Hermione sat alone in her living room, thinking about what had happened the other night after the date. She didn't know what was going on, but the look on Jade's face seemed conflicted. The brunette had wanted to chase after her, but argued against it, seeing that Jade was much faster than she was.
It was late Tuesday night before Hermione decided to forget about the date and try and move on with the day and her work load. She and Fleur still had a lot of paper work to file and supposedly Amos was sending them to Manchester to investigate some odd happenings outside the city. One of his contacts had mentioned werewolves, but they usually only showed themselves every month and it was twice in one week these beasts were seen. After finishing some work she headed to bed finally, still trying to forget about Jade.
The next morning, the young hunter made her way to the Ministry to meet Fleur and gather supplies before they left for Manchester. She couldn't help the feeling of apprehension she had as she met the blonde Veela outside of her office after handing in some paper work to Amos.
"Are you ready to go to Diagon Alley, Hermione?" Fleur asked as she exited her office. "I need to grab some potions before we leave. Mon amie, are you all right?" The blonde could see the troubled look on her face and before she knew it, Hermione was spilling her guts to her friend about the date she had last weekend as they walked to Diagon Alley. "Don't worry too much about it, 'Mione."
"I can't help it, Fleur." Hermione said solemnly as they entered the potions shop. "I just miss her so much, and we were actually getting somewhere. She…she kissed me and it felt like it should. I just want her back." She felt so weak for feeling helpless all the time, but now with Jade in such close vicinity it was hard not to get emotional.
"I know it is hard." Fleur said gently as she laid a hand on the younger witch's shoulder. "But the date is a good thing, non? Even though it didn't end perfectly. She kissed you, that is something." Hermione nodded solemnly, she knew her friend was right, but that didn't make the situation any easier for the hunter.
x—x
"Jayce, get ready to leave." The beta barked at her subordinate as she exited her bedroom, ready for the day. "We have to go back to Manchester and see what's going on. I hear that there are sightings of werewolves twice in the same week."
"Well obviously not werewolves then, huh?" Jayce said with sarcasm dripping from his voice. He stood up and began to follow his beta out the door. "You think Cunningham or Talma are behind this?"
"I can't be sure," Jade replied as they rounded a corner into the alley. "But we have to make sure. If it is, they won't be part of the pack for long. They know better than to be seen in daylight."
As they left the eyes of the public, Jayce grabbed Jade's arm and they disapparated with a crack. They arrived in the forest. It was a cloudy day and the sky was threatening rain. Jade walked angrily over to the camp site to find Talma and Aiden sitting around stoking the fire.
"I hope for your sakes that you haven't been causing any trouble in Manchester." The two lycans looked up when they heard the beta approaching.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Aiden asked standing up defensively. He was ever the guarded type when it came to confrontation.
"We've only left the site three times since we got back." Talma added as she threw a log on the fire. "And it was at night and we never shifted."
"There have been some sightings of a werewolf in the city the past week." Jayce added as he joined his superior. "It was neither of you?"
"Watch your tone, boy." Aiden spat getting in the younger boy's face. "Like the lady said, we haven't changed since we've been here."
"You two really need to stop before I kill one of you." The two wolves looked at her with shock. "I mean it too." They glared at each other for another moment before parting ways. "We have to figure out whom or what is stalking around here, all right? Jayce, you and Talma take to the forest and see if you can find any information. Aiden and I will go into the city and look around."
Everyone nodded and paired off. Jade apparated with Aiden right outside of the city and began to look around and smell for any scents of a lycan. As they were walking around, following an unfamiliar scent, there was a familiar crack in front of them, and Fleur and Hermione appeared.
"You better get out of here." Jade whispered to Aiden, he nodded as he turned and headed in the opposite direction before disapparating. Jade eyed the hunters for a moment, memories of the date came back, as well as the flashes in her mind, which caused a familiar pang to assault her head. Since she and Hermione separated, the headaches eased, but every time Jade thought about the witch, something triggered the flash backs that didn't explain anything. Except that she and Hermione apparently had some sort of past together.
"Jade?" It was Fleur who had turned around and noticed the half lycan. "What are you doing here? I hope you're not the reason we are here." Hermione stayed silent as she looked cautiously at the dark haired woman.
"I actually think we are here for the same reason." Jade answered softly as her eyes found the brunette. "I have been searching the city, following an odd scent. It's not werewolf or lycan…but it smells like it could be? It's rather hard to explain." Fleur nodded as Jayce and Talma came running up out of nowhere.
"We-we found something." Jayce said out of breath. Talma was eyeing the two girls warily. "You have to come with us." Jade nodded and they started running in the opposite direction. Hermione and Fleur followed, though a ways back and falling farther behind.
