see." Alcide rolled the pen in his palm, examining the logo printed on it. "Viagra?"
"Her cousin’s a doctor," Hermione explained.
"Right."
Hermione let her wand hover over the pen. She made a figure-8 in the air over Alcide's hand. "Genea revelio."
The pen began to vibrate violently, so much that it almost lifted off Alcide's palm.
"Finite incantatem," Hermione said, and the pen immediately fell still. "There you go."
"So?" Alcide's brow was drawn down. His eyes were blazing.
"You're related, certainly." Hermione took the pen from Alcide's hand and put it back in her bag.
"She's my sister." His voice was tight.
"Can't be sure," Hermione said, forcing lightness into her tone. "But you've got some shared blood."
Alcide turned away from her, his expression unreadable. "I should probably meet her," he said, his voice flat.
Hermione leaned toward him, trying to meet his eyes. "Alcide -- "
He stood up. "I have to go," he muttered, and walked out of the kitchen.
Hermione looked at Sookie. Sookie was looking after Alcide. She glanced over guiltily.
"I should -- " she started, but Hermione was already shooing her away.
"Hurry up, you can catch him," Hermione said.
Flash of grateful brown eyes, a flutter of frills, and Sookie was darting after Alcide. And Hermione was alone.
"Well," she said to herself. "That was interesting."
She called Angelique.
"Did you just Genea me?" Angelique asked, by way of hello.
Hermione blinked. "How'd you know?"
"Pfft." Hermione could almost hear Angelique roll her eyes. "Magical regulation, remember? You think I wouldn't know if a proxy spell was being performed on me?"
"Sorry," Hermione said. "So I guess you already know."
"Noooooo." Angelique dragged out the word. "I only know it was performed. What happened?"
"You have a blood relative werewolf in Shreveport," Hermione said.
There was a moment of silence. "My father?" Angelique asked, her voice suddenly small.
"No, no," Hermione said hurriedly, although she remembered the logo on Alcide's truck: Herveaux and Son. Best, probably, to keep any further declarations to herself until she had more facts. "He's in his thirties, probably. Maybe a cousin, or -- "
"Or brother?" Angelique perked up.
"Maybe," Hermione said grudgingly.
"You should have some idea," Angelique said. "How strong was the response?"
"Pretty strong," Hermione admitted.
"I'm coming up there," Angelique said.
"I'm not sure that's a good -- "
Crack and Angelique was standing in the kitchen, cell phone to her ear. "Hi," she said.
Hermione sighed. "He just left."
"Well, let's go find him," Angelique said. She put her phone in her purse -- a Fendi, today -- and snapped it shut. "Besides, we need to go check out this coven."
"Um." Hermione shifted guiltily. "We sort of already did."
Angelique stopped in her tracks. "What do you mean, you already did?" Her green eyes flashed.
"Well, Sookie showed up with the werewolf," Hermione said defensively. "She thought he could provide some protection."
"So he's magical?" Angelique arched an eyebrow.
Hermione cleared her throat. "No."
Angelique gave her a withering look. "You don't expect me to believe that you actually thought he could do anything if you got into trouble."
"Well, no," Hermione admitted. "But I didn't think anything would happen in the middle of the day."
"You're getting too comfortable, Granger," Angelique said crossly. "We aren't vampires, remember? A Dark wizard is perfectly capable of kicking up trouble in broad daylight."
"I know, I know." Hermione looked away. "Sorry."
"Hmph." Angelique pursed her lips. "No harm, no foul, I suppose, but will you please include the appropriate people in your plans the next time you do something crazy like that?"
"Yes. Sorry again."
Angelique had her phone out again; her thumbs flew over the screen. "Where's the coven meet?"
Hermione told her. "But I don't know when."
"No problem." Angelique looked up. "I can have a squad up here by six. If all goes well, we can get this little problem cleaned up by tomorrow."
Tomorrow.
Eric could have his memory back by tomorrow.
"Hey." Angelique put a hand on Hermione's arm. "You okay? You look sick."
Hermione shook herself. "I'm fine," she said.
"Well, let's go then." Angelique hitched her bag higher on her shoulder. "I want to meet this werewolf before we stomp out evil."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
They found Alcide and Sookie at Merlotte's.
"Hey," Angelique said, striding right up to their window table. "You're Alcide, right?"
Alcide raised his eyebrows. "I am," he said, and Hermione could see his tension in the set of his shoulders, the tightness of his jaw.
Angelique stuck her hand out. "I think you're my half-brother," she said.
Alcide opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again.
"Ah," he said.
"My mama told me my daddy was dead," Angelique said, sliding into the booth beside Sookie, who was watching with an interested expression on her face. "Your daddy alive?"
