Chapter 3! Hoorah! Well guys, this story is progressing well I think, things are about to get twisty and probably sad...but don't worry, it'll all work out in the end. Onyxkunai, I always have a very strong dislike for Ron...I dunno why, I think it's just cuz I never pictures him with Hermione and then BAM! They get together in the books...horrible. ANYWAYS enjoy this chapter!
Chapter 3: Howl
Jade woke a few hours later to the sounds of Rose whimpering in her room, her ears picking up the faint tossing noises of the infant down the hall and she stretched her arms before noticing the brunette next to her. Hermione was still wrapped around her and the lycan very much wanted to stay that way for the rest of the evening, but a very hungry baby wouldn't allow it. So Jade slowly and gently moved her way out of the brunette's grasp as her lover rolled over and continued to slumber. A small smile crept onto the blue eyed lycan's lips as she leaned over and spread kisses along Hermione's neck and shoulder before getting out of bed. She threw on a sports bra and a loose fitting grey tank top before pulling up her jeans as quietly as possible to not disturb the brunette. Rosie's gurgling was getting louder when she heard footsteps coming down the hall.
"I hope you didn't hear any of that, Rose." Jade sighed light heartedly at the baby squirming in her crib. Her arms reached down and lifted the child out and onto the changing table. "Have you been whining too long? You're probably starving, poor thing." Rosie cooed as Jade changed her diaper and then cradled the baby in her arm. "Well you're lucky, it's my turn to cook dinner, maybe your mom will let me give you more solid food and maybe she won't try and shove veggies down my throat."
"I heard that." The blue eyed woman whipped around to see Hermione, clad in a silken robe, hair pulled back into a messy bun and a sly smile on her face. Jade couldn't stop her eyes from wandering over Hermione's figure, the robe didn't leave much to the imagination as it stopped a few inches above her knees and the sash tied around her waist accentuated her curves. "You have to eat something other than just meat and cereal, you know. That's the purpose of food groups." Jade smirked as Rose giggled and reached for her mother. As the taller woman handed the happy child to her mother, Hermione leaned forward and greeted Jade with a soft, lingering kiss. The lycan practically melted as her hands rested on her lover's hips and the brunette smiled against her lips. "Waking up without you in bed wasn't the best feeling." Hermione whispered as her hand gently grabbed Jade's chin.
"I'm sorry," Another smirk as Jade glanced down at the strawberry blonde infant in her arms. "But Rosie wasn't keen the idea of us staying in bed the rest of the evening." The baby cooed and began to gnaw on her mother's shoulder as Hermione giggled. "See? She'll turn on you if we don't feed her soon." The brunette nodded as she turned to head down the stairs as Jade followed the woman and then noticed how hungry she was as she made her way into the kitchen. "What are you in the mood for?" She asked as she opened the fridge and poked her head inside. Jade pulled out a bottle and some rice cereal she had given Rose for lunch before setting it on the corner for Hermione to warm up. "We still haven't used that stew beef yet." She didn't hear the brunette creep up on her after placing her daughter safely in the high chair. So it was no surprise when Jade jumped slightly when Hermione wrapped her arms around Jade's waist and pressed herself against the taller woman's back.
"I'm in the mood for a lot of things." Hermione's voice was low and seductive as Jade chuckled and spun around to face the brunette.
"Dear gods," Jade teased softly as she placed a tender kiss on the shorter witch's forehead. "I've turned you into a sexual deviant." The younger woman scoffed and gently slapped the blue eyed woman's shoulder before Jade leaned forward and smothered Hermione's lips with her own. There was a soft sigh that reverberated in Jade's sensitive ears as the brunette kissed back before slowly, reluctantly pulling away. "I'll make dinner."
"Such a house wife I've turned you into." The brunette quipped before pecking Jade on the cheek and grabbing her daughter's food. Jade raised an eyebrow at the woman before shaking her head and laughing. It was somewhat true. She was becoming more accustomed to their routine of trading off chores and caring for Rosie. It was actually very nice to have since Jade lacked any real contact with immediate family, so Hermione was taking place of that, now more than ever as Jade pulled out ingredients for a meal as the brunette fed her eager child. Soon the kitchen was filled with the savory aroma of beef stew and Hermione couldn't hide the attraction she felt watching the raven haired auror cook. It was something Ron had never done or even offered to do which made it all the more enticing. "Is it strange I find it wildly attractive when you do remedial chorse?" Jade chuckled as she added some vegetables to an oiled pan to be sautéed.
"As long as you don't think it odd that I find your bed head charming." Hermione sighed as she brushed a stray curl that had escaped her bun behind her ear. "As well as the odd faces you make when you feed Rose."
"Flirt." The younger woman giggled as she continued to feed Rose and Jade put a topper on the pan of rice to let it simmer before pulling some plates out of the cupboard. "So, I think I'm going to tell Ron." Jade froze momentarily as she heard Hermione speak. She dreaded the fact that they needed to tell the red head what was happening, but it needed to be done. Jade didn't want to hurt Ron any more than she needed to. "He…deserves to know, but I'll wait until he owls me again."
