Notes: I thought this was only going to be five chapters, but I still have more stuff to cover so it seems it'll be more. At this point, I'm guessing seven, but I might end it in six or it might have to go to eight. The courtship is taking longer than I expected cause I ended up fleshing out the OCs too much. Oops. Oh well.
Harry rifled through his trunk, searching for the moleskin pouch inside. He found it finally toward the bottom and drew it out triumphantly. Hedwig hooted at him from her perch. He closed his trunk and walked over to her. "Sorry I haven't spent much time with you, girl," he murmured. "Are you enjoying our new home?"
She nibbled on his fingers to show she wasn't mad at him. Harry had been worried that his transformation was going to break their familiar bond, but if anything it seemed to be stronger. Almost like the receptors that were primed for the pack bonds to form had allowed him a greater understanding of his owl also.
"Oh," he said. "Is there another owl here you've got your eye on?"
She turned her head away as if in embarrassment but he could feel her pride and smugness that the majestic head of the wild flock out in the forest had shown interest in her.
"There is! Hedwig!" He laughed and scratched her neck. "Well, I know he won't be able to resist you."
She nibbled on him again then hopped away to get space to take off. He watched her fly out the open window with a smile. He was glad she'd settled in well, glad he didn't have to give up everything that connected him to his past to boldly follow this future.
Speaking of his past… he turned back to the moleskin pouch. He tied it to the belt loop of his trousers as he exited the room. Angie had procured for him the standard clothes of the pack—sturdy supple leather that would last a long time even with constant rough-housing. Apparently some of the pack members spent their time making and tailoring the clothes for any new member or anyone who needed replacements. Supposedly most pack members also had at least a couple muggle sets of clothing and wizard robes so they could traverse between both of those worlds as well, but inside pack grounds it was just easier to wear the simple vest and trousers.
Harry walked down to the ground floor and saw Remus and Gideon coming out of the dining hall. He smiled as he approached them. "Done with breakfast?"
"We just finished," Remus said. "Ivo and Misaki are still in there if you want to join them."
"Or you can pick one of your suitors to keep you company while you eat," Gideon reminded him.
The second part of the courtship was all on Harry's terms. He'd made sure all seven wolves who'd passed his test were made aware that their suit was ongoing after the full moon. But, at least for the initial part of the mental courtship, it was still all on Harry to approach any single one of them for company. Only when he initiated physical contact with one of them would that specific suitor be allowed to seek out his company on their own terms.
From what the beta submissives had told him, it often took a few weeks before a submissive felt comfortable kissing one or two of their suitors. The rest then usually gave it up for lost and let the remaining few try their hardest to win over the third part of the courtship—the love of the submissive. Of course, it also wasn't uncommon for a submissive to call the courtship off, not having found what they wanted in the initial batch of suitors. That submissive was then allowed to announce a secondary courtship period at any point in the future for any new suitors to try their chance.
But werewolves mated for life, expect in a few cases of premature death while the bond was still new between the pair, so once the submissive accepted a dominant's suit and they bonded, that was it. The permanence of it made Harry want to be very careful before choosing.
"Thanks, I think I will," Harry said. He tapped his moleskin pouch and gave Gideon a little wink.
Gideon laughed, knowing exactly what Harry had planned as the first challenge of his mental courtship. "Sounds like a great activity to do over breakfast," he said.
"I know it's not any of my business, and feel free to not answer me, but I am curious if you plan on initiating contact in the order in which you accepted the dominants during the full moon, or in another order," Remus half-asked.
Harry had given that quite a bit of thought and talked it over with the beta submissives. "A different order," he said. "I know you're really asking if I'm going to give our alpha the first go." He smirked.
"Harry here plans to make Fenrir wait," Gideon said, chortling.
Remus frowned. "I'd be careful with what childish games you play with him. Fenrir has little patience for immature pranks."
"It's not a game," Harry said. "It's a test. You can't deny that Fenrir is very used to being held first among the pack."
"Well, he is the alpha."
"But he's not guaranteed my suit and if he can't handle that…" Harry shrugged. "So, yes, he's going to be last. Besides, I want to learn more about the others. I barely know anything about them and I've heard enough about Fenrir to satisfy my curiosity for now. This is my courtship and I'm not afraid to do it my way."
"I can see that." Remus smiled. "Good luck, then, and good hunting."
Harry laughed and walked into the dining hall. He scanned the tables as he went to get his breakfast, looking for the seven wolves who were courting him.
