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Draco slipped into their tent around 4 am in the morning to let them know that Garner's opinions had won by a single person and so they had until the afternoon to present him with a new offer or be escorted back to the edge of the forest by Lavender. Hermione didn't make her back up offer right away. She and Luna communicated silently as they had grown apt at doing and decided to see if there wasn't anything else they could identify as being of value to the pack now that they were here and could actually look around. They found the tent was split into two makeshift rooms. One had two single beds and the other had basic facilities such as a small kitchen and a couch with a table in front of it. They got under the covers of the beds which were decidedly comfier than the ones back at the compound. They stared at each other for a few minutes before Hermione offered her hand again and Luna took it before closing her eyes, Hermione followed suit. They slipped into a restless sleep and awoke relatively early at 9am.
Hermione noted that Luna seemed a lot happier than she did last night. Luna bounced around their tiny kitchen, if you could even call it that, Hermione thought to herself, while she made them some tea and hummed a soft tune. "What should our plan be?" Hermione asked while she sat on the couch reading through the notes, they had made beforehand. Luna placed a cup of tea in front of her and took a seat next to her.
"I think we should explore, talk to some of the pack and see if we can identify any needs from them since Draco seems to care so much about what his pack wants," Luna remarked whilst she picked up a paper from their notes to read.
Hermione agreed wholeheartedly with Luna's plan and so they decided to go for a walk and see if they could engage any pack members. Most of the members were young males, some Hermione knew from random memories such as a few students above and below her year at Hogwarts when she attended. There were shop owners from Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley and even ministry worker or two. Somehow Hermione knew this wasn't Draco's doing and that it was Voldemort's. Only Voldemort wouldn't care about who joined the pack as long as it had strength in numbers. However, there were the odd female, though most were older and were chasing children whilst completing household duties such as cleaning clothes and cooking. Hermione saw one woman in particular who intrigued her.
She was on the shorter end of average height for a female and was her body was very curvy but also looked strong. She had long pink hair that had a natural waviness to it. Her eyes were the same brown as Hermione's, chocolate brown. She had slightly tanned skin and although she was gorgeous, she was also formidable as she had a scar that started at the corner of her left lip and went up diagonally above her ear and disappeared into her hair.
She was also obviously in charge in some kind of retrospect. She was sat at a table talking to some older men who seemed to respect her. It was obvious in the way they always maintained a bubble of space around her and the level of concentration they displayed on their faces whenever she spoke.
"Who is that?" Hermione asked, never taking her gaze off of the woman.
"That is Seraphina Vane, she's one of the only women in the pack, the files indicated that the order believes she is some kind of warrior or general within the pack. She's lead's the physical battles whilst the man to her left devises the strategies. Hermione's eye's drifted to the left of her to settle on a man who seemed a bit older than Seraphina. He was more willowy than muscular though he had the height that all male werewolves had. He had sandy blonde hair which looked like it belonged at the beach, and sea green eyes. He had a pencil tucked behind one ear and seemed to be writing furiously onto some paper as Seraphina spoke and would occasionally tap her hand with the pencil, he was writing with to get her to check some things he had written. It was obvious that they worked well together as they seemed to almost have an easy flow back and forth while discussing plans with the others.
"We should speak to them," Hermione spoke whilst already heading in their direction. Luna followed behind her. Hermione halted when she was about a metre from the woman and waited. The men at the table looked at her and Seraphina noticing she had lost their attention followed their gaze to Hermione and fell quiet. "I don't mean to interrupt please finish your conversation and when you are done, I would like to speak to you if that's okay?" Hermione addressed Seraphina.
Seraphina wore an amused expression on her face and went to respond but before she could the man Hermione had viewed before interrupted "She would love to," he spoke quickly. Seraphine rolled her eyes and smirked.
"Yeah whatever then," she spoke nonchalantly and turned around to dismiss the others. As the man went to get up Hermione stuck her arm out to him.
"Hermione Granger, and you are?" she asked politely.
"Oh, I'm Joshua Staghart but you can call me Josh," He spoke to Hermione in a pleasant tone and held quite intimate eye contact with her. After clearing her throat to shake the awkwardness she felt at the intimate eye contact she stated "Nice to meet you then Josh."
She let go of his hand and turned towards Seraphina.
"So you seem to be in a leadership position in this pack, I was wondering if you could take me for a tour around the campsite and explain some things to me because I feel very passionately about werewolves and if all of this is ever over I'd like to try to push legislation to aid werewolves but in order to do that I need to see what your needs are myself," Hermione spoke with a hint of excitement.
