CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT:

Hermione's POV:

"Unbelievable." I heard Bella sigh as we got our first look at the party.

The interior of the Cullens' home had been transformed into a nightclub- the kind that didn't often exist in real life, only on TV. "Hermione!" Alice squealed, from beside a gigantic speaker. She looked gorgeous, dressed in a sequined tank top and red leather pants. Her bare skin reacted oddly to the pulsing red and purple lights in a way that I found entrancing.

"You look gorgeous!" I smiled, crossing over to her. She beamed at me.

"So do you!" She replied, reaching up on her tiptoes to kiss me, before turning to her 'brother'. "Edward, I need your advice!" She told her brother, gesturing toward a towering stack of CDs. "Should we give them familiar and comforting? Or-" she gestured to a different pile- "educate their taste in music?"

"Keep it comforting," Edward recommended, "you can only lead the horse to water." Alice nodded seriously and I couldn't help but laugh as my girlfriend started throwing the 'educational' CDs into a box.

"Do you really think people will come?" Bella asked Edward. I could hear the hope in her voice all the way from over here. Alice made a face at her, and I laughed again.

"Everyone will come," Edward answered, an apologetic look on his face, "they're all dying to see the inside of the reclusive Cullens' mystery house."

"Fabulous." Bella moaned. And then the doorbell rang.

Alice turned on the speakers, turned the volume up high, and then danced to get the door. It was a Suburban-load of Bella's friends, either too nervous or too intimidated to arrive on their own.

The Jessica girl, who I'd yet to warm up to, was the first one in the door, with the awful Mike boy right behind her. Tyler, Connor, Austin, Lee, Samantha, Katie... even the deplorable Lauren trailing in last, her critical eyes alight with curiosity. They were all curious and then overwhelmed as they took in the huge room, decked out like a chic rave.

Bella went to greet them, and then the doorbell rang again and more people were arriving.

As Bella was forced to play hostess whilst gulping down the suspicious liquid in the tall glass that I saw Emmett hand her, I leaned against the wall of the house for a time, enjoying the energy of the party- the pulsing music, the flashing lights... it was hypnotic. Although the party had been billed as a joint event for Bella, Alice, Edward, Maggie and myself, there was no denying Bella was the most popular target for congratulations and thanks.

I sipped, slowly, at the drink Alice had handed me, and could clearly taste the alcohol mixed with the fruity punch, enjoying the slight buzz. Alice danced over to me, her face shining with happiness at the success of her party. "Can we dance?" she pleads, casting a longing glance to the mass of bodies on the 'dance floor'.

"Of course." I smiled, and accepted her hand, letting her drag me out into the middle of the living-room-turned-club.

We fell into an easy pattern, me moving with Alice, letting her lead. It was both freeing and arousing, Alice's hips grinding against my right thigh as my body mirrored her actions. Her small hand slipped around my shoulders pulling me in close and our breasts pressed together as Alice's lips glided along my neck, sucking gently on the flesh, oh-so-carefully making sure not to break the skin.

The feeling of Alice basically claiming me in public, marking me as hers in the instinctual, primal way that vampires are wont to, was surprisingly hot- I had never been one for public displays of affection, but her actions were making me moan aloud, and- smiling in satisfaction- my pixie vampire worked her way over to the un-ravished side of my neck. I ignored the surprised stares, whispers and pointing, concentrating instead on my beautiful girlfriend.

Whilst repeating her affections to my neck, Alice slid her hands along my back, hips and stomach and my body arched against hers, into her touch. The songs bled together as we continued to move in unison.

I was glad that the room was so dark and the music so loud that only the vampires could see the way we were rubbing together, hear my rough panting and low moaning. Maybe it was the fact I was rarely ever going to see any of the other students again that emboldened me so, I thought, as I pulled back and grabbed the back of Alice's head, pulling our mouths together.

As our teeth clicked together and tongues pressed together, we moved faster and harder to the music. My back hit a solid surface, and I realized that somehow Alice had guided me from the middle of the floor, to against the wall, without me even noticing.

A cough broke me out of my Alice induced daze, and I looked over to see Leah standing there, looking amused. She looked stunning and elegant in a knee-length satin dress the color of moss. Alice's lips curled back a touch and a small growl escaped her as I smiled and greeted my friend breathlessly. "Leah, this is a surprise."

"Hey lovebirds." She greeted us, with a smirk. Biting back a grin at the disgruntled expression on Alice's face, I slid my hand into her small, cold one, and squeezed gently.

"It's great to see you." I told my shifter-friend genuinely.

"It's great to see you too... though I'd prefer somewhere less smelly." Leah wrinkled her nose.

"Well I can promise that we're definitely not enjoying you stinking up our house." Alice snapped.

"Bloody hell, I'm turning into Bella here." I sighed, exasperated, "honestly, both of you, just stop. I'm in the mood for celebrating tonight, not entertaining your ridiculous grudge."

"Sorry." Alice says, looking genuinely apologetic. Leah looks amused.

"Turning into Bella." She snorts.

"I love my sister to pieces, but she really needs to figure out that Edward and Jacob will not become friends and will never become friends." Leah grimaces.

