AN: sorry for the short chapter, but I wanted to get it in without belaboring the plot point. Thanks so much for your reviews; they give me life!

Chapter 12

The sharp white teeth, the horrid grin,
And Wolfie said, 'May I come in?'
Poor Grandmamma was terrified,
'He's going to eat me up!' she cried.
And she was absolutely right.
He ate her up in one big bite.

- Roald Dahl [Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf]

They had been taking samples from werewolves for two months now. At first, Rose had been startled by the stark difference between the people who came to the clinic and Remus Lupin. They were markedly dirtier and more ragged for one, and also more skittish and wolfish. She soon came to associate these characteristics with werewolves who lived in the colonies around one another rather than trying to fit in with the wizarding world. They rarely had werewolves who lived among wizards come in to donate samples. Rose assumed that this must have revolved around fears over whether or not their promise of anonymity was trustworthy. Werewolves who lived with wizards had more to lose should the promise prove false.

"Come in," Rose called, glancing up when a man walked through the door. She recognized him from previous weeks. He had reddish-brown skin with thick black hair that was tied back messily from his face. His eyes were an almost amber color, and he would have been handsome had he not been so obviously malnourished. The man gave her a small smile as he dropped into the chair beside her and offered her his hand, used to the routine by now.

"How are you feeling," Rose asked casually while bending to trim his fingernails. The full moon had been over a two weeks ago, but the man still looked exhausted. He gave her a cautious look. They'd never spoken to each other before.

"I'm—" he began but fell silent when the door opened. Rose looked up in surprise. Most knew by now to wait and come in one at a time.

"Sir, can you wait outside please, we aren't quite fin—" She was cut off when the man who was sitting next to her leaped out of his chair, eyes wide with terror. Hunching his shoulders down, he quickly exited the room. Rose was startled by this sudden turn of events and found her hand straying to the wand in her pocket as she examined the newcomer.

Rose knew immediately that the man was different from the other werewolves. There was an aura, not of destitution about him, but of power and ferocity. Stepping forward, he pulled the hood of his cloak from his head, revealing a scarred face, bright yellow eyes, and long black hair streaked through with gray. He smiled at her and his sharp canines glinted malevolently.

"Can I help you," she asked cautiously, raising her chin and maintaining eye contact with the man. His grin widened, revealing a whole row of sharp teeth.

"Heard ya were payin' good money for scraps," he said, and his voice was low and hoarse. Rose nodded. They were paying two galleons and a supply of Wolfsbane potion for those who gave sample. She gestured to the chair beside her, and he stepped forward and sat down, his eyes never leaving her face.

"We're taking nail clippings, teeth scrapings, and saliva samples," Rose said. "Is that alright with you."

"S'fine, luv," he answered. She handed him a couple of vials to spit into, corking them and labeling them when he did with the date and time. She took a deep calming breath when he offered her his hand. Leaning forward, she took it, trying not to notice how claw-like his nails were, and carefully began trimming them. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end when he leaned towards her and took a deep unmistakable sniff.

"You smell… tasty," he said, and Rose swallowed in revulsion and looked into his eyes. She glared at him. He chuckled at this, and she felt his nails slide across her forearm making her flinch. "Skittish, are we?"

"I think you should leave," she told him sternly.

"Calm yourself, luv, I'm not gonna hurt ya," he said, leaning back in his chair and giving her an innocent smile. He offered her his hand again, and she took it hesitantly. Was she just overreacting?

She finished clipping his nails quickly and grabbed a small dental tool and another vial. He grinned broadly once again when she looked back at him, and Rose knew that the last thing she wanted to do was get anywhere near this man's teeth. He seemed to sense her thoughts and his grin turned into a mocking leer. Glaring at him, she leaned close and carefully scraped a few of his teeth. She could not help noticing the way his breath smelled like blood.

"I know you," he said, after she finished. "Seen ya in the paper. You're the Malfoy's pet Potter."

Rose froze at this statement, her blood icy in her veins.

"Who are you," she asked coldly, though she suspected she already knew.

"Now, now," he chastised. "Anonymity, luv."

Rose glared at him and he smiled right back.

"I'll be taking that gold now," he smirked. Rose stood and moved to her desk, pulling open a drawer and fishing out a couple of coins. Turning back, she jumped when she discovered that the man had silently closed the distance between them. He towered over her, standing nearly a head taller than Remus with shoulders just as broad. It was impossible to miss the sheer strength and power of his body. She could not help the shiver that went through her body when he ran one long tail of his other hand across her jawline and down her neck. Rose raised a hand to slap his away, but he caught her wrist in a tight grip and bent down, leering dangerously at her.

"You've got more guts than ole Lucius, I'll give ya that," he said. "Coward can hardly look me in the eye."

"My father is not a coward," Rose said scathingly, trying to wrench her hand from his grip, but he didn't budge. With another feral grin, he plucked the two galleons out of her hand and pocketed them.

"I assume you won't be wanting the Wolfsbane potion," Rose said dryly, and the man snarled at her.

"You're damn right," he leered, finally releasing her. Turning towards the door, he threw a calculating glance over his shoulder. "Werewolves don't need your help, luv. Don't wanna scar that pretty face by sticking it where it don' belong."

"I'm not doing this for werewolves," Rose snapped at him, her lips drawing back in a snarl of her own. "I'm doing this for me."

The man paused at this, his yellow eyes running over her body as though he were seeing her again for the first time. To her surprise, a predatory smile quickly crept back over his face.

"We're gonna get along just fine, luv. We're gonna get along just fine."

As soon as the door closed behind him, Rose let out a shaky breath she'd been holding and wrapped her arms around herself protectively. Sinking into a chair, she realized that she was shaking. There was no doubt in her mind that she had just come face to face with Fenrir Greyback.