This is probably the most anti-climatic continuation that people were probably expecting from following the last chapter. Sorry not sorry. Also, thanks for the ongoing support and kind words you've given me!
Hermione paled dramatically at Molly's exclamation and if it wasn't for Paul right behind her, she probably would've fainted. "She's what?" she asked, barely louder than a mouse squeak. "What the hell did she just say?" she said in the same tone. "Paul! What the fuck have you just done?" she hissed, whirling on her boyfriend.
"Hey now, I did not just propose to you via your adopted mother. That would be incredibly wrong for me to do. I haven't even got you a ring yet!" She huffed at him and he merely shrugged. "I just told her that you were the one I'd love till the day I died."
"Although that's incredibly romantic and I love you, you've literally just gone and hinted that you'd be proposing to me at some point in the future. Therefore she's taken to making that point in future happening sooner rather than later." She turned her back on him and shared a look with Harry who looked as pale as she felt.
"Oh Hermione, it's going to be beautiful!" Molly sighed, hands clasped in front of her. "You two can have it right here, in Autumn and the leaves will be falling and it will be so…"
"Beautiful?" Ron offered, his whole face looking as if he was fighting off laughter. Hermione glared at him and held up her middle finger in his direction when Molly wasn't looking.
"Molly, Mum," Hermione said, chuckling awkwardly when everyone looked at her. Everyone's faces were a mixture of happiness and amusement with amusement being the most popular emotion. "We're not engaged, so there isn't need for a wedding to be planned just yet," she told the elder woman.
"Well I know that dear but you are the only one he's ever going to have. You'll need one eventually."
"Of course we would if we choose to get married but this is something that we haven't really discussed so I don't know if you should be planning one until we're sure about it."
"But you're family…" Molly stated confusedly.
"Yes, I am, but we've only been together a few months and I'm asking you to just wait until we're ready for this conversation. You know I'd ask nobody else to plan it but that time isn't now." Molly nodded sadly and moved to sit next to Arthur who patted her hand consolingly.
"Miss Granger," Fred said in shock as he walked to her side. "How on Merlin's Earth-"
"Did you manage-"
"To get her-"
"To back off?" George finished. "Nobody's ever managed that!"
"Magic," she told them with a smirk.
"Look at them," Tonks whispered in Remus' ear. The couple were snuggled in one armchair with Tonks practically sitting on his lap as she had insisted on squeezing into the small space remaining. Teddy had long since given up on just sitting still with them and had ventured around the room as everyone discussed different things either as a whole group or as smaller ones.
"What about them?" Remus asked, eyeing the couple sitting in a conjured armchair and were sitting in it together like them. Paul was perched in the seat and Hermione had cuddled herself to his chest, her legs hanging over the arm whilst Paul's left arm curled around her back and played with her curls whilst Hermione ran her fingers over his tattoo that peeked out of his shirt sleeve. His pack symbol.
"They're both so happy and comfortable with each other. Just, so perfect," Tonks mused, smiling with satisfaction as she watched Paul whisper something in her ear and then press a kiss to her forehead whilst Hermione smiled. "It isn't often that someone finds their perfect match at such a young age."
The couple watched their little boy totter over to them and begin to climb - or try to climb - up Paul's legs. Hermione giggled at the sight and hefted him up into her arms so he sat on her lap and was able to look and talk to both of them. It was almost immediately that Teddy's fascination with Paul began to show when he changed his hair to black and he changed his skin tone to match. He resembled a baby Paul.
Hermione smiled and said something to Teddy - that Tonks couldn't understand - and tugged lightly on his hair which changed immediately to match her curls only shorter. The difference was that the curls still remained black to match Paul's hair colour.
"Do you think that-?"
"Yeah, I do," Tonks answered Remus' unfinished question but she knew what he was asking. As did everyone else who was looking at them but talking so as to not be caught out. Teddy had just created their child's appearance.
"He looks like you," Hermione commented quietly, smiling at the little boy as her head rested on Paul's chest. "Even down to the hair." She tugged lightly on Teddy's hair and he giggled, scrunching up his face as they changed into black curls.
"I think he has your hair," Paul murmured.
"But he has your skin tone."
"Your eyes."
"Your hair colour."
"Your nose."
"He's how I imagine our kids looking," Paul commented, eyes on Hermione's face at his statement. Hermione stilled and looked up at him, eyes wide at the prospect. "Though I have to admit, I always imagine a little girl."
She smiled weakly and helped Teddy off her lap as he got bored of them and moved on to Harry and jabbered on about a whole load of nonsense. "He's a sweet kid," Paul said, his fingers back to playing with Hermione's curls.
