Chapter Six
That night, after their usual routine of hexing and patrolling the castle, checking in with the other Aurors stationed around the perimeter of the grounds, and retreating to the American's quarters, Hermione changed into short black shorts and a white t-shirt and climbed into the bed. She crossed her legs and mindlessly began twiddling and fidgeting her fingers thoughts hitting her hard.
I wonder what's up with Renee. She's been out of it since earlier today. Hermione thought to herself, her mind drifting to the DADA lesson earlier. The American's cousin Connie and Fleur Delacour walking into the room, the way Renee seemed out of it since then. Something is bothering her. But what? She was deep enough in thought to where she didn't hear the bathroom door open.
"Everything alright, darlin'?" Renee stood by the bed, a look of concern written across her brow.
Hermione looked up, startled, but it faded. Her answer never left her mouth. Her jaw just hung down because she was struck with awe and her eyes were fixated on the sight in front of her.
There stood Renee, dripping with water from her shower, a towel wrapped around only her midriff. Her toned muscles shimmering with the thin sheet of water, her tanned skin looking delicious and mouth watering, her deep emerald eyes filled with worry as her black hair hung down and clung around her shoulders.
What caused Hermione to stop, though?
The American was topless.
The woman's breasts were out in the open beckoning Hermione's chocolate brown eyes to stare. The Gryffindor stared hard. Her face started to get warmer and warmer turning to deep shade of red. She felt a slight clench in her sex and a building pressure. All her attention was on the perfect breasts in front of her. All the brunette had to do was reach out and cup the ample breast and savor what it would feel like to hold something so perfect. Her sex clenched again except tighter. The fact that Renee was standing the way she was didn't help the pressure either. In fact, it made it worse.
Gods! I wish she would look at me like this. What am I talking about? I wish she would just… Touch me.. Whoa! Hold up there, Granger! Stop it! The brunette's thoughts battled. Her brain and her feelings conflicting once more.
Renee watched Hermione close. She watched how the brunette stared at her. The way her eyes wandered over her body and whenever they landed on her chest, the American's thrall leapt forward. It knew what thoughts the brunette had going through her mind. It wanted to help relieve the pressure that Hermione was building up. It wanted to devour her.
Enough already! Geez. You're like a dog in heat! Oh wait… Damn it! I can smell her… I can smell her and she smells so good.. Renee took a deep sharp inhale, the scent hitting her senses, causing her eyes to roll to the back of her head. Her own sex clenched. But she hid it a lot better than Hermione's reaction.
The brunette's mind went back to reality once she remembered that Renee asked her a question. "What was it that you asked? I wasn't listening.." Hermione ducked her down, her face flushed and red from her gawking session and from being embarrassed after being caught.
A small choked laugh left the American's mouth. "I asked if there was something wrong, babe."
"Uhh.. No. No. Nothing is wrong. I was just thinking."
"Uh huh." Renee breathed out as she made her way to her dresser. "You know you can't lie to me, right?" The woman looked over her shoulder at the brunette.
"I'm not lying.." Hermione let out a small noise. She knew Renee was right, but she didn't want to ask her question. It would make her feel as if she was prying into someone else's business. Regardless of the level of the relationship, her nature wouldn't allow her to do such a thing unless someone confided in her.
The raven haired woman seen the conflict written on the brunette's face. "It's okay, darlin'. Ask me anything."
Hermione rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "I was just wondering what your cousin and Fleur came to speak with you about." Her eyes looking anywhere, but at the American. She felt like she was being rude.
"Oh. No need to concern yourself with that. Connie was just informing me about some family business and Fleur is here to help Dumbledore out with something. Like I said, you don't need to worry yourself." Renee finished dressing in a sports bra and a pair of shorts and slid under the covers beside her mate.
Hermione chuckled. "I'm sorry for asking." The feeling of being rude still hitting her hard.
"There's no need to be sorry. Never apologize to me for anything. It's okay. We're a couple; we're mates. If there is something you want to know, just ask me." The American leaned back against the pillows, arms folded behind her head.
"Okay…" Hermione mumbled, but spoke a little louder on her next statement. "So, I went to-"
"The library." Renee bursted out. She began laughing at the look she received from Hermione from cutting her off.
Hermione just scowled at her, but her features softened because the woman was right. She giggled a bit herself. "Yes." She cleared her throat and continued. "I went to the library and was trying to find out more about lycans and about this bond."
"And? What did you find?"
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The only relative thing that I could find was a passage that said something about lycans being a creature that was private and that someone's best bet to finding out about the creature was to ask one." Hermione breathed out. Annoyance was heavy in her voice.
