NOTES: There's a little smutty scene at the end of this chapter. Thank you for reading. Let me know your thoughts, please. Also sorry if you got a ton of notifications but HTLM drove me a little crazy today.
Chapter 2
Auror department
Case number ᚫᚴ37ᚾ0ᛦ
Officers in charge: Potter, Weasley
Victim: Augustus Rookwood. 31st of July 2004
Cause of death: Exsanguination. Deep claw marks to the chest.
Discovery details: Found by Muggles in Kensington Gardens, Obliviation performed.
Calling card in victim's throat. Enchanted Wolf origami. Slytherin symbol on one side, riddle on the other: You might have nine but they will all be mine.
Daily Prophet 30th August 2004
Lycanthrope strikes again
Another gruesome murder flusters London
By Rita Skeeter
Another body was found in the misty morning, displayed in the very core of the Ministry of Magic this time.
The victim, the infamous Dolores Umbridge, was found face down in the fountain of Magical Brethren. The slashes on her body pointed to another werewolf attack. Rumours are that the killer had left another calling card. A yellow origami wolf bearing a clue about the next murder.
We can say with a strong degree of certainty that we have a serial killer on the loose in wizarding London.
Let's not forget the first victim, Augustus Rookwood, former Death Eater on the run since You-Know-Whose defeat.
The Muggles that made the macabre discovery-causing a diplomatic incident- found not only the corpse but also a magic green origami wolf.
We all shall hope that Auror Potter, our Golden Boy, will be able to apprehend the killer before they strike again!
Harry snapped the folder shut with a frustrated growl. He then reached inside the evidence box and retrieved a crumpled looking piece of yellow paper.
All you do will be in vain. Vane. Romilda Vane.
A sense of guilt engulfed the Auror while he asked himself how he could have prevented the assassination of his fellow Gryffindor. His eyes fell on the scarlet wolf, still enchanted and running all over his desk. His wand moved rapidly, extinguishing the magic in it.
Once the piece of paper was completely unfolded a Gryffindor emblem and a new riddle revealed.
Dark is the night of the one who ate death. Dead is the night.
It didn't make any more sense to him than the previous riddle. Logically, it meant that another Death Eater's life was at stake but which of Voldemort's followers was about to die, Harry didn't know.
Nothing made sense, not even the colours of the wolves. He had thought that the green one on Rookwood had something to do with his house at Hogwarts as the deceased had been a Slytherin, but then Umbridge died and it no longer made sense. Inside the former professor's mouth, there was a yellow Hufflepuff wolf. Umbridge had been a Slytherin.
"Blueberry muffin? You look like you could relax for a second."
Harry jumped in his chair.
Ginny was leaning on the door frame, with a delicious looking dessert in hand.
Harry's face relaxed instantly and his mouth opened in a relieved smile. "Is that from the bakery down the street? It's my favourite."
"Yep. I know you, Harry." The witch winked, moving through the room, her long red hair bouncing on her shoulders. Ginny planted a kiss on Harry's lips and sat on his lap. "I missed you last night. How did it go?"
Harry sighed and grabbed the muffin from Ginny's hand. "We found another body, unfortunately, but we have a suspect in custody at least."
Ginny watched her boyfriend taking a bite of his treat. "Tell me more." She requested, stroking the hair on the back of his head.
" I can't. Sorry. I have to go meet Robards."
Ginny pouted and unwillingly stood back up, letting Harry walk out of his office.
Robards was standing in front of the interrogation room, fidgeting with a vial of Veritaserum.
"That won't work on Malfoy, sir. He's a skilled Occlumens."
The wizard looked at the younger Auror, a frown creasing his forehead. "Potter, I know. We have to release him. There's no blood on him. No motive. No evidence whatsoever and Miss Granger already gave a statement on the suspect's whereabouts last night. He has an alibi."
Harry scoffed in frustration. "Sir, we could at least ask him if he knows other werewolves-"
"I did and he denied it. I also asked him to be a part of your team for the remainder of this investigation. I need this killer captured and it looks like you need all the help you can get."
The boy who had defeated Voldemort felt the hit to his pride. He opened his mouth to retort, but his superior continued, adjusting a strand of greying red hair behind his ear.
"The Minister will have my head if these murders keep happening. Release Malfoy, his knowledge on those monsters will be crucial. Trust me." With a pat on Harry's shoulder, Robards was gone.
When the Auror entered the room he found his old school rival leaned back in the chair with his feet on the table and arms crossed.
"Potter, you took your sweet time."
Harry didn't take the bait. He was not in the mood for banter. "Robards told me that you will be part of my team." He stressed the possessive preposition so that Malfoy would know he would be his subordinate.
"Oh yeah, about that...I will help on a condition." Draco smirked, stroking his lower lip with his thumb.
"I wouldn't expect any less from you." Harry prompted him to make his request with a hand gesture.
Draco swung his feet off the table and sat straight up, suddenly very serious. "Nobody will know of my sickness. Delete my name from your records."
Harry nodded, shrugging. He didn't care about exposing him, but at least he had something to hold against him. A wand wave released Draco's wrists from the magical cuffs.
The former Slytherin rose and quickly reached the door, only to stop on the threshold. "Make sure everybody gets the message. Especially the ginger." Draco left the Ministry in a hurry, eager to go back to the Forbidden Forest and find his wand and clothes. He walked with his head low, trying to conceal his face with the hood of his cloak, hoping nobody would notice that he wasn't even wearing shoes.
Draco spent the rest of the week studying the case files Potter had sent him via owl. This series of murders was actually an interesting twist in his boring office life. As the wizard was focusing on the meaning of the last riddle, his house-elf interrupted him, announcing that he had a guest.
The girl with the bushy head of walnut curls entered his office, dressed in Muggle clothing. A simple outfit of jeans and a blue button-up shirt.
