AN: This is only a tidbit of Chapter 20, but I decided to post it since I've gone MIA for the longest time. School has started and I barely have time to think…ever…but I'm not giving up on anything…just hope this tides ya'll over 'til I can write the other 11 pages or so… /proceeds to fall over from sleep deprivation\
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Last Chapter: The sight, the smell, the need was taking over. More than anything, it wanted to bite. Sink its teeth into the crimson. It wanted more; it wanted her.
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He clenched his teeth to keep from screaming out. He grabbed the doorframe as he pitched into the room. Another convulsion hit him. It was happening too fast. With a dull sound, he fell to the floor; his hands to his head as the skin began to rip, stretching in accommodation. Desperately, he reached a hand out as if to close the door, but it was hopeless as his hand curled inward. His wand laid tauntingly on his bed. No, his mind screamed as he felt it slipping away. No, it can't! Enlarged teeth rubbed into an elongating face. Hermione, it continued to yell, beating against the restraints. Everything was fading, his voice giving away to only animalistic noises. Run…dear God…run, he inwardly pleaded as he fell away and the full moon rose to shine through his window.
Hermione kicked the Muggle clothes dryer again and grinned victoriously as the door popped open. Bending over, she dug out the load of clothes, then carefully she half-carried and half-balanced it on her stomach to the parlor. There she dumped the varying pieces of undergarments onto the loveseat in front of the bay window. Suddenly a craving for something fruity hit her and she glanced accusingly down. "Jonathon, I swear you keep me in the kitchen at all hours," she mumbled good-naturedly as she went back into the kitchen to dig through the fruit bowl.
After picking out a peach, a sound from above caused her to nearly drop it in alarm. Remus always put up a soundproofing charm so she could never hear anything on full moons. Eyeing the ceiling tiles above her, she slowly put down the piece of fruit before stealing out to look up the stairs. All was quiet once again. She tugged on the end of her nightgown she had slipped into earlier as she climbed the stairs. "Remus?" she queried tentatively.
As she reached the top, she hesitated at the sight of Remus' door being open. He never, ever left it open. It was always shut and secured from his side, awaiting her spells from the other side. Steeling herself, she softly edged toward the seemingly gaping entrance, suddenly wishing she had her wand, which she remembered she had stupidly left in the laundry room. You won't need it. He's safe. She glanced to her own room and knew the dagger was magically locked away. Doesn't matter. You wouldn't need to get it out anyway. He's…
Finally, she peeked into his room. A heap of fur was on pile of shredded clothes. It did not move. Taking a deep breath, she reached for the doorknob to shut it since she knew that would be what he wanted. The fur began emitting a low sound. It steadily grew louder and Hermione stood frozen as bars of moonlight illuminated the scene. He's growling. Her heart leaped into her throat. The shape stood up and its immense size shook itself off, highlighting the numerous strong muscles. Creepily familiar gray eyes observed her, but the empty, hungry expression behind them was foreign to her.
"Remus?" she whispered, hesitantly. Her still body had began to shake as the wolf in front of her bared its teeth and the hair on its back stood up. "Oh my…" she choked out. Hermione knew then that Remus was gone and what in front of her was all that was left. Fear eclipsing all thoughts, her hand flew off the door handle and she spun toward her room.
Teeth snapped her back from her room as the wolf leaped in front of her. Slowly, it moved back and forth in front of her, pushing her back toward the staircase. Her foot slipped off the landing and she nearly fell down the stairs, but her hand quickly grasped the banister. Hermione did not want to take her eyes off what was in front of her, yet she had only one way to go. Down. It did not jump her as she faltered backwards down the steps. She realized it was playing with her. Breathing nearly to hysterical levels, she exposed her back to the wolf and went as fast as she could toward the kitchen, trying to get to her wand. The click of nails and the panting steadily followed her down.
She slid in front of the entrance to the kitchen, one hand on her stomach. Jonathon was moving like crazy and her face grimaced as he picked up into a frenzy. In that moment, a dark figure bounded over her. The wolf landed in front of her, blocking her way. Hermione screamed, stumbling backwards. Its row of points showing again, the werewolf snarled and nipped at her, catching her hem briefly, pushing her toward a corner of the living room. Saliva dripped from its expectant mouth.
Apparently, she was not moving fast enough, because it tired of its little game of cat and mouse. The wolf sprang towards her, sharp white canines flashing. Instinctively, Hermione pushed the coffee table forward, catching the wolf's back legs and causing it to crash hard onto the wood. Next, she roughly shoved a wingback chair in the wolf's path as it quickly recovered. Its claws ripped at the chair's fabric as it climbed onto the seat. Hermione's back bumped into a very solid wall and with a horrific realization, she knew she had ended up exactly where the werewolf had wanted her. In a corner.
Not even trying to stop the quivering now, Hermione trembled, wide-eyed. Once more she whispered out, "Remus," as if he would suddenly take over and it would all stop. The only response was a flash of a sharp set of glistening canines and she knew what was going to come next.
A sudden unexpected pain from her abdomen caused her to cry out before sinking to the floor. "Jonathon, this would be a good time to help mummy out," she hoarsely said, arm grasping her middle and tears beginning to leak out.
The wolf, sensing his prey's weakness, let out a chilling howl before eagerly soaring down from its position. Hermione made one last desperate attempt by throwing her arms over her head and turning in toward the corner, keeping exposure to a minimum. Her eyes were closed, but the sound of its growling roared in her ears. Its breath was on her face. Yet, she was intact…
Slowly, Hermione opened her eyes and nearly tried to push through the wall. The wolf was barely inches from her face, its mouth wide as it tried to get to her. Something was holding it back. The invisible barrier rippled slightly as the wolf continually kept charging it. With each hit, Hermione could feel the recoil in her body, a constant blow in the abdomen. Her effort to try to quell the cries that were escaping from her mouth was having no effect and the noise only seemed to aggravate the wolf even more. Eventually, it was becoming too much for her and she shut her eyes, then could only grasp her stomach and pray.
The intensity of the recoil was becoming too much. Her body felt completely drained and fought to keep the barrier up. Her eyes fluttered open, noticing the wolf had angrily abandoned its prey and had started to circle around the room. Blearily, she watched it sniff the door. Then the world began to descend into darkness as her body collapsed after the strain. Before Hermione's mind was completely shut down, a resounding smash and tinkling of glass met her ears. After that, she knew no more.