Hermione's new home and family; Meeting Remus
Hermione is introduced to some surprising members of the family. She's secured in Greyback's home. She meets some of the wolf pack. Remus meets with Greyback.
A/N: the names of Greyback's children came from .com
Hermione closed her eyes as Greyback left the drawing room. She knew she was going to hate her new surroundings. They popped out of the Manor and popped back into view in a beautiful little valley. Had anyone asked her, Hermione could not have told them where she was. She wasn't even sure if they were in Britain or Scotland. They might even be on the Continent for all she knew. He gave her just a moment to look around before he started walking. They were headed for the woods. He went down a narrow trail that she fully expected to end at the mouth of a cave. Instead, they came out in a huge clearing that looked like it came straight out of a fairytale.
He put her on her feet, finally. There were other wolves there. They started towards their Alpha. "You're about to meet the rest of your family, sweetling. They will defer to you as their Luna. But only if your decisions don't counteract my decisions. In other words, darling, they won't help you escape. Don't even bother asking." He chuckled at the clear frustration that showed up on her face. Obviously, she'd been planning to do that very thing.
The first two wolves to reach them were two young men Hermione remembered from Hogwarts her fifth year. Neither had finished their seventh year. She remembered them mainly because they had played Quidditch before the Christmas holidays and afterwards they'd never returned to school. It surprised her to see them here. They were both purebloods. She thought someone, likely Remus, had told her Greyback was only allowed by Voldemort to bite no higher than half-bloods. 'Why were these two here?'
"McKeon, my Gamma. Scabior, my Beta. Boys, this is Hermione, my new mate. My natural born mate. She's your new Luna." he introduced them to her. The young men bowed their heads to her.
"Luna, pleased to meet you." the blond, McKeon, greeted her.
"Luna, happy to see you." the brunette, Scabior, said.
"Hermione, please. Else I'll be looking for my friend Luna." Hermione requested. Greyback smiled and nodded as the younger men looked at him.
Three young boys came running up and threw themselves at his legs. He laughed as he picked them up. "My sons. Chann, Conri and Freki." he nuzzled his children lovingly before turning them to face Hermione. "Boys, this is your new mother." Hermione stared at him in shock. The boys weren't very old. The oldest one was maybe four years old.
"You-you have children? You didn't bite them?" she stammered in confusion. Greyback laughed at her.
"Yes, darling. I WAS mated before, you know. We had children. Then the damned Ministry attacked and killed her and most of the other mothers in the village. We have a few daughters left and they're very closely protected. It's why we stay hidden. I'll be damned if they kill any more of my people!" he told her as he frowned. It was almost time to move to a new location. It was especially important to find a safe place now. Mary hadn't been his natural born mate and he'd gone crazy enough after her death. If anything happened to Hermione, Merlin help Wizarding Britain! None of them would be safe from his wrath!
He handed her the youngest boy, named Freki. The child looked at her adoringly. Her heart melted. She couldn't resist a baby. She looked at Greyback. "You're not playing fair, you know. They're adorable!" she looked at the babies he was still holding. "How old are they?"
"Freki is two. Conri is three. Chann is four. They were all hidden when the attack happened. I almost didn't find them. Mary had put them in a trunk and put blankets over them. If Freki hadn't started crying, I never would have found where they were." he put an arm around her as he pulled her towards his home. She looked at the house she was being led over to. It was fairly large and looked well built. They went inside.
She looked around a well lit room. Her eyes came to rest on a large bookshelf directly across the room. She smiled at how packed full of books it was. He showed her the kitchen and pantry. Then he led her down the hall. "There is the loo." he indicated a door to her left. "This is the boys' room." There were three toddler beds and a large playing area with a few toys still scattered, evidence that they had been playing until they heard their father's return. He pulled her over to the last door. "This is our room." she looked at the huge bed that seemed to dominate the room. There was a deep picture window complete with a window seat. It looked like the perfect spot to read and relax. He pulled her close to his chest and whispered in her ear. "I can't wait to introduce you to that bed." he chuckled as she shivered.
They went back to the living room. A woman came in the front door. "Mel, this is Hermione, your new Luna. Hermione, this is Mel. Mel is Scabior's mate. She tends to the children when I'm away. She'll be a great help to you." Mel was a young brunette who happily smiled at Hermione. She greeted the babies and they began squirming to get down.