Another pause. Alcide's eyebrows were creeping higher and higher. "He is," he said finally.
The only sign of stress on Angelique's face was the way she was clenching her jaw -- and as she sat down beside Alcide, Hermione could suddenly see the similarity between Angelique and the werewolf. "His name Jack?" Angelique asked, her tone too cool.
"Jackson," Alcide said.
Angelique looked down. Nodded slowly. "Yep," she said.
"Hermione," Sookie said suddenly.
Hermione looked at her. "Yeah?"
"Need to talk to you." Sookie nudged Angelique, who slid out of the booth to let her through. When Hermione stood, Sookie grabbed her arm and hauled her toward the door.
"What are you doing?" Hermione hissed, once they were outside.
Sookie gave her a look. "Isn't it obvious?" she said. "They need some family time."
Hermione looked back, through the window. Alcide and Angelique were leaning toward each other, talking intently now. As Hermione watched, Alcide started laughing at something Angelique had said.
"Oh," she said.
"Plus," Sookie added, "they were both so curious about each other that it was absolutely deafening."
"Oh." That made more sense. Hermione leaned against the building. "What do we do, then?"
Sookie shrugged. "Wait, I guess."
They didn't have to wait long.
Ten minutes after Hermione and Sookie had gone outside, Angelique came flying out of Merlotte's. Alcide was close behind her.
"Hermione," she said sharply. "We gotta go."
Hermione looked up. "Huh?"
"That coven." Angelique waved her phone. "I just got a text from the section director. Turns out this is a little bigger than we thought."
"What do you mean, a little bigger?" Hermione pulled out her wand, preparing to Apparate, but Sookie seized her arm.
"We're coming with you," she said.
"Ooh." Angelique grimaced. "You probably ought to stay here."
"Now hang on a minute," Alcide interjected. "You don't think I'm going to get myself a sister and then let her walk into a lion's den an hour later, do you?"
Angelique raised her eyebrows. "Are you going to play guard dog?"
"We might be able to help," Sookie said quickly, glancing at Alcide, who was visibly bristling. "Come on, Hermione," she added.
Hermione looked at Angelique. "A telepath might be useful," she said.
Angelique huffed, rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine, fine," she said, "we'll just Side-along them, then, but I'm not responsible if anyone gets hurt."
"We can take care of ourselves," Alcide said crossly.
"Hold on," Angelique said, sticking her arm out in Sookie's direction.
Sookie looped her arm through Angelique's. "Like this?"
"Good enough." Angelique tugged her a little closer. "Hermione. Shreveport, Fourth and Walnut street. By that diner. Pascal's."
"Right." Hermione reached for Alcide. It was a little awkward, trying to Side-along someone who was so much bigger than she was, but --
"You're not going to like this," she said to him, and when he nodded, she swept them both to Shreveport.
Alcide stumbled when she let go of him. "Oh my God."
"Sorry," Hermione said, feeling guilty when he leaned over and began retching into the bushes.
Sookie looked relatively unscathed. "That wasn't so bad."
"Speak for yourself," Alcide grunted.
"I am," Sookie said.
"When you're finished," Angelique said to Alcide, "we've got some talking to do." She gestured toward the diner.
Inside, it was completely empty except for a single dark-haired witch sitting at a table. She stood when Hermione and Angelique came in.
"What, did you rent the place out?" Sookie said from behind them. She had a supportive arm around Alcide's waist: he was still pale.
"Not exactly," the witch said. She extended a hand to Hermione. "Hi. I'm Jana Lee. I'm BMI Section Director for the region."
Hermione took her outstretched hand. "What's going on?" she asked.
Once the introductions were finished, Lee gestured for them to sit. "This coven," she said, "has a little more going on than just Obliviating a vampire."
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.
"I mean," Lee said, "that there's a medium involved -- the woman who runs the store -- "
"Marnie," Sookie interrupted.
Lee continued as though she hadn't heard. "Marnie Stonebrook," she said. "She's a person of interest. One of our agents has been undercover in the coven for the past six months."
"What?" Angelique stared. "Who?"
"Jesus Velasquez. Sorry -- that's his pseudonym -- Guerrero," Lee said.
"Are you serious?" Angelique thumped the counter with her palm. "That's where he went. I thought he was in Mexico."
"Wait." Sookie waved both hands in the air. "Wait. Jesus Velasquez?"
"Yes." Lee looked at her curiously. "Do you know him?"
"As a matter of fact, I do," Sookie said, "and he's going to get an earful. I had no idea he was...well, I knew he was...well." She broke off, her brow furrowing. "I didn't know he worked for y'all."
