CHAPTER ONE

Summary: After completing her Masters in Potions and Herbology and adopting her Godson, Teddy Lupin in the wake of his Grandmother's death, Hermione decides a change is in order. After packing up their lives and saying their goodbyes, they move to La Push where Hermione finds herself carving a new life with the pack she didn't know she needed and a man she was destined to love. Rated M for bad language, violence and sexual content.

Disclaimer: I do not own canon events and characters, they belong to J.K Rowling and Stephenie Meyers. I am not making a profit from writing and posting this fanfic. As for the descriptions of appearances for the Twilight characters, all my research is based on the books and not the movies. I have also changed a few of the canon events for both Twilight and Harry Potter, as you will see in the coming chapters, for instance, Fred did die, but he wasn't crushed by the wall; he was killed by a vampire.

And before I forget, let's ignore the eight hour time difference between London and Washington, just to make everything easier, I forgot and didn't realise until I was well into writing.

This does have Bella/ Cullen bashing!

AN

November, 2021

This is not abandoned. I realise this hasn't been updated in a long time as I've had some real-life issues, increased work schedules due to staff shortages and employee downsizing because management are arseholes (I work two jobs totalling 60+ hours a week because I'm an idiot) and I've been focused on my other WIPs, but this is almost finished and I wish to get back to it so I can finally tick that complete box.

Again, I stress, this is not abandoned so don't worry, I'll be returning to it as soon as I can.

Also, I do respond to reviews and I do answer questions but when I reach the editing stage I tend to remove my responses as to not potentially give any spoilers to new viewers. I promise I'm not ignorant.

Page count: 11

Wednesday 19th October 2005 - La Push

"Miss. Granger, on the behalf of the residents of La Push, thank you for your donation to the community and we hope you find happiness here."

"Thank you, Mr. Black."

"Call me Billy," the russet toned man grinned up at her from his wheelchair.

She smiled at him. "Only if you call me Hermione," she replied. "If there is anything I can do for your Tribe please don't hesitate to ask. And I do hope I'm not intruding on..."

He interrupted before she could finish her words, giving a wave of his hand. "Of course you're not intruding, you're more than welcome here. You have my number if you need anything?" He checked, receiving a nod of confirmation. "Then I best get home, here are the keys," he said, holding them out to her and she took them from him, closing her fingers around the two silver keys.

"Thank you," she said sincerely. He took her hand in both of his and squeezed them, offering a smile before he released them and turned, wheeling himself down the beach. "Oh, before I forget, do you happen to know a contractor or builder who may be able to help with renovations?"

He paused before twisting to look at her. "It just so happens that I do; I'll send them along tomorrow morning for a meeting."

Smiling in thanks, Hermione watched as he slowly made his way down the beach before she turned towards her new house, staring up at it as the keys jingled in her hand.

It was a fairly large building made mostly of wood but with a small amount of brick used at the foundations as a support mechanism. The paint had faded over the years with the once bright white now being a murky grey. The porch and steps needed a little fixing with some of the wood having splintered and rotted, a few of the windows needed replacing due to cracks in the glass whilst the rest would benefit from a wash with some soapy warm water. The roof needed to be replaced as she'd seen the water damage inside the house, the window panes could do with a new spruce of paint and the lamps would need to be replaced entirely due to rust and faulty wiring.

She'd fallen in love with the house the moment she saw it. She could imagine what it would look like once it was restored to its former glory, with a little magic she could have it done in no time, but of course, she had to be careful with how much progress she made due to living in a muggle area, and therefore, she planned to hire a contractor to avoid suspicion.

As she approached the house, she was mindful in her steps as she climbed the steps on the porch, skipping the broken ones entirely before opening the faded red door and stepping inside.

She'd chosen this house for a reason; her heart was set on it due to its aged beauty but her mind had been in agreement once she'd had all the information. From what she'd learned, the house was the largest in all of the La Push community and right on the seafront, it had an enormous open planned living room, kitchen and dining room, six bedrooms, three baths, a basement -which she had every intention of converting into a potions lab- and a room that with a few Enlargement Charms, could hold her growing collection of books. With a pseudo-family as big as hers, she would need the space to accommodate them when they visited.

