Chapter 4

It had been one of the longest days of his life – but also one of the best. He had immediately transformed, knowing he would be late to meet with the rest of the pack if he walked back all the way to La Push. Still, he focused his thoughts as much as possible on the scene at the beach. He didn't want any of the others catching thoughts of his late night rendezvous with Hermione. No one – including him – was supposed to approach Hermione until they knew more about her. It was a safety precaution.

Though he imprinted on her, it would only excuse his behavior to a certain extent. They would be annoyed and even angry to know he'd met with her without an official okay, but it would blow over. If they knew about what had actually happened during their encounter, he would be in a world of trouble. A little flirtation does not compare to revealing sensitive information about the pack.

Fortunately, he was not the last to arrive; Leah was slightly behind him.

"Let's wrap this up, so we can catch some rest," said Sam wearily. "Jared, were you and Paul able to get in touch with Jake?"

After the encounter at the beach today, Jared and Paul had been assigned to contact Jacob and try to bring him home. Sam didn't want the pack missing a crucial member at a time like this. "Yeah, but you know what it's like trying to talk to him when he's thinking of her. I wasn't even sure if he was really listening to us, but then he said he'd be here soon."

"All right!" Seth wasn't the only one excited. Embry wanted to talk to him too, but preferably in person. Secrets were impossible in a pack that had a permanently "on" telepathic connection, but that didn't mean he couldn't at least discuss it in private. Jake would probably be more understanding. Most of the pack had lost patience for Bella.

"No strange leeches anywhere," reported Leah. She, Quil, and Embry had been assigned patrols. Fortunately, they were done for the night.

"Sam and I went to see the Cullens, and they don't know anything about magic. They haven't heard of any vampires than can just appear and disappear either. Dr. Cullen said that there was a myth about humans with magic, but he never believed it. It sounded like nobody else did either."

Not much else was discussed at the meeting, and Embry quickly took off towards home.

ooOOoo

He woke up hours later, shaking and sweating. He looked around quickly, assuring himself he was still in his room. Through the window, he could spot the small crescent moon. He glanced towards the clock; it read 4:26.

He let out a breath of relief. "It was just a dream," he said aloud. His dream started out pleasant enough. He and Hermione had a great relationship and were about to kiss – when she bit him instead and drank his blood until he could feel the life slipping out of him.

Feeling exhausted and completely unrested, Embry closed his eyes again and tried to forget those beautiful brown eyes turning red.

ooOOoo

"So you mentioned something about nearby wolf-men?" Wanda Granger asked her daughter, curiously. They were speaking through the communication mirrors she had enchanted for the family. She had gotten the idea from the mirror Sirius had gifted Harry with. She had even improved on it by enchanting a network for them, so she could give a mirror to both her parents and Hugo. It was complicated magic, but certainly worth the effort.

"More like wolf-boys," she finally replied. "They physically mature very quickly once they make the change – but I've noticed they seem just as juvenile as other boys their age."

"I admit your father and I were very worried. He wanted to cancel all appointments so we could go there straight away. I convinced him that any trouble was already over, and he could wait two more days."

A second window suddenly appeared in the mirror, her father having activated his as well. "Are they going to be a problem?" Matthew Granger always took everything concerning his family and safety very seriously. He believed in a healthy diet, always wearing seatbelts, and keeping a fully-stocked medicine cabinet.

"Not if they're smart," she paused for a moment, wondering how to explain Embry to them and decided on the straight approach. "Like I said yesterday, there was a brief altercation at the beach, but I handled it. I found out later, though, that one of the wolf-boys imprinted on me. He says that it means I'm his soulmate." Her mother's smile was so suggestive that Hermione was glad she couldn't blush anymore. She was never very good at these awkward type of conversations.

Her father had a different reaction, as she suspected he would. "And what did you say to him when he told you that?"

"Well, I sort of felt a bit sorry for him as I knew he couldn't be lying." At their questioning looks, she explained, "He was under Truth Serum – it's a long story. In any case, he agreed to accompany Hugo and me while we shop for school supplies; he should be here soon. And on Friday, he'll be coming over for dinner. I'm not sure what I think about all this – it's really very strange – but I wanted you to meet him anyway."

