Un-beta'd, I checked it over as best as I could but wanted to post it since I've been writing sooo much more lately. Enjoy!
Hermione will be on Atlantis soon enough…..
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Atlantis, ATL-984 (Lantea) February 2005
John watched their new companion from the corner of his eye while fingers easily manipulated the rubix cube in his hands; following a simple and unmonitored pattern that would once again complete the puzzle. If only the puzzle of Ronon Dex was just as mind numbingly easy, though John had to admit that the man wouldn't have been any interest to him if he was. Ronon had been with them going on four weeks and it was interesting to watch his interaction with others aboard Atlantis. Most had been cautious of the newcomer and they had every right to be. Despite him being a beacon for the Wraith until recently, the man was downright dangerous.
Training had been going well, fitting Ronon into John's team turned out to be a bit easier than anticipated; especially after Teyla dropped him on his ass not once but twice when he underestimated her. Their first outing together had proved routine and easy while the second had found them dodging Wraith blasts almost in sync. The team was getting ready to head back off world tomorrow and John hoped this trip would prove more productive than the last few. Without another thought the man carelessly tossed the cube in his hands behind him and stood from his hiding spot. John made sure Ronon could see him as he approached, not wanting to get dropped himself.
"Hey buddy, you busy?"
Ronon just stared at John, dark eyes giving nothing away.
"No."
John smiled and slapped a hand on Ronon's shoulder before turning toward the hall.
"Good, follow me. I want to show you something."
Ronon stared at the John as he walked away before glancing at his arm. Gritting his teeth Ronon followed, wondering if he would get a chance to knock the other man around today.
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Cross Tower, Tote Forest, Island of Skye, April 2005 / (2 years, 1 month after infection)
AN05 and AN06 turned out to be no better than AN04 but they certainly hadn't gone backwards in effects. In some ways they tasted better as well though that could be argued easily. Severus still watched over Hermione on the full moon nights like a vulture waiting for its next meal and continued to criticize her when she brewed and theorized within his sight. Hermione supposed the man had to get his kicks somewhere.
Slipping on her boots Hermione stood and grabbed a brightly wrapped box from her end table and headed through the living room and under the stairs to the back door. Closing the door behind her she felt the wards on the home settle into place before closing her eyes and disappearing with a pop.
Minutes later Hermione re-appeared on the sidewalk in front of number twelve Grimmauld Place and waited patiently for the home to appear before her. Jogging up the front steps Hermione reached out to open the door but her hand fell short when it was pulled open from the inside. Teddy stood on the other side of the door, bouncing on the balls of his feet while his hair ran through the colors of the rainbow almost as fast as Lavender had gone through boyfriends in school. It was obvious he'd been waiting at the door for her, who knew how long.
"Aunt Hermione!"
Hermione smiled, catching Teddy by the back of the neck when he ran at her legs.
"What have I told you about opening the door before you know who's on the other side?"
Teddy smiled wide and looked very proud of himself when he replied.
"I scented first, I knew it was you!"
Under normal circumstances Hermione might have wondered if she smelled bad, but it was two days from the full moon and though Teddy wasn't a conventional werewolf like herself or his father, somehow the metamorphmagus in him had facilitated a complete change on full moons. Hermione lifted Teddy from the ground by the back of his shirt and brought his face inches from hers. She let a small growl trickle from her throat but instead of fear it elicited a giggle from the small boy. Teddy knew she would never hurt him, knew her wolf would never hurt a cub.
When Hermione wasn't testing new recipes for the inhibitor she took the standard Wolfsbane and curled up with Teddy on the full moons. When Severus had first suggested it mere weeks after Hermione's infection she had shot it down, scared of what her wolf might do but it wasn't long before she had given into Severus's reasoning and the pair had slowly been eased into it. Teddy was an overly destructive pup and needed an alpha to control him, especially since they weren't going to give him Wolfsbane until he went to Hogwarts.
Hermione became his alpha.
Hermione leaned her face into Teddy's neck, rubbing her cheek against his, putting her scent, and her protection on his skin. Teddy giggled again and Hermione pulled back before moving faster than the eye could see; nipping him gently on the nose. Teddy gave a small yelp of shock, looking at her with wide eyes. Another growl slid from her throat and this time Teddy curled in on himself, still suspended in midair. A whine of apology came from him, begging her wolf not to hurt him, telling her he was sorry. If Teddy had a tail, it would have been between his legs.
"I am proud that you used your nose Teddy but you are never to answer the door by yourself. Do you understand?"
Teddy whined again, shaking his head.
"Sorry, I'm sorry."