Fenrir sat at the table with Ivo, Misaki, and Erin. Harry knew that Angie would sleep in every day she was allowed, so he wasn't surprised that she wasn't there. Also at that table was another of the wolves who'd passed his first test: Caleb Parker, the fourth beta of the pack. He was the grey and red mix who'd been so enthusiastic that Harry had jumped out of the hollow to play with his tail. Harry heard from the beta submissives that Caleb was an energetic werewolf in general and that had made him a good balance for the fourth beta of the pack. He was popular among the pups and the younger gammas for his willingness to play, but also respected by the older gammas for his unending energy while tackling the troubles of pack.
Harry noticed Fenrir and Caleb looking back at him and he gave them both a smile before scanning the rest of the hall.
Amy Daige, who was in charge of the education of the pack pups, sat at a table with several other instructors. Harry wasn't entirely clear on the schedule for the pups, but he did know they woke up early because he'd seen them playing in the grass while he was getting ready for the day. He supposed the various caretakers and instructors had a rotating schedule for watching them. Amy looked like she'd just started on breakfast and he knew he'd have to work his courtship walks with her around her busy routine. But despite her probably having the hardest job of the pack, she was also an enthusiastic werewolf. She was the small tan female who'd darted into the hollow with him, drawing him out with a laugh. He knew that energy had to serve her well with all the children she was in charge of, but he was also interested in learning more about what she taught them. The idea of a more home-school environment fascinated him after seven years at Hogwarts.
At another table sat Bethany Belwright who was a black and white-patched wolf. She'd been textbook perfect during the full moon, but he didn't really know much about her beside that. She sat in a group of younger gammas, all laughing and jeering at each other. On the other side of that same table was Antonio Sanchez. His wolf form was a mess of white, tan, and brown fur, but he was more more put together in human form.
The only two of his seven missing were Emily Fells, a common grey who'd been another textbook perfect wolf. And Charles Thompson, who was the white wolf that had given Harry some time to relax amongst all the chaos of the full moon. Charles supposedly had a child already, a daughter named Karla, but according to Misaki he'd never officially mated. Harry wondered if he was one of the caretakers watched the children right now or if he had another job in the pack. Emily, he'd been told, was on the roster for border patrols so she was either sleeping after a late night shift or out there right now.
Harry considered his options, then headed over to the table with Bethany and Antonio. He could feel the stares from the table with Fenrir and Caleb, but he didn't turn in their direction. He'd catch Caleb at a different time. He was going to leave Fenrir for last, but he also didn't want to be cruel and rub that in his face by inviting Caleb to eat with him.
So instead, he walked up to the table with the younger gammas. They quieted as they saw him approach. There were a couple submissives at the table, both obviously mated judging by how they sat half in the laps of their dominant partners. The rest of the table was made up of at least six unmated dominants, including Bethany and Antonio. The table was overcrowded and full of energy. It reminded him of the house tables at Hogwarts and he smiled.
"Hi," he said, looking around the whole group then specifically at Bethany and Antonio.
Bethany had blond hair that curled at the ends and dark brown eyes. She was tall and slender, but muscles stood out on her arms and shoulders. Antonio, on the other hand, was short with thick black hair and prickles on his chin. They stood in contrast to each other like day and night, which Harry found ascetically appealing. He also like how they waited for him to speak first, not trying to jump at a chance to talk to him simply because he'd approached their table.
He waved slightly at everyone else around to the table in an attempt not to be rude, but spoke directly between Bethany and Antonio. "I want to get started on talks and walks, but I don't know you guys' schedules for today and tomorrow."
Bethany glanced at Antonio then spoke first. "I've got a flexible schedule. I work with the grounds' upkeep team and as long as I get the job done by the end of the day, I'm free to take as many breaks as I want. The only big thing for today and tomorrow is hunting down and cleaning up the fool's gold those bloody leprechauns have been scattering about, so I think I can spare as much time as you want."
Harry nodded and turned to Antonio.
"I'm one of the tailors," he said with a shy smile. "I'm glad your new clothes seem to fit you."
Harry ran a hand down his vest. "They really do, thanks. Do you have a lot of clothes you need to make today?"
"We've got a couple orders for replacements, but like Bethany my schedule is flexible as long as I get the work done. I usually just take a long lunch, though, and work solidly through the rest of the day. It's hard to do needlework, or even needle-working spells, at night."
"That makes sense." Harry glanced to his right and saw that Amy was halfway done with her food. "I'm going to check on one more then I'll get back to you guys and let you know. Are you cool to stick around a couple more minutes?"
"We're fine," Bethany said.
"But," Antonio hesitated.
"Yes?" Harry asked.
Antonio glanced at Bethany then sighed. "It's just… we expected to have to wait a few days, until after you've had your time with our alpha and Beta Caleb, at least."
Harry grinned. "Well, I like exceeding people's expectations." He bounced off toward Amy before Antonio or Bethany could reply.
