Draco looked around him, at Cora's upset face, at Ginny Weasley's body now lying in a magically induced sleep on her bed, and at the blood dried on the floor. If he continued to act without consulting with the members of his pack, he would be no better than Fenrir, whose poor decisions often negatively impacted his pack.

Draco stepped out into the corridor and signalled for Gunnolf to join them inside.

"I'm not sure what's going on, but I sent for Oskar. ' had a hunch we may need our Elder's counsel. He should be joining us any minute now," said Gunnolf.

Draco nodded in approval.

"So, what did actually take place here?" Gunnolf pointed to the scene of the accident, "Going by the reports, it would appear as if Hermione attacked Ginny and escaped."

Draco did not respond, instead he set about the task of cleaning up the blood and returning the room to its original state, erasing all traces of what transpired there in the evening.

"You look fairly composed considering Hermione is missing," observed Gunnolf with a smirk.

Hearing footsteps, they turned towards the door, to see Oskar slowly approaching. He was alone.

"Where are Martin and Wilbur?" asked Draco.

"I heard about what happened here and thought it wiser to leave them behind. They're in Cora's quarters being watched by Lexi and Zoey. They'll be fine."

Oskar slowly made his way to the only chair available in the room and sagged onto it before he addressed the room. "While the three of you stand around here, you ought to know the castle is abuzz with news of a prisoner escaping."

With Oskar there, there was no more need for delay. Ready to talk, Draco first cast a Muffliato.

"It'll grant us privacy so no one can hear us," he explained to the baffled-looking werewolves who were unfamiliar with the spell created by Severus. "Normally, we wouldn't care for secrets within the pack, but we may need to make an exception this time."

Cora, who had remained silent so far, took this as her cue to finally speak. "Of course! We wouldn't want any more people learning about how Hermione left Ginny for dead before she escaped."

"Cora," said Draco, for the first time using a severe tone with the woman who had been a mother figure to him since he joined their pack, "I know you're not too fond of Hermione and have reservations about her, but set aside your personal feelings and think logically."

"I'm not the one who's allowing personal feelings to cloud their judgement, Draco. You're the one denying evidence seen by your own eyes."

"And what is this evidence?" asked Oskar.

Oskar and Gunnolf looked to Cora for details and she wasted no time in recounting what had taken place. When she was done, both werewolves looked shock to hear of the extent of Ginny's injuries.

"As damning as it appears, Cora, why would Hermione want to hurt her friend in this terrible manner?" asked Oskar.

They all silently reflected on the question. It was true. The level of violence did not make sense.

"Hermione's magic can be unstable at times. She once blasted me off my feet without meaning to," said Draco, sharing his suspicions. "Maybe this was something similar?"

"Accidental magic!" Cora shook her head in disbelief. "I realise it's hard to accept that Hermione did this," she said, pointing to Ginny, "but, have you ever known accidental outbursts of magic to cause this kind of damage unless directed at a specific target?"

"I think we're missing a more vital point right now," said Gunnolf, preventing Cora from pressing on the matter. "While I'd like to get to the bottom of this someday, I'm more worried about what to say to the Death Eater waiting to take the two witches into his custody... This is going to hurt us."

Sensing it was time to come clean, Draco shared the details of the plan Hermione was supposed to follow in order to escape.

—

"She only planned to obliviate her?" asked Oskar.

"But aren't memory charms risky?" asked Gunnolf, at the same time.

Draco gave each of them a nod. "Yes, but even in the worst cases I've never heard of a magical blast accompanying a poorly cast memory charm—Look, we can solve this mystery by questioning Ginny once she's recovered. Right now, as Gunnolf said, we need to come up with an explanation. To start with, what incriminates the pack?"

"The wand," said Cora. "Both, the patronus and the state of this room, clearly show there was a wand involved."

"True," agreed Draco, "but the patronus appeared in pack quarters. I doubt anyone outside the pack saw it. Do we know who saw the patronus and who managed to get a good look at the bloodied body of Ginny Weasley?"

"I know of two who saw the patronus, but they could barely describe the animal let alone guess who it belonged to or where it was headed," said Gunnolf. "And, including the young Death Eater currently waiting in my office, about half a dozen got a good look at the scene in here."

"We have to hide what happened to Ginny. They cannot know she miscarried," insisted Cora, "or they will take her and rape her again."

Draco had already given the matter some thought. "Is there any way to fool the Death Eaters into believing she's still pregnant?" he asked Cora.

Cora appeared thoughtful for a few minutes before she replied. "I expect the Death Eater who saw Ginny will want to confirm she's still pregnant. Unless he's had Healer training specialising in obstetrics, I doubt he knows more than the basic pregnancy detection spell... Provided I'm given some time to prepare, I may have a way to produce a false positive for the pregnancy detection spell, yes."