Balancing his gift in one hand Hermione lifted his body to her chest, wrapping her arm around him as his small limbs went around her neck and his legs clenched her waist. He sniffled once more before quieting. Hermione rubbed his back with her free hand and stepped through the door, closing it with a kick.
"I'm trying to protect you Teddy and you've been told before."
Teddy nodded into her shoulder.
"Yes Alpha."
Hermione tightened her hug before bending over to let him down. Teddy stood in front of her, head bent toward the floor. Hermione held out his gift to him and bumped his chip up with the box. Bright blue eyes held hers.
"I forgive you Teddy. Happy Birthday."
Teddy's expression changed in seconds, a smile blooming across his face and any trace of the wolf gone. Small hands grabbed the present and a joyful shriek bounced off the walls before the seven year old took off running.
"Uncle Harry, Aunt Hermione is here! She brought me a present!"
Hermione chuckled and followed him leisurely down the hall and toward the sitting room. She made it to the end of the entrance hall before being approached by Milly, Harry's head house-elf, and asked for her jacket. Hermione had given up long ago fighting the elf, and just handed over the garment. Milly tilted her head in greeting, before disappearing without a sound. Harry sat in an armchair, books and notepads piled around him, glasses askew and his hair a mess. Teddy placed her present on a table in the corner, next to a small silver box. The table was mostly empty, but Hermione knew it would be full by the end of the night. Harry lifted his head and smiled as Hermione leaned over his shoulder.
"Hey Mione."
Hermione hummed and picked up one of the many notebooks, running her eyes over the numbers littering the pages.
"Is this your account statements?"
Harry nodded.
"The goblins owled me a few days ago, concerning the trust I wanted to start for Teddy. The Black vaults have been left to neglect with no heir, the last audit was over fifty years ago. They did an evaluation on the contents and the value for me last week, and I need to go in this week to confirm the contents; of everything."
Hermione blinked.
"How many vaults are there?"
Harry flipped through leather bound notepads quickly before sighing.
"Five; two in the catacombs and another three in high-security, level one. It'll easily take at least three days to go through the contents and once it starts you can't leave until the inspection is complete; ritual magic or some crap."
Hermione smothered a laugh.
"So you're having a sleepover with the goblins? I bet you're excited."
Harry grinned.
"Not nearly as excited as they are. I scheduled it for Monday, Teddy is going to stay with Andromeda while Viktor is in Australia. Afterwards, Teddy and I will join Viktor in Romania; might pop in on Charlie while we're there."
Hermione took a couple more books from Harry as he gathered up his work, mindful it was almost five in the evening; people would start arriving soon. Hermione followed him into the library, and the anteroom that was considered the Lord's study. They piled the papers and books into a magically locking drawer, and Hermione couldn't help but breathe deeply of the old parchment and ink that clouded the air.
"He's going to be a rich man someday."
Harry rose from his crouch after locking the drawer, and ran a hand through his hair.
"I'd never let Teddy go through what I did. If anything ever happens to me, he'll have you and Andromeda; and enough money to buy the world. It's not much consolation, but he'll always be taken care of, no matter what may happen."
Hermione felt slightly uncomfortable, she hated when Harry mentioned something happening to himself; hated how he said the words with ease, as if his death would affect no one. When Harry took over care of Teddy years before, Andromeda had suggested it in Teddy's best interest to designate another guardian. She was getting old, and though might easily live another fifty years, there was a chance she wouldn't. Hermione had been named Teddy' second guardian as a just in case, and didn't like thinking about the possibility she'd be needed, any more than necessary; mainly when she updated her paperwork at Gringotts every year. Despite this, nobody knew that Hermione had reciprocated the gesture and named Harry as her next of kin, all her belongings to become his and her money divided between Teddy and several non-profit organizations; magical and muggle.
"There's been no trouble with the Malfoys?"
Harry shook his head.
"I've given Narcissa things that are rightfully hers, and Draco couldn't care less; he wants nothing to do with the Black family legacy."
Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"And Lucius?"
Harry waved his hand, candle light glinting off the signet rings on his fingers, a blood colored stone for the Black's and a blue diamond for the Potter's, both engraved with family coats of arms; one day Teddy would wear both.
"Lucius can bitch all he wants, his opinions mean nothing in this matter; he's not even blood related to the Black's, at any distance, bloody Frenchman."
Hermione laughed, the undignified image of an angry Lucius Malfoy dancing around in her head. The wards buzzed, a tinkling noise echoing throughout the first floor. Hermione closed her eyes and concentrated, she could hear Milly and Effie greeting Andromeda at the door. Opening her eyes, Hermione turned toward the door.