Thankfully, the inside of the house didn't have too much damage with the ground floor requiring the most work and the first and second floors needing a few improvements, but with the building being deemed structurally sound, she was happy.

As her eyes darted towards the kitchen, she knew it was the area that needed the least amount of work with only a replacement sink and cupboard doors needed. There was space for her newly purchased fridge-freezer, washing machine, dryer and oven and the countertops allowed for the placement of muggle kitchen appliances. To complete the kitchen, sat in the centre was a lovely island and breakfast bar, something she'd loved on sight.

Her eyes darting about her surroundings once more, she pulled the broken glasses frame from her pocket and was whisked away, returning to London.

~000~000~000~

London

"Are you sure that you want to do this?"

"Yes, Harry, I want to do this, I need to do this," she smiled softly. "It's best if we have a fresh start, somewhere no one knows us and somewhere we'll be safe. I know it's been over a year but we're all still healing, Death Eaters are still on the run and we're not truly safe yet, where we're going we will be."

"I don't want you to leave, what am I going to do without you?" He frowned, his lip jutting out slightly and Hermione snorted at the action.

"You'll be the best Junior Auror this side of the world has ever seen," she replied confidently, a smile touching at his mouth.

"A lot has happened," he muttered.

"Yes, it has," she agreed.

"It's what's best for you both."

"I think it is," she nodded, the both of them looking over to the sleeping Teddy Lupin, now eighteen-months-old.

"When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow morning, I have a meeting with a contractor."

"You have a place already?" He questioned in surprise.

"Yes, it's lovely, big enough for visitors and on the beachfront, too. It just needs a little fixing up but it's been deemed safe to be habitable in the meantime."

"This makes it all the more final, doesn't it?" His voice saddened.

"Yes, it does. I've already said my goodbyes to the Weasleys and Minerva."

"How'd they take it?"

"As you would expect. Minerva was a little surprised; she wished for me to take an apprenticeship under her and train to be the new Transfiguration Professor, but she understood. Ginny was upset but happy for me, Bill and Charlie were both supportive and Percy didn't seem to be bothered, either way. Arthur was upset but he understood, George threatened to move in with me," she trialled off with a laugh that he mimicked, "And Ron went ballistic, as did Molly."

"Everyone thought you were going to marry," he reminded her.

"No, thank you, we tried dating and it was more awkward than Severus wearing pink and spouting off rubbish about being in love with unicorns and rainbows," she grimaced at the image and he snorted in amusement. "Besides, I don't think I'll ever get married after what happened," her voice saddened and her eyes lowered to the ground.

Harry cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Speaking of Severus, have you told him?"

"Not yet, he's last on my list, he'll be the most difficult. I just have to inform Kingsley and then I can leave in the morning."

"I really don't want you to leave, you're my sister."

"Blood or not, you'll always be my brother, Harry," she promised softly, reaching out and pulling him into a hug.

~000~000~000~

Ministry of Magic

"Are you sure, Hermione?"

"Yes, Kingsley, Teddy picked it, I gave him a map and he pointed to it," she shrugged.

"Yes, but Forks, Washington?"

"It seems like a nice community, Seattle is only a few hours away so I'll have access to a Wizarding community and there's always Port Angeles if I wish to do a bit of shopping. Besides, it's not Forks but La Push," she corrected.

He sighed. "When I received your letter informing me that you were moving to the US, I had Percy pull all the information we have on Washington," he told her, pushing the file that sat before him across his desk and over to her. "In Forks alone, there is a coven of vampires, seven in total," he saw her expression darken instantaneously, she gripped the armrests of her chair and a frightening growl slipped past her lips.

Kingsley flinched back. Since the Final Battle and after witnessing several of her friends, professors and peers being ripped and torn apart by vampires, she had grown to dislike them, one in particular that she was currently tracking the whereabouts of so she could repay her in kind. It was the reason she hadn't applied to work for the RCMC Department; she wasn't entirely certain she could liaison with them, let alone stand the thought or sight of them.

