CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Summary: After completing her Masters in Potions and Herbology and adopting her godson, Teddy Lupin, in the wake of his Grandmother's death, Hermione decides a change is in order. She packs up their belongings, says goodbye to their loved ones and moves across the pond to La Push, where she meets a handsome man and his strange friends.
Disclaimer: I do not own canon events and characters, they belong to J.K Rowling and Stephenie Meyers. I am not making a profit from writing and posting this fanfic. As for the descriptions of appearances for the Twilight characters, all my research is based on the books and not the movies.
AN
First of all, OMG! The response for the last chapter was absolutely amazing, and I would say I'm sorry for the emotional rollercoaster I took you on, but I'm really not. Does that make me a bad person? Anyway, thank you all for the views and reviews, they made my day. This chapter is over 5,500 words seeing as it's taken me so long to get it to you. And I'm sad to say, I think this fic will be finished soon, too. I can't imagine there being more than 10 chapters or so left, as I've got all the final details planned out and waiting to be written.
Also, thank you to those who checked out and read and reviewed my latest fic, 'The Fire Within.' I was beyond amazed with the reception I received for it. It's a HP x Teen Wolf crossover and my first, with a pairing of Hermione and Deputy Sheriff Jordan Parrish. It's already completed, and I posted all 26 chapters in one go, and I even managed to get it written in only 8 days; the muse for that one was brilliant.
I'm working on a second HP x Teen Wolf crossover now. It's called 'Wolfblood' and will be a pairing of Hermione and Derek Hale. I've gotten 5 chapters written so far, but I won't be posting until I've completed it. It's going to be shorter in length chapter wise, seeing as the chapters are almost double the length with content. So be on the lookout for that if you're interested.
Q&A
Aesir21 – Jacob won't be imprinting on Renesme, no. I'm not a huge fan of that cannon plot idea, to be honest.
AngelAzazel88 - Since Bella was with the wolves at the time, Alice wouldn't have been able to see her spilling the secrets of their gifts.
Knuckles 8 – I've gone down that route of her shield being that strong, if Edward can't read her mind which is basically Legilimency, then Hermione wouldn't be able to either.
SereniteRose – No, Bella isn't a squib. I just went along with cannon seeing as Edward can read minds and is unable to read hers, I thought I'd have Hermione unable to do the same, too.
AlyssaWonderland - You don't have to wait long...
Saturday 18th March 2006
It was later that night when Hermione and Sam found themselves in bed and snuggled as close to each other as possible, whilst Teddy laid between them, his chest rising and falling evenly, his mouth open slightly, one arm holding his favourite dragon teddy to him and the other thrown out to the side and gripping Hermione's t-shirt in his hand.
Sam and Hermione were both laid on either side of him, facing each other and watching the sleeping toddler with soft, loving expressions. Teddy made a noise in his sleep and shifted his body slightly, a chuckle escaping from Sam when Teddy's foot kicked out and made contact with his stomach.
He lifted his hand to Teddy's face, pushing his blonde hair back from his eyes and then moving until his hand held Hermione's lightly, seeing happy tears swimming in her eyes. She'd cried for several hours that afternoon and he didn't think she had anymore tears left to cry, apparently he was wrong.
She gave him a watery smile and a chuckle, words not needing to be said between them.
"We're getting married," he muttered, a smile pulling at his mouth.
"We're getting married," she parroted, her smile widening, lighting up her entire face. Sam didn't think there was anyone more beautiful than Hermione, even if he was biased. "I think we should wait until after all the mess is over with and we no longer have to worry about Alean's warning, and given that my magic seems to be on edge lately, I don't think we have much longer to wait."
"Whatever you think is best," he replied. "You're in charge, whatever you want."
"We can have the wedding soon after, it won't take long for me to plan it. Not if we keep it simple."
"Simple?"