"Jayce, help the Veela." Jade's black hair tangled around her shoulders as she stopped abruptly and pulled Hermione onto her back without letting the girl argue. "Sorry, but we need to hurry." The brunette could only stutter as she started sprinting again after her clan. It was a few minutes until they reached the eastern edge of the city and into the country side. There, Aiden had a large wolf by the neck, who was snarling and snapping at him viciously.
"It's a shape shifter!" Aiden yelled as he struggled to keep a hold on the beast. Aiden was a large man, but this wolf was at least five times larger. Finally, the wolf jerked and threw the lycan into a tree before turning towards the others. Slowly, it started to change and shift, tearing off parts of its flesh as it shrank and formed into a werewolf. Jade let Hermione off her back and the witch raised her wand defensively.
"That's why it smelled like us." Jade stated as the werewolf roared loudly. She tensed her muscles and her eyes started to glow as the rest of her companions started to shift. "Do you plan to try and take it back to the Ministry? Because I feel like you should just end this thing's life. It's obviously out of control." Hermione had never fought against a shape shifter before and wasn't really sure how to since it could change into anything at will.
"We should try and subdue it." Fleur added casting a stunning curse. "It is all going to depend on how the battle goes. After all, it is human at some point, right?" Jade wasn't really sure to be completely honest.
"It should have a human form." Hermione confirmed as she cast a binding curse, which held it momentarily before it started to shift again into something much larger. Within minutes a dragon stood before the group and breathed fire in their direction.
Casting protection spells, Fleur and Hermione watched as the lycans took cover except for Jade, who extended her hand and the fire split as it was about to engulf her. This was getting out of hand, being a dragon, this shifter could easily destroy a lot of people. Jade sent out a blast of lightning which momentarily paralyzed the dragon, but it easily shrugged it off.
"Jade, you have to shift!" Jayce growled as he tensed his body and charged the dragon. He jumped on its head and began slashing at its eyes.
Jade hated shifting, she was normally strong enough just tapping into her power before to deal with anything, but not a dragon. She lost some of herself when she changed, her anger took over most of the time so she opted to stop months ago. Now she had no choice.
As she watched the hunters and her fellow lycans trying to subdue the dragon she began to shift. Her eyes glowed bright as she felt her body starting to change. She felt her bones crack as she grew taller and her fangs began to grow. Even though she was strong, only releasing a small amount of her power, she was ten times stronger once shifted.
A loud roar emitted from the white lycan as she charged the dragon and grabbed its tail. Aiden joined her as they lifted the dragon and threw it on its back. It breathed fire again singing Jayce's tail slightly as he leapt out of the way. Jade jumped on to the dragon's face and began clawing at it fiercely. Finally, its eyes had been scratched to the point where he couldn't open them and the beast started to shrink slowly. The lycans jumped back as it started to form into a woman.
"Stay back." Jade snarled as they all stayed guarded. The girl lying on the ground half naked and bloody. The half lycan could feel the wolf in her tearing to kill, but she kept it down as she started to shift back into a human. The shift back was always a bit painful, since the pain threshold as a lycan was high, when you changed back it would always hurt a little more. Especially since Jade barely shifted once a month. Fleur walked up to the girl on the ground, her wand drawn.
"Do you realize what you could've done here?" The Veela asked angrily as she bound the girl.
"Please." The girl couldn't have been more than sixteen with auburn hair. "I-I can't control it yet. My first time shifting was last weeka nd I-I don't know how to control it when it happens. Please…" Jade walked over calmly and knelt by the girl. She extended her hand over the girl's eyes and they healed quickly. Hermione walked over as well with the other lycans and looked down at the now, pathetic looking girl.
"What's your name?" Jade asked softly as she brushed the girl's hair out of her face.
"Aria." The girl whispered. "Aria Wickham." Jade smiled and undid the binding curse. Fleur went to argue, but Jade held up a hand to silence her.
"Do you have a family, Aria?" The young girl shook her head and lowered he gaze as she sat up.
"My mother just passed away last month." Aria replied sadly. Jade offered her hand and pulled the girl up. "Then I started changing last week. I didn't even know I could do this." Jade turned to Hermione and Fleur who were talking amongst themselves. She wrapped her cloak around the teen. She waved her hand and Jayce and came and stood with the girl as the half lycan approached the hunters.
"What do you plan to do with her?" Jade asked quietly. She had seen how hasty they could be with lycans and this girl was only a threat if left unattended. Her eyes were slightly narrowed as Fleur turned her icy gaze on her.
