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Twice in a Blue Moon	By : UnseenLibrarian Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Hermione/Bill Views: 19693 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters from it. I make no money from this story.

Chapter List
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CHAPTER THREE

Saturday morning, December 11, 2000

Moon phase: Full

A beam of wintry sunshine shone in through Hermione's bedroom window, landing squarely on her face. She pulled the pillow over her head, muttering in discomfort. A few moments later, however, she threw out her hand, grabbed the old-fashioned wind-up alarm clock she kept next to the bed, and pulled it under the pillow with her. After a second or two, with a muffled groan, Hermione tossed the pillow aside and sat up, woozily. Holding her head in her hands, she sat on the edge of her bed for several minutes, willing herself not to throw up.

Once she felt she could stand without vomiting, she made her wobbly way to the bathroom, where she proceeded to do her business, splash her face with cold water, and then down a dose of "Mrs. Ogden's Olde Reliable" hangover potion. While waiting for the potion to take effect, Hermione looked at herself in the mirror. She grinned ruefully at the shadows under her eyes.

"Hermione, my girl, you had way too many Firewhiskey Chocolate Cauldrons last night," she told her reflection. "If any of the Weasley boys see you like this, you are in for a severe ribbing!"

Except maybe Bill, she thought to herself, who had eaten more Cauldrons than she, and might possibly be in worse shape for it today.

Score another point for me, she chuckled.

Thinking of Bill made delicious shivers crawl up her spine and a pulse run through her womb. The things he'd done to her with his fingers, his lips... his tongue! Oh, yes, she'd heard what cunnilingus could be like from her giggling roommates Lavender and Parvati back in their days of innocence at Hogwarts, and she'd done all sorts of reading of course, but to finally experience it was so much better than she had ever imagined it could be. Ron had never shown the slightest interest in exploring that side of sex with her, while it seemed that Bill, on the other hand, could happily lose himself between her thighs for hours, if she felt so inclined to let him.

If it hadn't been for George's rotten timing!

She reached down to touch herself beneath the silk chemise she'd donned last night before falling into bed. Her lower lips were decidedly damp from just thinking about her interlude with Bill. Blushing, she shook her head at herself with a smile. After a quick glance at the shower, she decided against it for now, wanting to have some breakfast and get started on the reading she planned to do before she was due at the Burrow. Instead, with the hangover potion having worked its magic, she pulled her hair back into a haphazard ponytail after quickly running a brush through it, washed and moisturized her face, and gave her teeth a good brushing.

She had promised to join Lavender and Molly at the Weasley homestead that afternoon to do some holiday baking. It was always fun, but after the previous night's exciting turn of events with Bill, Hermione would rather spend the day at the Ministry's libraries doing research. Several things about the evening had piqued her curiosity, and she now wanted to delve deeper into their possible causes, especially Bill's fiercely protective reaction towards her when the fireworks exploded, the unexpected change in her Patronus, and his seeming obsession with her scent and flavor.

Oh well. I have the whole of the Christmas holidays to do research, before I start the Curse-Breaking internship at Gringotts.

Back in the bedroom of her small flat, Hermione quickly put on fresh knickers, which reminded her that Bill had kept her red satin ones from the evening before. She wondered if she'd see them again, - maybe during a visit to Shell Cottage? - and hopeful heat crept up her neck and across her cheeks. Next she donned some old jeans, a basic white cotton bra, and a white singlet, with a brown v-neck sweater over that. Comfort and warmth were the key words for her wardrobe today. As she pulled the sweater over her head and flipped her ponytail out of the collar, movement caught her eye, drawing her gaze to a framed wizarding photograph standing on the top of her bureau.

It was a group photo, taken the previous Christmas at the Burrow. All the younger generation members were in the picture, the Weasley offspring (real and honorary) along with their various significant others. Percy and his pregnant wife Audrey were standing at one end of the sofa and looking primly happy; standing at the other end was George, making rabbit ears with his fingers over Angelina's head, who in turn had conjured some real rabbit's ears to stick out in place of George's missing human one. Between them stood the oldest Weasley boys: there was perpetual bachelor Charlie, freckled muscles flexing, and Bill, with his trademark ponytail and fang earring proudly in evidence. Harry had Ginny sitting in his lap at one end of the couch, while Ron had Lavender cuddled close in his lap on the other end. Hermione had been sitting between Harry and Ron, right in the middle. Everyone was smiling, making funny gestures, and waving at the camera.