The brunette hated things like that. She hated it so much. If there was something she didn't understand, she would pour her eyes over any and all books pertaining to the thing or person she was curious about. Once she finished researching and understanding, she would move on to the next thing. In this case, the object or person of her studies? Renee. She wanted to know everything and anything about the woman without directly asking about her life. Because she couldn't bring herself to pry into someone else's life.
"Well, what is it that you would like to know?" Renee quirked an eyebrow.
"Can you tell me more about lycans? Are they a hybrid of some sort?" Hermione turned her body to where she was facing the American. The tone of her voice took on the tone of excitement. Something new for the brunette to learn, which excited her greatly.
Renee cleared her throat and sat up a bit. "Well.. Yes. We are a hybrid. We have attributes of both werewolves and an animagus."
"What attributes?" Hermione tilted her head to the side curiously. Her mind, happily, started to take a few sips out of the fountain of knowledge she had begun to drink from. Her posture growing more straight, her attention focusing harder now.
"A lycan has some of the effects that a werewolf has during the first week of the moon cycle, but after the week, has the ability to turn into a lycan anytime like an animagus, however, they have to be in a situation that provokes them to do so."
Hermione's mind delving deeper into the knowledge, sat even more upright, urging the woman to continue. Anything to do with learning something new, she always welcomed it. Since it was learning more about her lover, she was even more curious than usual.
"At the beginning of every cycle, our bodies begin to change. It's like a snake shedding its skin. A snake sheds the old skin it has because its skin is growing and it sheds to make room for its new skin. A lycan almost has the same effect. Whenever the cycle begins, signaling our change, we are getting improvements on our attributes. Things like: heightened sense, new fur, more strength, etc… Plus, our beings and ourselves are growing together more and more to become one." Renee took a drink of water from the cup on her nightstand and continued. Hermione staring in amazement at the woman.
"On the second to last night of the week, that's when our change happens. We have to change into our lycan form to allow the new improvements to set in. It is at the utmost importance that we change or else something terrible would happen to us. The last day is more of a recovering day. Mostly, it's spent sleeping."
Hermione's brow furrowed at one part of the explanation, a question falling from her lips. "'Utmost importance'? Why is it so important?"
Renee looked down, a hint of sadness drawn on her face. "There is only one way that I can explain this." She paused for a moment and continued. "I had an older brother named Greg. Growing up, he never liked the fact that he had lycan blood. He absolutely hated that part about him. When he turned eight, he started to suppress the change every month. Over the course of three years, he would hold back the changing process which caused him to look pale, sickly, like a walking decomposing corpse. During our pack's yearly gathering in celebration of our heritage and to celebrate the birth of my younger cousin, the lack of changing finally… Killed him.."
The brunette eyes fell to the bed. She hated the question as she approached it. "What killed him?"
"The reason why it is important to change is because our inner being needs to gain the improvements to itself, plus, to allow the merging of its being and our soul. Us and our beings must become one. That's what gives us our control. Without that control, it would be catastrophic. Since Greg never changed, his being lost control. It destroyed him from the inside out. It wanted to be set free so badly, that it destroyed his heart, body, mind, and soul. I remember him falling to the ground, shaking violently, frothing at the mouth, body wrenching growls and painful screams leaving him. Until, finally… He stopped moving. That deep glow and light in his eyes left him. He was completely motionless. My father had looked him over and announced the death, even though, we all knew what had happened to him. That is why it is important for us to change. It could, literally, be the death of us if we don't."
The mood in the room was one of sadness. Hermione didn't know what to say. Since she was an only child, she never understood the bond that siblings had with one another and to hear such a tragic story, her heart did what it could, and that was to to reach out to her mate. The brunette unfolded her legs and rested herself on top of the American. She held tightly onto her trying to convey her condolences through the embrace. Renee stared down at the young witch and gave a small smile. She felt the wave of emotion that flowed from the grip and she reciprocated by pulling the girl up to her and kissing her a soft chaste kiss. Hermione pulled away from the kiss and rested her head down on the raven haired woman's chest.
"Anyway, that was 16 years ago." Renee shifted slightly, trying to change the subject. "What else do you want to know?"
"What happens to you during the week of the cycle?"
"Like I said, our being gets improvements to itself. Enhancements. While it develops, my attitude changes. I get more irritable, meaner, less pleasant to be around, and… Well.. Umm.." at that last part, the American began to blush and a wave of nervousness hit her hard. She didn't want to admit the last part, however, she knew that Hermione was going to ask. So, she mentally braced herself for the question, though, that didn't stop her from feeling nervous.
Hermione, sensing the nervous sound from her mate, slowly asked her question. "And what? What else happens?"
Renee took a deep breath. For some reason, mentioning the coming feeling always made the woman feel… Dirty. "I get more… My hormones start to… I mean.."
"Oh come on with it." Hermione already putting two and two together. She figured it out. It was just a matter of wanting Renee to say it.