Amy watched him approach and set down her fork. "Good morning, Harry," she said. Her hair was dirty blond and pulled up into a tight ponytail out of her face. She had a small dusting of freckles across her nose and some more on her arms.
"Good morning," Harry returned. "I know you're probably busy most days, but I wanted to get started getting to know you and the others. When's the best time to draw you away?"
Amy tapped her fork on the plate for a moment. "I've got a meeting with my various teachers today right after breakfast and we have a limited time so that the caretakers can get some lunch in before the afternoon play session. I should be free after dinner tonight or, if you prefer, we can plan for breakfast or lunch tomorrow. I have to teach a class to the older pups at nine, but my lesson is already prepped. After lunch tomorrow and for the next whole day I'll be at the Ministry taking a seminar on the recent changes to the OWLS and NEWTS."
Harry liked hearing the way she spoke about her job. She was obviously organized and dedicated to her work, which he very much appreciated. "Let's do breakfast tomorrow then. I don't want you to be late to the seminar tomorrow afternoon, but we can plan to be up early enough for a long breakfast."
Amy smiled. "Sounds perfect. I can be down at seven or earlier if you prefer."
"Two hours should be plenty of time," Harry said. "I'll see you tomorrow at seven then." He bowed his head slightly to her then waved at the rest of the gammas the table before jogging back to Bethany and Antonio's place.
"Okay," he said as he approached them. "Bethany, you want to join me right now while I eat? Antonio, let's plan for lunch today around noon. Sound good?"
They both nodded and Bethany quickly gathered up her plate. She'd already eaten, but she threw away her trash and grabbed another plate with some fruit on it before joining Harry.
They walked out the door together and into the back grass. Harry led them to the southwest section of the pond, which he'd already scoped out yesterday afternoon. The pond was large and it created a bit of a dirt-sand beach around itself because of that. The southwest corner was secluded, with plenty of trees and rocks. Harry found a low branch and perched himself on it, facing the pond. Bethany hesitated a minute, before Harry patted the bark next to him. She hopped up and joined him.
"How old are you?" Harry asked as he began to eat.
"I'm turning twenty-two next month," she said. "I was born into the pack. My parents were one of the first to join Fenrir. They were already mated and looking for a strong alpha to settle with since their original turned about to be a real ass. Supposedly he really wanted my dad and when my dad refused his courtship in favor of my mom… well…" Bethany shrugged then scratched the back of her head. "Sorry, I have the tendency to ramble a lot when I'm nervous. You didn't ask me all that."
"No, I'm curious now. So they choose Fenrir?"
"Yeah. From what they say, all he had at that point was his first betas, Ivo and Misaki, and a couple unmated dominants. The pack was a lot more feral in those days, living in the forest instead of inside four walls, but Fenrir was reasonable and when he heard their story he told them that he thought their former alpha was a childish fool for allowing his own immature feelings hurt the pack. So they stayed with him and ended up having me during the war."
"That must have been rough. I was born right toward the end, but I know the pack fought in it so it must have been scary for your parents."
"Yeah, I think so. Mom doesn't talk about it and Dad's only told me a little. They hid a lot, I think. Fenrir made sure the able-bodied submissives were trained to fight so they could be responsible for guarding the pups while the dominants mostly fought alongside him. Of course, a few submissives did too but from what my dad says, your instinctual drive is stronger when protecting the pack's territory and pups so Fenrir took advantage of that. We didn't get this manor house until after the war was over and everything settled down. I actually remember when the pack moved into it, but it's been my home for long enough now that it feels like we've been here forever."
"Wow." Harry chewed his muffin for a moment, gazing out over the pond at the edge of the manor house. "So did you decide to go into groundskeeping or was it chosen for you?"
"Oh, I decided. I mean, with jobs it's a bit of a first-come-first-serve thing. And if someone chooses a job that they aren't suited for, one of the betas usually redirects them, but otherwise once we come of age we're basically allowed to do what we want. I switched around a bit for the first year after I turned seventeen. Did some work in tailoring, in food runs, even some in education though I was really bad at it. I settled on working the grounds because I like the physical labor of it. I like keeping my body active. And it helped that there's always positions open for it, since most seem to think it's servant work." She scoffed.
"But there are house elves that do the cooking and cleaning, right?"
"Yeah. We only have half a dozen and it's enough of a job just to cook for the whole pack, so once we grew big enough Fenrir told them to stop worrying about the outside grounds and let the pack do it instead. It's better this way because we can do things like clean up leprechaun gold and report to our alpha and betas where we saw it so they can pinpoint the damn things' nest."
"That makes sense." Harry finished his breakfast and waved his wand to vanish his plate so he wouldn't litter the ground. He'd watched Bethany do the same thing earlier with her fruit bowl. He stretched and then slid down to the ground. There was a nice spot of sandy grass that he settled into. Bethany joined him.