"I better not be the Jacob in that equation!" She warns, "I am not panting after you like some love sick puppy. I actually have a hot date with a guy I met at a coffee shop in Port Olympia a few days ago."

"You do realize I can hear every word you're saying." Another voice interrupts us, this one slightly lower pitched. I turn to see Jacob, looking uncomfortable in his shirt and tie, with Quil on one side and Embry on the other.

"How many of you are here?" I ask, surprised.

"Four." Alice and Leah say at the same time. I'm proud that neither of them glare at each other, just trade wary looks.

"Okay," I say slowly, "and why exactly are you here?"

"To congratulate you and Bella." Jacob says, with an impish grin. I raise an eyebrow.

"I'm a lesbian, Jacob. The adorable puppy-look won't distract me unless you have the breasts to go with it." I inform him and Alice lets out another little growl, wrapping her arms possesively around my waist, while Leah, Quil and Embry laugh.

"He's actually telling the truth." This time it's Edward speaking, a smile on his face, though it's definitely not directed at the wolf shape-shifter, rather at the girl wrapped in his arms. Bella.

I barely recognize her from a mere hour ago- her eyes are wide, her cheeks are flushed and she's smiling so hard her face looks like it might split. I squeeze Alice's hand, feeling happiness swell inside me. Alice was right- this was what Bella needed, not that my sister will ever admit it. A normal high school experience.

"You seem rather tipsy, Bella," I tease her, and the red spots on my twin's cheeks darken.

"I barely drank anything!" She protests.

"Except those two martinis Emmett gave you." Edward interjects.

"Wait, they've got alcohol in them?" Bella asks, surprised, before groaning. "He said they were virgin martinis! That liar! I'm going to kill destroy him! I'm going to smash his x-box and playstation and Wii and-"

"And you're tipsy." I interrupt. Bella pouts ridiculously, and then sighs.

"Maybe just a teeny-weeny bit." She agrees and I roll my eyes at her.

"Look after her and make sure she doesn't do anything she'll regret." I tell her vampire. Edward nods at me, and I relax, knowing that he'll look after my sister.

"Do you want another drink?" Alice asks me, and I shake my head.

"Not right now. Honestly, firewhiskey has ruined all other alcohol for me." I inform her. There are a few frowns brought on by the unfamiliar name.

"Firewhiskey?" Edward asks, puzzled.

"Magical whiskey." I grin, and I get a few wide-eyed looks from the wolves and vamps.

"You'll have to let us try some one day." Jacob says, and the conversation moves on. Conversation between the werewolves and the vampires- and Bella and I- is surprisingly easy. There's the occasional barb and jibe, but they're more thrown in just because they're supposed to be, then anything else.

By the time midnight rolls around, we've talked, danced, drunk some more, and Bella is swaying on her feet. "You are such a light weight." I gently tease, brushing a stray lock of hair out of her eyes. She giggles.

"I'm glad you came to live with us." She says, before giving a massive yawn.

"Looks like its bedtime for Bella." I smile, and she giggles again, nodding anyway.

"I think I'm about to fall asleep standing up." She agrees.

"I'll take you up to bed, love." Edward murmurs, before disappearing off with my twin.

"We'll get going too." Jacob says, shooting a wistful look in the direction Bella and Edward disappeared off in. I farewell the wolves, and turn to my beautiful girlfriend.

"How about we go up to your bedroom?" I suggest, wiggling my eyebrows. She giggles, and wraps her arms around me, pulling me in for a kiss.

"You realize my whole family will be able to hear us?" she breathes, in my ear.

"Ah, you forgot, Alice," I give her a slow smile, that is full of wicked intent, and I lean forward, leaking the curve of her ear, before whispering into it, "magic."

Alice's eyes glaze, and then she's pulling us up the stairs, up to her room, as fast as she can go while keeping up a human charade. We're barely in her room when she yanks apart the tiny bits of string holding the scrap of material that is my shirt up, and it's discarded on the floor. I moan as her icy lips meet my sensitive flesh, and quickly gasp out a wandless silencing charm, before reaching behind Alice and almost breaking the flimsy material in my haste to get her tank top off her.

She pulls away from me for a second to shimmy out of her pants, and I try not to drool. "You're so beautiful." I tell her, "I love you, my treasure."

"I love you too, you sweet thing." Alice smiles, and then her lips are on mine, her hands are on me, touching me. The backs of my legs hit the bed, and I let out a surprised squeak, falling backwards, onto the soft mattress.

"It's my turn." Alice breathes, sinking to her knees beside the bed, her eyes dark. She uses her strength to literally tear the leather pants off me, then her hands are a blur they're moving so fast as she removes my boots, and finally her mouth is on me, her tongue is in me. Her movements are slightly halting, a touch awkward at first, but she picks things up quickly, and soon has me gasping out in pleasure, arching my hips back, tossing my head to the side and moaning. My thighs clench around her head as I buck into her, and I let out a trembling cry as my climax hits me.

When I come down from my post-orgasmic high, Alice is beside me on the bed, her hair mussed adorably, a shy expression on her face. "Was that okay?" She asked, anxiously. I push myself up to lick her lips clean of my essence, and then half collapse back onto the bed.