Seraphina smirked, "I know what went down last night and I know you're probably just trying to find something we need to offer as a trade but I'll still take ya on that tour don't worry," Joshua sighed at Seraphina's attitude but gave a small knowing smile.
"I'll stay herewith Joshua and maybe learn something from him," Luna spoke dreamily. Hermione turned to see Luna giving even more intense eye action to Joshua than Joshua had given Hermione. Hermione giggled inside her own head. Of course, Luna would fall for this handsome werewolf. She looked back at Seraphina who looked like she was about to burst out laughing at the expression on Joshua face. Hermione rolled her eyes and Seraphina let out a small giggle, "See you guys later," she spoke jokingly and turned to walk. Hermione turned and looked back at Joshua and Luna before leaving just in time to witness what Seraphina had been laughing at, Josh's face was bright red and was looking anywhere but Luna whilst Luna sidled up next to him and spoke softly enough that Hermione couldn't hear her but she was sure it was something outrageous as that was Luna's smile.
She chuckled and turned to quickly follow Seraphina to the edge of the camp.
Seraphine and Hermione strolled slowly through the camp. Seraphina would point out small things like "That's the well where we get our water," or "That's the healers house," and so on. Hermione noticed something and decided to bring it up as Seraphina seemed like an honest person.
"I don't see many children, but I know from the books I read in school that werewolf packs revolve around children and that they're the most sacred group in the pack. How come you have so few?"
Seraphina scoffed "Because Lord snake face wouldn't introduce women into the pack because he viewed them as too weak. The only few he introduced died."
Hermione looked at Seraphina, "Not one single woman he introduced survived?" she asked with fear in her voice. If Voldemort had thought these women strong enough to survive the transformation and they hadn't, what chance in hell did she have?
Seraphina looked at Hermione thoughtfully, "Only one survived," she spoke gravely, and Hermione noticed the serious change in her attitude and decided to stop prying. But she held onto the thought that one had survived.
They came upon some logs near the edge of the camp where Seraphina took a seat and so Hermione following her lead did the same. They were facing a small clearing in which the few children in the camp were playing. They were older children, the youngest Hermione guessed was probably 10 years old. That mean that the last female in the pack that was of childbearing age had been at that stage 10 years ago. That meant Seraphina was the only woman in the pack of childbearing age. Hermione suddenly understood her snarky attitude.
"The truth is Hermione, we have most of what we need now thanks to our Alpha," Seraphina spoke in a resigned voice. Hermione looked at her doubtfully, still thinking about the Draco she had experienced her entire life. She wasn't ready to let go of this idea she had in her head of how Draco was supposed to act just because he'd been some modicum of nice to her and Luna for the past few days. It didn't make up for a lifetime of torment. Seraphina noticed Hermione sinking into her own thoughts and spoke again. "I know our Alpha wasn't always the person he is today. I know he made mistakes and I know he treated you like crap. But I can't fault him for anything he's done for this pack because it's always been in our best interest. Our Alpha is what we call a true Alpha, as soon at they are turned they know they are destined for the position of Alpha and their entire being revolves around the pack from the moment they are turned. It's not like it is for the rest of us where we turn, and we work out our place in the pack and sometimes some of us move up the hierarchy but that's it. Our Alpha never even had to consider the Hierarchy; it simply did not exist to him.
Hermione pondered Seraphina's words whilst watching the children who were wrestling and laughing with each other. She had read books that mentioned true Alpha's before, but no one had ever been able to explain what made them true Alpha's and there was little on what a true Alpha was. "Honestly the two things this pack could use is wands, which was obviously vetoed at the meeting last night, or…." Seraphine trailed off and shifted uncomfortably.
"What?" Hermione asked eagerly, "What else would the pack consider?" Hermione continued.
Seraphine sighed, "Well the only other thing we need is more females," Seraphina spoke quickly and looked up at the children, her body braced as if Hermione would explode.
Hermione sighed dejectedly, "I worried that would be the only other option,".
Seraphina looked at Hermione sharply, "You don't mean you're actually considering it?" she blurted out loudly. All the children stopped playing and looked curiously over at Hermione and Seraphina. "You have a life, family, friends and you're going to give it up for the order's agenda?" Seraphina asked angrily.