"Yes, simple. I don't particularly want to cater my own wedding, but it shouldn't be too hard to find someone, saying that, Mrs. Weasley will probably demand that she be the one to do it. Venue, do you have anywhere in particular in mind?" He shook his head, indicating he didn't really mind where they got married. "I was thinking the beach. It wouldn't cost anything to rent it, there's plenty of space and we can easily ward against bad weather should we need to. It's also close to our home, where we keep our pack safe and happy and where we're living our lives together. We don't have to worry about someone stumbling upon us and seeing all the strange things that will happen, as everyone tends to avoid this part of the beach anyway. This is home to us, we're comfortable here. And I like the idea of a beach wedding, it means I don't have to wear ridiculous shoes that I'll break my neck wearing."
He chuckled at her, running his thumb over her knuckles in a way that made her sleepy.
"Invitations won't take too long to make up and send out with the aid of magic, flowers will probably be a bit of a pain to make a decision on, as will music, but I can probably get it all done in a matter of days. I'm not to fussed on the ceremony, I'd happily just sign a marriage certificate in the back of a little room somewhere if I thought the others wouldn't put up a fight."
"They do love an excuse for a party," he mused, thinking about the older wolves who loved to get into Hermione's fire whiskey as often as possible, especially since it seemed to be the only alcohol that could actually fight off their immune system and get them drunk, at least for a short while.
"I would hate to take that away from them," she shook her head lightly in amusement. "There shouldn't be too many guests, between Harry, The Weasleys, a few professors from Hogwarts, the pack and The Council, we're looking at no more than fifty or so guests."
"Perfect," he agreed, reaching over to place a kiss to her forehead and being mindful to not hurt the sleeping toddler in-between them.
She smiled at him and her eyes closed, before a frown pulled at her face.
"What is it?" He asked, seeing the confusion on her face.
"I'm not sure," her frown deepened. "Something's off."
"Jacob and Embry are patrolling, if they'd come across something they'd have let us know."
"No, it's not that. It's something else."
"Something else?" He questioned, carefully sitting up when she did the same, her head turning and her eyes moving to look out the window.
"Yes, but I'm not sure what it is. I just feel like..." she trailed off, slipping her free from his, carefully removing Teddy's hand from her t-shirt and she climbed out of bed.
He watched as she pulled on a pair of jeans, some socks and a pair of trainers, and she walked out of the room. Sam looked to the sleeping toddler before barricading him with pillows to stop from falling off the bed, despite the fact he knew that Teddy didn't usually wake during the night unless he was unwell, but he wasn't risking it.
Once he'd made sure Teddy was safe, he climbed out of bed and followed after Hermione. Hearing her footsteps, he made his way down the stairs and into the living room, seeing that the door was open and he stepped out onto the porch to see Hermione sat on the steps and looking out at the sea. He frowned and moved to sit beside her, the cool air of the night not bothering him despite him only wearing his underwear.
"What are we doing out here? You'll freeze," he asked her, wrapping his arm around her when she leaned into him, the heat of his body warming her through her clothes.
"I don't know, I just need to be here."
They sat in silence for a few minutes, before Sam's hearing picked up on a voice that was familiar to him.
"I think I know," he spoke and she turned to look at him. "I can hear Billy, he's making his way to the house but he's talking to someone, I think he's on his cell."
She nodded, and before he could stop her, she had bolted from beside him and down the beach. He saw no point in following after her, he'd be able to hear if she needed him and he'd be with her in less than a minute as a giant wolf.
Hermione continued to run down the beach until she saw Billy in the darkness, trying his hardest to make his way to the house but the sand was getting stuck in the wheel chair. He let out a sigh of relief when he noticed her and she came a stop in front of him, taking his hands in hers and crouching down after seeing the sad look on his face.
"What's wrong? And don't lie to me, I know something's not right, I can feel it."
"It's Harry," he spoke, his voice was quiet and hurt. "He's in the hospital."
Hermione took a steadying breath and closed her eyes briefly, preparing herself for the worst. She knew it was bad, she just knew.
"What happened?"
"He's been having trouble with his heart for a while now. He was rushed into hospital, he's not going to make it, they've given him until the morning."
Hermione eye's closed once more and her grip on his hands tightened as she forced back the tears.
"He wants to see you before he goes; he's waiting for you now."
Hermione breathed out slowly and nodded. "Thank you for telling me," she spoke, her voice cracking slightly. "I'll head to the hospital now, Sam's up if you wish to stay at the house and Jacob and Embry will be returning from their patrols soon."