"What will you tell him?" Jade pressed as she set the plates on the table before placing her palms on the edge and leaning forward. Hermione groaned as she shook her head and put her hand over the blue eyed lycan's gently.
"Everything." She breathed softly as Jade turned her hand over to lace their fingers. "Mainly how him being gone made me realize how different we actually were. Having you here…it made me realize how much Ron should be doing for Rose and I. Being with you made me realize how things should be." Jade smiled before pecking the brunette on the forehead.
"I'm the worst friend in the world." She chuckled as Hermione's brown eyes looked up at her. "I practically stole his family away from him."
"This has been a long time coming, to be honest." The brunette answered calmly. "I guess I was just trying to make it last since we have a child together." Jade nodded silently as she gave her lover's hand a squeeze before returning to the stove.
"I want you to be happy, Hermione." Jade said fondly as she stirred the rice and replaced the lid. "For you and Rose, I know Ron's my mate, but if you can't see yourself being happy with him I'd hope you'd do what's best for you even if it hurts him."
"And what if being with you made me happy?" Hermione's voice was barely a whisper as she bit her lower lip and waited for Jade's response. The blue eyed woman had paused slightly and thought about being with the brunette and Rose. The past two weeks had been easy, natural for her as she bonded with the baby and the younger witch. "What if I wanted to be with you if things with Ron end? Would you continue to be as sweet and caring as you are now?"
"I can't promise there wouldn't be the occasional row." The lycan said as she moved and knelt down next to Hermione before gently grabbing her face so she could look into deep brown eyes. "But I'd do my best to keep you and Rose happy." Hermione's face lit up as she leaned forward and kissed Jade's lips possessively as if laying claim to her.
x-x
Harry was sitting in his hotel room in Dublin, they were on their way home after finding out the man they had been chasing was just a copy cat to the gang leader they were really after. Ron was out again and the other man was beside himself on what to do about the red head's infidelity. He pulled out a piece of parchment and began writing his wife who was supposed to be back home in London in a week and he was looking forward to seeing her again. Harry shuddered at the reaction Ginny would have if he told her about Ron, especially since she and Hermione were good friends and now the brunette was the mother of the red headed girl's niece.
"Sorry, Ron." Harry said to himself as he began writing his letter. "I can't let you hurt Hermione." He made the conscious decision that after they returned home, he would talk to the brunette about Ron and hope she didn't curse him too badly. Although Harry wanted to be loyal to both of his friends, he wasn't going to stand idly by as Ron did whatever he pleased with no consequence. As he finished writing to Ginny, he wondered if he should write to Hermione as well, but then decided against it, leaving it Ron to make the decision on his own. Suddenly, the door knob turned and afore mentioned red head entered the room with a yawn.
"Evening, mate." Ron yawned as he threw his cloak on the back of one of the desk chairs and flopped down on the bed. "Filing some paper work, are ya?"
"Writing to Ginny, actually." The green eyed man answered as he pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "Telling her about the decoy and when I'll be home. What were you out doing?" Ron paused for a moment before sitting up and ruffling his growing hair.
"Drinkin' a bit with the locals." He answered as he started undoing his tie and kicked off his shoes. He glanced over at his friend who had yet to turn around and face him. "Are you…going to tell Ginny?"
"Tell Ginny what?" Harry asked and a sigh of relief escaped Ron's lungs which aggravated his friend even further. "Tell her that you've been bedding any willing participant that passes your way? Yeah, I told her." Ron groaned as he slammed his palm into his forehead.
"Look, Harry," He started before standing and facing his friend's back. "It was…it was a mistake."
"A mistake that happened three times?" His friend retorted as he finally turned in his chair to glare at the red headed man. "It shouldn't have happened once! You're with Hermione and you sure as hell can't expect me to keep this from her either! There'll be hell to pay if she finds out on her own, Ron! Why would you do this?"
"I don't know!" Ron yelled getting frustrated with the argument as his shortcomings were brought to light. "I guess…I'm not ready to settle down with her and now we have a baby! I just…I'm not ready for this, Harry!"
"Then tell her!" Harry stood up abruptly and glared at his friend. "Tell her instead of cheating on her! What kind of man do you think you are sneaking around like rat?!" Ron launched forward and grabbed Harry by the collar of his shirt. "Are you going to hit me now, for pointing out your weakness? For fuck's sake, Ron, grow a pair and stop hurting my friend. If you don't tell her by the time we get back home, I will." Harry shoved the man off of him before grabbing the letter he'd written to Ginny and storming out of the room, leaving Ron huffing in anger.
x-x
Another week passed with Hermione and Jade enjoying their time together. There was no word from Ron, but neither seemed to care as they fell deeper into their temporary life together. They were in Diagon Alley with Fleur and Ginny, the red head had come home early from her tournament when one of the games was cancelled because of the weather conditions in Bulgaria.
