AN: Lots of dialogue, jsyk. Also, please read the bottom note for an explanation of the chapter and a surprise coming up.

PS- This happens to be my favorite chapter.


"Bloody hell.. Hermione?"

"'Lo, Fred." Hermione smiled at him. "Miss me?"

She was instantly crushed into the tightest of hugs she'd ever received, her head being tucked beneath Fred's chin as he crushed her body to his. Given her extra strength, she was able to free her arms in order to return his welcoming hug. She tilted her head upward, her nose being placed in the crook of his neck and breathed in deeply. His own scent of chocolate and cinnamon invaded her senses and her mind went fuzzy.

"OI, Freddy!" George piped up from behind them. "Doors are locked. I suggest your girlfriend floos out from upstairs."

Hermione chuckled into Fred's neck, Fred chuckling as well and fighting off a shiver at how close Hermione's mouth was to his skin. "It's Hermione, you git! Call in the troops. They'll want to know as soon as possible."

"Hermione?" George's eyebrows furrowed together. Hermione could sense his presence behind her so she pulled out of Fred's hug only to be pulled into another one when George saw it was truly her. "Bloody hell! It is you. What- When- Where have you been?" He suddenly pulled away from her, his smile vanishing as he mock-glared at her. "We've been looking everywhere for you!"

"I'm sorry?" Hermione offered as she shrugged at him. She caught sight of a fox patronus disappearing behind a wall when she turned back to Fred. "Did you just alert the troops?"

"Yep!" He smirked. "Come on now. Let's get upstairs so they don't damage our products. We don't need explosions happening in the shop, do we?"

Hermione smiled at Fred, looping her arm through his as he led her up the stairs to his and George's flat. George followed behind them, eagerly turning out all the lights in the shop and making sure their security wards were set right.

The walk upstairs was fairly quick and as soon as they entered the flat, the twins lazily flicked their wands in the air and their messy sitting area was instantly clean. Fred flashed Hermione a quick grin, gesturing for her to take a seat anywhere. "Make yourself comfortable. You're going to be here a while."

Hermione nodded and slowly undid the belt that tied around her waist from the trench coat she was wearing. Slowly sliding the coat off her shoulders, she remembered that her arms would be bared to them and she had a few new scars coating her arms from her run in the woods. Shrugging it all the way off, she was grateful that if the twins saw the scars, they didn't let it show although Fred was starting to worry her seeing as his gaze never left her form.

Seconds later, the twins' floo network chimed three times in a row; spitting out Harry, Ron, and a very excited looking Lavender Brown. She was tackled into the sofa by a messy raven-haired Harry and messy red-headed Ron.

"Hermione!"

"You're back. You're home!

"Why'd you leave?"

"Where were you?"

"We've missed you loads!"

Hermione laughed as their arms wrapped tighter around her; a pair of arms wrapped around her shoulders and another pair wrapped around her waist. Given the smell of faint cinnamon, she guessed Ron had beat Harry and had hugged her around the shoulders first. Breathing in deeply, she caught the faint smell of cinnamon again and guessed that scent ran in the Weasley gene pool. A new scent, something that smelled of clean linen sheets led her to believe that scent wafted off of Harry.

She ignored their questions, relishing in the feel and company of friends once again before her eyes traveled over to Lavender Brown who hadn't made a peep. After freeing herself from Ron and Harry, she stood and moved toward Lavender. She could smell Lavender, smiling to herself as Lavender smelt of lavender flowers herself and a bit of earth after a quick rain shower. Smiling a small smile, Lavender and Hermione hugged only to have Lavender tense beneath Hermione's arms and whimper into her shoulder, trying to quickly pull away.

"Don't." Hermione whispered, her grip tightening on Lavender to keep her in place. "I know you can smell it in me," She told her. "I can smell it in you too but please, don't say anything. Not before I can explain myself."

The two girls pulled out of the hug, all the men in the room watching curiously as what had just happened. "Y-you're okay." Lavender choked, tears slipping down her cheeks and a bit of fear in her eyes. "I was so worried when I found out you were missing."

