Disclaimer: All characters, places, and spells belong to J. K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The title to the song "I'm Not Calling You A Liar" belongs to Florence Welch and Island Records. Copyright infringement is not intended.

A/N: I know, I know, I haven't been keeping up with this story as much as I'd like or any of you wonderful readers. I'll try to keep up with it and update more often, life has just been super busy lately with the holidays and everything. But enough with the lame excuses, I'm giving all of you the latest chapter to Calling of the Mate. The song in this chapter is "I'm Not Calling You A Liar" by Florence + the Machine. R&R and enjoy!

Calling of the Mate

Chapter 6: I'm Not Calling You A Liar

Hermione's POV

It had been more than a week since my 'funeral' and had yet to hear back from Snape. Sirius and I both knew that he was a busy man, but it would have been nice to have heard something from him. I had been on edge all day, but it wasn't about Snape not contacting us, I could feel something coming on…it was the same every time. I know that I should be used to it by now, but I can never get passed the horrible feeling that it gives me. I hate it, all of it. My entire body aches and I feel like I'm being ripped apart.

I made sure that Sirius didn't see my distress; I didn't want him to see me like this and I didn't want him to think that it bothered me. So, I spent my morning preparing the bathroom for my bath later, and I made sure that anything in the room that could hurt me was gone. I placed a cushioning charm on the walls and left to the kitchen for breakfast and a spot of tea. Sirius was already in the kitchen nursing a cup of tea. He looked up and smiled at me.

Neither of us spoke for a while. I tried to act as normal as possible so as not to raise any suspicion with Sirius. "You look pretty into that toast, 'Mione." I let my eyes leave the sight of the marmalade slathered toast in my hand, my eyes meeting his. I just smiled and took a bite of my toast, a small moan erupting from my throat. His eyes widened slightly and he cleared his throat. He shifted in his seat and I heard him mumble, "You're really into that toast."

After a quiet breakfast and tea, I went back to my room for an equally quiet afternoon. I wasn't planning to come out of my room for a while, in hopes that the dread that I was feeling wouldn't get any worse. It wasn't getting any better, that's for sure. But I suppose being alone today wasn't meant to happen. I heard the knocking upon my door and called out to Sirius on the other side. "Yes?"

The door opened and he peeked at me from around it. "Just wanted to check on you." He looked around for a minute. "Mind if I come in?" I shrugged and told him that he could come in if he wanted. Sirius came in and gingerly closed the door behind him before walking across the room to sit at the edge of the bed. "Are you okay Hermione?" I turned the page of the book I was reading, which just so happened to be the werewolf book that Snape had left with me, and nodded my head. Sirius was quiet for a moment. "Moony is an idiot."

I snorted at his statement. "Moony or Remus?"

He looked confused. "Is there a difference?"

I sighed as I put the book down. "There is Remus, the man and then there is Moony the wolf." I could tell that he didn't get it. "Remus has always been Remus. He never acknowledged the wolf within as another being within his being. At least not until you, James and Peter gave him a name. You three named the wolf part of Remus, Moony."

Sirius didn't leave my room after the explanation of the difference between Remus and Moony. Instead, he made himself comfortable at the foot of my bed as I read out loud from the book of werewolves. He had so many questions about werewolves that it made me wonder how much he actually knew about Moony. I wasn't objecting though, I was more than happy to answer anything that he wanted to know. Eventually, the book was put down and we were talking rather than him listen to me vocalize the book. "I get lonely around here. Snape didn't come around too much before, and I was fine with that but I was alone. When you are cut off from the rest of the world, it gets a little scary, you know?" He was telling me about his time in Snape's house and how quiet and empty it is for someone who is alone. "Since he brought you here, I haven't felt so alone. Now that you are here, Hermione, I don't feel so alone." He smiled at me.

I wanted to smile in return and assure him that I was happy that he didn't feel alone anymore. But I couldn't. I didn't smile or say anything that would keep that grin on his face. Instead, we both seemed to fall into a deep silence. A light grunt sounded next to me and Sirius sat up straight. "Thank you for listening to my life's problems Hermione." He pulled me into a hug before standing up. "I'll leave you to it then." I walked him to the bedroom door. Sirius spun around swiftly to face me. He took my hand in his and bowed before me, keeping eye contact with me during the entire display. "Goodnight," He brought my hand to his lips, two light pink, thin pillows of softness, brushing across the knuckles of my hand. So soft, he kissed my hand, that I had almost missed the feather light touch. I was entranced by Sirius' entire display; so much that I barely registered whispering a goodnight back to him.