"So, Jade," Fleur mused as the dark haired woman was she bounced Rosie on her knee. "'Ow 'as babysitting gone for you the past two and a 'alf weeks? Rosie seems to be enzralled by you."
"Oh, well," She glanced over at Hermione who was blushing slightly as she and Ginny talked about the red head's quidditch tournament. "She's been the perfect little flower since I've been staying with Hermione." As if to reiterate this fact, Rosie cooed and tugged on Jade's hair. Fleur chuckled as she leaned across the table bopped the baby on the nose with her finger tip.
"I never imagined you being so good with children." The blonde said as she looked up at into the bright blue eyes of the lycan. "'Ard to imagine 'ow much a few years can change you." Jade's eyes widened slightly as Fleur cast her a very charming smile and a slight warmth filled her face.
"Uhm…yeah," The lycan said quietly as she cleared her throat and gave the French woman a lopsided grin. "I guess it just took me a while to grow into the idea." Blue eyes glanced down at the baby giggling on her lap as Fleur continued to eye her with a contented smile on her face watching the lycan interact with the child. Hermione was watching the two closely as they continued to chat and she felt a strange pang of jealousy in her stomach when she saw the way the blonde was watching the lycan.
"Hermione?" Ginny broke her concentration suddenly as the red head reached over and gently pinched her forearm.
"Ouch, Christ, Gin!" Hermione exclaimed as she rubbed the red spot on her arm. "What was that for?"
"You were spacing out, 'Mione." The red head giggled as the brunette shook her head slightly and mumbled to herself. "What were you thinking about?" Hermione looked down slightly and contemplated telling her friend about her escapades with Jade.
"N-nothing," The woman answered as she sighed and smiled at the younger girl. "Just wondering when Ron would be coming home."
"Oh, didn't Ron owl you?" Ginny asked as a confused expression crossed her face and Hermione shook her head. "They'll be home sometime this week, turns out that the guy they were after was just a decoy. I guess Dorcha didn't even leave the country." Jade's head whipped around when she heard the red head's exclamation and she leaned forward towards Ginny.
"Are you sure?" Jade asked as her brow furrowed and her expression became hard. Ginny nodded and Jade sighed heavily and ran a hand through her hair. "Hermione, I have to see Gawain for a moment." She handed the baby to her mother and stood up. "Excuse me ladies, it was nice to see you again Ginny, Fleur," She had the sudden urge to lean down and peck Hermione on the lips, but she held back and instead gave her a charming smile. "I'll see you soon, ok?" Hermione nodded as she gently grabbed the lycan's hand before she could walk away.
"Is everything ok?" Jade looked down at Hermione before gently squeezing her hand.
"It will be." Blue eyes softened before letting her hand slip out of Hermione's and walking down the street towards the Ministry. As Jade's figure melded into the crowds on the street, Ginny gave her friend a confused look before remembering the letter she had received from her husband.
"Hermione," She said gently before running a hand through her long red hair. "How have you and my brother been doing?"
"You mean when he's around?" Hermione retorted as she rested Rose against her shoulder. "I don't know, Gin. Him being gone recently, it's honestly the same as when he's been home besides the fact that Jade has been around and has been helping me out."
"She seems rather smitten with Rose," Fleur added as she sipped on her coffee and smiled at the little girl. "Like I said before, it's surprising to see 'er so comfortable with a baby." Hermione didn't know why she was getting jealous with Fleur, but it was starting to bother her since the blonde was currently single after breaking up with Bill a few months ago.
"I honestly don't know what it's going to be like when Ron comes back." The brunette sighed as Rose began throwing the rest of Hermione's salad around. "Jade has been more of a help than he has."
"I think you should talk to him about everything when he gets back." Ginny knew it wasn't her place to tell Hermione what Harry had mentioned in his letter, but she was rather furious with her brother and had trouble containing the information from her friend. "I mean, I know he's my brother and all, but we all know how idiotic he can be."
"It would've been nice to know he was coming back soon." Hermione added as she bounced Rosie on her knee. She was sort of worried about what was going to happen, but she agreed with Ginny that she did need to speak with her boyfriend. "I'm sure the conversation will be interesting."
x-x
"Why didn't you tell me?!" Jade groaned as she paced in Gawain's office and the head of the auror office sat behind his desk and sighed. "I could've been out there hunting him and there would be no more threat! Hermione has been in danger this whole time and I could've taken care of it!"
"Calm down, McHale." Gawain groaned as he rubbed his temples. "I couldn't have you going out after a dangerous man by yourself and there was no one else willing to endanger their families."
"You know that Dorcha has a history of going after his pursuers families, that's why I was the best candidate since I don't have family here." She stopped pacing and ran her hand through her hair and groaned. "I'm going to go after him."
"You can't, Jade." Her boss added with a scowl. "You're not on this case."
"Then put me on it!" She slammed her palms down on his desk and Gawain closed his eyes and folded his arms over his chest, used to the lycan's outbursts. "You know I could take care of this faster than anyone."
