CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Summary: Hermione Granger, one of the brightest minds of her generation, makes a decision that will ultimately change her future plans. At twenty-three, she finds herself moving to a strange town that's a hell-mouth for supernatural beings, pregnant, and in way over her head. And the father of her unborn child? The tall, dark and handsome werewolf, Derek Hale. Rated M for a reason.
Disclaimer: I do not own canon events and characters, they belong to J.K Rowling and the creators of Teen Wolf and MTV. This is purely for entertainment purposes and I am not making a profit from the posting of this. This is set after Season 3, and everything from season 4 onwards doesn't happen; so no deadpool, Beast, Dread Doctors, Wild Hunt or Hunters. Allison still died, Liam will still be appearing, and there is no Kira or Malia. Derek is 22 and Hermione is 23. I'm fudging the time line a bit, too.
Page count: 11
Hermione saw the shocking red hair and the mop of messy black hair before she even heard their voices carrying in the wind, and she took a moment stood behind a tree to observe the two intruders who had no right to be looking for her.
"We're lost," Harry sighed.
"No, it's around here somewhere, Jenson gave us the general location of her address, she's definitely here."
Hermione ground her teeth and clenched her hands into tight fists. Jenson was responsible for keeping the records of the employee's of The Ministry private. They were very few people that were allowed access to such records, one of them being The American Minister himself. Jenson had broken rule number one; don't give out the information of an employee unless there's permission from The Minister to do so. She knew The Minster wouldn't have allowed such a thing, so she knew Harry had used his fame and name to get access. When she was done with Harry and Ron, she was going to make it her personal mission that Jenson was fired for breaching her privacy.
"Ron, we're not going to find her."
"We are, she can't be far," he protested.
Hermione took one final calming breath before she put her hand in her pocket, feeling the safety of her wand wash over her before she stepped out from behind the tree.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
They both spun around and Harry almost tripped over a fallen branch behind him. Their eyes widened and their mouths dropped open as they stared at her stomach.
"I asked you a question."
They were both able to close their mouths and they moved their eyes back to her face, anger and hatred written as clear as day across her features.
"It's true, you are cheating on me," Ron spat.
Hermione laughed at him. "I've never once been unfaithful to you, I didn't fall pregnant until after I broke up with you and called off the wedding and it's the best decision I've ever made."
"My mother was right about you," he sneered.
"Your mother's just as deranged as you are. What did you think? Me moving here was just me trying to prove a point? That I was just being a naughty little girlfriend and I would soon come to my senses and come back to you? Is that what you thought? If you did you're not as smart as I thought you were. I'm not yours, I don't belong to you. I want nothing to do with you, Ronald. You're a horrid human being," she said coldly, before she turned her eyes to Harry.
"And you, I warned you what would happen if you spilled my secret and as you know I'm a woman of my word. The-Boy-Who-Lived? Well, let's see if you survive what your bitch of a wife will do to you when she discovers the truth."
Harry paled dramatically but he sent a glare her way and she spied Ron gripping his wand in his hand and his face turning red, a sign his anger was about to boil over.
"What you did to me is unforgivable."
"I was good to you. I could've easily found someone better but I chose you."
Hermione scoffed. "I think you'll find I chose you. You're a spiteful little man and I hate you for everything you did to me. The belittling, the abuse, the making me feel bad about myself, sabotaging my contraceptives, I could have you arrested for that, it's both an act of domestic abuse and a sexual offense. How will you con some poor woman into marrying you and having your devil spawn when you're on the sex offenders register?"
"You were never good enough for me," he snarled. "I've had women far more beautiful than you throwing themselves at me."
"And you didn't turn them away, I'm not stupid Ronald, and they were likely gold diggers or prostitutes. No one in their right mind would want to marry you; you're a hideous human being and if the press caught wind of how you treated me, your life would be over. Even if you leaked the news of my pregnancy your press coverage would be greater than mine, isn't that something you've always wanted? Imagine, Ronald Weasley, war hero and Harry Potter's best friend arrested and charged with domestic abuse and sexual offenses. I can just see the headlines now."
"You weren't good enough for me and I see that now, but it doesn't matter anymore. You're out of my life and I'm happier for it. I have a good job, a wonderful boyfriend and a family I adore. You have no room in my life, I don't want you here, leave now."
"I have every right to be here," Ron spat, his grip on his wand tightening.
"No you don't. I bet you don't even have the correct visitation paperwork for entering the States, do you?" She raised an eyebrow. "That's what I thought. So not only have you broken the laws of the Global Wizarding Relations, the American and British Ministries by coercing private, protected information from a Ministry official, but you also plan on harming an American citizen, too? You two are more like criminals than I realised, that's not going to be good for your record, is it Harry?"