"So, you know I grew up a wizard at Hogwarts," Harry said. "I bet you've heard of chocolate frogs."
"Sure have." Bethany grinned. "I always love it when the magic activates and they try to run away. They're fun to chase down."
Harry laughed. All his schoolmates had complained about the same effect, but it made sense a werewolf would have a different opinion about runaway food. "Well, so I ended up in the habit of collecting chocolate frog cards when I was still too young to enter Hogwarts and I haven't stopped. I think I have most of them now, but when I moved to the manor they all got jumbled together in this pouch." He lifted up the moleskin. "So if you wouldn't mind, I thought we'd make a game of sorting them."
"Sounds interesting. What are the rules?"
"Three piles. The first one will be for the heroes. Those really cool, really interesting people who've made awesome things and done amazing stuff. The second pile here will be for the whatevers. They're pretty interesting, but you wouldn't want to sit through a whole lesson on their deeds. The third pile will be for the one that you think should have never gotten the honor of being put on the back of a chocolate frog card, and explain the reason. Got it?"
Bethany nodded. "Okay, let's do it."
Harry began taking cards out at random and handing them to Bethany to sort. He took note of where she put each card. He figured the challenge was pretty obvious, but Bethany didn't seem to care about his scrutiny as she sorted through the individuals. She put Minister Riddle in the heroes pile, but Dumbledore in the whatevers. All the oldest figures ended up in the third pile because, as she explained, their history was long past and no one really cared anymore. Alberic Grunnion, who invented the dungbomb, went in heroes and Bridget Wenlock, who discovered the magical properties of the number seven, in whatevers.
Harry soon saw the pattern to Bethany's choices. The funnier cards—the people who invented pranks and jinxes, were interesting to her. The academics were whatevers, she obviously knew they were important but wasn't interested in them. The more famous figures, even the old ones, ended up in whatevers—such as the Hogwarts founders and even Merlin and Morgan le Fay. Some of the more recent famous figures did end up in heroes, like Minister Riddle and the varying members of the Weird Sisters. Most Quidditch related things also ended up in heroes, though Cyprian Youdle, the only known Quidditch referee to die in a match, was a whatever. Anything too old and without obvious significance, like Dzou Yen who was a Chinese alchemist in the 4th century BC, ended up in the discard pile.
Harry thanked her for sorting the cards for him and carefully put the piles into his moleskin pouch, though he knew they'd get all jumbled up again as soon as he moved. That was okay, though, because he planned to do the same exercise with all his other suitors. Bethany cracked her neck and shoulders and stood.
"That was interesting," she said. "Learn what you wanted to know?"
"I did, thanks," he answered. "I hope you have a good day. Maybe you'll find the nest and we can get rid of the leprechauns before they cause serious trouble."
"I can hope." She sighed, then smiled down at him. "I had fun talking with you. I know it's your choice if you want to do it more, but I would love to do breakfast again with you sometime. Maybe you can tell me about Hogwarts. I've always been curious what it's like."
Harry had planned to give everyone at least two visits before he started rejecting them, so he didn't hesitate to say, "I'd like that. I'll let you know sometime later this week when I'll be free."
"Great!" She vibrated, as if holding back to urge to lunge forward and hug him. "I'll see you later then."
"Bye, Bethany," Harry said. He watched her transform into her wolfskin and lope back toward the manor. She reminded him of some of his classmates, in a good way, but he also wasn't sure how she'd stand up to the others when it came to intelligent conversation. She was well-spoken and smart, but it was the common sense kind of smart more so than the intellectual kind. Still, he'd give her another chance, at least, and see if his casual interest in her deepened. For now, he wanted to go see if he could find Emily or Charles and add them to his schedule.
He ended up running into Caleb first. The beta was tall, almost the same height as Fenrir which meant he towered over Harry. He wasn't built as much like a powerhouse as Fenrir was, but there was definition to his muscular arms. His hair was tightly curled and dark red. It bounced around his ears as he walked.
Harry veered away from the staircase and ran to catch up with him. Caleb stopped and turned in his direction. "Hi!" Harry said, coming to a stop next to him. "Are you busy right now?"
"Nah," Caleb said. There was a smirk to his mouth as he said, "So you were ignoring Fenrir, not me this morning? I wondered."
"I'm not ignoring him," Harry said. "I'm just exploring my other options first." He smirked back. "So, wanna come walk with me?"
"Of course."
Caleb let Harry lead, though he had to know where they were going by the direction Harry walked, but unlike Bethany who'd been cautious about giving Harry space, Caleb instead veered dangerously close to it. Every other step he ended up just inside what Harry felt comfortable with. It was a tease, of sorts, feeling the large werewolf loom over him from behind. Harry wasn't quite sure if he liked it or not. Certainly Caleb's confidence was exhilarating but Bethany had been respectful of the early stage of the courtship and that was nice too.