"You need to keep Hermione safe for the time being."
"Me taking care of this guy would be keeping her safe!" The blue eyed woman shouted as her eyes glowed as her anger grew.
"I know you're upset," The man said as he stroked his beard and shook his head. "But Ron and Harry have to take care of this. This is their case, is that understood? If you interfere, I'll suspend you." Jade growled deeply and stormed out of the office. Jade sighed heavily before taking a moment to collect herself before she made her way through the Ministry and once she was in the lobby, headed into the nearest grate before green flames engulfed her and she was in Hermione's living room. The lycan hadn't been gone more than an hour, but the house seemed empty as she ripped off her cloak and sat down on the couch before she heard someone shuffling around upstairs.
"Hermione?" She called as she stood up and headed up the stairs when she heard a crashing noise. "Hermione!" Jade sprinted up the stairs and ran into Rosie's room to see a very tall man dressed in black with a black mask, the same kind as the man in the alley. A growl ripped from Jade's throat as she saw the man holding a sleeping Rose in his arms. "Dorcha." She hissed as the man turned and his yellow eyes stared at her through the slits in the mask.
"Lycan," The man's deep, gravelly voice echoed in the lycan's enhanced hearing. She went to launch forward until he looked down at Rose. "Ah, ah, ah…you wouldn't want anything to happen to this sweet bundle of joy, would you?"
"Where's Hermione?" Jade hissed as she froze and narrowed her glowing blue eyes at the masked man. "What are you doing here?!"
"Don't worry, your witch is safe." His yellow eyes then moved down to the infant in his arms. "I'm just going to take this little one as collateral for the loss of my follower. And eye for an eye, that's what the muggles say, right?" Suddenly another man entered the room and lunged at Jade, driving a silver dagger deep into her shoulder and burying it into the wall behind her. Another dagger plunged into her right forearm and stuck it above her head as she howled in pain and the white masked man laughed evilly at her anguish. She roared in pain as the white masked man twisted the knife in her shoulder. "I hate to cut the chat short, but I really do need to get going. If you want this child back alive, bring me my file from the Ministry and a written letter from the Minister saying we won't be pursued any longer. When you do this, just send and owl and I will tell you where to find me. Jacoby, let's go."
"Rose!" The lycan groaned as she watched the man apparate away with the infant in his arms. "Argh…" Jade growled as the cold steel in her shoulder cut into her muscles when she tried to move and she absent mindedly clenched her right hand which shot pain through her arm as her tendons contracted around the knife in her flesh. She gently grabbed the hilt and took a deep breath before letting out a pained howl and ripping the knife from her shoulder with a groan before tearing the knife from her right arm. Blood splattered the floor as Jade let her instincts take over as she took a deep breath in and tried to catch Hermione's scent that was clouded by the smell of her blood. She caught the sweet smell of the brunette and followed it out into the hall and into the master bedroom where the witch was bound in chains on the floor, unconscious. "Hermione." Jade struggled forward as blood splattered the ground from her shoulder. With a wave of her hand, the chains disappeared and she knelt down next to the unconscious brunette. Blue eyes raked over her form looking for injuries, after finding no threatening damage, she placed her hand on Hermione's forehead. "Rennervate." Brown eyes snapped open as Hermione shot up, her body shaking from shock.
"Jade!" She cried as she looked into blue eyes and then down at the blood flowing steadily from the woman's left shoulder. "Oh gods, you're bleeding, what happened?" Jade avoided Hermione's gaze as her brow furrowed and she looked down at the ground.
"Dorcha," Jade whispered as her eyes suddenly became overwhelmed with a mix of sadness and anger. "He was here."
"I remember that much," The brunette whispered as she rubbed her head and sighed heavily. "But what happened? You're hurt…where's Rose." Jade closed her eyes and shook her head before she took a deep, shaky breath.
"He…" The lycan's voice shook as her chest tightened and her breathing got shallow. "He took her, Hermione." Brown eyes widened as her breathing stopped and dread took over the brunette's face, her face paling significantly. "I'm sorry." Hermione shot up and ran down the hall. "Hermione!" Jade hissed in pain as she lifted herself off the floor and followed the brunette down the hall and into Rose's room. Hermione stood there, silently as she just stared at the empty crib and the blood stains on the wall where Jade had been pinned. "I'll get her back, Hermione." Jade whispered as she put a hand on the brunette's shoulder and felt the woman shaking. Hermione spun and buried her face in Jade's chest as she sobbed and the lycan grunted, ignoring the pain in her body as the brunette latched onto her. Tears were stinging Jade's eyes as she wrapped her good arm around her lover's waist and held her tight. How did he find out where Hermione lived? She had made sure to ward the flat before they left for lunch and had tested it herself. What could have gone wrong?
