CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Summary: Hermione Granger, an accomplished witch is working a particularly trying case and is in need of help. Deputy Sheriff Jordan Parrish is a hellhound and just the one she needs. When a fiery witch and a fire-proof supernatural being work together, sparks are sure to fly and Hermione and the Deputy find that they need each other for more than one reason. 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 The Wild Hunt but disregards everything afterwards, so there was no war between the supernatural and humans, there is no Monroe or Gerard and there are no hunters. At least for now! Also, Parrish is 23 and Hermione is 24. Oh, and I'm fudging the time line a bit, too. This will be written mostly in Parrish's POV.
Page count: 10
When Hermione woke, moonlight was streaming through the window, the room was dark and the empty space beside her was cold. Pushing herself up into a sitting position, she winced against the sharp pain that shot through her stomach and she looked down, lifted her t-shirt and saw the bandages with several red blood spots which had leaked through. She sighed before throwing the covers off herself, climbing out of bed and making her way towards the kitchen, intent and getting some food to quieten her rumbling stomach.
"How long have you been up?" She questioned the deputy, when she saw the lit fire in the fireplace and he was sat in the arm chair reading a book.
He was wearing a clean pair of underwear and a pair of tracksuit bottoms, and given he was no longer covered in blood stains and black soot, she knew he'd showered, too. Her eyes trailed his naked torso, glad to see that his wounds had almost fully healed, leaving him with only a few small cuts.
He looked up from his book and a smile pulled at his mouth, before he closed the book and reached over to set it on the coffee table.
"About an hour," he answered.
He took her hand in his when she neared him and he tugged gently, pulling her to sit in his lap where she curled herself up against him and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. She sighed as his heat surrounded her.
"Given that we'd fallen asleep not long after lunch, when I woke I couldn't get back to sleep. I didn't want to wake you so I showered in my room and came to the kitchen for a snack."
"You ate the donuts, didn't you?" She said knowingly.
"I may have done,"
"Seriously, Deputy? I bought three boxes. You ate one yesterday, leaving two. You ate them all in one sitting?"
"No, of course I didn't. I ate a box at the counter and the other box whilst reading."
She snorted at him and shook her head lightly, moving until her ear pressed over his heart and she could hear his steady heart beat. Despite how much sleep she'd obviously had, she still felt tired, the fight and her injuries wiping her out.
"How's your stomach?" He asked, seeing that the cut on her forehead was now only a scratch.
She pulled back from him and lifted her shirt to show him the bandages with a few blood spots and a worried frown crossed his face.
"It hurts like hell and it's really itchy, that's the pastes working to seal up the wound and fight off infection. Hopefully it'll be better before the ball, my gown's costing a bloody fortune and if it gets stained with my blood, I'm going to be pissed. I'll be visiting those arseholes in their prison cells and it won't be pleasant."
He chuckled at her. "So, what are you wearing to this ball?"
"You'll have to wait and see, and you better appreciate it, it's not going to be often you'll see me wearing a ball gown."
"Alright," he said amused. "And what exactly am I wearing, I don't have anything ball worthy?"
"Already taken care of; I owled Kara yesterday when you were still in bed. She's getting everything sorted for you, your tux won't be handmade like my gown as we don't have time, but with her knowing your measurements, she'll make sure it'll be perfectly tailored to you, she's a talented seamstress."
Her stomach gave a loud rumble and he chuckled at her.
"Hungry?"
"Starving," she confirmed.
"I'll make you something, what do you want? Lunch or dinner since we slept straight through both, or given it being the early hours of the morning, do you want breakfast?"
"Surprise me," she shrugged.
She climbed off him and he stood and made his way to the kitchen as she curled up on the arm chair once more. He returned to her not fifteen minutes later with a plate of scrambled eggs on toast and a glass of milk. She ate quickly before moving so she could climb back onto his lap and she snuggled against him as he wrapped her up in his arms and read aloud from his book. When she fell asleep, he put down his book and carried her back to bed, climbing in beside her and holding her as she slept.
~000~000~000~
They spent all day barely leaving the bed, if only to eat and use the bathroom. All day they did nothing but cuddle, read aloud to each other, laugh and talk, learning more about each other.
When it came time to readying for the ball, she met Kara in Diagon Alley and retrieved her dress and his tuxedo, before returning to the apartment. She kicked him out of her room and with strict instructions not to come anywhere near her bedroom, so she could ready.
