Not So Savage

FenrirxHermione

Rated NC-17

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Not So Savage

Chapter 10

As soon as Fenrir stepped into the clearing with Rhys, he knew something was amiss. His pack was looking agitated and there was a smell he recognized, but couldn't place in the air. But what really got to him was the fact that Libby, Edith, and Hermione were missing. Where was his mate?

Bright blue eyes fell on Libby as the blonde werewolf exited her tent, her mate Thomas right behind her, and Fenrir immediately stalked towards them. Stopping in front of Libby he asked, "Where's Hermione?"

"She's inside with Edith and Ginny," she answered.

Fenrir tilted his head slightly and asked, "Ginny?" After thinking briefly realization came over the Alpha's face. "Weasley?"

Libby shrugged and answered, "Sure? Hermione knows her obviously."

Thomas rolled his bright hazel eyes at his mate's lack of information and said, "Alpha, she had bright red hair and Hermione said that she is a friend of hers."

"Yep, a Weasley," Fenrir said, a feeling of sudden irritation coming over him. He strode past them and threw open the entrance to their tent, stepping inside.

Edith looked up at her Alpha as he stepped inside and nodded towards him before excusing herself. She had seen the look on Alpha's face and she could easily see the irritation on it. Whoever this Ginny was that Hermione knew, her presence was not sitting well with the Alpha of their pack. As soon as she was gone Fenrir said, "Hermione."

Hermione turned from placing a cool cloth on her friend's forehead and looked up at the werewolf standing behind her. Blinking she said, "Fenrir, Ginny suddenly ran into the clearing and fainted. I don't know how she got here, but she needs some help."

"I don't care how she got here; I want her gone. She isn't welcome here."

Brown eyes widened in shock at Fenrir's statement, more so at how angry he sounded. Frowning she asked, "What's wrong, Fenrir? And why isn't Ginny welcome?"

Fenrir scowled and answered, "Weasley isn't welcome because as Alpha, I refuse for her to be here. As soon as she wakes up she has to leave, and I won't change my mind."

"Fenrir, that's not fair! And I want her here!"

"…What?"

Hermione gulped and repeated, "I want her here. I want Ginny to stay. I'll have a friend again and company when you're not around."

"So Libby and Edith aren't enough for you?"

"That's not it-"

"Or is it that there is another one of your kind here and you don't want to be surrounded by a whole lot of savage, dirty creatures anymore? Are we not good enough for you, Hermione? Am I not good enough for you?"

Fenrir hadn't meant to say any of that to his mate, not at all. It was just that seeing the Weasley in their midst and knowing what she meant to Hermione had put him on edge. He feared that now that the brunette had seen the ginger again, Hermione would want to leave and want nothing to do with him or his pack anymore. He was afraid she would want to leave him and try to escape again. After all she had been given to him as a prisoner of war, but he didn't think of her like that anymore. She was a member of his pack, his friend, his mate. He knew she wasn't entirely used to their lifestyle though she had adapted, but he also knew that didn't mean she was comfortable. And even now just realizing he was in love with her despite the fact she was his mate, he knew that she didn't care for him the same way. In fact, Hermione didn't look at him as anymore than a friend. She could easily leave him and he didn't want that. Maybe he was thinking and talking irrationally about the situation, but he couldn't help it. Honestly, Weasley's timing was terribly inconvenient.

Hermione on the other hand was appalled that Fenrir would even insinuate such a thing. Where was all of this hostility coming from? Why was he so mad? He had never spoken to her like this before, and honestly it hurt. Feeling her chest tighten she said, "Fenrir, me wanting Ginny to stay has nothing to do with that. She's hurt and she needs taking care of. Even when she does wake up she can't just leave; she needs time to recover. Wh-What are you so mad about? Why would you think that I think you're not good enough?"

"Isn't that what all of you witches and wizards think? That we werewolves, me especially, are lower than low and self-righteous witches and wizards like yourself look down on us, so much so you can't even think to be in a relationship or friends with us?"

Tears filled Hermione's brown eyes and she squeaked out, "I don't think that."

"You do!"

"I don't! Not anymore! I haven't thought that since the very first bonfire I attended! Fenrir, what is wrong with you? Why are you verbally attacking me like this? I'm your friend!"