For the moment, the most interesting person in the photo to Hermione was Bill. She watched the picture closely, and the image of Bill did something that she hadn't really considered much before. He leaned over, put a hand on photo-Hermione's shoulder, and whispered in her ear; she then turned and looked up at him to reply. The two laughed, then turned back to the camera, both grinning. A moment later, the image of Charlie leaned over and, in a very similar fashion, put his hand on her shoulder and whispered to her as well. Hermione watched the photo-Bill for his reaction to this and there she saw what she'd always missed: a flaring of nostrils, a narrowing of eyes, and a baring of teeth, all aimed unmistakably at his muscular, dragon-tamer brother, Charlie.

"Oh, Merlin," she whispered to herself. "Was he feeling... protective, even then? Jealous? Was he already interested in me? Is that what I'm seeing?"

A rush of adrenalin surging through her veins, she added this new discovery to the information already spinning around in her brain as she went to grab some breakfast before starting her reading. She had a few hours before she was due at the Burrow and wanted to make some headway in her work.

Noon, Saturday

Several hours had passed. The now-elderly Crookshanks had curled up on the cushion behind Hermione's head so he could survey her work between catnaps. Hermione herself had spent all of the time armed with cup after cup of coffee and with books spread all over the coffee table, end tables, and cushions. Along with her old copy of her Third Year Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook (turned to page 394, the chapter on werewolves), she had also spread out the werewolf essay she'd written which Professor Snape had set them - two rolls of parchment long, as required, plus another for good measure. (She'd kept it all these years; they hadn't had to turn it in, and she wasn't one to waste good research.) In addition, she had various other tomes on magical creatures which she'd acquired at various times, including The Monster Book of Monsters,which she still kept Spello-taped shut, and a copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them.

She tossed the book she was currently reading aside with a frustrated huff.

"I don't believe this, Crookshanks! So far I've found nothing, absolutely nothing, about the mating habits of the werewolf! I know Remus said they don't usually breed, but you'd think there would be something written,somewhere, about their reproductive tendencies?" Hermione chewed her lip, deep in thought.

I think I'll ask Lavender a few questions about her mating with Ron, if I can get her alone, she thought to herself.

Looking at the clock on her mantle, she muttered, "Oh, drat, I'm going to be late!" and scooped her essay, a textbook or two, her notepad and Muggle pencils, and her wand into her trusty old schoolbag. Giving Crookshanks a quick scratch behind the ears, she told him she'd be home later, threw some Floo powder into the fireplace, and left for the Burrow and her date with Lavender and Molly.

Later Saturday afternoon

"Your natural scent is extremely yummy, you know."

Hermione stopped in the middle of cutting out gingerbread men and stared at Lavender. The two young women had been at the Burrow for hours, baking with Molly, and were surrounded by a wide variety of cakes, buns, biscuits, and other sweet treats. At the moment Molly was out of the kitchen, magically storing some of the treats in the nearby pantry. Hermione wiped the back of her hand across her eyes, leaving an undetected but endearing smudge of flour on her forehead.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Her friend grinned and nabbed a bit of the raw dough to eat.

"You didn't shower today before coming over, did you," she said with her mouth full.

"No, I didn't, I was engrossed in some research and ran out of time."

Watching Lav, Hermione rolled her eyes. "You and Ron really were made for each other, you know that?"

Ignoring Hermione's last comment, Lavender chuckled as she swallowed the dough. "I thought not! Your aroma is particularly pungent. Not in a bad way!" she hurried on, noticing Hermione's face blanch at the thought of being malodorous. "You just have a very compelling odor, and it is all mixed with Bill's."

"Mixed with Bill's? You can... oh, gods," Hermione moaned and hid her face in her apron for a moment, then peeped out with a grin. "We did cuddle and snog a lot..." she hedged.

Lavender snorted. "You did more than snog, if that ten on the scoreboard last night was any indication."

"How can you tell his scent from mine, anyway?" Hermione tried to divert the conversation.