She jumped in the shower first, making sure to wash off all traces of blood from her body, and she washed her hair and shaved her arms and legs, before she ran herself a relaxing bath filled with bubbles, a Muscle Relaxant and some scented oils. Reluctantly she climbed out of the bath tub and she spelled her hair and body dry, before scrutinising the wound on her stomach. It still hadn't healed but it had stopped bleeding, so she wouldn't run the risk of ruining her gown, but just in case, she covered her wound in some gauze and spelled it so it would stay in place.
She quickly applied a little mascara, making her lashes thicker and darker, and she put on a little glittery eye shadow before applying red lip stick to her mouth, the colour contrasting against her pale skin.
She had to use a little magic to help her with the gown, and she slipped into her heels before sorting out her mass of curls, putting it up in an elaborate up-do with some curls falling to frame her face. She slipped her wand into the holster tied around her thigh and then she stepped back to look herself over in the mirror.
She had to admit, the seamstress had done a wonderful job with the gown, even if she did feel it showed a little more skin than she was usually comfortable with. Rather than the gown being the intended purple colour, it was now a beautiful amber, amber that matched her own eyes as well as the deputy's and it suited her skin tone well.
The gown was perfect for her. It had halter style straps that wrapped around her throat like a choker and the silk fabric met just above her breasts, with a slit between the valley of her breasts. The gown conformed to her figure before synching in at the waist and flaring out the tiniest bit at her hips and falling down to the ground like a silky wave. The gown was backless and stopped at the small of her back, fitting over her bum and then flaring out with a small train that trailed behind her. Up the right side of her leg, she had a slit in the gown that stopped just shy of her underwear, though it was only noticeable when she walked. Her silver strappy heels matched the bracelet around her wrist and the small dangle earrings she wore.
Knowing there wasn't much more she could do, she took solace in the silence around her, knowing she wasn't going to experience such a thing for several hours. She left her room, her footsteps echoing though the apartment as she made her way to the living room, to see her deputy standing out on the balcony and watching the sun slowly beginning its descent.
Hearing her approaching, he turned towards her with a smile on his face which was quickly wiped off as his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open as he stared at her, speechless.
Seeing as his eyes were raking over her, she felt it only fair she returned the favour, and he looked devastatingly handsome. His black tuxedo fit him perfectly, wrapping around the muscles of his shoulders and arms. His white shirt was wrinkle free and a bow tie was fastened around his neck and tucked under the collar of his shirt, whilst black dress shoes finished off the look. She caught sight of a watch on his wrist that she knew she hadn't seen before, so she summarised Kara had purchased it for him.
"Hello, handsome," she chirped, continuing in her steps towards him.
"Hermione, you look... well... I don't know what to say," he replied, taking her hand in his and rubbing his thumb over her knuckles soothingly.
"You being speechless? Well, that's all the compliment I need," she said with a teasing smile.
He shook his head and a smile formed on his face. "An owl dropped this off," he said, removing a small envelope from his pocket and handing it to her.
"It's a port key," she said, taking it from him. He groaned and she chuckled at him. "It's the only way into The Ministry, all floo networks into the building will be shut off and security's going to be tight tonight. The ball is open to anyone who wishes to attend, however the evening meal is only for those with invitations," she gestured to the one in her hand.
"And who gets an invitation?" He asked.
"The Minister, High ranking Ministry officials, celebrities, wealthy families, and those that are recognised for fighting in the war. So you're going to meet The Weasleys tonight, including Ronald. He's an arsehole, please don't punch him, we can't have you in the papers for assault after only a day of being my boyfriend." He shrugged his shoulders, not promising her anything. "When the evening meal ends, the public will be allowed entrance, they'll be dancing and speeches and then we can escape."
~000~000~000~
"You people go all out," he said, his eyes scanning the large ballroom they'd just entered.
And it really was large, being even bigger than the great hall at Hogwarts. Extravagant chandeliers hung from the ceiling, orbs of glowing light and fairies flittered above, swatches of silk and satin lined the walls and an orchestra of charmed musical instruments played a gentle melody on the large stage. Round tables covered with lace detailed table cloths and padded chairs covered most of the room, and people were milling about and conversing, whilst others had already found their seats.
