Chapter Five

Hermione's kitchen wasn't as big as you'd expect for an apartment, but it was big enough for her; with only Hermione and her cat living in the apartment they didn't take up a lot of space. She had pastel curtains hanging in front of her pothole window sitting on top of her sink; her kitchen adjoined her dining room but the only light in the room was from that pothole. Hermione sighed, looking out her window she could see people playing in the park; taking a sip from her tea she turned to face Ginny. Ginny was twirling her wand over her tea stirring in some sugar and leafing through one of Hermione's many Animagus book. "Uhm," she started pausing on a page, "is this true?" Ginny asked, staring incredulously at the page open on the table.

"Hmm?" Hermione asked absentmindedly.

"This," Ginny replied, pointing to the page, "This thing about having babies in animagus form"

"Oh, yeah." replied Hermione crinkling her nose. "Kind of strange isn't it. But hey, I guess they have to have everything in it."

Ginny cringed away from the page. "Eww."

"Meh." Hermione turned back to the window, " Hey, do you think I should get a dog?"

Ginny jumped, "What? Where did that come from?" Ginny questioned, narrowing her eyes.

Hermione sighed, "I don't know, I've just been feeling like there's this empty space next to me." Sitting down next to Ginny, Hermione covered her eyes with her hands.

Ginny narrowed her eyes, "So it has nothing to do with you staring out the window or the last hour?"

"No," Hermione replied looking back up at her friend, "It just made me think about it again. But I don't know, I don't want Crookshanks to feel unwanted."

"He won't Hermione," reassured Ginny, "he's a magical creature. He'll understand."

Hermione smiled, "Your right Ginny, thanks."

Ginny smiled back, "No problem; but, umm, do you know what kind of dog you want?"

Frowning, Hermione shook her head, "No, but I'll know it when I see it."

As Draco stared out his window at the Lestrange Manor, he couldn't help but think back to a few months ago; he had been getting impatient with his father's training and was getting anxious for his birthday.

The snow was falling harder and harder by the minute, Draco could feel it piling up on his shoulders; he had been tromping through the snow for the better part of an hour, and he was almost there. Coming up over a hill, he could see the trees ahead of him; they were tick enough that the snow wouldn't be able to reach him. Draco pulled his scarf tighter across his frozen face; he couldn't feel his feet or his hands, and his legs were catching up. Stomping his feet Draco sighed, he knew he was going against his family's wishes but he didn't care. He'd been doing things on his own for the past ten years, he could do this too.

Once Draco was under the trees he shook the snow from his hair and looked around for few minutes. Nodding, he set of to his left. The ground was littered in stray leaves and twigs from squirrels leaping from tree to tree, God, I hope I'm not a squirrel, Draco thought, shuddering; he'd never be able to look at his father again if he was. After a few minutes of tripping over stray roots and brushing over hanging branches from his hair, Draco finally found the rock he was looking for. He'd been here before with Pansy and some other girls, but this was the first time he'd come here alone.

Draco looked around, embarrassed, before closing his eyes and taking out his wand. After concentrating for a few minutes, he felt himself begin to shift. It wasn't as unpleasant as he thought it would be, but it was a hell of a lot worse than Polyjuice Potion. Groaning from the tingling and stretching of his limbs, Draco felt himself arch forward. Then it was done, just like that; no more tingling, no more pulling. Of course, he was still hunched over, well more like standing on all four legs? Draco shook his head, so he was a wolf; well that was good news. AT least his father couldn't disown him. Wolves were neither good nor evil, they were in between.

Draco turned away from the rock and angled his ears up the hill; he could hear shuffling over the hill. With a quiet growl, he bounded up the hill; jumping over roots and ducking under low-hanging branches, he came to a stop near a bush, peeking through the remaining leaves, Draco saw and almost silver wolf sniffing around a pond. Sniffing in the air he noticed that it was a girl, and by golly she was the prettiest thing Draco'd ever seen. He watched as she stepped up to the water's edge to take a drink and jump back at the coldness of the water. Draco's tail started to wag; mentally cursing at the noise, He decided to step out from behind the bush.

