Authors Note: Hope you all liked the last chapter. I have a job now where I have very little free time and I've been planning a wedding for the last few months. Now that I'm not planning anymore, and I've gotten over my massive writer's block, I'm hoping to finish this story up soon. Happy reading!

Chapter 11 - Life Changes

Hermione lay awake, staring at the top of her four poster bed. She looked down at her watch and sighed. 5:30, everyone would be up at 6, she may as well get up despite the very little sleep she'd gotten. She gathered her shower supplies and headed downstairs to the bathroom.

"Hermione," Came a voice from the couch. She looked up. "I thought you'd want this." Remus said, standing up and holding out the old book out to her.

"Thank you." she said, walking over to take it. "Have you read it yet?" He shook his head.

"I tried but I just couldn't get into it." He said. "It's incredibly slow to be honest."

"I only got through the first chapter but I noticed." She laughed. "I'll read it anyways though. Did you tell Professor McGonagall?"

"I did." He replied. They stood there awkwardly for a moment.

"What's going on Remus?" Hermione finally asked. "With us, I mean. One day you're telling me we can't be together and the next you're buying me dresses and sneaking dances with me." Remus sighed.

"I can't…" He paused. "I can't keep myself away from you."

"And that means?" She asked.

"It means it's a good thing you're getting your N.E.W.T. scores today." He replied. He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Have a great day." He said smiling, before strolling out of the room and through the portrait.

"There you are!" Ginny said as her, Harry, Ron and Aria sat down at the table.

"Sorry. I got up early and couldn't sit in the common room anymore." Hermione replied, nose buried in her book.

"I thought McGonagall was going to have Professor Lupin read that?" Aria asked.

"He couldn't. Between all his classes he didn't have time. Plus it's dreadfully boring." She said, finally putting it down. "I've almost finished it but I've had to force myself to keep reading."

"Anything useful?" Harry asked.

"Tons actually." She replied pulling out a small muggle notebook and flipping it open. "It starts as Brigit Freelis's diary. It details how she summoned a fertility God, Mars, on accident while trying to cast a muggle wiccan spell. She fell pregnant with Feris but died during child birth. The diary is then continued 10 years later when Feris finds it. He talks about all his abilities. He's stronger than full grown men, even at age 10, and he has all these extra senses like Aria was talking about; danger, moods, feelings, weather, people near by, sometimes even thoughts if he concentrated enough. He isn't able to transform at will until he's almost 15 and the first time he did it he nearly wiped out an entire village. It was only a young witch named Gizelle that was able to help him transform back. They met shortly before his 15th birthday and it was her village that he nearly destroyed. She put her life at risk to save her family by cornering him. It wasn't until he almost attacked her that his human side kicked in. They decided it was too dangerous for him to live among humans and they ran away to the countryside. After transforming on his own he was stuck in wolf form until the next full moon but he was conscious. Until the one full moon when his wolf momentarily took over and bit her. She turned at the next full moon. It's quite sad after that."

"That's not sad enough already?" Ron asked frowning.

"She got pregnant when he was 20 and she was 19. She died during childbirth and he lost his first life mate. The child died three years later when he transformed for the first time and escaped. He was shot by hunters who were astounded when the dead wolf turned into a child and the world was made aware of werewolves."

"You're right. Much sadder." Harry agreed. They all nodded in agreement.

"But it gets better. He found his next life mate, another witch named Natalia, 5 years later who choose to join him in lycanthropy. They had three children. One was a wolf and a wizard, the second was half wolf and full witch, only changing her eyes, appetite and behavior on the full moon, and the third was just a wizard, although a very powerful one with senses. I've just finished the part where Fenris is found dead, killed by hunters, and the diary is continued by his wife Natalia." Hermione finished.

"Wow." Aria said finally. They all nodded in agreement. The subjects turned to lighter things like assignments until the post arrived. Hermione watched anxiously as an official looking owl swooped in, spotted her and landed neatly on the table in front of her. She pulled the large sealed scroll from the bird's leg and it took of, not even accepting a treat. Hermione took a deep breathe.

"Here it goes." She said, unsealing the scroll while her friends watched almost as anxiously. She glanced up at the teachers table where both McGonagall and Remus were watching her, both gave her a reassuring smile and McGonagall got up to head to their table. Looking back down at the parchment she suppressed a squeal of delight.

Arithmancy - Outstanding

Care of Magical Creatures - Outstanding

Charms - Outstanding

Defense Against the Dark Arts - Outstanding

Herbology - Exceeds Expectations

Potions - Outstanding

Transfiguration - Outstanding

"Well Miss Granger, how did you do?" McGonagall asked reaching their table.

"Quite well." She said with a grin, handing the parchment to the headmistress.

"Quite well indeed!" The older woman said. "I'd like you to meet me in my office after breakfast." She said, handing Hermione her scores back.

"Yes ma'am." Hermione said before turning back to breakfast while friends congratulated her.

"I want to graduate early." Ginny said grumpily.

"You may be able to. McGonagall was talking about offering early testing to all the war participants." Hermione reminded her as they finished up breakfast.

"So Miss Granger, have you thought on my offer any more?" The headmistress asked her.

"I have. And I'd like to accept." Hermione replied. "I need some time to decide what I'd like to pursue as a career and I'd like to try my hand at teaching."

