CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

Summary: Voldemort is dead but the war is not yet over, however, the light side is prevailing, even with the death of many major key players of the war. Hermione is forced to leave England and go into hiding, her fathers, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black leave with her. They leave for the States, a small town called Forks, which is said to be the safest place on Earth for her. But no one knew that the population of Forks included a family of Vampires and a pack of Shape-shifters.

Disclaimer: I don't own any canon events or characters, only those that I create. All rights go to J.K Rowling and Stephanie Myers. I don't make a profit writing or posting this fanfic.

Saturday 25th November 2006

It had long since grown dark, a fire had been lit and the pack and Cullens were gathered around it, talking amicably and joking between each other, whilst the pack and her fathers were eating their food. Despite what was to happen the next day, the atmosphere was light and relaxed.

"He does not look happy," Jared commented, nodding towards the trees.

Hermione turned her head in that direction, seeing Jacob emerging from the trees and Jared was right, he definitely did not look happy. He had a scowl on his face, his body looked tense as he clenched his hands by his sides and his whole demeanour gave off the impression of a brooding teenage boy, in fact, he was giving Edward a run for his money.

Bella was behind him, finding it difficult to keep up with his long strides, and she smirked in Hermione's direction as she stood up and approached him, meeting him halfway.

"Don't ever leave me alone with her again," Jacob spoke, his entire body relaxing when she wrapped herself around him, and he did the same in return.

"Promise," she whispered, leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek and he sighed.

He pulled back from her and took her hand, pulling her towards the trees and away from the others.

"Where are we going? Your dinner's ready," she said confused.

"It can wait a minute," he told her, surprising her. In the time she had known him, he had never turned down food.

"But..."

"No, I need to talk to you without them listening in," he gestured behind them and Hermione turned to see the amused looks following their movements.

They past Bella and Jacob glared at her, Hermione just raised an eyebrow at Bella's scowl.

Once they reached the cover of the trees, Hermione cast a Silencing Charm around them to prevent over sensitive ears from listening in to their conversation.

"So, what did you want to talk to me abo..."

She didn't finish her sentence as Jacob ducked his head and captured her lips in a kiss and she found herself being pushed up against a tree. She stood on her tiptoes and brought her hands to his hair and his held on to her hips over the top of her coat.

Admittedly, it was a lot colder during the evening than it was during the day, and so Hermione and her fathers both wore winter coats with a Heating Charm over the top, whereas the cold didn't affect The Cullens, nor the pack so they were shirtless as usual.

When she felt herself being lifted off the ground, the only thing she could do was wrap her legs around him to keep balance and she was pressed further into the tree behind her and neither she nor Jacob had to be uncomfortable due to their height difference.

He pulled his mouth from hers and they were both breathing heavily as oxygen was returned to their lungs.

"About?" she finished and he chuckled at her.

"I didn't want to talk, I needed to feel a connection to you. I was on the verge of phasing and I knew you were the only one that would be able to calm me."

"What did she say to you?" she asked, running her hands through his hair softly.

He growled in his chest and his reaction only cemented her suspicions that it had been something insulting towards her.

"She spent the last three hours trying to convince me to break up with you, that she was the one I wanted to be with and I was only using you to make her jealous. She accused you of using sex to control me."

Hermione snorted. "I see she's still as delusional as ever."

"It's not funny, Hermione, since I had to carry her, she kept touching me and it made my skin crawl," he shivered. "It didn't feel right, I felt as though I was betraying you by allowing her to touch me, by allowing her to even be that close to me."

She smiled at him softly, bringing her hands away from his hair to rest against his chest, her fingers tickling him.

"My Silly Wolf," she said gently with a shake of her head. "You could never betray me and I would not think of you any differently. I know how you feel about her and I know how you feel about me. I know what I mean to you and hopefully, you know what you mean to me." He nodded at her and she smiled at him in response. "I would never let something as trivial as Bella Swan get in-between us. Once this is over, she'll be gone from our lives and we won't have to deal with her anymore."

"I can't wait for tomorrow to be over and done with."

"It will be soon," she promised him, lifting a hand to rub her thumb over his cheek and she smiled when he turned his head and placed a kiss to her palm.

"You are My Wolf and you always will be," she said softly. "Just as I am yours." He smiled at her words, a truly breathtaking smile. "Out of curiosity, why haven't you told Bella that I'm your imprint?"

"I don't see the point, it's not going to stop her trying to change my mind about you, if anything it'll make it worse, as she'll say the only reason I'm with you is out of obligation to my imprinting on you."

"I don't suppose it matters, she won't remember anything soon enough. Now, let's get you your dinner."

"What did you make?" he asked her.

"Your favourite," she told him.

"Chicken?"

"No, your other favourite."

"Curry?"

"No, your other favourite," she replied with an amused smile.

"Shepherd's Pie?"

"Shepherd's Pie," she confirmed and she laughed at his pleased look. "So, shall we get you fed?"

"In a minute," he replied, leaning forward to kiss her until she was breathless and she clutched at his shoulders and one of his hands were buried in her hair and the other gripping at her jean clad thigh.