"We're over here," she spoke, pulling him through the crowds of people and manoeuvring around the tables. "I'm always sat at the table that's at the front of the ballroom, giving that I'm an Order of Merlin recipient and a Department Head. Kingsley will be sat with us, as well as the other department heads, and Harry will be with us too, and unfortunately, so will Ronald."
Their table was almost full but for five chairs, and Harry smiled and stood upon their approach.
"You look stunning," he complimented, pulling her into a gentle hug and placing a kiss to her cheek.
"Thank you, and you look quite nice in your monkey suit," she replied, causing him to snort at her whilst she righted his bow tie. "Harry, you remember, Jordan."
"Of course, it's nice to see you again," Harry spoke, shaking Parrish's hand.
"Likewise," he replied with a friendly smile, and when he pulled his hand back, his wrapped his arm around Hermione's waist. Harry raised an eyebrow.
"You see, we're sort of dating," she said with a sheepish smile.
Harry snorted. "I figured and I'm not surprised, I suspected it would happen." She raised an eyebrow, but he didn't elaborate. "Are you sure he can handle your fire?" He said, trying to be discreet with the look her gave her and she laughed at him, whilst Parrish shook his head.
"Harry, Jordan's different."
"Seriously, Hermione, I saw what your last relationship did to you," he said, giving her a worried look.
She smiled at him softly, touched by his concern. "Harry, trust me, Jordan's different. Why do you think I went all the way to America for his help? He's like me."
His eyes widened and he leaned in closer, so no one would overhear them. "Like you?"
"Not in that way, not exactly like me, but he is different like me. He can handle my fire, I can't hurt him and he can't hurt me."
He frowned in confusion. "So what is he?"
"I can't tell you, not because I don't trust you because we both know I do, but I need to keep him safe, he's a one of kind like me, and he needs to be protected, if it were to get out what he is, the results would be devastating. Will you please just accept that I'm happy in my life?"
The frown didn't leave his face but he nodded. "I'm just looking out for you, I only want the best for you."
"I know," she smiled. "So, where's that beautiful wife of yours?" She questioned, not seeing the lively redhead at the table or mingling with the crowd.
"At home with James and Albus, Albus' has the stomach flu and Gin's not feeling too well either."
Hermione raised an eyebrow and an amused smile pulled at her mouth. "Not feeling well as in she's got the flu, or not feeling well as in she's pregnant?"
His mouth dropped open and his eyes widened. "Merlin, I hope she isn't. She's been off for a few weeks now, but I can't handle another child, those boys are already a handful, I can't have another one yet."
They both laughed at him as a panicked look crossed his face.
"Well, if she is pregnant it needs to be a girl; I need a little niece in my life to spoil rotten." He scowled at her and she sniggered. "Relax, if she is pregnant, you'll both do fine, you're doing a wonderful job with the boys. When you get home tonight just have her cast the Pregnancy Charm, and you can deal with the results then, but right now, I need you."
He took a breath and closed his eyes tightly before nodding. "Right, with Ron," he said knowingly and they all took their seats at the table.
The crowd started taking their seats, signalling that the welcome speech would soon be starting, and as usual, Ron arrived at the last minute with an irritable looking Susan Bones on his arm.
His eyes immediately snapped to her once he'd taken his seat and his eyes narrowed seeing her handsome boyfriend sat beside her. Before he could speak, Kingsley took to the stage.
"Witches and Wizards, we hold the annual celebration ball so we may remember those that we lost and those that fought and survived, so we may celebrate their lives and the sacrifices to our world and people, so we may all live our lives with the freedom to make our own choices and so we may do so safely, without fear of rejection or punishment. A toast, to the heroes of our world," Kingsley spoke with his wand pressed against his throat, the Sonorous Charm amplifying his voice so it may be heard by all.
Glasses of champagne appeared on the table in front of her everyone and they all raised their glasses high in silence, before taking a sip from the glass.
"Tonight we remember and we celebrate, tonight we rejoice and we think on our actions, we think of ways to make our world a better place and we ensure that only the best is given for future generations."
Applause rang out and Kingsley stepped down from the stage and took his seat at the table, and once he was settled, their meals appeared before them and everyone tucked in.
"So, Hermione?"
Hermione looked away from her quiet conversation with her boyfriend and to Ron, putting a tolerant smile on her face.