"I will say in their defence, the file states the vampires are on an animal diet only, they should pose no threat to you," he said softly, knowing her issues with the blood-ingesting species.

"Even if they did, they'd have to get past my wand first," she shrugged, seeing a smile tug at his mouth.

"I have to tell you there is also a pack of shape-shifting wolves in La Push, from what we've been able to tell, three so far but we're unsure if there will be more."

"As for the shape-shifters," Hermione started, reaching for the file and flipping through it, seeming calmer as she leaned back into her chair and crossed her leg over her knee, "According to this file, they haven't hurt any muggles."

"An employee of the American RCMC Department was dispatched with instructions to observe the wolves. It seems they pose no threat to muggles. There's some local legends surrounding the Tribe, one of animal warriors protecting their Tribe from cold-ones."

"Vampires?" Hermione arched an eyebrow but didn't take her eyes from the file in her hand.

"We believe so; the observer noted that the wolves patrolled the borders of their land every night. After a week, he had only witnessed them killing one confirmed vampire that came onto their land, the American Ministry deemed them safe and no longer keep tabs on them but as with all records, if another shape-shifter emerges, the records will automatically update."

"Do you think the presence of vampires nearby invoked the shape-shifting?" He questioned curiously.

"It may be possible, and I hate to admit, but I feel the shape-shifters will do you no harm; you'll be residing on their land, so you'll be protected. How did you manage to purchase a property? They're a closed community; they don't usually let outsiders in."

"I can't actually remember; it happened so quickly," his brow furrowed in thought as she closed the file and set it back on the desk. "I was walking down the street and I must've looked lost because this man stopped me and asked if I needed help. We got to talking and he took me to the local diner, I told him I was looking to buy a property and before I knew it, I had bought a house, signed all the papers and donated to the local school to improve their library and gymnasium."

He chuckled at her fondly. "You have a way about you, Hermione. You set people at ease. I'll be sad to see you leave, must you go? I could use your help in the Ministry."

"Yes, I have to. It's what we need."

~000~000~000~

Hogwarts

"Severus?" Hermione shifted on her feet nervously. "Please, say something."

"When do you leave?" He questioned, his eyes cold and his expression blank. She hated it.

"Tomorrow morning, everything is set."

"What will you do?"

"Well, now that I've completed my masters, I'll be working on my own potions as well as providing potions for any that need them. I already have a contract with St. Helena's Hospital. It gives me more income than I need and that's not including what I'll get from my private sales, my investments and the reward money."

"You need a licence," he deadpanned.

"I already applied for one and the paperwork came back yesterday. I have everything that we need. Please understand that I need to do this, things have been so hard lately," she pleaded, her gaze lowering in sadness at the thought. She missed him so much, no matter how much time had passed.

Her ex-professor released a soft sigh, his eyelids fluttered closed and his arms opened for her. She closed the distance, running to him like a hysterical young child that needed a hug from their father. She felt the tears fall the moment his arms closed around her. Out of those that she loved and cared for, she knew she would miss Severus Snape and Harry Potter the most.

Who would have thought that she'd develop the relationship she had with him? She certainly never with their history.

During the final battle, (or the Battle of Hogwarts, as it was now known) Severus Snape had been bitten by Nagini after Voldemort had learned of his betrayal. When Harry had rushed off to find a pensive to view the memory Severus had given him, Hermione had been too stubborn to let him die. After all of the death and suffering she'd already witnessed, selfishly, she needed to be able to save the life of someone, anyone. During her scramble to keep him alive, the thought had come to her to extract the venom from the wound; after all, no matter the size, Nagini was still a snake. Her actions meant that the venom hadn't had time to reach Severus' heart and it had kept him alive long enough for him to be transported to St. Mungo's so the Healers and Medi-Wizards could heal the remainder of the damage.