"Andromeda's here, we better hurry before she thinks we're hiding from her again."
Harry laughed and followed her through the library, out in the foyer and back into the sitting room. Teddy was on his grandmother's lap chattering a mile a minute and showing her some moving toy with pride. Viktor looked as if he had just stepped out of the fireplace, training robes covered in soot, his Lightning Strike in one hand and gym bag in the other. Spotting Hermione he smiled and stepped forward for a hug, stopping when Harry's hand hit his chest plate.
"Not another step you monster, you're getting soot everywhere. Milly will have a cow."
Hermione and Andromeda laughed; and as if summoned, Milly walked into the sitting room with her daughters Effie and Aja behind her. They tutted and fussed, cleaning up the soot from the floor, while Milly began pulling at Viktor's clothes. The head elf took his broom, and his bag, politely demanding his workout gear and padding before he went any further into the house. After the Bulgarian stripped to his boxers and undershirt, the elves took away his dirty clothes. Hermione hugged Viktor quickly, drawing in his scent and holding it, reacquainting herself with a man she hadn't seen in months. Pulling away Hermione looked him over; he need a shave and a haircut, but she'd let it go.
"How are you Viktor?"
Viktor grinned, stepping toward Harry as he replied.
"I'm great, quidditch haf been 'ery busy, but soon 'Arry vill be joining me and it vill be easier."
Harry stepped into Viktor's open embrace, arms going around his chest. A kiss that was meant to be quick and sweet, was instead fierce and hungry; it stopped time and Harry momentarily forgot how to breathe. Hermione watched the pair, happy that Harry had someone, and that Viktor wasn't alone anymore, his gruff demeanor often chasing people away. When the kiss only got more aggressive, and Viktor's hand began to stray south, Andromeda covered Teddy's eyes playfully and Hermione let out a sharp wolf whistle.
"Get a room!"
Harry jerked back from Viktor, before bowing his red face into the man's chest. Viktor laughed and stepped away, holding his hands up in surrender. The tinkle of the wards went off once more and Milly spoke from the sitting room door, looking as imposing as a three foot elf could, in a maroon colored apron with the Black family crest on the corner.
"Master Harry be getting Master Viktor upstairs and into clothes. Party starts soon."
Milly leveled everyone with a look, one that plainly said they were all to be on their best behavior, before heading down the entrance hall to the front door; small gold hoops jingling in her ears, the gold jesses around her ankles tinkling lightly. Somehow, despite being so small, Milly was intimidating when she needed to be, keeping her Masters in line. Hermione was still not happy with the idea of house elves being essentially indentured servants, but had long since given up her radical thoughts on the matter. Hermione had been the one to find Milly, pregnant and unemployed; bringing her home to Harry. House elves needed permission to breed, just as anything else they did, but Milly hadn't asked for permission; and had been ejected from her household with nothing but the babies inside of her. Hermione encountered her in Knockturn Alley of all places, immediately pitying the elf and offering to take her home with her. Milly however, had not liked that idea, stating that she would not go where she could not work; and even she had heard of the 'Granger girl' who wanted to eliminate the use for house elves.
Hermione was taken aback by the statement, not realizing that her actions in school and just after her graduation had been perceived as such. It took some convincing, but Hermione got Milly to come with her to Grimmauld Place, telling Milly there was a young wizard and his son in need of help. Harry had been confused, Teddy still a toddler and excited over everything, and Hermione had nearly begged the Black heir to take on the elf. After only a few hours, Milly stood proudly in Harry's study, negotiating her terms of employment without any concern for her new employer, having heard all about the 'nice young Potter boy'. Instead of the normal magical bonding, Harry had chosen a more traditional and symbolic contract; gold belled jesses for each ankle, and a pair of gold hoop earring for every year of service. Milly had accepted, demanding traditional service garb in return, and Hermione was pretty sure that Milly was secretly pleased with her arrangement, despite her demeanor.
Milly was allotted the old servants quarters after they were remodeled, everything gutted and redone. Miniature beds, furniture, new paint and plush carpets; Harry was determined to give Milly the best. When Milly gave birth to the twin girls a few months later, the house elf population became a total of three, and Milly's six year anniversary would be coming in just a few months; giving her another set of earrings that the elf would wear with pride. Effie and Aja wore four pairs of earring, Harry had refused to bond them to the House of Black until they were old enough to decide for themselves.
"We'll be right back ladies."
Harry led Viktor up the main landing by the hand and the man said something that caused Harry to laugh, letting go of his hand and running up the stairs two at a time; the Bulgarian followed just as quickly. Hermione and Andromeda shared a glance before erupting into laughter, Teddy looking between them in confusion.