"Yeah, he's the best," she replied, snuggling into his chest even more. Her stomach twinged and she felt extremely uncomfortable. "Excuse me," she mumbled before rushing from the room. He sat up and watched her leave, being reduced to having to listen to her enter a room and begin to retch multiple times. He exchanged winces with Remus and Bill - both of whom were able to hear her - and stood to go after her.
"Is she okay?" Ginny asked, her face showing her worry.
"She's… sick," he offered after a moment of deliberating what to respond with. "Probably something she ate when we were camping."
"Could be the trip over," Harry offered with a tilted head and a thoughtful face. "She did apparate straight from you us. If she was lucid in her actions, she could've lost an arm. She's most likely just experiencing the backlash of it."
"Yeah, probably."
"Are you sure you can't stay any longer?" Harry whined. "You've only just come back."
"And I left my family and friends over there in a very abrupt manner which has most likely led to many of them being worried about my wellbeing. I know for a fact that Jacob is going to be pissed until he knows everything."
"But you'll keep in contact, yeah?"
"Harry, we'll be back in two weeks for this big shindig that the twins have planned."
"Will you be staying for all of it?"
"Of course we will," Paul interjected as he could see Hermione starting to protest. Since he'd known her he could tell that partying and huge gatherings weren't her thing which was mainly due to the war but could've been due to a dislike of them before hand. He wasn't going to let her say no when he wanted to go on a wizarding binge drinking and seeing sports that he'd never heard of before. "She's just as excited as I am, can't you tell?" Hermione's blank face and glare was the exact opposite of what anyone would peg as excitement and it made Harry chuckle.
"I love you," Harry said with a sigh, pulling her into a hug which she returned tightly. "Keep up the letters, though we'll understand if you go lax on them now, and don't be a stranger."
"I love you too, Harry."
The moment they arrived back in Forks, Hermione was rushing to the toilet so she could bring up her last meal.
"Are you okay?" Paul asked, holding her hair out of her face so that she didn't get anything stuck in it. "You were like this at The Burrow as well."
"It must still be the effects of long distance apparition. It was a long journey and took a lot out of me. I'll be fine in a few days."
"If you aren't then I want you to go see one of your magical doctors."
"I promise," Hermione replied, washing her mouth out with mouthwash before exiting the room. "Uncle Charlie is already at work so if I call him and let him know that we're back then we can go to bed and get some rest before encountering the rest of the Pack."
"That sounds like a good plan but I think there is a stop we have to make first."
"Jacob?" Hermione asked.
"Jacob," Paul confirmed.
Pulling up to Jacob's house, they hadn't anticipated that the whole Pack would be there waiting for news on Hermione. As soon as their car pulled to a stop and the engine was cut off, they were all standing around, waiting and prepared. Leah was sulking at the back of the Pack, clearly uninterested in the following conversation.
"Hermione, sweetie, you've been causing trouble again," Billy greeted and she laughed. "Jake, you've got a -" He was cut off by his son rushing by in a blur and embracing the girl. "Visitor," he finished, shaking his head in amusement.
"You, Hermione Granger, have driven me fucking crazy!" Jacob exclaimed, wrapping his arms around her. "I expect answers and I expect them now!"
"Hey!" Paul protested, glaring at the wolf. "Back off."
"No, Paul, it's okay. He's one of my oldest friends, I should've told him before now." Jacob smiled smugly at her boyfriend and she rolled her eyes at his actions. "But I'm not telling everyone as a group. Jacob deserves to know first." The Pack nodded, each expression demanding to be told as soon as possible.
"Well, we can head down to the beach if you like," Jacob offered, thinking of a place private enough for the conversation.
"Sure, sounds great," she agreed and wrapped her arms around his waist, turning on the spot and apparating away. The Pack gaped at the space where Jacob and Hermione had just been before turning to Paul who was smiling at Billy.
"She's amazing, isn't she?"
As soon as Jacob and Hermione arrived at the secluded spot on the beach that the Pack had deemed their safe haven, he fell to his knees and started retching. Hermione only just managed to keep her food down but she gagged slightly but shook the feeling away so she could focus on her friend.
"What the fuck was that?"
"Apparition," Hermione answered, helping him to his feet. "It's one of our ways of transport," she added at his confused look.
"I've never travelled like that before."
"Well, that would be because you aren't a witch or a wizard." He stared at her and she sighed. "Get comfortable, I've got a lot of explaining to do."
I've got to be honest, my inspiration for anything and everything has been severely lacking lately and I'm sorry. Good news is that I have the whole day for writing so I'm cracking on with this and the remainder of my September Event. (I'm hoping I can get you guys another chapter tomorrow or the day after)
P.S. Please review because otherwise I don't know what you've enjoyed or disliked. How am I meant to improve with no feedback?
