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.

The Moon's Call

Chapter Thirteen

He froze.

He couldn't breathe, couldn't move.

All he could do was stare at her.

Granger?

She was Amber?

Holy fuck! He should have known. There was something off about her ever since they came to Hogwarts. She had even heard him and Blaise talking yesterday when she seemingly came upon them! She had to have!

"Granger?" His voice sounded choked. "It was…you?"

Her jaw worked. "I…"

She was on her elbow. Granger pushed up more and hissed. She fell back to the ground, face pinched in pain. Only then did he remember she had been shot the night before.

"Damn it, Granger! Don't move, you'll start bleeding again," he snarled. How stupid could she get? A girl like her should know better than that. Draco pushed up and realized he was holding her. Her skin was hot and silky beneath his arm. He snatched his arm away and pushed up from the ground. He made sure her hair covered her breasts decently before leaning over her to examine her wound.

Blaise stirred beside her. The muscles in his back bunched and flexed. Draco cursed under his breath. Blaise turned to look over his shoulder. "Draco, why didn't you…" He turned even more and saw her. "Fucking hell!"

He scrambled away to his feet and stared at Granger in horror. It was few seconds before he asked, "Granger, is that you?"

Granger looked at Blaise beneath lowered lids. Her face was still tight in pain. She closed her eyes and turned her face to the ground, away from the both. Draco gently probed her shoulder. Human now, the wound was placed on the front side of her shoulder. It wasn't that deep, but it still bled heavily.

Conscious of Blaise gaping at her, Draco looked at him. "Go get our clothes." Blaise stood, unconscious of his nakedness. Draco glanced at Granger, her eyes still closed. "And hers, as well."

Granger stirred. "Don't bother," she whispered. "They're rags. I waited too long."

Draco stared at her. What had stopped her from Changing? He said to Blaise, "Hurry up. I need to get back to the hospital before Pomfrey learns I'm gone."

Blaise ran to get their clothes.

"So, you're a wolf, Granger. What were you, bitten?"

She shook her head. "No. Born."

He swiftly glanced at her face. She was a pureblood werewolf? How could he not have known? His thoughts scattered in the wind. He didn't know what to think or what to do. He remembered the centaurs attacking and running…Granger yelping in pain.

Draco didn't even think. Some instinct cried a member of the pack was hurt. He whirled around and saw her on the ground. A centaur was taking aim again. His vision turned red. He recalled running faster than he'd ever run before and jumping at the centaur, knocking the crossbow away. He fell back to the ground and snapped at his legs, keeping out of range of its kicking. He drove the centaur back and away. Then he went back to help Blaise.

If he had known who she really was, he never would have done anything like that.

Would you? a voice asked him. Or would you have done the same thing regardless?

He snorted. Who cared? What's done is done. No sense crying over it. Draco sat back on his heels, studying the raw hole in her shoulder. She needed help, but they couldn't take her to Madame Pomfrey—wait! They?

No, there was no they! Granger was on her own, separate from them.

Don't abandon your pack…

A sense of protectiveness wrapped around him as he glanced at her face again. Her breathing sounded strained. The wound was high enough to have missed her lungs, but it was possible her shoulder could be damaged after no medical care this long. Something in him seized at this thought. He couldn't allow that to happen.

Blaise came running back, Draco's clothes thrown over his shoulder. He was wearing his clothes. Blaise threw his at him. Draco caught them. He looked from his school robes to Granger. Inwardly cursing himself, he covered her with it. Then he pulled on his clothes. When he licked his lips, he tasted blood. Hers. He wiped it away.

"I found her clothes. They were scrap, like she said," Blaise reported. "I thought she might want her wand at least, but I couldn't find it."

Granger moved again. She licked her lower lip. "I…left it…in my room."

She sounded weak. Draco didn't want any questions over her injury, but how else would she get care? There was no way Madame Pomfrey would keep it to herself. They'd have to modify her memory…it could work.

