Oh simple thing
Where have you gone?
I'm getting old
And I need something to rely on.
So tell me when
You're gonna let me in.
I'm getting tired and
I need somewhere to begin.
And if you have a minute
Why don't we go talk about it
Somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything.
So why don't we go
Somewhere only we know?
Keane "Somewhere Only We Know"
"Fred! Will we need anything else? Any extra items?" Hermione called from the kitchen. George sat down on the floor and dropped his head into his hands. He hated transformation days. His entire body just ached. He was extra tense this time. He wasn't sure what to expect from the transformation this time.
He'd have to control an entire pack of wolves.
"No, I've got the extra bandages and blankets. You got all the food and potions, right?" Fred replied with a shout from the bathroom.
George suppressed a whimper at the noise and fact that his twin and girlfriend were insisting on joining him. They flat out refused to let him go alone. Fred had laughed when he suggested it.
"I've packed them all up. Oh-make sure to pack a few cotton blanket. Michael is allergic to wool." Hermione dropped another sandwich into her cooler. "You know what? Never mind that. We can just transfigure one of the wool ones when we arrive." Fred walked into the living room nodding his head.
"Then I dare say we're ready." He dropped a small bag onto the table and stopped by the bar, resting his arms on the counter and smiling at Hermione. "It's nice having an extra helper. It's a bloody pain doing all this by yourself."
Hermione sealed her bag. "I imagine." She said wryly. She looked across the room and frowned when her eyes landed on George. "George? Are you alright?"
George shrugged his shoulders and tried not to scratch at himself. Everything tingled and itched and he felt like his skin was trying to suffocate him. Rover thoughts were a constant whine in the back of his mind, making his already agitated skin crawl with nerves. He didn't want to come out tonight, and not for the usual reasons. He didn't want to risk Fred or Hermione during the change. The cocky wolf that had been confident he could control all the wolves was all but gone.
"She's right, Georgie. You look a bit peaky." George raised his head and stared at Fred un-amused.
"Seriously? Peckish? I have a raging wolf trying to burst out of my still very human body and about fifty liters of unneeded hormones coursing through my body. Yes. I look a bit peaky."
"Humph." Fred grumped as he stepped away from the bar. "There is no need to be so touchy."
"Pay him no mine." Hermione hummed as she went over to Fred and added her miracle bag to his. "It's his time of the month. He's bound to be a bit grouchy."
Fred beamed while George growled. "That joke just never gets old."
"It does. It really, really does." George assured him as he pushed himself up. Merciful Merlin, his limbs ached. According to Lavender it was just memory pain. He wasn't actually supposed to be hurting yet, but his body was remembering, and anticipating, the terrible raging pain he would be feeling in an hour. It was apparently trying to convince him not to do it? George hadn't really paid attention to that part.
"Let's go ahead and get this over with. You might need to stun me when we arrive. Rover freaks out a bit at the compression." Fred nodded his head in sympathetic understanding before taking his arm. Hermione grabbed the bags up and took Fred's other hand. Rover, who would normally not look twice at any interaction between Hermione and Fred, growled. Hermione raised an intrigued eyebrow while Fred just rolled his eyes before twisting into the air. George closed his eyes against the horrible feeling of being compressed to a tenth of ones size before they landed at the hollow and he was released.
Rover, as predicted, freaked out at the additional compression and forced George to his knees as his body tried to tear itself apart so Rover could be free from all pressure.
Hermione sank to her knees in front of him and grabbed the front of his robe before pressing her lips against him.
Kissing Hermione was something that George was not going to tire of. Hermione kept him guessing: sometimes she would bend back under George's mouth, accepting the force of his kisses, and sometimes she pushed back, causing George to sway.
George reacted precisely as she had probably he intended. Rover retreated to enjoy the sensation and let George take over. He did so gladly. He grabbed the sides of Hermione's face to hold her close as she knelt in front of him. Every press of lips, nip of teeth, and pass of tongue made George feel calmer and unsteadier than the last. He dropped a hand to her waist and dragged her forward as he kissed back harder.
Hermione grinned into his mouth before her hands dove into his robe and pushed it off of him. She rolled her mouth against his, seizing his bottom lip between her own before she pulled back again and George was dragged (happily) along. She released him with a satiny lick. George moaned and tried to drop his open mouth down onto hers again, but Hermione was already leaving.
"Better?" She purred. Rover reeled back in shock while George whined. Tricky git. She'd done that to stop his freak out. It worked but now he had different problems, or had she not heard about the whole rampaging hormones?
Rover wanted her luscious lips and soft curves back. He wanted to taste her blood and make sure that she was his in the ancient way.
George blinked in shock a little at that last bit. He would not be tasting her blood. Ancient ritual or not.
"You," He finally managed to pant as Hermione pushed herself up and fixed her robe, (he'd nearly pushed it off her shoulders) "are evil."
"All women are." Fred said dismissively. "Now, you are going to stay there like a good little puppy while we set the camp up. The others will be here soon and we're not kissing any of them so do not get them riled up."
George snickered at the eye roll Hermione gave him. "You are incorrigible."
"Happily so." Fred assured her as they disappeared into the woods. George watched them walk off and brought his right up. He wrapped his arms around it and rested his head against his knee. He'd go crazy if it wasn't for them.