"Is that all I am to you?"

Hermione was about to say 'yes', but something stopped her. It was the look in Fenrir's bright blue eyes. Though they were filled with anger like the rest of him, she could also see hurt in them, and if she looked hard enough the hurt was outweighing the anger. Was having Ginny here really affecting him like this? Or was he thinking about something that had lead to this and caused him to snap at her the way he did?

Connecting Ginny's sudden arrival, her insistence that Ginny stay with them, and Fenrir's anger and insistence she leave, it finally dawned on Hermione why the werewolf was so angry. Blinking she asked, "Fenrir, are you that I'll want to leave because I've seen Ginny again?"

Silence met her question, but Hermione already had her answer. Standing up she walked over to him and said angrily, "You didn't have to talk to me like that so irrationally. I didn't think you had insecurities and if you did, you would take them out on me. I'm your friend; you can talk to me rationally."

"Friend…Is that all I am to you, Hermione?" Fenrir replied lowely.

"Yes, and nothing more" Hermione answered curtly, glaring up at the tall man.

Fenrir felt his chest clench painfully at hearing those words and before he could stop it a very canine like whine left his throat. His whole expression took on one of pain at hearing that the woman he loved basically said without she would never come to love him. Letting out a growl at the thought Fenrir turned and stomped out of the tent, leaving Hermione and her unconscious friend behind.

As soon as Fenrir was gone, Hermione felt a rather painful feeling in her chest, almost like something was clenching at her heart. So painful in fact, that it had Hermione gasping and placing her hand on her chest, clenching her shirt right over her heart. What was happening? Was she having a heart attack? However that thought passed when it became apparent that she wasn't. So what was happening?

Wanting an answer Hermione looked back at Ginny for a moment before leaving the tent to find Libby and Edith. Stepping outside she spotted the two female werewolves sitting on a log with their mates next to them. Walking over to them she said, "Edith, Libby, can I talk to you?"

"Sure Hermione, what do you need?" Libby replied.

Rhys and Thomas took that as their cue to leave. They loved being with their mates, but they knew girl talk when they saw it and that was what about to happen. When they were gone Edith asked, "What happened with Alpha? He left looking…well, upset."

"That's what I wanted to talk about," Hermione replied. "We got into a fight about Ginny staying here, and then all of a sudden he started insinuating that I thought I was better than you all. I don't know how but I figured out that Ginny being here made him think that I will want to leave seeing her again."

"Do you?" Libby asked seriously.

Hermione wasn't sure how to answer that. She honestly hadn't thought about it ever since she first tried when Fenrir had first brought her to the pack. And the pack had welcomed her with open arms, making her feel welcome. She had made friends, connected with the children of the pack, and it was known by a small portion of the pack at that she was the Alpha's mate, a title she still wasn't sure how to feel about though she accepted it. But the biggest thing to happen to her from being in the pack was that she had come to really care about Fenrir. She knew that he was lonely for the most part and he really valued her, and she him. Did she still want to leave for her freedom?

She remembered how hurt she had been from Fenrir's harsh words, and then how her heart clenched painfully in her chest as soon as he left. Remembering that, she told the two women about it, taking in how their eyes widened while she spoke. When she finished she said, "It was so strange, almost as if the fight with Fenrir caused it."

Edith gave a small smile and replied, "That's because it did. You care for Alpha and fussing with him like that hurt you, just like it hurt him."

"But why did it hurt so painfully? Yes, I expected to be hurt, but this feeling was different; it was…deeper, and I don't know why. Do you two know?"

Libby and Edith looked at each other before looking back at the brunette. Together they nodded their head and said, "Yes."

Hermione looked at them anxiously and asked, "What is it?"

Libby looked as if she was about to answer, but she paused for a moment and instead said, "I think you need to figure it out on your own."

Edith nodded and said, "You may not realize what it is, but you'll know soon. But I think for the time being you should make up with Alpha. We'll look after Ginny."

Hermione nodded and turned to go after Fenrir. She wasn't sure where to look, so she decided to start at the cabin. She didn't know if Fenrir would listen to her, but all she knew in that moment was that she needed to talk to him, to reassure him that he was important to her. She just hoped he would listen, if only for five minutes.