Without telling Blaise anything, he stooped down and gathered Granger in his arms, wrapping his robes around her more securely. He tried not to jar her anymore than was necessary, not that it mattered. She fainted.

"Where are we going?" Blaise asked, staring at her. "A werewolf!" He paused. "That means she knew about us marking her."

"That seems unquestionable." He carried her up the stairs leading to the hospital. "We'll sort this out later. We have to get Pomfrey to take care of her first."

"She won't keep her mouth shut, Draco," Blaise hissed as they entered the hospital.

"I'll take care of it. Don't worry." He laid her on a bed and drew the curtains. "Give me your robes." Blaise shrugged out of them and handed them over. Draco walked to his bed and tossed the robes at the foot of the bed. Taking his wand from his pocket, he got into his bed. "Call her and say you went for a walk and found her. Stay on her left, so your back is to me."

Nodding, Blaise called, "Madame Pomfrey!"

Hurried footsteps tapped across the floor. A woman with gray hair came bustling in, concerned expression on her face. She looked at Draco, who rubbed at his eyes sleepily. When she saw Blaise, her features pinched. "Yes, what is it?" Then she looked at the figure on the bed. "Miss Granger? Mr. Zabini, what happened to her?"

Blaise shrugged. "I don't know. I went for a walk early this morning and found her like this." He drew down the robe to show her shoulder. "I think she's been shot or stabbed. I covered her and brought her to you. I figured you'd know what to do to help her."

Pomfrey gasped wordlessly and went to Granger's wounded side, displacing Blaise. Her back was to him. She tsked as she leaned over Granger. Granger whimpered, the sound of it carried to his ears and his gut clenched. The old witch sighed. "Looks like she was shot by some sort of arrow. It's…already healing."

There was wonder in her voice and she muttered a spell. Granger gave a muted scream. Blaise thoughtfully said, "You healed her. It doesn't even look like she's been hurt."

"How did her wound look when you first found her? Was it bleeding profusely?" Pomfrey's questions gave Blaise no room to answer. She looked at him and then back at Granger. "Was she naked when you found her?"

Her tone was accusing. Blaise's face hardened into an impassive mask. Contained anger filled his voice. "Of course. That's why I covered her."

"Last night was the full moo—"

Draco surged upright, pointed his wand at her. "Obliviate."

A flash of white light hit her square in the back. Pomfrey stiffened and relaxed. Blaise looked askance of him. Draco said, "Put her in her office before she becomes aware. Hurry."

Blaise tugged her away and Draco went over to Granger. "Hey, you okay?"

She opened her eyes and seemed to do a mental check of herself. Nodding slowly, Granger said, "Yeah. I think so."

"How's your shoulder? Better?"

Granger carefully moved it up and down, then rotated it. "A few twinges, but I think I'm okay. It shouldn't affect me at all."

Her bare shoulder glowed like alabaster. Air stuck in his throat when he remembered she had nothing on beyond his robes…and that she knew he'd invited her to mate with him. He still awaited her answer. She levered herself up on her elbows and looked at him through wide brown eyes. His robe inched downward. He tracked its movement, all his senses centered on every inch uncovered, but before it could go down further, he jerked away.

"Put that on correctly, Granger, before you embarrass yourself," he said roughly. He wanted her. He wanted to take her on that bed, not caring if Blaise would come back and see them. Her being a wolf would complicate his plans immensely.

"Malfoy…" She sighed. He went back to his bed, conscious of the sounds of the robes as she put it on right. "There, it's on right…Malfoy? Are you going to say anything?"

The uncertainty he heard in her voice, Draco closed himself to it. He infused his words with a typical Slytherin sneer, mostly to remind himself of who he was instead of her. "Go back to Gryffindor. Or do you want anyone who's up to see you wearing Slytherin robes?"