He gave her a sad smile, and she leaned down and pressed a kiss to his cheek. She pulled her wand and cast a spell on the wheel chair so it would repel the sand and he'd have no trouble with making his way to the house, and then she spun on her heel and apparated to the La Push Hospital.
Hermione wasted no time with heading into the small building, asking a nurse behind the desk where Harry Clearwater could be found and she quickly made her way through the halls, seeing that she received a few curious glances from doctors and nurses and visitors as she past them.
When she found the room the door was left ajar and she knocked before pushing it open and stepping inside, seeing Seth sleeping in a chair in the corner of the room, Harry in the hospital bed and Sue sat beside the bed, her hand holding her husband's and tears falling down her face.
Sue didn't look surprised when she saw it was Hermione that entered, and Hermione slowly approached the bed, standing beside it on the opposite side and looking down at Harry. He looked pale, there were more tubes attached to medical equipment than she could count and he looked frail and there was no sign of the kind smile she knew he usually wore on his face.
"Thank you for coming," Sue spoke, her voice quiet and broken.
"Nothing could keep me away," Hermione replied softly.
Sue nodded and she held her other hand out and Hermione took the hint and moved around the bed until she was stood beside her and Sue took her hand, giving her a gentle squeeze.
"Would you mind watching over him for a moment?"
"Of course," Hermione answered.
She stepped aside as Sue stood up and pressed a kiss to her husband's cheek before leaving the room and Hermione took the seat she'd evacuated. Her eyes moved to the corner of the room, seeing that Seth was still asleep and would likely have an aching neck when he woke due to the awkward angle of his lolling head, and then she turned her attention back to Harry.
She moved so that her arms were on top of the covers and almost touching his hand, but she didn't take it, not wanting to disturb him. She sat in silence for a short while before her attention was drawn when a warm hand slipped over hers and held her fingers lightly.
"Hermione?" His voice was croaked and she hated how weak he sounded. She was used to him laughing and smiling.
"Billy said you wanted to see me, so I came as soon as I found out," she replied, her voice soft and calming.
His grip on her hand tightened and he turned his head to face her, his eyes opening and he blinked slowly until her face came into focus.
"I've had a good run," he gave a smile. "But it's my time."
She shook her head. "I can contact a healer I know, with magic on our side we may be able to help you. Magical healing is the best in existence; it can do things even the pack's healing can't do."
He shook his head lightly but then seemed to regret it as he let out a pained groan. "I can't let you do that, you'll get in a lot of trouble for helping me. We can't mess with fate, it's my time and I've accepted it. I wanted to talk to you about Seth." Her eyes moved over to the sleeping teen briefly and then back to him. "He's showing signs, Hermione. I think he's going through the transformation. Our bloodline stems from all three pack lines. I'm worried my death will be the trigger, and I'll know you'll take care of him, just as you have the others. I just wanted to let you know."
"I won't let anything happen to him," she promised. "He'll always be treated with kindness and respect and he'll always have a home with the pack."
"Thank you, I've seen how you've changed those boys. They've grown into wonderful men, all of them."
She gave him a watery smile. "They're just afraid of me so they do what they're told."
He chuckled at her weakly. "Thank you, Hermione, for all you've done for the pack and tribe."
"It was my pleasure," she replied.
"I want you to take Seth home with you." She blinked at him. "I don't want him here when it happens. He needs to be with someone who can calm him, and if my death does trigger his transformation, he'll only seek you out. He needs to be with you and the pack. Will you wake him for me, please?"
Hermione nodded and released his hand before standing from the chair and moving over to Seth. She gently touched his shoulder and he bolted awake, his eyes darting about the room until they landed on her and a confused look crossed his face.
"Hermione?" He questioned.
She gave him a sad, soft smile and gestured to his father and Seth quickly stood from his chair and moved to his father's side and Hermione left the room to give them some privacy, shutting the door behind her.
She leaned against the wall, tilting her head back and looking up at the lights hoping the brightness of it would keep her from crying. She needed to be strong; she needed to be strong for Seth. She took several slow, steady breaths and her arms wrapped around her, as if trying to keep herself together.
