CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE
Summary: Nine years after the war, Hermione's the Head of the Auror Department that specialises in dealing with Magical Creatures and fugitive Death Eaters that are loose in the Muggle World. With the fugitive Death Eaters no longer hiding in Britain, she's tracking rogue Death Eaters in the United States, which leads her to The Winchester brothers. The Witch and The Hunters are a dynamic trio that no creature, being or beast wishes to mess with, Magical or Supernatural. Hermione/Dean pairing. Rated M for a reason.
Disclaimer: I don't own original canon characters or events, just those that I create myself. Everything belongs to J.K Rowling and the creators of Supernatural. I am not making a profit posting this fanfic.
Page count: 8
"Right then, on to our final topic," Hermione spoke, standing in front of the class after almost three hours of lecturing and she was almost done.
She was impressed, all of the students seemed to have been listening attentively to her and they had been asking more questions than she could keep up with. She had seen both Dean and Sam listening to her also, taking in everything she had to say and she knew some of the things that had been brought up surprised them.
"How can we identify a werewolf?" She asked.
Several hands shot up and she pointed to a Hufflepuff boy.
"There is no certain way to identify a werewolf, without looking at the werewolf registry which is protected in The Ministry of Magic's Hall of Records, or without being informed by said werewolf, or witnessing the change for yourself."
"Correct, well done," she said with a smile. "Why may you be suspicious? What factors can be a give away?"
She pointed to a Gryffindor girl.
"For the most part, the werewolf is human but for one day of the month. The week leading up to the full moon, the werewolf will begin to show signs of tiredness, they may be easily agitated or they may have bursts of energy, or be more energetic all together. They are likely to be more sensitive to light, sounds, smells and tastes, or there may be an increase in their appetite. The closer to the full moon, the more likely the signs will be seen. After the full moon, the werewolf will be exhausted and require rest and the need for protein and sugar, but the next morning they should be back to their normal selves."
Hermione beamed. "Correct, thank you. Despite their classification level of five, werewolves are harmless but for the night of the full moon, and now, we have ways of managing their change. The Wolfsbane Potion was invented by?"
"Damocles Belby," a Ravenclaw girl answered. Hermione nodded at her in thanks.
"When a werewolf changes they are no longer human, but one-hundred percent wolf that survives on instinct and the need to fight for resources. The Wolfsbane Potion allows for a werewolf to keep the memories of the full moon, and it allows for them to have some control over their actions. The wolf side and the human side are more or less, melded together in order to have better control of themselves, whilst also keeping their wolf instincts to keep them safe during the night of the full moon. The potion does not prevent the pain of the transition, but it allows them to remain partially human, at least mentally. Many werewolves aren't given the opportunity of the use of a Wolfsbane Potion due to the expensive ingredients it requires for its brewing, making the asking price ridiculous, most working families can't afford to buy one dose, let alone werewolves."
"Werewolves are considered monsters by most in the world but that is a stereotype. You can't blame the actions of one on an entire race or species. Many will suffer due to the actions of a single person. There have been some truly horrific werewolves, such as Fenrir Greyback, who thankfully, is no longer able to hurt anyone else, but there have also been some truly outstanding werewolves. Who's heard of Remus Lupin?"
Hands shot up in response.
"Remus Lupin was one of the smartest, kindest and most caring men I have ever met. He was once the defence against the dark arts professor at Hogwarts and you can ask anyone that attended Hogwarts a decade ago, what they thought of him and I'd guarantee they'd all say he was the best DADA professor they'd ever had, including the Slytherins. He always put others before himself. He didn't have a penny to his name. He wore tattered clothing and wasn't always the most presentable, but we didn't care. Remus Lupin fought in the war and along with his wife, Nymphodora Tonks, died in the Final Battle. They left behind a one month old baby, and they sacrificed themselves so their child, along with everyone else could live peacefully and freely. And do you know what? He was a werewolf. "
They all stared at her.
"Not all werewolves are monsters, the majority live their lives away from wizarding folk, in the wild as they're not made to feel welcome in society due to the actions of a few. And this is why the laws are changing, and hopefully, werewolves will be given the same rights as other wizarding folk. The right to own a property. The right to marry. The right to medical treatment. The right to enter public buildings. These are simple human rights and discrimination against werewolves is on par with Muggleborns before the war ended, and it's unjustified."