Her fear bloomed, filling his nose. She muttered something and she left. Draco took off his clothes and, in his boxers, slid beneath the sheets. Pomfrey had thought what he usually slept in was very inappropriate, so he made a concession with sleeping in his boxers. It wasn't his fault he normally slept nude.

Blaise stopped by to let him know Pomfrey was in her office, completely unaware of what she had done or seen. Draco told him to leave their issue with Granger alone for now. It would wait until he got out of the hospital. Blaise left with a "See you later."

Ten minutes later, Pomfrey came in to check on him. After giving him a few tests, she allowed him to leave. He could practically hear the unspoken "And don't come back!"

He dressed quickly and walked back to Slytherin. At the base of the stairs to the dungeons, he heard his name whispered. Turning, he saw Turpin in the shadows clearly. He walked over to her and asked in a hushed voice, "What is it?"

"As I told you, she fell for it completely. I just wanted to make sure your meeting is still today…and if you're okay from yesterday."

He smirked. "Yes. The meeting is in McGonagall's classroom at three. Granger will probably let you know again sometime before it happens. Try to act surprised when she does."

Turpin chuckled. "Of course…so, you're okay?"

"Yes. Nothing's been permanently damaged. Now go back before someone sees you down here." He stepped back to allow her space to leave. "I'll see you at the meeting."

"Until then." She went up the stairs and didn't look back.

Draco turned and continued towards Slytherin. It struck him odd that she would be slightly worried about him. Turpin wasn't the sort of girl to be concerned over anything really. She was a tough girl. She knew emotions were a weakness. All of his dealings with her were business. There was nothing personal between them to cause concern. Shrugging it off as a mere female thing, he entered the Slytherin common room and glanced at the clock. 7:38.

Dawn was an hour ago. How could his life turn upside down in so little time?

He went up to his room and fell onto his bed. Blaise was still awake, but he didn't say anything to him yet.

"Draco."

He ignored him.

Blaise tried again. "Draco. What are we going to do?"

"Nothing." He settled his face more deeply in his pillow. "There's nothing we can do. She knows and we know."

"That's what matters, I suppose," Blaise said, moving around. "But how are we going to move forward? What's going to happen next—"

"She'll come to us. Now leave it. I'm tired." Draco sat up and took off Blaise's robes. "Here. It's a good thing we're the same height."

The robes slipped through his fingers as Blaise took it from him. He laid back down and settled comfortably. He had class at nine. All he wanted to do was get a little sleep before then…and try to forget he knew Granger was Amber.

Draco went through the day, distracted. He still couldn't assimilate the fact that she was one of them. Now he knew the cause of the wildness he sensed in her. He had Potions and Arithmancy with her and she didn't even look at him. He knew she was aware of him and Blaise whenever they were nearby, but she made no move to approach them.

Three o'clock neared. Classes ended at one or two, depending on what year one was in. He wondered if she would wait until later after the meeting. Honestly, Draco didn't think that was wise. If her usual perception of him was compromised, then they were screwed. Rumor and insinuations would be made concerning the change of it. That wouldn't be a good thing for the social spotlight to shine upon any of them. With her awareness of Blaise, it was very likely talk of a love triangle would become known.

How to untangle this mess made his head hurt. Usually, planning and scheming was second nature to him, but today…he couldn't plan shit. All he could do was go through the day like a zombie.

In McGonagall's classroom, he was the first one to arrive. He took a seat in the middle of the rows of seats. Five minutes later, Macmillan and Phillips came in together, laughing and talking. When they saw him, they looked at each other before falling silent. They sat in the same general area as him. He inwardly rolled his eyes. A couple minutes passed before Granger and Turpin came in. Granger met his eyes briefly before turning to greet the others. Turpin followed Granger's example.

Good girl.

Taking seats, Granger pulled a piece of parchment out and began, "Okay, Lisa, here, is going to help us with the decorations." Then she looked at her parchment. "And so, last time, we said we wanted pumpkins, lighted spider webs, and candelabras." She put her list down and got out her wand. She muttered a spell and the layout of the Great Hall appeared, the structure outlined in blue smoky lines. "Anything we put in as decorations will be in red or green."