"I'll be glad for his visit – I can't wait to meet him. I want you to tell me all about him, Hermione. You always leave out all the best details," commanded her mother, excitedly.

She nodded towards her mother. In the last few years, their unwavering support had really helped them restore their relationship. After being accepted at Hogwarts, Hermione had slowly spent less and less time with her family, though it had not been her intention. While they didn't have a bad relationship, it was certainly very distant – quite unlike the close relationship they had shared before Hogwarts.

When she realized that she would have to erase their memories in the summer after sixth year, she felt guilty and awkward as she explained the situation to them. She had kept quite a bit of information from them, so it was a long and difficult process. Her parents had reluctantly agreed. They didn't want to leave their daughter in danger while they were obliviously safe, but they suspected she would have erased their memories anyway.

That realization had been like a knock to the head – but too late. She had immediately gone to them after the final battle and restored their memories. It had only been a few days, however, until she realized that she was pregnant.

Considering how supportive they had been during the most difficult time of her life, confiding in them was very easy and came naturally now. She no longer had to keep her worry to herself and could share the burden. For as much as she loved Harry and Ron, she had rarely been able to confide in them. She had always been the confident in that relationship.

"So is he good looking?" her mother asked, interrupting her thoughts.

She rolled her eyes, "Yes." One word answers really annoyed her mother.

Now it was Wanda's turn to roll her eyes. "What does he look like?" she rephrased her question.

"Tall, tanned, black hair – that sort of thing. And before you ask – yes, he's physically fit."

"I certainly like the sound of that – tall, dark, and handsome. He wasn't one of the aggressive ones at the beach yesterday, correct?"

"He was not remotely aggressive towards me or Hugo. He actually defended me, not that I needed it."

"I'll be paying attention to how Crookshanks reacts to him," said her father. At that, they all shared a laugh and chatted a while further until Hugo came downstairs for lunch.

ooOOoo

After such a restless night, it was no surprise that he'd overslept. Embry rushed out the door, anxious to get to Hermione's house. He was about to phase when he ran into Quil.

"Where're you going?" asked Quil, jogging to catch up to him.

"To see Hermione," he replied, honestly. They were going to find out anyway, and it was best for the first person to be Quil or Jake; they were more understanding.

"Who's that? The bloodsucker?"

"Don't call her that!" he growled furiously.

"Sorry, the new vampire. I forget her name," Quil said quickly, noting his temper. "But didn't Sam say to stay away until we knew more about her?"

"It wasn't an order," he growled back. "But try not to announce it."

Quil looked like he wanted to object, but fortunately didn't say anything further.

Embry looked at his watch; it was a quarter until 1:00. He'd have to phase to make it in time. "Look Quil, I'm kind of in a hurry. We'll talk later." He didn't look back as he left and phased as soon as he was out of sight.

He made it in record time and suddenly felt overwhelmed with nerves as he approached the house. He remembered what happened the last time he was here – it was just last night he was tied up and interrogated. Before he could even knock, the door swung open, startling him.

"I heard you," she said with an easy smile. He realized he would need to get used to her vampire hearing. But her smile put him a bit more at ease, and he felt himself relax. "Hugo's changing his shoes; he'll be right down."

Looking around the house, he realized she had already fully moved in. There was furniture, appliances, and all the photos and decorative items girls usually filled their space with. It was almost unbelievable. The news had spread last week of a house purchase – Forks was a small town – but there was nothing about a moving van. It shouldn't surprise him, considering all he had already seen her do, so he pushed it out of his mind.

"Those your parents?" he asked, referring to a large portrait over the fireplace. They definitely were, as the family resemblance was obvious, but he was hoping to find out a little bit more about her.

"Yes," she smiled, "they're dentists. You can meet them when they arrive this weekend. They were still wrapping up some business with the dental practice. I expect they'll be opening one up here once they settle in."

