Previously:

"You better have a damn good reason for this Jacob." threatened their alpha as he matched Sam's glare for one of his own then after caving muttered to himself.

"What was that?" questioned Sam

"I think I imprinted."

Dear Harry,

I know you and the others must be furious right now and I can't really blame you...

'Jacob Black. What do you hide behind your eyes?'

That was the very same question Jacob had asked her when he hugged her goodbye after he did the same gesture for Bella and Charlie.

Now:

One month had now passed since the day Hermione met Jacob. One month, since Hermione had met the Cullens. One month since she realized there were vampires in Forks. And the most important of all she had only one week to prepare for Bella's birthday.

'Can't believe it's been a month since I've been here. Orion has decided to take his sweet time coming back as well. Ginny no doubt coddling him to no end.' thought Hermione to herself as she entered the little café she found the first time she came here a few weeks ago.

"Hello, ma'am. Welcome to Silver Clove Café. What can I get for you today?" asked a girl Hermione remembered seeing from Bella's high school.

"A Vanilla Iced Frappuccino. With a chocolate chip blondie." said the young witch with a smile as she watched the girl walk away before reading the book temporarily forgotten in her lap. Just as she was about to get to the next page she sensed and felt a shadow fall upon her.

Then without looking up from the book she spoke, "Alice isn't it?" Hermione started yet before she could finish asked, "Would you like a seat?"

As the young pixie like creature sat across from Bella's little cousin, Hermione closed the book after marking her place and set it aside in her handbag then turned to Alice.

"I really didn't expect you here. And I'm sorry if I ruined your day. But I wanted to talk to you and I don't really know I if I would get another chance to see you before the week was up." started Alice quietly accepting the offered seat and creating the conversation that she deemed so necessary. Alice could not see the witch and she just oozed power to the vampire. Quite bluntly Hermione scared the living hell out of Alice and they 'young' one who was usually so good with people did not know how to act in front of the woman sitting across from her.

"It's fine. I always enjoy company when I can. And with that in consideration you hardly ruined my day. What do you need?" asked Hermione as her blondie and coffee came to the table. She paid, thanked the waitress and then spoke again to keep up appearances, "Did you want anything to eat or drink? My treat." said Hermione with a smile as Alice's eyes widened, in shock and confusion.

"No thank you Hermione. I just had an early lunch at this restaurant on the other side of town." excused Alice, "I was just wondering when you were throwing a party for Bella."

"Oh?" asked Hermione raising an eyebrow in question

"Yeah. Her and Edward have been going out for a year now and she's like family. We want to throw a little mini party for her at the house. Next Friday after school?" Alice meant for it to come out as a statement but the way the words tumbled out of her mouth seemed as though she was asking the girl in front of her for permission.

"Well Charlie was taking us to the Rez Saturday. So if Bella's fine with it Friday should be perfect for your party." spoke Hermione quietly noticing Alice's sudden change of personality.

"Great!" exclaimed Alice happily dancing in her seat, "Thanks Hermione I owe you."

"Then I'm taking payment now." said Hermione stopping Alice from leaving, a ghostly chill crawling up and down her spine, "A question for a question. Only fair right." asked Hermione as Alice's eyes widened in shock, "What did you get for Bella? I have absolutely no idea what to buy her. I haven't seen her since we were eleven or twelve and a month isn't really an adequate time to catch up that many years." finished the witch lamely rubbing the back of her head nervously.

"I hope you realize what this means Hermione." spoke Alice seriously this time as it was Hermione's turn to widen her eyes in shock and semi-horror. "Shopping!" Alice yelled as she grabbed Hermione.

The witch unable to contain her magic until the last moment from shock, it was too late though when she wielded in the power she usually has superb control over. Alice was pushed about three feet away from the younger woman. Completely in shock, Alice merely stood there barely able to not shake now that she felt the raw power of Hermione's magic convulse around her.

"I really have to apologize about that Alice. I usually have much better control over my powers." Hermione answered taking a step back from the vampire, "I have no idea why, but for whatever the reason may be, since being attacked by a rogue werewolf about a year ago, my magic hasn't taken well to a lot of other magical creatures, vampires especially."

As Hermione noticed Alice not moving from her place, she turned her back on the girl like creature and picked up her coffee and blondie.

"You and your 'family' aren't my concern here, Alice. So long as you leave my family alone we will have no problems with each other. So … have a nice day."

As she made her way back towards her truck, she really couldn't find reason to think about any of her problems nor reason to wipe the smile off her face nor hide the laughter flowing from her mouth.