"I hope they make it quick."
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Atlantis, ATL-984 (Lantea) May 2005
John's eyes snapped open as he fought gravity and forced himself into a seated position, hand slipping under his pillow for the knife he kept there. Quickly he scanned his room, eyes scouring the dark corners for movement, blood pounding in his ears. Detecting no immediate threat he tried to relax, releasing the handle of the knife and flexing his fingers. Just another goddamn Iratus induced nightmare.
It had been nearly a month since his near species change, and some nights he woke with a hunger he couldn't sate and a fear that twisted his guts into knots. Sometimes he wondered if this was how Ford felt, an aching need for something as addictive as heroin, only hundreds of times more potent. Tossing aside the blankets he glanced at the clock, he still had a few hours before Atlantis would be up and bustling. Pulling on a pair of dark shorts and a grey shirt he stuffed his feet into sneakers and grabbed the knife sheath off his uniform, strapping it to his leg. His radio earpiece went in his left ear, silenced unless called directly, and another earpiece linked to his MP3 player went in his right.
John didn't look back as he left his room, heavy metal music turned up as high as it could go in an effort to drown out the lingering whispers at the back of his mind. When he reached the basement level where the marines bunked John took off at a jog, intent on ignoring everything around him except for the screaming in his ear and the beating of his own heart. He jogged in place long enough for the external doors to recognize his command before taking off into the night, the cool salty sea air a shock to his system.
His leisurely jog down the main pier turned into a run after completing the east pier, and he stripped off his shirt on his return from the north pier, tucking it into the back of his shorts like a tail, the material bouncing with each step and flapping in the morning wind. By the time he was completing his circuit of the west pier John's lungs were burning and it felt like demons were on his trail, nipping at his heels. Ignoring the pleas of his body he kicked it up a notch, sprinting to the south pier with single-minded focus. The heavy metal music had given way to hard rock, gruff voices singing of drugs, sex, and fights only they could see.
Reaching the point of the southern pier brought with it the first rays of sunlight, and for a moment John had an inexplicable urge to throw himself off the edge into the black depths below. It took everything he had to turn away and run as fast as he could back to the main station. Sweat travelled in rivulets down his back and chest, hair soaked and matted to his head. As the sun rose higher John relished the warmth and eventual burn on his skin, pushing himself to move faster, finish sooner.
Just as he finished the last stretch back to the doors, John's legs gave out, inertia sending him ass over teakettle and into the door he had exited from nearly three hours earlier. The man didn't bother moving after rolling to his back, he simply laid there and panted, lungs and legs screaming at him for his idiocy. John had never been much a runner, hated the exercise with a passion but he'd had a lot of time on his hands since coming to Atlantis; running was all he seemed to do whether off world or not.
A nearly imperceptible beep in his left ear elicited a groan from the downed man, and he grimaced as he rolled to his side, ribs aching. There was blood on his palms where he'd scraped them, and he was sure his knees would have some wicked looking bruises by the evening. Pushing to his feet, John reached a hand up and hit the earpiece, while wiping sweat from his eyes with his discarded shirt.
"Sheppard."
Elizabeth's lilting voice answered.
"John we may have a bead on Michael."
John grunted.
"I'll be there as soon as I can, need to shower and change."
The line was silent, Elizabeth was wasting her time even asking.
"John, why are you out on the piers so early in the morning?"
Turning off the earpiece John did an about-face, heading back inside the fairytale castle that had become his home, stretching as he went.
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National Botanic Gardens, Dublin Ireland, July 2005 / (2 years, 4 month after infection)
Hermione hadn't been to the Botanic Gardens since she was nine years old, when her mother and father had taken her on a trip to Dublin for her birthday. Sixteen years had passed but the gardens were just as beautiful as she remembered; artfully manicured paths, ponds overflowing with fish, and greenhouses swarming with exotic flowers and the butterflies that fed on them. It was a shame they had to do this here, taint such a pretty place with blood. Pausing on the small pond bridge Hermione gazed at the moon, hairs on the back of her neck coming to attention. Three days until the orb would be full, three days until Hermione would test AN13 and discover if she'd come any closer to suppressing the change. AN12 had showed real promise until she'd started vomiting blood, too much Belladonna most likely. It had suppressed the change until she'd begun vomiting, the added stress on her body burning through the small dosage she had taken. Hermione had confidence in the newest recipe, almost sure it would work as intended.
