Chapter 19

The week leading up to New Year's Eve had been eventful for the pair. Storm had recovered quickly after her sleepy Boxing Day, and Hermione had been grateful for that fact. As discussed they had gone to pick out wedding bands, Storm opting to keep her engagement ring as her wedding ring instead of the pair. Hermione had figured that option was quite fitting for the younger witch and had agreed happily.

Storm had taken care of the plans for New Year's Eve, claiming she'd planned a surprise for the brunette. Hermione had tried to figure out what on earth that may mean, but couldn't for the life of her figure it out. She guessed it would be something relatively PG considering it would be the first time Joe would be joining them since Hermione had moved in.

She submerged herself in the plans for the wedding, and before the week was out they had their Honeymoon booked, the Weasley's had offered to put the gazebo up for them and she had sent out invitations. All that was really left was to sort herself a dress out and Storm a suit, the rest was essentially accomplished.

The morning of New Year's Eve had come round in a flash, and before Hermione really knew it she was sat at their kitchen table with Joseph looking over her plans. He had arrived at the crack of dawn as Storm had offered to take him to the Harpies pitch for a fly about. They had been and come back in time for breakfast. Each of them grinning like loons as they had stepped through the back door to find Hermione stood making herself a cup of tea.

"I can't believe Mom is actually getting married" The boy spoke as he peaked into the notebook Hermione had out on the table. Details confirmed scrawled across the pages in her handwriting. Everything they had up until that point written down within.

"Oi!" Storm muttered as she flipped a pancake in the pan, stood at the stove cooking breakfast for the three of them. Hermione more than happy to leave her to the cooking, her culinary skills proving much more advanced than the brunette's own.

"What?" Joe questioned as he lent back in his own chair, a smirk tugging at his lips as he flicked his dark stare to Hermione then. "I'm just saying, I've never even seen her with someone else. She's always just been alone." He clarified, a large hand moving to rub at his jaw a little awkwardly. "I'm grateful it's you Hermione" He added warmly, honestly lacing the tone of his voice.

"I'm glad it's me too" Hermione added simply, a wide smile tugged at her lips as she regarded the boy sat across from her. He was sweet, and honest and reminded her of a very much younger Shifter. There were characteristics he had that just transported her back to their days at Hogwarts. Catching her off guard a little bit.

"Are you looking forward to our surprise later on?" He asked her then as he stood from his seat to grab some plates as he noted his mother finishing off their breakfast. Her dark eyes meeting his for a brief moment in unspoken question.

Hermione found the dynamic to be interesting. She hadn't really ever been around many teenagers, not since she had been one herself. She had expected something entirely different to what exactly this experience was presenting. The pair had a really good relationship, and they were very close by the look of it. She supposed it was all still very new, but couldn't quite imagine a bust up between them. Joe was just as calm as Storm, and was such a warm individual. She figured she'd be hard pressed to imagine him abrasive at all.

"I can't imagine what it could actually be" Hermione spoke with a laugh, twisting in the seat she had occupied to watch the pair organise themselves. The youngest of the three bringing a few plates and some cutlery back to the table for Hermione to set out before moving to the fridge to grab various sauces for the pancakes.

"You'll like it" Storm added finally, having previously been a silent party in the conversation as she concentrated on not burning their breakfast. She set the pan to the side finally, pulling it off the heat before switching the stove off. The plate of pancakes grabbed on her way over to the table to join the pair now settled at it once again.

"I'm looking forward to it" Joe added as he grabbed a hefty stack of the steaming fluffy disks to pull onto his dish. "Hogwarts has so many nice things to eat, but they just don't have these" He muttered appreciatively as he upended a bottle of syrup all over his food.

"The food was the best part of Hogwarts" Storm spoke whistfully then, a wide smile tugging at her lips as she remembered the spreads the house elves put on for each meal. "It's nice not to have to fight Ginny for the best bits" She added with a laugh.

"Honestly, between the pair of you I don't know how you weren't three times your size!" Hermione added with a laugh. Though, Storm never often joined them for meals she did on the odd occasion. She had normally sat with the rest of the quidditch team, or some of the friends that didn't run in the same circles. "You had to watch your fingers when it came to both your mother and Ginny" She added, addressing the youngest of the three directly.