"Are we going to have any obvious theme?" Phillips asked, studying the miniature Hall with wonder. "Like maybe a graveyard or spooky castle sort of thing."

Granger turned to Turpin. "Would that be any sort of problem for you?"

Turpin shook her head. "No, but if you do choose to do a theme, you will have to help me do a few basic drawings."

Granger nodded. "So, a theme? Since we waited so long to meet, due to our many engagements, I really think it would be a lot of work between now and then. I have no doubt if we pull together…as a team, we can do it, but if we can't, we'll have a huge problem on our hands."

Draco said, "I vote no theme. Too much work in so little time, I don't think we can do it."

Macmillan glanced at him. "I vote no theme, as well."

Granger nodded. "Tamara?

"No theme. Too much work."

"Very well. No theme." Granger looked at the Hall. "So I think we should start with the lighting first. That way we can organize around it more easily. Where should the spider webs go?"

Phillips pointed at the corners first. "Here would be excellent. The ceiling could be charmed to look like the nighttime sky with a full moon and a few clouds. Then at the middle of the walls or every few yards, the candelabras could be placed."

Mini webs appeared at the corners, touching the ground and clinging to the walls. Four candelabras hugged the walls.

"How about a few pumpkins at the foot of the webs and the door," Granger said. Pumpkins lined the bottoms of the webs and the foot of the doors.

"No, that looks a little…" Macmillan gestured helplessly when he couldn't finish.

"Yes, it does look a little weird," Granger agreed. The pumpkins vanished.

"Now it looks bare," Phillips said. "How about leaving them at the base of the webs." The pumpkins appeared once more. "That spot there at the very end, where the teachers sit, the band can set up there."

"What do you think about the idea of mist, covering the floor. The band can be on a raised dais so the mist won't touch them," Draco said. Green mist floated on the ground. The band rose up."

The girls oohed at the image. "That looks fantastic," Phillips said. "Absolutely amazing."

"I say, Malfoy, have you ever put a party on before?" Macmillan asked. Draco shrugged noncommittally. Macmillan surveyed the Great Hall now. "What about tables? The refreshments will have to go somewhere as well tables for others to sit at. Where will the dance floor be?"

Phillips put the refreshment table along one of the walls, displacing the candelabras. She decided to have a few table candelabras instead. Granger put the dance floor right before the band and the tables from the doors to the middle of the Hall. It looked very nice.

"And now, Lisa will do a few other things that float along, adding character," Granger said. She turned to Turpin. "What do you think?"

"The ghosts are going to come around, right?" Granger nodded. Turpin went on. "I think bats would add a little something. Perhaps a few werewolves as well."

He saw Granger stiffen slightly at this, but after several seconds, she relaxed. Several little orbs of red flit about the air and slightly bigger ones prowled the floor. Turpin really got into her character. He knew she'd do him proud.

"Well, ladies and gentlemen, here is our dance," Granger finished with a flourish. Everyone clapped. She said, "Now the actual placements of the tables and refreshments will be up to the furniture people, but we'll keep this the way it is and let them decide."

The Great Hall disappeared with a flick of her wand into a small bottle she pulled from her robes. Then she corked it tightly. Swirls of blue mixed with red and green.

Turpin enlisted the help of Granger and Phillips. She said she didn't need another hand when Draco volunteered to help with the drawings. Accepting her refusal with good spirits, he nodded.

"Is that all?" he asked. Granger nodded, not looking at him. "When do we meet with the others tomorrow?"

"Daniel said at two in the Great Hall. Everyone will have finished eating. He said Dumbledore is going to allow everyone else to eat in their dormitories for dinner," Macmillan said. "That way, the decorations and everything will be a surprise for the rest of the school."

