First Harry Potter Story ever! (Please don't kill me.) I love the series but I never got the courage to write about it. This just wouldn't leave me alone! *wails.*So... this my shot at an AU world where things don't go as planned.

Disclaimer: I solemnly swear that I... am definitely not J.K. Rowling.

It wasn't the first time that it happened and they knew it wouldn't be the last. Every month, on the night of the full moon, the involuntary shifter would take his pills and curl up in the comfort of his home, or with his friends, a sane wolf. But what happens when he doesn't?

"It's not what you think, I mean, not really." She couldn't explain it but she was absolutely certain that their old professor would stay as far away from her as possible, if he could, and he often did. Sure, he called occasionally, but he called Harry too, and often they chatted about Ron, so it wasn't anything. Then again, she always thought back to that first night. The moon was round in the sky, giant actually, and she had stepped outside to admire its beauty.
"It was just a walk in the nearby forest. It was quiet, peaceful. I admired the moon just like I always did. I could have never guessed how things would turn out."

The grey wolf appeared on all fours, intelligent brown eyes boring into hers and it took everything in her not to scream. As it were, she scrambled away and the wolf responded strangely, scenting the air and giving her a confused (or what she thought confused looked like on a wolf) look.

What's the matter? Its eyes seemed to say. It took a step forward and she leapt three steps back. It took another step forward, and she didn't move, satisfied with the distance between them. The wolf was huge. Her head barely reached its chest and it was so furry it seemed like the giant animal wore half its weight in fur; but somehow, she knew that the wolf was strong, all muscles under that thick pelt.

It took another step forward and she lifted her foot to step back again, but then it froze. It was a comical sight in her mind. The wolf, with its forepaw raised and the girl with her left foot halfway to the ground behind her right one, and the wolf just… staring and if she didn't know any better she would think that the wolf was asking her not to move, but that was a ridiculous notion because wolves couldn't understand humans, much less speak English so she banished the though to the deepest corners of her mind where it was never to be repeated to anyone lest she end up at St. Mungo's. A place she had no desire to be.

Then the wolf yelped… and extended its forepaw.

She was going crazy. That was the only possible explanation for this madness before her, she was going absolutely insane. The wolf looked annoyed now, (she didn't know wolves could show expressions) and it was suddenly right in front of her… She took a deep breath and blinked hard.

Maybe this would all go away if…

The wolf was still there when she opened her eyes. She sighed.

"Clearly you're not going away anytime soon." She muttered.

The thick-furred canine shook itself out and curled up beside her, its warm fur made her want to close her eyes and make up for the nights she had lost. Her last coherent thought was one of what made her so insane as to sleep with a wolf.

She awoke to find that she was alone.

The next day was when their professor decided to forgo announcements and show up at her front door. Needless to say, she was shocked out of her mind when she found him sitting in the parlor drinking the tea she had set out for Ron the night before, seeing how her friend often came by during the evening.

"Professor…?"

"Hello, Ms. Granger. I apologize for my lack of manners but Ron let me in before he left."

"Of course he did!" She snapped. "For Godric's sake, all I wanted was a walk in the forest but no, I can't just have a normal life now can I?!" His eyes widened in alarm and she sighed. She's promised herself many times that she would work on her temper…

"Guess I need to sign up for those anger management classes again." She groused. "Wouldn't want to curse an innocent bystander in a rage, now would we, Ms. Granger?"

"You would do well to be quiet, Lupin!" She hissed. His nodded solemnly.
"Certainly, Ms. Granger."

"I'm sorry, Professor, but I've had a rather long night and I do fear for my sanity."

"Then I'll do my best to keep you calm. Perhaps I could lend an ear?" He offered.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"You forget who you're talking to, Hermione." He flashed her a dark grin with too many teeth and suddenly she remembered exactly what happened the night they freed Sirius Black. He was right and she knew it. So she told him.

"It's not a very good thing to be around wild animals at night, Miss Granger." He informed her, half admonishing, as she told her tale.

"I know, but it didn't hurt me and it would not stop staring and it wouldn't go away and it acted almost… human, Lupin, like it could understand every word that came out of my mouth and it knew me! Do you know how crazy I sound right now?! At this rate I might as well check myself into St. Mungo's tomorrow morning!"

"I wouldn't say that." The werewolf offered. "You've been though enough to last any person an entire lifetime, sure, but you've by no means lost your sanity."

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you?"

The Professor hesitated, wondering just how much he should tell her…

"You do, don't you?" She demanded. "You probably know exactly what happened last night! Why didn't I see this coming sooner?! It's no coincidence that you show up at my home right after the wolf disappears… and you're getting extremely agitated so I'm guessing I should stop now…"

She didn't know if anger had any effect on his wolfy counterpart and she had no desire to find out.

"Oh no, please, go on. So far everything you've said has been spot-on. I knew you were smart, but the rate you processed that? Well, I must say that I'm impressed. The real question, now that we've clarified the obvious, is why am I here? Can you answer that one, Ms. Granger?"

"Not really." She admitted.

"As well you shouldn't, but since you're this far in, I guess I have to tell you."

She gave him a look, which he returned with an even one of his own.

"I was… distracted by that pitiful attempt of a howl you made the night Sirius Black escaped." He began. "And then it was gone. I don't know why, but my wolf has been… rather obsessed with finding you. I knew it was you, which is only part of the reason I left. A very small part, mind you, so don't go beating yourself up over this. I knew I couldn't stay around a bunch of children, much less if those children included you. I guess you could say I've been denying my… more natural instinct. As soon as I found out why, I resisted it. I've been resisting it ever since, mind you. You're right, Hermione. I was the wolf in the forest and it is no coincidence that I'm here. I didn't mean to alarm you but as a wolf, I don't particularly care for things like human subtlety."

"So you found me. Now what will you do?"

"Leave. I'm not supposed to be here and you shouldn't have seen me yesterday. It would be rude of me to leave you questioning your sanity, though, so here I am."

"So you mean to say that your wolf… likes me?"

"If that's the way you think of it."

"But you don't."

"It's not that you're not attractive but I'm not going to steal your life from you just so the wolf can be satisfied."

"Does it hurt?"

"No. It feels strange, but it doesn't hurt."

"And you have Tonks… why isn't your wolf satisfied with her?"

"I don't quite know. I certainly am."

"Would it be better if you couldn't find me?"

"No, it would actually be worse. Don't change you life on my account, Ms. Granger."

"Is there anything that might be able to tamper it?"

"The Wolfsbane potion Professor Snape gave me works like a charm, actually." He admitted.

"If I hadn't been so busy I would have been fine and we wouldn't be having this conversation." He muttered.

"Well, if I can be of anymore help…" She murmured as he rose to leave.

"I'll let you know. Hopefully not, Hermione. You're an extremely intelligent young witch. I wouldn't want to spoil that for you."

He closed the door behind him and she stood there, shocked at the dialogue that had just taken place.

"Well then." She muttered. She pushed it to the darkest corner of her mind, another secret to be kept.

Years later, when Ron finally got his head on his shoulders and they'd gotten married, she'd feel the same ache she had felt around the wolf, before she and Lupin had ever said a word to each other. Years later, she would sit by the fireplace and wonder what became of him. Surely he was still happy with Tonks. Years later, she would look back and remember the words Sirius had yowled for an entirely different reason. Those same words still applied today.

Have you taken your potion tonight, old friend?

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