[Author's Note]
My husband asked me what I was giggling about this morning and it was entirely to do with the amazing reviews you guys left me. I love the questions and hearing what parts you enjoyed the most of each chapter. Seriously, it makes my day if not my week! In other news I have gone and made a tumblr: .com so please free to connect with me on there. I will be sharing snippets, aesthetics and answering questions over on that page.

Chapter 8

"You have to be kidding," Hermione said, crossing her arms in clear objection.

"What's the fuss, pet? It's just a little jump," Greyback said with a devilish grin and a twinkle in his golden eyes that Hermione pointedly refused to find endearing. And yet somehow he managed to make her smile. That was the pull he had on her even though she wouldn't acknowledge this fact to anyone least of all herself. A part of Hermione felt guilty for enjoying his company and their long days of trekking. It was grueling and exhausting to climb through the terrain but she enjoyed learning what she could from Greyback. In addition to being her link to life as a werewolf, he had a great deal of knowledge about surviving in the natural world.

It was hard to imagine that it had been weeks since fate set her on this course with Hermione falling through a hole like Alice tumbling into Wonderland. Only she wasn't guided by a chipper white rabbit rather a tall blond werewolf with a dangerous history. And there was the minor detail of him being allied with the Death Eaters or that despite their truce Hermione wasn't sure he wouldn't turn her over to Lord Voldemort if given the opportunity. Emphasis on minor details, she thought drily to herself each time this conundrum crossed her mind.

"Little? That has to be at least 15 meters. Forget it, Greyback. There is no way you are going to get me to jump," Hermione said with a tone of finality that only seemed to goad the other werewolf more.

"Is that so?"
"Yes," she said jutting her chin at him. For Hermione it was pointless to try to match his gaze squarely as Greyback towered over her but she tried to at the very least carry herself with a presence that demanded she be taken serious. Clearly Greyback was immune to such.

The source of their disagreement laid before them. Standing on moss covered boulders they were quite a distance above the natural pool below. The beautiful azure waters and the nearby waterfall were quite inviting after their long walk in the heat of the afternoon but for Hermione the risk was not worth the reward. She thought surely the man who had spent a great deal of his lifetime outdoors would agree with her sentiment. However, apparently Greyback was also more adventurous than she would have predicted.

"I am not about to go breaking my leg again," she said.

"That's very responsible of you. I bet you're lots of fun at parties, pet," Greyback said, growing more amused by the moment as Hermione huffed.

"I've told you to stop calling me that," Hermione said but there was no bite behind her tone. However, ever the notorious wallflower at any social engagement she did bristle at the insinuation she was no fun for the simple matter she knew he was right. Hermione had found herself the de facto caretaker of both Ron and Harry since they were eleven-years-old and old habits died hard when it came to being the responsible level-headed one.

But even so she wasn't going to let Greyback get away with that comment.

"Fine. I will show you fun," and Hermione felt a surge of uncustomary mischief as she grabbed him by the arm. There was no time for him to react as she leapt off the boulder, taking him with her and plunging them both into the cool waters waiting below.

As they both broke the surface, Greyback still donned a wide grin only now he was clearly feeling triumphant. "See, I knew you had it in you."

Hermione rolled her eyes and splashed him but she was smiling too. The young woman closed her eyes and floated on the surface of the pool for several long minutes. The frigid water felt good after the many hours they had spent walking under the sun. There were storm clouds on the horizon though and a promise that the heat would soon be replaced by rain. She credited her newfound senses to the fact that she could smell and taste the difference in the air by the approaching weather.

It felt strangely empowering to possess this ability, among other things. She peppered Greyback with questions constantly, taking mental notes of all the important details that came with being a werewolf.

You need to find a balance between the wolf and human, he had told her in one of their many lengthy conversations. That is the problem with your "domesticated" werewolves, the ones that try to assimilate with the wizards because they forget how to be a wolf. They fear their primal side. Each full moon becomes a power struggle between the two rather than coexistence.

Hermione had thought of Remus Lupin at the time, a man she knew was deeply tormented by his condition. He was nothing like Greyback she had noted as well. Whereas Remus was gaunt, pale and carried himself with the concealed exhaustion of a man fighting his personal demons each full moon Greyback seemed to balance between the two identities. It was plain to see he felt no shame in what he was underneath the mortal guise. However Hermione constantly reminded herself that Greyback was not be the pinnacle of being a werewolf: he had a lengthy list of crimes to show for that, one of which had been turning Lupin into a werewolf.

