Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter's world. That is the property of JKR, a most talented woman. So, don't sue me.

Plot: Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger are normal talented wizards who, on their 16th birthdays, learn otherwise. They are now burdened with family secrets that no one can ever know. They return to Hogwarts and struggle to get their lives back on track. However, both vows to find out one another's secret when they notice something different about each other.

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews. Y'all are so great, I love ya.

BloodJewel: (a dark hooded figure comes out of the computer screen) Your questions will be answered soon.

Rebecca Pierson: No, Draco didn't warn Blaise away from Hermione.

The Moon's Call

Chapter Nine

Draco stared at Blaise's smiling face Wednesday evening. He had marked someone as a potential mate, and it had to be fucking Granger!

It shouldn't have bothered him that he had focused on Granger, but damn it! He saw her first! She was his, his to destroy. Now that Blaise had conveniently screwed him up, Draco was struggling to come up with a back up plan.

He couldn't very well say, 'Hey, Blaise, thank you for messing up my plans. I was going to finish Granger off before moving onto the rest of the Golden Trio, but that's okay. I'll just destroy someone else, unless you give me permission to do it anyway.'

Marking was a serious business for males.

Finally he exploded. "Why the fuck did you mark her, Blaise? She's a fucking human."

"She's got potential," Blaise said simply.

"Are you going to turn her?" Disbelief floored him. "Are you crazy?"

"No, it's just…there's something about her. She's not like the other girls. She's," Blaise tapped his chin thoughtfully, " she's special."

Draco sneered, "How are you going to break the news to her? She may be smart, but she's a human. There's no way she'd accept your advances, let alone know what you've done."

Blaise glanced at him. "I don't see why this bothers you, Draco, or how it concerns you. I want her. I can't stop thinking about her. Her scent haunts me. She smells like fresh strawberries. Draco, she gave me a hard on."

"Ah, don't tell me that!" Draco turned away from Blaise. He could smell Blaise's arousal, and he could remember Granger's scent very well. She was more cherry than strawberry, he thought, with just a hint of the forest. It was a very heady scent.

He shook his head. What the hell was he thinking? Damn it, he had to get rid of her. She was taking his friend from him.

"What about your lineage?" Draco asked. "What will your father say when he finds out you turned a girl so you could have a mate?"

"He'll get over it. If not," Blaise shrugged, "that's his loss. It doesn't bother me none if he's lost his heir. He has my brother."

Draco slammed his fist on the table. "You have no right to turn someone, Blaise. It is our duty as pureblood wolves to keep a low profile. If you bite her here at school, the professors won't rest until they find the one who put that curse on her. She's practically the fucking right hand of Potter."

He faced the window, but he could still see Blaise at the corner of his eye.

Blaise put his boots up on the table and leaned back in his chair. "What are you going to do about it, Draco? Unless you mark her yourself, then I'm afraid your opinion doesn't matter."

Draco slanted Blaise a look of horror, but his mind immediately clung to the idea. If he marked her as well, Blaise would still have the advantage of easily claiming her first, but he would have competition. Draco was very good at getting what he wanted. Marking Granger would smooth the path of his ultimate goal.

He forced a smirk. "Is that a challenge, Blaise?"

Besides, with Granger gone, Blaise would stand a better chance of claiming a worthier mate when he was older and not ruled by his hormones. If Draco did not take steps to prevent it, Blaise would fuck Granger, claiming her in the process.

As a Malfoy, he had been raised to control himself excellently. He could scent Blaise's restlessness and eagerness to bed someone. Now, Draco felt the same urge to fuck, but he was not willing to lose his self-control and accidentally make himself a mate. Lucien had said his first year as a wolf would mess with his hormones badly, especially since he was also a teenager.

He wasn't a virgin, having lost it to a Slytherin seventh year last year. He knew what sensations and feelings could be felt, but with his newfound senses, it would be powerful. Even now, in this empty classroom, he could smell females and their womanly scents. It permeated the air and the beast within howled in sexual frustration.

Lucien had advised against using human girls to relieve his desires, but, he conceded, sometimes desire was too strong. If he had to, no other choice but to, then a quick lay was better than none. The only rule was not to lose control.

Blaise tilted his head. "It might be. You willing to take it?"