Despite visiting him in hospital and checking in on him as often as she was able to, he ignored her, refusing to speak or even look at her for weeks. Later, she realised that he'd wanted to die, that he'd never expected to survive the war and he needed time to process his survival. He'd been a patient at St. Mongo's whilst his body healed the injuries and ailments caused by the venom before she'd extracted it, and then one day, he'd unexpectedly arrived at Hogwarts, searching for her whilst she was helping with the repair and clean-up of the castle and its grounds.

He'd pierced her with his famed cold, dead stare and his voice had been too calm for him not to be furious, and for hours she'd been scolded and chastised for daring to interfere in his death. She'd barely been able to look at him when he took his leave, his robes billowing behind him. It was weeks after that when he finally thanked her for saving his life and from that point, they slowly started to talk, their topic generally being the potions' field. It wasn't until she had her world shattered for a second time that he stepped up his role in her life and they grew closer, developing a relationship similar to that of a father and daughter.

She definitively hadn't seen it coming.

"I have more than enough space; you can visit whenever you like and when you retire, you can come and live with me," she whispered.

"I am needed here," he replied.

"I know, but I can't stay here, please understand that."

"I do, and that's why I give you my blessing."

She let out a sob. "Thank you, Severus," she sniffled. "We can owl and floo call all the time, I'll need your help with a potion or two."

"You're a Potion's Mistress now," he reminded.

"But I'm nowhere near your standard or level, you've got years of experience and knowledge over me."

"That comes with age and experience. You've always had potential. A second-year brewing PolyJuice in a girl's bathroom," he replied, his voice sounding lighter as his mouth twitched into an amused smile.

"May I remind you that I turned myself into a strange human-cat hybrid," she argued.

"May I remind you that you brewed it perfectly?" He countered. "You simply collected your sample from the wrong species, a mistake anyone could make, even I."

"If you say so," she sniffed. "But I expect a visit at least once a month; I want to hear your complaints about the new generation of dunderheads under your care," she said, a smile tugging at her mouth when he snorted.

~000~000~000~

Thursday 20th October 2005 - London

"Must you go?"

"Yes, Harry, I must," she smiled and chuckled sadly at his pout.

"I'm sorry that I can't help you with him," he said guiltily, looking to Teddy who was perched on her hip, tugging at her hair and giggling as his hair changed from a sandy-blonde to mahogany-brown to raven-black and back again.

"I understand, Harry," she smiled softly, "Being an Auror isn't exactly an appropriate occupation for a young parent. You deserve to have your freedom and I know you love Teddy but I'm able to care for him and honestly, he isn't much hassle."

"You say that now but wait 'til he gets older," Harry laughed.

"No, he is not getting older; he's staying my little Teddy Bear for the rest of his life, right Teddy?" She looked down at him and Teddy gave a serious nod before he squealed.

"I'll visit whenever I can," he promised.

"I know, but you need to focus on making the world safe; there's still Death Eaters on the loose that need catching." A beep sounded from her wand, alerting her that her port-key was due to leave. "I guess that's my cue. Goodbye, Harry."

With her beaded bag hooked over her shoulder, Hermione reached inside and removed the port-key, a smile and giggling child being that last thing Harry saw before they were whisked away to their new life.

~000~000~000~

La Push

Landing the centre of the open-planned space, Teddy was already asleep due to magical transportation being known to exhaust children after travel. Shifting him slightly to ensure she had a better grip and prevent her from dropping him, she then moved further into the living room, unhooked her beaded bag from her shoulder and set it on the ground before heading for the staircase.

She'd already been back to the house earlier that morning to set up Teddy's room and whilst she hadn't had the chance to finish it as she'd wished, she'd made sure to use the time she'd had wisely. Located on the first floor, it was the second-largest room in the house and it was right beside her own, putting him close by.

Opening the door revealed dark wooden flooring and light blue walls, a single wooden framed bed sat against the right wall and was complete with Protection Charms, preventing Teddy from rolling out of bed and injuring himself. It also ensured that he couldn't leave the bed alone; he had to be accompanied by someone, preventing him from waking in the night and wandering, and she'd done it for those reasons. Teddy had always been a curious child and now that he was able to walk well and he was running even better, she had to be cautious, especially with a child capable of magic.