"Yeah, Lav, I'm fine." Hermione assured her. Lavender moved to stand behind Ron, her hand moving to his shoulder and Ron's hand moving atop of hers, gripping it. Hermione raised a curious eyebrow at the couple which caused Ron's face, neck, and ears to tinge pink. She'd have to ask about that later.

The floo chimed three times yet again, this time spitting out Ginny, Arthur, and Molly. Ginny was the first to reach her, running past her parents and throwing her arms around the missing witch.

"Merlin, I've missed you." Ginny sighed into her shoulder. "So, so much."

Hermione didn't have a chance to respond seeing as Ginny was ripped from her arms and Molly was replacing her. Harry laughed behind them as his girlfriend scowled and mumbled something about having a bossy witch for a mother.

Molly didn't bother asking questions, her happy sobs being too much for her to form anything anyway. She took her time gripping tight to Hermione as Arthur watched from behind them. Hermione looked up at him, flashing him a smile to which he returned and hugged her as well when Molly finally released her.

The floo chimed two times this time, Hermione preparing herself for whichever Weasley was coming through. Bill and Fleur walked out gracefully unlike the rest of their family who had come out before. Hermione braced herself for the worst when Bill walked up to her, his nose twitching and eyes narrowing a tad as he got closer and closer to her. She watched him as his eyes moved over and passed her, landing directly on Lavender before he sighed and shook his head to clear out whatever he was thinking. Offering her a bright smile, he gave her a quick hug. "Nice to have you back, Hermione. You gave everyone quite a fright."

"Yeah, sorry about that." Hermione laughed it off. Fleur walked up to her last and gave her a quick hug before joining her husband. After all, Bill and Fleur weren't as close to her as everyone else in the family was.

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief as she stood in the middle of the sitting area alone. Every Weasley and Harry were either sitting or standing around her and waited to see what she would do or say next. "This everyone?" She asked. "I have answers for all of you but I rather not have to repeat myself later."

"Yes." Fred beat everyone to the punch. "Now explain yourself."

Hermione looked around at everyone again; Ron, Harry, and Lavender waiting expectantly for an explanation from their seat on the sofa. Ginny couldn't stop smiling from her position on the arm rest next to Harry and George had offered the only available sofa chair to his father. Whipping out her wand, Hermione tapped it against her leg as she thought for a second before she summoned up five extra chairs for Molly, Fred, George, Bill, and Fleur. "Well okay, now that everyone's comfortable, what's the first question?"

"Where have you been?" Harry asked first, his voice soft.

"I've been staying in Tinworth." She answered as she stared Harry in the eyes. "When I left, I roamed around a bit before traveling back to Tinworth where Lawrence took me in."

"Tinworth?" Bill breathed as his eyes strayed to Hermione's shirt. "Blimey, you've been within our reach this entire time and we didn't know?" Hermione nodded. "But we stopped by there!" He suddenly exclaimed as he pointed out the logo on her shirt that also held the name of the bar. "The man said he hadn't seen you."

"If you would've shown up two days earlier, you would've ran into me." Hermione smiled. "Besides, Lawrence said something about that if I was on the run well then who was he to ruin my plans."

No-one spoke, the information Hermione just revealed sinking in.

"But why?" Ginny muttered. "Why leave after everything was finally over?"

Hermione gulped, her free hand that wasn't twirling her wand sweating profusely. "S-something happened during the war and.. I panicked." She started to pace a circle before them all. "I was scared and I didn't want to burden any of you after the war was just won."

Ron scoffed even though he saw that Hermione was struggling with her answers. "We would have understood whatever you were going through. We could have helped."

"Ron?" Molly scolded.

"Yes, you could have but as I said, I didn't want to burden any of you." Hermione turned to him, her eyes hardening just a bit.

"But you ran to Lawrence?" Ron challenged as he rolled his eyes. "Who is this bloke anyway?" Ron was too busy talking that he didn't see Hermione's hand gripping her wand so tightly that her knuckles were starting to turn white. Everyone else was just confused, their gaze flicking back and forth between the two bickering friends. "I mean, he could have been a Deatheater for all you knew and you opened up to him rather than us."

Before anyone knew it, Hermione was standing before Ron with her wand pointing between his eyes. "Don't. Speak. About. Him. Like. That." She gritted out through clenched teeth.