Hermione's own temper spiked quite suddenly. "I would give anything to not have to do this," She spoke quietly but angrily, gesturing towards the children. Seraphina took her cue and calmed herself visibly. "But do not mistake me as some mindless soldier who is doing this for the order's agenda. I am doing this because the fate if the world rests on whether you join the order. I won't have a family or friends to go back to if I can't get your numbers on our side. Whilst your pack sits by idly and exists without interruption, my friends and family come home from each mission practically bleeding to death and it's my jobs to either fi them up or notify everyone that I couldn't save them and that yet another one died this week. You have no idea what that's like." Hermione spoke passionately, her magic exhibiting itself slightly with the way the air had grown much windier and colder.
Unlike most who backed down immediately and apologised when Hermione got into the state she was in, Seraphina looked her in her eye and gave her a stern nod to indicate she had been understood. Hermione's respect for the woman grew a lot from the reaction. "Well we better get back so you can present your looney idea to the Alpha, Seraphina joked whilst knocking Hermione's arms with her own. Hermione smiled and they both got up and made their way back to Hermione and Luna's tent.
Luna was waiting for them with a rather embarrassed and flustered Joshua at her side. Hermione and Seraphina approached them and Seraphina looked at Joshua inquisitively with one eyebrow raised and he cleared his throat rather awkwardly, " Well it has been a pleasure spending time with you Luna, I must go with Seraphina to organise more plans so I hope your talk with the Alpha goes well," He smiled tentatively at Luna who gave him a very sultry smile back and which Joshua's face went even redder. Then he and Seraphina left them.
"Jesus Luna you almost killed the man," Hermione got out through bursts if laughter. Luna started laughing hysterically herself.
"It was hilarious and quite fun," Luna spoke whilst wiping tears of laughter form her eyes.
They went inside packed their things up just in case and made their way to Draco's tent. They hesitated outside before joining hands and walking straight in.
Draco was sitting at his desk again but there was Garner and Ginny present as well. Luna and Hermione physically turned from Ginny and instead directed their bodies and eye contact towards Draco.
"Have you come to present another offer?" Draco asked them.
"Yes, we have," Hermione spoke commandingly, straightening her back and trying to give off an air of authority.
Garner looking bored decided to interrupt, " Look if I may, nothing you have to offer is really going to be valuable enough to sway our minds on this, the safety of the pack must come first," Garner spoke quickly and with genuine politeness to Hermione and Luna.
Hermione saw Luna smirk out of the corner of her eye. Nothing pleased Luna more than being underestimated. Luna had become more cunning since the war and Hermione even wondered sometimes whether she would fit int Slytherin more readily than Ravenclaw sometimes.
"Oh really? So, we shouldn't offer to give you women to largen your pack then?" Luna asked with a hint of sarcasm.
Draco and Garner took on shocked expressions and stared at Luna as if she had just spit a frog out of her mouth. Ginny however looked less surprised and more exasperated. "If you knew them like I did then you would've known they were smart and daring enough to offer this," Ginny stated, the exasperation coming through in her voice. Draco looked at Garner and they seemed to calm down a bit from the initial shock and seemed to have an exchange solely through eye contact, not unlike Hermione and Luna did.
"Just to be clear, which women in particular would you be offering?" Draco asked hesitantly. Hermione could tell he didn't want to get his hopes up, but he had to make sure they would actually survive the change.
Hermione looked at Luna for final confirmation and Luna nodded with a very serious face, "Well for starters Parvati Patil, Angelina Johnson and Astoria Greengrass though more may volunteer if asked," Hermione stated with a feeling of guilt in her gut.
Draco looked at Garner again and they shared another silent communication before Draco turned back to Hermione, "If you can provide me with a list of names I will consider your proposal," Draco spoke with an edge to his voice, if Hermione didn't know better she would identify it as longing. Hermione and Luna nodded and turned to leave.
"Oh, and Hermione?" Draco spoke again. Hermione turned to him with an eyebrow raised.
"There's one thins I want if my pack joins the order."
"And that is?" Hermione asked quizzically.
"You," Draco spoke again with that gravelly tone that Hermione definitely identified as belonging.
Hermione shivered and turned back around and walked out rather quickly with Luna fighting to keep up. "Why didn't you just tell them that we were going to join?" Luna asked, obviously confused at Hermione's actions.
"Because I know Draco," Hermione replied, "As I told Kingsley I know him better than anyone else, and I knew he would want me to join because he loves to compete with me and how can we compete when we are on such different levels. Of course, Draco would want to drag me down to his level. So, I knew I had to have it off the table to begin with so that when I do accept his terms, he feels like he's accomplished something or gained something out of the deal," Hermione finished as they came to their tent flap. Luna looked at her in admiration.
"God, I love how smart you are, you would have excelled in Ravenclaw," Luna spoke in her dreamy voice. "I know," Hermione responded with a wink before they ducked inside.