"Wonderful!" McGonagall replied. "I'll have sign up sheets posted in the common rooms tonight and let you know how many students are interested and then you can set up a schedule." She thanked the headmistress then left for the common room, eager to finish the diary since she was done with classes.

December fifth, 1820

My Fenris is dead. He has previously told me of losing his first mate Gizelle but nothing in the world could have prepared me for the searing pain I felt when he left this world. It was like my nerves were lit a blaze, my heart itself.

To add to my misery, I've found out that I'm with child. The thought terrifies me. I don't think I can raise another on my own. I must though, some way. The fainting was the telltale. As near as I can tell, our kinds child bearing is almost nothing compared to the human kind. Not even in duration.

The human a few miles down has been very kind since Fenris passed. She loves to tell stories. Having never experienced a human pregnancy. I've come to asking questions, which I know I should not lest her question my motives but she's seems perfectly content to talk about herself.

Whilst her children were born around the tenth month after conception, Wylie, Adriana and Blithe were born fully grown in the eighth month. Her and her husband need next to nothing to stop conception, she brews her own version of a wizard's potion, whereas if Fenris and I both need our spell and potion to stop it.

Hermione quickly shut the book, making a louder than necessary bang that made several people in the common room look up. She turned red at all the attention and quickly packed her things up and headed to the library.

Hermione's hand shook as she carefully pushed open the common room portrait. The fat lady snorted softly in her sleep and she froze for a moment before slipping out and gently shutting it again. She darted down the hall and around the corner then cast a disillusionment spell on herself, essentially rendering herself invisible. It wouldn't do much but it was enough that if she ran into someone and she managed to hold completely still they probably wouldn't see her.

Mercifully, she didn't run into anyone as she snuck down every shortcut she knew to the dungeons. Once there, she prayed to Merlin that Slughorn was already asleep, mentally berating herself for not borrowing Harry's map and cloak. She walked quickly and silently down the dungeon hallways, grateful that her trainers didn't squeak against the cobblestone like Ron's usually did. She finally reached the potions classroom and crossed her fingers for good measure before pushing open the heavy door a crack. She paused listening for any sounds in the room. When she heard none, she pushed it open a bit further and gave a sigh of relief realizing the torches had been extinguished and no light shone under the potions masters office door.

She slipped into the room and softly shut the door.

"Lumos selium." She whispered quietly. The tip of her wand glowed orange softly and she smiled, glad she had read Useful Charms for Useful Things and learned the personal light spell. She crept silently to the store cupboards. Pulling the doors open, she ran over the list in her head.

'Dandelion root, mistletoe berry and moonseed.' She silently repeated, looking through the shelves. She grabbed the three vials, grateful that there was more than one of each, shut the cupboard with a slight click and darted out of the room, closing the door softly behind her.

She felt like she didn't breath until she got back to the common room at which point she shot up the dormitory stairs, cast a silencing charm around her desk and started working.

Several hours later, she sighed in relief as the potion turned into a clear gel.

"Infantium revealio." She almost whispered, nervously, swirling her wand through the gel and watching it darken quickly before settling. She fell back in her chair numbly as she wiped the, now green, gel off of her wand.

Hermione woke up early the next day and headed straight to the hospital wing. Mercifully, it was empty save for Madame Pomfrey drinking her morning tea and reading the Daily Prophet at her desk. She looked up when the door opened and smiled.

"Ms. Granger, what can I do for you?" She asked.

"I think I need a pregnancy scan...?" She phrased it like a question but she knew what it would be.

"Oh. Umm, right. When was your last menses?" The healer asked.

"End of August." She replied.

"Right. Just lay down on the bed." Hermione did as she was told, noting the healers awkwardness.

"Visum graviditate." Madame Pomfrey said slowly, passing her wand over Hermione's stomach. An image slowly appeared and the healer seemed to slump. Hermione watched in fascination as the image cleared. It was a kind of black and white screen. In the center was a white circle with a small black blob towards the middle. Her baby. "Well Miss Granger, you are indeed pregnant. I'll give you a week to tell anyone you wish but then I have to tell the Head Mistress. You seem to be about 4 weeks but if your last menses was at the end of August..."

"Werewolf pregnancies seem to progress a little faster." Hermuone told her.

"Ah, ok." The healer paused a moment before pushing forwards. "Miss Granger, you should know that werewolf pregnancies are extremely taxing... Much more so than regular pregnancies which are hard enough."

"I know. Thank you."

"I hate to be indelicate but are you certain you want to continue with this pregnancy?" The healer asked slowly. "You're so young and unfortunately any pregnancy you have could possibly terminate itself or put your life at risk and-"

"I'm well aware of the risks Madame Pomfrey but I've only just found out. If I decide to terminate I'll let you know." She said somewhat rudely as she jumped off the table. "I'll need prenatal potions until then." The healer pursed her lips but she nodded and rushed back into her office, coming out moment later with a cylindrical vial filled with a purple potion.

"Just a sip each morning will do. Please come back if you need anything." She said the last part genuinely and Hermione lost some of her anger.

"Thank you." She said, taking the vial. She left the hospital wing, tucking the potion into her robes, and headed to Remus's quarters.

Authors note: Hope you liked this chapter! I got a massive case of writers block half way through and needed a break to work on something else for a bit... If you're also a Hermione/Draco fan, try my story A Love In Time!

Thanks for sticking with my slow ass!

AliceLupin