As she laid him on the soft mattress and covered him with the dark blue blankets, she placed a kiss to his forehead, took a step back and erected an Alert Ward around his bed so she would be made aware of when he woke. She paused by the bedroom door on her exit and turned to look back at him, seeing his even breathing and his eyelids fluttering slightly as he dreamed.

She loved the little boy as if he was her own, and in some ways, he was.

She'd adopted Teddy a month prior to their moving.

After the deaths of Remus and Tonks, Teddy was under the care of his Grandmother, Andromeda. She hadn't been alone in raising the newborn as Harry and Hermione stepped in to help whenever they could, but with Harry training in the Auror programme and his schedule being erratic and unreliable, Hermione was able to be around more often.

Unknown to them, Andromeda had been ill, her condition deteriorating by the day. They'd come to learn it was an illness that was effectively a wizarding form of cancer and unfortunately she'd passed away, devastating them both. She'd left Harry and Hermione as Teddy's guardians and a week later with Harry's blessing, Hermione officially adopted Teddy, with the paperwork being rushed through in a matter of days with the help of Kingsley.

She was young, still a teenager, and she wasn't certain she was ready to be a mother or that she'd be any good at it with her recently finishing her Masters and starting out in her new career, but what she did know was that she loved the little boy more than she thought possible and she'd be damned if she didn't try her best to give him the best life possible. If not for Teddy's sake, then for Remus and Tonks.

With a final glance, she turned, closed the door and returned to the floor below, collecting her beaded bag from the ground, pulling her wand from beneath her sleeve and using it to remove and enlarge all of the packed boxes and recently bought furniture. Scanning the labelled boxes, she sent her belongings to her room and Teddy's clothing and toys up to his room, being sure to make a mental note to purchase more as he was growing so quickly and there was only so many times clothing could be magically enlarged before the material was damaged.

After she resized her furniture, she left it scattered around the room with the packaging remaining in place, and she made a start on the kitchen, moving the appliances onto the countertops and making it look as though she'd been there for hours unpacking, when in reality, she'd been there no more than ten minutes.

With the larger appliances being too heavy to move by herself, a wave of her wand had the fridge-freezer in its rightful place and she cast charms around it, protecting it from magical interference. She'd already been by the local supermarket and was quick to put the food items away before she turned her attention to moving the stainless steel range oven into its rightful place. Looking around, the smaller appliances, utensils and knickknacks were scattered about and waiting to be put away, and newspaper and bubble wrap littered the countertops and floo, making it look untidy. Perfect for being in the process of mid-moving.

Happy with what she'd done so far and having had a busy morning, a quick break was in order so she approached the couch and sat down on the soft white material, the protective cover crinkling beneath her. She'd barely taken a moment to breathe when she heard a car pull up outside the house and it was soon followed by a car door opening and closing. Sighing, she stood from the couch, ran a hand through her hair, smoothed out her shirt and then made her way to the door.

She opened it to reveal a man dressed in simple jeans and a black t-shirt, clinging tightly to his muscled form. Was it too small for him? Did they not come in a larger size or was it intentional? He was stood by an old-looking tan-coloured truck, his hands casually shoved into his pockets as he stared up at the house thoughtfully.

She stepped through the door and onto the porch, allowing her to see him better. He was tall! Merlin was he tall. Six-foot-six, at least! And he appeared larger than she'd originally thought, too. His skin was russet in colour, practically glowing, his eyes a dark brown and his hair short and black. He gave a whole new meaning to the term, tall, dark and handsome. Hermione wasn't known for being affected by a person's appearance and it was that moment when she realised she was practically drooling.

Mentally closing her mouth and pulling herself together, she squared her shoulders and was careful as she walked down the porch steps, physically jumping the last three altogether (they were the most damaged) and she landed on the damp sand with a thud.