"We need to take her with us." Jade went to protest, but Hermione didn't give her a chance. "She needs to be put in the proper agencies so she can find a guardian. The girl won't be punished because she is a minor still." The half lycan relaxed a little and sighed.
"Talma, come here won't you?" Tthe middle aged woman walked over to the three women. "How would you feel taking Aria in?"
"I would love it." Talma answered cheerily. She had once told Jade she had lost her ten year old daughter to another, more superior lycan who couldn't bear children, so she stole Talma's pup and that's when she had left her pack. "She would grow up around some that are at least a little like her own kind."
"Then it's settled." Jade said clapping her hands together. "I'll have you head over to the Ministry tomorrow and speak with the people to adopt her. How does that fare with you two?" Hermione and Fleur couldn't really argue. It wasn't their decision on who took in the girl, but Hermione did want her to find a good home for herself. Talma walked over to the young girl and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, leading her to the hunters.
"They are going to take care of you, dear." Talma whispered as they reached the witches. "We will try and get back to you soon, ok?" Aria nodded cautiously as Fleur wrapped an arm around her where Talma's once was. As the lycans and hunters parted ways another pain shot through Jade's head and she fell to her knees holding her head tightly.
I promise you now, 'Mione, I'll never let anyone hurt you and get away with it.
Jade's own voice rang loudly in her mind as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Dark gold eyes glanced over her shoulder to see Hermione crouching down next to her. She gave a weak smile as she took a steadying breath and the ringing in her ears ebbed slightly. Jade still hadn't figured out what all of this was. It was mainly her voice that would sound in her mind when this pain would occur, but always addressed towards the brunette next to her.
"What's going on, Jade?" Hermione asked softly. Fleur had long apparated away with Aria, and Jayce was standing a few yards away with the other two lycans talking quietly. "The last time I saw you, an episode similar to this happened, but this one seems worse."
"I-" Jade took another breath as she sat down on the grass and turned to face the girl. "I knew you before?" Hermione inhaled sharply as she instinctively pulled away from the half lycan. "You were…we…"
"Jade, we-" Hermione didn't know what to say. Should she tell her lover they used to be well…lovers? She averted her brown eyes to the ground and suddenly noticed Jade had leaned forward and was examining her face very closely. Hermione sighed softly when the half lycan's hand cupped her cheek gently. "Jade."
"'Mione." Another pain, more unbearable ringing. A scene this time, she was in a house with Hermione and Fleur…others she didn't really recognize besides Harry Potter.
As Jade opened the box and opened it, her eyes widened as she saw a small blue crest with a silver wolf in the middle for her cloak. "Hermione…"Jade whispered as she picked up the brooch and examined it closely. "This is beautiful. I love it!" Her blue eyes were sparkling as she looked into Hermione's brown ones. The brunette was blushing as Jade gently grasped her hands and entwined their fingers.
Jade's eyes trailed down to Hermione's brooch and her fingers brushed over it softly.
"This, you got me this." Jade's eyes were confused and narrowed from the pain in her head. "For my birthday. I-"
Suddenly the pain intensified and several images and words started flashing in Jade's mind. She saw her and Hermione flying on a pegasus, eating together, sleeping together. I love you was echoing in and out of her ears as her hands tried to steady her over active mind.
Hermione's face kept flashing over and over. Laughter, Jade's name leaving her lips. Her smile, her eyes, her voice was everywhere and it was starting to overtake the lycan. All her brain could focus on was the rush of Hermione in her thoughts. In reality, the brunette gasped and gently laid Jade on the ground, she gently brushed the hair away from the lycan's face and couldn't hide the fear in her voice anymore.
"Jade, please tell me what's going on?!" Hermione was scared. Jade was in a lot of pain and Jayce was jogging over to them. A stifled yell escaped the woman's throat as she rolled slightly and her whole body tensed as the pain got worse, burning, white hot inside her skull. Jade couldn't hear anyone's voice but Hermione's, and only in her head.
I love you.
You promised to protect me, Jade!
I need you.
I've missed you.
I don't care if you're half lycan…as long as you still love me, I don't care what you are.
I'm not going anywhere.
Suddenly the images started shifting to Rayna, a fight between them and a rather large scar that was left on Jade's right side. A scene of Rayna's lycan form holding Hermione by the neck and the blonde's voice ringing loudly.
"You're just a weak human witch. You don't belong with her; perhaps I should do you both a favor and rid you of this life?"
Another flash and Jade was shifted and fighting off lycans. Her father there, laughing with red eyes glowing.
"I promise to you," Thrash's voice was calm and collected as she spoke in a diplomatic tone. "She won't be harmed, if you join me."
Another flash.