It was only really the last year Hermione had noticed Storm's presence more. She had spent pretty much every meal quietly sat beside the redhead, or chatting idly to someone on her other side. But Hermione had noted just how much food she had seemed to consume. It had been a little impressive, but she guessed she was right when she said she was a pretty big person and needed the fuel.

"We never stopped, are you kidding? Especially that last year. Red really is a brutal quidditch captain. Plus, any other extra curricular activities always help keep you trim" Storm quipped with a cocky smirk tugged across her lips as she fixed her own pancakes. "Not to say that's an excuse to do any sort of extra circular activities until you're thirty" She added, an eyebrow raised as she fixed her son with a pointed stare.

"Mom!" Joe scolded, his cheeks turning a shade of red that almost seemed impossible. His eyes downcast towards his dish as he avoided all eye contact.

"Storm" Hermione sighed, her stomach twisting with the thought of just what those extra curricular activities may have been. The idea of her with anyone else sending white hot jealousy through her very being. Her keen mind throwing up images of the younger woman leaning up a flagstone pillar flirting, or cornered somewhere in the common room with one girl or another.

Those were things she had seemed to always notice, internally grumbling about the scenes each and every time she had happened upon something of the sort. Storm had always seemed to be a little more uncomfortable when she'd showed up. She'd always pull away, or put more distance between herself and whoever it was she was courting at the time. Something Hermione had never really actively thought about.

"What? Hormones Hermione. It's hard to resist the urges sometimes!" The Shifter stated, her dark gaze fixed on the brunette at her side for a moment before flicking back to Joe. "If they are unable to be resisted, you must protect yourself" She added a little sternly. Her voice taking on a serious note.

"So, I heard you're going to captain the English team for the World Cup!" Joe spoke then as he tried to pull the conversation away from the direction he knew it was going.

"What?" Hermione added then, turning her own attention back towards the Shifter beside her. The news coming as a shock to her. She knew the younger woman had been to a few meetings over the past week, but nothing really had been said when she had returned.

"Oh yeah, we're going to be going over some of the new talent in the new year and selecting the squad" Storm spoke a little sheepishly. "I accepted that position before we even met again" She stated a little bashfully. "I didn't really think it was important" She clarified before pushing a forkful of pancake past her lips.

"That's a huge achievement!" Hermione spoke, her voice laced with pride as she lent over to press a kiss to the younger woman's lips. She didn't know much about Quidditch, but she knew enough to know that it was definitely monumental in a professionals career.

"It'll be my last season, I'll retire after that" Storm stated, addressing them both. "If we time it right, that'll mean I can stay at home with any little ones we may or may not have. It's not like we'll ever be short on funds" She spoke then, revealing the plan she had made in her own mind.

"That sounds really cool" Joe added with a large smile of his own. "What about you Hermione? What do you even do?" He quizzed then, noting the way the brunette was regarding his mother with thinly veiled surprise written all over her features.

She seemed to snap out of it as he said her name, and her smile returned with full force. It was beaming, and lit her entire face up. "I work in the department for magical law enforcement currently. Though I did work with the control and regulation of magical creatures." She stated proudly. "In an ideal world I'd like to become Minister for Magic at some point in the future" She added as she sat back in her chair.

"I don't doubt at all that's what will happen then" Storm added simply, "Looks like I'll need to be on my best behaviour then" She laughed quietly, quite happy to be beside this woman. There was no doubt in her mind that she would achieve her goals. Of course, everyone knew she was definitely the greatest witch of their time, and nothing was impossible for her to do.

"So, you'll be able to deal with the people who attacked you all then?" Joe quizzed, his eyes growing a little darker as he sat a little straighter in his chair. They were lucky that they were now in a world where such things were shocking. Once upon a time that was an entirely different story.

"Yes, they'll not get away with what they did. It's important to ensure anyone with those ideals understands that there is no place for it in this world" She spoke passionately, Storm nodding beside her quietly for a moment before she stood from her seat to tidy up their breakfast dishes.