Draco nodded and stood. He and Macmillan left, leaving the girls to do whatever else. He trusted Turpin. After saying Macmillan's name in farewell, Draco went back down to Slytherin.

Not an hour later, Granger sent him a note asking to meet Blaise and him down at the lake in twenty minutes, by the big rock he had recently met Turpin. Draco grabbed Blaise and they walked casually through the castle.

"What do you think she'll say?" Blaise asked. "Will she run with us now?"

"It's her request, Blaise. Let her do the talking," Draco advised.

They walked along the edge of the lake and saw the big rock up ahead. As they got closer, Granger walked out from behind it. Draco halted five feet away. "We're here. What do you want?"

"Are you going to say anything?"

"No," Draco said. "We've just as much to lose as you."

She sighed and looked away. "What now, then?"

The seconds stretched. Then Blaise asked, "You knew, didn't you? About us marking you."

She blushed at this. "Yes. I thought you both were just trying to unnerve me. I thought you were both just stupid humans."

"And if Potter or Weasley had done the same, what would you have thought?" Blaise asked. Draco could tell his ego had been pricked.

"I would have thought the same, Zabini," she sneered. "Do you really think just because they're my friends, I'd allow them to do that?"

Blaise said, "I don't know actually." Then he added, "Blaise."

"What?"

"My name is Blaise. You don't mind if I call you Hermione, do you?" There was a challenge in the question.

Granger narrowed her eyes slightly. "No, of course not, Blaise."

"What I want to know is how did you not sense us?" Draco asked before she could say anything further. "And how the hell did we not do the same?"

She stared at him for a long time. An instant before it became uncomfortable, she glanced around the forest. "I've wondered about the answer to that the whole day. I mean aside from overhearing the both of you yesterday—"

"You heard us?" Blaise asked loudly.

"Let me finish, Blaise," she barked. When he did not interrupt again, she said slowly, "I think I did not sense you nor you me because I have never been around young males before. Am I correct in assuming neither of you have been around young females?" They nodded. "I've only been around my mother and father. Their scents are…mature, different." She speared them with a hard-eyed look. "But then why did you two sense each other?"

"There was something different about him," Blaise said. "It actually began over a piece of steak as I recall. Neither of us backed down."

"Your eyes darkened, too," Draco added thoughtfully. "Our eyes…they change, reveal things." He looked at Granger. "I knew there was something familiar in your eyes when I saw you on the train. I should have realized then."

"I thought so, too," she agreed. She shook herself. "But that doesn't answer anything really about us now. What are we going to do?"

Blaise looked at him first. Draco slowly nodded his head. Blaise took a step towards her. "You can join us when we run…you do run, right?"

Granger looked down. Her scent changed subtly, to that of misery. Draco spoke before thinking. "Granger, you do run between full moons, don't you? O did your waiting so long before coming to the forest last night have something to do with it?" When she said nothing and just stared at the ground, he became angry. "What the hell are you doing to yourself? Why are you keeping yourself so contained? Our gift shouldn't be—"

"It is not a gift," she snarled. "It's a curse!"

"It is not a curse, Hermione," Blaise said softly. He walked to her side. "It's a gift, something that sets us apart from other wizards, just as being wizards is apart from being muggles. You shouldn't keep the wolf in. You'll make your self sick."

"No!" Granger jerked away from Blaise. "It's a curse, and nothing you say can change my mind! I've always been apart from everyone and it only got worse when I came to Hogwarts. I buried myself in books to stave off loneliness when Harry and Ron were too busy being angry with me or doing something else. You have no idea what it is to be alone surrounded by people."

"Actually, we do, Granger," Draco said. "We're Slytherins. We may be together, but we're also apart. It comes from not trusting one another."

"Well, what about you and Blaise? Don't tell me you don't trust each other," she said.

"Actually, we do," Blaise said. "You don't have to be alone in this anymore, Hermione. You have us now. You don't have to be miserable."