"Hello, Luna. I'm so glad to meet you. I'll be happy to help you with anything." Mel said. Hermione smiled at her. She would probably depend on Mel for quite a while. At least until she figured out the ins and outs of taking care of babies.
"Please, call me Hermione. I have a best friend named Luna. I'll be looking for her every time I'm called that." Hermione said, suddenly missing her friends. She wrapped her arms around her waist. Mel took the boys back to their room as Hermione walked over to the bookshelf. Greyback followed her. He wrapped his arms around her arms as he propped his chin on top of her head.
"I know this is probably scary as hell right now. I don't blame you for being jumpy. But this is your new life. I know you wouldn't have chosen being a werewolf's mate. I certainly didn't think my natural born mate would be a young schoolgirl. It just worked out like this." he cupped her cheek and kissed her. "I'll be back later. I have to meet with my people, check on everything that's happened while I've been gone. If you need anything, just ask Mel. This is your new home. Feel free to explore, change stuff around, anything. Get to know the children. You'll love them." he left her there at the bookcase.
Hermione looked around. 'Explore, he said. Where to start?' she heard high pitched giggles coming from the boy' room. She figured getting to know the children was as good a place as any to start. Anything to avoid that huge bed in the master bedroom. She went to the door and peered in at them. Mel was on the floor, pulling what looked like a mini version of the Hogwarts express as the boys chased after her. She looked up laughing as Hermione giggled, too. The boys looked at her shyly.
"May I join you?" she asked politely. Chann stood up and came over. He took her hand and led her back to his brothers. Hermione hugged him gently. They resumed playing with the train.
Outside, Greyback was talking to Scabior and McKeon. They were telling him about strengthening the wards around the village. "We found a few spots where it looks like someone has been trying to get through. We tightened the wards and that should hold them until we move again." Scabior reported. McKeon kept a sharp gaze moving around the village. Unlike Scabior, he was still unmated. There were a few females wandering past. They smiled and waved at him. Though he smiled back, they didn't take his attention away from his surveillance.
"Alpha, when are we moving again? Do you know where we might be going next? Do you need me to check it out first?" he asked. Greyback smiled. Scabior was good at leading the pack while he was gone. McKeon was good at keeping the pack SAFE while he was gone. He wished he'd had these boys in his pack sooner. Then again, if he'd managed to save Mary and the others, Greyback would have TWO mates right now! He wasn't sure about Hermione but he knew Mary would have pitched a bloody arse fit over sharing him!
"I'm not sure just yet. I do have a couple of locations in mind, though. We'll talk about-." he suddenly froze as did both Scabior and McKeon.
Someone had just passed his wards! Someone who definitely was NOT welcome! Especially when he'd just brought his new mate home! He snarled angrily as he and the two young men ran to intercept Remus Lupin. They came up on the man just inside the ward he'd passed. Remus, knowing how Greyback felt about him, had elected to stay right here at the edge of the man's boundaries. Doing so might placate Greyback enough to hear him out, at least.
"Lupin!" Greyback bared his teeth as he neared the man. "To what do I owe THIS dubious pleasure?"
"Greyback. I mean no harm. I'm just here to talk. Early this morning, you took someone who doesn't belong to you. Her two friends want her back." Lupin said calmly as Greyback came closer and closer.
"Do they now? Well. That's just too bad. They're just shit out of luck! The girl stays here, with me! She's my natural born mate and I refuse to let her go!" Greyback snapped. Lupin's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, what? They really thought I'd simply hand the girl over? Not on both their bloody lives!"
"Your mate? She-Hermione Granger is your natural born mate? How did that happen?" he gasped.
"Damned if I know. I wasn't expecting a little schoolgirl, that's for bloody sure. Now that I've found her, though, I AM keeping her. She'll want for nothing. I'll keep her as safe as I possibly can. She's already bonding with my people." Greyback stared defiantly at Lupin.
Remus sighed. He HAD warned Harry that Greyback wouldn't give Hermione up. "Ok. I told him you'd want to keep her but he insisted. Since she'll be staying here, he wanted me to ask you if he could at least visit her. He just wants to see that she's ok and well taken care of. They're practically siblings at school. He keeps her safe and she nags him to do his homework. Please. I personally will escort him here and back out if you'll just let him visit her ever so often. That's all he wants."