"Hello?" Jade froze as she heard a voice downstairs, Ron's voice. "Is anyone home?" Hermione lifted her head and looked at the blue eyed lycan, anguish and fear in on face. "Hermione?" The brunette backed away from Jade and moved past her to run downstairs, Jade took a deep breath again and smelled the two unfamiliar scents before making sure to remember Rose's scent which was easy for her since she'd been around the baby for a few weeks now. She then made her way downstairs to see Hermione in Ron's arms as the red head embraced her and looked at Jade with a confused look on his face. The lycan bit back her jealousy as she walked forward and sighed heavily. "What happened to you? Where's Rose?"
"Dorcha was here, he attacked me." Jade's voice fell as she shook her head and narrowed her blue eyes at the floor. "He took Rose. He said if we want her back, we need to bring him his criminal file from the Ministry." Ron's pale blue eyes widened as his grip tightened around the woman in his arms as she sobbed and then he looked at Jade with anger burning in his eyes.
"You were supposed to protect them!" He yelled as he let go of Hermione and stormed towards the older girl. "Where the fuck were you?! You were supposed to be here!"
"Ron it's not her fault!" Hermione yelled as Jade grunted in pain and Ron grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed up against the wall. Blood began gushing from her wounds as Jade clenched her teeth and shoved the man away. "Leave her be, she's injured!"
"Where were you!?" Jade yelled back angrily as her eyes began to glow and her canines grew sharp. "You were chasing a false trail for almost a month! How could you not notice?! I taught you how to recognize these sort of things and you were off chasing a ghost all this time and didn't even see it!" Hermione stepped between them a palm on each of their chests to keep them away from each other. "You weren't here protecting them, I was! You weren't here taking care of your family, I was!" Ron pushed Hermione aside before his fist connected solidly with Jade's jaw and the lycan staggered back, only slightly before turning back to glare at the boy.
"Ronald!" The brunette chided as she pushed the man back away from Jade. "Stop this, both of you!" Jade was panting slightly through her gritted teeth as her eyes glowed ominously at the red head.
"Get out of my house." Ron hissed as he clenched his hands into fists and glared at the blue eyed woman.
"Gladly." Jade spat as she disapparated and Hermione heard a soft crack upstairs. She left Ron and ran up and into the guest room to see Jade shoving her cloths into her bag angrily. Hermione was beside herself, being distraught over her kidnapped daughter and now Ron was back. She gently closed the door and approached Jade slowly. "Don't, Hermione." The lycan said firmly as she zipped up the duffle bag and threw it over her bleeding shoulder.
"Jade you're still bleeding." The younger witch sighed as she took a step closer to the blue eyed woman to try and calm her. "Please, at least let me heal you."
"I don't need to be healed." The lycan growled as she grabbed her satchel and stepped away from the brunette's touch. "I need to find Rose and waiting here is just wasting time. If Ron wants to be mad at me then let him. It's not going to change that Rosie's gone and he's not doing anything about it!" Hermione took a step back at the rage that was dripping from her lover's voice before noticing the droplets of crimson that were falling from her left hand.
"You need to calm down." Hermione pleaded as she stepped forward and gently grabbed Jade's face, forcing her to look into desperate brown eyes. "If you don't you'll bleed to death." Jade's blue eyes narrowed slightly before she took a deep breath and her expression softened. She leaned forward and gently captured Hermione's lips in a gentle, bittersweet kiss before pulling away which uttered a sigh from the brunette.
"I'm going to get her back, Hermione." She whispered softly as tears began to flow from the brunette's eyes once again. This time, from the realization that Jade was leaving her home and she knew deep down she wouldn't come back as long as Ron was there. "I promise you, she'll be ok." Hermione nodded as a tear slipped from her eyes as she closed them and rested her forehead against her lycan's neck.
"Please, be careful." Jade nodded at the request before taking a step back, Hermione's hands reluctantly slipping from her cheek and disapparating away. Hermione took a long, shaky breath before wiping the tears from her eyes and opening the door to head back downstairs. Ron was pacing in the living room as she re-entered and he looked at her angrily. "It wasn't Jade's fault Ron." Hermione reiterated calmly as she sat down on the couch and held her head in her hands.
"How can you say that?" He hissed as he stopped pacing and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "She was supposed to protect you two! That's why I asked her to stay here and look what's happened? How did he even get in the bloody house?!"
"I don't know." Hermione whispered as she shook her head and groaned. "She warded the house, I watched her. He must've found a weakness in the barrier or something. He's a dark wizard, they can be crafty." Ron just scoffed as she started pacing again. "What should we do?"
"I don't know, 'Mione." Ron groaned as she flopped down on the loveseat adjacent to her. "I'll go get Harry, we will think of something." And before Hermione could protest, he was gone and she was left alone.
x-x
The light was fading fast in the sky as Jade was walking through London, she felt like a bloodhound the way she was sniffing the air and trying to find a trace of Rose's scent or the two unfamiliar ones in the air. She decided that searching Knockturn Alley was her best bet and as she came to the cross section in Diagon Alley, she took a deep breath and many foul scents filled her nose. She growled before pulling her hood over her head and trekking down into the dark street. Many shady looking witches and wizards passed her, paying now attention since she was mainly dressed in black which for some reason, seemed to make them less wary of her. It probably helped that she had a cold scowl plastered on her face as she walked through the streets. Suddenly, one of the scents filled her nose as she saw a short man with dark blonde hair that reeked of the smell of the man in the white mask.