Harry's glare hardened and Ron slowly lifted his wand.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," she said lightly. "Not only am I unstable right now," she gestured to her stomach. "But there's muggles nearby and if you should reveal our existence to them, that's another crime to add to your growing list."
"You're a bitch,"
"No, that's your sister," she said without missing a beat.
"Someday you're going to get what's coming to you and I'm going to enjoy it."
"I'd be careful with who you threaten," growled words sounded and Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose.
"I told you to let me handle this," she said, not bothering to look over her shoulder.
She felt him sidle up beside her, one arm curling around her and pressing against her stomach. She knew he'd heard everything and she knew he was furious. Not only were growls rumbling in his chest and his face contorted in anger and dislike, but his frame was tall and rigid and she spied his other hand curled into a tight fist, blood running down his hand where his claws were digging into his skin in an effort for him to control himself.
Scott came up on her other side and his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes narrowed, but it was clear to her he was calm. Stiles moved to stand beside Scott and dug his hands in the pockets of his jacket, tilting his head to the side with his eyes also narrowed.
"I suggest the both of you leave, now," Derek warned.
Ron sneered at him. "Oh, so this is him, is it?" He said. "He's obviously after something, no one that looks like him would willingly be with a buck toothed, bushy haired freak like you."
Hermione flinched at the childhood name calling and Derek let out a growl.
"Are we seeing the same person?" Stiles spoke up, looking to Hermione and then to Ron, giving him a look that as clear as day said he was an idiot.
"What? You purposely got pregnant, didn't you? That's why he's with you, you trapped him."
Hermione gritted her teeth.
"You must be the dumbest person I've ever met," Stiles said. "Like, seriously, only an idiot would wind him up," he gestured to Derek with his head. "I mean, not only are you threatening his pregnant girlfriend, but you're insulting her in front of him, too? And people say Americans are stupid," he rolled his eyes.
Ron glared at him and Hermione just sighed.
"Look, just go, no one wants you here and you've broken so many laws today that even the great Harry Potter's name won't be able to prevent you from being arrested, and trust me, that's a sight I'll pay my entire net worth to see."
"MUMMY! DADDY!"
Hermione froze and Derek did the same next to her. She didn't want Teddy there and she'd been hoping Liam would be able to distract him long enough for her to get rid of the two dimwits. Teddy had been hurt enough by Harry and she wasn't sure how seeing him again would affect the young child.
Hermione turned to look over her shoulder, seeing Teddy dragging Liam over to them by the hand and Magic walking beside them. One look at Liam's face told her he'd heard everything and he looked furious.
Liam might have only known her a few days, but on the night of the full moon they'd bonded in the way of pack. Liam was a pup and he saw Hermione as his wolf mother, so of course he would feel protective of her. The others had come to the same conclusion and realised that Liam was most likely the one that would lose control, not Derek.
Hermione looked to Harry, seeing him looking completely surprised to see Teddy in the middle of the woods in Beacon Hills. Of course he wouldn't know he and Andromeda had moved because she hadn't told him she was moving, not deeming Harry worthy enough to know after all the times he'd let Teddy down, and completely replacing him his child was the last straw for The Black witch. Hermione was sure if Andromeda hadn't been so unwell she'd have cursed Harry within an inch of his life.
"Look, we found a really big spider," Teddy said, coming to a stop beside Derek and holding his hand out, showing that in his palm sat a spider, and it was actually quite big. Hermione smirked when Ron took a step back.
"Wow, that is a big spider," she said.
"Teddy?" Harry spoke in surprise.
Teddy's smile immediately dropped from his face when he turned around.
"Harry?" Teddy said.
A frown pulled at his face and he put the spider on the ground before removing his hand from Liam's and instead he stepped closer into Derek's side, and he placed his now healed hand on the child's shoulder. Liam moved so he nudged his way in-between Scott and Hermione, clasping his hands together into tight fists and his jaw clenched.
Harry blinked in surprise at Teddy's addressing, noting the way he hadn't called him 'Uncle Harry,' like he'd always done.
"Teddy? What...What are you doing here?"
Teddy's face pulled into a scowl and he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Looking for rabbits and birds with Liam," he replied, looking at Harry as if he were stupid and Stiles sent Teddy a proud look. "I've been to school and Daddy picked me up."
Harry and Ron both blinked before they shared a look and Harry's face suddenly contorted from confusion into anger.
