A cool fall night blanketed the Dawn household, the air heavy with an unspoken tension. The son of a mild-mannered woman had brought home a guest—a bruised, mysterious young woman with a guarded expression and a haunting silence that followed her like a shadow. Upstairs, Hermione—once known to Alex as Damon—was in the shower, washing away the grime of the day.
So what now?
Alex has some explaining to do. Trouble walking into the Dawn household. Well that's what Trisha was thinking.
Her story was heart breaking. The story was clear, it actually didn't have to be told; It's pretty common especially in New York. If a young woman is afraid to go home, she must be having trouble with her parents or guardians. What was with the cross dressing, was someone forcing her? Drugs were involved, maybe? Well that's what Alex thought.
That or they stuck around with the wrong crowd. Sometimes it's hard to pinpoint what is going on unless you ask. There was a lot not being told.
The kitchen was unusually quiet, the kind of silence that demanded answers. Trisha, Alex's mother, leaned against the counter, her arms crossed. Her concerned gaze rested on her son. Her expression alone demanded answers. She cared less if a friend needed a place to stay, but this felt more like Alex was involving himself in problems that didn't concern him, at least not now anyway. Shes starting to feel like his going away to The Village was for nothing.
"So what now, Alex?" she asked, her voice calm but weighted, she clearly wanted an explanation; to be told that this was not at all gang related; to conclude that he was actually not resembling his father at this moment.
"So, what are you going do Alex?..." She questioned once more immediately after giving him no time to give it thought as she stood with her arms folded as a concerned expression took over her face. Trisha stares at her son intensely impatiently waiting for an answer, "Don't make me wait now".
This was something hard to explain mainly because from the look at it in Alex's mind, it is gang related. Does he really want to lie to his mom, though?
"It's..." Alex froze before he could explain as he frowned. The energy shift became obvious. Alex shifted uncomfortably, running a hand through his hair. He hadn't fully processed everything himself. Mark noted that Alex was having trouble dealing with it.
Mark walks towards Alex and puts his arm around him,
"Son, it's okay, sometimes a man needs to lean on others. Especially those who are close to you. If they're special they'll understand and help you."
Mark ruffles Alex's hair and gives a smile as bright as the moon. Alex cools his mind, the hesitation was gone.
"Well it's my first day, but I'll let you know as much as I do," Alex began spilling out all the information he gathered. Mark gave Trisha a look, she sighed and let go of her heavy look of disappointment and tried to be sympathetic to her story and understand his empathy.
"Alex. It's clear she's been through more than just trouble at home. Dressing as a boy? Running from something so big she can't even say it out loud? There's more going on here than what we see. Just tell me this won't be an issue"
Alex frowned, the weight of his mother's words settling on him. He thought back to Hermione's bruised face, the hollow look in her eyes. She doesn't trust anyone. Not even me. Whatever happened to her… it's bad. He couldn't promise his mother that he wasn't involved in trouble, but he could promise that it wouldn't affect his grades or his at home life, just more like a passing period problem. She was somewhat satisfied with that answer but she had some doubts.
"So far It looks like a split between two groups. The Silver Serpents and a group of students."
Trisha held her head in her fingertips, her expression unreadable and a little bit scary, , "trouble always seems to follow you, huh?"
Mark's jaw tightened, he stepped forward to put some distance between them, "Alex... are you sure it's the serpents?"
Alex nods " I did try not to get involved, but long story short, I heard a girl's voice that called for help. The part that pisses me off was the fact that they were beating her like a dog for the past 3 months." Trisha gives a sorrowful frown.
"Why haven't you told an adult?" Asked Mark.
Alex shakes his head, "if this has been going on for 3 months, or longer, then that means the administration knows what's going on. They just have no power over the situation. Mainly because the school is in the territory of the Serpents." Mark was shocked by the facts.
The words hung heavy in the air. Trisha's face was stricken, her hands clenched into fists. "I knew there were problems in that area, but… not like this". Mark looked at Trisha with a slight nod for her approval. He wanted to do most of the talking since it was his school that he held with high regards, he wasn't about to let her quiet Alex. She had strong personal feelings on the matter, he was looking at the situation rationally.
Mark rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "The Serpents weren't this bold when I went to school there. What changed?"