"Damned kids," The man groaned as he gritted his teeth and scowled. "Don't know why he insists on keeping the child alive." That was all Jade needed to hear as she stalked him down a dark, small alley way, and when no one was around, she grabbed him by the back of the collar and slammed him against the stone wall. "What the fuck!?"
"Where is she!?" Jade's voice mixed with her growl and the man cowered as he covered his face with his hands.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about." The man stuttered as Jade slammed him hard against the wall again and snarled.
"Don't lie to me!" She hissed as she felt her teeth get sharp and her muscles flex. "The baby! Where is she!?" The man stayed silent, his hazel eyes wide with fear. Jade didn't hesitate to roar angrily in his face to reiterate the fact that she wouldn't take his ignorance for an answer. "If you don't answer me, I will rip your throat out and let you choke on your blood. Now tell me where she is."
x-x
Hermione was sitting in the living room with Ginny as Ron and Harry were in Rose's room looking for clues. Her mind was switching between being worried about her baby and longing for Jade to be there to comfort her. The brunette's inner turmoil must've been evident as Ginny sat down next to her on the couch and put an arm around her shoulders.
"She'll be all right, 'Mione." The red head said calmly as she rubbed Hermione's back in a soothing manner. "Ron and Harry will find her, I'm sure of it."
"I don't know why they can't just take the file to him." Hermione groaned as she shook her head and Ginny shook her head.
"They don't want to give into his demands." Ginny answered as she rolled his eyes. "Honestly, if it were me, I would just do it."
"It's my daughter's safety," The brunette hissed as she scowled and sat back against the couch cushions. "I just want her back." Suddenly there was a crack and Jade appeared in the living room with an unconscious man on the ground under her foot. "Jade?"
"I know where Rosie is." The lycan growled as Ron and Harry came down the stairs. "This is one of Dorcha's cronies and he told me where he's keeping Rosie."
"What the hell are you doing here?" Ron shouted as he stalked towards the lycan who turned towards him and growled threateningly. Hermione shot up with her eyes full of shock.
"You know where she is?" Jade nodded at the brunette and then looked down at the blonde man before binding him. "Where?"
"A warehouse in Hounslow." The lycan hissed as she looked into Hermione's desperate eyes and gave her a saddened look. "I'm going to go there as soon as the potion is brewed." Jade leaned down and pulled a hair from the blonde man's head.
"What potion?" Harry asked as he adjusted his glasses and took a step closer to the taller woman.
"Polyjuice." Jade answered as she left the living room and walked into the kitchen before conjuring a bowl into a cauldron. "I'm going to go and get Rosie back."
"What makes you think you can get Rose back?" Ron spat as he followed her into the kitchen, fists clenched and eyes narrowed. "Why should we let you take the lead on this?" Jade turned to glare her blue eyes at the red head and Hermione, once again, stepped between them to avoid another confrontation like earlier. "She's my daughter."
"Could've fooled me." Jade hissed as she turned back to the cauldron and began pulling ingredients out of her satchel.
"What was that?!" The red head growled as he stepped forward and Harry grabbed him by the shoulders. Jade just scoffed as she began dropping the hair into the bubbling potion.
"Polyjuice Potion takes a month to brew." Ginny added as she stepped forward to see Jade's progress. "How did you brew it so quickly?"
"I have some premade in case of emergencies." The lycan answered as she concentrated on her brewing. "This is definitely an emergency." Ginny nodded as she let the woman go back to her work. She turned and walked up to her brother before grabbing him by the arm and dragging him into the living room, muttering something about him making the situation much worse than better. Jade sighed as she stirred the thickening potion and finally her adrenaline came down, exhaustion taking its place. Harry left the kitchen a moment later to join his wife and friend, leaving Hermione and Jade alone. The brunette chewed on her lower lip and walking towards the lycan before wrapping her arms around the woman's waist. Jade stiffened slightly before relaxing back into her lover's arms and sighing heavily.
"Thank you," Hermione whispered against Jade's back as she rested her head against her. "And I'm sorry for Ron, he's just worked up, you know he has a temper."
"Yeah," Jade breathed as she removed the ladle and gave the brew a chance to simmer. "I know he does, but you know that's not why I'm upset, Hermione." She turned in the brunette's arms and gently grabbed Hermione's face. "I'm not gonna ruin your family."
"You're not ruining anything." The brunette whispered as she leaned forward to bury her face in Jade's neck. "I meant what I said, Jade. Ron and I will talk, I promise." Jade sighed and laid a soft kiss on the shorter woman's forehead.
