December 1995,

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I never expected to dream last night.

I didn't tell Nymphadora, but I did some research of my own on 'lucid dreaming' after she showed me the text she bought. The neurophysiologic approach to dreams, documented in writings as early as the fifth century, claimed that it was possible to experience conscious dreaming—to recognise that one was dreaming, and yet continue to dream. Although it was achievable, however, it was uncommon. Lucid dreaming required a balance of reason and emotion that was difficult to sustain, even after training.

If 'conscious' dreams were rare, the instances recorded of persons channelling the ability to enable dreaming while under a Morpheus Charm were rarer still. Without entering a dream state, there was no chance of becoming aware of dreaming, thus no possibility of experiencing a lucid dream.

One wizard authority on sleep and Sleep Charms said the odds against dreaming under a Morpheus Charm were a million to one.

My 'advanced research' as I considered it, lulled me into viewing my partner's new 'hobby' as an amusing pastime. I fully believed I would spend a dreamless night and find a way to comfort my love in the morning.

I should have known Nymphadora was one in a million.

Even if I had thought it possible, though, I would not have objected. I'm not against sharing dreams, despite my mixed feelings about canine affection. In fact, I only suggested using a sleeping potion to ascertain whether blood magic triggered without conscious stimulation.

I didn't have dry heaves when I woke because she beat the odds. The pressure in my chest and abdomen was not caused by knowing we had been together in a dream. It was due to how we had been together.

Before, my wolf had been in control. Nymphadora's wolf shared his dream, following as he led her through the Forbidden Forest, the world he remembered.

This time, she controlled the dream.

The wolf had no interest in human females in red garments. He had picked up a familiar scent and entered the clearing in search of the source. When the human walked out of the circle and disappeared, he did not care. All he knew was that his mate was standing before him.

He led the way through the forest, resigned to a long night hunting for food, until his mate barked. She wanted to retrace their path. He didn't try hard to resist her appeal.

After they returned to the clearing, something about the unnatural circle made him leery of entering it. The grass should have been covered in snow. The breeze should have smelt of ice and the brown leaves buried under it, not grass and flowers. Caution made him to growl an order for them to leave.

His mate disobeyed, leaping into the ring. When she disappeared, the wolf was confused and distressed. He could smell her, but could not see her. In her place was the human female he had seen before.

He took the food and came back only because he detected his mate's scent on the bone. When the human acted submissively, he approached, ignoring the noises she made to focus on one thing: scent.

The human smelled like his mate. Not exactly—there was no fur—but enough to cause confusion. When she made a whimpering sound, some instinct compelled the animal to enter the circle. Once he stepped onto the grass, his perception changed.

The human female was his mate. The wolf did not know why this ring made her shift from her true form to one so alien, but he would not leave her. He would simply wait for her to become a wolf again. While he waited, he allowed her to groom him and picked a flower out of her strange pelt in return. He licked her face and patiently watched over her as she slept.

It was the knowledge that the wolf now considered my partner his mate that caused my body to retch this morning. I still feel my gut twisting. I had drawn a sharp dividing line in my mind between animal and human. I can't help but feel as though last night revealed it to have been drawn in sand, which Nymphadora's will swept away.

I don't know what to do or how to react, so I'll do what I've always done when thoughts weighed heavily on my mind. I'll take a walk.

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A/N: Those of you who read ch 22 of Moonlight and Shadow first know that he didn't feel better after his walk! The people whose reviews made me feel warm fuzzies this week were...♥ 40/16 ♥ alix33 ♥ Calenmarwen ♥ cupcakeswirl ♥ ElspethBates ♥ Embellished ♥ Fauzia ♥ FNP ♥ Freja Lercke-Falkenborg ♥ GraceRichie ♥ Io. sono. Emilia ♥ ishandtwofourths ♥ Kates Master ♥ Kileaiya ♥ ladyofthebookworms ♥ LolaCherryColaGirl ♥ MollyCoddles ♥ Moontime ♥ Nethiel Nessime ♥ Operamuse ♥ RahNee ♥ rillie ♥ siriuslycoco ♥ Sivaroobini Lupin-Black ♥ Slipknot-3113 ♥ Sophia Loren ♥ and ♥ Underworld Babe ♥