NOTES: In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the DramioneFanfictionForumHalloween2018 collection.
Prompt: A serial killer is on the loose in London. On the first body, he leaves a green "calling card." On the second body, something yellow. A third, something scarlet. Someone must track down this killer before he/she strikes again.
I own nothing. Just playing with JK Rowling's world.
Thanks to Dramione Fanfiction Forum for organizing this Clue-style competition.
Thank you, Margaret, for your invaluable beta work!
Thank you for reading, and for voting for my piece. Thank you all. I'm beyond honoured to be a runner-up for two categories.
Communism is a Red Herring! (Best Final Twist)
RUNNER UP: Of Wolves and Clues - Rosellaburgundy
Edge of Our Seats (Best Thriller)
RUNNER UP: Of Wolves and Clues - Rosellaburgundy
Chapter 1
28th September 2004, Forbidden Forest
The moon was shining bright. Her rays of light hit the trees casting creeping shadows upon the earth.
The beast was ruthlessly pursuing its prey. The creature's steamy breaths filled the forest, scaring all other creatures away.
Hermione had been fleeing from that terrifying animal all night, her cloak flailing in the air like a leaf carried by the wind. The woman's lungs were on fire as she struggled to breathe the heavy air. Her head was pounding while she was trying to focus on a way to survive. A sense of despair and fear was clouding her mind. Though she knew it would be a mistake to do so; her eyes, seemingly beyond her control, glanced back. The wolf was a couple of metres behind her, she knew she had no time to stop and hex it, and the curses she had shot behind her back had all missed their target. Hermione felt hopeless. She couldn't help but to be angry at Harry and Ron for dragging her into another of their Auror missions. She was furious that they didn't allow her to research the pack of werewolves first.
They had been investigating a series of murders and their analysis had led them to the Forbidden Forest. There had been rumours of werewolves hunting there which had sparked their interest. Obviously, Ron thought that venturing there during a full moon was the best time to find them. The plan was to locate the pack, hide in a tree and then wait until morning to interrogate them. Stupid, idiotic plan. She should have known better. As a member of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures-Beings Division, she should have stopped them and taken a more subtle approach.
They had found the pack rather easily with the help of a very reluctant Hagrid who had pointed them in the right direction. The beasts were not as expected. Hermione had suspected all along that there was more to the story than rumours had told. The bunch was mostly comprised of simple wolves, born from two werewolves that had mated during a full moon. The cubs were true wolves that could never shift into humans. However, among them was a large white wolf with a slightly shorter snout and human eyes. It was clearly a werewolf and the alpha.
As a werewolf, the creature was a highly intelligent magical being programmed to chase and kill humans. It craved their blood. The alpha began to chase the two wizards and the witch the instant that its canine nose picked up their scent, leading the pack of wolves.
The three of them had fled in the same direction. They ran close to each other for a while, but they soon decided that splitting up would give them a better chance of survival.
The big white wolf with dark slate eyes had chosen Hermione as its designated prey.
Her stream of thought was interrupted by an eardrum shattering howl. The witch saw the edge of the forest in front of her where the waters of the Black Lake were reflecting the moon's rays in a captivating way.
Dead end.
Hermione made an abrupt turn to the left, letting her deepest instincts guide her muscles, but the creature must have predicted her movement because she felt its presence by her side.
She caught a glimpse of a white figure coming for her. Suddenly she was on the ground with the wolf top of her. The impact with the wolf's body forced her to the cold ground knocking the air out of her lungs.
Paws and jaws were scratching and biting her cloak. All she could feel was tugging and all she could hear was the gnashing of its teeth. She was yelling any kind of shielding and attacking incantation she knew, but nothing seemed to work on the magical creature. She knew there was no hope. She was preparing to die when the lycanthrope body suddenly stopped moving and a low whimpering sound came from its wide chest. Hermione looked up and she saw its silvery eyes looking at the sky. Following its gaze, she recognized the violet hues that preceded dawn.
The night had come to an end. The werewolf was slowly and painfully changing back to its human form. The process was disgusting to witness but mesmerizing nonetheless.
She felt every change on her skin before seeing it with her eyes. The wolf's body was shifting against hers. Paws turned into hands with the sounds of bone cracking. Fur turned into skin. The snout got shorter and shorter, turning into a human face and the low whimpering turned into cries of pain.