"You say we're criminals, yet you kidnapped and brainwashed a child," Harry yelled. "You're the biggest criminal there is."
Hermione blinked slowly before she burst out laughing, earning strange looks from the werewolves.
"You're a bloody idiot," she told him. "I haven't kidnapped or brainwashed anyone. You're the one that did this to yourself."
Harry glared at her before looking at Teddy. "Teddy, come here, I'm taking you home to your Grandmother."
Teddy blinked at him. "Gran's in bed sleeping," he said.
"Teddy, get away from her," Harry instructed.
Teddy shook his head. "No, she's my mummy."
"No, she isn't!"
"Yes, she is!" Teddy shouted back at him, tears beginning to well in his eyes and Hermione felt her heart breaking for the little boy, but she was proud to see that his hair didn't once falter from the sandy blonde colour despite his mood changing drastically.
"She's my mummy and he's my daddy," he looked to Derek. "They love me and take care of me. We're pack and daddy's the Alpha and he keeps us safe from bad people. They see me all the time and help me with my homework. You don't see me."
"Teddy," Harry's voice softened. "Ginny's got a baby in her tummy; I have to look after her. That's why I haven't been to see you."
"You're a liar!" Teddy shouted. "Mummy's got babies in her tummy and she came to see me. Gran said you were busy working, but she lied. You didn't want to see me. You smell bad. I don't want to see you ever again." Teddy's tears spilled down his cheeks and his lip started trembling. "I hate you!" He yelled, before he turned and ran off into the distance and Magic followed after him.
"I'll go," Stiles said, sending a glare to Harry and Ron before he ran after Teddy. "Tedster! Slow down, I'm not as fast as you and I'll fall over!" Stiles called as he disappeared through the trees.
Harry made to go after him but a growl ripping from both Derek and Liam stilled him instantly and he looked up to them, his eyes widening at seeing the bright gold eyes of Liam, and the bright blue eyes of Derek.
"He means it, Harry. We're a pack, you wouldn't understand that. You were never marked as being a part of Remus' pack the way Teddy and I were. You didn't feel your heart being torn out when Remus died, and you don't feel the bond Teddy and I do. We can still feel the remnants of The Lupin pack, but now we've both got a new pack," Hermione spoke. "You did this to yourself. I moved to a different continent and was still able to visit Teddy; you have no excuse which will appease him, he's young, not stupid. You chose someone else over him."
"Ginny's pregnant!"
"So am I, the only difference being I'm not replacing Teddy with my baby. Andy told me exactly what you said to her, and you're lucky I wasn't there otherwise you'd have gotten a lot worse than getting kicked out on your arse. You've hurt that little boy more than you know, and he's never going to forgive you for what you've done to him. He said you smell bad, he thinks you're a bad person."
Harry shook his head. "When I get back, I'm going to make sure Andy knows exactly where Teddy is and I'm going to bring an entire team to extract Teddy from you."
Derek snarled menacingly and both Harry and Ron took a step back.
"Are you threatening my pack?" He asked, his voice deepening and growls wrapping around his words.
"You know I told you my boyfriend was a supernatural being?" She said. "Well, what I didn't tell you was he's a werewolf, as are Liam and Scott," she gestured to them in turn. Harry and Ron both shared fearful looks and Hermione felt a smile pull at her mouth. "Supernatural werewolves don't require the full moon to change, they can do so any time they wish. While Derek was born the way he is and comes from a long line of werewolves and therefore has excellent control over his wolf, I know he's struggling right now. Liam's a newly bitten werewolf so he's still having difficultly learning to control himself, and Scott's a True Alpha, very powerful," she explained with a smile.
"Even if you were to use your abilities against them, not only are neither of you experts like I am and therefore have no idea what you're doing, there's three of them and only two of you. You can't harm me, I have a werewolf willing to kill to protect me."
"Two werewolves," Liam corrected, growls rumbling in his chest and she caught sight of his fangs making an appearance, as well as his claws, so she carefully wrapped her hand around his, feeling him relax slightly at her touch.
"If you were there for Teddy the way you should've been, this may not have happened, but it's clear you haven't been to see Andy otherwise you'd know she and Teddy both moved to Beacon Hills a month ago, and are living with Derek and I, as a pack."
Harry's eyes widened.
"You can't take him from me, ask Kingsley yourself. It was Remus' last wish that I be made Teddy's guardian, Andy gave me the letter he wrote me a month ago and Remus explained his wishes to Kingsley before his death. As of yesterday Derek and I are Teddy's guardians and we're going through the process of officially adopting him and it can't be broken by you or anyone else. Should you take Teddy from us, you're the one that will be kidnapping. I don't ever want to see you again Harry, and especially you, too, Ronald," she said.
