Chapter 4

March 23rd, 1998

We must go see her. Need to see her. Make sure she is fine. She isn't fine, she'll be dead soon. We don't need to see her, she doesn't want to see us. Must see her. Stop it! Pack is all that matters, she is not pack.

She could be.

*Break*

"We still have time to fit a few more shops in. Anywhere you want to go?" Ginny asked, taking another bite of her scone.

"Hmmm, I don't think so. There's nothing that I really need."

"I mean, there's that nice little lingerie boutique we passed on our way to the book store. We could go in there."

"Planning to seduce Harry before you leave tomorrow?"

"No, I figured after last night you'd want to buy something for my brother."

"Whaa- what?" Hermione sputtered, tea dribbling slightly over her bottom lip.

"How do you know?"

"Because apparently I'm the only Weasley that pays attention. I don't think my brother has ever stopped eating for anything, let alone to pull a girls chair out for them at breakfast."

Hermione chuckled but acknowledged that it had been a little ridiculous and very out of character.

"I'm happy for you both I guess. This is so hard Hermione, you're so relaxed, I'm not sure I could be this strong if our roles were reversed."

"I wish I could tell you that I'm just putting my best foot forward and pushing through, but I strangely just feel at peace. It's quite odd to be honest."

They both sat there for a few more moments in silence, finishing their tea and sweets. "Come on then." Hermione said as she pushed her chair back and stood.

"Where to?"

"I mean, it couldn't hurt to go into the store, right?" she said with a girlish giggle that made Ginny grab her arm and start dragging her back the way they'd come just an hour prior.

*Break*

"Hermione, do you have a few moments?" Remus asked after dinner.

"Sure, give me just a minute to finish help cleaning up the dishes."

"No, no…go on dearie. The others can finish up. Remus if it's a private matter you're welcome to use the study." Molly said, tutting at the others to grab the plates and dishes left on the table.

"You've found the book then?" she asked, as she noted his hand sitting inside his pocket.

"I did."

"And?"

"I…well, I believe I was correct in my first assumption. Can you remember anything from the week you were missing?"

Hermione shook her head, while she took a seat at the desk in the room. "There's nothing. Do you think he obliviated me?"

"I don't think so. I don't think he'd save you and take the time to return you here, at risk to his person, to risk muddling up the obliviate and leaving you a vegetable."

"But why would he even bring me back here? Why not just kill me?"

"I know it will be difficult for you to understand because you have only experienced a fraction of the pull of your wolf since you haven't transformed but…Greyback, there is no way he could have overridden the wolf to harm you. He killed those other men to protect you, he likely is the reason you survived the bite at all."

"That doesn't answer why he brought me back."

"That I can't answer. I'm not sure what his thoughts were, I'm also not sure…well that doesn't matter."

"No, go ahead. Not sure of what?"

Remus sighed before continuing, "I'm not sure how he was able to override the wolf to bring you here and leave you. When I first realized Dora was my mate, I could barely stand to be parted from her for ten minutes, let alone consider leaving her and knowing I wouldn't be able to get to her again. It must have caused him significant pain to leave you here."

"One thing I don't understand, if he realized I was his mate…if that's why he was um, well, sniffing me…why would he bite me knowing I'd die? It doesn't make sense."

"Ah, well that wouldn't typically happen. Typically werewolves will mark their mate during their initial intimate encounter, as humans. There have been cases though that a werewolf isn't aware of their mate or for some reason has not marked them and they come across them in their werewolf form. The instinctual drive to mark you as his took over."

"But that's…that's terrible! That means that those men just lose their mates?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Many of those werewolves don't survive long after their mate dies, whether it's a piece of their magic, from a broken heart or knowing they will never be content with another partner, I'm not sure."

She just sat there for a few moments, taking in the conversation. " What does this mean?"

"I'm not sure it means anything, Hermione. If it's going to mean anything, that's up to you.'

"This could potentially be helpful, for the Order I mean."

"Wha—how?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I'd like to think through some ideas and maybe I can bring it up at the meeting tomorrow. Would you mind if I borrowed that book to read through though?"

"Of course not, but don't get too caught up in it."

"Thank you, Remus. I won't keep you any longer, I'm sure you'd like to get home to Tonks. Not much longer now, right?"

"Just about a month!" the man responded with a wide grin.

*Break*

Hermione sat outside by the small pond on the Weasley's property. Everyone else in the house was relaxing, Harry and Ron playing chess and Ginny packing before leaving tomorrow afternoon. The moonlight shone down on her and her body thrummed with energy. She kept going back to the book in her lap but would get distracted easily. The crisp spring breeze made her pull her sweater closer around her, when she breathed in the delicious scent from last night. She huffed, closing the book and setting it down next to her. She knew she wasn't going to get any other reading done. Her body was tight with unwound energy and every time she breathed in it was someone was sending sparks through her blood stream.

She rolled her neck back, rocking her head from side to side to stretch her neck. She took a deep breath in and nearly moaned as the scent surrounded her. She swore it was getting stronger and she couldn't explain the feelings running through her body. Her fingers traced her collar bone, dipping in between the juncture at her neck. Her fingers twirled down and back up, her breathing increasing as she touched herself. It was as if someone else was controlling her movements. She moved her sweater to the side, where she was cool just moments ago, now she felt as if her body could catch a flame at any moment. Her fingers grazed over the healed bite mark and she let out a whimper, her muscles clenching as heat pooled between her legs. She jerked forward as she heard a snap in the tree line ahead of her. Her breathing quickened and before she knew what she as doing she was darting forward, book left sitting on the swing behind her.

She hit the tree line and the smell, no the scent, her brain corrected, only got stronger. She followed it, another part of her brain that she'd never encountered taking over her body's movement. She heard it then, the almost silent swear that left his lips, one she would not have heard if it hadn't been for the new senses that radiated through her body.

"Stop!" she said, starring towards the area she knew he had to be. She kept moving forward but she didn't hear him, only going off of the scent that he'd left trailing behind him. She knew she was getting closer, her body was almost humming with satisfaction at being this close to the amazing scent that had captured her focus. "I know you're there." She whispered, "I can smell you."

She heard a light growl, one that almost sounded as if it was from frustration, before she felt her body being pushed backwards into a tree. Her hands came up instinctually, though she realized now, as they sat pinned between her and the large body that pressed against her, that perhaps it was not the smartest decision. She heard him inhale deeply and she couldn't help but mimic him. Unlike the experienced wolf, who was used to the enhanced senses of his wolf, Hermione found her head spinning from the sensation of being so close as she breathed in his scent. She let out a whimper again, her body shaking with an anticipation that she didn't understand, and her head tilting slightly to expose her neck where he'd marked her only a week prior. He groaned, pressing his body tighter into her and dropping his head into the crook of her shoulder.

"Mine." He growled, his voice thick with a want that sent a wave of heat to her core. Before Hermione could say anything or even gather her thoughts, he was pushing away from her. Their eyes locked for a split second and with a pop, Fenrir Greyback disappeared.

*End Chapter*