"His is more rugged, woodsy; wild. Yours though, it's fresh and feminine, and..." Lavender leaned over and sniffed deeply of Hermione's hair.

"Ah, 'Mione! No wonder Bill was so enraptured with you last night! You smell so healthy and sexy and... fertile!" The blonde was practically leering.

Hermione flushed pink and smacked her old roommate on the arm. "Lav, stop! Can you really tell my... fertility...from my smell alone?"

"Oh yes!" Lavender nudged Hermione with her shoulder. "Don't worry! It's dead sexy, very alluring, especially for a man who's looking to start a family."

Hermione blushed harder. She felt like she'd been doing that a lot in the last twenty-four hours. It didn't help matters that Molly chose that precise moment to bustle back into the kitchen.

"Who's looking to start a family, dears?" she asked.

"Oh... well, us, Molly. Ron and me," Lav said quickly, saving Hermione from having to respond. "I was just telling Hermione that we were really happy when I got pregnant, since we are both ready to have kids." She winked at Hermione, who ducked her head to hide a smile and bent back to her task of cutting men out of dough.

Molly chuckled and hugged Lavender, rubbing her hand gently over the younger woman's slightly protruding belly. "You will be such fine parents, you two. Just you wait! I'm so thrilled to be a grandmother again!"

She turned next to Hermione with a saucy grin. "Now Hermione, you and Bill seemed to be getting along very welllast night! Is there anything you ought to be telling me...?"

Hermione wasn't sure she wanted to start any sort of discussion about Bill with his mother just yet. She didn't know herself where things were going, after all. She stammered, "Uh, well, Bill and I are very good friends, Molly. And we did have some fun last night. But what a lovely toast he made to you and Arthur! You two are so perfect for each other. Thirty-two years of wedded bliss and you are still going strong. It's wonderful!"

The compliment had the desired effect of distracting Molly from Hermione's evening with Bill. The older woman blushed and fluttered her hands, thanking Hermione and giving her a big motherly hug. Then she bustled about the tiny kitchen, filling a basket with various baked goods.

"Now, girls, I'm off to Percy's place for a bit. I'm going to take these treats to them, and watch baby Molly while Percy and Audrey do a little Christmas shopping and have some alone time together." Mrs. Weasley looked around at the assortment of cakes, buns, and biscuits still covering every available surface in the kitchen. "Can you two manage putting the rest of these away by yourselves?"

Hermione laughed and picked up the flowerpot full of Floo powder from the mantle, holding it out to Molly. "Of course we can! If we could satisfactorily clean up disgusting potion ingredients after one of Professor Snape's grueling classes, we can certainly put away tasty treats like these without difficulty!"

With that final word of assurance from Hermione, Molly hugged them both again, took a pinch of powder, and left for Percy and Audrey's through the fireplace. Hermione and Lavender breathed a dual sigh of relief and grinned at each other.

An hour later, the younger women had finished their baking and settled in the sitting room on the sofa to relax. They had a plate of the freshly-baked gingerbread men and cups of coffee and tea, as all the baking dishes were cleaned up and the goodies stored away.

"Okay, 'Mione. Spill it! I want details," said a leering Lavender, tucking her feet under her and biting the leg off a hapless gingerbread man. "Tell me how you and Bill earned that ten last night!"

Hermione almost choked on her coffee. "Lav!"

Spluttering, she set the mug down on the coffee table and slapped herself on the chest a couple of times. To buy some time, she picked up a gingerbread man and broke off an arm to chew. Nibbling it, she mulled over Lav's request. She had to be honest with herself; all the while she'd been reading that morning, she had also been mentally reliving her previous evening's escapades with Bill, and though she wasn't one to kiss and tell, she'd also never had a girlfriend to talk about relationships with before and thought it might be fun, and possibly informative. Ginny was a good friend, of course, but her only past sexual partner, Ron, was Ginny's brother, and there was no way she had ever felt comfortable broaching the subject of her sexual frustrations with his sister.