"That was truly the best I've ever had." I tell her, and she lets out a sigh of relief, and I laugh, softly. "You worry too much, sweetheart." I tease her, before giving her a wicked smirk. "Guess what?" Alice licks her lips.

"What?" she asks, her voice soft and slightly husky. My smirk widens.

"It's your turn now, Miss Alice."

-

When I wake up, I'm wrapped around Alice, completely naked, my head pounding slightly. "Morning." I yawn, planting a sloppy kiss on her cheek.

"Morning." She greets me back. I blink sleepily and look around the room, my cheeks going slightly pink as I see the evidence of our activities last night- clothes are scattered over the floor, most of mine ripped from Alice's haste in getting them off me, the sheets on the bed I'm currently laying in are slightly bunched, and both of us are naked, our hair a mess from our enthusiastic lovemaking.

"That was a brilliant party." I tell Alice, and she laughs.

"It was, but the after party was definitely even more brilliant." She says, before cringing slightly. "Too cheesy?" she asks, and I shake my head, kissing her nose.

"Just cheesy enough."

I get up and make my way over to where I abandoned my clutch, and pull from it a hangover potion. I down it quickly, pulling a face at the flavor. "Gross." I mutter, even as my headache disappears in the blink of an eye.

"What was that?" Alice asks, curiously, blurring over so she's standing next to me.

"Hangover potion." I admit, and she giggles, before leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss me again. Our kiss quickly grows heated, and she lets me push her back to the bed, where we commence round... I can't even remember anymore.

Once we're both fully sated, we lay side-by-side on her bed, me panting as she nuzzles her cold nose against my neck. My stomach gives a sudden growl and Alice laughs.

"Breakfast time for the human?" she teases.

"Yes." I admit, with my own laugh.

Alice quickly finds a night-robe to wear, small, pink in color and made of silk. She then finds another in her closet for me to wear, this one red and silky, and as I pull it on, it only reaches my mid-thigh.

"You look cute in that." I tell her, as I pull my wand out of the clutch and stash it in the tie of the night-robe. She pouts, even as her eyes widen seeing me retrieve my wand from the tiny bag, and pull out another hangover potion.

"Sexy cute, I hope. Is that bag magic?"

"Undetectable extension charm." I tell her, giving it a quick rattle. Her eyes widen further at the sound of books crashing around. I wince. "Oops. I had them stacked neatly."

"Amazing!" She breathes, before looping her arm in mine, and leading me down to the kitchen.

Bella and Edward are already down there, and he's cooking breakfast while she's sitting slumped over the table, a wet cloth on her forehead. "I'm never drinking again." She moans, as I walk over to her.

"Drink this." I advise her, pushing the hangover potion into her hand. She does so, pulling a face similar to the one I did as the flavor hits her.

"That's putrid!" she splutters, before her eyes widen. "Wait... oh my god! I could kiss you right now!" She gives a relieved sigh.

"Hangover potion." Alice tells a confused looking Edward, who chuckles at the revelation.

Bella's eyes rake over me, examining my mussed hair and the too short robe that barely covers up the fact I'm naked under it. Her eyes widen comically. "Oh my god!" she splutters, her face going red, "did you two... do it?"

I smile at her as I sit down on the seat to her right. "If by 'it' you mean sex, then yes." I inform her, teasingly. In my peripheral vision I see Edward freeze, before turning wide, shocked eyes to Alice.

"Alice?" he just about croaks, "you had sex... while she's human?"

"Well it wasn't the first time, and it certainly won't be the last time." I answer for her, before turning to Bella, "Vampire stamina," I inform my sister, winking at Alice, "is absolutely unbelievable." Edward makes another choked noise anad Bella gives a startled squeak, her face now resembling a tomato.

Laughing, I turn to Alice, who looks somewhat smug. "I love you." I tell her, and she beams back at me.

"I love you too."

-

For a vampire, Edward is a surprisingly good cook. His eggs benedict is almost as good as a House Elf's. About halfway through the meal, Alice's face goes blank, and Edward sucks in a breath.

"What is it?" I ask her, softly, as her eyes clear again. She turns to me, eyes scared.

"Next Saturday." She whispers, and I don't have to ask what she's referring to. "Seven days from now."

Next to me, Bella looks like she's about to cry, and the other Cullens all enter the kitchen, all having heard Alice's declaration. Emmett shoots me a wink, from his position leaning against the door, and I roll my eyes as I realize he's referring to our previous conversation.

"Seven days. Do we know where?" Carlisle asks, from where he's standing at the head of the table.

"The clearing. The trap works well- Bella's scent leads them straight there." Alice informs.

"And the wolves involvement?"

"Half of the newborns disappear." She confirms.

"I feel like we should be relieved." This is Esme, her face drawn, "but all I feel is awful." Carlisle lays a gentle hand on Esme's shoulder.

"I don't like this anymore then you do, love." He murmurs, "if there was any other way, I'd take it, but we don't have a choice."

My gaze sweeps across the room, at the grim faces of the other Cullens, including Alice's. They were ready to fight.

And so was I.