She looked to the red head who had been remarkably silent, but she supposed he'd been so surprised by the things he'd learned and heard, he was unable to feel his anger. He was only capable of feeling one emotion at a time, having the emotional range of tea spoon and all.
"And don't ever come here again or come looking for me or Teddy, I assure you, you won't find us. You know how adept I am at staying under the radar. And I wouldn't worry about Teddy, he's going to be well taken care of, if he wishes to see you, I'll contact you, but I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you."
"He's my Godson, Hermione!" He exploded. "You can't keep him from me."
"I'm not keeping him from you as I'll let you know if he wants to see you, but if you want to get technical, you're not officially listed as being Teddy's Godfather, you're not his anything. You have no right to him. Now, leave, and don't expect to be going home to a happy wife."
"You'll ruin my marriage if you tell her," Harry spoke.
She shrugged. "I've never liked her and after the way you've treated both Teddy and me, I no longer have friendly feelings for you either. I honestly don't care if I ruin your marriage and if that makes me a bitch, then so be it. I hope you got a pre-nup otherwise that bitch is going to take you for everything you're worth, I've known since day one she's been after The Potter Vault."
"She's not a gold digger!"
"No?" Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow. "Did she or did she not tell you to take her engagement ring back because the diamond wasn't big enough and that she wanted more than one? Did you or did you not fund the entire wedding which came in at a ringing total of fifty thousand. Did she or did she not have you give her access to the entirety of The Potter Vault? Did she or did she not cry because you booked your honeymoon for a week in Paris when she wanted a four week trip around the world?"
"Sounds like a gold digger to me," Derek smirked. Harry glared at him.
"You shouldn't keep secrets from your wife, Harry. I'm only doing the right thing in telling her."
"She'll come after you," Harry warned.
Hermione snorted. "I'd like to see the bat-shit crazy witch try, you and I both know she can't take me in a duel. I'll wipe the floor with her, heavily pregnant or not. Besides, she's going to be too busy yelling at you."
"It wasn't my fault, Hermione!" He protested. "You know it wasn't. It was the Horcrux, it made me do it."
She snorted at him. "I smell bullshit," she replied. "You and I both know the Horcruxes didn't make us do anything we didn't want to do. They played on our deepest fears and hidden emotions and desires. Everything that happened did so because the Horcrux released our inhabitations and it used our fear and doubt against us. When you tried to kiss me, it had nothing to do with the Horcrux. It was something you wanted to do but you buried it so far down because you didn't want to admit you wanted me. You wanted me over Ginny, and she's always been jealous of me, so this news of her being second to me is only going to send her over the edge." She sighed. "I'm such a bitch, I'm enjoying this far too much," she said, looking up to Derek. While his eyes were still blue, his mouth pulled into an amused smile. "And when this baby of yours is born, I'd be sure to get a paternity test done."
"Ginny would never cheat on me," Harry narrowed his eyes on her.
"She would," she told him honestly. "Once you married her she'd gotten everything she wanted. I caught her once, trying to sneak a guy into the house when you were away for work. She forgot I was staying with you since I was having some work done on my flat."
"If that's true, why didn't you tell me?"
"For the same reason you didn't tell me Ron had cheated on me, not only once, but three times," she said. Ron made a noise of surprise. "Yes, I know you cheated on me not long before I broke up with you, I'm not stupid, Ronald. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to hurt you, I may not have liked her but I knew you loved her, and God only knows why, she's awful," she shivered for affect. "And she wasn't a virgin when you to got together either."
"Yes, she was, she told me."
Hermione sighed and shook her head. "Harry, so naive. Wake up and bloody smell the roses. She slept with Michael Corner, Cormac McLaggen and Dean Thomas, and they're just the ones I know about. Ask Dean if you don't believe me, you're still friends, right? And now I've spilt some home truths and I'm feeling much better about getting them off my chest, go away. I don't want you here and neither does Teddy."
Harry and Ron both sent her looks of hatred before they reluctantly left, realising they'd been beaten and they would never be able to harm Hermione even if they wanted to, not only because of her werewolf bodyguards, but with her magic being unstable with the pregnancy she was dangerous.
When they were gone from sight she let out a huge sigh and sagged against Derek.
"Well, that was tense," Scott spoke for the first time since the whole ordeal had begun and Hermione snorted at him.
"Actually, that was quite tame. They'd have both lost their tempers if their fear of you hadn't over ridden their anger and their self-preservation instincts hadn't kicked in," she said. "And thank you for standing up for me."