"My father used to say werewolves were flea bitten monsters that needed to be put down."
The room filled with gasps.
Hermione smiled sweetly. "Well, Mr. Herrald, we've already established that your father's an idiot."
The room burst into laughter and she looked behind her to see Dean and Sam both looking at her amused and with raised eyebrows, she shrugged her shoulders in response.
"Werewolves are monsters, yet your father's serving a life sentence in Azkaban?" He glared at her but didn't respond, conceding defeat. "Now, there are two types of werewolves," she said, and she saw both Dean and Sam sit up straight and she saw the surprised looks on the students' faces at her words, obviously not being aware of the fact.
"The first being the type our world is most familiar with, and that is werewolves that are wizarding folk. Along with their usual magical capabilities, they will posses lupine traits such as speed, strength, super-senses and advanced healing. Their lupine traits give them an advantage over other wizarding folk, but as the full moon nears, their traits strengthen. Werewolves are less susceptible to magic, and they are incredibly difficult to defend against during the night of a full moon, as they are near invulnerable due to their lupine traits, their instincts and their need for survival."
"It's known that lycanthropy isn't hereditary, but it is contracted through a bite or deep scratch during the night of a full moon, if you survive the venom in your blood or your first transformation that is. And whilst it isn't hereditary, male werewolves are able to produce off spring. When the child is born, they won't have lycanthropy but they are likely to possess sensitive senses as well as the ability to sense when other lycanthropes are nearby, otherwise they will have a regular life. It's difficult for female werewolves to conceive, and if they do they are more than likely to suffer miscarriages and still births, the birth of a healthy child is an estimate of a three percent chance. Though it is speculated that a mated male and female are able to produce healthy off spring, due to the magic binding them, but it has never been confirmed as it's a well kept secret of their species. Now, does anyone know the second type of werewolves?" Hermione asked.
The students looked to each other with frowns on their faces.
"Muggles?"
She turned around, smiling at Dean for deducing the answer, and remembering the correct wizarding term for a non-magical, too.
"Thank you, Dean," she said and he raised an eyebrow at her pleased and proud expression, before she turned back to the students. "The second type of werewolf is those that are muggles. Muggle werewolves differ to wizarding in several ways. Can anyone take a guess why?"
She pointed to a Ravenclaw boy with his hand raised.
"They don't possess magic," he answered, she nodded.
"Yes, they don't possess magic, and since muggles aren't aware of the existence of werewolves, they are unaware of what they are. They will suffer with black outs and time lapses during the night of the full moon, they'll wake up in strange places and not know how or why they are there. They are completely in the dark. Whilst they will possess lupine traits, such as the strength, speed and advanced senses, they will barely notice the changes to their bodies as they are nowhere near the strength of a magical werewolf, as the magic in our blood helps to strengthen the lupine traits. During the night of the full moon, they're still difficult to defend against, but they aren't as strong as magical werewolves. Magic will be effective against them but you would have to choose your spells carefully. Now, whereas werewolves in the Wizarding World often keep themselves away from the public and in seclusion during the night of the full moon, muggle werewolves don't. Magical werewolves kill for survival, and again, muggle werewolves kill because the lycanthropy pushes them to. They kill and eat the hearts of their victims." She saw the disgusted looks on their faces.
"So, from your DADA and COMC lessons, you should all be aware of what to do when faced with a werewolf, but can anyone hazard a guess as to how you defend against a muggle werewolf?" They looked to each other with frowns. "Are there any muggle raised students in here that may have heard of something from movies or books?"
"Silver?" Someone piped up.
"Yes, usually a silver knife to the heart or a silver bullet from a muggle gun to the head. There are no other known weaknesses, and with that, we have now come to an end. Thank you all for your questions and for taking this seriously. If you would please make your way out of the room, I believe dinner will be served shortly."
She turned around as the students began to file out, and before she could speak to Dean or Sam, they cleared their throats and gestured behind her. She turned around to see several students stood, looking at her expectantly.
"You want autographs, don't you?"
They nodded like bobble-head dolls and she chuckled, before quickly signing the parchment that was passed her way. When the students left, several more stepped into the room.
