A/N: Hey everyone. Thank you to all of my readers who have patiently awaited an update. I appreciate all of your reviews, favorites and follows and I appreciate all of you. Enjoy the latest update.
Several weeks later the pack was busy with preparations for the full moon. Hermione considered herself exceedingly lucky to have arrived on pack lands during the new moon, as it gave her plenty of time before coming face to face with a large pack of wolves. Naturally the witch was still scared out of her ever loving mind about the upcoming transformations, even if Greyback hadn't changed her... yet. In fact, the alpha had pretty much kept his distance from her. He slept next to her but rose long before she woke and often came in after she was already sleeping. There had not been a repeat of the intimacy between them. Hermione spent her days interacting with the females in the pack and practicing her meditations for animagus transformation.
The past weeks had been beyond frustrating. She came so close to the discovery of her animal form but right before she could reach it the thrice damned animal would retreat far away from her breaking her concentration and putting a cease to her meditation. Still, Hermione was determined and with great discipline forced herself through at least an hour of practice a day. Which was why she currently sat in a small meadow in the woods, her legs crossed hands in her lap and her eyes closed. The meadow was located a safe distance from the gathering of huts the pack inhabited that she wouldn't be distracted by the groups of workers. Yet it wasn't so far away that her mate couldn't sense her presence. Hermione focused on her breathing, her mind clear and took herself into her dreamlike state where she hoped to soon find her animal form.
The forest was dark. Night had fallen over the canopy of trees and so the moon and stars was the only light to guide her path. She was panting having only just stopped running. Tired she kneeled on the moss covered earth. In her peripheral vision she saw something move. It was quickly hidden by the cover of trees and darkness. She was certain it was what she was seeking, she could only pray that it wasn't the beast that had been stalking her.
Exhausted and desperate Hermione outstretched her hand. "Please don't be afraid of me. I'm not going to hurt you." It took several minutes, she remained stone still in the exact position but eventually the creature emerged from it's hiding place. As it approached Hermione heard a rustling in the forest behind her. She refused to let it distract her and instead watched as a regal, fierce and curious looking lioness approached her. The feline stopped right in front of her and Hermione could have sobbed in relief of finding out her form. Of course she realized that this form wasn't, wouldn't be acceptable to Fenrir and her face crumbled in disappointment. Still, she held out her hand to the creature who now came to lay before her and rest it's head on it's front paws, watching her.
As she stroked the sleek fur on the lioness's head gently, Hermione was shocked to see a small, grey but quick little wolf approach her as well. This was unheard of. Witches and wizards only had one true animal form, yet here before her rested two magnificently clever beasts who intended to bond with her. Surprised, and in awe Hermione spoke the final words of the ritual as she rested her other hand on the wolf. "Thank you for revealing yourselfs to me. You both would make true, loyal and wonderful companions and friends." Both nodded their acknowledgment in return before dashing back into the woods. Hermione closed her eyes once more.
Reopening her eyes the clearing before her was once again full of sunlight. She pondered for a long while the significance of what she just discovered. At some point she stood, knowing she needed answers and figuring that her mate would know someone who could provide them.
Fenrir was perplexed by her discovery. But then, she reminded herself that he had not been raised with a formal education like she did. The werewolf was born to a werewolf father who turned him quite young. He never attended Hogwarts, or any other Wizarding school. Despite being both a wizard and a magical being, Fenrir never even possessed a wand. He relied on what he knew, his senses, his resilience, agility and his strength. He relied on his wolf, not on his magic. In his service to the dark lord he had picked up on certain wandless spells but she rarely saw him use them. He likely understood little about animagus transfiguration because he never had the opportunity to become one and because while technically so most of the time, he did not see himself as human. Therefore, human transfiguration mattered little to him.
It turned out that the puzzling revelation in her meditations caused a worry line to form on her werewolf mate's brow. He made short order of hauling her to the elder's hut, hoping for an answer. He was content to let her explain t the elder the situation but inclined to stay to hear the answer. So he hovered, sitting next to her as she relayed her tale to the wisest wolf in the pack. The grey-haired, wrinkled-face crone finally spoke as Hermione finished her explanation.
"You have the gift of the mother," She intoed solemnly. "A rare but powerful blessing. The mother has plans for you that do not fate you to be turned by venom. You are an Alpha's mate but a brilliant witch. Her gift you see is the ability to shift with your mate, your pack, in the form we all share. However the wolf is not your true spirit animal and so on all but the full moon when you shift you become the lioness you saw."
"I don't understand how this is possible," Hermione whispered in disbelieving awe. "Wizard-kind are not permitted more than one animal form."
"Our mother moon is mysterious, and her reasons often unknown." replied the elder. "You have a mate that is a wolf and you feel the pull of the moon but you have the fierceness of the lion. So you are both. You are not the first to be blessed in such a way, but one of few. Outsiders are blind and close minded to what is right in front of them."
"Mate," Fenrir began. "As the elder has said this is a rare ability. Its undocumented because wizards cannot get close enough to our kind to record our ways. It's not common for an alpha to find a human mate, most find their mate or claim a female from the pack. Often wolves do not find a true mate just a female they are compatible enough with to breed." Hermione stared at him blankly. The crone continued the explanation.
"You fight your bond," the wise woman stated boldy. "You are angry at the situation but that doesn't mean that the magic that binds you is willing to recognize that fact. The mother has provided an answer to a problem between an Alpha and his mate."
"What does this mean though?" Hermione asked more confused now than before she arrived.
"It means," explained Greyback, "that the mothere has recognized your relunctance to accept our union. You already know that mating magic is ancient, powerful and unbreakable, and yet you still struggle to accept that I'm your mate. In no short part your fear of being turned is one reason you fight the bond between us. So, the spirit of the mother has provided a compromise of sorts, to instill balance between us and bless our union."
"But by giving me two animagus forms? It shouldn't be possible. It's completely illogical."
"Technically you only have one true animagus form. That is the form you can shift into at will. You can only turn to your wolf form on the night of the full moon. This way you can run and hunt and be one with me and the pack."
"Does this mean you won't turn me into a wolf?" Hermione asked fearful to know the answer.
"This remains to be seen." Fenrir cut his eyes to the crone. "If the elder is correct then when your transformations are complete you should turn into a wolf. If you don't then..." He didn't finish the rest of his sentence but Hermione knew what was left unsaid. If she didn't shift into a wolf because of some mysterious blessing of the spirit only wolves seemed to worship then he would turn her with his bite. "No point worrying about that now, Mate. come, we must get you secure in the cabin before nightfall."
Right, Hermione thought. The full moon. It was tonight. Turning to the elder she bowed her head. "Thank you for your insightfulness and wisdom," she voiced before turning and following Fenrir out of the tent.