"I would've killed him," Liam muttered. Hermione gave him a gentle smile and his hand a squeeze.
"But you didn't, you controlled yourself and I'm proud of you," she told him softly, before removing her hand from his. "Now let's see if we can find the children."
"Children?" Scott said, looking amused.
"Children," she nodded in conformation, before turning around and heading in the direction Teddy had ran in.
"What's a Horcrux?" He asked her.
"None of your business," she replied, he just rolled his eyes, being used to not getting answers to their questions.
"Is it true?" Derek asked her. Now he looked much calmer and his claws had retracted but his eyes were still glowing bright blue. "Did he really come on to you?"
"Yes, I was eighteen."
"But you said he was like your little brother," he said, his face scrunching up in disgust.
"I did and that's the way I saw him, Harry didn't feel the same way. I didn't know until it happened," she shrugged, before a smile pulled at her mouth when she heard laughter carrying through the woods.
Not long later they came upon the scene of Magic laid on his back and wriggling on the ground, scratching his back on the rough floor, Stiles being sprawled out on the ground on his stomach and Teddy leaning against a tree and laughing loudly.
"You're silly," Teddy laughed.
Stiles groaned before he pushed himself up and rolled onto his back, looking up at the sky. "I didn't see it."
"What's going on here?" Hermione questioned.
Teddy beamed at them and ran over to them, jumping up at Derek who caught him and sat him on his hip, while Scott walked over to Stiles and helped him up from the ground.
"Stiles was playing chases with me and he got his foot stuck in a rabbit hole and fell over," Teddy explained and they chuckled at him.
"That doesn't surprise me, Pup," Derek rolled his eyes.
Teddy's smile fell from his face and he looked at her with his lip beginning to shake. "Is he gone?"
"Yes, Teddy Bear, he's gone," Hermione said softly, reaching up to brush his hair back from his sweaty forehead. "And he's never coming back, we made sure of it."
"Do I have to see him again?"
"Not if you don't want to," Derek said.
Teddy nodded before a smile reappeared on his face. "Can they have dinner with us?" He asked, looking to the three teens.
Hermione and Derek shared an amused look. "Sure, if they're not busy," Hermione said, and the teens replied they weren't. "What are we having tonight?"
"Ice-cream," he said without missing a beat. They snorted at him.
"Ice-cream for dessert, what do you want for dinner?"
He appeared thoughtful. "Chicken nuggets?"
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Chicken nuggets, boys?" Hermione said.
"I love chicken nuggets," Stiles exclaimed.
"Me too," said Scott.
"And me," spoke Liam.
Teddy beamed at them.
~000~000~000~
By the time they made it to the cottage as Teddy kept stopping them every five minutes to look for rabbits and birds, Andy was sitting on the couch waiting for them. She sent them a quizzical look and Hermione mouthed 'muggles' to let her known not to discuss magic in front of them and the older witch nodded.
"Why are you so late, Dears?" She asked them, raising an eyebrow when they shared looks.
When Teddy hugged Andromeda and then ran to his room to gather his favourite toys to show the teens, she and Derek quickly explained what had happened in the kitchen. It was clear Andromeda's Black temper was frightening when Hermione was forced to put several charms around the room to stop the teens from hearing anything and once she'd calmed down, they introduced her to them before preparing dinner.
They all ate in the living room, the boys sitting on the floor around the coffee table and watching the TV as the adults watched them amused. Afterwards Hermione and Derek gave Teddy permission to go looking for rabbits with the teens, and they didn't return until two hours later and Teddy was all but asleep as Stiles piggy backed him into the cottage.
"Mummy, Daddy?"
"Yes, Teddy Bear," Hermione answered, smiling at the sleepy child when he moved to sit beside her on the couch.
"Can they be my Uncles?" He asked her.
The three adults shared knowing looks before Derek looked to Teddy. "Sure, Pup."
Teddy fell asleep within minutes, snoring loudly.
"Welcome to the pack, boys," Hermione said.
"What?" They spluttered.
"Teddy sees you as his Uncles. That means you're his family, his pack. He's made you part of our pack."
"But we have a pack," Scott frowned, gesturing to himself, Stiles and Liam.
Hermione smiled. "I know, we're two separate packs but one unified pack, too."
"That makes no sense," Stiles frowned. "How can a pack have two Alphas?"
"It'll give you a headache if I explained it to you, but it's possible," she told him.
"One thing a pack will always agree on is the safety of the pups," Derek muttered, looking between Hermione's stomach and the sleeping child curled up against her side. "Hermione's right, welcome to the pack."