Ron's eyes widened as he looked into her own eyes, seeing something there that was never there before. Pure rage, hatred, and silver specks that suddenly sparked in her normal honey chocolate colored eyes. "'Mione, did your eyes just-"

The floo network chimed cutting off Ron's sentence, no-one bothering to look and see who was coming through. The fact that Hermione was severely pissed off and threatening her friend was enough to hold their attention.

"Fred, George! They got a hit on Hermione's wand! We can't trace her location yet but at least we know she's alive." Remus Lupin stood before the fireplace as he dusted the soot off of his robes. "By the way, where is everyone? I went by the Burrow but it's empty." If Remus had looked up, he'd have seen that everyone was there gaping at Hermione who still had her wand pointed at Ron's head although her attention was now on Remus. Looking up, he finally saw her. "Hermione! You're back!" She didn't smile at him, her anger at Ron for bad mouthing Lawrence still fresh on her mind. He took in her heavy breathing and the way her eyes flashed before his own eyes hardened and body going rigid. Before anyone could blink, Remus was across the room and shoving Hermione away from Ron.

"Hey! What are-"

"It's Hermione, Lupin, calm down."

"You're going to hurt her!"

No-one other than Remus, Ron, and Lavender had a clue as to why Remus was acting the way he was. He ignored the protest coming from Ginny, Harry, and Fred, and pushed Hermione up against the wall, his own eyes flashing yellow, and his hands gripping her by the shirt. "Imposter!" He snarled. "Who are you? Where's Hermione Granger?"

"It's me, you prat!" She growled back, the silver specks in her eyes growing larger to combine together and take over her entire eye color. "Now get off." She shoved him back and to the astonishment of everyone, including Remus, she shoved him back a good five feet.

"Prove it."

Remus still looked agitated but Hermione knew that if she wanted him to calm down, she'd have to prove it. "I was the one who figured out what you were when Snape was being a git and tried to out you in my Third year. It was Harry and I who rode on Buckbeak to save Sirius and it was Ron and I who constantly argued because he thought Crookshanks ate Scabbers."

Against his better judgment, Ron chuckled at the memory before Remus turned to glare at him and shut him up. Remus turned back to Hermione once again, the yellow in his eyes vanishing before giving Hermione a pitying look.

"Don't." She ground out, her own anger slowly dissipating. "Don't pity me. I didn't pity you."

"Sorry." Remus shrugged. "Do you mind putting that away now?" He gestured to her wand. Hermione pocketed it without a second thought and walked into Remus' arms when he held them open.

"Your eyes turn silver, did you know?" He whispered into her ear.

Hermione gave a forced chuckle, her laughter muffled by his chest. "No but thanks for telling me."

When they pulled out of the hug, everyone was looking confusedly at them with the exception of Lavender and Bill. Seeing as the two of them had only the traits of a wolf, they were able to hear what Remus had whispered to her. Lavender was smiling sadly at her where as Bill had gone deathly pale. He now knew why Lavender's scent was off to him. There was a wolf in the room that was overpowering Lavender's faint scent and confusing him.

Sighing, Hermione pulled away the collar of her shirt and flashed everyone her scars from Fenir's bite mark. "This is why I left. I was bitten by Greyback."

OoOoOoOo

oOoOoOoO

After Hermione filled them all in about her attack, Lavender picking up the slack whenever it became too much for Hermione to continue, they all lazily sat around the sitting area. Many apologies were said and understanding was given; all being quickly forgiven within the hour.

Now that they all knew why it was that Hermione left, the questions came back to who Lawrence was and how it was that no-one ever saw her.

"He's an old man," Hermione smiled as she talked about Lawrence. "His family kicked him to the curb long ago when he didn't share the same views as them but he's done okay for himself with his bar and flat. He reminded me a bit of Sirius, I suppose." Hermione looked at Harry who smiled when she said this. "He asked no questions when I showed up directly after the war and offered me a chance to shower, gave me some food, and a change of clothes. Before I left though, I asked him to change the color of my hair and eyes so I wouldn't be as easily recognized anywhere and he did. I attended funerals after that, hiding behind the crowds, and set out for the woods to get ready to see whether I'd change or not."