Inside, Harry's wolf opened his eyes and stretched out his jaw—waiting.
But Caleb didn't go further than the looming tease. He didn't touch Harry. Even when Harry half-tripped on a tree root and fell into his space, Caleb dodged out of the way and let Harry catch himself. So his wolf closed his eyes again, content that courtship boundaries weren't being outright broken, and Harry settled down on the grassy sand to explain the game.
"Got it," Caleb said once Harry finished explaining. "Let's do this, then."
Harry handed Caleb the cards one by one. Caleb, like Bethany, seemed to be a quidditch fan, though he put the referee Cyprian Youdle in the no-go pile because, he explained, the man had been an idiot during the match and his death was his own damn fault. Both Riddle and Dumbledore went in the heroes pile—"They shaped our current world, after all."—and so did the Founders and Merlin. Most academics, though, went into the third pile.
"I understand that research and advancement is important," Caleb said as put the inventor of cheering charms, Felix Summerbee, into the third pile. "But I think these cards should be reserved for people who really did stuff, not just sat around their houses mixing potions and trying different wand movements. Look at Dumbledore! He helped find the twelve uses of dragon's blood, which is all well and good, but the reason he really got his place on the card is because of his defeat of Grindelwald."
"Makes sense," Harry said, though internally he disagreed. When Caleb proceeded to put Ignatia Wildsmith, the inventor of Floo Powder, into the third pile yet Babayaga—a Russian hag who ate children—made it into the whatever pile, he decided he really didn't understand Caleb's sorting system. He professed to only want true action heroes on the back of the cards, yet he kept people like the drummer for the Weird Sisters and Xavier Rastrick the entertainer.
Of course, Harry also though people the arts deserved recognition, but not at the expense of taking off researchers and spellcrafters. He could argue that Newt Scamander did far more to help the magical world than Uric the Oddball, and yet Caleb though Scamander was an idiot and Uric was hilarious.
Harry put the cards away and settled his irritation. The whole reason he'd chosen this test was to see how his opinions on magic and society matched his suitors and he couldn't be angry that Caleb had differed from him. It did drop Caleb down in his list of possible mates, but it also wasn't the end of the line yet. He'd give Caleb another chance, like he'd give Bethany. Physically, Caleb appealed to him more and there was something to be said for that as well.
Caleb leaned back against the nearest tree trunk and looked at Harry for a moment. "I don't think I passed your test."
Harry thought he was controlling his facial expressions well enough, but then Caleb was a beta of the pack and he was probably bleeding some through their faint pack bond. "Not really," he said honestly.
Caleb cocked his head to the side. "Disappointing, but not surprising. We grew up very differently, I think. You had a unique childhood in the eyes of the pack. I don't think you'll find that your views are the same as most here. I can appreciate some things on a intellectual level, but in my day to day life, I hardly give a shit about places like Hogwarts or Diagon Alley. You have to understand, Harry, that living in near isolation like we do is a vastly different experience. What use do I have for alchemy or arithmancy? Simple, practical charms are great and the spells I've used in battle, but what do I care for the inventor of childish hexes?"
Harry smiled. Caleb made sense and his words were wise. For all that Caleb was the youngest and most immature of the betas, he was a beta of the pack for a reason. He was energetic and enthusiastic, but even the older pack members respected him and that wouldn't have been won without some amount of wisdom.
"Okay," Harry said, accepting the words. "But I did grow up in that environment and however much I might find my opinions change in the coming years, that will still always be a part of me. I'm never going to forget where I came from."
"No," Caleb agreed, and there was something dark in his blue eyes, something nasty in the twist of his lips. "We never really do."
Harry froze, uncertain, but Caleb shook himself and that happy grin came back as if it had never been overtaken by shadows.
"Well, I'm glad we got all that hashed out early, anyway," Caleb said. "Maybe next time, we can do something we both enjoy. If you haven't taken a dip yet in the pond here, the water's clean and it's a great way to spend an afternoon."
"Sounds like fun. Let's plan on doing that later this week." Harry stood with Caleb. "Thanks for indulging my curiosity."
"I'll indulge you as much as you want," Caleb responded. He gave a little bow and a wink. "Now, I can feel Fenrir's irritation from here. Seems like I'm late for a meeting. Catch you later, Harry."
"Bye."
Harry tossed the bag of cards up and down in his hand as he watched Caleb walked off. The beta had given him a lot to think on. He made himself remember the societal differences as he did the same challenge with the rest of his suitors over the next few days.