There had been several occasions Hermione had wanted to ask him directly about why he had done what he did to not just Lupin but countless other children over the years but the timing never felt right. Internally, she was annoyed with herself for not bringing up these uncomfortable conversation points but Hermione also knew their alliance was a fragile one. They still needed to make it out of the endless forest and it was easier to do so if they didn't actively despise one another.

And maybe deep down Hermione didn't want to hear his explanation. In her heart she knew it would never suffice for the horrors he had done. It was easier to separate the villainous Greyback persona with the witty wildman in front of her if she avoided going down certain avenues in her mind.

At least for now, she convinced herself.

It was a short while later they set up camp a few meters off the river embankment. Greyback worked speedily setting up a simple a-frame from gathered logs while Hermione made a fire. After watching Greyback numerous times she was finally catching on in the finesse of creating those first precious embers. It wasn't as quick as an incendio spell but she was just as satisfied with her creation as the flames licked the gathered brush, combusting into a steady-burning fire.
Greyback gave an approving nod as he finished the last details to their makeshift home.

At first she had hated sleeping even in the same vicinity of him but now Hermione didn't think much of curling up against Greyback back to back. She told herself it was the wolfen instincts that she now harbored that made it more appealing and nothing more.

"You have been quiet," Greyback remarked as he sat down opposite of Hermione. Dusk was fast approaching and the light of the fire highlighted the tapestry of scars across Fenrir's bare chest. Hermione was embarrassed to admit she found them fascinating.

"Sorry," she said.

"Oh I wasn't complaining," he retorted with a playful tone but Hermione's mood didn't change. After a moment he asked, "is there something on your mind?"

"Asking that is a bit like opening up pandora's box, don't you think?" Hermione said but winced slightly at the harshness in her own voice.

He said nothing. While Greyback's smile had faded his expression remained calm and empathetic. He had shepherded Hermione into this new existence of being a werewolf with surprising patience. It made her realize why he was such a compelling leader among his pack. Not just for his ferociousness but his capacity to build confidence and loyalty in others was what made him a powerful Alpha.

"Who are you really, Fenrir Greyback?" She finally asked, the words coming out before Hermione could stop herself from letting them escape. Apparently the conversation she had wanted to evade was springing to a head by her own compulsiveness. Why couldn't I leave this well alone?

"The loathsome beast or -"

"Prince Charming?" He offered with a crooked smile.

"I am being serious," she said with a stern look. They were not discussing storybook characters.

"As am I but I couldn't help the metaphor. What is it you wish for me to say to this? Is it so hard to comprehend that one can be both? I have done a great deal many things that I consider necessary evils and I don't hide that."

She wanted to argue that there was no such thing as a necessary evil but even now Hermione was not so short-sighted as to believe that. In her young life Hermione had not been a saint, doing what needed to be done to keep both her and her loved ones safe. But there is no comparison, Hermione wanted to tell herself.

"But why You-Know-Who? Why do you fight for the Death Eaters?" She finally asked the question that lurked in her mind ever since she had grown to like Greyback. Hermione did not want to admit that it was confusing that the man who had saved her had also been the one to cause so much havok in her world. She didn't want him to be both the hero and the villain because if she saw humanity in him Hermione feared what that could mean in the grand scheme of fighting this war. It was easier to do battle with one's foes if Hermione could see them as harbingers of evil.

"I don't fight for them, I fight with them and there is a difference, pet. There are many of our kind that look to me for their protection. Protection from a wizarding world that would rather see them in shackles or dead then ever call them equals. We are less than second class citizens in your world. My people must fight for the basic dignities of life. Can you understand that? The struggle to find your place in a world that doesn't want you there. My allegiance to the Dark Lord is based on the fact that he promised us change and a future we can be a part of."

Hermione wanted to tell him it wasn't true but how could she deny his words? How could she deny the reality of his world when she had merely just entered it herself. Hermione had seen from a distance the troubles that the Wizarding world inflicted on those with lycanthropy. Lupin could never keep a stable job because of his condition, not even in the protected position of professor at Hogwarts. When they had married, had Tonks not told Hermione their struggle to even get a marriage license because of Lupin's condition? It pained Hermione to know there was likely a great deal of truth behind Greyback's conviction.

The young woman promised herself things would be different when she returned. She would advocate for them and surely she could convince Harry and the others to as well. Hermione would use her voice to get their needs met. She would show Greyback that there was another way. Even in Hermione's head these thoughts felt naive but she didn't care.

