Rewrite: Kind but Scary

Chapter 19: Past Echoes and Unexpected Arrivals

Chapter 19: Past Echoes and Unexpected Arrivals

Draco was busy helping Jasmine tidy the grand parlor of the Cullen house while the others relaxed, though the vampires had repeatedly insisted they didn't need to do any manual labor.

Suddenly, the wards pulsed. The doorbell rang.

Draco walked to the door and peered through the glass, only to freeze in absolute panic. Standing on the porch were Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini.

He ran back into the parlor, his breath coming in short, panicked gasps. Jasmine immediately stepped forward, cupping his face in her hands. "Draco? Hey, look at me. Breathe. Tell me what's wrong."

"Pansy and Blaise are here," Draco whispered frantically. "They don't know I live with you, Jasmine! They think you have me under some kind of spell!"

"It's alright," Jasmine said calmly, her eyes flashing with a familiar, dangerous confidence. "Papa and I can handle them."

Draco nodded, taking a deep breath before opening the front door. "Come on in."

The moment they crossed the threshold, Draco realized with a jolt of shock that neither Pansy nor Blaise were human anymore. Pansy's crimson eyes locked onto Jasmine, and she let out a vicious hiss. "Potter is here?!"

Pansy lunged forward, but before she could take a step, Blaise intercepted her, throwing her across the room with vampire speed and shielding Draco behind his back.

"Blaise!" Jasmine cheered, stepping forward to wrap him in a warm hug.

Blaise hugged her back, a genuine smile on his face. "Good to see you, little sis."

"I... what?" Draco stammered, looking completely bewildered.

Blaise chuckled, adjusting his jacket. "Jasmine and I have been working together for a while now, Draco. We knew that getting you involved earlier would only bring you trouble, so we played the part of enemies. And yes, I'm a vampire now. But I need your help. My mate, Lara, has been taken by Vladimir and Stefan."

The Volturi guards in the room instantly tensed at the mention of the Romanian survivors.

Jasmine didn't hesitate. With a flick of her wand, the vines of the surrounding forest burst through the floorboards, wrapping tightly around the struggling Pansy and pinning her in place.

"LET ME GO!" Pansy hissed.

Jasmine's eyes glowed with blinding emerald light, the temperature in the room dropping instantly. "Do not yell at me, Pansy."

Pansy froze, the sheer, suffocating pressure of Jasmine's magic causing her to tremble in genuine fear. Even the surrounding vampires watched in silent awe.

"Tell me where Vladimir and Stefan are hiding, and where they are keeping Blaise's mate," Jasmine commanded.

"I don't know!" Pansy whimpered as the vines tightened.

"Lies," Jasmine growled.

"OKAY, OKAY! I'LL TELL YOU! JUST MAKE IT STOP!" Pansy screamed. Jasmine loosened the vines slightly. "They're holed up in their old castle ruins in Rome. They have Lara suspended over a pit of vampire-fire to keep her contained and kill her if Blaise ever betrays them!"

Blaise shook with rage. "I trusted you, Pansy! I welcomed you into my home!"

"I had no choice!" Pansy cried. "They have my mates, too! Ace and Sofie! I couldn't lose them, Blaise! I had to do what they asked to keep them safe!"

Jasmine's expression softened. "What are their names again?"

"My mates are Ace and Sofie. Blaise's mate is Lara," Pansy whispered.

Draco saw the look in Jasmine's eyes and knew exactly what she was planning. "No, Jasmine, don't—"

But Jasmine was already chanting a complex, ancient transport enchantment. With a brilliant flash of gold and silver light, three bewildered vampires materialized in the center of the room.

"BLAISE!" a beautiful woman screamed, throwing herself into Blaise's arms.

Pansy's vines dissolved, and she scrambled forward, weeping as she embraced her own mates, Ace and Sofie.

"There," Jasmine smiled, dusting off her hands. "Now we just have to deal with Vladimir and Stefan."

The room stared at her, utterly baffled by her sudden shift from a terrifying, dangerous witch to a sweet, helpful sister. Draco merely chuckled.

"My loves, this is Jasmine Potter," Pansy explained to her mates, wiping her eyes. "We had to pretend to be enemies, but she knows me too well. Thank you, Jasmine."

"You're welcome," Jasmine smiled. "Now, let's go handle those two."

"Please, Jas," Pansy laughed. "Just say the word 'bitches'."

"Never," Jasmine replied stubbornly, prompting a round of warm laughter from the room.