Instead of running away, the other wolf just cocked her head at him; tongue hanging out and tail swishing back and forth, the other wolf just stood there. So Draco walked up to her and started sniffing her, before stopping abruptly. Not just because she smelled like vanilla, but because he realized what he was doing. A Malfoy doesn't sniff anyone, whether they're an animal or not. Draco was about to back up when the other wolf turned to look at him and brushed her flank against his, before turning and running off. Draco took this as a challenge and took off after her; they weaved through the trees and around rocks, until finally they reached a small trickling creek. The she-wolf stopped in front of it and looked back at him.

Draco walked up to her and brushed against her, not even thinking about what he was doing, just thinking about how it seemed right, like he was supposed to do it. Sure, when Draco woke up tomorrow, he'd second guess why he felt this way about a wolf; but right now, that's what he was too. A wolf.

Looking back at the wolf Draco bounded across the stream and over some rocks. A few moments later he head paw steps behind him; without turning around Draco sped up a hill and jumped over a rock. The she-wolf was following close behind; after a few moments, Draco felt her brush past him and dive into a bush. He paused, What was she doing in a bush? he thought, walking up to it. Just as Draco had reached the bush the she-wolf jumped back out with a bird in her mouth; startled, he jumped back in surprised.

Draco cocked his head; Does she expect me to eat that? he thought curling his lips. But the other wolf just looked at him and wagged her tail. They stood like that for a while before the she-wolf turned towards a rock and jumped on it. Draco followed her with his gaze; there was moonlight streaming through the trees her, and it was shining on her coat. Wow, Draco thought, staring at it dreamily, She sure does look pretty. Sighing, he jumped up on the rock next to her; laying down the other wolf set the bird at her paws and looked up at the moon. Draco could see the gleam reflecting in her eyes, and then she started to howl.

Draco froze, What in the name of merlin- oh wait, wolves howl at the moon. Well, then- and Draco joined her. Howling up at the moon together he realized that it was colder in this part of the forest; there wasn't as many trees blocking the falling snow. The other wolf must have realized that too, because she stood up and shook the snow from her coat before jumping down from the rock. Taking one last look at the moon, Draco grabbed the bird and started to follow her.

They walked back to the pond where he found her; the sun was starting to peek through the trees as they got there. Lying down beside the pond, both the wolves started ripping into the bird; as odd as Draco found it, he was hungry, and this was what wolves ate after all.

Draco sighed, he'd gone back to that forest for weeks after that day; but there was no sign of her, and by sign Draco meant scent. He'd spent most of his nights rooming the forest searching for a fresh scent, but all he could find was faint ones form the night he spent with her. Draco was going crazy; he'd been spending most of his thinking about that stupid wolf, especially with his birthday coming up. Soon I'll just be allowed to change whenever; I won't need to sneak out at night to go find her. Draco thought, watching the sun rise behind the trees.

Draco shook his head; he had to stop thinking about that night. Sitting down on his bed, he ran a hand through his hair and tried to clear his mind, but it was no use; he didn't have any time now, he had a guest to entertain. Sighing once again, Draco got up off his bed and went down stairs.

His aunts Manor was like a maze; Draco knew his way around, but it still took a while to get back to the drawing room. Pausing at the door, Draco took a deep breath. When he first opened Bellatrix's door a few hours ago, he'd almost fainted. After leading their guest to the drawing room, Bellatrix had sent him upstairs to calm down. Draco had hyperventilated all the way up the stairs; he'd been in shook. He'd honestly believed this person to be dead, and seeing them in front of him had been just too much for Draco to bear.

Running a hand through his hair, Draco stepped through the doorway in to the room; keeping his eyes on his toes, he turned to their guest and said, "My lord," bending to one knee, "I beg your forgiveness for earlier. I was in shook; I'd though you were gone." Daring a glance up at the guest, Draco saw a younger version of Voldemort staring back at him, smiling.

Hermione was dreaming; she was running through trees and jumping over rocks, she was ducking under branches and racing up hills. She hardly even noticed she was being followed, coming to a stop near a creek she turned to see who was behind her. Her heart caught in her throat; it was the most beautiful wolf she'd ever seen. He was big and black and had a white ear; Hermione felt as though she was smiling, she also felt a funny tingling on her but. Glancing back, she realized she had a tail, and it was wagging. Looking back at the black wolf, she saw that he was walking towards her; just as he was about to brush against her, she felt her heart lurch and she jolted awake.

