You are so lucky I got this up today! This week is going to be crazy! I have three new baby cousins! Two of them are twins! They are so cute. So I am typing this before I leave to go see them!
I really like all the responses I am getting from this story. Hopefully this chapter doesn't disappoint.
By eight o' clock the living room of Hermione's home was full. The pack spread around the room on couches, chairs, and even on the floor, except Alice, who lounged against the window at the front of the house, and the Five, who loitered in the kitchen, bantering and exchanging playful blows.
Among the crowd were strays who had gravitated to the pack when it came to the suburbs, and others Hermione didn't know. Many of those who had gone to join relatives when the trouble started hadn't come back.
Hermione felt a pang of loneliness. This is all that is left of us, she thought. And no one I feel close to. Not even Mum anymore. She curled up smaller in her armchair.
Alice laughed at the boys' antics. When she tossed her head, her hair flamed against the curtains. With her sharp features and plump rear, she reminded Hermione more of fox than a wolf.
Harry paced restlessly in front of the fireplace. Alice glanced over at him repeatedly until she caught his eye; then she winked. His eyes turned cold as he looked at her, shaking his head before returned to his pacing.
Hermione's mother saw the exchange, too. "Slut," she muttered. She leaned across Hermione to complain to Minerva McGonagall; "Can't she tell that he isn't interested in her? He already has his eye set on someone," she said as she looked over at Harry and licked her lips pointedly.
Minerva shook her head. "Stop it, Diane."
Hermione turned her head, embarrassed. Minerva had been one of Dumbledore's friends. Diane had met her when they moved. Hermione could tell that Minerva did not approve of her mothers actions.
Feeling her mother pull on her sleeve, she finally looked at her. Her mother wouldn't even talk to her; she was just staring at someone. Following her gaze she saw Harry staring right at her with such intensity that she couldn't breathe. For that moment, every noise in the house disappeared. Every person in the house vanished. She only saw Harry and those glorious eyes of his.
"Can we have quiet, please," Dumbledore shouted, which caused Hermione and Tonks Lupin to jump.
Tonks Lupin was a small delicate figure, any loud noise made her flinch and clutch her baby as if her life depended on it. She had never been that way before, but after losing her husband in the fire, she had been as raw as a trapped rabbit. Dumbledore reached out from his perch on the overstuffed couch to pat he shoulder reassuringly.
Everyone looked his way expectantly. Well, almost everyone.
Fred and George cackled and batted at each other to either side of Neville, who dodged between them, a panicked look on his small, pale face. Draco was telling the awestruck Lee how big some girls breast were.
Draco's father, Lucius, twisted around in the easy chair he slouched in. "Quit it," he growled, and raised a fist. Draco glared at his father, but waited until Lucius turned around before he gave him the finger.
"My sources have checked out some viable properties," Dumbledore said. "It's time to choose were the pack will go."
"And who'll lead us," Harry said. Hermione was irritated to see Diane smiling. There was no mystery about whom she supported, even if Hermione supported him herself.
On the floor in front of her, Harry's cousins, disturbingly similar eight-year-olds twins, were intent on finding out who could hold their breath the longest. Hermione itched to smack them till they yelped. Before she gave into the itch, Harry leaned over so that he was face to face with her "Sometimes I wish they hold their breath a little to long," he whispered. His breath was hot on her face, having him this close made her cheeks flush. He smirked when he realized what he was doing to her. With a laugh her pulled away, but not before bopping his cousin on the head to settle them down.
Old Flitwick spoke in a quavering voice. "Dumbledore, you're the one who's pulled it all together. You took us in when we were homeless, helped us settle in an unfamiliar place. You've been a good leader while we have been here. I vote you leader for the move.
"I appreciate your support," Dumbledore said. "But I'm not going with you."
"Dumbledore!" Diane exclaimed.
Dumbledore ran his fingers through his badger-gray hair. "My life is here. I was willing to help while I could and get things going again, but now it's time for you to move on, and for that you need a different type of leader than I have the strength or the will to be."
" You're assuming a lot," Alice said from her window perch.
Dumbledore's brow creased, " What do you mean?"
"What if we don't want to go?"
Hermione was amazed when Alice's idea wasn't immediately shut down.
"You have got to go. This isn't the place for the pack. There are too many humans, too close together. With this many of us, sooner or later someone's going to make a mistake, and this time it might mean the end of us. Look at those boys. " He pointed to the Five. "Don't tell me they've got the common sense to stay out of trouble."