"He's been working as an orderly in a psychiatric hospital. Posing as a Muggle," Lee said. "In any case. Marnie Stonebrook has been on our radar for years, ever since she was confirmed as magical at age twelve and declined to attend any kind of training institution."
"Declined?" Hermione said blankly. "People decline?" She'd been absolutely thrilled to receive her Hogwarts letter years ago, and she couldn't imagine anyone turning down the chance to hone his or her magical skills.
"Rarely," Lee said. "They don't usually pose a problem -- they opt to live as Muggles, which is fine, but we do monitor their activity in the event of any uncontrolled or unauthorized magic."
"Which Marnie apparently did," Angelique said.
"Yes." Lee folded her hands in front of her. "It started with a dead bird being brought back to life. Now our intelligence tells us that she may be plotting to Unearth the vampires in the area."
Angelique's eyes rounded. "No."
"Wait," Alcide interrupted. "Unearth?"
"Summon them during the day, when they go to ground," Angelique explained.
Sookie paled. "That would kill them."
Angelique arched an eyebrow at her. "That's the idea," she said.
"She appears to have some kind of personal vendetta," Lee said. "Your Obliviated vampire's associate? Pam Swynford de Beaufort? Marnie cast some sort of spell on her and practically melted her face off."
"Now wait a second," Angelique said. She looked annoyed. "She didn't have any magical training. Some focused energy, fine, she reanimated a bird. But she shouldn't know how to execute spells or enchantments."
"Well." Lee cleared her throat. "That’s where it gets complicated. It appears that Marnie may be possessed. By the spirit of a witch."
Angelique dropped her wand.
"You've got to be kidding me," she said.
"Unfortunately, no." Lee frowned. "Marnie is a powerful medium -- powerful enough that we may be lucky she didn't get any magical training before this happened. She appears to be under the influence of the spirit of Antonia Gavilán de Logroño.”
There was a beat of silence. Angelique retrieved her wand.
"Um." Alcide raised a hand. "Are we supposed to know who that is?"
Lee sketched a complicated pattern into the air with her wand, and suddenly before them was the translucent figure of a dark-haired woman, screaming silently. "Antonia was a witch who lived four hundred years ago, in Spain. She was captured by vampire inquisitors during the Spanish Inquisition, raped, and subsequently burned at the stake. Or so say our vampire liaisons." She tapped her nails on the table. "She Unearthed and killed vampires within a twenty-mile radius as she burned, and it looks like she's going to try to do it again."
Sookie had been listening to the conversation, looking increasingly ill. "There has to be a way to stop her," she said.
"There is," Lee said, "but it's going to take a lot of firepower. We've got wizards from the southern and midwestern regions taking Portkeys in tonight. With any luck, we'll be coordinated and ready to go on the offensive by morning."
"When's the coven meeting?" Angelique's expression was stony.
"Jesus says they're meeting tonight, but this spell Marnie is planning should take a lot of preparation. Hours, maybe. And they won't move til daylight, obviously." Lee stood.
"What do we need to do?" Sookie asked. "How can we help?"
Lee looked at her narrowly. "You're a Muggle -- "
"I'm sorry," Sookie interrupted, "but you're going to have to explain that word to me, because it doesn't sound nice."
"Non-magical person," Angelique interpreted.
"Right," Lee said. "Muggles shouldn't be involved."
"She's a telepath," Hermione said.
Lee's eyebrows went up. "You don't say," she said slowly, gazing at Sookie. For a moment, she didn't say anything else. Then she snapped back to attention.
"I won't bar you from being there," she said, "but once things get underway, I'd ask that you remain inside the wire." She looked at Angelique. "You and I," she added, "have planning to do."
Hermione Side-alonged Sookie home first. "I'll text you when we're ready to move," she promised. "In the meantime, I think the Director had a good idea -- tell the vampires to chain themselves down with silver. They won't be able to resist going into the sun without it."
Sookie nodded seriously. "I'll tell Bill," she said, "and he'll spread the word." She started to close the door, then hesitated, biting her lip. "And Eric?" she asked.
"Don't worry," Hermione said, stepping off the porch. "I'll take care of Eric."
When she got back to the diner, she found Alcide arguing with Lee.
" -- can't just go in alone," he was saying.
"She won't be alone," Lee snapped, "and furthermore -- "
"Furthermore," Angelique said crossly, "I am perfectly capable of protecting myself, thank you very much."
"Still," Alcide said, "I can't just sit by while she -- "
"Enough!" Angelique exploded. "Alcide. You're very nice, and I like you a lot, but I just met you and already you're bossing me around."
Suddenly Alcide grinned. "I'm your brother," he pointed out. "That's what I'm here for."