The rest of the morning passed quietly and Hermione had locked herself away in her office to put together more plans for their wedding. She had bee in her bonnet about getting it all put together before they both had to go back to work. The date looming ever closer.

She had left Storm and Joe to do whatever it was they were doing regarding their evening. They planned to bring the New Year in together, and she figured they had been quite excited for what they had planned. They had hardly been able to contain themselves as they waited for Hermione to occupy herself.

A quiet knock pulled her away from her work as the door to her office opened just enough for Storm to poke her head in. Her dark eyes were bright as she grinned from ear to ear. "We're ready when you are" She stated simply as she moved to push the door open a little more to allow her access to the small room. Making quick work of closing the distance in order to press a kiss to Hermione's cheek.

"I'll just be one moment, let me tidy up" Hermione replied quietly, a wide smile tugging at her lips as Storm pressed her lips to her cheek. The brunette's hand moving to wrap slim fingers around the strings of the younger woman's hoody as she made to pull away, tugging her down briefly so she could tilt her head to capture her lips in a proper kiss.

Planning their wedding ignited a certain need within the pit of her belly. She absolutely couldn't wait, and had half a mind to plan so it was even nearer to the time. Though, she supposed there was nothing too horrible about waiting, it wasn't as if Storm was going anywhere.

"Hey" Storm muttered as she pulled away, dark eyes sparkling with delight in the dim light of the room. "Come on then hot stuff, your guests are waiting" She laughed then as she moved to turn and disappear once again. Her words sparking intrigue deep within the older witch's being.

She hadn't realised there would be guests. She flicked her eyes down to her attire, scanning herself over in quiet contemplation. Dark jeans and a jumper were adorned and she figured Storm wasn't exactly dressed up so she didn't worry. She too had been wearing her own pair of jeans and a dark hoody to boot.

She grabbed her wand from the side, and got to work quickly with packing things away. Her office looking as if it had been entirely untouched within seconds. Her quills and inks tucked away and cleaned, packed neatly in a drawer.

Hermione examined her work then, ensuring everything was rightfully in it's place before she too made to exit the little room that had been empty until she had moved in. As she made her way through the home, voices met her ears and she found she was surprised to find the kitchen entirely empty once she entered.

There was a glowing fire set up down on the beach, and silhouettes surrounding it. The voices she had heard were flowing in through the open back door, and she wasted no time in sliding on her trainers and grabbing a jacket off the hook to shrug on over her shoulders before making her way out. She took to the steps of the porch in a hurry, and quickly crossed the sand to where her soon to be wife was sitting with their friends.

"Harry! Ginny!" She called to their companions. They hadn't mentioned anything about coming over for New Year when she had seen them last and she was truly surprised.

Storm and Joe had set up a large bonfire, it's flames roaring up towards the blackened sky. Chairs had been settled in the sand and the entire area had been surrounded by what looked to be windbreakers. It was cosy, and as she got close enough Storm pulled her down into the chair she had occupied, dragging Hermione into the space beside her.

"Hello Hermione! Happy New Year" Harry called then, his bright eyes reflecting the orange embers of the flames sat a ways away. The heat from them warming the area so nicely.

"Storm wanted to celebrate together, considering Christmas Day was a pretty big shambles" Ginny stated, answering the question before it could be asked. "It's nice to be able to spend it all together" She added quietly.

"How lovely" Hermione spoke leaning in to Storm's side as she did. Her hands finding the crook of the younger woman's elbow to take hold of, pulling her larger more calloused hand into her lap. Of course Storm obliged happily, a wide smile tugging at her lips as she flicked her eyes across to meet Hermione's own for a brief moment.

A gentle sigh escaping her lips as Hermione's fingers dragged up and down the inside of her forearm in the most soothing manor. "We can always go in if it gets too cold, but the forecast says it won't be raining and the fire is nice and hot" She spoke then, her dark eyes moving to watch the flames dancing a decent way away.

"Do you want a butter beer, or a fire whiskey?" She questioned then as Harry moved to refill his glass, and Storm's with a deep amber liquid. The smell of the Fire whiskey hitting Hermione's nose as it hit the bottom of the first glass. It was Storm's drink of choice for when they were at home, very rarely did she drink it at the Cauldron.