She had mentioned her parents last night, and he'd wondered if they were her real parents. The Hermione depicted in the picture was obviously human, with bushy brown hair and a slight tan. The family resemblance was very obvious. All the vampires he had known didn't have any living family as far he knew. It sort of made it easier to dehumanize vampires. Still, he wondered what sort of relationship they had – it obviously had to be good. She spoke of them fondly, and they were apparently moving in this weekend. But did they know about her?

"Do they know you're a vampire?" he asked, not able to hold back his curiosity. He continued looking around at all the pictures – there were a lot and even some that moved. There were even some framed newspaper clippings with headings like "Smartest Witch of Her Age Speaks Out Against Discrimination" and "War Heroine Hermione Granger Campaigns for Equality." He wanted to ask her about those too – there was just so much about her he still didn't know. She was so fascinating.

"Of course. It's not like they're unused to my unique qualities. When I was 11-years old, I received an acceptance letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was such a surprise; we had no idea I was a witch. But we were all so excited – and relieved. There was finally an explanation for all the strange things that occurred when I was feeling strong emotions.

"And that was years ago. They're so used to magic now. When I was bitten, it was a bit of a worry, but that was mostly because it was new and unknown. Knowing facts about vampires from books is not exactly the same. Still, we adapted.

"My parents were especially interested in studying my teeth," she grinned. "They were a bit disappointed that vampires don't have fangs."

"Your friends?" he asked, pointing to a picture of a pre-vampire Hermione with two boys her age. It was one of the moving photographs.

She smiled, "Harry and Ron – my best friends ever since they saved me from a troll."

"A troll!" Trolls were real?

She grinned mischievously, and he felt his heart speed up.

Suddenly, Embry's nose caught a scent that was both familiar and unfamiliar. It strongly resembled the scent that followed his pack members, but was a little off. So Paul hadn't just imagined it. He wished he could ask Hermione about it, but he suspected it was too soon. She seemed very reserved.

"Mum, can we go yet?" asked a messy-haired boy in bright orange. The kid had wild hair that resembled Hermione's from the photograph. Embry wondered how such a child could be a werewolf too; it didn't make sense. Phasing didn't happen until after puberty, and they were definitely not related to the pack. He would ask Hermione later.

"Sweetie, come here and meet Embry. Do you remember him from the beach?"

"Yeah, he was nicer than the big one. Do you play quidditch?" he addressed the question at him.

"I don't think so. What's quidditch?

"You don't know what quidditch is?" he asked, appalled. "But Mum says all the magic schools have quidditch teams. Were you home-schooled? Mum and Nana were teaching me at home in London, but then Mum got bit by a vampire and we had to move because people were being mean and the Aurors wanted to take Mummy. I get to go to a real school now, Mum says, but there won't be any quidditch because it's a muggle school and muggles don't fly. But I brought my broom and will get to fly it after homework is done. You want to see? It's only a training broom because Mum says flying is dangerous and I could fall and break my neck. But it still goes wicked fast!" He said all this very fast, and though Embry didn't understand it all, he definitely liked the kid.

"Hugo, Embry isn't a wizard, so of course he doesn't know what quidditch is. You may explain it to him later. We're going shopping for your school supplies, and you remember what I said about talking of magic around muggles," she stated calmly.

It obviously didn't dampen Hugo's excitement. "You will love quidditch! I'll show you my broom when we get back. If you're not a wizard, how are you an animagus? Mum says it takes high-level magic."

And that was how the afternoon was spent. While Hugo was obedient and didn't mention magic or quidditch or brooms once they arrived at the store, he asked question after question, often not even giving him the chance to answer. Embry liked him a lot but still wished for an opportunity to speak more privately with Hermione. She certainly seemed content to let Hugo take over the conversation, and Embry knew he'd have to settle for just being able to spend time with her.

He looked back down at the supply list in his hands and was surprised to see that it was for second grade. "I thought you said he was just 4?" he asked, pointing to the heading on the list.

"Hugo's already quite advanced for his age," Hermione explained, placing two packs of pencils in the shopping cart.

"Advanced enough to skip 3 grades?" he asked. "That's pretty impressive."

She smiled proudly. "His reading level is at the second grade – at least. I was always a quick learner too, but he's already surpassed me at that age. He enjoys learning and is eager to make friends. He's very social."