Groaning Hermione rolled over trying to fall back asleep. She laid under her covers for a few more minutes before growling in frustration. She was wide awake now, and she was hungry. Stomping out of her room and down the hall, Hermione tried to remember her dream. She'd been having the same one since Christmas, Hermione sighed. She'd come to the conclusion that it was the night she transformed; she couldn't remember much from that night, just that she'd successfully changed and she'd caught a bird. But that was the first time she'd seen another wolf; Hermione didn't remember what animal she'd turned into, but she had guessed a wolf based on her dreams.

Making herself some tea, she looked out her favourite window. She could see kids playing in the park and families walking their dogs. Hermione sighed, she really wanted a dog. She didn't know what kind, or what she'd name it; all she knew was that she wanted a dog. It was silly really; but once Hermione set her mind to something, she made it happen.

It was the hottest day Hermione could remember, she could feel the sweat building up on her skin as she jogged down a path in the park across from her apartment. The sun was covered by clouds, but Hermione could still feel the heat beating down on her as she weaved around people with baby carriages and old couples go for strolls.

Hermione was listening to music on some muggle contraption her parents got her for Christmas last year; it was an odd thing, but it gave her something to listen to while she ran. She used to run with Fleur until she started getting pregnant again. And as much as Ginny hated her, Hermione liked to run with her; she'd almost lost her accent and her English was as good as Hermione's now. Now, whenever she went running she just felt lonely; it was weird, her and Fleur would never talk about anything important, but still, they'd talk.

Running through the park, Hermione couldn't help but notice that the sun was starting to set; she'd left her apartment a little after noon. She knew she'd been running for hours, but it was all she could do to get dogs off her mind; not to mention, she'd been dying to go back to that forest and transform again.

Hermione stopped mid-stride, Screw it! She thought, irritated. I'm going back to that bloody forest tonight. Shaking her head, Hermione finished her run through the park and went back to her apartment.

Climbing the steps up to the fifth floor, heard a faint knocking coming from her floor; hurrying up the last few steps she poked her head around the door frame to see who it was, "Luna!" Hermione exclaimed rushing to greet her friend, "What are you doing here?" Hermione asked smiling.

"Oh, hello Hermione." Luna greeted airily, "I thought you were inside, I guess you were out running." She smiled lightly.

Hermione laughed, "Yes, I was out in the park. Would you like to come in for some tea?"

"Oh, no thank you, I just came by to see if you remembered your date with Finnigan tomorrow?"

Hermione jumped, "What?" she squeaked.

Luna laughed, "Oh that's alright; you were pretty drunk." She assured with a smile, "Though not as drunk as Seamus, he still has a headache. Anyways, he doesn't even remember asking you, so don't feel too bad." Luna shrugged. "Have a nice evening Hermione." She called as she skipped down the hall.

Shaking her head Hermione let herself into her apartment. Making herself a quick supper, Hermione thought about Christmas break again. It had been cold and snowy, passed that Hermione's memory was blank. Frowning, she went to find one of her textbooks related to memory.

Sitting down at her table, Hermione leafed through her textbook as she ate her supper.

"… the first transformation can be painful, but it can also feel pleasant; it often depends on the person changing"

Well that doesn't help, Hermione thought bitterly, putting the book back. She was just about to turn back to her dinner, when a book caught her eye. It was one that Harry had given her when she first announced she wanted to become an animagi. "Theories of a Transubstantial Transfiguration". Harry had gotten it from Dumbledore's office. Hermione drought it back to the table and started flipping through it.

"…It is not common, though not unheard of, for an animagus have memory lapse during their time of transformation. It simply means that their mind is trying to escape from the real world, and transforming yourself gives it the perfect escape…"

Huh, Hermione thought, looking at the page. Well that makes sense." She sighed, all she had to do was resolve whatever her mind was worked up about and she could start remembering her transformations.

Hermione shook her head, she didn't have time to think about that right now, she still had to shower and get to the forest. She stood up and put her dishes in the sink and went and jumped in the shower. An hour later Hermione was dressed and ready to go; taking a deep breath, Hermione disapparated with a *POP*.