Fenrir was too weak to move from the bed, so Hermione had read Patricia's journal entries to him for the first part of the morning. He had simply laid on the bed with his hands tucked beneath his head and his eyes closed as he listened to her. It had taken several hours, but exhaustion from the last several days finally claimed him. Hermione climbed carefully out of the bed, as not to wake him, and slipped quietly out the door.

A nip in the air made the river water frigid but she forced herself to rinse in it. She poured the cold water over her head and tried to relax. She was so tired of everyone talking to her as if she was stupid or cold hearted for not jumping at the chance of being with Fenrir. In a way, she could understand their frustration, but at the moment all Hermione needed was to be left to her thoughts.

She had made an agreement with the Alpha and she had no plans on going back. She just needed to decide what things in the camp that must be changed, and find a way to change them to everyone's advantage. She was going to start with finding an alternative to bathing in the cold river.

She swam until dusk and would have continued if she thought she could do it safely. Slipping on the dress that lay on the bank where she had discarded it, Hermione started towards the camp to see if she was able to help prepare for dinner.

The fire tonight was smaller than usual and Hermione noticed that the feast wasn't as large as it had been. She watched as some parents went without dinner to make sure that their children had enough while others took much smaller portions. She was very surprised when she seen Naomi walking towards her with a very full plate.

"You need your strength, Madam Alpha," was all she said as she handed Hermione the plate with a smile.

"Have all the children eaten?"

Naomi looked over her shoulder to the guard, Travis, before answering.

"All the children in the camp have eaten."

Hermione understood instantly. She had met Travis' daughter Emily on the outskirts of the camp. The sweetest little girl with grungy blonde curls. As she stared around Naomi, she watched Travis give his plate to a couple who had given theirs to be split between their four children.

"Why didn't he take his plate to Emily?"

Sitting down beside Hermione, Naomi watched the couple split the small amount in two and pass what was remaining on the plate to another.

"He's not allowed. When he came to Fenrir asking to bring his mate here he was told that in tight times like these they must first provide for the pack and then for any others."

Hermione took several moments to think before asking Naomi to tell Travis to join them for a moment. They sat and talked idle chitchat with him until the fire died down and the last family had returned to their home for the night. Travis sent many curious glances throughout the dinner to the Madam Alpha but had resisted asking why he was called into her company.

Finally Hermione had turned to him and asked, "How long have Elizabeth and Emily lived down the trail?"

"Beth has been here eight years. Emily was born here five years ago."

"How many nights are there like tonight when there is nothing for them to eat?"

Travis seemed to hesitate for a moment. He didn't seem to want to answer the question. "In the summer it is not so bad. In the winter it becomes worrisome."

Hermione extended the still full plate to him, "Tonight you will split this between all the children down there."

An hour later Hermione remained sitting by the warm coals alone. She had taken all day to accept her new role and prepare herself mentally. She was used to taking care of people; it's what she did from her first year at Hogwarts. She just wasn't used to being responsible for this many people. Each person here trusted their Alpha so much that they went without meals and never questioned him. She was about to become part of this team. That thought scared her. She had to complete the bond. They had already stretched the bond much further than anyone thought they could.

She had imagined that her first time would be with a doting husband on their wedding night. She really wasn't that far off from her fantasy. In a way, this would be her wedding; the moment she would bind herself to a man for the rest of her life. Fenrir had shown that he could be doting. If she ever wanted to be happy then she would have to learn to put all the horrible things he had said and done behind her. The only thing that was missing was love. She thought back over the last few days, trying to think of when they were happy. She loved that sly half smile he gave her when he was teasing. That smile wouldn't get her through the rest of her life, but maybe it could be a start to uncovering other things she loved about him.

She had read once that you only had to be brave for a moment; the rest was dealing with the consequences. With that teasing smile in her mind, she brushed herself off and headed toward the cabin. It was time for her to be brave.

Fenrir had been awake for several hours. He could sense Hermione somewhere in the camp. He had wanted to go to her but he wasn't yet strong enough. He would have to wait for her to come to him.

That's exactly what she did. He hadn't been expecting her to march into the house, pulling her dress up over her head as she walked towards him. She dropped it at the foot of the bed where she stood naked, staring at him as if expecting something more than his shocked expression.

"I know that I'm a virgin but I don't think we can do this if you're going to keep your clothes on."

In an instant, he found strength he didn't think he had and shot to his feet and began undressing. His eyes locked on hers as each article of clothing came off. He looked at her as if she held the key to his all his wants.

"For the first time in years, I have something to look forward to besides death. I want to be good to you if you only let me. …Please, Hermione."

Not knowing how to respond she simply took a step forward, placing both hands on his muscular chest, rose on her tiptoes, and laid a chaste kiss on his lips.

-NC 17 Bonding Scene Deleted to comply with FFN rules. You can find the whole chapter on Hunting Horcruxes-