"We could say she had an accident, a fall... or something equally plausible, and risks miscarrying if she travels. Given her condition not long before her arrival at Bleidd, it shouldn't be too hard to sell such a lie—" Draco paused to give Cora a questioning gaze. At her nod of confirmation, he continued, "For now, we only need to convince everyone that she's still pregnant."

Though unsaid, everyone knew this was a temporary fix to their Ginny problem. After all, there was only so long they could fake a pregnancy.

"That still leaves us with the matter of Hermione's escape," pointed out Gunnolf.

"I see no way of hiding the fact that she's escaped... or that she had help to do so," added Oskar.

Draco had already considered multiple scenarios, but every excuse ultimately fell apart in the absence of a scapegoat. Voldemort would need someone he could punish for Hermione's escape.

"I was thinking of framing our guests. Knock one of them out. Take their wand and obliviate their memories of the last twenty-four hours. Set it all up to look like Hermione got the better of one of their people and used them to escape."

"It'll take the suspicion off the pack," noted Oskar with an approving nod.

When it looked like no one was going to object, Gunnolf decided to be the voice of their conscience. "Are we choosing to ignore what'll happen to whoever we decide to pin this on?"

Cora's eyes held pure spite when she spoke, but they all knew it wasn't directed at the head beta. "You think any of them have their hands clean? You think any of them, working down in the dungeons, don't have the blood of one of our own on their hands?"

They parted ways once each of them was clear on what they needed to do. Gunnolf left to find a suitable scapegoat; Draco would try to sell Theo on the narrative they had cooked up; and Oskar would use his influence to silence the pack members about the extent of Ginny's injuries. Cora was left behind to monitor Ginny's recovery as well as get started on the potion that would convince everyone else that the girl was still pregnant.

The potion was simple enough and something she had learnt during the time she was training to be a Healer. It was said that a long time ago, this particular potion was created by one of the trainees as a way to prank their classmates. Upon consumption, for up to an hour, any diagnostic spell cast on the drinker produced a false positive, making accurate analysis impossible. On more than one occasion, Cora had witnessed fellow trainees play pranks on one another by making them test positive for embarrassing illnesses like genital warts or exploding pustules. Created as a gag, the potion lacked any other practical applications and was unknown to the general population. As Cora prepared the ingredients needed, she hoped the potion typically used as a joke would help Ginny escape her awful predicament.

Once it was just the two of them, Oskar turned to Draco, uncertainty clouding his face.

"I know what we agreed to upstairs, but there's something I'd like to test out. I want you to be the one to talk to the pack," said Oskar solemnly, "I'd like you to order them not to say anything about what they actually saw today."

Draco was puzzled, something in his tone implied Oskar did not just mean for him to issue an order as one of the pack's betas. He opened his mouth to ask for clarification, but stopped short at the feel of Oskar's hand on his shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"I can't really explain it right now, but I will. When you talk to the pack, think about what it is you want them to do and then command them to do it. I'll go check on the twins." Offering no further explanation, Oskar walked away.

Hermione's body felt drained. The sunrays warmed her skin. It was daytime. How much time had passed? It was hard to tell while she remained under the influence of the modified fertility potion. Her lips were cracked, throat parched, eyes swollen and probably red from all her crying. For hours, she had begged for anyone to touch her, and nearly dislocated her shoulder attempting to free her hand just so she could touch herself.

Now that she was conscious, she could feel every part of her body that hurt. She drew in a deep shuddering breath, instantly regretting it. The stench of dried cum and her own filth, from when she'd soiled herself during the course of the night, made her stomach twist in disgust.

Hermione lay bound, weak and helpless in a way she had never felt before. She made another futile attempt at conjuring a patronus, in spite of knowing she was too weak to succeed.

The elf appeared in her line of vision. She had no idea when it arrived in the cellar and how long it stood there watching her. It wore a simple pillowcase. Hermione had never heard of any werewolf owning an elf, and certainly not Fenrir, but the elf's actions soon convinced Hermione that it followed Fenrir's commands. She hoped she could convince it to free her by appealing to its better nature. The elf, determined to complete its task, ignored her pleas. It squeezed her cheeks with its bony fingers until she opened her mouth and then fed her the damned potion once more. Her lips were so dry and she was so thirsty, she greedily lapped it up despite knowing what it would do to her.

Draco walked to Gunnolf's office in a daze. This wasn't his first time ordering members of his pack, but something was distinctly different today. He could not quite understand it, but when he issued his command that they were not to talk to anyone about seeing a patronus or Ginny's injuries, inexplicably, he knew that these people, his people, would obey his order even if it meant defying Fenrir. It did not make any sense and it was another thing in a list of things he would need to revisit later. Right now, he needed to speak with Theo.