This would also give her the opportunity to pick Lavender's brain about some of the wolf-like tendencies she'd noticed Bill displaying, and ask her, too, for more details about the mating ritual she and Ron had undergone. Since Lavender and Ron had mated, (and then married, at Molly's insistence), she and the blonde had become much closer than they'd ever been during their student days at Hogwarts. Lavender's mindlessly giggly, silly nature seemed to have largely left her since being attacked by the werewolf Greyback. She certainly didn't call Ron "Won-Won" anymore, much to Hermione, Harry, Ginny and Ron's collective relief. She was more thoughtful, more mature, though still fun-loving and full of life. Definitely less of an airhead, Ravenclaw bless her. Hermione considered her friend, who's expectant expression hadn't changed one iota.

"Well?" Lavender demanded. "I know what a score of ten meant, but I want to know who earned it? And how!"

Hermione swallowed the bit of biscuit she'd been chewing. "Well, tell me, what did a ten mean?"

Lav chuckled. "A ten could only be earned if someone had an orgasm while under the mistletoe, dear." She grinned quite wolfishly herself as Hermione flushed deep red.

"Oh! Um... I see!" she managed to choke out. She hesitated, then a laugh bubbled forth. "Okay, Lav. I'll tell you." She laughed again, slightly giddy with her heated memories. "But you cannot say a word to anyone, especially not George or Ginny. Bill's their brother, after all! Ron already knows that something's up, he practically walked in on us after all, but the others... Oh Merlin, if they ever knew..." she stopped, fanning her face to try to cool herself.

Lavender, still grinning, leaned over and put one arm around Hermione, drawing her close. "I swear on my magic, 'Mione, that nothing you tell me will be shared with anyone."

Hermione took a deep breath, pulled her legs up under her Indian-style, and began. "Okay! I had gone up to the balcony for a little break from the party, some peace and quiet. Bill appeared a little while later, looking for quiet too. He seemed surprised but pleased to find me there. I know I was very happy to see him!" She smiled, remembering. "We hugged, and talked a little; but then some fireworks went off and the change in him was immediate and intense! He crouched over me like he was protecting me from the demons of Hell. He was growling, his eyes changed color too, from blue to amber; I wanted to ask you about that actually..." she stopped, nibbling her biscuit's head, but Lavender motioned impatiently for her to continue.

"Oh ho, very protective! Yes, I think I can explain that – but later. First get to the good bits!" The blonde waggled her eyebrows.

Shaking her head at Lavender's lascivious smirk, Hermione kept on with her story. "Fine. I helped 'talk him down', if you will, and when he seemed calmer, I told him I had a treat for him if he would conjure some seating for us. He re-created a sofa from the Gryffindor common room, so I gave him his birthday present."

"Let me guess," interrupted Lavender. "A hot, deep-throated blowjob?"

"What? I... No! No, nothing like that. Lav!" Hermione gasped out stunned laughter. "No, it was a big box of Firewhiskey-laced Chocolate Cauldrons. He was ecstatic! Gosh, you're a pervert!" She hit her friend with a scatter cushion.

Lavender giggled but shrugged unapologetically. "Chalk it up to these pregnancy hormones. I've hit the fourth month and suddenly I'm randier than one of Aberforth's goats."

Hermione mock-shuddered. "That was not an image I needed, thanks!"

"Sorry!" Lavender chirped. "So, go on! I'll shut up, I promise."

Hermione proceeded to regale her eager friend with a detailed account of everything that had occurred the night before on the balcony of More Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Lavender sat with a rapt expression on her face throughout, keeping true to her word and rarely interrupting except for an occasional gasp or chuckle, or to smirk lewdly. She ate three more gingerbread men while listening, and refilled their cups once with their beverages of choice.

Finally, after a beet-red Hermione had told Lavender about the mind-blowing orgasm she experienced at the hands - and tongue – of Bill, she admitted that George had interrupted right afterward with his announcement. The pregnant woman sat staring at her friend in open-mouthed indignation.

"He interfered with... with...? Oh! I can't even... Why that one-eared... OH!" Lavender jumped up and paced the floor, waving her hands in the air. Hermione watched her from her perch on the sofa with an amused smile, rather pleased that her friend was so outraged on her behalf.

"I know I was certainly frustrated, and I felt awful for Bill! He looked ready to bite off George's other ear! And then of course Ron arrived to collect him, so there was nothing else we could do but part ways. He did say 'til later' though, which I took as a positive sign."