"I know."
Hermione startled at the voice and stood up straight away from the wall, looking into the watering eyes of Sue Clearwater, and confusion must've shown on her face because she spoke further, after making sure there was no one around that would overhear them.
"I know everything, about the pack, about you and Sam, and about you being a witch." Hermione did her best to control her surprise but failed, and it pulled a chuckled from Sue. "I am to take over for Harry," she said, her voice quieting. "We've known for some time of his heart problems and when they got worse, he told me everything so I'm prepared for taking his seat on The Council. I know of how good you are to those boys, and I know that you take care of them very well and they love you. And Harry explained that Seth's going through the change and I know he's going to have to stay with you until he learns to control it."
Hermione nodded. "I'll keep him safe. He'll be well cared for and the pack will be his family. I'll do everything I can to help him through this."
Sue gave her a watery smile. "I know you will and I'm glad he's going to be in good hands for the time being. As much I want him with me, he needs to be with you."
"You may stay with us if you wish," Hermione offered kindly. "My house is currently under construction, we're having another floor magically added as we've ran out of rooms for the boys and some of them are sharing, but construction should be done before Tuesday. Until then the boys can share and you may have one of their rooms."
"As much as I appreciate the offer, I think it's best if I allow Seth the time he needs to process all the changes in his life, and I'm not sure I could handle that many teenage boys being under one roof."
Hermione laughed at her. "They're a handful, and Sam can be just as bad." Sue shook her head. "If you don't wish to stay with us, you may visit any time you wish to. My door will always be open, even if you just want a cup of tea or someone to talk to."
"Thank you, I have no way to repay you for your kindness."
"No payment necessary. I haven't interacted much with Seth, but from what I remember from the bonfire, he's a sweet boy and I think he'll fit in just fine with the others. Quil's our newest member so they'll both being going through this at the same time, and Teddy is unlikely to leave his side."
"Teddy?" She questioned.
"Yes, it's difficult to explain but he has an effect on all of the boys that I don't. He brings hope and love to the pack and he binds everyone together. He helps each new member to control their abilities, and he latches on to them to help them settle into pack life."
Sue looked as though she were about to speak but the door opened and Seth stepped out, his eyes swimming with unshed tears and a truly heartbroken look on his face. Sue enveloped him in a hug, despite him being bigger than her, and Hermione stepped back into the room to give them some privacy and to allow her to say her goodbyes to Harry.
He gave her a sad smile as she stood beside the bed and took his hand in hers.
"It was honestly a pleasure getting to know you," Hermione spoke.
"And you, Hermione, are one of a kind and you're going to do great things for the pack and tribe, and I couldn't be any prouder for what you've already achieved."
"We'll see each other again, believe me when I say there is an afterlife." He squeezed her hand tightly. "Good bye, Harry," she whispered, bending down to press a kiss to his cheek and a tear fell down her face.
He gave her hand another squeeze before letting go and Hermione stepped back and made her way out of the room, but before she could Sue approached her and pulled her into a hug. Hermione heard her quiet cries and wrapped her arms around the older woman and comfortingly rubbed at her back.
"I meant it, you are welcome any time at the house," she whispered. "And I'll keep him safe."
"Thank you, Dear," she replied, pulling back from her, squeezing her hand and then stepping around her and moving back over to her husband.
Hermione had one last look over her shoulder before stepping out of the room and closing the door behind her, Seth coming into her sight. He was stood against the wall with his back to her, his forehead pressed against the wall and his shoulders shook as silent tears fell down his face.
Hermione looked at him, really looked, and she could see that Seth really was going through the transformation. He'd grown remarkably since the last time she'd met him a few months ago, now he was tall like the rest of the pack, around six-foot-one. Even through his clothing she could see he was just as muscled and strong, and his hair was long too, meaning she'd have to give him a haircut.
She approached him and gently touched his hand, feeling that whilst his body temperature wasn't as hot as the others, it was still higher than normal. At her touch, he turned his head to look at her, not bothering to hide his crying from her and she felt her heart breaking. He was so young, the youngest of all the boys being only fifteen and although his body was that of a man, his face still held his boyish features.