Now fully human, the grey eyes locked onto hers, strands of fair blond hair fell between them.
Hermione took a sharp breath as she recognized the young man on top of her. "Malfoy?"
The wizard blinked once, then twice. Then he pushed himself up with all his strength and his shuddering body fell backwards. "Granger?" He hissed out in between heavy breaths.
Hermione's chest was heaving with fear but she hadn't had time to notice before. She inhaled from her nose and exhaled from her mouth a couple of times to calm down.
"Are you hurt?" The concern in his voice was so genuine that the witch forgot how bad the consequences of a werewolf bite could be. The witch shook her head, even knowing that she was bruised all over, the adrenaline wouldn't let her feel anything. Hermione's eyes took in all of his naked body. His broad shoulders, his sculpted chest, his chiselled arms and forearms, his long muscular legs and the penis between them. She blushed but didn't turn away.
He smirked, slowly rising from the ground and letting her take in all his compact muscles and his height. He was dirty all over. Mud and leaves were scattered over his ivory skin and hair. Light bruises stained his perfect complexion where the bones had snapped during the change.
Tiny goosebumps were rising on his arms and Hermione realized he must have been freezing. The witch sat up straight and brought a hand to her side. Her bag was still there, and in it were the supplies she had stored. She grabbed a cloak and a glass vial, handing them to Draco.
He hesitated for a while but then took the offering. "Wolfsbane? Do you often carry that with you?" he asked, tilting his head.
"I...no. I'm here on Ministry business, looking for a werewolf." She didn't want to give away the real reason she was there. "I thought that whoever I'd have found might be in need of some help."
Draco scoffed. "Another attempt at some rubbish like S.P.E.W.? Werewolf society this time?" He drank the potion in a gulp. He then slowly put the garment on and walked away, giving her a last simper and licking off the potion leftover on his upper lip.
"Wait! You're a werewolf!" Hermione pulled herself up and it took all her effort to do so.
"No shit Granger, and if we are here to state the obvious, then you are suicidal. Walking these woods on a full moon, it's plain moronic. I need my wand." He concluded, talking more to himself than to her. He kept walking, avoiding her gaze.
"I need to find Harry and Ron. We got separated and-"
"Fuck! Of course, they are with you. Well, I guess I'm going to have to obliviate them too."
"What?" she shrieked.
"You really thought I was going to let you walk back into the world and tell everyone what I am? I have a reputation to maintain." He informed her, looking over his shoulder.
The witch sped up her pace and passed him with the intent to stop him, but her foot got caught on something and she fell face forward.
What she landed on sent shivers up her spine.
It was a cold human cadaver. The stiff back was covered in matted black curls. The clothes were slashed and the skin was carved with long gashes. The ribs were visible underneath the mangled flesh.
Hermione screamed and Draco pulled her up by her arm with ease.
"Were there any more suicidal people with you last night?" His face was contorted in a painful grimace as the fear of being the reason for that death crept into his mind.
"N-no." She stuttered, trying to steady herself but he had already done it for her.
"Hermione?" A worried voice called from the distance.
"Ron! I'm here!" She hollered back.
Draco let her arm go and scoffed.
Soon after, Harry and Ron appeared from the thick vegetation. "Are you okay? We saw the werewolf following you when we split. We hexed the wolves and tried to track you down but... Malfoy?" Harry abruptly stopped his apologetic monologue when he realized who was standing next to her. He studied his scruffy appearance and his jaw fell open. "You're the werewolf!"
"Brilliant Potter!" Draco rolled his eyes, saying Harry's name like he was spitting something foul out of his mouth.
"Bloody hell." Finally, Ron saw the body on the ground. He approached it slowly and turned it over.
The three Gryffindors gasped at the same time. Malfoy shrugged.
"It's... it's…" Ron stammered.
"Romilda Vane." Harry finished for him.
"Check her mouth, please," Ron asked while aiming his wand at Draco. He didn't want to touch that cold corpse again.
"It's here. Red this time." Harry said, removing a little scarlet origami from her mouth. The magic piece of paper, folded to resemble a wolf, ran a couple of laps on the palm of his hand letting out a creepy laugh.
"Malfoy, you are under arrest. Please, don't resist." Harry declared while extracting his wand.
The wandless wizard knew he had no options but surrender. He was clearly the prime suspect, even if he would have never remembered doing it.