Disbelief infused her face. "Oh, so now that you know I'm a wolf, you just roll out the welcome mat? Sorry, but what do you want me to do? Join you two? Start a pack with you? Choose a mate between you two? Am I supposed to believe that all that is just coming out of the goodness in your heart?"

"Don't assume you know us, Granger," Draco spat. "If you don't want to run with us, that's all you had to say." He looked at Blaise. "Come on. Let's leave the Lone Wolf to do as she pleases. It's no concern of ours."

"Wait, Draco. Hermione, that night in the kitchens, did you accept me?"

"Blaise, I think because we both thought each other were human then, it shouldn't count," she said carefully. "In fact, I think your marking me, the both of you, should be dissolved and forgotten. We are all much too young to concern ourselves with such a thing."

Blaise shook his head. "No. I don't want to dissolve it."

Draco caught his quick glance at him. "Blaise, do as she asks. The sooner we're done with her, the sooner we can go back to our regular lives."

"Draco," Blaise said censoriously.

"I…relinquish my invitation, Granger."

"Can't you call me Hermione?" she asked quietly.

"No. If I should call you that, I don't think I'll be able to go back to the way things were." He definitely didn't want that. He was sticking to his plan. He would adapt to this new development and plan accordingly. She would die. His feelings about her had no say.

She looked uncertain. "But…I like being able to stay in the same room and not have you insult me every second."

Blaise took her hand. "Then join us, Hermione. We'll start our own pack. We'll protect you against anything and help you as much as we can. We'll be like a family."

"But at the expense of my responsibilities. I was told that I should never use this ability to Change excessively. It was a huge responsibility that shouldn't be taken lightly…but you can't imagine how happy and relieved I am to know that you know about me."

Draco tried to imagine what life must have been like for her these past months, lonely and without a friend to talk to. He had Blaise to share his secret with. How she must have suffered! He inwardly shook his head. No, he mustn't feel any sympathy for her.

But you want her for yourself. You want her to choose you as a mate.

That damnable voice was back, telling him things buried deep down in his heart—things he didn't want to know.

"I want to join you," she said. "I truly want to, but I can't."

"Tell me something, Granger. What is more important to you: your happiness and health or your duty to your parents? It was they who put that idea in your head about our gift being a curse, wasn't it?" Draco asked.

She opened her mouth several times, but each time she thought better of what she was going to say and closed it. Finally, she said, "I want to be happy, but I can't just betray what they are to me, what they taught me."

"Granger, if you don't let the wolf out more, it will turn on you and eat at your soul inside," he warned. Lucien had warned him about the effects of not Changing frequently and exercising his inner demons. If he kept the wolf in, he'd turn soulless and lose what little humanity he had.

"Hermione, your parents are muggles. It makes sense for them to not let themselves go, but you're different. Here, you can be what you are without being that different," said Blaise. "Join us and live up to your potential."

Draco looked out over the lake. "It's a hard choice, Granger, but it must be made."

Taking a deep breath, she said, "Very well."

He didn't look at her as she made her decision.

"I'll join you then. My parents don't have the freedom I have. It seems a waste to not use it," Granger finally announced.

Draco looked at her and moved to her side. He took her hand and kissed it, mentally yelling that he shouldn't do anything of that sort, considering how long they'd been at odds with one another.

"Welcome, Hermione, to the pack."

"Thank you…Draco."

As you probably didn't notice, I posted two chapters. I hope you all enjoyed it for I think the writing is a bit hurried. It is due mainly to the fact that I am leaving on July 8 for Wisconsin. I won't be back until the 20th or so. I won't have any access to the internet and therefore, won't be able to post any chapters.

And so, I am trying to finish the story before I leave. I have entertained the thought that I may not be able to finish. If that should happen, then I have a contingency plan to do a sequel that takes place after Hogwarts. However, should I indeed finish, perhaps I will do a sequel regardless. What do you think about that?

As always, drop me a line. I always appreciate it.

– TG