THE FAMILY BUSINESS: SIX

Summary: Hermione's peaceful, yet boring life is disrupted when notorious hunter, Dean Winchester, walks into her book shop. Dean's life is completely changed when he meets, Hermione Granger, Brightest Witch of her Age. But maybe that's just what they both needed. A series of one-shots based on their lives together. Mostly Dean's POV. Rated M for a reason.

Disclaimer: I do not own canon events and characters, they belong to J.K Rowling and the creators of Supernatural. I am not making a profit from writing and posting this fanfic.

AN

The next instalment of this series will see us finally moving into Season 1 now that we've built up Dean and Hermione's relationship. Sam will be joining us and we'll be seeing more of Bobby and his relationship with Hermione, because I love it.

Q&A

CallaRose4ever – Don't worry, I do want Dean coming to the realisation that he wants to marry Hermione, but it won't have anything to do with her being pregnant.

Page count: 18

One month later...

"I'm sorry, Hermione," Dean said softly, genuinely feeling disgusted with himself.

"For what?" She asked, turning on her stool to better face him.

His eyes darted off towards the exit were a tipsy blonde was being escorted out by an equally tipsy man.

"Dean, it's alright," she said.

"But it shouldn't be," he protested. "I don't deserve your forgiveness or your understanding."

"Yes, you do and you have it. You did nothing wrong, okay? You're a flirt, it's who you are and it's part of your charm. I don't get jealous when I see you with other women because I know you care about me and I know I'm the one you fall asleep with every night. Did you have any intentions of cheating on me with that woman?"

"No, of course not," he said instantly.

"Did you touch her?"

"No,"

"Buy her a drink?"

"No,"

"So you just had a bit of a chat?" She clarified.

"Yeah,"

"And were you attracted to her?"

"No,"

"Why?"

"I have you," he answered.

She gave him a soft smile. "And that's why I'm not mad or upset with you. I would never dream of telling you what to do or how to behave, I knew from the very start it would be difficult for you to reign in that flirty, charming side of you, but I trust you not to hurt me. Besides, you being flirty comes in handy," she shrugged. "You're a good man, Dean, and you have no reason for needing to apologise."

"I'm trying, Hermione."

"I know you are, and I'm proud of you for doing so. You haven't done anything wrong and I don't want you to feel as though you did. Please, stop being so hard on yourself."

"You're too good for me," he muttered.

"No, I'm not," she denied. "Now, come here, I hate seeing you like this," she spoke.

She stood from her stool and stepped between his parted knees, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a hug. He sighed and brought his arms up to hold her more closely to him and he buried his head in her neck, breathing in her scent of apples and caramel.

There was something about Hermione, something that always made him feel cared for and relaxed. There was something comforting about her constant presence, about her scent and touch.

In the month that had gone by since he and Hermione had gotten together, he could honestly say that in his twenty-six years of living, he'd never been happier. She'd been right, having a relationship with her hadn't been as difficult as he'd thought it would be; it was essentially just the same as before only they went to sleep in the same bed every night and Crookshanks no longer had to sneak into his room.

Dean loved waking up in the morning to Hermione being wrapped up in his arms, usually wearing one of his t-shirts as she claimed they were comfier than her own clothing, but he didn't mind in the least. He loved that every morning, the first thing he saw was her relaxed, sleeping face.

While their relationship hadn't changed much, he did notice a few changes in Hermione's behaviour. Now, she was more open with him, more willing to discuss traumatic events from her past. Now, she was more affectionate and he loved it when she'd just randomly hug him for no reason, or when she'd reach for his hand and absentmindedly fiddle with his fingers whilst they were watching a movie on TV.

Now, he noticed that when she fell asleep before he did, she seemed to seek him out and snuggle up to him, having no idea that she did so. He loved falling asleep with her comforting presence surrounding him and her warm, soft body wrapped up in his arms.

And the sex...It felt different; everything just seemed to be better. He didn't know if it was because he genuinely cared for Hermione, because emotions were involved when they'd never been before, or if it was because Hermione seemed to be able to read his mind as she was so in-tune with him, but everything was so much better, much more intense and sensitive and meaningful.

And Hermione loved to tease him and she made it a point to do so, especially at the most inappropriate times, too, though he suspected it was payback for what he'd done when Bobby had called. She knew exactly how to rile him up and she used that to her advantage, usually by whispering dirty things into his ear right before he entered a police station or crime scene, posing as a law enforcement officer or an FBI agent.

It felt good to have someone to care for him, even more so that it was a woman, a witch like Hermione. She was not only physically beautiful and he thought even more so with her scars, but she had a genuinely kind and beautiful soul. He didn't think there was a mean bone in her entire body, she was just too good.