"Well, my hormones will start to get crazier than usual. It gets to the point where it feels almost uncontrollable. Like, I wouldn't be able to stand it. This cycle is going to the hardest one I've ever faced, however."
Hermione lifted her head up at this. She turned her head and body to where she could look at the woman with confusion on her face. "How is this cycle going to be worse than the others?"
"I have found my mate. My being trying to settle itself down will be close to impossible." the American said matter of factly.
Hermione shook her head furiously. Confusion clearly running rampant in the young girl's mind. "I still don't understand that. What makes it so hard?" the brunette had her arms stretched out in front of her, exasperated.
Renee let out a loud laugh. Hermione was just too cute sometimes.
"What's so hard to understand, darlin'?" the raven haired woman asked when she settled down from her laugh.
The young witch gave a look of exhaustion. Her brain felt swelled. "I just don't understand what you mean."
"Alright." Renee put her hands up in defeat. "It makes it hard because all it wants to do is to be close to you. It will be so hard to keep it under control because of that. It is so hellbent on making and keeping you happy that it will drive both me and you insane. Not, literally, but pretty damn close." the American pauses and gave a look towards Hermione. The woman seen the gears turning in the girl's eyes. She smiled softly. "I want to make this work more than anything. I don't want to ruin anything that we have. So, I'll keep my lycan and thrall in check."
Hermione nodded, a small smile graced her face. "We will see." she leaned forward and kissed the woman's cheek. The brief brush of her lips on the American's cheek ignited a tingling sensation that vibrated from her lips throughout her body.
Renee felt the tingling as well. She let out a gasp. Why did that happ- oh.. Wait.. Just as her thought came to an end, the brunette spoke up.
"When is the next time you change?"
"It starts tomorrow. It won't be that noticeable the first day, however, it will get worse and worse each day." Renee let out a chuckle.
The brunette took on a look of seriousness. "I want to be there with you."
Looking shocked, Renee started blankly at her mate. "No. No. I can't let you do that."
"I want to be there. I want to see this for myself. There's not really much you can do to change my mind."
"The night of the change happens during that party Slughorn is throwing. So, you don't have to worry about being there. You're going to that aren't you?"
At this reminder, Hermione's eyes shot wide open. She had completely forgot about that!
"That's this week?! I can't believe I forgot that!" panic set into the brunette's body. She sat up so fast that Renee didn't have time to register what she was upset about. "Who am I going to go with?!"
Renee looked at her mate with a look of disbelief. "Who do you think?"
"I can't bring you! What would people think? I can't be seen with you like that! The talking, the pointing, the stares!"
Renee taking a deep breath. Unbeknownst to the brunette, the American felt a twinge of hurt prick at her nerves. She felt like Hermione's dirty little secret. She hated not being able to be with her mate in public, but she knew how the brunette felt about it. So, she never pushed the issue. However, that didn't escape the fact that people were already talking.
Since the two had their little argument in the middle of Hogsmeade, the school was quietly buzzing about the possibility of the romantic connection between the American and the know-it-all. Comments ranging from disgust to perversion didn't skip by the lycan's ears. Hermione heard the talking. She just kept her down whenever someone said something. Feeling angry at them putting their noses in her business, but also feeling uncomfortable with the thought that people were talking.
Dropping her face and letting out a deep breath, Renee spoke. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten you so wound up. Do you have somebody in mind?"
"Cormac. He's been wanting to go with me. It's just for the night and I'll never have to deal with him again." Hermione answered. Her upset feelings subsiding, for the most part.
The American nodded and turned her head towards the clock. Her eyes got wide. "Hey! It's three in the morning. You better get some sleep, darlin'."
"Is it really?" Hermione sounded surprised.
"I wouldn't have said it if it wasn't."
"Are you sure you're alright, though? You know, from earlier today?" the brunette asked once again. She wanted to be sure that Renee was level headed.
Renee smiled and kissed her mate's cheek. "Everything is fine."
With the the brunette tucked herself under the covers and cuddled close to the raven haired woman and closed her eyes.
Renee looked down at her mate and smiled. But the smile faded as quickly as it showed up.
Not everything is fine. My dad wants to see me. Fleur doing curse breaking at a cave with Dumbledore. Something is going to happen with both of those. No need to worry Hermione about it.
The lycan folded one hand behind while the other wrapped tightly around her mate. She stared towards the ceiling, her thoughts plaguing her mind until sleep, finally, took her.
A/N: Hello everybody! No reviews, but a few favorites and follows. Not too bad! Haha. I wanted to use this chapter to explain what a lycan (in my opinion) was and what happens with the bond and whatnot. I know that this story is getting a bit lame, but I'm trying to find the time to write it. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy and stay tuned for the next chapter coming.