"Whatever he promised you have to know won't happen," Hermione said softly, it wasn't meant to be an insult but rather a gentle plea. She couldn't imagine any sort of utopic future under the reign of Lord Voldemort and when Hermione looked into Greyback's eyes she saw he had his own doubts as well.

"It was the best chance my kind had at prosperity," Greyback replied in earnest. "I do not regret fighting for it."

"Was?" Hermione asked, wondering if this meant the werewolf did not think his side had won. She could only hope for as much but she kept that to herself.

"I suppose we will have to wait and see what waits for us," Greyback said.

Hermione was beginning to see the world from the Alpha's perspective. She could never sympathize with the Death Eaters for obvious reasons but understood the responsibility Greyback had to his pack. Hermione couldn't fully speak to the cruelties of the wizarding world only that she had witnessed enough of it through the plight of Lupin and even the house elves to know that there were moral oversights to her Ministry's sense of justice and basic rights.

Neither spoke for some time. It wasn't until night set in and the symphony of crickets chirping filled the air that the tension began to dissipate.

"Do you feel that?" Greyback asked and Hermione didn't need to reply as she felt the change in pressure and the smell of rain approaching. They moved to the a-frame structure just as the first drops of rain pelted the earth. It wasn't long after before the rain came down with more intensity and the crack of thunder echoed through the trees. There wasn't much room in the shelter, just enough that they could both lay down. With the warmth radiating off of Greyback laying beside her Hermione didn't long for a blanket.

Hermione couldn't be certain she hadn't accidentally projected herself as she had earlier. However, if Greyback was aware of the full gamut of her conflicting feelings about him he kept as much to himself. Despite her worries she was eventually lulled asleep by the quiet rise and fall of Greyback's body beside her.

Present Day
Diagon Alley

"Thank you for coming," Harry said.

"I should say thank you for the invitation," Lupin replied warmly. "It has been awhile since I have gone anywhere other than the hospital and the home. I was glad to receive your owl. I know we didn't get a chance to talk during your last visit with Hermione."

"Sorry about that," Harry said sheepishly. "I had meant to track you down afterwards but I was summoned back to work."

It was a quiet afternoon in Diagon Alley and the cafe they chose to meet for tea had no other guests save Harry and Lupin. The nondescript location meant there was no chance of Harry being recognized; years after the war it wasn't all too uncommon for the war hero to be bombarded by thankful citizens. As the owner brought by their orders, Lupin wore an expression of paternal pride admiring Harry's auror robes.

"Your mum and dad would be quite proud of the man you have become Harry."

Harry rubbed the back of his neck reminding Lupin even more of his deceased father James as the young man said thank you.
"I am sorry I haven't kept up more with you and Tonks," Harry said. Indeed the famed Boy Who Lived had let his relationships languish since the war ended. Even though he saw Tonks in passing at work, they operated in different jurisdictions but he knew that wasn't the full reason he had kept his distance. When so many of his loved ones had died, to include Hermione, Harry had thrown himself into his Auror studies to pay penance for his inability to save the lives that were lost. He imagined that Lupin's owls had been among the many Harry had ignored in that time and this caused him guilt now that he could see his life a little more clearly..

It amazed Harry still that Ginny had stuck by him in those years, no matter how moody and distant he had been she had saw him through it all.

"It's quite alright, Harry. Perhaps when you are less busy you could stop in for dinner and see Teddy," Lupin said graciously and Harry emphatically agreed. Lupin drew his briefcase to the table, retrieving several files as their meeting turned to more pressing matters. "Now I wanted to discuss a few matters with you about Hermione's condition."

Harry looked over the documents with a furrowed brow, "so all of this means she is doing good then?"

"Yes, she has definitely made a lot of progress. Fewer aggressions and she seems to be fitting in well with the others. Hermione has even begun talking more. So this is all wonderful progress for sure."

"But does she remember anything yet? About what happened at the Battle or where she's been all this time?" Harry asked the question that had been looming in everyone's mind. He recalled something the doctors had told her at St Mungo's about the possibility Hermione had suffered trauma so badly it had caused her to break from reality. Or perhaps just as troubling someone had oblivated her mind and left behind a shell of the former witch. Either way, it drove Harry mad to not have the answers of what had befallen his friend.

"I am afraid she doesn't have any recollection of what happened just yet but there was something she said the other day that caught my attention," Lupin said. Carefully leaving out the detail of whom Hermione had attacked, Lupin recounted the interaction he had with Hermione in the infirmary. "She said something about this person not being worthy of the gift."