"They're only being boys, "Alice said, smiling at the Five.
"And maybe they got a point," Lucius Malfoy said. "Maybe it's time to change the rules. Maybe its time to hunt instead of be hunted. That's my opinion."
"We know your opinion," snapped Aunt Trelawney, the elderly healer.
Lucius hadn't handled his losses very well. If anyone was a menace, he was. What if he lost control in a bar one night and revealed himself. Dumbledore was right, they needed to get out of the city.
"But we have finally settled in. We have jobs. And we finally have a decent home." A member of the pack said.
"And look what is happening to our kids while we are busting our asses trying to earn a living. We need to live somewhere where we can do what we please, whenever we please." Another member argued.
"Mum," Hermione whispered. "What do you want?"
Diane shook her head. "I like it here."
I always took it for granted that everyone agreed. That when the time came we would go, Hermione thought.
The two members were now arguing amongst themselves, as if no one else existed; the twins were wrestling and squealing again; Mr. Flitwick was trying to raise his voice above the noise. Tonks burst into tears and the baby did the same.
Dumbledore jumped up. "Shut up, all of you!"
His words didn't do any good. The racket just got louder. Hermione put her hands over her ears and wished they'd go away. She saw the Five edging toward the door.
Then Harry strode across the room and leaped onto the table. "Quiet!"
The five froze. The room fell silent. Almost.
Dumbledore knelt down beside Tonks to comfort her; slowly mother and child stopped sobbing.
"A strong leader has control, Dumbledore," Alice said. "Maybe the reason the boys are running wild is you, not the city. I think with the right leader we can make a good life here." She studied Harry with pleasure. "I know a strong man when I see him."
"You've known a lot of them." Diane said loudly.
Alice's lips twitched but she suppressed the snarl. "What do you say, Harry? Want to stay in town and lead the pack?"
Harry looked from one of the women to the other with amusement. Then his eyes caught hers. Harry's eyes gleamed, and his smile got bigger. Hermione thought she would die of embarrassment. Was she that bad at hiding what she is feeling?
"Yes, Harry," Diane said sweetly. "You've been very quiet. What do you say?"
"I vote we go," Harry said as her jumped off the table right in front of Hermione. His eyes not leaving hers for one second.
Alice stared at him in amazement.
"Hah, I vote we go, too," cried Diane, "with Harry as our leader."
Gilderoy Lockhart stepped forward to face Harry across the table. "What makes you leader, puppy? I've got years on you."
Several other males stood up to argue their cases.
"Come on, let's vote on this," Gilderoy said. "Let's be fair."
"Who said this was a democracy?" cried Lucius.
"It's not," said Aunt Trelawney, in a voice that rang across the others, startling them all. The keeper of ancient magic raised her hands slowly, her rings glittering. "It is time," she said, "to choose a leader in the Old Way."
"But that is like stepping back into the Dark Ages," Diane cried into the shocked outrage.
Hermione was stunned. The Old Way? When was the last time they had done that? Yes, her father could have taken on any male leader because of his management skills, and no one challenged that. He was respected and well loved.
"Not completely the Old Way," Alice said. "Times are different.
Aunt Trelawney eyed her coldly. "Males only."
"No!" Alice pounded the wall with a fist.
"You want to get us all arrested?" Minerva asked.
"There are several state parks in driving distance," Harry answered. "Places that are deserted at night."
"We've lost so many of us," Dumbledore said. "Do we want to cause death and injury to those who remain?"
"A leader must have the support of all the pack," said Aunt Trelawney. "If there is no agreement, then the right must be won by combat."
"The Old Way, the Old Way, the Old Way," the Five began to chant. Draco grinned gleefully; Fred's eyes sparkled as bright as ever.
Mr. Flitwick rose and walked to the center of the room. "As an older member of the pack, I preside in matters of the Ordeal." He pointed at the Five. "You are not of age. We do not wipe out our young."
"We can fight, "Draco snarled.
Whatever the boys had to say was drowned out by the crowd. Everyone had an opinion. Everyone expressed it.
Hermione got up quietly and slipped out the door. No one noticed. No one stopped her, not even her mother. It was a relief to leave the house.
Outside, she sat on the bench under the tree. The backyard was quiet except for the chirpings of tiny nightlife.