"I would have, too. But I don't blame him for being angry at George!" Lavender was still fuming, stomping around the room. Hermione sat up and threw another cushion at her.

"All right, my friend! Now that I've told you all the sordid details, it's your turn! Sit down. I have some questions that only you can answer."

Lavender stopped prowling and threw herself into an armchair, one leg over the arm.

"I'm all ears, 'Mione. And, it just so happens that I have a few questions for you, too."

Hermione cleared her throat. "You do? Well, ask away, but first answer me this: why was Bill so protective of me when the fireworks went off, at the beginning of our evening? It's like a switch was flicked! It was hard to get his focus back, too."

Tapping a finger against her chin, Lav thought for a moment, then said, "I can't say for absolute certainty, 'Mione, but the way he was acting was like an alpha male, protecting his mate from possible harm."

Silence filled the room for a few moments. Hermione's jaw had dropped open. Then, she leapt to her feet, retrieved her schoolbag from where she'd left it by the fireplace when she'd first arrived, and pulled out the contents, searching for her notepad and a pencil. She started scribbling furiously once she'd found them, Lav watching her with amusement.

"Are you going to throw your hand in the air and wave it furiously when I ask my questions?" she drawled. Hermione glared at her.

"Ha ha. For your information, I was actually doing some research on werewolves this morning, and I wanted to add what you just said to my notes!"

"Oh really? You just happened to be researching werewolves, hmm?" asked Lavender, slyly.

Hermione fiddled with her pencil. "Well, no. I was curious, after being with Bill last night. It was so wonderful, Lav!Everything about our time together, it felt so right! I was hoping to learn more about werewolf mating habits, actually, but nothing's been written about them. Nothing I could find in my own books, at any rate." Hermione's cheeks reddened. "Um... I wanted to ask you about your mating with Ron. I never heard the details."

"Our mating?" Lavender looked a bit surprised, absently rubbing at the bite mark on her lower neck. "Are you sure you want to hear about it? It won't bother you to hear how Ron and I..."

"No, Lav," interrupted Hermione. She moved down the couch, closer to Lavender's armchair. "You know he and I sorted our relationship out before you came back into the picture." She smiled reassuringly. "We realized we are best as friends. We love each other – as friends, not in any other way. So! Spill it! I want details!" She grinned, throwing Lavender's earlier demand back at her.

Lavender chuckled. "All right. First of all, you may not have found it written anywhere, but you've seen it in person - werewolves do mate, and mate for life, but it is a very rare occurrence."

"But you aren't a full werewolf..." protested Hermione, but Lavender held up a hand.

"No, I'm not, and neither is Bill. But the mating drive is absolutely embedded in both of us, along with those heightened senses and that preference for raw meat. That, I swear to you, is personally proven, for Bill and me." Her eyes bore into Hermione's, who felt a shiver crawl up her spine.

"Explain. Please. I want to understand." Hermione crossed her arms, hugging herself.

"I will! Here's what we've discovered. If a werewolf is in a romantic, loving, relationship, eventually he or she will be overcome with the desire to life-mate, or pair-bond, with their partner."

"Lupin married Tonks after a lot of reluctance. Is that what you mean?" asked Hermione, doubt in her voice. She didn't think that was the same thing, and Lavender proved her right.

"No. Marriage is just words. There is nothing visceral about it." She bared her teeth in a toothy grin. "Bonding involves bodily fluids: blood, saliva, semen and sweat. You've gotta get messy, baby!" She waggled her eyebrows, licking her lips. "Ron and I married because Molly insisted on it, but for him and me, our real bonding occurred on January 31st, 1999. That was the night of the Blue Moon."

"Excuse me? The Blue Moon?" Hermione was startled.

Lavender nodded. She sat forward and fixed Hermione with a predatory smirk. "Yes. That month I became increasingly randy, horny and insatiable. It turns out that while there had been a full moon on the 2nd of the month, there was another on the 31st. A second full moon in one calendar month is called a Blue Moon, and that is when werewolves are compelled to mate!"

Hermione squirmed in her seat. "But... how did you figure..."