He loved that he had someone to share his secrets with, knowing he could trust her. He loved that he had someone to help him deal with his past and the monsters he fought to protect others. He loved that he had someone to come home to, someone to care for and look after. He hated when he woke to her having a nightmare, and he'd realised that she had them more often than he'd previously thought, but he loved that he was the one taking care of her. That he was the one to calm her.

He understood why Bobby cared for her so much, and he understood why he'd threatened him within an inch of his life before they'd left the salvage yard. But Dean had no intentions of hurting Hermione, the thought of doing something to upset her or disappoint her made him feel sick. They may have only been together a month, but he honestly couldn't imagine his life without Hermione by his side.

"Can we take the weekend off?" Hermione asked him and she pulled back from him, but didn't remove her arms from around his neck and he didn't let get of her either.

"Have plans, do you?" He replied, his eyes lighting up and his mouth twitching into a smirk.

"Down, boy," she snorted at him. "When I was in the bathroom Harry sent me an emergency message. He's asked if I can watch James and Albus for the weekend. Gin's not well and with the pregnancy, she's more susceptible to illness. She's been put on bed rest and Harry's taken time away from work to look after her, but she needs peace and quiet. Her mother's not as young as she used to be so she can't have them, and the others all have their own kids to worry about, not to mention I haven't seen my Godchildren in four and a half months."

"And you want me to watch them with you?" He asked, unsure of how he should feel about that.

He felt uncomfortable around kids in general, not knowing how to interact with them, but then he supposed her nephews didn't seem that bad, especially as one of them had asked him to read to him all those months ago.

"No, I'll take care of them, I just want you to relax for a few days; you work too hard. Depending on the weather, I'll probably just take them swimming or to the zoo so they're not in the house all day. And seeing as I've been gone so long, I should probably check in on the book shop, too."

"When's he bringing them over?"

"In about an hour, the time difference is a pain in the arse so I'll have to give the kids something to help them sleep."

"How are we supposed to get to Colorado in an hour?"

"Teleport," she shrugged. "I can do it in two, maybe three jumps."

"I'm not going to like it, am I?" He asked.

"Probably not," she nodded. "The first time I did it I almost passed out, and it's even worse when you're side-along apparating, but after a few times, you get used to it. It just feels like you're being squeezed through a tube that's too small. As long as you stay calm and don't panic, you'll be fine."

"We should probably go then," Dean said, reaching into his pocket to pull out enough money to cover their tab and to leave a tip, before taking her hand in his and leading her out the bar.

Hermione made quick work of shrinking down the Impala and slipping it into her pocket, something he knew he'd never get used to seeing, before she wrapped her hand around his and pulled him into the back alleyway.

"Alright, I'll take us to the motel to pick up our things and Crookshanks, and then we'll head straight to my house. Close your eyes, hold your breath and bend your knees ready for the landing. Don't let go of my hand and stay calm," she instructed.

"Got it," he nodded.

~000~000~000~

Dean landed in a familiar looking living room and he bowed his head, dizziness kicking in. He had to admit, no matter how awesome her being able to teleport seemed, it didn't feel it. The first time he'd almost thrown up, the second time he'd almost passed out, the third time he had to sit down, and now he felt dizzy, but even he could admit the symptoms lessened the more he teleported.

"You take a seat, I just need to turn the power back on, give this place a quick clean and sort the bedroom out for the kids, but I'll be back down soon."

Nodding, Dean took a seat on the couch and watched as Hermione pulled the curtains open, the sight of the soon to be setting sun coming into his view and she headed out the room, flicking her wand about the room as she did so, him noting that the dust from the surfaces disappeared and a clean smell filled the room.

He'd been sat on the couch for a few minutes when he found himself springing to his feet with his gun drawn and pointed, when the fireplace roared to life and a man stepped out carrying a sleeping toddler on his hip and holding the hand of a half asleep little boy.

Hermione had explained to him about witches and wizards being able to travel through their fireplaces, but he wasn't sure he believed her, not until now at least. And recognising the two boys, he knew the man to be their father and Hermione's brother, Harry Potter.

Dean didn't think he looked all that scary given what he knew of him, in fact, he looked completely normal and non-threatening. His raven hair was messy, his green eyes hidden by round glasses, his skin pale and Dean could see that he was taller than Harry by several inches. The only abnormal thing about him was the faded lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead.

"Who are you?" He asked, eyeing him warily and his eyes fell down to his gun.

Dean cleared his throat and quickly stuffed his gun back into the waistband of his jeans, hiding it from view.

"Dean Winchester," he offered.