It drew his attention instantly and his gaze turned to her, his eyes widening, his mouth parting and he stared at her unflinchingly.

~000~000~000~

"Hey, Sam, what you got for us this morning?" Jared greeted as he entered Sam's cabin, Paul following behind him after their return from early morning patrols.

Sam shrugged, taking a sip from his coffee mug. "Billy called, that old house on First Beach, someone's moving in and has asked for some help fixing it up."

"That's dump's liveable?" He questioned in surprise.

"More importantly, who could afford that dump?" Paul added.

Sam shrugged carelessly, shifting to get more comfortable as he leaned against the kitchen counter. "Can't be anyone from the Res," he remarked. "I took a look at the listing, not only does the place need some serious work, it wasn't cheap either, we're talking mid-six figures even with the state it's in, something to do with the location, too. Billy said they'd pay well for the work done."

Jared let out a long whistle. "It must be though; I can't imagine the Council allowing an outsider to live on the land," he pointed out.

"Billy said something about a donation," Sam injected.

"So the buyer bought the Council's approval?" Paul scowled in irritation.

"No, the buyer bought the house and donated afterwards. Apparently, they heard about the school's lack of resources and wrote a hefty cheque for the library and gym. He said something about them being a firm supporter in education."

"So, who is it?"

"Dunno. Let's find out."

After setting his empty mug in the sink, he reached for his car keys and they left the house, climbed into the truck and Sam drove the short distance to First Beach, arriving and finding the house in as little as twenty minutes. When he pulled to a stop, he shut off the engine and instructed Paul and Jared to wait for him in the truck, and though it was clear they didn't agree with his decision, they didn't argue.

He stepped out of his truck and shut the door behind him, searching his surroundings before his eyes finally locked on the house before him. It was a lot bigger than he remembered it being and he could already see the work that needed to be done with only a few glances and he was sure there'd be more after he gave the house an inspection. Hours would have to go into fixing up the house but Billy had given his word the buyer could be trusted to pay and pay well, so he wasn't worried.

He could imagine what the place would look like when it was finished, what it would be like to own a house of that size and value, who would have bought it, but his conjured image didn't compare to reality.

After hearing the 'thud' of weight colliding with the wet sand beneath his feet, his head turned towards the sound and he couldn't describe what happened next. It was as if his heart had stopped beating only to pick up at a much faster pace. His head cleared of all thoughts, particularly of those of his ex-girlfriend (for which he still felt guilty for breaking up with her.) His thoughts were replaced with that of the girl, woman, in front of him.

God! She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on and she smelled so good, he couldn't help taking a deep breath as the wind tousled her hair, sending her scent in his direction. It was sweet and fruity, vanilla, strawberries and honey, he thought, but there was something else there, something hidden. It calmed him, washing over him in waves, seeming to settle the other side of him.

He felt himself go light headed, was it possible to get drunk on a person's smell?

His eyes devoured her. She was quite a bit shorter than him; where he stood at six-foot-six, she only stood at five-foot-six, he was a whole foot taller than her! She was tiny compared to him. Her mahogany-coloured hair fell in shiny and sleek ringlets to the middle of her back; they looked soft and spilt over her shoulders, creating a halo effect.

She had ivory skin and her large chocolate brown eyes were doe-like and captivating, he had to tear himself away from them in order to continue with his perusal of her. His gaze lowered to her cute button nose and he saw a light smattering of freckles. He felt the sudden urge to count them. Next were her pink lips, plump and soft and utterly kissable. Moving lower led him to her elegant neck and he saw her collar bones peeking out from beneath her unbuttoned shirt.

She wore a plaid shirt in red, black and white with a pair of black leggings and red converse on her feet. It was so simple and effortless. Her clothing clung to her in all the right ways, showing off the swell of her breasts and her curves whilst also being modest, hiding most of her skin from view. She was makeup-free; he knew from the lack of smell that tended to surround most beauty products. His mouth went dry and he couldn't form a clear thought in his head.

Did he love her?

He swallowed.

He realised that he did.