"...because that night after the sun went down, I threw Ron down on the rug by the fire and ripped off his clothes. Literally – they were in shreds! Then I sucked his cock down my throat 'til he had a raging hard-on, which didn't take long – he so loves to be dominated, the lamb!" Lavender's smile broadened even more, if that were possible.

An image of Ron's meaty erection swam unbidden to the forefront of Hermione's mind. She'd performed the same act on him quite a few times, herself, and could picture him vividly. Immediately, she wondered what Bill's cock would look like, would taste like; Ron wasn't a small fellow, and Bill's had felt much bigger than his. Hermione's nipples tightened at the sudden erotic paths her thoughts were traveling, and she moaned softly. Lavender either didn't notice or chose to pretend she didn't, and instead kept on with her story.

"I paused just long enough to pull off my dress and knickers and then I climbed on, riding him like a hippogriff. I had never felt so hot and wild. It was such a fantastic feeling, Hermione! I was growling and whining and gnashing my teeth. I think I even howled. Ron was right into it by this time too, thrusting up into me, gripping my hips. We were both sweating and moaning. I'd scratched him and myself, we were bleeding. It was intense."

Fanning herself, Lavender leaned forward to drink some of her now-ice-cold tea, grimacing. Meanwhile, Hermione shifted in her seat, now seriously turned on at this recounting of her friends' mating night. Images were flashing through her mind of Bill and of what it might be like between the two of them if he were to choose her as his mate. She shivered and squeezed her thighs together, enjoying the warmth pulsing between them. Just then Lavender surprised her by climbing back onto the couch with her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"So... we grew wilder and wilder. Then, just as the moon rose, we both climaxed, hard, and I was compelled to lean down and bite Ron on the neck, drawing blood." She stroked Hermione's neck, low at her shoulder. "You've seen the scar. That's our bond mark. I bit him right in the midst of our orgasms and remained locked on until we were both spent. I remember he screamed, but he said afterward that yes, it hurt but also felt 'fucking fantastic', his actual words." Lavender grinned with the memory. "So there you have it. With our blood, saliva, semen and sweat, we are bonded for life. It's funny – my bite doesn't seem to have given Ron any lupine traits at all. Of course, again, I'm not a full were."

Hermione stared at Lavender, her mouth agape. "Wow. That's... that's incredible. How did you know afterward what it meant? Was there any sort of magical exchange? A blending of your auras?"

Lavender nodded. "We both felt it. A pulse. A sharing of energies. And now we feel more... complete. I know that was the most incredible climax I've ever had, and since then they've been more intense than they were before. Ron says they are the same way for him. It's like we are still individuals, but parts of us are now linked to make us 'more than the sum of the parts'."

She sighed, sitting back from Hermione and rubbing her pregnant belly. "I do know, that if I ever lose him, I will have lost that part of me that makes life worth living."

Hermione's eyes unexpectedly filled with tears for a moment, and she swiped her hand across them. She drew a shaky breath.

"So. Why, then, didn't Bill mate with Fleur during that Blue Moon?" she asked.

Lavender scowled. "Fleur. Pfttt. Her sister's birthday is January 31st and she was in France celebrating. She asked Bill not to join her. Flat out told him to stay home! They'd already been having marital problems, it seems, and she needed a break supposedly." Lavender clenched her fists. "Did he ever talk to you about his problems with her?"

Hermione twisted her fingers together, worrying her lower lip. "Well, no. He and I didn't really start developing a close friendship 'til after they divorced, and he never wanted to talk about her, though I did try to show I was willing to listen if he needed an ear."

Lavender grunted. "Well, when he learned from Ron and me what the Blue Moon meant for werewolves, he was thrown for a real loop. It wasn't pretty. He had a hard time controlling himself, his anger." She sighed. "But then he realized that there was to be a second Blue Moon in 1999, at the end of March. This was highly unusual, as normally, Blue Moons only occur every 30 months or so."

"That must have lifted his spirits," Hermione said, slowly.

Lavender nodded. "He was thrilled, 'Mione. He thought it would take care of all the marital strife he and Fleur had been suffering. You were at Hogwarts at the time, so you didn't witness all of it. Then, March 31st came, and I have no idea what happened exactly, but he attempted to mate with Fleur and she went all Veela on him, maybe even literally. He never said much about it, but I know she hurt him badly. It was over. The Blue Moon was on Wednesday, the 31st of March, and they were divorced by the end of Thursday, April 1st. Fleur left for France as fast as she could go."