Even before he entered the room, Draco sensed Fenrir's presence—his excitement was palpable. Inside, Gunnolf and three other betas who were among their best trackers stood before the alpha. Given the situation with the prisoners, Fenrir's face showed no trace of the panic or fury he expected to see there, making Draco wary as he approached the group. With all the large werewolves standing around the room, he almost missed Theo lounging in a chair at the back. Theo gave the impression he was more interested in the imaginary lint on his clothes than whatever was going on around him, but Draco was not fooled.

"Ah, nice of you to join us, Draco," said Fenrir with a sneer. "We're just figuring out a plan to hunt down your Mudblood. Amount of time you spent sniffing her cunt you'll be the quickest to pick up her scent, won't you?"

Draco ignored the jibe. It would make no sense for him to get into a fight with the alpha right now. Eyes cast down, he asked, "Is it confirmed then, is Granger really missing?"

"Not just missing, pup. ESCAPED. I caught her scent near the stables when I arrived this evening. Tracked it ' far as I could, but lost it somewhere near the portkey point."

Though it irritated his wolf, Draco did not make direct eye contact with the alpha, observing him only through his peripheral vision even when he spoke. "Do we know how she escaped?"

Gunnolf answered. "We found a confounded-looking Black Cloak walking around. He couldn't remember how he got here. He," Gunnolf tilted his head towards Theo, "took a look into his head but the man appeared to be missing a day. He was also missing his wand."

Draco could feel Fenrir's eyes on him.

"I must say, lad, all that time spent playing happy family with her, and yet you don't look nowhere as upset as I'd thought you'd be over losing your little fucktoy."

Draco shrugged. "My pups are fine. Why would I be upset about the Mudblood escaping? My only concern is figuring out how she managed to get past our security."

"Oh ho!" Fenrir chuckled. "That's your stone cold Malfoy blood talking. Bet your wolf's itching to chase after his bitch."

"My wolf and I are content with any bitch who can carry our seed. The womb is but a vessel, it is the fruit which is important."

Fenrir looked like he was going to say something but then changed his mind about it.

"Yeah, well, you were meant to keep a close eye on her, not just spend time filling her with your seed. The Mudblood's probably fucking Potter right now, laughing at how easy it was to fool you," mocked Fenrir. "I say you're partly to blame for her escape, so you get to give the good news to the Dark Lord. You're to accompany Nott Junior here and explain to the Dark Lord why he won't be getting the prisoners he asked for today."

Fenrir turned his back on Draco and looked to Gunnolf. "Put together four teams to do a more thorough sweep of the castle grounds. Wait till it's sunrise, then have one of the Black Cloaks contact the Ministry. Ask them for a list of the portkey destinations for anyone who portkeyed from Bleidd in the last twelve hours. See how many locations they give us and accordingly assign tracking teams for each destination—"

Draco had stopped listening, worried as he was about what the Dark Lord would do to him this time. When it came to the Dark Lord, even being the bearer of bad news could prove detrimental to one's health, something Fenrir would know well enough. He had been so focused on giving Voldemort a target he forgot about their sadistic alpha. Given his relationship with Hermione, he had never expected to walk away unscathed, but he had also not prepared himself for the possibility of having to face the wrath of the Dark Lord once again.

"I know what I saw, Draco... No matter what your Healer or Mr. Beefcake say, whatever happened to Ginny Weasley was no small accident."

"Mr. Beefcake?" Draco blinked at the unfamiliar name.

"That hunk of flesh that runs the show for Greyback."

"...Gunnolf?"

"Is that what he's called?" asked Theo, adding, "I like it, suits him."

Draco mostly kept quiet as they walked to the portkey point while Theo continued to make his point.

"The Black Cloak struck me as scatty enough to be bested by even a wandless witch, but if Granger did indeed obliviate him, how strange that he has no memories of the time after Granger left him. Now, it is possible Granger used a Confundus or something more sophisticated that led to his state of confusion... but if Granger abandoned him at the portkey point, how serendipitous that after hours of clueless wandering the man should make it to the castle without running into a single soul until he was found by Mr. Beefcake," Theo observed. "And yet incredibly, those things aren't half as suspicious as Greyback disappearing—apparently in pursuit of Granger—and returning hours later, looking as merry as can be, despite his failure to catch her."

Draco wasn't worried about Hermione. She was a capable witch with a wand, and though they were not completely bonded he was confident he would sense if she was in any danger. No, it wasn't concern; it was being separated from her that was tugging at his heart. Still, it was hard to dismiss Fenrir's suspicious behaviour. A snarl escaped Draco's lips when he tried to imagine what the alpha might have been up to while he was gone.