"Baby brother," Angelique said, but she grudgingly smiled back. "Now. Will you go away, please. I have work to do." She shoved him toward Hermione.
Hermione took his arm. "Come on," she said placatingly. "I'll buy you some ice cream."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Angelique told Hermione that she was welcome to stay for the planning phase, but Hermione couldn't focus: she was thinking of Eric.
"I'll come back later tonight," she said finally, the third time she'd misheard Angelique's instructions. "
"Right," Angelique said, looking amused. "Go on back to your vampire, then."
"He's not mine," Hermione muttered, mostly to herself, and Apparated home.
On her front porch was a sealed box. Taped to it was a note: "xo, Sookie." It clanked when she carried it inside, and when she opened it, she found yards and yards of silver chain.
"Excellent," she said. She checked her watch: an hour til sunset.
"Wingardium Leviosa," she said, floating the box down into Eric's room after she'd climbed down the ladder. She put the box in the corner and curled into bed with him.
At last, he started to shift and stir. "Hello," he said, opening his eyes and smiling at her.
She didn't return the smile. "Hi," she said.
"What's wrong?" He sat up.
She told him what she'd learned that day. The more she talked, the stormier his expression became.
"Tomorrow?" he said. "They're doing this tomorrow?"
"Hopefully they'll be neutralized by then," Hermione said, "but yes, tomorrow."
"And I have to chain myself with silver." Eric was scowling. He tightened his arm around her.
"To be on the safe side, yes."
He looked away, his jaw tight. He didn't say anything for a long time. Then: "Will you do it?"
She followed his gaze to the box of silver chain. "Of course."
He nodded shortly. "Be careful," he said.
"I will," she replied, putting her head on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Eric. I will."
She didn't sleep, that night.
She got several texts from Angelique, updating her on their progress. Since Hermione was a civilian, she'd be second-line - a medic, and backup, if need be. She'd bring all her stockpiled Healing and Blood Replenishing potions. She hoped she wouldn't need them.
At four AM: We'll be ready for you at five-thirty. Silver the vampires.
Her stomach tightened. "Eric," she said, lifting her head from his shoulder.
He turned his attention from the television. "Yeah?" he said, and then he saw the expression on her face. "Oh."
She nodded. "It's time."
She forwarded the text message on to Sookie, then retrieved the box. He watched her from the bed as she lifted the heavy silver chain. It slid through her fingers, making her shudder.
"Ready?" she asked.
He smiled grimly. "Ready."
Three chains: one for his legs, one for his stomach and wrists, one for his neck. She hadn't thought it would be so horrific.
It's for his own protection, she reminded herself, as he howled and writhed, as his skin sizzled and smoked.
"I'm sorry," she whispered over and over, tears streaming down her face. "I'm so sorry."
After she had placed the third strand of silver at his throat, she bent and pressed her lips to his forehead. "I'm sorry," she said again.
He was shaking. "I'm okay," he gritted out, although his fangs were out, and bloodtears were tracked down his face and had stained the pillow. The skin beneath the chain was red and raw; the smell of scorched flesh turned her stomach.
"It's only for a little while," she said, trying not to sob.
"I know."
"I'll stay with you," she said. "For as long as I can."
He nodded. "Thank you."
She curled beside him, stroked his hair and his chest, spoke to him softly when he groaned and jerked in pain, and oh, how she wished she could cast some kind of spell on him to stop him from hurting.
She waited until the last possible minute to leave him. "I'll be back as soon as I can," she said, her chest tight, her stomach knotted.
"Hermione," he said.
She stopped. Turned around.
He hesitated, then: "Be careful."
"I will," she said, and Apparated away before she could start crying again.
Angelique looked different in battle garb: combat boots instead of stilettos, long black robes instead of her usual colorful cropped ones, no jewelry at all.
"Hi," she said, as Hermione entered the diner. "Get some sleep?"
"Very funny," Hermione said. "What's the plan?" She glanced around at the twenty-odd wizards gathered in small groups in the diner. They were all dressed like Angelique, and they all wore similar grim expressions.
"They put a little bit of a push on us," Angelique said. "Jesus thought they would take some time to prepare, but they're going to move at sunrise. We'll break the protection enchantments on the building first. The Director thought we'd be able to get straight to Antonia, but it looks like she's put Guard spells on each individual and on the coven as a whole. It'll be tricky."
"And Marnie?" Hermione asked, sliding her bag of potions under the table.
Angelique pointed to a small cluster of wizards and witches in the corner. "Aurors. They'll expel Antonia’s spirit from Marnie's body." She grimaced. "Hopefully."
"And if she's too well embedded?" Hermione asked, already knowing the answer.
Lee had approached as they were talking.
"We kill her," she said flatly.