"You're going to be the death of me," she breathed out when he pulled back from her and he chuckled, rather pleased with himself when he saw her flushed skin, her messy hair and swollen lips, and it would be easy to see what they had been up to during their 'talk'.

"Let's go, I made sure to keep some food for you, but you and I both know what the pack's like and I haven't told them I've made dessert, so your portion of food is fair game."

"What is it?" he perked up and he let her back down on the ground, taking her hand and walking back to the others.

"Paul's favourite."

"Apple pie?"

"No, his other favourite."

"Chocolate cake?"

"No, his other favourite," she said amused.

"Brownies?"

"Brownies," she confirmed with a smile. "And I also made chocolate chip cookies."

He sighed. "You are a gift from God."

"Not quite," she chuckled.

"Did I hear brownies?" Paul spoke up as they neared them.

"You did," Hermione confirmed, laughing at the loving look on his face.

She and Jacob sat around the fire and she handed him a plate of dinner and she noticed Bella glaring at her as it was obvious by her appearance what she had been up to with Jacob.

"Has she eaten?" Hermione asked the others, rather than directly asking Bella.

"No, she refused to until Jacob returned," Jared answered.

Hermione gave Bella a much smaller portion than she would the pack for obvious reasons and Bella stared at it dumbly as Hermione held it out to her.

"You either eat it or you starve, honestly I don't care which option you chose, but I suggest you eat and you eat it quickly, otherwise one of the boys will."

"I'll have it," several voices chorused and Hermione shook her head at them, as they glared at each other, non-verbally challenging each other to the food.

Bella took it from her and took a bite.

"I've had better, it could use more salt," she said cruelly.

"I see your intelligence hasn't improved," Paul commented and the others sniggered. "There's nothing wrong with Hermione's cooking, stop being a bitch and eat the damn thing or I will, I've never turned down Hermione's food, neither has anyone else for that matter."

Bella stared in shock at Paul for his words and he sent a wink in Hermione's direction and she smiled at him.

Bella remained quiet for the rest of the evening, watching as The Cullens and pack all but ignored her presence and interacted with each other, talking and teasing, though some were more at ease than the others.

When it came time for the humans to get some sleep, Hermione offered Bella a drink of hot chocolate which she took reluctantly and the moment she took a sip, she passed out on the ground.

"Is she dead?" Rosalie asked, a hopeful glint to her eyes.

"No, just asleep," Hermione answered and Rosalie appeared disappointed, causing several snorts to be heard. "She won't be out for long, maybe ten minutes. I'll apparate her to the tent, but she'll need a guard."

"I'll do it," Seth offered.

"Are you sure? She's not exactly pleasant to be around."

"I don't mind, besides, she's not going to try it on with me like she would Jacob, and she's not going to be hostile towards me like she would the others."

"Alright," she said, standing up and making her way over to Bella.

She took her by the wrist and Seth walked over to her, taking her by the hand.

"Brace yourself," Paul warned with a twitch of his lip.

"Why?" Seth frowned in confusion. "It can't be that..."

"Bad," Seth groaned, leaning over with his hands on his knees and taking deep breaths. Hermione rubbed his back comfortingly as he focused on not losing his dinner.

"I know, it's awful, it'll pass in a minute," she soothed him and he groaned again.

Once his stomach was settled he stood up.

"I don't envy either of them," he told her and she chuckled.

"You get used to it, after a few times it doesn't affect you, though side-along has always been more taxing than apparating on your own," she smiled at him, before turning around and levitating Bella off the snow covered ground and into the small Muggle tent that was big enough for just a say two people.

The lantern was hanging at the entrance and the tent floor was covered in blankets and sleeping bags, as well as Heating Charms, so Bella wouldn't freeze to death during the night. There were plenty enough blankets to keep her warm and comfy.

Hermione lowered Bella onto the blankets and then left before she woke up. She dug into her pocket and pulled out her beaded bag, digging around inside and pulling out a small paper bag, filled with chocolate and candy, as well some of the cookies she had baked, and she handed them over to the beaming Seth.

"Don't tell anyone," she told him, before she reached up and kissed his cheek, turning on her heel and apparating away from the mountain and back down to the clearing.

The wolves had already phased into their wolf forms and most of them were already asleep, a few of them surrounding her fathers to protect them from the cold night, even if they were in sleeping bags warmed with Heating Charms, and she felt her heart swell in gratitude to her pack.

She easily caught sight of her wolves, the russet coloured fur of Jacob and the dark silver of Paul and she made her way over to them, smiling when she saw that a sleeping bag was placed in the small space between them. Hermione quickly removed her coat knowing that her wolves would protect her from the cold, and she snuggled down into the sleeping bag.

Her wolves shifted closer to her, surrounding her in their warmth and their soft fur pressed against her. She shifted, lifting her head to rest against the soft fur of Paul, using him as a comfortable pillow and she smiled with her eyes closed, as her two wolves purred as she ran her hands through their fur.

And soon she fell asleep, waiting to be woken once the army was sensed in being nearby.