"You wanted to know what my response would be before asking, didn't you?" She said knowingly and they all nodded. She chuckled once more, before signing the parchment and then they left the room, leaving them alone.
"So, how did you find the lecture?" She asked them both.
"Amazing!" Sam exclaimed and Hermione watched him amused as he rattled off about what he found interesting and what he was surprised to learn, whilst Dean rolled his eyes. "I can't believe there's more than one type of werewolf, and there's a spell to turn someone into a human glacier. And..."
"We get it, you think it's great," Dean interrupted. Sam scowled at him and stopped talking.
"Well, I'm glad you learned something new," she said.
"You're a good teacher, you know?" Dean commented. She blinked in surprise. "I didn't understand why the students at that school in Columbus spoke so highly of you as a teacher, but after seeing you today, I do."
"Thank you. Minerva's been trying to get me to teach here for years, and I don't doubt she'll bring it up again before we leave."
"Do you want to teach here?" He asked her, watching her carefully.
Sam seeming to sense that it was going to be serous conversation, decided to give them some privacy, so he stood and walked up the stairs and he stepped into the office, leaving them alone in the classroom.
She looked around the room with a fond smile on her face.
"This is where I grew up, I learned invaluable life lessons and incredible forms of magic in this castle, and it was thanks to the professors for allowing me every opportunity to grow and develop my magic and I am forever grateful to them for putting up with my swottish tendencies. I've always wanted to do the same, to teach young students all the things that I learned, to share my experiences and knowledge to better their education and prepare them for life outside the castle walls. Hogwarts will always have a special place in my heart and I will always cherish my memories, both the good and the bad. I had hoped to one day take up a position as a professor here, but I hadn't planned to do so until after I had retired from The Ministry. As you know, wizarding folk can live double what muggles do, so I have more time in my career."
"And now? Do you still want to teach here?"
She sighed. "Dean, a part of me will always want to return to the castle, and I intended on doing so in a few decades or so, but then I met you, and my priorities have since changed." He kept his eyes locked with hers. "You are my number one priority now, your safety and your happiness. You are what matters most to me, and I don't want to do anything that will jeopardize our marriage or our trying for a baby. I won't pull you away from what you're comfortable with and I won't force you out of your hunting, simply because I wouldn't mind teaching a few teenage wizarding folk. To do that I would have to move back to England and I would spend the majority of my time, here, at the castle. I would never ask you to move with me and neither of us can take the separation. You are what matters most. I may have liked to teach, but it won't kill me in not doing so. It would kill me if I lost you, or if you resented me for taking you away from where you are needed or where you wanted to be."
He stood up from his chair and walked around the desk, stopping in front of her. He held her gaze, his eyes shining with love and adoration as he reached up and took her face in-between his hands, lowering his head slightly.
"I could never resent you, and you aren't going to lose me."
"Don't make promises you can't keep," she said softly, bringing her hands up to grip at his.
"You're not going to lose me if I can help it," he amended. "I want you to be happy, and if that means I have to give up hunting so you can teach the next generation of witches and wizards to be as kind and compassionate as you, then I will."
"All I need to be happy is you, no matter my job or where I am in the world. You are all I need and all I want in life."
"I'm putting a baby in you."
Her mouth turned up at the corners. "I know, it'll happen when it's meant to, at the very least we have some time together before our nights get interrupted by a crying baby." He chuckled at her. "Don't think you're getting out of nappy duty," she told him.
He snorted. "Diaper."
"Ah, you're in Britain now, it's a nappy, and I swear to Merlin, if you ever call a dummy a pacifier in front of me, you're getting hexed."
He chuckled. "Well, like you said, we've still got time."
He leaned down and kissed her softly, before gripping her by the hips and lifting her onto the desk. He looked down at her with a lustful, mischievous sparkle to his eyes and she raised an eyebrow in response as he stepped between her parted legs.
"You said you'd owe me one if I behaved during the interview, and I think I did."
"Yes, you were very well behaved for your standards," she agreed and his lip twitched. "Your point being?"
"I'm calling that in now."
"Oh, and what is it you want?"
His eyes grew darker and she knew his answer would amuse her, and she was right.