Disgust and repulsion filled him. He did not want to mark her, but what other choice did he have of getting close enough to kill her? If he didn't, Blaise would be compelled to protect her from him so she could make that choice of choosing to mate with Blaise. There was no way unless Draco killed him to kill her.

He felt backed into a corner and he didn't like it, not one bit.

"She won't know what we've done, Blaise. How is that a challenge?"

"I'll tell you." Blaise cleared his throat. "Now, we can't exactly tell her what we are, so we pursue her like normal teenagers would. First one to claim her heart wins."

"She's already involved with the Weasel," Draco pointed out.

"Once I get in the picture, that'll all change," smirked Blaise.

Draco snorted. "Granger's a Gryffindor, remember? There's no way she'd allow either of us to get close to her." He shook his head. "Her heart's no prize."

Blaise raised his brows. "Oh, no? The love a woman is a very big prize. She'd be loyal, brave, soft and tender, passionate…"

"Please," he sneered. "Malfoys don't do love. It's a weakness, one you should do without at all times."

Blaise threw back his head and laughed. "Honestly, Draco, I thought you were different from your father. I know that's his bullshit coming out of your mouth."

"Lucius is strong because he doesn't allow that pathetic emotion rule him," defended Draco. His father, his family, his loyalty would never be questioned.

Narrowed blue eyes seem to pierce his lies. Blaise's mouth drew back into a snarl. "Just because someone feels, it doesn't mean he's weak. Emotion gives you more strength than anything."

"It can't be controlled."

"It's not supposed to be controlled," Blaise said. "You can become greater than Lucius, Draco. You just have to let go and feel."

Draco forced his face blank. His emotions were harder to conceal. He took a deep breath. "I'll accept your challenge, Blaise. That's all you'll get from me."

Blaise shrugged. "It will do for now." He conjured a bottle of wine and two glasses. After pouring the wine into the glasses, he handed one to Draco. Blaise raised it in the air for a salute. "Let the games begin."

Draco raised his glass. "May the best hunter win."

Scanning the Gryffindor table for what seemed the thousandth time, Draco sighed when he didn't see her. Where the hell was she? Usually she's in here by now.

Shaking his head, Draco decided to eat. If he was going to win this challenge, then he'd need the energy to block Blaise every which way he could.

He cut into his steak and began to eat. He stabbed his fork into one of the baked potatoes on a platter by him. He sliced it open and smothered butter on it. He sniffed at the vegetables and passed. That rabbit food was not going to fill him. Draco snatched another steak and tore into it.

Draco picked up his mug of butterbeer and took a drink. He met Blaise's twinkling eyes over the rim. He set down his mug and said, "Better eat. Don't want to starve, do you?"

Blaise said nothing and concentrated on his plate.

He took one last sweep over the Great Hall and followed Blaise's example.

After finishing his fourth steak, Draco pushed away from the table. "I'll see you later, Blaise."

"Not if I can help it," Blaise said, also standing up.

"You aren't going to follow me, Zabini," Draco said as they left the Great Hall. Then as an afterthought and precaution, he added, "I call the library."

"You can't do that!" cried Blaise. His voice echoed down the empty corridors. "That isn't fair, Draco."

He shrugged. "You didn't name any restrictions."

Blaise growled low in his throat.

Draco leveled a look at him. "Hey, don't blame me if you didn't think your little game through. If it had been me, you'd take any advantage you could."

"Fine. Whatever." Blaise turned down the next corridor without another word to him.

He chuckled. Blaise amused him sometimes. Draco halted and looked around for anyone. He didn't see or hear anyone, so he lifted his nose to the air. He caught a faint trace of her scent, but then a cold draft swept through the corridor at that moment and he couldn't smell her anymore.

Draco continued towards the library, sniffing discreetly as he went. Her scent grew stronger in the corridors by the library as did his energy and desire to see her. When her scent was very strong, he concluded that she passed by recently to have left such a strong scent trail.

He entered the library silently, surprising Madam Pince. He smirked smugly and passed her, going deeper into the room. He followed his nose to her. She was in one of the rows, reaching for a book on the very top shelf.

Draco could hear her heart beat. Her scent enticed him closer. He was sure she couldn't hear him walk up behind her, but he paused when she suddenly whirled around to face him. Her eyes were wide, but when she recognized him, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, it's just you," she said. Then she clapped her hand over her mouth.

She must not have intended to say that, he thought.

"Who did you think I was, Granger? Your love puppy?" he asked.