"I'll stick to Butterbeer for now, and I'll have a Fire Whiskey in a little while" She answered politely, allowing the younger woman to move in order to fish her a drink out from somewhere down by her side. Two bottles followed, and Storm handed one to herself and one across to Joe who had remained quite quiet.

"So, Joe was just telling us about a girl at school" Ginny spoke then and Hermione could see the mischievous grin that had captured the redhead's features. Her light eyes flicking to the shifter who was sat a little awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck as she visibly considered what the implications of that statement meant.

"Oh really? Is this a girlfriend, or a friend?" Hermione quizzed then, her voice chirpy as her own dark stare fixed the youngest of the group. Storm shifted beside her then, leaning further into her side as if she was looking for a little bit of comfort. Hermione figured this was definitely a first for the Shifter.

"Well, I suppose just a friend right now." Joe replied, "She plays quidditch too! But for Gryffindor" He added as if it was the most important thing in the world. Obviously, that would be the case. At least they'd have something to discuss she supposed.

"We do love a good Gryffindor!" Harry added proudly. The young man the only one out of the group not to be sorted into the house. "Definitely keeping good company there, I must say" He spoke again before sipping on his beverage.

"What's her name?" Hermione questioned then, curious to know. "Is she in your year?" She prompted. She remembered what it was like to be that age, there had been many blossoming couples amongst their friends.

"She's called Amelia and no, she's in the year above me" He answered proudly, his smug grin resembling that of Storm's own. Though the shifter looked torn in that moment.

"Ah he likes the older ones, taking after your mother there aren't you?" Ginny laughed then, throwing the still silent Shifter a coy smirk.

"I don't know what your talking about" Storm laughed a little, shaking her head as she did so. She pushed her hair out of her eyes then and flicked her gaze towards her son. "As long as she's nice" She added, nodding towards the lad. "And you stay on top of your homework" She added much to Hermione's pleasure.

"I didn't even think you knew that word?" Ginny added, her tone teasing as she did so. "I swear you thought the library was for napping"

Hermione and Storm seemed to scoff in tandem, the elder witch rolling her eyes though she wasn't quite surprised at all. She had frequently stumbled upon Storm napping in a secluded corner, so much so she had expected it almost every time she had gone to the library.

"It's very quiet, and nobody except Hermione liked to go there. A perfect place to nap with a view!" Storm defended herself, though didn't try to deny the accusation. Obviously, those are two very important factors when considering a place to snooze for a while.

"Storm!" Hermione scolded, though there was no anger in her tone. A sly smile took her features then, unable to really stop herself from laughing at the insinuation.

"Because that doesn't make you sound like a stalker at all…" Ginny drawled around the rim of her own glass full of pumpkin juice.

"Hey! Not a stalker, I didn't go to the library to seek Hermione out, or follow her there. I just simply went to nap in a quiet corner and if she was there also it was a bonus. Besides, you could suggest maybe Hermione only went to the library to watch me sleep… Which one sounds more bizarre?" The Shifter argued her point, an indignant smirk tugging at her lips as she watched the sly smirk Hermione had been wearing drop.

"I did not go to watch you sleep!" Hermione retorted quickly, her dark eyes wide as she folded her arms across her chest. Eyebrows raised to the point of almost disappearing entirely. "Don't be so silly!" She added, still unable to believe her soon to be wife.

"You're right, if it didn't have pages or red hair you weren't interested back then" Storm retorted again a little pointedly, though they all knew that wasn't true. Outwardly, Hermione had seemed to be absolutely smitten with the red headed boy. But inwardly she had battled with her own feelings. Storm had caught her eye that last year, and she had hated herself for the thoughts that had plagued her mind.

They all knew that was the case, and she may or may not have found herself watching the younger woman on a few occasions. She had always been so loud, and obnoxious that Hermione had been surprised at how quiet she could actually be. She had always kept that bit of information to herself, and once again Storm had surprised her with the notion that she was well aware of what had actually been happening.

Her infatuation didn't mean she hadn't loved Ron, not at all. It had just meant that perhaps even early on they had just been meant to stay friends. Storm was just a force to be reckoned with in every aspect of the term, and she had been intrigued. But she had built her wall to repel the Shifter, hiding behind harsh words and putting the younger woman into boxes in her mind to keep the thoughts of what it might be like to know her at bay.