It took Alice another full minute before she was able to leave from that spot, thoroughly shaken from her conversation with Hermione.

…

It had been one month since Jacob had met Hermione. One month since he had last seen her. One month since he last transformed in fear of the others reading his Hermione-induced thoughts. One week until he had to see her again because of Bella's birthday. But the best one of all … It had been one month since Jacob had entered denial.

'Okay Jacob. Just relax and breathe. Do not think of Hermione. Let's see think about the pack. Dad and Charlie. Bel-la. Yea, B-Bella. You like Bella. Not her little cousin. Not Hermione. Even though she has the prettiest curly hair he had ever seen. And the way a pair of dimples appeared on her cheeks when she laughed. And her laugh! My God. Oh damn it. I did it again.' thought Jacob as he paced back and forth in his room, until of course a howling echo reached his ears beckoning him to go outside with the other pack members.

Which is exactly what he did.

"What's up guys?" asked Jacob but speaking mainly towards his alpha.

"Vampires." spoke Sam quickly turning around stripping off his clothes about to transform until he turned around slightly and answered his unasked question.

"It's not the Cullens." and with that said he transformed and signaled for the others to do the same.

Jacob did so reluctantly.

…

"We're going." stated a very pregnant Ginny to her husband.

"We can't Gin. You know how Hermione is." stated Harry trying to placate his wife.

"Yes I do. You may be her best mate Harry, but I am her best girlfriend. So we are going and that's final." yelled Ginny stomping on her slightly swollen foot for emphasis.

"And where do you suppose we stay. There might not be enough room where Hermione is. And-"

"And we are both now legally adults of the wizarding world. Rent a hotel. Buy a house. I don't care but so help me you are going to do something, Harry James Potter." finished Ginny slamming the door shut behind her husband as he sighed and muttered, "Yes, dear."

…

Sam snapped at the leech's heels once more almost catching her, but once again she sped up at the last minute, and all the pack were getting irritated.

'Damn leech.' thought Quil bitterly as she kicked the top of his left ear, causing him to stumble back a bit.

'I know. Who the hell does she think she is?' replied Embry.

'Less thinking. More attacking.' ordered Sam as he noticed the only ones who were actually keeping with the vamp were himself and Jacob.

'Yes sir.' replied back the two prankster sarcastically but followed his orders anyway.

'Could be worst.' thought Embry

'How's that?' asked Quil

'We could have imprinted on someone.' he answered with a snigger until he was tripped by Jacob who merely snickered at his friend's 'accident'.

'Oh wait till we've finally killed that bloodsucker. I am so gonna get you back for that.' answered back Embry in a fake anger mode.

'You can start whenever we get back to the Rez.' answered Sam as everyone questioned why they stopped.

'Idiots. We ran her to the borders of Canada. Unless you wanted to follow her…' trailed off Sam before walking away not even bothering to wait for replies from the others.

…

"So where have you been all day?" asked Bella as she saw Hermione quickly hide a bag behind her back.

"Out." answered Hermione nonchalantly

"Why?" asked a giddy Bella

"I wanted to get your birthday present and I'm going to wrap and then hide it. So don't even think about sneaking into the room for like the next 20 minutes." said Hermione in her no nonsense voice.

"Ma'am, yes ma'am." saluted Bella before walking into the kitchen.

"I don't even know what the big deal is I'm only going to be eighteen." Bella spoke as she saw Hermione walk down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Yeah. And do you realize how old you are mentally?" asked Hermione taking a seat after grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Nope but I'm sure you'll explain it to me."

"You are more like thirty-five while I'm like thirty-two."

"Shut up. Really?" asked Bella, laughing at her cousin's antics

"Yep. In fact.. Oh Bella? Is…Is that a gray hair?"

"No. No it's not." answered Bella but after seeing the not so believing look Hermione gave her she quickly looked at her hair through on of the pots hanging in the kitchen. Then as her cousin started laughing and walking away you could hear Bella's frustrated cry and her yelling after her cousin all the way on the next block.

"Very funny, brat!"

…

Summary: Hermione could not believe how she got conned into going to visit her relatives in the states after the war. There were only three things she knew for sure. First she was a very tired and exhausted warrior from war not yet ready to move on like her parents were forcing her to do. Second she was not allowed to use any of her magic. And third Hermione knew irrevocably and without a doubt that if nothing interesting would happen in Forks, Washington something or someone is going to get blown up.

Pairings: Hermione Granger x Jacob Black

Rated: M+

Edited: 05/07/12

Dark Lunar Love