Welcome to the next chapter of Damned Desire! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and this story to their reading lists!

Enjoy! Let me know what you think in the reviews!

Chapter 2

Hermione apparated to the alley next to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Kingsley had given her immediate emergency family leave, practically forcing her to bring her parents to her remaining family and take some time to reconnect with her uncle and cousin. Of course, it hadn't been as easy as internationally apparating. She'd had to go through the American ministry, fill out various forms with the ICW for an International Apparition License, make sure she could even apparate so far without splinching herself, and then agree to be used as a consultant for the American Auror's should the need arise before she'd been allowed to come.

So a month after she'd received her uncle's letters, Hermione was waiting at the closest airport with her luggage. Her parent's bodies were on their way, the American ministry choosing to use Muggle methods of transportation to avoid suspicion from other Muggle's aside from her family. She'd called her Uncle Charlie personally, giving him the news of their deceased status and arranging to visit him. His total calm during their conversation told Hermione how much of a policeman he was, and that he'd already known deep down that something was wrong.

She was nervous. The last time she'd seen him, she was still the bookworm who freaky things happened around and peppered her Uncle with questions on law enforcement when they visited. Now she was a grown woman, a witch who explained the weird with textbook references. She was still a bookworm and had become one of the best Auror's the British Ministry had to offer. Her teeth were smaller, her hair was less bushy, and she was sure her Uncle would not recognize her.

It seemed her worry was for naught as a beat-up police cruiser pulled up the curb she'd been waiting at. A tall older man with brown, slightly curly hair got out of the driver's side, walking around the front of the car until he was pulling Hermione into a hug. He breathed deeply, hugging her tighter as she wrapped her arms around him. "Little Hermione, you look exactly like my mother. Even the hair's the same."

The familiar smell of gunpowder, fish, and woods calmed Hermione. "Uncle Charlie," she murmured, sighing at the familiarity she had forgotten.

He pulled back, taking her in. She knew what he would see. A woman of average height dressed casually in jeans, black knee-high boots, a red T-shirt with a symbol for a school he wouldn't recognize, and a black leather jacket. An unmistakable bulge that was her wand disguised as a gun, and her badge clipped to her jeans, completed the look. She knew he would be finding out the truth as soon as possible, but Harry had convinced her to keep up with ruse for her protection. No one was going to bother her if they thought she had a gun.

He grinned. "Who knew the tiny girl who couldn't stop asking me questions would one day become a cop? I swear your parents were sure you'd grow up to be a doctor or lawyer, though their secret hope was you becoming a dentist like them." The two frowned at the mention of Hermione's parents, both looking down to avoid looking at the other. Charlie sighed, "Come on, I've got Bella cooking dinner tonight. She'll be excited to see you."

Charlie didn't ask any questions Hermione knew he was dying to during the ride. He asked about her studies, how she liked working for the police, what her partner was like. But never about his sister and brother-in-law. Hermione was grateful, not sure she could handle that line of questioning just yet. She'd been given leave to tell both her remaining relatives, and Hermione wasn't keen on explaining herself twice. Part of her wanted to turn right back around and go back to Britain, but she could all but hear Draco call her out for being a coward.

If there was anything she hated, it was being called a bloody coward by Draco Malfoy.

The town of Forks was surrounded by trees and had the familiarity of being a close-knit community. She remembered her summer's here running around with Bella and a couple of boys from the Indian reservation located here. She'd never been teased here, not like the bullies from her primary school. Perhaps that was why her parents brought her down even when they had problems with her uncle. She'd always anticipated coming, and she felt a little guilty at how quickly she'd forgotten about this part of her roots when she'd started Hogwarts. Merlin, she'd even promised to write Bella, and that had never happened.

Maybe this break was exactly what she needed.

They pulled up to a two-story house, a rusted truck the only other car in the driveway. Charlie heaved a sigh of relief, as if he'd been expecting something else. "Something wrong?" She asked.

Charlie rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. "Bella's in the middle of a relationship issue. Her boyfriend asked her to marry him, and she said no. Some days they can't stand to be near each other, and others, they can't be separated. I told her I didn't want Edward here when you came, just wanted it to be family for now, but I was half afraid she wouldn't listen."

Hermione filed it away in her mind, wondering if she would be subject to listening to any fights between Bella and her boyfriend. "Well, it looks like she took your words to heart. Shall we?"

They walked into the house, Charlie carrying Hermione's luggage at his insistence. The smell of pasta wafted from the kitchen. She didn't have time to take in her surroundings before a blur knocked into her. Bella was slightly taller than Hermione; her hair had the slightest wave now than the straight pin locks she was used to. When she looked up and straightened, Hermione saw the same eyes she saw in the mirror, a Swan trait apparently as they had been her mother's eyes as well.

She smiled at her cousin. "Bella, it's good to see you."

Bella grinned back, her eyes anxiously taking Hermione in. "I've missed you. When dad said you were coming down, I couldn't believe it." Her eyes filled, but the tears didn't spill over. "I'm sorry about Aunt Helen and Uncle Richard."

Hermione bit her lip hard, using the pain to keep herself centered. "It has been a long time, hasn't it?"

Charlie came back from the second floor, where he had been setting her luggage in her room. "Room's been made up for you. Only one bathroom, so you'll have to share with Bells and me." He sniffed the air. "Dinner smells great." He turned towards the kitchen. "I need a beer. You want one, Hermione? I won't tell the police if you don't."

The girls rolled their eyes in unison and followed Charlie into the kitchen. Hermione declined the offer for a beer, settling on water. Even though she liked Butterbeer just fine, she had never acquired the taste for regular beer. Maybe because she was accustomed to the sweet taste of the former? Bella had cooked an Italian pasta dish she said had been introduced to her by her boyfriend's mother. It was good, Hermione using the food as an excuse not to start the conversation she knew they needed to have.

Bella was surprised to learn she had followed her Uncle into police work though Hermione didn't correct her assumption that it had been Charlie who inspired her career choice. Hermione talked about some of her more ridiculous cases that had cropped up in between the more serious ones, making them laugh with tales of drunken singers and disruptive teenagers. Charlie reminded her that Hermione was still really just a teenager herself, and Hermione sniffed while informing him that she had never been that immature.

Bringing up her age caused Bella to ask how Hermione could even be a police officer. Her excuse of an accelerated training program while still at school sent red flags up Charlie's brain, and Hermione knew the inquisition would soon begin. Before he could open his mouth, Hermione held up a hand. "I promise I will tell you everything, but we should clean up first. How does tea sound?"

Charlie frowned. "My sister and brother-in-law are dead. You disappeared off the face of the earth and come back with your light a little darker. Don't think I didn't notice. I don't want tea."

She clenched her hands in her lap, fighting the urge to look down. "Please, Uncle Charlie? This is hard enough."

Charlie studied her, looking for something in her eyes before he nodded. "Fine, we'll do this your way."