"So! What are we having for dinner?" Harry piped up then, his voice chipper as he pulled the conversation away and back towards a safe topic. He knew Storm could continue to tease anyone for as long as she was allowed to do so, which he figured would probably get her in trouble at some point in the evening.

"Hot dogs!" Joe called then, having stayed quiet to watch the teasing with thinly veiled amusement. He too figured the trajectory of the evening would continue in much the same way. Something he was quite happy for.

He enjoyed the way his mother seemed to relax around the older woman. Grateful to soon be able to call her his stepmother. He knew they'd get on well, and was looking forward to being able to spend the future with the two of them and any siblings that may lead to. He had begun to lose hope, but now as they sat together this was exactly where he figured they were supposed to be.

The night passed much in the same way, as many of their evenings normally did. Storm and Hermione made their way slowly up the stairs, having sat up until the early hours of the morning. Harry and Ginny had gone home just shy of midnight, and Joe had disappeared upstairs just after.

The youngest of the two had peaked in on her son as they passed his room on the way to their own. The lad dead asleep in his bed, sprawled on his back and snoring his head off already. They had an early morning, and Storm figured she wasn't actually surprised by the sight that had met her.

"I can't believe he's old enough for a girlfriend" She stated quietly as she made her way into their room, following hot on Hermione's tail. Rubbing the back of her hand across her eyes before scrubbing her palms down her face tiredly.

"I still can't believe you are a parent" Hermione quipped as she changed, her tone light as she rummaged through her drawers for a large t-shirt she had confiscated from the younger witch. "He's much calmer and quieter than I would expect any child of yours to actually be" She added.

She really liked the young lad, there was absolutely nothing she had found so far to dislike. He looked a lot like Storm, and she figured there wasn't much time left where he would remain smaller than his mother. He was almost the same height as she was, which was impressive considering she was at least six feet herself.

His shoulders were broad like hers, though he hadn't really filled out yet and he was quite lanky. Much like she had been in school. But he was calm and quiet and collected. She was loud, and spoke before she engaged her brain in most situations. They were both so incredibly caring, so incredibly thoughtful when it came to things that really mattered.

"Me too" Storm laughed, unable to disagree at all. "We'll get the firecracker. Your not exactly quiet and reserved yourself are you?" She added as she shrugged the clothes from her body before scooping the pile up from the floor to drop into their wash basket.

She made no move to put anything else on, and slid into their bed in just her dark grey boxers. Hermione raised an eyebrow at the insinuation, moving to shut the lights off before making her way back to the bed to slide under with the younger witch. "I don't know what you mean" She muttered as she moved to slide her hand across the naked flesh at Storm's stomach.

"Obviously you do, you're the most outspoken person I know. You don't let people get away with things you don't agree with. That's not to say it's a bad thing, I admire your kind of loud." Storm continued quietly, her voice carrying in the dark.

"I can't wait to see what our children might be like" Hermione stated simply, moving to press a kiss to the hinge of Storm's jaw as she finished. Dragging her lips down her neck slowly in just the right way.

"I hope they take after you" Storm laughed then, moving to roll onto her side to face the older woman. Moving to capture the brunette's plump bottom lip between her own, a large hand moving to tug the hem of her own t-shirt the older woman was wearing up ever so slightly as she raised an eyebrow suggestively.

Hermione just smirked, wrapping her arms around the younger woman's neck to bury her fingers in dark unruly hair. Tugging slightly as she lent up to take Storm's lips once again, the kiss chaste and followed swiftly by the swipe of her tongue along the younger woman's bottom lip before she too pulled away ever so slightly.

"Well, there's only one way to find out" She spoke quietly, as a matter of factly. Watching as Storm smirked in the darkness as she moved to grab her wand to mutter a silencing charm at the door.

"Practice does make perfect!" The shifter laughed then before dropping her wand back down, shifting what was necessary to get the job done.

"You are impossible" Hermione replied, her own soft laugh escaping into the quiet of the room. She was most definitely looking forward to whatever the future may hold.