"Well, couldn't you wait for the meeting at the Auror Department to see me?" Draco asked, leaning back in his dragon-leather chair and sneering as he saw her getting uncomfortable at the question. He grabbed his wand and summoned a chair for her to sit on at the other side of his desk.
Hermione shuffled in her purse for a while until she found her neatly organized work binder. She placed it on the table before Draco then seated herself. "I'm here to ask you to cooperate with the Beings Division at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. I have been trying to push the motion to classify werewolves as beings and reinstate the Werewolf Support Services." Her amber eyes were shining with pride but she quickly scowled at Draco after he started laughing at her. She watched his face light up with pure amusement and she couldn't help but notice the way his eyes had brightened with a mesmerizing shade of azure. Her Gryffindor dignity made her cross her arms and glare at him with a daring look.
He quickly stopped his laughter and sat forward in his chair, putting his elbows on the desk and sliding Hermione's folder right back into her lap with a silent incantation. "I don't need to read it. Didn't you get the memo from Potter? Nobody is to find out what I am."
Hermione grabbed her own wand and levitated her documents over to him. "You would not need to be exposed but your name as a sponsor would shift the purebloods' opinion on the matter. Your name, regardless of the fact that I find it unbelievable, still means something."
Another flick of Draco's wand and Hermione's work disappeared altogether. "I hope you have a copy of that." He smirked at the way her face grimaced. "You know very well I won't be involved in this." Draco rose from his chair and walked behind her with elegant strides.
Hermione was painfully aware of his gaze on her. She could feel it crawling over her skin.
"Let's get to the real reason why you are here."
She felt his hands squeezing her upper arms and a pleasant shiver told her his mouth was breathing next to her throat.
"I can smell it on you." The werewolf whispered in her ear.
She blushed as the raw power of those words hit her stomach. She felt his lips smiling on her ear. Draco's hands slid up her arms, stroking her shoulders and collarbone. His right hand unbuttoned the first two buttons on her shirt. The cotton material tickled her shoulders while he slid the garment off her, his fingers trailing after it. Hermione groaned in pain when he touched a sore spot on her collarbone. Draco's arms stiffened when his eyes met the deep bite mark he had left on her. He had known he would have found it, he just didn't expect that he was able to do that much damage. "Why did you hide that for a week from me? Gryffindor pride or something?" he hissed.
Hermione freed herself from his touch and stood up, turning to face him. A sudden rage took over her and she finally let go of the anger and the shame she had felt the past week. Big warm tears fell from her eyes as her chest heaved. She had fought the need to see him for a week as she was craving his presence for some unexplained reason. She had suffered silently, alone, until she had decided to go to his flat with a stupid excuse. She needed him to help her cope with the fear that had been eating away at her mind. "Do you have any idea how I felt the day after you bit me, knowing my life has changed forever? I just turned twenty-five!" She shouted at him in between sobs.
Draco braced his stomach with one arm while the other hand rose to his mouth and slightly pinched his lower lip, a sad smile tugging at the side of his mouth. "On June first 1996 it was a full moon and the Dark Lord kindly gifted me with a visit from his pet, Fenrir. Four days later I turned sixteen." His unapologetic retort caught her unprepared.
"You are not even going to say you are sorry?" The words came out in a whisper.
"I won't apologize for something I possess no control over. The only thing I'm sorry about is the fact that it had to be you who put herself in the path of a wolf. Now we are stuck together."
Hermione felt defeated and weak. She wasn't sure what she had hoped to find in him, maybe some guidance in a world that was so new to her but all she received was disappointment and accusations. The witch lowered her eyes and moved towards the door. "I won't bother you again."
He grabbed her arm firmly, moving quickly, stopping her. "We both know it's a lie. I'm the one who sired you. You need me. You crave my presence. It's the most animalistic instinct you'll ever feel. I hated Greyback but he was my mentor and I often sought his advice."
"I don't need you." She replied, perhaps too quickly.
"Your body says otherwise." With a swift movement, he spun her around and she was in his arms. "You want me. I can smell that too."
Hermione moaned in his mouth as he pressed his lips on hers. Something in the back of her mind still told her hands to push on his chest but he held her still, a hand strongly gripping the back of her head and a hand pressing on her back, just above her bottom.
The movements of his tongue inside her mouth sent electric signals to her very core. The hand, that was resting above her buttocks, stroked it on its way to the front of her jeans. He quickly popped the button open and slipped inside her knickers. A low growl escaped his mouth when he found her wet and ready. He slid two fingers inside of her and started pumping.
Her moans were driving him insane. She wanted more but he abruptly stopped their kiss and locked eyes with her, a crooked grin on his lips. "I know there are many reasons why I should not be doing this. But nature is a bitch. Stop me if you want."
Hermione bit her bottom lip and her hands trailed down his stomach until they reached his trousers. She undid the zipper and got rid of the thin layer that was separating her from his big hard cock.
He didn't give her the time to touch him. He spun her around again, bending her over his desk as he pulled her jeans and knickers down. Draco took her with so much force that she had to brace herself on the corners of the desk to avoid falling off. Her legs had become suddenly weak. His thrusts inside her were deep and powerful, and she quickly reached an overwhelming orgasm that made her scream. As she was contracting around him, Draco found his release as well. "I told you...animal instincts…" he whispered between heavy breaths.
Hermione froze, suddenly aware that she had let herself surrender to her primal desire and she suddenly felt ashamed. She remembered all the good reasons why Malfoy was the worst wizard to be getting involved with.
He pulled out of her and she pulled her jeans up, mumbling an excuse and running out of his office.
"See you at the meeting tomorrow!" He shouted behind her and he licked his fingers off with a satisfied smirk, tasting some more of her.
