Chapter 11: Making Connections

Hermione stretched and yawned. Severus was no longer lying on her belly, but this didn't bother her one bit, especially when she saw the large plate covered in meat still sizzling by the fire.

"For your other appetite," the note stuck to the side of the plate read. It wasn't signed, but Hermione could tell it was from him thanks to his distinctive spidery scrawl.

Purring loudly, Hermione made quick work of the meat and then lay back down, grooming at her fur until it shone.

Of course, after all that sleeping and a filling meal, Hermione was wide awake. Though the fire's warmth was tempting, she turned away and slunk through the kitchen, wincing as her wings caught on some of the pots and pans still set out on the counters. They made a terrible sound, but when no one came running to yell at her, she continued, making sure to tuck her wings tightly to her body.

It was weird to have muscles and body parts that she wasn't used to just as it was somewhat odd to walk on all fours instead of upright. But as Hermione continued out of the kitchen and into the large entrance hall beyond, she found that she was becoming used to it rather quickly. She supposed that this must have been due to having an Animagus form- after all, squirrels often use all four legs to get around.

"Mrrr!" She exclaimed, as her thoughts rushed back to what she'd thought of earlier, when she'd transformed back into a Manticore again.

Though she didn't have her wand with her, Hermione knew that, technically, it was possible to change into one's Animagus form, but it was far more difficult, required a lot of focus, and was much more difficult to change back to a human. This was a problem for many witches and wizards, some of whom spent so long in their magical form that they nearly forgot their humanity.

Hermione shuddered. Though Manticores were obviously smarter than squirrels, she didn't want to be trapped forever as one.

She padded around in the darkness, taking in the dilapidated state that the castle appeared to be in. She supposed that she could understand the logic Severus had used when purchasing it- after all, winters here were obviously rather extreme, and running through a giant, drafty castle would be far easier than trying to restrain a Manticore in, say, a hunter's cabin. Severus obviously hadn't cared much to do any upkeep beyond some protective wards, which did keep some of the cold out, and stasis charms on a bunch of the larger sculptures and friezes, ostensibly in a bid to keep them from crumbling to dust during one of his Manticore rampages. The wide double doors in most areas of the castle meant that Hermione could partially extend her wings while walking through them without getting stuck.

She finally made it back to the tower where Severus had made his blanket nest. The scent in the room made her purr loudly with the memory of how soft his fur had been against her body. She pressed her nose against the flattened pillows and chuffed loudly. She missed him. Even though her human mind knew that he'd be back, the Manticore part of her mind felt a keen longing and a desire to...well...Hermione knew she wouldn't object to more of that, regardless of the form she took.

The fact that she should have been at least a bit horrified at the thought of mating with a Manticore didn't seem to register, not when she knew it was Severus, albeit in a large, furry, venomous form.

After rolling around and covering her body with his scent and leaving her own there as well, Hermione got to work trying out her pet theory. She closed her eyes and focused...hard. She got the same tingling sensation in her nose that she got while imagining her Animagus form and for a moment, she thought she could feel her body changing back to its human form. But then, a bitter, caustic flavor rose up through the back of her throat like bile and she found herself dry heaving with her head pressed against the floor.

Pop!

"Hisssssssss!"

Hermione flattened her ears and turned her head to look behind her.

A snake that looked just like Nagini opened its mouth and bared its fangs at her, its neck rising up out of her stumpy tail. Its length was rather poor, so when it struck, it merely bit her flank, but Hermione roared in agony. The pain was instantaneous, and though Hermione logically knew that manticores were immune to all types of venom, she collapsed on her side as the pain traveled up from the entry site and a horrible hissing voice filled her mind.

Bite. Hurt. Kill.

Hermione shook her head back and forth, roaring loudly as she did so, but the voice persisted.

Hurt. Hurt him. Hurt them all.

With a final roar of pain, Hermione was on her feet again and she ran around the tower room, shaking her head. She was dimly aware that the snake growing from her tail was hovering near her ear, hissing loudly and swiped at it with her claws without much effect. Her body filled with rage and confusion. She bit into the pillows and tore the plush fabric, her human mind unable to do much to control her body until she'd finally spent her energy and lay panting upon the remains of the plush sleeping area. As her eyes cleared, she raised her head slowly to find that her damnable snake-tail had grown sluggish and was curled up on her rump, its eyes closed. It seemed that it couldn't do much to control her once its venom was depleted. Wearily, she padded down the stairs and found herself back in the kitchens. A very annoyed-looking Severus was pacing back and forth in front of the fire wearing what looked like a transfigured burlap sack. When he saw the curled, sleeping snake on her rump, he frowned and motioned for her to wait, turning and going through the warded door. A few minutes later, he rushed back out with a vial of bright green liquid.