"I noticed – he can really tell a story," he said with a laugh as he looked at the supply list. "Were you the same way?" He took a pack of crayons and color pencils from the shelf and added them to the cart.

"Not exactly. I sure liked talking and was never shy. I loved learning and was very dedicated to my studies, so I was confident of my knowledge. I was always at the top of my class. That led to a certain confidence with my peers – I would correct them if they made a mistake and advise them to study and concentrate more. I might have been a bit…bossy. It was unintentional, but I was very awkward socially. It made me rather unpopular, and I became known as an insufferable know-it-all." She laughed but seemed a bit embarrassed by it.

She took the supply list and began scratching out the items they already collected. He noted that she was very neat and organized after seeing the inside of her house – but she was even organized when she shopped.

"When did it get better? I saw some pictures of you with school friends."

"When I got accepted into boarding school," here she looked him in the eye and he knew she meant Hogwarts, "I thought things would be different. They weren't. Kids are the same everywhere and my social awkwardness didn't disappear. But a few months into the first term, a creature was let into the school. Ron – the redhead in the photograph – had made a comment about my being a nightmare, so it was no wonder I didn't have any friends. Well I heard and spent the afternoon in the girl's loo crying. I didn't hear the announcement about the danger. Harry and Ron were feeling guilty and came to my rescue. We survived by pure luck – but we were friends ever since."

"Except for the part where you were in danger, it was a pretty cool way to start a friendship. Near-death situations help to form strong bonds," he said, as he thought of the pack. He, Jake, and Quil had always been best friends – but their friendship grew closer when they became part of the pack. He often thought of the others as his brothers too.

The conversation lagged for a while and soon turned awkward as they just waited in line to purchase the supplies.

Hermione seemed uncomfortable in the silence too because she brought the conversation back to Hugo, "He's so eager for social interaction with other children. It was another reason why I didn't want to put him in Pre-kindergarten or even Kindergarten; he'd be so ahead, he might have a hard time of it. He'd be on a more equal level with the second grade students."

"It's incredible to think someone so young can already read." She practically preened. He almost punched a fist in the air when he saw how much she appreciated his comment and made a note to compliment Hugo often.

"Yes, it is. He learns very quickly. We spend some of our evenings together just reading – most children his age can't even read yet. His education is very important, and I want him to have the proper experience at a school."

"Mum, you said we can get ice cream," reminded Hugo, in a familiar bossy tone as they left the store. Embry carried the bags. Hermione might be stronger – but he was a gentleman.

"Is there a grocery store nearby?" She asked suddenly. "I need to stock up."

He showed her to the nearest place. It was certainly an interesting experience, shopping with Hermione and Hugo. When he wasn't trying to ride the cart and speed through the aisles, he would disappear and return with candy and toys. The hyperactive boy kept adding things to the cart, and Hermione kept taking things out. Still, she left the ice cream and some snacks, most of which were sugar-free.

When they arrived back at the house and stored the purchases, Hermione thanked him for showing them around. It was a polite dismissal, but Embry wasn't ready to call it a day. He wanted to spend more time with Hermione.

Fortunately, Hugo took that moment to reappear with a broom in his hands. "Embry, want to see me fly? Come on, I will show you." And without waiting for a response, the boy immediately grabbed his hand and pulled him outdoors.

Hermione didn't object and even made herself comfortable in a wide swing, facing them.

"Want to see something brilliant?" he asked excitedly, holding his hand out over the broom lying prostrate on the ground. "Watch this. Up!"

And the broom actually obeyed him! It flew straight into the boy's hand. Hugo had on the most smug expression he'd ever seen on a kid, and he couldn't help but laugh in response. It was pretty cool, and he told him so.

"But the best part is flying!" And without any warning, the kid leaped on the broom and soared in the air. He zoomed around a couple times while Embry watched on, amazed. It seemed the "training broom" couldn't go more than four feet high because Hugo would point upwards and get a frustrated look on his face. Still, the kid was having a blast zooming around the yard.

It looked awesome.