"I can't, Hermione." The lycan's chest tightened as she hugged the woman in her arms. "Ron's my friend and the father of your child. I can't interfere with that." Jade sighed heavily as she felt Hermione hold her tighter. "Ron loves you." Hermione stayed silent, she didn't really know what to say and she hated the thought of never being with Jade now that her boyfriend had returned.
"Hermione," Hermione stepped out of Jade's arms and turned to see Harry standing in the entry way to the kitchen. "Uhm…sorry if I'm erm…anyways, Ron wants to speak with you. That man is awake." The brunette nodded as Jade cleared her throat and turned back to the potion simmering on the stove. As Hermione approached her friend, Harry gave her an incredulous look as Hermione just rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"Leave it be, Harry." She whispered as she walked into the living room and saw the dark blonde man sitting on the fire place, chains keeping him from moving too much. Ron was in front of him with a wand pointed at his throat. "Ron, put your wand down, he's defenseless."
"He kidnapped Rose." The red head murmured as he dug the tip of his wand into the man's neck. "I just want to teach him a lesson."
"That's not how this works, mate." Harry said as he grabbed his friend's arm and pushed it down. "Why don't you sit as I get, Gawain." Ron growled before taking a seat on the couch in front of the man who was chuckling softly to himself.
"You guys are pathetic." The blonde hissed as he narrowed his eyes at the red head. "You were off chasing someone who wasn't even part of our group and now you don't even have the bullocks to torture me for information? That lycan has more balls than you do." Ron stood up angrily and pointed his wand at the blonde who was smirking evilly. Ginny pushed him back down as she gave him a crippling look. Jade walked out of the kitchen a moment later, except she looked like the blonde that was staring back at her angrily. "Lycan bitch, he won't fall for it." Jade smirked and cleared her throat.
"I think he will." She matched his voice perfectly, it helped that he didn't have a particularly deep voice. "Keep him chained up until Gawain gets here, I'm going to leave right now." Ron turned towards her and glared.
"Why are you the only one going?!" He growled as he took a step towards her and clenched his teeth. "She's my daughter, I should be going."
"You'll fuck things up." Jade retorted calmly and folded her arms over her now, very broad chest. "You're too emotional right now and you're not thinking clearly."
"Ron, you should let Jade go." Hermione added quietly as she put her hands on her boyfriend's chest. "She'll get Rose back." Jade watched the couple closely and felt the sharp stab of jealousy before turning on her heel and apparating away. Hermione whipped around just as the lycan left and frowned when she left without a word. This was starting to get complicated as Hermione ran a hand through her hair and sighed before sitting back down on the couch.
x-x
The warehouse was musty and dark as Jade walked through a heavy metal door before that screeched in her sensitive ears. The building stank of dark magic and rot as she scowled and made her way around a pile of boxes and old muggle machinery.
"Jacoby?" A deep voice called to her left as she rounded a corner and saw a small room illuminated by fluorescent lights. "What took you so long?" Jade entered the room and scowled when she saw Rose in a long, metal box that was filled with dirty rags. "I had to put a sleeping charm on the child to keep her quiet. Dorcha's back was turned to her and she cleared her throat to mask her growl.
"I uh, got detained by that red headed fool of an auror." Jade hissed as she folded her hands behind her back and sighed. "I ran into him and Potter in Knockturn Alley, it took me a while to lose them."
"Those pathetic excuses for wizards." Dorcha hissed as he stood up straight from hunching over a table with a few large sheets of paper in front of him. "I don't know how they ever managed to get into the auror office. Jade watched closely through Jacoby's eyes as Dorcha sighed and turned to face her without his mask. Her eyes grew wide as she took a step back and gasped softly when she saw the man not wearing his mask.
"No…" Her voice was a whisper as the man looked at her with a confused expression. "It can't be…you?" There in front of her stood Gawain Robards, the head of the auror office.
"What's wrong with you?" Gawain hissed as he folded his arms over his chest. "You look like you've seen a ghost." Jade's mind was reeling. How could this be? She would've smelled her boss's scent if it was truly him. Her eyes were darting back and forth in confusion as Gawain advanced and put a hand on her shoulder. "What is going on, Jacoby? Did you find it at least?"
"F-find what?" Jade stuttered as Gawain scowled and rolled his eyes.
"The Elder Wand?" The Elder Wand? Harry had destroyed it and threw it over the bridge at Hogwarts from what he had said. Had someone gone and found it? "Did you find it? Is it mended?"
"I…I didn't find it." Jade answered quietly as she shook her head and sighed. "They…well, it was a farce, they didn't have it." Gawain cursed as he walked over to the table and threw the contents if to the floor.
"That was our only chance to bring the Dark Lord back." The bearded man spat as he slammed his fists on the table, causing Rose to wake up and start crying. "Will you shut that kid up! Damnit! We need a different strategy. Why hasn't that lycan shown up yet to try and get the kid back?!" Jade couldn't take it anymore, her boss, her mentor had betrayed all of the wizarding world and her included. How had she not noticed his behavior before?