"Oh, you're Hermione's new boyfriend," he replied, his eyes narrowing. Dean realised that he was being scrutinized by the shorter wizard.

"That's me, you're her brother, right? Harry?"

"Yes," he said, standing taller.

"Don't even think about giving him the warning," Hermione's voice flittered to their ears and they both turned to face her.

"But, 'Mione..." her brother started.

"No, it's none of your business who I date and you can't scare him off, if Bobby didn't frighten him away, you won't."

He sighed and grumbled under his breath. "You have some explaining to do," he said.

"Let's get the boys to bed first," she said, and she reached down and picked up the older child, carrying him up the stairs with Harry following after her.

Taking a seat on the couch, Dean let out the breath he didn't know he was holding and a few minutes later they made a reappearance.

"But, 'Mione, it's dangerous," Harry said, them both stepping into the room.

"Is it? I had no idea," she said sarcastically.

Harry scowled at her. "You moved out here to get away from it all, you know what it did to you last time. I'm worried about you."

"I appreciate your concern, but really it's none of your business. It's my life and I decide how I want to live it. Dean's more than proven I can trust him and we make a good team, almost as good as you, me and Ronald. Before I met Dean my life was safe and peaceful, but I was bored, Harry. I missed the chase, I missed constantly being on the go and after our childhoods, it's all we know. I know you can't give up being an Auror, just like I couldn't give up being one either. And now, I'm doing exactly the same only we focus on the supernatural. I've learned a lot from Dean, I'm travelling the US and I'm happy."

Harry sighed and reached up to run his hand through his hair. "I don't want you getting hurt."

"So far my injuries have been kept to only a few bumps and scrapes and we've been hunting together for over four months now. Dean's very good at what he does."

"I know, I've seen his wrap sheet," Harry muttered.

Dean blinked. "What does that mean?" He asked, no longer pretending as though he hadn't been eavesdropping.

"You're known to us," Harry said to him. "Hunters that is, we keep tabs on you, we have to in order to ensure our people's safety."

"You searched the archives? That's abuse of your power, Potter," Hermione told him, not looking pleased.

"When you told me the name of your new boyfriend, I had to make sure you were safe, muggle or not."

She scowled and crossed her arms. "Dean would never and has never laid a finger on me."

"I'll kill him if he does," Harry said seriously and as if he wasn't even there.

"I'm not going to hurt her," Dean said, feeling angry that he even thought he'd ever raise a hand to Hermione. Just what kind of person did he think he was?

"Maybe not physically," he fired back.

Hermione sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Get out, Harry, before I hex your mouth shut. Ginny needs you, so I'll see you Monday."

"But..."

"Out now," she pointed to the fireplace. Harry scowled but did move to the leave, his gaze locking on Dean threateningly before he disappeared into the flames.

"Sorry about him," Hermione said, moving over to the fridge, pulling out two beers and pressing the tip of her wand to them both. She came to sit beside him on the couch and she handed him a beer, him realising she'd used her magic to cool them as she'd only just turned the power back on.

Dean shrugged. "He's your brother; he's going to be protective of you."

"He's a pain in the arse," she muttered. "But I actually think he likes you." Dean looked at her disbelievingly. "He only mentioned your death once and he never tried to hex you. With my previous boyfriends, it was the first thing he did."

"That makes me feel better," he said and she smacked him in the arm.

"We should probably head to bed, I gave the kids something to help them sleep a little longer but they'll still have us up before seven, and I'm going to need all the sleep I can get."

Dean looked to the window pointedly. "It's barely sunset."

"I know, but I never said we should go to sleep right away."

His mouth pulled into a smirk. "I like your thinking, but what about the kids?"

"They're asleep," she shrugged, standing from the couch and moving to the staircase and he was quick on her heels.

~000~000~000~

"Aunt 'Mione, who's that?"

Dean looked to the older boy sat on a stool at the breakfast bar, noting that out of him and his brother, he looked most like his father with both the messy black hair and the bright green eyes, whilst the other kid had dark hair but brown eyes, his mother's he suspected.

Hermione smiled at him as he approached the kitchen, pouring him a cup of coffee and he came up beside her, taking it from her gratefully. It was best he drink it quickly so he didn't scare the children with his bad-not-yet-had-coffee temper.

"James, Albus, this is Dean. He's my boyfriend," Hermione explained, and he did his best not to shift uncomfortably at the way they both started at him.

"Like Mummy and Daddy?" The older child spoke.

"Yes, only we're not married."

"Why?"

"We haven't been together long," Hermione replied.

"But you love each other?"

Dean chocked on his coffee and Hermione reached up to pat him on the back without even looking at him, as she said,

"We care for each other very much, James."

"Is he nice to you?" He asked.