"You're going to forget me." Hermione whispered keeping her eyes shut tight. "When he bites you, you're going to forget me and I can't handle that, that bite will claim you as his. You are everything to me and I love you, how am I supposed to go on without you with me?"
Another shift and Hermione was smiling at her lovingly before pulling her head down into a kiss. More of her laughter and images of the brunette's smile filled her mind before another flash blinded the half lycan, her own voice filling her head.
"You mean the world to me Hermione Granger, and I know it seems like I'm throwing us away, but I'm saving us. I couldn't live knowing that I was the reason you died. I can survive with the knowledge that you're safe and will stay safe from my father, even if I can't be with you."
I will find you again.
Finally the flashes stopped, the images faded and the burning extinguished. Jade's head was still throbbing as she opened her eye momentarily to find herself in the tent at the camp outside in the forest. Everything was still blurring and her ears still ringing slightly. A figure was standing over her cooling her forehead with a damp cloth. She tried hard to focus on what was going on, but the bright light from the lamps in the tent made her vision even worse and her brain screamed at her to close her aching eyes. The half lycan gave in as she slipped out of consciousness.
x—x
Hermione sat there in the company of the three other lycans, Jayce, who was pacing frantically, as the brunette continued to nurse the half lycan in her cot.
"You're going to burn a hole in the ground, pup." Talma said gently from another cot across the way. "She's fine, the girl said so, she's just exhausted. Give her some time for Lycaon's sake."
"What if it's something serious?" The boy asked his emotions getting away from him. Jade was his beta and he was naturally drawn to protect her. "How do you know this girl knows what she's doing?!"
"Jade trusted her." Aiden said quietly, yet firmly towards the teenager. "You are acting like a child. Calm down and get your mind straight. You're not doing her any good pacing around like a fool." At any other time Jayce might've argued with the older lycan, but he knew that Aiden was right. He was acting foolish, finally he took a seat on the cot across from Talma and sighed, putting his hands in his brown hair.
"She's been having headaches." Hermione added to try and calm the lycan's nerves. "I feel like she just hasn't been getting enough sleep. Not to mention the amount of magical energy she used during tonight's encounter. She will be fine, I promise."
Jayce gave a weak smile and nodded before lying back on his bed. The brunette sighed heavily as she watched Jade's now still figure. The past hour had been spent with the half lycan tossing and turning, gripping her head like it was going to explode. She still didn't know what to make of the almost conversation they had had before she had passed out. The opportunity for the truth was nagging at the girl eagerly. All she wanted was to kiss those lips and be with her like they had been long ago. As she heard the lycans in the tent start to softly snore, she waved her hand and the lanterns dimmed.
"Please, Jade," Hermione whispered as she turned her attention back to the dark haired girl. "I want to tell you everything. I want to tell you about us, about what happened…why you can't remember. I want to tell you how much I love you and I want to be able to kiss you." The brunette paused slightly as she thought back about their recent date. "When you almost kissed me on our date, I'm surprised you couldn't feel my heart beat. It was racing being so close to you again. I need you, Jade. Please…please come back to me like you promised you would."
Hermione finally sighed and moved a cot right next to Jade's and took a spare blanket and pillow. As she laid down, she turned on her side to face the half lycan. She gently took her hand and interlaced their fingers before bringing it to her lips and kissing it softly.
"You don't know how long I've waited to see you again. To be with you again." The hunter whispered softly again as she dimmed the lights more. "Don't make me wait much longer, McHale." With that Hermione pulled the blanket tight around her and closed her eyes as sleep gently took her away.
x—x
Jade's dreams were restless that night. Images of her present and her supposed past were clashing together horribly in her mind, fighting with each other relentlessly. The memory her mother being murdered came back hard and her brain wanted desperately to forget again. She couldn't believe that her father had killed her mother in cold blood.
In Jade's subconscious, the lycan venom in her blood was urgently trying to overpower her lycan genes and transform them into what they used to be, but her wolf blood fought hard against the venom to help the girl keep the memories she once possessed. Suddenly, another light erupted behind Jade's eyes. A cleansing light, then suddenly she jolted awake to see the sun flooding through the opening of the tent. The girl felt a warm hand in hers and looked over to see Hermione sleeping soundly next to her, grasping her hand.
"Four years." Jade whispered to herself quietly as she shut her eyes again. "Four years and you still waited and looked for me." She rolled on her side so she was face to face with her former lover. "I won't let you down again, Hermione." Jade leaned forward and laid a soft, feather light kiss on the hunter's head. As she closed her eyes again she was pleased that she fell asleep once more without a dispute from her troubled, yet calming mind.