Two cracks filled the air followed by the sound of someone retching. George stood up instantly and turned around to find six people, the youngest of which was retching.
"I'm sorry, Henry!" Hannah gushed. She wrapped a motherly arm around the young boy. Justin shuffled awkwardly on his other side.
"Well that's jolly well terrible to do." Terry quipped cheerfully. He sank to the ground beside Michael and Ernie, who were a bit too white, and draped an arm over Michael's shoulders.
"Calm." George ordered without hesitation. Michael's shoulders instantly slumped and Ernie fell against Terry looking far more at ease.
"Thank you." Justin croaked. Henry sunk to his knees and Hannah joined him. She looked up at George and offered an apologetic smile. "It's his first apparition. I didn't think about it until we were disapparating."
A series of more cracks filled the air and people started dropping to their knees all around George as the pressure of their wolf increased.
"Peace!" George ordered before checking to see who all had arrived. He recognized Andrew Alanna, Richard, Theodore, Adrian, Ivaylo, Charles, and Anna Louis. Everyone who had attended the meeting. "You will run and be free in a minute, my friends." George assured. He helped Dennis up, squeezing his shoulder before moving to help Ivaylo up. He noted Charles assisting Anna with a small smile.
It was amazing how easy it was to just help the other wolves. Taking care of them was simple, and calming unlike anything else. It felt right to do it. It even made Rover relax.
"Alright, Fred and Hermione are taking care of all the technicalities. They have food, blankets, first aid, and potions. If you need anything let one of them know. They've volunteered, so don't worry about them being forced or anything. I will take care of them. Fred is a fox and Hermione's an owl. She'll probably stay in the trees for most of the night. You will be allowed to kill anything that is not human, magical, with a kid, or pregnant."
"That's a lot of restrictions." Charles commented. George smiled in what he hoped was a friendly manner.
"It's mostly precaution. No humans for obvious reasons. No magical creatures because we're trying to avoid any possible repercussions with magical law. They've kind of been on our case a lot lately and we want to make sure they have to work to pin anything on us."
He smiled at everyone before continuing. It was easier than he thought it would be. "That's partly why Hermione and Fred are here. They can testify on our behalf."
"Well thought out." Charles conceded. "But why the mothers?"
George shrugged. "Because nothing sucks more than waking up with a mouth full of fur or feathers and realizing you just Bambi'ed some poor animal."
A few snickered at that description. Charles smiled. George went over a few more rules and information about the wards.
"Alright, I think that's everyth-Hello everyone." Hermione emerged from the woods and offered all the gathered werewolves a shy smile before making her way to George's side. George looped his arm around her in a subtle show of possessiveness that Hermione didn't comment on other than to raise her eyebrow at him.
"Everything is secure." She said softly and draped her arm around his waist. "And we have about ten minutes until the moment."
"Are you taking care of the clothes?" Hermione nodded her head with only a small blush.
"Yes, and thank goodness for muggle repelling charms. I would hate to have to explain all these naked people to someone."
"Maybe I should get you to join the party." George murmured, nuzzling her cheek. Hermione shivered and clutched him a little tighter.
"And let everyone get an eyeful? People would really talk." George growled before he could stop himself and nipped her jaw.
"Don't even think of it. You're mine."
"Really?" Hermione asked dryly. George was saved from answering by Fred's timely arrival.
"All right you motely lot. The party can finally begin. He smiled at everyone before twirling on one foot and transforming into a fox.
"Show off." George muttered with a smile. Hermione giggled and stepped towards him. She shrank into her form as she walked forward so that by the time she reached George she was an owl. She jumped onto his back and gave his ear a playful tug. Fred dropped to the ground and turned his head to yip at her. They continued to scuffle, successfully distracting the group from the rising moon. George waited another minute before drawing back their attention.
"Alright everyone, strip if you want to save what you're wearing. Hermione will take care of it all. One disparaging remark about somebodies body will earn the speaker a one-way ticket out of this pack. Understood?"
Everyone nodded and began to peel their clothes off. George piled his up neatly and then stretched, loosening and relaxing his muscles before the takeover. It helped if you could relax at all.
George still couldn't get over how much clearer his head was. The scent of other wolves was making Rover much more peaceful than he'd ever been. For the first time during a transformation George didn't feel like his head was going to implode brilliantly
The moon cut through the branches and bathed all the werewolves in its light. George felt the burn of the transformation begin and dropped to his knees. He could feel the other wolves at his side ad let their sent keep him sane as the unspeakable pain consumed him. Screams echoed through the forest as their bodies broke apart before reforming into the shape of their cursed form. George forced himself to keep breathing and finally it was done. He threw his head back and howled to the night air. Other voices joined his and George fully receded to the back of his mind as Rover took absolute control.
George opened his eyes and looked around. Charles was sniffing at Hermione and Fred, who looked uncomfortable to say the least. Fred was whimpering on the ground, probably trying to gain his breath back from the transformation and Hermione was standing over him, her talons ready to tear at Charles if he came too close.
George barked and Charles froze.
This would work.
A/N: To answer Dherea: My grandfather was a bit paranoid He was very anti establishment and wanted to make sure that if we ever needed to escape we could navigate a country.
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