"I trusted you." She hissed suddenly as she clenched her jaw and body start to contract and shift under her skin. Gawain looked at her with a confused look on his face. "How could you do this?!" She growled and she saw her eyes flash blue in the reflection of his yellow ones as they widened at the realization that she was indeed, not Jacoby. Before he could do anything, a large lycan was standing before him on its back legs, breathing heavily as its bright blue eyes stared at him. "How dare you do this to me, to Hermione!" She lunged at the man who raised his wand a little too late. Jade's giant clawed hand connected solidly with Gawain's face and the man was knocked unconscious instantly, crumpling to the ground in a heavy heap. Her breathing was heavy and Rose's cries were ringing in her ears as she tried to calm the adrenaline that was flowing heavily in her veins. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply as she felt her body shrink and change back to normal before waving her hand and the white wolf appeared at her feet. "I've apprehended the dark wizard Dorcha, you might want to come see this, Minister." Her hand waved once more before the wolf changed into a floating orb and flew through the walls of the warehouse. Jade sighed again as she walked over to box and lifted Rosie out.
x-x
It had been only two hours since Jade had left and Hermione's anxiety was growing with every second the lycan was gone. She was lost, Ron was back and Jade was gone and she didn't know if she liked it very much. There was a soft crack as Hermione lifted her head from the couch and saw Jade standing in the living room with Rose in her arms. She jumped up and ran to the woman before taking her daughter in her arms and hugging her close.
"She's probably hungry." Jade said quietly as she gave Hermione a small smile and Ron entered the room a moment later with Ginny and Harry. "I uhm…I have to get back to the warehouse and wait for the Minister." Hermione's brown eyes were glistening with tears as she smiled at Jade before Ron came over and engulfed both, the brunette and the infant in a tight embrace. Jade frowned then, seeing how happy the two were to have their child back and that's when she decided she wasn't going to come back.
"Thank you," Hermione whispered as she looked over at the lycan again to see her frowning. She wanted to go over and ask what was wrong, why she looked so defeated, but Ron held her close as he lifted his head and gave Jade a sullen nod.
"You got Dorcha then?" Harry asked as he shook her hand and smiled warmly at her. "Where is he? Who is he?" Jade paused for a moment before running a hand through her hair in frustration.
"Dorcha was Gawain." She said finally and a collective gasp rang from the people in the room, excluding the lycan. "He…he was masking his scent from me somehow and, he was trying to find the Elder Wand."
"That explains why he never came here." Harry rubbed his chin and shook his head. "But I destroyed it." The boy said as he narrowed his green eyes and scratched his head. "I broke it myself and threw into the canyon at Hogwarts. Did someone find it?"
"I don't know." Jade said in an exasperated tone as she shook her head. "He'd mentioned that people were trying to find and mend it to revive Voldemort, but that can't be possible, right? You killed him. There are no horcruxes left to bring him back."
"Dark wizards always find a way to bring people back from the dead." Hermione said to herself as she cradled the baby in her arms. "If there is a way, I'm sure he would've found it." Jade nodded as she groaned and ran a hand over her face.
"Look, I have to go." She said finally as she looked at Harry. "You and Ron might want to come into the office tomorrow morning. I'm sure we'll have a lot to do." The two aurors nodded as Jade then looked at the brunette and gave her a troubled look. "I'll be seeing you." With that, she disapparated, leaving the group silent and confused.
"I can't believe Gawain would do that." Ron said finally as he sat down on the couch and rested his head in his hands. "He always seemed like such a diligent auror."
"I guess now we know why he never assigned Jade to this case." Harry added as he sat on the loveseat next to his wife who took his hand in hers lovingly. "Jade would've figured it out straight away, since we're new, he must've thought we'd have the least chance of finding him out." Ron groaned as he sat back and ruffled his hair.
"Shows what capable aurors we are, ay mate?" He sighed as Harry nodded and pinched the bridge of his nose. Hermione sighed as she got up and started walking towards the kitchen. "Where are you off to, love?"
"To feed Rose," She answered softly as her baby cooed in her arms. "I'm sure she's starving after not eating for most of the day."
"All right, dear." Ron answered as he leaned back into the couch and the brunette rolled her eyes, annoyed that he hadn't offered his help. Once she left the room and was out of earshot, Ginny and Harry both looked at the man with angry glare. "What?"
"Are you going to tell her, Ron?" Ginny piped in, her voice harsh and accusing as Ron's eyes grew wide and he looked down at his hands. "Because she deserves to know and if you don't I swear I'll tell mum and she will tear you a new arsehole."
"I…I will, but," He shook his head slightly as he sighed and face his friend and sister. "I can't tonight, ok? We just got Rose back and this will just rile her up even more. I…I'll tell her soon. Just not tonight, I think we've had enough excitement tonight." Ginny folded her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes before Harry nodded.
"Just keep in mind what I told you in Ireland." The raven haired man said calmly. "If you don't, I will." Ron nodded and rubbed his chin in irritation.