"Yes, Ronald?" She questioned politely.
Parrish wasn't blind to the way Hermione seemed to stiffen and Harry shot a look of warning to the redhead.
"I haven't seen you at The Burrow for a while," he spoke, a cruel smile pulling at his mouth.
Hermione flinched slightly and Parrish moved to hold her hand under the table, feeling her gripping at him tightly as he narrowed his eyes at her ex-boyfriend.
"Unfortunately, Ronald, I have been kept rather busy with my work that I barely have time to myself. Running a Department of eight divisions is not easy, especially when you are a young woman that has to face sexism from your division heads."
Parrish felt a smile pull at his mouth and Harry looked at her proudly, too, whilst the redhead looked angry at being reminded of her successful career, after all, he'd wanted her to give it up to be a house wife.
In reality, Hermione had stopped going to The Burrow for the monthly family dinners as since her breakup with Ron, she'd been made to feel less than welcome by his overbearing mother, who still hadn't gotten over the fact she wasn't getting Hermione as a daughter-in-law.
"Who's he?" He questioned, rudely pointing to him.
"Oh, Jordan, this is Ronald, Ronald, this is Jordan, my boyfriend," she spoke.
Ron choked on the food he'd stuffed into his mouth and his date give him a disgusted look before turning away to converse with the older man that sat next to her.
"Boyfriend? Really?" He turned his eyes back to him, and somehow, he just knew the next words out of his mouth were going to be an insult. "So, what's it like dating someone like her?"
"Someone like her?" He replied confused, noting the way the redhead seemed surprised by his accent.
"Yeah, ya know, a cold hearted bitch that's as boring and frigid as a nun."
Fire sparked in Hermione's eyes and he squeezed her hand gently, whilst trying to fight off his own anger, his hellhound wasn't helping matters either, whispering ways in which they could kill the redhead and dispose of his body without anyone knowing. Harry shot a murderous look to the redhead, griping his fork in his hand tightly until his knuckles went white.
Parrish schooled his features and settled a slight confused frown on his face. "Do you call her such names because that's what you truly believe, or do you do so because you're angry that not only did she break up with you for the entire world to see, but also because she refused to conform to your sexist and stereotypical views of how women should behave?"
Ron's eyes blazed with fury, Hermione's mouth parted in surprise and Harry let out a startled laugh.
"You know what, I take back everything I said to you and secretly thought about you, too. I like you," Harry spoke, pushing his glasses further up his nose and giving him a nod of respect.
Parrish smiled at him and nodded in return before turning his eyes back to the redhead, who's face was slowly beginning to match his hair.
"I can tell you have a problem with Hermione, which I can't understand as I was led to believe you were friends, and in my experience, calling your friend such names and doing so in front of her colleagues is not only a jack ass move, but shows your desperation to punish her for having a successful career. Are you jealous of her?"
Ron clenched his fork in his hand and looked as though he were restraining himself from reaching for his wand. Parrish didn't care.
"And seeing as you're curious about my relationship with Hermione, we haven't been together long, but what I do know is there's not a mean bone in her entire body, she's the bravest, kindest person I've met and she goes out of her way to help anyone that needs it. She suffers harassment from an ill old man, she has to put up with disrespectful workers who have a problem with having a woman as their superior, she deals with men that can't seem to understand that she has no interest in them and she deals with high profile, stressful cases, and she doesn't let it get to her. I know that when she leaves here tonight, she won't remember a single bad word you said against her, because I'm going to make sure she's otherwise distracted."
Harry hid a laugh behind his hand, Hermione had to fight down the blush, Susan Bones giggled and Ron's anger was close to boiling point.
"Mr. Weasley, spell casting of any kind is forbidden in The Ministry this evening, should you attempt to do so, you will be forcefully removed from the premises," Kingsley's deep voice spoke up, and he sent a wink Hermione's way.
~000~000~000~
The rest of their meal passed quickly and before either of them knew it, the tables had been banished except for a few, the dance floor was clear and a make shift bar had been set up with a barman to mix and pour the drinks, and the ball was open for the public and crowds of people poured in.
Hermione had officially introduced him to George and his fiancée, Angelina, he'd met Percy and his wife, Audrey, and he'd met Bill and his wife, Fleur. She'd introduced him to a few Ministry officials but that hadn't been by choice, it seemed every time they turned around there was someone who wanted to talk to her, ask for a photograph or for an autograph.