Granger glared at him. She shook her head. "Whatever, Malfoy. Just go away and leave me alone, all right?"

She turned back to the bookshelf. She reached up, but when she couldn't get it, Granger settled back on her feet. She threw a look at him. "I thought you were going."

"The day I do what you say is the day Voldemort announces he's gay," Draco retorted.

She put her hands on her hips—very shapely hips—and glared at him. "Well, if you're not going anywhere, you might as well make yourself useful." Granger flicked her eyes to the book she wanted. "Get to it, Malfoy."

He was about to repeat himself, but thought better of it. Here was an opportunity he couldn't pass up. Draco settled on, "What are you going to give me if I do that for you?"

Putting on a thoughtful expression, Granger tapped her bottom lip. "A kiss?"

He knew that she didn't think he would accept such a thing from someone like her. That was probably why she said it. Draco smirked.

"Deal."

Her jaw dropped and he chuckled. He reached past her and deliberately grabbed the book next to the one she wanted.

Granger sighed. "The other one, Malfoy."

His hand went to the other side. "This one?"

"Malfoy," she warned.

Draco breathed in her scent, his hand going to the book she wanted. He took it off the shelf and she reached for it. An idea came to him and he raised it above his head.

She automatically jumped for it. Anger radiated from her body when she realized what she was doing. Granger sighed. "Malfoy, give me my book."

"Not until you complete your end of the bargain."

Fire leapt into her dark brown eyes, turning them from a chocolate brown to a lighter shade of brown.

Draco took note of the change in her eyes and in her scent. The scent of forest—usually a subtle smell—overpowered her usual scent.

Suddenly her face turned sweetly innocent. Granger sidled up to him casually. Draco nearly stepped back. For some unknown reason, he felt vaguely threatened by her, but why should he? She was just a human.

No, she's not, a voice whispered in his head.

Granger slid a hand around his neck and pulled his head a little closer to hers. Now he was at least 6' and the top of her head grazed his nose. How the hell did she get so tall? He distinctly remembered her head barely met the base of his throat.

Don't think about that, another voice said. Kiss her, beat Blaise at his own game…

He gazed at her lips and then at her eyes. They were a dark chocolate. She tilted her head up to him as she pulled him the rest of the way.

The book dropped from his fingers to the floor, forgotten.

Her lips were soft and tender. The scent of her filled his nose and head. She smelled like a woman. His inner beast paced impatiently, snapping at his rigid restraint. His hands lightly resting on her waist, Draco let her kiss him. He followed her cues, keeping tight control over his roaring instincts to throw her down to the floor and take her.

She nipped at his bottom lip.

His groin tightened at this. He knew she felt his hands tighten uncontrollably on her waist. That was probably why she did it again.

His control slipped and Draco roughly pulled her against him, taking over the direction of the kiss. He turned her and backed her into the bookcase. He deftly slid his tongue in her mouth and tasted her.

Time to block Blaise…

Draco slightly bent his knees and he sensually rubbed against her, raising himself to his full height. It was really lucky that she was tall enough—

Granger broke the kiss with a gasp. She shoved him away as she wiped at her mouth.

"How dare you!" she cried.

"I dare a lot of things," he replied. Her lips were rosy and swollen. Draco felt a queer sense of smugness.

Her eyes swiftly turned an icy golden brown, pupils dilating. "Speak of this to anyone, Malfoy, and I mean anyone, and I will do things to you that will make you wish you'd never been born."

She pivoted on her heel and stalked away without a backwards glance.

Draco picked up the book. "Aren't you forgetting something, Granger?"

Not turning around, she said over her shoulder, "Screw the book, Malfoy."

Once he was sure she was out of the library, Draco chuckled to himself. He put the book back in its place, but as his fingers left the spine, he read the title reflexively.

He snatched it back off the shelf and opened it.

The Wolf: A Study of Adjustments to Lycanthropy.

Stilling, Draco listened for anyone nearby. Then he stuck it in his robes and sauntered from the library.

It was highly doubtful that this book would be of any help to him or Blaise, but it was worth a look anyway.

He passed a shadowed alcove and someone said, "I can't believe you did it."

He scented the air and found that it was only Blaise. Then he frowned. How was Blaise able to keep his scent concealed?