Not saying anything to her, he curled his hand around hers much tighter and silently followed her as she led him down the corridor and towards the exit.
"Dad says I have to live with you for a bit," he said quietly, lifting his other arm to wipe at his face with the sleeve of his jacket.
"That's right," she said softly. "You'll be safe with me and the boys and well taken care of."
"He said I'm special."
Hermione stopped in her walking, just a few steps away from the doors leading out of the building and she looked up at him, wondering just how much he actually knew. She tugged him out of the way of an old couple and pulled him over to the wall.
"You are special, very special, and do you know why?" She asked gently.
He nodded, but still didn't look as though he believed what he was about to stay. "He said I'm going through a transformation, like the others did. He said the legends are true and I'm becoming one of the wolves and I'll be part of the pack."
A soft smile appeared on her face. "Yes, that's all true and that's why you're coming to stay with me. You're going through a lot of changes in your life right now and you need to be in a safe and loving environment. You need to be with your pack. Do you know who your pack is?"
He nodded. "Dad said Sam's the Alpha, and there's Jared, and Paul, too. If they went through the transformation I'm going through, it makes sense as to why their behaviour changed, why they pulled away from the rest of the tribe and why their appearance changed so quickly, too."
"There's more than that." She smiled. "The pack's a lot bigger than before I moved here. There's also Embry, Jacob and Quil. Jacob phased a few weeks ago and Quil less than a week. You'll be part of the pack now, too. We're a family and we all live together in my house. You might not understand why you need the pack just yet, but once you've completed your transformation, everything will make sense, and with the help of the pack, you'll learn to control you abilities."
"Okay," he said quietly.
"Shall we get you home?" He nodded and gripped her hand tighter as she led him out of the hospital.
"How do you fit into this?"
"That's a long story and one I'm sure you're going to love, but we'll talk about that later, right now you need some sleep, and I better give you a haircut, too. Trust me, once you phase you're going to need it to stop your fur from getting mattered." She turned her head to look at him, seeing that his tears had stopped falling for the time being. "Where's your sister?" She asked gently.
"She's visiting our cousin; they went to New York together. Mom called her and she's on her way back now, I just hope she gets here before..." He trailed off.
Hermione squeezed his hand as they made their way down the road but Hermione stopped when she spotted a familiar looking car, and then she pulled Seth over to it, seeing Jared stepping out from the driver's side as they approached. He pulled her into a hug, and then clapped Seth on the shoulder as a supportive gesture.
"He knows everything, Harry told him because he's going through the transformation," Hermione told him.
"I can see that," Jared nodded. "Paul's going to have a fit, he's already complaining about having two wolves that need training pads, if we add a third to the growing list he'll lose his mind."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "He'll get over it. The pack's expanding and for the better."
Jared shrugged, before opening the door for her and she and Seth climbed into the back seat and Jared back into the driver's side, before he drove them back to the house.
"How'd you know I was here anyway?" She asked him.
"I was leaving for patrols when Sam explained what'd happened and Billy suggested that I should be here to pick you up. He must've known what was happening. Embry's covering my shift with Paul. He's staying with us, right?"
"He's pack and we all stay together."
Jared nodded. "I'm sharing with Paul so Seth can have my room."
"Thank you, I'll move your bed into Paul's room when we get back," she replied. "Thankfully construction will be finished on the new floor by Tuesday so everyone will once again have their own rooms. I'm just glad he knows beforehand, now we don't have to explain everything to him," she said, turning her head to see Seth looking out the window, his eyes fixed on a point in the distance and while he still had a hold of Hermione's hand, he didn't appear as though he were hearing anything they were saying.
They made the rest of the journey in silence and when they pulled up at the house, Hermione had to coax Seth out of the car and guide him to the house. His eyes finally seemed to come into focus when he looked out the house, his eyes widening slightly in surprise at just how big it was.
"It's bigger on the inside," Jared told him, clapping him on the shoulder as he walked past them, up the stairs and disappearing through the door.
Seth turned his head to look at her and she gave him a soft, comforting smile which seemed to calm him.
"Come on, we'll get you a cup of tea and something to eat and you'll feel better. Part of you being a wolf is your appetite increases and you'll need triple what you would eat before."