Dean frowned and his eyes darted to Hermione, seeing the way her face softened and she leaned forward on the counter to be closer to his height. Why would a child ask such a question?

"Yes, James, he is very kind to me. You have nothing to worry about. Dean's a very good man, much like your daddy."

The young boy frowned and his eyes watched Dean cautiously before he slowly nodded.

"Okay, then I like him," he said.

Hermione snorted. "I thought you might, he's got a cool car."

"Really, can I see it?" He asked excitedly.

"And me?" The younger boy piped up.

"You'll have to ask him," Hermione said, looking up to Dean.

"Can we, please?"

Dean cleared his throat and put down his coffee mug. "Sure, after breakfast. Your Aunt tells me you like the zoo, how about we go for a visit?"

They both grinned at him widely. "We get to go in your car?" The older child asked.

"If you promise not to make a mess," Dean responded.

"We promise," they both said brightly, before James jumped down off his stool and Hermione helped down Albus and they both ran for the stairs, he presumed to get ready for the day.

"You didn't have to do that," Hermione said, picking up the children's plates and taking them to the sink to be washed. "I meant what I said about you taking some time for yourself whilst I watch the kids."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I'd rather spend my time with you and if that includes those kids, too, then so be it."

She turned around to face him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Why?"

"I told you I wanted a relationship with you and I meant it. I know those kids are important to you, and if they're going to be here when I am, I might as well get to know them."

"You see us being long term?" She questioned, blinking in surprise.

He shrugged. "I want us to be," he admitted.

"You don't stop surprising me," she said, walking over to him and he pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly. "How much experience do you have with children?"

"None, so I'm shitting myself."

She snorted. "First rule, don't swear in front of them, they repeat everything they hear. Second rule, don't take your eyes off them, especially in public places. Third rule, children can smell fear so hide it otherwise they'll run circles around you. You're the adult, not them."

"No swearing, keep watch and no fear, got it," he nodded as she pulled back from him. "The oldest..."

"James, Albus is the youngest," she offered.

"Right, James, why did he ask if I was nice to you?"

She winced and he had the feeling he wasn't going to like her answer.

"About a year and a half ago, I went home for a visit and to introduce my boyfriend to the family. He didn't know I was a witch so we had to keep magic a secret. Anyway, James saw us having an argument and during that argument, he shoved me into a wall."

Dean felt fury fill him and he had every intention of discovering the bastard's name, tracking him down and beating the shit out of him.

"He'd never laid a hand on me up until that point but he'd been drinking. When we came home, he suddenly started making comments about my family that I didn't appreciate and it didn't stop. So about a month later, I broke up with him and he really didn't take it well."

"He hurt you?" He said, his nostrils flaring and his hands clenching into fists.

"Not as much as I hurt him, I assure you. He threw a vase at the wall and it smashed and caught my face, but I put him in the hospital. Well, my magic did; it acted out of instinct to protect me. He had his memory wiped and was arrested for domestic violence and threatening behaviour and I haven't seen him since."

"I want a name,"

"No, it's over and done with. You asked me a question and I answered."

"Hermione..."

"No, let it go, I have. It doesn't matter anymore. It's in the past and now I have you."

He took a deep breath to calm himself. "How old are the kids?" He asked, changing the subject.

"Albus is three and James will be six next week."

"Really?" She nodded. "Then we better make this the best weekend of his life."

She snorted at him. "I better go and check on them, I've left your breakfast in the oven, it should still be warm. You have about half an hour before the children get bored and start pestering you."

She reached up and pecked him on the lips, before walking away and heading for the stairs. Dean sighed and ran a hand through his hair; what had he just gotten himself into?

~000~000~000~

Three days later...

Dean could honestly say that his weekend hadn't been as bad as he'd assumed it would be. Hermione's nephews had kept them both on their toes and they'd barely had any time to themselves, but he'd never had the chance to feel boredom either.

They'd spent all day Saturday out at the zoo with the children dragging them around each animal enclosure and the petting zoo three times before they'd managed to convince the children that the zoo was closing for the day and they weren't lying because they wanted to leave. They'd gotten takeout on the way back to Hermione's house and ate in the car and by the time they arrived home, both kids had been asleep in the back seat. After helping Hermione to put the kids to bed, they'd retired for the night, too, being too exhausted to even attempt to stay awake. It didn't matter that the sun had barely set.

On Sunday they'd gone out again, the children begging him to take them for a drive in the Impala and Dean learned it was very hard to say no to them and Hermione hadn't bothered hiding her amusement.