A soft laugh came from the doorway, an almost cocky mocking sound. Hermione stood there, her damp hair framing her face, her expression a mix of exhaustion and defiance.
"You really think the Serpents just popped up overnight?" she asked, her voice laced with bitterness.
"They've been around for a long time. What you're seeing now is just the fallout from a power struggle. A transition of power. When the head of the organization dies, people start tearing each other apart to fill the void." She gestured vaguely to herself.
"And people like me get caught in the crossfire." She held eye contact as she spoke then her eyes gently swept the floor as they moved downward.
Alex's protective instincts kicked in. "You shouldn't be up," he said, his voice sharper than he intended.
Her eyes came back up from the floor to meet his gaze and she gave a faint smirk , "Relax. I'm fine." She walked over to the counter, leaning against it. "And stop calling me Demon. My name is Hermione."
The kitchen fell silent, the weight of her declaration hanging in the air.
"Alright, Hermione," Alex said, his tone more measured. "Tell us your story, if you don't mind" He folded his hands together looking at her curiously.
She hesitated, her gaze flicking between them. Finally, she sighed. "I would be glad to actually. Since you are part of the Fallen Sons." Hermione was glaring at Mark.
Trisha and Alex both looked at each other. The smirks they had were if someone told a funny joke. Mark had looked uncomfortable, and just shook his head while pointing at his stepson.
"But members of the fallen are usually adults, aren't they? So how are you a member? Hermione asked. "Let's just say that I really wanted it," Alex replied, "And stay out of my room," He barked.
"So let's just get down to the point," Alex said. "Why do you need me, why does me being a Fallen son make a difference to you?" Hermione stared blankly at Alex until she finally opened her mouth to speak, but before that Trisha intervened, "If you didn't learn that at The village, then what did you learn, boy?" I replied and said, "I must've fallen asleep when they taught us about gang related ties, my bad, anyway continue Hermione,"
Four months ago, my grandfather, the head of the Silver Serpents, got sick. Real sick. He was the only thing keeping the organization stable. When he died…" Her voice wavered, but she pushed on. "Everyone started fighting for control. My mom remarried around that time, and…"
She paused, her hands gripping the counter. "He took over. My stepdad. Kayde Wilson. You probably know him better as the Mayor."
Mark let out a low whistle. Trisha's hand flew to her mouth.
"The Mayor?" Alex repeated, stunned.
Hermione nodded, her eyes hollow. "He's the one behind all of it. The drugs, the violence—it's all him. He took what was a low-profile operation and turned it into… this."
"Drugs?" Alex asked, his brow furrowing.
"Overdrive," Mark interjected grimly. "It's been tearing the city apart. Adults who take it… it eats them from the inside. Kids who use it…" He trailed off, glancing at Hermione.
"Some die," Hermione said softly. "And some… change."
Alex's stomach turned. "Change how?"
Hermione didn't answer. Instead, she straightened and brushed past them. "I'm… going to bed," she said quietly, her voice devoid of emotion.
Alex started to follow, but Trisha stopped him. "Let her go, Alex. She's said enough for right now."
~~Later that night~~
Alex knocked lightly on the door to his older sister's old room before stepping inside. Hermione sat on the bed, her knees pulled to her chest. Her eyes were red-rimmed, though she quickly wiped at her face when she saw him.
"Hey," he said softly, holding out a plate of food. "You should eat something."
Hermione managed a small smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. "How many times are you going to see me cry?"
Alex shrugged, setting the plate on the nightstand. "As many times as it takes, I guess." He hesitated before sitting on the edge of the bed. "I'm not going to pretend to understand what you're going through. But… you don't have to do it alone anymore."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Hermione chuckled weakly. "You're awfully dramatic for someone who just got here."
Alex grinned. "Yeah, well, I like to make an impression."
She took a bite of the food, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly. "Thanks," she said quietly.
"No problem." Alex stood, stretching. "But seriously, we have school tomorrow? On a Saturday?"
Hermione nodded, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Alex groaned. "Great. This place is already killing me."
Hermione's laugh followed him as he headed back to his room. As he lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind replayed everything she'd said. The Serpents, the drugs, her stepdad…
What the hell have I gotten myself into? "Ugh,"
With a sigh, he closed his eyes. Sleep came slowly, the weight of tomorrow already pressing down on him.
Chapter 6 End