Chapter 2

March 14th, 1998

He paced, looking down every few moments to the girl lying on his kitchen table. He had no idea what to do with her. Why didn't I just kill her? You know why, the wolf answered. It doesn't matter now, she'll be dead within the month. The wolf whined, knowing that was the case. We should keep her here, spend the time we have with her. He shook his head, this girl would be terrified the entire time, she hated him…she feared him. No, I'll keep her knocked out until I'm sure she's healed, if she survives at all and then I'll figure out how to get her back to where she belongs. She deserves to say goodbye to those she loves. But what about us? She'll never know us. Good, we don't deserve it anyway.

*Break*

March 22nd, 1998

"I don't understand. Remus, he's fine except for once a month and he was just a kid when he was changed." Harry said, anger tinting his words.

"He was a male child, Harry." She responded calmly; she knew this was hard for them to hear, to comprehend, to process…she knew because she was still doing it.

"Then we'll find a way to fix it. You are NOT going to die, especially not because of me." He said, his hand slamming down on the table.

"Harry, this has nothing to do with you. I chose to go with you; we both did." She responded, eyes flicking over to Ron, who sat motionless and silent. She was surprised that Harry was the one being so loud, she'd expected it to me Ron. "There's no way to fix this, Harry…it's just, biology." She said with a shrug.

"So that's it? You're just going to give up?" Harry yelled at her, his voice clearly frantic as he took in that he would be forced to lose yet another person that he loved.

"I'm not giving up, Harry…there just isn't anything to do. There are no female werewolves. There have been a handful of women that have lived through being bitten, but there's never been one who survived their first transition."

"Hermione is right, Harry. Honestly, it's miraculous she survived the bite. We're lucky to have any time with her at all." Remus said quietly.

"Right. Miraculous…how fucking lucky that my best friend will be dead in three weeks." The last words were yelled before the door slammed shut behind him.

"Should I.." Remus started, but he was stopped by a mumble from Ron saying he'd go out to him.

Hermione sat there for a moment before placing her head into her hands. She breathed out a sigh, trying to relieve the tension.

"Can I do anything for you Hermione?" Remus asked.

"Actually, yes. Do you still have that contact at the ministry, in the travel office?"

"I do; what do you need?"

"Can you get me a portkey to Australia? I'll only need it for a few hours before it returns."

"Of course; I'll go see Mathilda tomorrow. If you don't mind, can I ask what for?"

"I'd like to see my parents one more time."

"You won't want to stay for a few days? Mathilda could easily get a return one spaced out."

"No. I just want to look at them one last time; they won't know who I am anyway."

*Break*

"She what?!" Mr. Weasley said quietly but with a biting tone to his voice.

"She obliviated them, before she came for Bill and Fleur's wedding. She said that she and the boys were planning to leave anyway and she didn't think the Order could keep them safe."

"Well I can't say I disagree with her but Remus…these children, fighting our war and now this…" he trailed off, his eyes welling with tears. The older man felt a hand grab his shoulder and pull him into a hug. "I know, Arthur." Remus responded.

Remus wasn't sure how Harry and Ron would get through this. He wasn't even sure how he would get through this and he certainly didn't understand how Hermione was holding up so well, though he suspected she may be in a slight state of shock.

"Ginny!" they both heard Molly yell from the kitchen.

"Coming, Mum!" Ginny replied. With that, both of the men gave one another understanding looks, a nod, and straightened themselves out before heading to the table for dinner.

The dinner table was quiet, the table filled with a sadness and tension that no one seemed willing to break until finally Hermione did.

"Look everyone, I know we're all sad. Believe me, I'm sad, this is rather a load of tripe but it is what it is. There's nothing we can do to change this and I…" she looked down, tears welling up in her eyes and her voice thickening, "and I love each and every one of you. Please…I don't want the last few weeks I have to be filled with sadness."

At her words Molly burst into tears and stood from the table, taking Hermione into her arms and hugging her tightly. "Of course dearie; we'll make sure we make that happen. You are so loved, Hermione." The woman cooed, her hand running down the side of Hermione's face as she stood up from the embrace. "Now, you write me out a list of all of your favorites and I'll pop round the corner tomorrow and pick up everything I need to start. We're going to have a right time every night until you're tired of your favorite foods."