When the kids could no longer hold their bladders, they'd stopped at a gas station and while Hermione had taken them to the toilet, Dean had bought a large variety of junk food to spoil the kids with. They'd drove for another hour or so with him educating the children on what real music sounded like before they stopped by an empty field. That day Dean had taught the children how to play baseball and football and Hermione showed them how to climb trees. They were asleep in the car before they got home.

On that day, Monday, they'd woken to the weather being terrible, too terrible to do anything outdoors and so they'd stayed in. The children grew bored of drawing pictures and reading books and so a hide and go seek war had commenced, of course, Hermione won. Dean had called her a cheater because she'd used magic to turn herself invisible, meaning she hid in plain sight and it had taken him and the kids nearly an hour to find her, only doing so because her laughter gave her away. Unfortunately for Dean, the children had been on Hermione's side, telling him she hadn't cheated because they were playing magical hide and go seek. He hated to admit it but he definitely felt cheated.

They ate lunch and after Albus had asked if they could make pie and Dean was fully on board with his idea, he'd helped Hermione and the kids to 'bake' several pies –doing nothing but eating most of the ingredients when she wasn't looking- and afterwards he ate a full one to himself, making the children laugh. Afterwards, he sat down to watch a bit of TV whilst the children did some more drawing, but he'd soon been interrupted by Albus asking him to read to him.

When they'd gotten bored of that the children had pounced on him, wanting to wrestle and Dean thought he did a good job of not injuring himself or the kids with the way they flung themselves at him and tried to tackle him to the floor. Hermione had just stood off to the side, sipping on a soda as she watched him amused, not in the least bit worried about him being attacked by the children, in fact, she encouraged them, telling them ways to better help them get him pinned to the ground.

But now, he'd had enough.

"Right, that's it!" Dean called suddenly, taking both children in his arms and picking them up before dropping them onto the couch. They laughed loudly and made to jump on him again, but he had other plans. "Get your Aunt!"

The children were all too happy to follow his command and Hermione let out a shriek before she stood from the stool and ran, the children chasing her in circles around the breakfast bar as they laughed loudly.

Hermione made a bee-line for the stairs and he grinned before stepping into her path and trapping her in his arms. Hermione squirmed to get free but he wasn't letting go, thinking it time for some payback. The children crowded her and their little hands moved to her sides, tickling her relentlessly and she squirmed harder and laughed louder, trying to get away from their assault but she was unsuccessful. In her struggle, they both fell to the ground and the children pounced on them both, Albus on Hermione and James on him.

"Traitors!" Dean called, trying to fight off the little hands that were torturing him and laughter bubbled from him when James tickled his ribs.

"I'm getting you back for this!" Hermione cried through her laughter.

Dean only noticed the fireplace suddenly roaring to life because he'd been trying to wiggle towards it, and out stepped Harry Potter.

Dean tried to stop his laughter but was struggling to get James to stop with his assault, the little wizard being a lot faster than he looked and his size definitely worked in his favour. Dean's laughter only grew louder when he saw Harry's eyes widen and his mouth drop open, watching the scene play out in front of him. Maybe he hadn't expected his kids to be so friendly with him.

"Boys," Harry spoke after clearing his throat.

"Daddy!" They both cried, thankfully giving up their assault, running over to their father and hugging him tightly.

"I see you've been having fun," he said.

Dean pulled himself to his feet and Hermione did the same, coming to stand beside him and as soon as she was close enough, she whacked him in the arm.

"Dean's fault," she said, her breathing being heavy from her laughing fit. "He set them on me."

"Hey, you thought it was funny when the roles were reversed, I just wasn't expecting them to turn traitor," he said, slipping his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

Harry snorted at him, looking down at his kids amused. "Right, we better get home so go get your things, your mum's missed you."

The two children ran to the stairs and Hermione followed after them, leaving him alone with her brother. Dean had to stop himself from shifting on his feet in his nervousness. Whilst he wasn't afraid of Harry as he knew he could take him in a physical fight, he was aware he was capable of the same things as Hermione and that's what made him nervous. Should he choose to use magic against him, Dean wouldn't stand a chance.

"Look," Dean started, knowing they needed to get the awkward conversation out of the way if he ever wanted Harry to like him. He did want to be with Hermione and it would be a lot easier for him if her family liked him, too. "I know you're her brother and you want to protect her, but I can promise you I won't ever lay a finger on her."

"Excuse me if I don't take your word for it," he replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I care for her, I know she's special and not just because of her magic. She's got a heart of gold and I would never forgive myself if I allowed myself or someone else to destroy that. We haven't been together long, but I can honestly say she means the world to me and I don't know what I'd do without her. She told me about the ex that hurt her and if she'd give me his name, I'd kill the fucker for daring to lay a finger on her."

Harry tilted his head to the side, a slight frown pulling at his face. "You'd kill for her?"