She had never witnessed the Ordeal. All she knew was that every adult male fought in his wolf-shape until one was left standing; the strongest, the smartest, sometimes the most devious.
She felt a surge of exciting heat, thinking of them in a tangle of fur and limbs. She pictured Harry, half changed, his scarred chest glistening with sweat. She shrugged off the image as soon as it came. Why couldn't she stop thinking about him? Would he win in battle? And would her mother offer to be his mate? Or would Hermione offer herself? With a look of shock on her face, she banged her head against the tree behind her. She shouldn't be thinking about him like that. Maybe he was arrogant, but that was just what he had gone through. He did seem shy, sometime. He had a beautiful smile, and his eyes. Those wonderful eyes made her knees go weak.
The screen door slammed making her jump.
The Five came out into the back, mumbling and growling.
"That worn out old dog," Draco said. "He can't tell us we can't fight."
"Damn right," agreed Lee. "We deserve a chance."
Hermione laughed.
The Five turned on her. They peered through the leaves like angry satyrs.
Draco tore aside the branches and his claws grew. "What's so funny, Mione?"
"You," she said. "You honestly think you'd have a chance in the Ordeal? The pack would follow you? Grow up."
Draco bared his teeth. His new beard gave him a demonic look. "The fight's the thing," he said tightly, but she knew his fantasy was to win.
"I don't want to get dragged back to the sticks again," George said, almost pouting. His twin gave him a glance of disgust.
"Why not?" Hermione asked. "Life was good there. The hunting in the hills, long runs with no one around, no one to cry wolf, no hiding, no skulking, no worrying."
"No fun," ended Draco.
"I don't like your kind of fun," she said. "It doesn't amuse me to rouse lovers out of the long grass by snapping at their heels, or to creep up on children at dusk with my fur on to hear them scream."
"It's a laugh, Hermione," Lee said. "Just a laugh."
"You used to think it was funny," George said, looking hurt.
"And how funny will it be when you scare the wrong person and get a bullet in the face?" she asked. "You might be stronger than other werewolves, you might heal faster, but you are not immortal. You can die if your head's blown off. It's not only silver bullets or fire that kills us; anything that severs the spine will do."
"Come one, Mione. Don't worry," George said gently. "We'd get them first, honest."
Hermione groaned and a cold thread of fear ran through her. "That's exactly what I am worried about. This is the same shit that got our home burned and my father killed."
Draco swung himself from one of the branches. Moonlight lent a brief sheen to his sleek muscled arms. "But it's different in the city. Better. Lots of people. Lots of suspects. Easy to hide."
"Anonymous," Lee agreed.
"Don't act so prissy, Mione," said Fred. "You've got a taste of boy flesh, they tell me." He ran a tongue over teeth that were pointier than they had ever been.
"Who told you that?" she snapped.
"Mum said you have a date tomorrow," Lee answered with a sly smile.
"So what?" Hermione said. "I'm going to a concert, not disemboweling him. I don't think that's going to get anyone in trouble."
Draco stepped closer. "We don't like our women hanging out with meat boys. It's unnatural." His breath was hot on her face, but it didn't have the same effect on her as Harry. "You better not choose some meat boy over one of us."
"Piss off," Hermione spat, and got up. "No one tells me what to do." She shoved Draco away so she could pass, catching him off guard.
"You're not Princess Wolf anymore," Draco growled behind her. "Wait too long and we'll take what we want."
"Don't give that human anything we cant have," Fred called after her, "or we will give him something too."
As she stalked into the house, Hermione heard Neville's high-pitched giggle.
Damn them, she thought.
Once again. It is going to be a crazy week. I don't know when I will be able to type the next chapter but I will have it up sometime next week.
I am sorry if there are any mistakes in this update. I tried to look it over but I was in a hurry.
I guess you all noticed that Alice is not the person that you would have expected. If you don't like it I suggest you stop now.
You are probably getting tired of me saying this but once again I did not write this chapter. It goes to the amazing Annette Curtis Klause, who wrote Blood and Chocolate. I know, I know, but the Harry parts were mine again! You will see my own writing in later chapters, I promise.
I thought that Flitwick's name was Filius Flitwick… is that right? I somehow misplaced my books. (Stupid brother!) I tired looking it up on the Internet but all I found was Professor Flitwick. It didn't help at all!
Oh, it is a pretty long chapter, I hope you guys liked it!
I am so sorry PJ! :[
Please review!