Antonio—"All my friends call me Tony, actually. You don't have to, but I'd like it if you did."—was more reserved than either Bethany or Caleb. He didn't have much care for Quidditch, though he did seem to enjoy music and the arts. He respected anything academic, but put few of those cards in the heroes pile. The cards he discarded were all nasty individuals, such as Babayaga and Ethelred the Ever-Ready, who was famous for cursing innocent bystanders.
"Why are we lauding them?" he said as he added Circe, who turned sailors into pigs, into the third pile. "They were mean or spiteful and all they did was hurt people. Doesn't it send a bad message to put them on cards that many children collect?"
Harry enjoyed his time with Tony and, especially considering what Caleb said about differences, agreed with Tony's choices a lot. Still, it was interesting seeing what he choose in comparison to Amy Daige that morning. As an educator, she'd placed nearly all the academics into the hero pile, but all the Quidditch players and entertainers were discarded.
Hearing Tony's reason for discarding the evildoers, he found it fascinating that Amy had nearly an opposite reaction. "How are children to know what's wrong if they don't have examples to say this, don't do this. The reason we teach kids about Babayaga and Morgan Le Fey is to show them the extremes of unacceptable behavior just as we teach the extremes of heroism."
Amy had put many cards such as Wilfred Elphick, who was the first wizard to be gored by an African Erumpent, into the whatever section. "Cautionary tales are well and good, but the more you stress them, the more a child will want to try themself. It's good to have a couple in your back pocket as an example during a lesson, but I'd never take an hour explaining everything Wilfred Elphick did wrong unless I wanted one of my kids to go try to do it better… and probably get gored themself for their stupidity."
Harry ran into Emily Fells the evening after he finished with Amy and Tony. She was stockier than Bethany or Amy and her hair was cropped short. When Harry explained the game to her, she groaned.
"Nothing against your idea," she said. "I just hate sitting still trying to read. I probably would have failed out of a normal education system. I don't have the patience to sit and learn about things. I'd rather do then be told how to do, if you know what I mean."
"Want me to read the cards to you and you can just tell me what you think of them?" Harry asked. "It shouldn't take too long, I promise."
"Sure, why not? It's your courtship, I'm just along for the ride." She grinned.
Harry found that grin infectious and ended up grinning back. "Do you play Quidditch?"
"Sure do." She stretched. "Usually seeker, though I enjoy the other roles too. You look like you'd be a fast opponent."
"I am," Harry said, because there was no denying that. "How about this… we get through the cards then next time we can do a seeker challenge against each other."
"That, I can look forward to."
Emily ended up sorting very similarly to Caleb, though she even put the Hogwarts' Founders into the discard. Basically anyone she didn't care about, she tossed, which left a very small pile of heroes, no one in the whatever pile, and a large discard section.
Harry appreciated her frankness, at least, and set up a time with her to play some Quidditch later.
The next day, he stalked out Charles Thompson at lunch time. Charles was still young enough despite having an eight-year-old girl, but his hair was prematurely grey. His eyes were blue like a clear sky and there were hints of smile wrinkles around their edges.
"I'm sorry I haven't been available," he said as Harry approached him. "I understand you've started your walks."
"I get that you're busy, don't worry," Harry told him. "At some point, I'd love to meet your daughter. Not yet, but… next time, maybe."
"She'll enjoy that. She keeps asking me about you."
Like their wolf forms, Harry was instantly relaxed in Charles's presence and he wasn't quite sure why. There was something about the man that just let him lower his guard. Charles was soothing and even his voice was low and melodic. When Harry explained the card game, he just smiled and called Harry, "Clever."
Harry had to pull back a blush at that. Charles was the oldest werewolf courting him, but Harry was ridiculously attracted to him. There was something about how calm Charles was that made Harry feel like he had to watch himself for fear of being seen as childish… but it excited him too. He wondered if he had a fetish for older men. Or maybe it was a fetish for experience, because Amy had certainly interested more than Bethany and Emily.
Charles was slow as he went over the cards. He obviously put great thought into each of the choices. In the end, he didn't discard a single card and nearly even-split the stack amongst heroes and whatevers.
"Why keep all of them?" Harry asked.
"They were chosen for a reason," Charles said. "The idea of taking that away doesn't sit well with me, just as the idea of burning a book or erasing a section of history just because you don't like it. I don't hide things from my daughter or the other pups. If they ask me something, I answer them honestly. I may not go into all the details, but I don't censor. There was a reason Uric the Oddball was chosen as one of the representatives of the wizarding world and it's not my place to disagree with that."
"And if your daughter asks you what your opinion on him is?"
"I'd tell her that his story cheers people up. They like to see him wearing a jellyfish hat and waving a tree branch instead of a wand because it reminds them that people are inherently different and if Uric the Oddball can be accepted, then surely they can too."