"Drink this," he said, as he unstoppered it.

Hermione sat on her haunches and gave him a skeptical look.

"It will control your snake so it won't bite you," he explained. "You tried to change back to your human form using your Animagus visualizations, didn't you?"

Hermione lowered her head and flattened her ears, embarrassed at being caught.

Severus let out a rueful laugh. "Actually, it was the first thing I tried. Bit me in the arse. Literally."

Hermione presented him with her flank, which seemed to have mostly healed, even though the puncture wounds were still visible.

"I thought you'd need this," Severus said with a sigh, producing out a small tube of salve from the folds of his robe. He spread it over the bite and Hermione sagged with relief as a warm, pleasant sensation settled over the area.

"Mrrr," Hermione said, bumping his shoulder gently with her head.

"You're welcome, you great big menace," Severus replied, ruffling her ears gently. "Now, then, you need to take your potion."

Hermione sniffed it and sneezed, snorting with disgust.

"Yes, I am aware it tastes ghastly," Severus said, deadpan. "Desperate times…."

Hermione looked back at the sleeping snake and sighed, angling her head back a bit and holding her mouth open.

Severus used one hand to pour the potion into her mouth while also rubbing the underside of her muzzle and massaging her throat gently to ensure she swallowed the entire thing.

Hermione shuddered and growled when she was done, shaking her head from side to side as the bitter flavor filled her mouth.

"Here, chew on this. It'll take away some of the bitterness," Severus pulled out a small spherical object and Hermione opened her mouth, allowing him to press it against her tongue.

She rolled it around in her mouth and sighed with relief as a sweet citrus flavor washed away the horrid bitterness of the potion.

"No, I did not steal them from Albus' office," Severus grumbled. "I ordered them by owl. They're Mimi's favorite."

Hermione was just relieved that her mouth no longer tasted like fermented gym socks. She chuffed loudly and nuzzled Severus until he stumbled back a bit.

"I missed you too, Hermione." Severus pointed his wand at the door, the wards rising up like a shining wall. "In more than one way…"

Hermione pressed the side of her head against his cheek and she could hear him humming with pleasure as her fur tickled his skin gently, his eyes closed with the pleasure of it. She took this opportunity to half-pounce on him and began grooming him in earnest until he finally glared at the utter mohawk she was making of his hair. His veins had begun to glow green and Hermione stood, allowing him to remove his ugly robes. She couldn't help but stare at his naked body, wondering at how beautiful he was, even with the scars and the pockmarks and the parts of him that were so angular and pinched that she could see the years of starvation that had been carved from his body.

"Oh, and before I become an insatiable beast," Severus said, turning back and fixing Hermione with a look that was pure sex, "I thought you should know that the potion is ready. It just needs to cool for another twenty-four hours or so. When the full moon rises, we should be free at last."

Hermione could feel her pupils dilating, but she wasn't quite sure which was a more tempting prospect. She settled with tackling him again and rolling until she was on her back with him lying on her belly again, just as she'd fallen asleep earlier.

Somehow, it just felt right.

With a roar and a cascade of rippling skin and muscle, Severus transformed into his manticore form. Hermione expected to shrink and turn into her human form, and yet, as before, she felt only the preliminary twinges of the change making themselves known. Meanwhile, Severus was staring down at her with smouldering eyes, his tongue immediately being put to good use by grooming Hermione relentlessly, likely as payback for earlier and then some. Hermione rumbled with pleasure as he pressed his weight against her, nipping at her neck in a show of play-dominance. She didn't flinch at all, pressing her neck against his teeth in acceptance of his display. She trusted him with her throat and her soft underbelly. She knew he would not...would never hurt her. As soon as she thought the words, she knew they were true And, as he made it altogether obvious what more he wanted to do, she found herself rather excited at the prospect of it. For she knew that once they'd gone that far together in their monstrous forms as well, that it would forever change their relationship with one another.

After all, it was common knowledge that manticores mate for life.