She led him up the steps and into the house, seeing him looking around in wonder, particularly at the photos –moving and non-moving- that littered the walls, showcasing the love and happiness that occurred between the pack and in the house.
He jumped in surprise when she pulled her wand and flicked it at the fireplace, flames dancing and warming up the room before she pulled him over to the kitchen, where Jared had already switched the kettle on for her and he was raiding the fridge, before he settled on pulling out two sandwiches, throwing one to Seth who caught it easily. He looked at it before slowly taking a seat at the breakfast bar and Jared sat beside him.
"Jacob and Quil are asleep and Sam's taken Billy home," Jared informed her. "And before he left for patrols, Paul moved Teddy from your bed and into his own room. He didn't even wake."
Hermione turned to look at him over her shoulder and smiled gratefully. "I don't know what I'd do without you boys," she sighed softly.
He snorted. "You'd be fine; it's us that would be a mess if we didn't have you looking after us."
Her smiled brightened before she quickly made herself and Seth a cup of tea, and she made a coffee for Jared, placing them in front of them and she retrieved the biscuit tin from the cupboard. They fell into silence as Seth ate his sandwich and drank his cup of tea, Hermione and Jared watching him carefully.
"Will you show me?" Seth spoke, breaking the silence and they both looked to him in confusion. "What happens when you transform?" He clarified.
Jared looked to Hermione for confirmation and she nodded, so he put his almost empty mug down and stepped away from them, making sure he had enough room. Seth's eyes widened and he spluttered in surprise when Jared removed his shirt and jeans without batting an eyelash to Hermione being in his presence.
"There's no privacy in the pack," Jared shrugged. "There's no point in being embarrassed, when we phase in anger all of our clothes get destroyed and we all keep spare clothes hidden throughout the woods. Hermione's working on a way so that we don't ruin our clothes."
"I'm almost there," she piped up. "Just a few more tests to run and it hopefully it'll work."
He nodded and before Seth's eyes, he suddenly phased into the giant wolf. Seth made a noise of surprise and almost fell off the stool and Hermione laughed lightly at him. He turned to look at her, his eyes wide and his expression surprised but awed.
"I can do that?"
"When you complete your transformation you'll be able to. At first you'll struggle to control your phasing as it's tied into your emotions, but with the help of the pack you'll be able to do it without thought," she smiled at him.
"He's massive."
She snorted at him and the large wolf let out a wheezing sound. "All the wolves are, but Sam and Jacob are the biggest, though it's barely noticeable."
"Will I look like him?" He gestured to Jared.
The large wolf dropped onto his stomach and titled his head towards Hermione, who snorted and rounded the breakfast bar until she sat on the floor beside him and scratched behind his ears. Seth looked amused with his behaviour.
"All my wolves love a good scratch behind the ear and a belly rub," she shrugged at him. "And you probably won't look like Jared. While each wolf is generally the same size, they all have differently coloured and patterned fur. As you can see, Jared has brown fur and it darkens to grey around his eyes. Sam, his fur's jet black, Paul has dark silver fur, Embry has grey fur with black spots, Jacob has russet coloured fur and finally, Quil has chocolate brown fur but it lightens around his face. We won't know the colour of your fur until you phase for the first time. And it's why I'll have to give you a haircut; if I don't your fur will be far longer and heavier than the others."
"And what about you? I don't know how you did it, but I saw you light the fire in the fireplace." He said.
"Like I said, that's a long story and it's getting late, you should get sleep."
He shook his head. "I won't be able to sleep and I need the distraction," he said quietly, looking down at the ground.
She looked down at Jared and the large wolf nodded his head in agreement. They might as well tell him everything so they didn't have to after he phased, at least then they could focus on helping him to control his abilities.
She placed a kiss to Jared's head, before they both stood up, the large wolf picking his clothes up in his mouth and padding out of the room, giving them some privacy.
"Come on then, but brace yourself."
"Why?" He questioned, taking her hand which she held out for him and she pulled him over to the living room, sitting down on the rug in front of the fire.
"My story is filled with wonder, love, tragedy, but most of all, magic."