Harry wanted to curl up in Charles's space and just listen to him talk. He had to stop himself from doing just that, had to remind himself that it was far too early to initial physical contact, even if all he wanted to do was take a nap while listening to Charles's steady heartbeat. "That's beautiful," he said instead. "Thank you for sharing with me."
"Thank you for giving me the opportunity." Charles smiled. "I know I'm probably too old for you, but when I saw you at the full moon, I couldn't resist trying my chance."
Harry shrugged. "You're not much older than Fenrir is," he said.
"Ah, but our alpha is always an exception and I have a child. Most submissives want to start their own family, not enter into a pre-existing one."
"I grew up without a proper family, but I found one in the orphanage and in my housemates at Hogwarts. I want to find one here too, with everyone in the pack. The fact that you have a daughter doesn't put me off at all. I just hope she likes me."
"She'll love you." Charles stood and held out a hand to help Harry up. He pulled it back a second later and a charming blush lit up his cheeks. "My apologies."
Harry got to his feet. "It's fine. Thank you for the thought."
"On Saturday then?" Charles asked.
"Saturday," Harry agreed. They'd already made plans for Harry to meet Charles and his daughter for lunch then do a little playtime during the afternoon. "See you then."
"Take care, Harry." Charles left at a slow walk, not rushing back to the manor or his duties like the others all had. He walked with the gait of someone who knew exactly how long it would take him to go where he was going and who was determined to enjoy the journey just as much as the final arrival.
Harry stretched. His wolf clambered inside him, wanting space, and he shifted easily. He was suddenly full of energy and he raced along the backside of the pond. Only one of his suitors remained and he was ready to finish this first phase. With his enhanced smell, he sought out Fenrir.
The alpha was easy to find. He sat on his boulder in human form, gazing out over the pond with his back to the manor. Harry ran up to him, ears perked and tail high. Fenrir glanced at him then back at the pond. Harry shifted back into his human skin and nearly misstepped as his paws became feet. Fenrir's lips twisted as if he'd just barely held back a smile.
Harry shook himself off and walked to Fenrir's side.
"Finally ready for me?" Fenrir asked. There wasn't a bite to his words. Despite the warnings of Remus and the beta submissives over the half-week he'd been talking and walking, Fenrir didn't seem upset at being made to wait.
"Whenever you're free," Harry said. "I know you've been busy preparing for the Ministry's visit."
"We're as ready as we're going to be," Fenrir said. His eyes remained fixed on the pond.
Harry let his gaze travel the same line, wondering what Fenrir was looking at. The clear pond reflected the manor behind them—distorted blue glory. In the corner, he could make out the shapes of various pack members playing on the lawn. Up on the balconies, more pack members sat in rippling forms. Fenrir and Harry's reflection stood at the forefront, a large barrier between the world and the utopia behind them.
Harry realized then that Fenrir was worried. Not about anything specific… just a general worry for the future of his pack. He cared about what would happen during the visit and despite his flippancy when he announced it to the pack during the last full moon, he worried that the Department for Magical Creature Regulation's representative would find some fault in them.
Harry looked at Fenrir's reflection, the tall warrior with soft edges who stood sentinel in the water, and wondered if that worry ever faded. He'd only been in the pack for a little more than a month, but already he felt the same anxiety that something would disrupt this peace. To the alpha who'd held the pack together in wartime, who'd pushed them into the serenity they had now, the idea of losing that peace had to be terrible.
"Wanna forget about it for awhile?" Harry asked and his voice came out softer than he'd intended. "Come play a stupid game with me?"
Fenrir finally looked from the pond to Harry. Harry met those silver eyes.
"Yeah," Fenrir said and he lumbered to his feet with more grace than a man of his size should have. "Let's do that."
Harry let Fenrir lead him into the grove. It felt natural that Fenrir knew exactly where they were going. He didn't complain as Fenrir sat on the same sandy grass that he'd conducted all the tests. Of course Fenrir had figured out the location, if only by the scents left over. Most werewolves didn't have enough control to have enhanced senses while in human form, but Fenrir was famous for it.
Harry shuffled the chocolate frog cards as he explained the rules. Fenrir just nodded and held out his hand for the first card.
Harry watched Fenrir sort silently. Fenrir didn't explain his choices until the end. Only once all the cards were sorted did he tap each pile.
"I won't call them heroes," he said, "but the ones in here deserve respect. If a way of showing that is by plastering their faces on candy, that's fine." Fenrir's cut off had been high. Riddle and Dumbledore had both made it, along with the Hogwarts' Founders, Merlin, Morgan Le Fey, and Arthur Pendragon. There were several academics and researchers in the pile too, but only the most far-reaching effectors. The ones who'd changed fundamentals, like finding the magical properties of the number seven, or whose inventions had altered society, like creating Floo powder or the goblin who opened up Gringotts.