Hermione let out a laugh, her cheeks still damp with tears, and smiled at Molly. "That would be amazing. Thank you."

"Let's go shopping in muggle London then tomorrow, eh Hermione?" Ginny asked. "We could do lunch at that pastry place that you love."

"I'd love that Ginny." She responded with a smile.

"Is there anything you'd like that I can help with, Hermione?" Arthur asked.

"I'm not…"

"Stop it! Stop it right now! Bollocks, you've all gone bloody mad! You're dying, Hermione. No, no I'm not going to sit around and act bloody happy." Ron screamed out, his plate shoved away from him and tears streaking down his face. This is what she'd expected, but she'd expected it earlier. He shoved himself back from the table and stormed outside, the door slamming behind him, leaving a crack across it's small window.

Hermione sighed yet again, thinking to herself that she'd sighed more in the last twelve hours than she had in the last twelve years. "I'm going to go talk to him. I'll be back in a bit." She said moving towards the door.

She stepped out, closing the door behind her after throwing a quick spell to fix the glass. She knew exactly where he'd be, and so she slowly walked towards the field they used as a quidditch pitch. The breeze ran across the field and she took a deep breath, the smell of the earth filling her senses more than it ever had before. She stopped, drinking in the scents all mixed together, and feeling her body vibrate from the intensity. Another deep breath and she just wanted to venture towards the decadents smells, never before realizing how amazing the smell of dirt and grass were, plus in some odd way, she thought she smelled leather mixed in. She refocused and kept moving towards the field, seeing Ron's shadowy figure hunched down on the side of the broom shed.

"Ron?"

"I'm sorry Hermione." he responded, all tension from the table gone from his voice.

"It's okay." She responded, sitting down next to him and patting his leg. "It's a lot to take in."

"You don't seem to be struggling to take it. It's like you've just accepted that you're going to….that you're going to…"

"To die?"

"Yes! You just seem so relaxed about it. How can you be so relaxed? Won't you…won't you miss us, Hermione? Won't you miss me?" he whispered the last part.

"Oh Ronald, of course I will! I don't want to die, I just, I don't want to spend the rest of the time being sad and honestly, I'm not quite sure why I'm not sadder. Maybe it's because there's so much going on, that my senses are so heightened right now, that I just haven't been able to process it. I'm not sure."

"I can't lose you, Hermione. It's not fair. We're supposed to grow old together and I haven't even…" he stopped and just stared at her, the girl he'd had a crush on and botched things with royally before. The girl he'd wanted to try to be more with, but didn't think he was willing to risk their friendship, the girl he loved and now would never get to see where it went.

"Haven't what?"

"Gotten to do this" and with that he leaned towards her and kissed her. He was hesitant at first, waiting to see if she'd respond. After a second he pulled back and gave her a sheepish smile, "Sorry 'Mione, I've been wanting to do that for a while but I wasn't sure if you…" he stopped as her lips landed back on his.

She moved her lips over his and opened her mouth readily when he pushed to move their kiss further. She felt something stir inside of her, telling her this was wrong. She didn't want this; she didn't want him…but she pushed it back. Of course, she wanted Ron, wanted this with him, especially when she'd never have the chance again.

She pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind and swung her leg over Ron so she was situated in his lap. His hands moved around her waist, pulling her body towards him. The breeze brushed over her skin and she moaned into his mouth with want as her senses overwhelmed her. Her moan, obviously giving Ron the confidence he'd lacked before, spurred him on. His hand slid underneath her shirt and around her back to unclasp her bra. As his hand moved around towards the front she broke their kiss. Ron panted slightly, "I'm sorry, I don't…." but his words stopped short as Hermione pulled her shirt over her head and let the straps of her bra fall down her arms as she removed it. "Blimey Hermione…you're, you're gorgeous."

She chuckled and flushed with a mix of praise and nervousness. She moved forward to kiss him again, one of his hands finding purchase on her hip and the other moving to cup her breast. As he ran his thumb across her nipple, she shivered at the feeling and the coolness of the night breeze against her skin. As he laid her down on the grass and continued his exploration, she couldn't help but note that the breeze no longer smelled quite as enticing as it had only moments before.

*End Chapter*

Note: I know it seems like Hermione is taking everything suuuuper well, but that will be addressed later on!