Trying not to panic Hermione told herself to take long, slow, deep breaths. She could smell everything, the squirrel's chittering in the trees, owls out for their midnight catch. Not only could she smell everything, but she could hear everything. Crickets, hundreds of feet away, a snake, hidden, some where deep in the brush.
Telling herself to breathe, reminding herself of which steps to take Hermione closed her eyes. Wishing nothing more than to see in color again. Hermione got through the first two before she crashed, in burning flames.
A yelp escaped the white wolf as something nudged her, ears flattening against the base of her skull out of reflex. Reflexes Hermione didn't know she had. The same something nudged Hermione against, making the girl spin around though she attempted to do it, with her new paws Hermione fell unceremoniously right into the soft dirt. Hermione couldn't be positive but she thought she heard a sign before a furry head began to lift her up.
'Could you at least try to act like you know what you're doing?' Hermione froze as the thoughts rolled through her mind. Thoughts that weren't her own. Two bi-colored eyes widened looking up at the black before her, the wolf in which Hermione assumed was Malfoy.
'How the hell did you do that? Can you hear me or is this just, well is it just your training?' Hermione wasn't sure if he'd be able to hear her or not. Though she knew from Harry that Malfoy had, had training in Occulmency. Hermione wasn't sure that wolves could glare until that moment.
'No. I would expect you to know this already, but we are indeed wizards who've been bewitched to turn into wolves, it gives us the ability to communicate as such. If you were thinking with your human brain you'd realize that I'm talking to you.' Malfoy's face twisted, looking like a terrifying snarl. 'Kind of.'
'Oh, sorry.' The whimper that escaped Hermione registered in her ears. Indeed they were making noises. 'Wolves are sentient beings though, they aren't capable of complex thoughts.' The whimper turned into a long winded wine. God even as an animal she was annoying.
'Look would you shut up.' Malfoy's command came out as a sharp, short, bark. 'Wizards, unfortunately, don't know a damn thing about animals. Besides who are we to say that this is sentient thought?' Malfoy nudged at Hermione ushering her to look behind her. Hermione could smell them already though, wolves, real ones.
'I am Light Paw, this is my pack and you, you are not like us.' Hermione turned carefully, slowly, making sure to keep her eyes downcast. After all she had done a lot of reading and in no way wanted to challenge the alpha while getting used to a different body.
'No, we are humans in wolf form.' Hermione looked to Malfoy, not minding as he took the lead on their situation. After all, what exactly did you say to a wolf?
'The human lady informed us of what would be going on. We can feel the pull. You two indeed were meant to be one with the wolves.' The alpha's eyes looked over them both, stopping on Hermione for a long moment. 'Are you the alpha of your pack?' The question was directed at Draco, though the alpha, Light Paw, kept his gaze on Hermione. Only then did Hermione's eyes snap up, landing on Light Paw, a wolfish smile spreading on his face. Canines bared, though Hermione felt no threat.
'No. No, we are not a pack or a union.' Malfoy answered his voice stern. 'We are simply, running in the same direction.' Hermione chortled a little at the pun. She had to admit, it was a fairly good one. Light Paw gave a nod.
'Noted. We would like you to run with us.' Light Paw gestured to the three wolves behind him, each strategically placed a bit behind the other. Hermione knew it was pack order. The closest one being the Beta. 'This is Storm Runner, Lilac, and Iron Cloud.' Each of the wolves nodded as they were introduced.
'Run with us.'
'Please, we would like to see how humans do as wolves.'
'We'll slow down if you need us to.' Each of the wolves seemed not only energetic, but enthusiastic about running with the humans.
'Enough.' Hermione flinched at the command of Light Paw, seeing exactly why he was the alpha. Each of the pack members wined in response, nothing intelligible coming from it. On the other hand, Malfoy didn't move a muscle. The stillness didn't go unnoticed by Light Paw. 'Let us run, see if these humans can keep up.' With a turn on a thick, long, grey, tail Light Paw began to run.
'You had better keep up.' Malfoy nudged at Hermione's flank again, urging her to run in order to catch up with the four wolves running in front of them. Malfoy didn't know why, but he refused to be out done by these wolves. After all, he was an athlete, he could run a fair bit, and with a stronger, sleeker, faster body, he had no doubt he'd be able to keep up. The partner beside him though, he was unsure of.
Hermione's feet didn't want to dig into the ground at first, didn't want something within her though, told Hermione to let go. That her over thinking it was causing her feet to trip up so much. So, Hermione let go. Let the body she occupied take control.
Hermione had never been one for exercise, truly the only exercise she needed lay in toting heavy library books up and down flights up stairs. Something about running though, feeling the wind whip through her fur, Hermione loved it. The pounding of soft paws on dirt, how her muscles moved, how she streaked through the forest with ease, passing lilac as she went. Smells assaulted Hermione quickly as she ran, what was more amazing, she was able to decipher them all.
Hermione didn't notice that she'd caught up to Light Paw, or that she was quickly over taking him. The scent of something delicious had hit her. What was it? Hermione didn't know but every instinct within her, told her to run faster, catch it and find out.
'Go get it!' Light Paw's command only fueled the young girl to run faster, she'd let her wolf instincts take control. They led her right to a deer. A soft, pretty, enticing deer, getting a late night drink. Hermione heard a snarl, it wasn't until after she felt her teeth sink into soft deer flesh, hot blood pooling in her mouth, that Hermione realized the snarl had come from her. The other wolves joined in quickly, ending the deer's life, taking no mind to Hermione as she backed up, wolf eyes looking terrified at Malfoy.