Hermione's face had drained of color. What had happened between Bill and his wife to make them split in such an abrupt, almost-violent fashion? She had never liked Fleur much, though she had appreciated her hospitality during the war when Hermione took refuge at Shell Cottage with Ron and Harry. Here was yet another question to add to the growing pile in her brain. Impulsively, she reached over and hugged Lavender fiercely.

"Lav, thanks for telling me all that. I learned so much," she said, squirming again in her seat. Lavender sniffed the air and smiled. "Yes, I can tell you enjoyed my story." Her smile faded. "Except for poor Bill's portion."

Hermione hesitated to ask her next question. "I couldn't help but wonder if last night was an indication that maybe... maybe Bill..." she stopped, not quite daring to voice her inner hope aloud.

"That maybe Bill has an eye on you as a potential mate, you mean?" sussed Lavender, wisely.

Hermione nodded, silently, staring at her hands in her lap.

Lavender tapped a finger gently on Hermione's shoulder. "You know, I have noticed a mutual attraction growing between you and Bill since Fleur left. I personally have been hoping..." her voice trailed off. She reached for another biscuit.

Hermione, startled, asked, "You have?"

Lav nodded, her mouth full of gingerbread. "Oh yeah," was her muffled reply. She swallowed and continued in a clearer voice. "Especially last Christmas. Remember? Didn't you notice how Bill couldn't take his eyes off you the whole day? He was never far from your side, either. Aside from that, at any family dinner or gathering, the two of you have always ended up sitting in a corner somewhere, sharing deep thoughts about some esoteric magical idea or another." She smiled. "It's very sweet, really."

This was all news to Hermione, who had always been rather unaware of male attentiveness. She felt her cheeks glowing pink as she turned this new observation of Lavender's over in her mind. Lav spoke again.

"After Bill's attempt to mate with Fleur failed, he was so morose and depressed. Then you were around most of that summer holiday after you'd finished your NEWTs, and he seemed to come out of himself a little. When you went back to Hogwarts to help finish restoring and organizing the library, and weren't able to be here for those family meals, Bill seemed a lost soul, more temperamental and irritable. It waxed and waned with the moon of course. Some days he was mostly just fine. Other days..." Lavender shook her head. "I think he had no idea what was affecting him, either." She smirked, tapping her nose. "Female intuition."

"But Lav, right after Christmas, he ran off to Egypt for a whole year, practically!" Hermione cried, shaking her head. "Why would he have done that, if he was actually interested in me?"

Lavender shrugged. "I'm not sure, 'Mione. But you did say he told you it was because of Rita Skeeter bothering him and Molly pestering him about his broken marriage. That would make me want to hide in another country too, if I had the chance! Spend some time away, in different surroundings, and get my head straight, that sort of thing. Especially if he didn't actually realize he was interested in you. Boys and men can be thick-headed you know. It doesn't matter how old they are."

"That's for sure," Hermione muttered. Lavender grinned.

You know, 'Mione, There is something else I've noticed about you over the last couple of years – you are absolutely in sync with the moon. With every full moon, you have been ripe and ready to be fertilized, girlfriend!" Lavender grinned lewdly. "And you get your period with the new moon. You are as predictable as the tide. You don't use a contraceptive potion or pill to regulate your cycle, either, do you?"

Hermione shook her head. "No. I must just be naturally regular, that's all."

"Even so, that's remarkable regularity, 'Mione. I don't know about you, but I always tracked my cycles on a little calendar. Kept me from being nastily surprised. They were always about 28-30 days long, and over the course of years my cycle would shift all over the calendar. Not always in sync with the moon phases." Lavender was staring hard at Hermione as if trying to decipher something. Hermione stood up and started to pace, uncomfortable with the scrutiny.

"Well... yes, I always kept track in school. I tracked while on the run with Harry and Ron, too. Actually... you know, I think it wasn't until after we had our run-in with Greyback's Snatchers that spring and then escaped that I began synchronizing with the moon, actually," Hermione said, stopping in mid-stride.