Theo raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Easy there. I hope you realise I'm not the enemy, Draco. I never have been," he assured, holding out the portkey for Draco to grab.

—

Soon as they arrived, Draco placed one hand heavily on Theo's shoulder to halt him. "What's this really about, Theo? Why did the Dark Lord want Granger and the Weaselette?" Draco resorted to the use of old monikers in an attempt to re-establish familiarity.

Theo shook his head. "It's not like the Dark Lord keeps us underlings apprised of the minutiae of his plans, all I know is that it has something to do with Potter destroying another horcrux."

Draco inhaled sharply. He only found out about the cursed object after he failed to protect one of them. "You know about the horcruxes?"

Theo snickered. "Whatever my father's faults, one thing I'll say for him, that man does not believe in keeping secrets from his family."

One did not need to know Theo to read between the lines, his tone made clear that he did keep secrets from his father.

"So, Potter succeeded yet again..." Draco used a neutral tone. While Theo's demeanour was friendly, it was almost too friendly and jocular for the Theo he remembered.

"Yes. The Dark Lord made a locket horcrux, which was safely hidden away in a cave for years. A few days ago, Potter started sending him mental images of the locket through that odd link they share. It wasn't so much the image itself but the smugness he could sense in Potter during those moments that made the Dark Lord feel apprehensive enough to go check on his locket... To say he was enraged is an understatement. I haven't seen him this keen for Potter's blood since our school days."

"Well, The Chosen One did always know how to be a thorn in his side," Draco remarked, maintaining a neutral tone. He would keep his guard up until he knew where Theo's loyalties truly lay.

"Surprisingly so. When he didn't show up for that horror show in Godric's Hollow, I was confident Potter was dead. The kind of saviour complex he suffers from, it would've been impossible for him to resist a rescue attempt if he was still alive. But, I was wrong. Looks like he finally learnt how this game needs to be played."

Draco doubted Potter would ever learn how to play the game; it was simply not in Potter's nature. On the other hand, saving people was, which is why Potter's failure to show up at Godric's Hollow was so puzzling.

"Considering the Weaselette is carrying your father's child, I suppose they planned to parade her around. I doubt they would risk a public miscarriage after they've been going on about the birth rate the way they have... It's a mystery why they wanted Granger though, since Greyback had already got her a pardon."

Theo's last sentence caught Draco's attention.

"What do you mean Greyback got her a pardon?" he asked.

"It happened in a meeting of the old guard, I only know what father told me. Greyback in his own subservient manner objected to Granger being killed. As a reward, Greyback received an hour of the Dark Lord's special treatment for daring to remind him that Granger belonged to the wolves. Father said Granger was to be spared, so I don't know why I was asked to bring her to headquarters."

A low growl escaped Draco's throat. It was unlike the alpha to risk angering his master and it was definitely unlike him to take risks to save someone else's hide. Fenrir would only wish to secure Hermione's safety if he stood to gain something from keeping her alive. And if Fenrir had endured torture for Hermione's sake, instead of being all cheery, he would have gone on a rampage soon as he discovered she had given him the slip. Added up, this did not look good at all.

However, if Fenrir did capture Hermione, where could he have taken her? If Voldemort had ordered that Hermione be brought to Headquarters, would Fenrir be ballsy enough to defy his master and take her anywhere else, or do exactly as commanded? Everything he knew about Fenrir Greyback told him the latter was more likely.

Conveniently, they were already at Headquarters so he could snoop around to find out where Hermione was being held. Draco wished he could confront Fenrir and shake the answers out of him, but even if he was strong enough to challenge the alpha, he doubted he was strong enough to throw the alpha bond. No, he needed to play it smart. There were times that required the boldness of the wolf and then there were times, like now, that called for the deceptiveness of a snake.

She was losing time. Hermione looked up. Someone was talking to her but her brain felt full of wool. With great effort, she focused on the voice until her brain identified it as Fenrir's. Drugged and sapped of all energy, she could only make out bits and pieces of what he was saying.

"...Lord thinks I'm wasting time ... ordered to breed you ... doesn't know about mate bonds ... stupid FUCKING mate bond ... make Draco pay for ... gonna wish he was dead ... What's wrong with you? ... just doesn't make sense ... Why is there no alpha bond when there's ... can't command you like this ... Lazy fuckin' cunt! ... dirty, stinkin' Mudblood ... lying in your filth ... am I supposed to get hard? ... full moon in two nights ... will just have to turn you for now ... command you as your sire and your alpha ... should please the Dark Lord ... break the mate bond ... should be able to carry my pups then..."

Hermione tried to fix her eyes on the blurry shape of Fenrir in the dim light, it was only when she felt ropes of hot come splash over her did she realise he had once again jerked off on her and left.