'What do I do? What do I do? I've got bl-bl-blood all over me.'
'Calm down don't panic.' Hermione indeed had begun to panic. 'Go wash it off in the river. You'll be alright.' The sounds of flesh tearing from bone could be heard as Hermione noisily splashed in the river, hating the cold chill that hit her. Though it was better than the warm blood.
'Is there any left on me?' Hermione twisted and turned in front of Malfoy.
'No, you got it all off.' He assured her. Hermione didn't know it, and wouldn't think of it for awhile but, even through what she presumed was his hatred for her, Malfoy was patient, patient and helpful.
'That was a good kill. Especially for a first one.' Light Paw's muzzle was coated in blood, making Hermione feel dizzy as he approached them. 'You would be a worthy mate.' Hermione didn't have time to filter through his words before Malfoy growled, turning quickly to face Light Paw, who didn't take kindly to being growled at.
'You said yourself she is not yours. She is a worthy mate, worthy of an alpha. If she is not yours I have a right to claim her, or is she yours?' Light Paw's bark turned into a guttural growl, his hair hitching as he stepped toward Malfoy who moved swiftly in front of Hermione shielding her from his view.
'She is not mine.' Malfoy was lost, not knowing what exactly to do in the situation. He had no idea why he stepped in front of Granger, but he knew for a fact that the wolf in front of him would not be laying at stake of claim on her. Not while he was around. It wouldn't do well for her to turn human around a wolf after it laid claim to her. At least, that was what he kept telling himself.
Hermione's fear peaked as Light Paw bared his fangs at Draco. The feel of it very threatening, inside her new chest, her heart pounded wetly.
'If she is not yours why do you protect her so.' The snarls coming from Light Paw's throat scared Hermione further as she stepped behind Draco more, shielding herself behind him, even as Draco began walking backwards, shielding Hermione further.
'She is not yours to claim either. We are not of your kind. We will be human again in the morning.' Hermione couldn't be positive but the growls coming from Malfoy's were deeper, a little scarier. Positive that Light Paw was a hair's inch away from pouncing on to Malfoy, surprise hit her when a playful yip escaped Light Paw, almost as if he were laughing.
'You are a worthy Alpha. Even if you are simply 'running in the same direction' she is lucky to have someone as you and you are lucky to find such a healthy beta.' Hermione almost burst through her paws. A test?! He was testing Draco?! Could that even be possible? A wolf testing a human? If just seemed unreal.
The pack had stopped feeding, aware that neither Draco or Hermione had taken part of their catch. Though they stared with interest as their Alpha growled with this newcomer. Looking at the wolves Hermione saw relief in their eyes. She didn't know if it was out of loyalty though, Hermione had a feeling that they didn't want to engage in a fight, or see their Alpha engage in a fight either. Standing a top the rock, Light Paw looked down at them all.
'We will sleep here for the night.' He sat on his haunches looking at each of them. Waiting. Hermione didn't know what he was waiting for until each of the wolves began to turn, in slow circles, finding a place to stay for the night. Hermione looked up at Light Paw shocked. He planned on watching them, for who knew how long.
'An alpha takes care of his pack little one.' Light Paw barked. A few ears flickered in his direction, used to listening for commands. 'Sleep.' Following suit Hermione pawed at the ground, trying to find the spongiest part of the ground. After a few minutes, not entirely happy but settling for what she had. They were sleeping on the forest floor after all, Hermione ungracefully plopped to the ground, her eyes closing.
Hermione shivered, though the feeling had an odd effect in her new form. She could feel the cold nipping at her through al the fur, but it wasn't the same as feeling the cold on her skin. Looking around, Hermione quickly adjusted to her new way of seeing things, as surprising as it was.
'Why are you moving so much? I at least want to get some sleep before Langdon wakes us in the morning.' Malfoy's low, rumbling, growls stilled Hermione who hated the whine she responded with.
'The ground may be soft but, I'm cold.' With a huff Malfoy turned, casting a sleepy eye on the wolfish form of Granger. 'Dig into some leaves, they'll keep you warm, just look at Lilac.' His shaggy head gestured toward the reddish-brown wolf, who had indeed burrowed into a pile of leaves. Hermione's lips pulled back away from her teeth as her muzzle scrunched.
'I'd rather not smell even worse than I have to in the morning.'
'Then get over being cold Princess. We are stuck this way for the next six hours. It won't hurt you to smell a little bit like dirt.' Hermione huffed hating how irritatingly correct Malfoy had become. Closing her eyes Hermione curled into a ball. Though the wind only seemed to get worse. A whimper escaped her, even in wolf form Hermione was small. The wind seemed like a big opponent to take on. Getting ready for another just to hit her, Hermione felt only warmth, warmth of another body curling around her.
'If you tell anyone, I'll kill you.' Malfoy threatened laying his head over the back of her neck, slowly Hermione's shivers began to die down. 'Plus, Langdon will kill me if I let you get sick. So don't think I'm doing this to be nice.' Hermione smiled despite herself. The warmth bringing a new wave of sleep upon her.
'Of course, that's why. Malfoy. I bet you were just getting cold too.' Even sleeping Hermione couldn't help but bark out smart quips.
'Just shut up and sleep Granger, before I change my mind and go lay with Lilac beneath her leaves.' Hermione had more to say, but decided against it, after all she didn't want Malfoy to leave her at the mercy of the wind again.