Moonrise || Harry Potter Twilight Crossover || FanFiction

Chapter Three: Bella's POV

CHAPTER THREE:

Bella's POV:

I hugged Hermione, tight, and she rests her head against my shoulder. I can feel how tense she is, and I rub soothing circles on her back. She looks so different, since the last time I saw her. I mean, she looked worried, drawn, but there was determination in her eyes, fiery passion and courage. This Hermione... this Hermione is haunted. Her eyes, they're so blank, and her body looks so much more... Thin. Unhealthy. Too pale. She holds herself hunched, like she's either making a smaller target or she's ready to spring forward into action- or both. And she keeps touching her left forearm, a habit I knew that she didn't have before.

Edward and Hermione seem very wary of each other, almost. Edward, after her reaction before, and Hermione because... well, I suppose because he's a vampire. I don't know what sort of experiences she's had with vampires before, but she seems tightly-wound with him so close to her.

Hermione is different. Something has happened to her, something big. I've studied wars, back in history, several years ago. I know how it affects the survivors, those who fought and those who feared. Hermione was involved in the war, I always knew that, but now I was wondering just how deep that involvement was, just what had happened to her since the last time I'd seen her, three long years ago.

"I think I need to sleep a bit," Hermione speaks up, pulling away from me. She's not meeting my eyes, and I chew my lip.

"Okay," I say, not pushing her while Edward's in the room. We will talk, but not now. I kiss her cheek, before stepping over to Edward, twining my fingers with his icy ones, and leaving her room, gently shutting the door behind me. Edward waits until we're in my room before massaging his temples, a pained look flashing across his face.

"Are you alright?" I ask him.

"I think she just gave me the first headache I've experienced since my heart stopped beating." He was, wryly. I give a weak sort of smile.

"She seems to share my Gift. Except hers seems... more controlled."

Edward gives a rueful smile. "Yes, you could say that." I flop down on my bed, and Edward lets himself be dragged down next to me by our still joined hands. I press my lips against his and passion, sweet passion, ignites fires of desire inside me. His cool, sweet breath makes me want more, and the usual disappointment flows through me when he breaks away all too soon, as usual. I pout at him, and he laughs softly, kissing my nose, before his expression turns all too serious.

"Be careful tonight Bella," he warns, "if anything happens," he grimaces, shutting his eyes briefly, as if the mere thought is too painful to comprehend. "Be careful." He repeats, and I lean forwards, giving him a chaste kiss.

"Of course I'll be safe," I tell him, before snuggling next to him, prepared to enjoy the time we have before 'visiting hours' are up.

-

At a quarter to seven, fifteen minutes after Edward was sent away by Charlie, I go knock on Hermione's bedroom door, and she opens it, rubbing her eyes. "Dinner time?" She yawns.

"Yep, we're going over to the reservation." I tell her, unable to help the excitement in my voice. I haven't seen Jake since the motorbike incident, thanks to Edward's over-protectiveness, and my annoyance and frustration with him is outweighed by how much I miss seeing my best friend.

"Off to feast with the shifters." Hermione says, thoughtfully, and I frown slightly.

"Shifters?"

"Well they're not werewolves," she says, amused. "Werewolves only turn under the full moon, and when they do, they lose their minds. Also, werewolves don't look like wolves- they look sort of like a mix between a human and one of those wargs, from the Lord of the Rings movies."