The moment my bedroom door closed I leaned against it; let out the breath I had been holding, and slid to the floor. I wasn't sure how much longer I was going to last with Sirius in here with me. My legs were trembling, my brain felt as if it were on fire, and every nerve ending within my body felt like they were going into overload. I hated this feeling and I dreaded the moment it would begin. I didn't want anyone to know about what I had to endure, and yet, I desperately wanted someone, anyone to know. Someone who wouldn't mind showing a little sympathy towards me. I needed that.

I could feel the cold air hit the hot sweat upon my skin; my shirt was already soaked through. Then, just as I began to seizing, something new happened. I could hear him, Lupin, in my mind. I knew it had to have been the wolf calling to me, but this was different than anything I had ever heard of before. He was there in my mind, the man was moaning in the most deliciously naughty way while the wolf within him was growling viciously, like he was angry with Lupin or maybe someone else.

There was something else underneath all of it though; something faint. Someone was shouting my name and a loud banging was accompanying the shouts. The sound of my name was what brought me back to the here and now. Brought me back to the agony that my body was experiencing. I only had one thought in my mind that that moment. Remus Lupin, you are going to kill me.

Severus' POV

I had just gotten finished with my rounds and was on my way to my living quarters. All day I had been trying to figure out when I would be able to make another visit with Sirius and Hermione. I wanted to make sure she was faring well away from Hogwarts and in a new setting. Although Sirius and I have our problems with each other, I knew that he would be constantly trying to keep her happy, at least at some level.

I had come to the decision that I would visit them in the morning…that was until I heard it. Lupin and Tonks .But there was something that didn't sound quite right with Lupin. That immediately alarmed me; if something was off with Lupin, then something definitely was going to be off with Hermione.

I made a mad dash to the dungeons, not caring if anyone saw me. I knew that could be a possible stupid move on my part, but I didn't care. I made it to my living quarters in record time and put of the wards. I wasn't about to risk someone finding out about my guests. After a quick lockdown of my quarters, I took and handful of floo powder and in a flurry of green flames, I was back in my own personal prison that was actually used to confine two people that were thought to be dead.

I rushed through the mouth of the fireplace and up the stairs behind the secret bookcase-door. Sirius was hot on my heels, pestering me with what was wrong. "Hermione." I growled out. I didn't mean to sound so pissed off, but I didn't want any more time wasted than what already was. I wasn't sure what kind of condition she would be in when I got to her bedroom.

"What about Hermione? Have we been found out?"

I checked the doorknob first. "Bugger, it's locked!" I tried all of the unlocking spells that I knew, only to find that the door was not going to budge. "Hermione! Hermione, Open up!" I didn't care if I had to beat the door down to get to her; I needed to be sure that she was safe, that she wasn't hurting herself. "Open the door Hermione!" I gripped my wand, pointing it the door and effectively blasting the door into little flecks of wood. And there she was, on the floor in mid-seizure and foaming at the mouth.

"What the hell is going on?" Sirius shouted upon seeing her in the state that she was in.

I rushed over to her side and held her close to me to prevent her from hurting herself. "It's a side effect of the bond. I think the wolf within is fighting Lupin. I heard him growling dangerously in mid-shag. It was the first time I had heard him like that. I came over as soon as I could. Now help me here! Get me some cold water and a rag, a calming potion, and essence of dittany." He was gone to retrieve my list of items before I could finish the last word and was back just as quickly. "I need you to administer the potion while I get rid of the debris from the door." We made quick work of getting her calmed down and cleaned up. "We need to move her to the bed and get this fever down." Sirius sat back on the bed, holding her to his chest, in case she started seizing again. We worked together; trying to keep her fever down, Sirius tried talking in a soothing tone, hoping that she would hear it and relax.

It took longer than before when she finally relaxed and her fever had come down. She was breathing evenly, her face covered in a light sheen of sweat and little remnants of water. "There's not much that we can do for her at this point. I have a feeling that it is only going to get worse. We will just have to keep doing this every time I'm afraid." Sirius nodded, understanding that this was far more serious than what we had initially believed it to be.

"I'll stay here with her. You can go back to Hogwarts, if you want. I will not be leaving her side."

"I think I'll stay the night here. I was planning to come over in the morning anyways. I will not be missed at this time of night. Unless the Dark Lord calls for me." I got up and made it to the doorway before he spoke again.

"He's killing her, isn't he?" His voice was barely a whisper.

I turned back to him, not breaking eye contact. "She will eventually die. She's dying as we speak, and she doesn't have a lot of time." He gave me a short nod. I could see the sadness within his eyes as I answered him. Turning away, I walked down the corridor to my room, once again cursing Lupin in my mind.