"What do you mean, your run-in with Greyback's Snatchers?" asked Lav, sitting up straight.

"Hasn't Ron told you about it? While we were on the run, we were captured by Snatchers; right around the Easter holidays, we found out later. Harry had mistakenly said Voldemort's name. They were led by Greyback. I'd cast a Stinging Hex on Harry to try to disguise him but they still suspected who we were. Well, Greyback... he kept fondling me, touching me, mostly to make Ron angry I think. Though you know, he seemed to be particularly taken with my scent too, and kept talking about taking a bite out of me, liking the softness of my skin!"

Hermione shuddered with revulsion and rubbed her arms furiously a few times. "Then they took us to Malfoy Manor and he continued to be rather vile while Bellatrix did her dirty work on me. I'd rather not get into it right now, Lav, if you don't mind. I'd much rather think nice thoughts about Bill!"

Lavender reluctantly nodded. "Well, okay, but someday I'd like to know more about what Greyback did to you." She settled back, eying Hermione with interest as she resumed pacing.

"So tell me, how do you know all that about my cycle?" Hermione asked.

"I can smell the difference in you when I'm around you," Lavender said, simply.

Hermione gasped as realization dawned. "So earlier, when you mentioned I smell fertile, you meant it literally! Bill was so enthralled with my scent last night because..."

"...because you are ovulating, 'Mione! That means you are at your most fertile now, right? With a supersensitive nose like his, Bill would have known instantly that there was something extra-yummy about you. He can smell your chemical make-up, yeah?

"Hermione, Bill's sorely been wanting a family. You should have seen the way he was looking at Percy and Audrey's baby the day he got home from Egypt. He looked so lonely, my heart ached. To smell a healthy, young, attractive woman at the height of her fertility... I think would drive any full werewolf spare, and for Bill, discovering it is youhe's been smelling? It touches all the right nerves. He's already been growing hot for you. Last night just pushed him in the right direction!" She winked. "He'll not be parted from you for long, mark my words!"

Hermione hugged herself, trying to process everything she'd just discussed with Lavender. Merlin's beard, there was so much to think about, so many implications!

While she was pondering, the quietly crackling fire suddenly roared to life, turning green, as a red-haired someone opened the Floo connection and came through.

"Ron! You're here early!" cried Lavender happily, jumping up. "How's everything at the shop?"

Stumbling out of the fireplace onto the worn hearth rug, Ron didn't even bother to brush the soot off his robes before he was swooping down on Lavender and embracing her in a bone-crushing hug, dropping the rolled-up copy of the Evening Prophet he had been holding in one fist as he did so.

Clasping his mate tightly to his chest, he buried his face in her hair and said in a quavering voice, "I'll protect you, Lav. I'll protect you and the baby, I swear it."

Hermione, scared, asked, "Ron, what is it? What's going on?"

Ron looked at her over Lavender's head, face white, eyes wide and frightened, and said thickly, "Front page," pointing at the paper. She scooped it up from where it had fallen, opened it to the front, and there, in huge black letters, was the headline:

FENRIR

GREYBACK

ESCAPES

AZKABAN

TO BE CONTINUED...

Author's Notes:

Oh no, by the great wheel of time, Greyback has escaped! What will this mean for the Wizarding World? For the Weasleys? For Hermione? And where is Bill? Leave me a review and let me know what you think!

BLUE MOONS:

There are two popular opinions on what constitutes a Blue Moon. For this fic, I am using the more-common belief that a Blue Moon is the second full moon to appear within one calendar month.

The obsessive-compulsive librarian in me is twitching a little over this because of the older Blue Moon explanation that is out there, but since I want my fic to work with my original plot idea :), I'll lay my obsessions to rest.

If you are interested, much of my information about Blue Moons came from the website:

"Blue Moons: myths, facts, history, and dates." Infoplease.

© 2000–2007 Pearson Education, publishing as Infoplease.

03 Jan. 2011 www .infoplease spot/ .

And from Sky & Telescope:

"What's a Blue Moon?" by Roger W. Sinnott, Donald W. Olson, and Richard Tresch Fienberg

(For all URLs, please remove all spaces to get them to work properly)
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Twice in a Blue Moon