"Without thought," he replied honestly. "When a guy grabs at her or won't leave her alone, she has to stop me from shooting them and that was before we even started dating. I have killed for her, just as she's killed for me."

"Damon Ashton," Harry said.

"What?" He said confused.

"That's his name."

Dean tipped his head slightly. "Thanks, I'll make sure he gets what's coming to him."

"Daddy!" James called, breaking them of their staring match as he entered the room with Albus and Hermione. "Can we stay with Aunt 'Mione and Uncle Dean again?"

At being referred to as 'Uncle Dean,' he'd never been more surprised in his life. Not even upon discovering that magic was real!

"Uncle Dean?" Both he and Harry said, but the latter had a raised eyebrow and was looking between him and James curiously.

"He's so cool," James grinned. "We like him," he said for himself and his brother.

Harry looked to Dean once more, a thoughtful look on his face before he nodded to himself. "Sure, when they're not working, they're very busy," Harry said.

He picked up Albus and set him on his hip and took James' hand in his and Hermione approached them, giving them both a quick kiss and hugging Harry. James let go of Harry's hand and ran over to him, hugging him around the waist and looking up at him with a toothy grin.

"I can't wait to see you again."

Clearing his throat, Dean shook his head. "Me too, Buddy."

Harry approached him when James pulled back and he held out his hand. Looking down at it, Dean slowly slipped his hand into his and they shook hands with their eyes locked. That one look held a lot of meaning. He was trusting him with Hermione's safety but most importantly, with her heart.

"Look after her," Harry muttered quietly so Hermione wouldn't hear.

"I will," he promised.

Releasing his hand, he stepped back and Harry headed for the fireplace. "Be careful," he said to Hermione before he disappeared into the flames with his children.

The silence that followed was deafening and Dean realised that he'd actually miss the kids. In just a few days they'd wormed their way into his heart and they'd given him a glimpse of what his future could be like if he played his cards right by not getting himself killed or messing things up with Hermione.

"And they're gone," Hermione said, flicking her wand and the mess that had been left behind, namely the books, pens, paper and couch cushions being on the floor, was suddenly gone and there was not a speck of dirt in sight.

"You know, we have the house to ourselves now."

Dean turned to look at her, his mouth twitching into a smirk. "I like the way you think and I've got to say, I can't stop thinking about you in that apron."

Hermione raised an eyebrow and laughter pealed from her when he lunged at her, chasing her around the breakfast bar, through the living room and to the stairs. The text tone on his cell phone had them both stopping and he pulled it from his pocket, seeing the message was from Bobby and it contained details about a new case.

"Case?" Hermione said.

He nodded. "Suspected werewolf,"

She bit her lip. "So that means it can wait until tomorrow?"

"Exactly," he said, throwing the cell phone onto the couch, chasing her up the stairs and tackling her onto her bed.

~000~000~000~

Two weeks later...

"This may be too soon, but I thought I'd ask," Hermione started as he climbed into the car having finished refuelling. "But do you want to come to London with me?"

"Why?"

"I've just received word that Ron's wife has gone into labour and he wants me there for when the baby's born."

"Seriously?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, he's already got a three-year-old, Hugo, this is his second child. I won't be there long, maybe a day or two and we can stay in a muggle hotel."

"Does this mean I'll be meeting the rest of your family?"

"I mean, we can try to avoid them if it would make you more comfortable. You can just stay at the hotel while I go to the hospital, and we can visit Diagon Alley as I need to restock on a few things anyway. It'll be your first time seeing the Wizarding World, but it can be a little overwhelming."

"Alright," he found himself agreeing. "But I'll come with you to meet your family."

She blinked in surprise before a smile pulled at her mouth. "Yeah?"

"Yeah, I've already met your brother and the saviour of your world, I might as well meet the others and get it out of the way."

She grinned and reached over to kiss his cheek. "Great, if we find somewhere out of sight, I'll apparate us to my house, you can let Bobby know we'll be unavailable for a few days and we'll floo over to London. No flying involved and no passport needed."

To Dean who hated flying with a passion, those were the magic words.

~000~000~000~

"It looks like a regular hospital," Dean commented, his eyes scanning his surroundings as Hermione led the way to the maternity ward.

Dean had been left disorientated when they'd stepped out of the fireplace and into a magical bar, seeing the beers and trays floating about the room as they found their intended targets and chairs disappearing and reappearing, depending on the number needed at a specific table. Hermione had to drag him out and onto the street where she explained it was a gateway between both worlds. After that, she'd teleported them to a hotel and booked them a room for a few days and he'd never seen or stayed in a place so clean, fancy or expensive. The bathtub alone had to be worth more than his car.