Greyback stared at him expressionlessly. "I'll consider it." he finally said. "I'll send you a note IF I decide to let him visit." he looked pointedly at his wards. Remus nodded and bowed his head in farewell. He'd pushed as far as he could. The next move would be up to Greyback. He wouldn't tell Harry where the wolf pack was. Nor would anyone from the Ministry know. Remus considered Hermione as one of his own pack members. Since Greyback WAS basically his own sire, if he betrayed Greyback, he'd be betraying Hermione.
Greyback stood still as he watched the other man leave. He knew he was probably going to end up letting the Potter brat visit once, if for no other reason than it would please his little Hermione. That didn't mean he had to be happy about it. The little piss ant would no doubt try to talk Hermione into leaving with him. When that happened, the little tosser was going to be thrown through his wards headfirst and told to stay the hell out! Hermione was HIS and he wasn't about to let her go!
"McKeon, these are the new locations. Go ahead and start scouting them out. We'll stay here long enough to let Potter see her. Then we're moving again." he told McKeon as he handed him a map. McKeon put it in his pocket and ran back to gather some supplies. "Scabior, tell your mate to start passing the word among the other women. We'll not be staying here any longer than necessary." the boy nodded and hurried off. He stood a moment longer and strengthened the wards even more. Then he headed back, anxious to be with his mate.
Hermione and Mel had worn the children down enough that they were finally ready for bed. It amazed her when she realized that, between the whole fight at the castle this morning and the whole trip to Malfoy Manor and then coming on over to this place, it had already been a whole day. Once she stopped to think about it though, it made more sense. The attack at Hogwarts had happened in the early hours of the morning and she'd been Apparated several times on the way to the Manor and here.
Now that it was nighttime once again, she had to face the truth of her circumstances. She was the captive of a werewolf who was convinced that she was his 'true' mate. Mel waved goodbye to her as she left. Hermione stayed in the doorway to the children's room. Maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't be here anytime soon. Maybe he would stay out and celebrate being home with his people until the early hours of the morning. She tensed as she heard the front door open and close.
Greyback walked down the hall. He saw her standing there, watching his children settle in for the night. He eased past her and walked in. The boys were rubbing their eyes but they brightened when they saw him. He went to Chann first. "Hey, little buddy. You've been a good boy while daddy was gone? Helping Mel with your brothers?"
"Yeah, I have." Chann replied proudly. "Daddy, is she really our new mommy? Is she going to stay? She's not going to leave us, is she?"
"Yes. She's your new mommy. And no, she's not leaving us. She's staying right here with us." Greyback told him. Chann smiled happily and he rubbed noses with his dad. He laid down and Greyback tucked him in. He went to Conri next.
"Daddy! Mommy?" he pointed a pudgy hand at Hermione. Greyback smiled tenderly at him.
"Yes. That's mommy. You like her?" Conri nodded eagerly as he grinned widely. Greyback chuckled as the boy laid down and got tucked in. Last he went to Freki. The smallest of his babies couldn't talk yet. But he was already a very expressive child. He babbled happily as he hugged his father, pointed at Hermione and gurgled. Then he yawned and laid down. Greyback tucked him in and kissed his forehead. He stood, charmed a lamp into a very small glow and left the door cracked open. He guided Hermione across the hall and told her to go ahead in the loo. He needed to do a last minute check on the house wards.
Hermione was glad that he'd given her a few minutes to clean up. To her surprise, earlier she'd discovered that he hadn't taken her wand. Now she waved it as she transfigured her shirt and skirt into a long nightgown. Hopefully, he wouldn't rip it off of her or she'd have nothing at all to wear until the promised clothes from Narcissa's elf arrived. She left the loo and went to the master bedroom. She took a deep breath for courage and climbed onto the huge bed. Outside, she heard him enter the loo. She covered herself from shoulders to feet as she turned onto her side away from the door. If he was going to attack her, she'd prefer to be blindsided from the back.
She was actually almost asleep when he entered the room. His clothes rustled as he dropped them to the floor. Then the bed sank as he sat down on it. He lowered himself behind her. Her eyes widened with relieved disbelief as he did nothing more than pull her into his arms. He buried his face in her hair, whispered good night into her ear and was soon fast asleep. She stayed alert until she was sure he was asleep, then she relaxed enough to fall asleep.