He looked towards Hermione who was watching with a small smile on her face. She looked so relaxed, and he noticed that she looked a lot more like the pre-vampire Hermione from the picture. She must have felt his stare because she turned her gaze towards him.

He felt a bit on the spot suddenly, and he wished he could do something impressive. Phasing wouldn't be a good idea, and nothing else came to mind.

Feeling much too awkward to remain standing there, his feet carried him towards Hermione. This was the best opportunity to spend more time with her. She scooted to the side, silently inviting him to sit next to her.

"This is a nice place," he told her, after an awkward moment of silence. She seemed to be content to sit and watch Hugo, but he wanted to talk to her.

"Thank you."

"Hugo's really having a lot of fun on the broom. How did he learn to fly?" He figured this would be a more successful attempt at conversation.

"Yes, he's very active. Harry taught him how to fly back home and even gifted him with this broom. I can hardly prevent him from using it unless I want to be the world's most unpopular mother," she said wryly. "But I've been talking about myself the whole day. What about your family and friends?"

He was eager to tell her more about himself, and he talked about Jake and Quil. He even told her about his mother and how she was always disappointed in him, thinking he was in a gang or something. He admitted he hadn't told his mother the truth about the pack. "She's from the Makah tribe, and we always believed my father was a passing tourist or from another tribe. But the werewolf gene…it's only passed down in the Quileute tribe. And it's a big deal. It means one of my friends' dads is my father too."

"But you all seemed pretty close from that one encounter we all had." She was no longer focusing solely on Hugo. He had the feeling that he had her complete attention for the first time in the whole day.

"Yeah, we're like brothers – even Leah. Though it was a little terrifying at first, being a werewolf is pretty cool." He decided to finally ask what he'd realized earlier in the day. "It's pretty interesting, actually. Even when I'm not phased, all of my senses are much more enhanced than before. And I noticed that Hugo's scent is a little…similar to ours."

Her eyes narrowed, and he felt a little nervous. "I suppose I should have thought of that," she said calmly. "But you're wrong you know. Hugo isn't like you. He's a werewolf – a real one. The kind that transform only at the full moon. I've been researching for a cure since he was born – before even. I think you could actually help me."

"Really? How? I'm not good at research or anything, though I'll help however I can." This could be his way to prove himself to her.

"In the magical world, the most accurate way to label you would be as a shape-shifter. Still, the only documented shape-shifter are selkies. I've never heard of anything like a hereditary gene, allowing humans to transform into wolves. It was a little astonishing, to be honest. The American magical government doesn't know anything of your existence. In any case, if I can study a blood sample, that would go a long towards discovering a cure for Hugo."

He wasn't quite sure why Hugo needed a cure, and before he could ask her more about it, Hugo began shouting.

"Mum! Embry! You're not even watching me! Look at this new move!" shouted Hugo, who apparently noticed he was no longer the center of attention. Rather than a new move, he demonstrated an improved one, but Embry and Hermione knew to encourage him all the same.

And that was how the remainder of the visit was spent.

All in all, Embry thought it was a great day.

ooOOoo

Then things took a turn for the worst. Because of Hermione's presence, patrols were longer and more frequent. The fact that the Cullens were not able to shed any light on "magic" or anything resembling her capabilities had the pack on high alert. Much as he tried to control his thoughts, the night was simply too calm and boring for him to focus on anything but Hermione.

If he hadn't zoned out, he would have noticed how the entire pack was focused on him, but he didn't. So he was entirely surprised when Sam and Paul, shortly followed by all the rest, arrived in front of him.

He dived out of the way just in time to avoid the snap of Paul's jaw.


A/N: Merry Christmas!

Thanks for all the reviews, alerts, favorites….and just thanks for reading! And yes, I based the quote from Pride and Prejudice. It is my favorite book. Has anyone seen the movies? The A&E version with Colin Firth is my favorite.

And guess what? I graduated December 17 – BBA in finance and economics. I was pretty close to graduating with honors too, but I didn't feel like spending another semester just to lift my GPA. It was time.

So what do you think about Hugo? Do you think Hermione made a mistake not telling Embry more about Hugo? Is Paul getting on anyone's nerves yet?