After dropping off their things she'd teleported them to an abandoned building and he thought she'd gotten lost until she pulled him towards a back entrance and when they stepped inside, it revealed the entrance room of a hospital.

"We're still humans, Dean," she replied. "We have the same needs as you; we just have magic to help us achieve them. Where you have science to create medication, we have potions and healing charms."

They found the waiting room and her brother Harry was the only one there and he stood upon their entrance, moving to hug Hermione and giving him a nod of greeting.

"Gin's at home with the kids, Molly's a bit under the weather and the others can't get away from work or the children," Harry explained as to why he was the only one there.

"How's she doing?" She asked.

"She went into labour about twelve hours ago, the last I heard they were getting ready to deliver the baby," he answered. Hermione nodded and brushed her hair back from her face. "Is it wise to bring him?" He questioned, nodding to him.

"Ron can piss off, he's married with two kids, he has no say in my life or who I date," Hermione responded.

Harry held his hands up in surrender. "Just thought I'd ask, if need be you know I'll run interference."

"You just don't want me to hex him."

"Not when there's a newborn baby nearby," he shrugged.

"It's that bad?" Dean found himself asking and they both turned to look at him, as if just remembering he was actually there.

"Ron's an arsehole," Harry said.

"And we've always had a volatile relationship," Hermione told him. "He knows exactly how to push my buttons and our arguments, more often than not, end in duels."

Harry winced. "The last one wasn't pretty," he said, bringing his hand up to rub at the back of his neck.

"He was being a dickhead and more than deserved it."

"Not saying he didn't, 'Mione. Just remember the baby, yeah?"

"I'd never harm a child."

Approaching footsteps drew their attention and Dean turned to see a tall redhead approaching them, wearing green scrubs and he was carrying a pink bundle in his arms, and what appeared to be a nurse was quietly hovering behind him. He recognised him from the photos at Hermione's house; it was her ex-boyfriend and best friend, Ron Weasley.

"Goodness!" Hermione breathed out before rushing over to him and Harry followed behind her at a slower pace with a smile pulling at his face.

"A girl!" Hermione said in surprise. "Merlin, she's beautiful, does she have a name yet?"

"Rose," the redhead responded, looking down at his newborn daughter adoringly before he reluctantly passed her over to Hermione. Dean noted that she looked as though she knew exactly what she was doing as she took the bundle in her arms, it obviously not being her first time.

"Congratulations, Mate," Harry said, putting his arm around Ron's shoulders and looking down at the little bundle.

"Godparents?"

"Obviously," both Hermione and Harry said and they chuckled, shaking their heads.

"How's Lavender?" Hermione asked. Dean assumed it was Ron's wife.

"They're running a few tests on her just to make sure she's alright," he responded. Looking up, Dean found his gaze getting caught by Ron's and he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Who's he?"

"Oh, sorry. Ron, this is Dean," she introduced. "My boyfriend."

Dean didn't like the way her ex's eyes flashed or the way his body visibly stiffened and he found himself taking a step closer to Hermione and in doing so catching a glimpse of the bundle in her arms, seeing pale skin and a head of red wispy hair.

Seeming to know what was about to happen, Harry reached for the newborn and took her from Hermione before taking a step back. Hermione's hands came up her hips and her eyes narrowed, daring her ex-boyfriend to say something to anger her.

"Don't you dare look at Dean like that. We've been over this before, Ronald. You have absolutely no say in where I live, what I do with my life and who I date. We broke up a long time ago and it was your fault, not mine. You have no right to get possessive of me, especially when you have a wife."

"He's not good enough for you," the redhead argued. Dean couldn't find a fault in that argument; he actually agreed with him.

"Shove it, Ronald!" Hermione said, her voice rising in her anger. "You don't even know him. Dean's a good man and he certainly treats me far better than anyone ever has, especially you. In the time we've known each other he's never once insulted me, he's never once raised his voice and he's never once done something to hurt me or break my trust. And I wouldn't pick a fight with him, magic or not, he'll kick your arse."

Ron scoffed. "He's a muggle, right?"

"He is, but he's not just any muggle. He's a hunter."

Ron's eyes widened and he took a step back from her in surprise.

"Dean Winchester," Harry offered, gently rocking the newborn in his arms.

"Shit!" Ron whispered.

"Exactly," Hermione said smugly.

"How could you be so stupid, Hermione!" Ron exploded.

Harry winced and Hermione's hands came from her hips and clenched into tight fists down by her sides.

"We both know I'm a lot of things but stupid's not one of them," she replied.

Dean knew her so well that he knew she was barely keeping her anger in check and soon she'd explode. Someone usually died when that happened.