And he soon understood what she'd meant when she warned him of the traditions of the Wizarding World, as he received more than a few strange glances from the older crowd. They spent most of their time with Harry, squirreled away in a corner and out of sight. He caught sight of an old woman dressed in strange clothing and a terrifying hat, approaching them and being escorted by a younger man. Given their similarities in appearance, he assumed he was her Grandson.
"Harry, Hermione!" The man called.
"Neville," Hermione smiled brightly, quickly hugging him and pecking him on the cheek, and moving aside so Harry could greet him.
"Ms. Longbottom, it is lovely to see you as always," Hermione spoke, pressing a kiss to the strict looking woman's cheek.
"Miss. Granger," she replied, her eyes narrowing when Hermione stepped back and moved over to him. He shifted on his feet under her frightening gaze, despite the fact that Harry was greeting her. "And who is this young man?"
"Neville, Ms. Longbottom, this is Jordan."
"It's nice to meet you both," he spoke, shaking the man's hand as well as the frightening woman's, not feeling comfortable in getting close enough to kiss her cheek.
She pursed her lips, apparently not pleased by something. "You are courting?"
He almost choked on his intake of oxygen.
"We are not courting, Ms. Longbottom, but we are spending time together, getting to know each other before we decide whether or not a relationship between us would be successful," Hermione lied.
Her eyes narrowed further and she made a noise of displeasure. "I trust you are not having sexual relations."
"Gran!" Her Grandson protested, sounding as though he'd heard that one too many times that evening, and Parrish supposed he probably had.
"Of course not, Ms. Longbottom, sex before marriage is a sin," she replied with an innocent smile and he had to fight off a laugh.
"There is hope for you yet, Miss. Granger," the old woman spoke, before leaving them alone and her Grandson followed after her, sending them an apologetic look as he left.
"Sex before marriage is a sin, really Hermione?" Harry laughed at her. "You're lucky she didn't realise you were taking the mick."
"It's not my fault she's so set in her traditional views that she's downright rude and judgemental. I've heard whispers that she wasn't all that innocent when she married her first husbands and if that's true, I'm not taking advice from a hypocrite," she said. Harry snorted at her before excusing himself to use the bathroom. "So, shall we have a dance and then get out of here?" Hermione turned towards him, and he was all too happy to agree when he spotted a cluster of older women heading their way.
~000~000~000~
"I'm tired," he spoke as they entered her apartment and he sat himself on the arm chair, and she walked over to the kitchen to retrieve a spoon and the ice-cream.
"Well don't be falling asleep," she spoke, hopping up onto the counter and her feet swayed back and forth gently.
"Why not?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"You promised me a distraction."
His mouth twitched in to a smile and he stood from his seat and walked over to her. "How's your stomach?"
"It's not hurting, that's likely due to the alcohol I've consumed and it's taking the edge off, but I doubt I'll be able to move too much without ripping open the wound again; then I'm back to square one. So, if you're going to keep your promise, you'll have to be on top," she shrugged, licking the spoon clean after putting a spoonful of ice-cream into her mouth.
He raised an amused eyebrow. "Are you always this...Open?"
"Probably, you think I'm bad now, just you wait until we're so comfortable around each other that I'll happily burp and fart in front of you."
He burst out laughing; he couldn't stop it from happening even if he tried.
"God, you're going to be a handful, aren't you?" He said through his laughter.
"Yep," she replied, making sure to emphasise the 'p'. "But I like to think that means I'm keeping you on your toes." She tilted her head to the side and then held out the spoon in an offering, which he accepted.
"You've got a thing for ice-cream, haven't you?"
She shrugged. "You've got your donuts, I've got my ice-cream; it's my weakness. If I'm ever in a mood with you, give me chocolate ice-cream and I'll be your best friend for life." He snorted at her. "So, are you keeping your promise because to be honest with you, I've been wanting to peel you out of that tux all night, and if we had been left alone, I would've convinced you to ravish me in an empty supply closet."
"What am I going to do with you?" He shook his head, fighting off his laughter.
"Well, if you don't plan on shagging me silly, you can sleep in your own room tonight."
He laughed at her before taking away the spoon and ice-cream tub and moving closer to kiss her.
They never made it to the bedroom.