Draco turned and felt a slight draft coming from one of the windows further up the corridor. Now he knew. The way the air was coming, he had been upwind of Blaise, allowing him to surprise him.

"Did what?" Draco asked innocently.

"I can't believe you marked her," said Blaise softly. "She passed me by on the stairs and, your scent was all over her. What the hell did you do to her?"

Draco snorted and raised his eyes upward. "She kissed me, then I kissed her. Simple as that." He couldn't resist. "Besides, I don't see why a lowly mudblood is worth your concern, Blaise."

His lips twisted into a snarl. Blaise growled, "She's a human being like you and I. She's the top witch of our year. Doesn't that make her worthy?"

"Not in my eyes," Draco sneered. "The girl is the source of a bet, which means she isn't worth our time otherwise."

Blaise stared at him with shocked eyes. "But…you kissed her."

He forced a shudder. "I wouldn't care to repeat it if not for you." Draco stepped closer. "You deserve a better mate, a worthier one."

"Just because her blood doesn't meet your high standards, it doesn't mean the same for me." Blaise shook his head and sighed. "I shouldn't have challenged you to this."

"No, you shouldn't have," agreed Draco, "but you did and that is beside the point. I accepted your challenge and I will see it through to the end."

Anything to keep you from getting in my way…

"Draco, I've changed my mind. I'm," he took a deep breath, "I'm dissolving the bet."

After all the trouble I went through? Draco thought petulantly.

"I'm sorry, Blaise, but as you acknowledged, I marked her. So even if the bet is dissolved, I will still have a claim over her because I kissed her."

"Don't you dare use that," sneered Blaise. "I thought you were better than that, using such a flimsy excuse."

Draco chuckled. "I'm a Slytherin. What did you expect?"

"I'm also a Slytherin, Draco. I'm just a different kind of Slytherin."

They stared at each other for several long minutes, not willing to back down.

Blaise wanted to call it off, even though he challenged Draco in the first place. Draco didn't want to take the proffered olive branch in case Blaise decided to claim her anyway.

"OY! YOU TWO THERE, IT'S AFTER CURFEW!" a boy shouted at them at the other end of the corridor.

They both looked.

Draco scowled. Macmillan and the other Hufflefluff scum walked towards them. Amusement flooded him when Macmillan paused slightly when he was near enough to recognize them. He had to give the boy some aspect of respect for Macmillan started forward once more, but his little friend was more than happy to linger behind, letting Macmillan to confront two Slytherins by himself.

Despicable, really.

"Malfoy," he said coolly. Macmillan turned to Blaise. "You do know it's after curfew, Zabini."

"Actually, time flew right by me. She was wearing a pink tutu," Blaise replied glibly.

Macmillan snorted. "Right. Did she tell you how many points I should take off Slytherin?"

"I was about to get to that, Macmillan," Draco put in smoothly. "I was just coming from the library when I ran into Zabini here."

Macmillan turned his disbelieving face towards him. Draco could see that his lie was not going to be believed. It was confirmed when the Hufflepuff said, "Oh, really?"

"Yes," Draco said calmly. He looked at Zabini. "He was actually being quite disrespectful as well. I was thinking five, but…ten points off Slytherin."

"Well, looks like loyalty doesn't mean that much to you after all, does it, Malfoy?" Blaise sneered at him. With that, Blaise turned on his heel and left for the Slytherin common room.

Macmillan regarded him silently. Draco looked at him. "What?"

"I can't believe you did that. I mean—"

Draco shook his head. "Whatever, Macmillan. It's been a long day and I do not wish to end it with your ugly face."

Red blotched Macmillan's face as he struggled for a comeback, but Draco did not stick around for him to come out with it. He swung around to follow Blaise.

A few corridors later, he came upon Blaise lounging against a wall, arms folded, waiting for him.

"Did you really have to take points off?" Blaise asked, clearly miffed.

"Why not? Snape'll give them back tomorrow anyway."

Blaise rolled his shoulders. "Whatever. Let's go for a run since we didn't go last night."

Draco nodded and allowed Blaise to lead.

Woo-hoo! Two chapters in one WEEK! I am on fire, baby. LOL.

But seriously, hope y'all are proud of me and tell me what you think. BloodJewel, you'll probably have a whole new set of questions for me in your review. I can't really go into detail with what I have planned. It'll screw up my whole story. For the rest of you, I really appreciate your reviews.

Peace out! – TG