"He's a fucking hunter!"

"And?"

"And! And! And he's using you. You know they hate our kind and they kill us on sight and you brought him straight to us! He knows where we are now and he can have us all killed!"

"Can I hit him now?" Dean spoke for the time since the whole ordeal had begun.

Hermione turned to look at him over her shoulder and when her gaze locked with his, she took a deep breath before moving to stand beside him and he took her hand in his. His eyes moved to Ron who was glaring daggers at him and he felt his hand twitch, wanting to reach for his gun and Hermione sensing the same thing, gave his hand a squeeze.

"He's not using me, Ronald," she said as calmly as she could manage.

He laughed. He actually laughed at her.

"Of course he is; someone looking like him would never spare someone like you a second glance."

Dean had never wanted to punch someone as much as he did right now.

"Listen, you son of a bitch," he said, his anger being evident in his voice and he didn't even try to hide it. "You can insult me all you want, but if you say a bad word about Hermione again, even she won't be able to stop me from putting you in the ground."

Hermione squeezed his hand harder and he caught sight of Harry blinking dumbly, his gaze flying between him and Ron as he kept the baby out of harm's way.

"You've no right to even look at her. From what I can tell, you're a worthless piece of shit and you don't even deserve to breathe the same air as her. I know I'm not good enough for her, I know I don't deserve her yet she took a chance on me and I've never been more grateful. You're clearly blind to think that someone as beautiful as her wouldn't have admirers; I swear everywhere we go she has men falling at her feet."

He opened his mouth to retort but Harry put a stop to it. "Enough!" He snapped, before sighing and shifting the baby in his arms when she squirmed at the sound of his voice. "Look, Dean's right, you've always been blind when it came to Hermione, even when you were dating but you're not anymore and you need to stop believing you have any say in her life, because you don't. He may be a hunter, but I trust him with her safety. I trust him not to hurt her. I've seen him with James and Albus and they both love him, after only one meeting they started calling him 'Uncle Dean' and they haven't stopped talking about him for two bloody weeks."

"Crookshanks likes him, too," Hermione added. "Every morning we wake and he's laid across Dean's legs and he follows him around no matter where he goes."

Dean felt himself standing taller at the sound of pride in her voice and at them both blinking in surprise.

"Crookshanks can barely stand the sight of you," Hermione said and Dean found it very hard not to gloat to the redhead. "You know how protective he is of me and yet he treats Dean as if he's his Master, not me. I honestly don't care what you think about my relationship with him, I'm happy in my life and I'm happy with Dean and you need to accept that. I'm glad I got to meet Rose before the others arrive, but we better get to our hotel; I promised Dean I'd show him around Diagon Alley tomorrow. I'll see you later," she said, before turning to smile at Harry and then making for the door, but he stayed behind a little longer to issue a warning.

"You should know, I don't take kindly to people upsetting her and I'd kill anyone that dared to lay a finger on her, and I already have, several times. I don't care if you've got kids or a wife, it won't stop me from putting a bullet in you should you upset her. And for the record, hunters don't hate your people. We don't like human sacrifice or soul-selling witchcraft, but we don't even know natural born magic exits. If a hunter's killed one of your kind then they did it not knowing what they were dealing with. Hermione plans on introducing me to the rest of her family which means we'll probably meet again and when that happens, I expect you to be a lot nicer to her. Regardless of magical transport, she dropped everything she was doing and rushed over here so she could be here for you and she deserves far better than what she received. Fix it."

Dean turned and headed for the door, nearly ploughing into Hermione as he stepped out of the room and into the hallway.

"You didn't have to do that?" She told him, looking down at the ground.

"Yes, I did. You're my girlfriend and nothing will stop me from defending you against assholes like him, friend or not."

"Thank you," she muttered and he reached out and wrapped himself around her as he pulled her into a hug.

She buried her face in his chest and sighed. "Just so you know, if I ever meet your father, I'm punching him in the face."

He snorted at her. "I don't think he'd appreciate that."

"I don't care, he's a wanker and he deserves it. If you can defend me against Ron, then I sure as hell can do the same when your father's involved. If I break my hand in the process, a potion will fix it and because I'll be feeling vengeful, I won't even heal the broken nose I plan on giving him."

"You're something else, Baby," he snorted.

"Baby?" She questioned, pulling back to look at him. He shrugged his shoulders. "You know, I like it. It's a lot better than Glinda or Poppins," she shook her head. "We've seen the little lady, now let's get back to the hotel. The time zones are going to wreak havoc on us and that bathtub's calling my name."

"I think I'll join you," he said.

"Thought you might," she said amused, taking his hand in hers and pulling him down the hall.