"And you think she was talking about being a werewolf? Harry said to which Lupin nodded. The younger man couldn't help but notice the grave lines in the older werewolf's expression as he went on.

"I have only heard one other person use those exact words before," Lupin said and for a moment he was haunted by an image of a looming white wolf. It was the same figure that had taken residence in his nightmares since childhood. After a long pause Lupin met Harry's gaze evenly, "Fenrir Greyback once said them to me."

"No," Harry said as he tasted the bile rise in his throat. Underneath the table Harry clenched his hands into fists until he could feel his nails draw blood. Of course Harry, in the days after Hermione's deliverance back to their world, had asked himself over and over how she had become a werewolf. Somehow it was easier to cope with believing it had been some unknown creature and not the hellacious minion of the Death Eaters. But the more he mulled over this revelation in his mind the more it gathered creedence. We never did find Greyback, the Auror thought to himself.

Sensing Harry disappear into his own world, Lupin cleared his throat and tried to press on. "We need to consider the possibility that she was kidnapped by him."

"If he's out there I will be the one to bring him in," Harry vowed with a tone of venom. In truth, the former professor wished for nothing more than to see that turn, Lupin promised he would do everything he could to help Hermione; if what they believed was true then it was hard for either of the men to fathom what she might have endured in her time away.

When Harry and Lupin finally parted the young Auror went immediately back to his office at the ministry. Learning of his friend's misfortune left him feeling helpless but Harry was determined to remedy that by finding the one who had inflicted this upon her. Sending a patronus to Ginny with an apology that he wouldn't likely be home in time for dinner, Harry told himself he would have to explain the details to her later and was thankful she would understand.

His office was small but symbolic in his rise through the ranks of the Aurors. It was uncommon for someone so new to the force to already have their own space but Harry had proven himself to his command countless times in tracking down dark wizards. Harry didn't like to boast though and worked hard so he could be seen for his merits outside of simply being the Boy Who Lived. All the awards and accolades he received through the years were kept in a modest cabinet hidden from view. The only personal trappings of his office were the handful of pictures on his desk and the obligatory plaque with his name and rank perched for guests to see when they sat down.

Immediately he went to work digging up old case files that might get him started on where to find the elusive menace known as Fenrir Greyback. According to his cursory search the Ministry had marked him missing but presumed dead. Only that meant little to Harry now, knowing the same had been said for Hermione up until a few weeks ago. Harry would continue to search through anything that resembled Greyback's penchant for violence and chaos. It was mostly dead-ends but that was to be expected. No one had truly been looking for the infamous werewolf in the past few years; perhaps he had changed his attack pattern or gone dormant. Later Harry would broaden his search to international outlets and see if there were any details that matched Greyback.

All of this would be easier if only Hermione could tell us what happened, Harry thought sadly. He knew that neither Lupin or him could be entirely certain of whether it had been Greyback who had changed Hermione but at this point it seemed likely. He wanted justice for Hermione and for Lupin too. And all he needed was the smallest breadcrumb to lead him in the right direction. Even a subtle clue as small as a grain of sand in investigating could lead to the proverbial beach. All Harry needed was that single lead.

Before Harry could get too situated there was a knock at his office door. Chief Inspector Savage let himself in carrying a scroll under his arm. "The secretary said you were in, Potter. Figured I would drop this by and let you have a look."

"Yes sir, what is it?" Harry asked, taking the scroll from the superior officer. Chief Inspector Savage had been on the force long before Harry had even gone to Hogwarts and held himself like a man who had weathered both the good and bad over his significant tenure. Short and stocky the older wizard wore a military fade haircut and greying mustache. His boots were always polished and his robes finely pressed. Despite his gruff exterior he had been kind to Harry through the years, mentoring the young Auror in his early career.

Harry opened the contents to see the reports even as Chief Inspector Savage spoke, "Two missing in Camberley and another in Upton. All three of them were registered lycanthropes."

"Have the local authorities been involved?" Harry asked, absently going over the procedural questions as he scanned for details

"We are trying to keep this one quiet for now," the Chief Inspector replied. Harry nodded; it wasn't entirely uncommon for certain cases to be be handled discretely until more evidence could be uncovered. Harry knew involving the press and public too soon could kill a case. "I'll look into this, sir."

With a short nod the older Auror left. Meanwhile Harry stared down at the scroll and began to wonder if there might be a connection between the missing werewolves and his new search for Fenrir Greyback. It was time to follow the breadcrumbs.