"And you did." It wasn't a question since everyone knew that she did indeed change.

"I did." Hermione turned to Remus who had spoken last. "The change was brutal, from the memories that flash backed to me, the worst pain I ever experienced and the following morning wasn't any better." Remus looked at her with sad eyes but she gave him a smile to let him know she was okay. "The morning after, I went back to Lawrence's bar and again, he didn't mention anything about my appearance. I asked if he had a place I could stay and he offered one of the three rooms in his flat. Been there ever since."

"That was bloody well nice of him." Ron grumbled as he sank lower into his seat on the sofa. "Now I feel kinda bad for calling him a deatheater."

Everyone lowly chuckled, Hermione smiling sadly at him. "Yes, he really is nice and I would like you all to meet him one day."

Silence reigned over them, Ginny breaking the silence by yawning. Her one yawn caused a chain reaction within the group and soon everyone was yawning and rubbing their eyes.

"Well, it's been a long day and I'm sure we all want to ask Hermione many more things but we all need our rest." Molly stood up, quickly followed by Arthur. "Hermione, dear, will I be making up a room for you to stay at the Burrow?"

"Er- no." Hermione mumbled. "I'll actually be going back to Tinworth tonight."

"What? Why?" Fred jumped up, gaining curious stares from his siblings.

"I have to be at St. Mungos in the morning and then back to open up The Flaming Phoenix mid-afternoon."

"Mungos?" Harry questioned. "Is something wrong?"

"Lawrence." Hermione shrugged, suddenly finding a loose thread interesting on the hem of her shirt. "He has cirrhosis of the liver, a muggle disease that will eventually kill him, and he doesn't want the Healers to help him. He's going to suffer the consequences that he brought upon himself."

"Oh, dear, we're so sorry." Molly walked over to the now crying witch.

"He became like a father to me, you know?" Hermione sniffled into Molly's shoulder. "And he's just going to let himself die. Doesn't want anyone or anything to help him."

They all watched sadly as Hermione cried into Molly's shoulder and Molly patted her back in a soothing manner.

"Wow. Now I really feel like a prat for calling him a deatheater." Ron mumbled in the background.

OoOoOoOo

oOoOoOoO

One by one, everyone had left the twins' flat until it was only the twins and Hermione left. After all the excitement of Hermione's return had finally died down, the three of them looked at one another and burst out laughing. The reason for their laughter being how Lavender now cowered whenever Hermione was close to her and how powerful and scary Hermione was when she felt threatened.

"So you're really going back, huh? You weren't lying just to get out of staying at the Burrow where Mum would watch over you to make sure you didn't disappear again?"

Hermione turned to smile at Fred after she had grabbed a handful of Floo power from their fireplace mantle. "Afraid so." She answered him.

His hands where shoved deep in his pockets, his stare locked on the floor. From the sofa behind them, George watched on in amusement as his twin acted oddly around the newly returned witch. "Can we visit you sometime?"

"Of course." Hermione squeaked. "Most of my time is occupied by St. Mungos and the bar but I'm sure I can make some time to visit you all as well. No worries, Fred, I'm not disappearing anytime soon."
"Right.." He drawled.

George snickered behind them before standing up and going over to Hermione. "Well, it was nice seeing you, 'Mione, I'm sure we'll be visiting soon."

"Make sure you do." She quickly hugged George before turning to hug Fred as well. She noticed that his heart rate picked up speed whenever she hugged him and filed that information away for another day. "Well, I better be going. Gotta wake up early." She turned to the fireplace, throwing the floo powder down before stepping in. "Flaming Phoenix", she shouted and in a swirl of green flames, Hermione Granger was whisked away.


For those of you who didn't quite understand Lavender's whimpering: Lavender whimpered because she sensed that Hermione wasn't just a witch anymore. She smelt the wolf within her and seeing as Lavender isn't truly a wolf, she sensed that Hermione is more powerful than her.

Bill, well Bill smelt it too but he figured it was just Lavender's smell that was off until he saw Hermione's anger in action and heard what Remus whispered to Hermione.

I hope that cleared up any confusion.

As for a surprise, well I should have a ONESHOT posted up for you lot Sunday afternoon. I think a character named 'Everett' is making an appearance ;)