A heavy summer wind blew, pushing Hermione's rogue chestnut curls into her face, though they did nothing to disguise the scent that rode the air. Sweet and heady, the air tasted of iron; the scent of a werewolf who'd crossed the point of no return. Turning, Hermione wasn't surprised to see her standing in the shadow several feet away, long dark hair blowing in the wind. She stood barefoot, ensconced in what appeared to be a white nightgown that billowed in the breeze.
"I wondered when you'd come. The Alpha's little bitch, doing his dirty work."
Hermione cocked her head, surprised by the deeper timbre of the voice. Cian hadn't mentioned this part, the Gryffindor could only imagine it was recent, at least since she'd bitten the younger man almost nine months ago.
"Enforcer. I had hoped my suspicions were wrong."
The woman laughed low, the sound ugly and sick.
"Our resident Know-it-all was never wrong, why would she be now?"
When the woman stepped forward into the moonlight, Hermione refused to flinch. Bedraggled and dirty, her hair was unkempt and severely knotted. Lightly pointed teeth were visible, the top and front of her once pretty white nightgown covered in old, rust colored blood. Evidence suggested the other woman had stepped off the deep end, walking head held high past the point of no return; Hermione couldn't summon any pity for her.
"Why?"
The other woman's face became oddly stoic, almost like the crazy flame had winked out and she was suddenly left in the dark, fully aware.
"Mostly because I wanted to, but there really was no choice in the end; we all succumb eventually. Why put off the inevitable?"
A flash of anger consumed Hermione, rage that she kept buried bubbling up at the excuses falling from this woman's mouth. Infect others was a choice that they chose to make, a choice that often ruined lives and resulted in death. Like many others, Hermione kept a tight rein on her control and her ability to overcome the darker side of this curse; where there was a will, there was a way.
"You're a liar."
Animosity morphed the once pretty face, the other woman taking a few steps forward before launching herself at Hermione; the Gryffindor witch snatching her opponent out of the air and bodily throwing her into the ground several feet away. Hermione gave her no chance to recover, slamming herself into the woman's back and smashing her face into the ground. Gripping the back of her head Hermione pulled her up by the hair, exposing her newly blooded face to the moonlight.
"You gave in, it made you weak and you endanger us all with your weakness. The Minister has agreed to allow us to police our own and enforce or own laws; we don't even have to register despite the push for it. You broke the highest of our rules, infecting another without express permission by your regional Alpha, infecting those people without their own permission. We're still tracking them down, how many more are we going to find?"
The brunette under Hermione snarled, thrashing in an attempt to dislodge her.
"I have no Alpha."
Hermione's face was like stone and her voice devoid of emotion.
"You could have, but you made that choice, not me. I am the Enforcer and I will not let others suffer for your transgressions."
There was a light in the woman's eyes, a feral glint that spoke volumes to her mental state, there was no saving this one even if she hadn't infected people and outright killed others.
"We're already suffering, our hell is paved with your good intentions."
There was a frailness to the limbs belong her, almost as if Hermione could snap the bones in two with very little effort. After a moment of hesitation she reached forward with her other hand, gripping the woman's chin, her skill cold and sallow.
"I'm sorry Lavender."
With a jerk Hermione snapped Lavender's neck, watching the light die in her former classmate's eyes. Rising off the corpse Hermione refused to look at it again, instead turning to the wolves who slunk from the forest. They nodded in her direction, carefully averting their eyes out of respect. Lavender's body was collected and taken away, her blood erased from the stones; and the wolves disappeared in the same manner they had arrived.
Brushing her hands off on her pants, Hermione looked up at the moon once more, stomach heavy with regret. Lavender had disappeared during the Battle of Hogwarts in 1998 after falling from the balcony and Hermione blasting Fenrir off her. When students had been accounted for and bodies recovered, they realized she was nowhere to be found and hadn't been seen by the general wizarding populace since. From what Hermione and Nathan had been able to piece together, she'd been living with remnants of Fenrir's pack who had refused to assimilate, isolating themselves in the barren northern regions of Ireland. Over the last year and a half, a woman fitting Lavender's current description had been seen with eleven young men who had been infected, and another six who had been found dead. There was no doubt in Hermione's mind that whoever Lavender had been with earlier that night was dead and the others were scouring the gardens for his body before muggles found it.
"I'm sorry it was her."
Hermione shrugged, leaning back into Nathan's arms.
"It's fine. We were never close, but I had hoped it wasn't her."
Nathan nuzzled Hermione's cheek, rubbing his scruff against her neck.
"Keep me company?"
Hermione laughed.
"This is why they think I'm your bitch."
Nathan rumbled.
"If only they knew the real truth."