Most of the other academics had gone in the whatevers, as had many of the entertainers and Quidditch players. "These guys," Fenrir explained, "are side notes. Interesting enough, but the ripples they made only effected smaller communities. They may be heroes for a Quidditch addict or a room of alchemists, but on the whole what they did only changed certain lives, not everyone's."
In the discard pile, Fenrir had put all the funny stories, the eccentrics. "What do they matter in the scheme of things?" he asked. "Put them in a book to make people laugh, but I hardly give a shit if Wendelin the Weird enjoyed pretending to burn at the stake."
Harry put the cards away, this time taking care to bind the piles together so he could look at them again later. Fenrir settled back against the grass, one arm cushioning his head. Harry crossed his arms over his knees and rested his chin on them.
"The representative comes on Monday," Fenrir said. "She'll be here for three days, just enough time to annoy the hell out of us but not enough to justify us kicking her out. She's going to be interested in you, because you joined us right after graduating Hogwarts."
"Misaki already talked to me," Harry said, because he saw where the conversation was going. "I won't mention our… connection. I won't mention the dynamics or the courtship. Angie suggested that I hold off on any engagement with you or the other suitors until the representative is gone and I agreed."
Fenrir relaxed against the ground. Harry was startled to realize that the alpha had been concerned. Then again, it was a delicate subject for Fenrir to navigate both being the alpha, and one of Harry's suitors. "Good."
"I want to get second meetings done before she arrives," Harry said. "I'm going to take the time while she's here to think over all seven of you. I know a lot of submissives start cutting suitors immediately, but I like a little distance before I make big decisions like that. Nothing good ever comes from me doing things rashly, I learned that the hard way."
"Smart." Fenrir sat up and turned to regard Harry. "You don't need to explain yourself to me. I won't pretend that I'm not jealous about how much time you're giving the others. My wolf and I are of one mind most of the time, Harry, and we're both possessive."
"Your wolf thinks I'm already yours," Harry whispered into his arms.
Fenrir sighed. "By the old ways, you already would have been. But I'd rather court you and have you decide then take you like that. I've done enough savage things to last a lifetime, I won't ruin you by falling back into that temptation."
Harry lifted his head. The exhilaration he felt being in Fenrir's company was different from the others. He hadn't been able to feel the pull when he first turned into a werewolf, too new to all the various instincts, but he could now. He couldn't deny that Fenrir called to him strongest of all his suitors. Charles was perhaps a close second, with Amy not far behind, but the pull his felt toward Fenrir was nearly overpowering. Still, he'd been told that instincts weren't everything and plenty of happy mates had been made out of two whose call was far less than what he felt for even Amy.
"I have plans with everyone else for the end of this week and the weekend. I'd like to spend time with you again before the representative arrives," Harry said. "No one's given me a tour of the whole territory yet and I figured no one knows it better than you do."
"I can do that." Fenrir grinned, just as feral on his human mouth as his wolf one. "I'll be busy on Sunday evening doing last minute preparations, but anytime before then I can make time to run about with you."
"Sunday morning then."
"Can you be up at dawn?"
Harry nodded. "I'm an early riser. I don't tend to sleep much past when the sun rises."
"Good. Meet me here for the sunrise, then, and I'll show you the land as it wakes up."
Harry stood as Fenrir did and walked back with him toward the manor. They trod in silence, but it was a comfortable one. Harry wanted to move into Fenrir's space, but he stayed far enough away that their arms weren't in danger of touching. His head didn't quite come to Fenrir's shoulder line and the size different was nice. Perhaps it made sense—Harry had always enjoyed walking with Hagrid, enjoyed the comfort of being next to someone who took up so much space so he could fit himself in the gaps left behind.
He wanted to fill Fenrir's gaps and the strength of that desire scared him more than his attraction to Charles or his interest in Amy or Caleb. Nothing good ever came out of him making rash decisions, after all.
"Goodnight," Fenrir said as they parted at the staircase.
"Night," Harry replied softly and he ruthlessly squashed the desire to follow Fenrir instead of going to his own bed.
He needed to get his emotions under control. One more visit with everyone then the Ministry's arrival would be good. He'd have space and time to think through everything rationally. He only hoped three days would be enough time. He knew werewolves courted quickly, far quicker than the years it would sometimes take wizards and witches, but the depth of his own emotions still surprised him.
Harry took a steadying breath. He'd see what the next few days brought. It was too early to be worried yet. For now, he let sleep claim him. If he dreamed of strong arms holding him… well it was only natural.