His eyes swept over her frame. "Do you happen to have your old school uniform?"
Hermione burst out laughing, but his tightening grip on her hips sobered her up, when he pulled her forward into him she could feel the hard member restrained by his clothing. Seriously, just thinking about it brought that reaction from him?
Hermione pushed him away from her and hopped off the desk, before pulling her wand. She quickly transfigured her blouse into a white oxford shirt, her jeans into a grey pleated skirt and she altered her robes to that of Gryffindors, before summoning a red and gold stripped tie. Admittedly, she did make the clothing a little tighter and shorter than she would've dared to wear in school, but the look on Dean's face was worth it.
"This uniform?" She asked innocently.
His dark eyes roamed the length off her body, before he pounced, pulling her against him and crashing his mouth to hers as his hands where everywhere on her. When she was breathless she pushed him away from her and he looked far from pleased.
She bit her lip, before writing a quick note to Sam, telling him not to leave the classroom and they would be back shortly. She didn't say where they were going or what they were doing, he would likely know having been dealing with their relationship for some time now and being more than used to it. She then took Dean's hand and dragged him out of the classroom, making sure the corridors were empty before pulling him into the first broom cupboard she could find, and before she knew it, she was hiked up against him and pinned to the wall.
Her laughter was muffled by his mouth claiming hers.
~000~000~000~
After Dean and Hermione returned to the classroom to see Sam watching them knowingly, Hermione continued with the brief tour of the castle, making sure to stop at the library, of which Sam had been completely taken with and Dean had exclaimed, "Awesome, we're in nerd heaven," until Hermione slapped up the side of his head.
When they were finally able to pry Sam away from the library, they headed back to McGonagall's office to say their goodbyes, and like Hermione had predicted, she did try to convince her to become a professor at the castle. Hermione politely declined, before hugging the headmistress and then they left for home.
It was late when they returned, so they ate the food that was waiting for them –much to Hermione's annoyance- before they turned in for the night, and it was in the middle of the night when Dean woke up.
He looked around the dark room with sleepy eyes, seeing that Hermione was nowhere to be seen and her side of the bed was cold, meaning she'd been gone for some time. One of the floating candles past over head and when it did, his eyes landed on the blood stain on the bed sheets and panic filled him.
Blood?
She was hurt?
How? When? Who?
He bolted out of bed and that's when his hearing picked up on the sound of running water. He quickly made his way to the bathroom, where he found Hermione sat on the floor of the shower with the water beading down on her. She had her legs drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped her knees, her head was buried in her arms and he could hear sobs leaving her.
Without care for still being partially clothed in his underwear, he stepped into the shower and positioned himself behind her, so that she sat between his legs and she reclined against him.
"What's wrong? Are you hurt? I saw blood on the sheets," he asked, trying to remain calm as he wrapped her up in his arms.
She shook her head and appeared to be getting her emotions under control.
"I got my period," she hiccupped.
He hadn't been expecting that, but it would explain the blood on the sheets if she got it during the night. But then it occurred to him, if she'd gotten her period, then she wasn't pregnant and disappointment filled him. He pushed it aside as he needed to focus on her, and he placed a gentle kiss to her shoulder.
"You're not pregnant," he muttered.
She shook her head. "No, I cast the Pregnancy Charm a couple of days ago and it was negative."
"I know you're upset and disappointed, but we knew it could take time," he said softly.
"I'm not upset."
"Then why are you sobbing in the shower?"
She turned around in his arms to face him, her large chocolate orbs locking onto his green ones. "Dean, I haven't had my period since I was eighteen. This is my first in eight years." He frowned. "Don't you see? It means I can have children. My reproductive organs are functioning as they should be."
His face softened. She'd heard from Castiel that she was fertile, but she needed proof and went to see a doctor. She believed it, but he supposed it was a surprise for her to actually see that she was physically fertile, particularly if she hadn't had a period in almost a decade. He could understand why that would overwhelm her.
"I don't care if Lucifer himself escapes from the cage and tries to stop us, we're having a baby."
She sighed, wiping away her tears, before chuckling at him. "I love pie."
"I love pie too," he muttered, placing a kiss to her forehead and allowing her to lean against him as the hot water continued to fall over them.