A/N: For the ever-lovin' leobutler (aka Ciera)! They asked for a wolf demon! Harry as the Dom and Sev as the sub. Thank you very much for the compliment on my writing, Hun. It made my day. Oh, and this is AU. I'm in Marauder denial besides James, so Remy & Siri got to live and Peter ended up in Azkaban. I wish my stalkers (the people who read but do not SIGN IN and leave me a review) would ask for some drabbles, but alas, that is a fruitless wish!
DISCLAIMER: No matter how much I wave my wand, I will never own Sev and our favorite green-eyed Wizard. *sobs*
WARNING: Yaoi is an important part of these. Please desist in flaming. Ginny bashing... since I don't know if I can do the Hermione part?
-Ryder
P.S. There may be more than one title that gets a continuation; Dragon's Might, Dragon's Might II... etc.
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Severus hummed softly to himself, knowing that no one could hear him this deep except for the Centaurs and Unicorns. Collecting ingredients was hard work-Good Merlin! Some creature had bled all over the asphodel flowers... as well as over the thyme, sage and rosemary used as common bases. He would kill whatever it was, put it out of its misery if it was bleeding this badly. A pitiful whine pinpointed the poor thing.
Severus had never let on that he was a sucker for injured animals; Black and Lupin would have a heyday if they found out. Potter had vanished right after defeating the Dark Lord, but happened to leave a note to exonerate the Malfoys and himself. How... thoughtful. He sneered at the memory of the boy who had looked more and more like his beloved Lily and less like the arrogant prat James Potter.
The second whine drew him out of his memories and into the grass of the small clearing. A huge black wolf, larger than even that crazy mutt by a meter, panted as he approached slowly with his hands out.
"Aren't you a beauty? Shh... I'm not going to hurt you..." Reaching the animal, he noticed the deep slashes on the wolf's right shoulder and winced in sympathy. "Ouch. That had to hurt, hmm? May I touch you?" A wet nose sniffed his hand, then his robes before relaxing and woofing quietly. "I take that as your acquiescence." Taking out the animal safe potions, he allowed the wolf to sniff those as well before he poured the numbing potion onto the wound first. Following that was the astringent, infection-preventer and finally a lucidity potion.
Severus learned quickly that animals appreciated being awake and aware of their surroundings while injured. "All finished. I do wish for a familiar but fear that they would become a target of harassment since I am still a teacher." Brilliant green, surprisingly intelligent, eyes locked with his own obsidian. "What?" The wolf growled, nosing his thigh and butting against his hand. "You? You, beauty, are still injured."
Giving in for the moment, he scratched the wolf sighing softly as the fur under his fingers felt like silk. "Hmph, not to mention you bled all over my plants. How did you get here anyway? I think I'll stick with Beauty." Beauty lifted its head, pointing towards the underbrush. "Ah. I shall have to carry you... Perhaps a different name?" He'd finally seen the sex of the wolf. Beauty shook his great, shaggy head and grunted. "No? As you wish."
Beauty caused quite the stir as he limped behind Severus. The bloody wolf had refused to be carried.
"What the- Is that a WOLF following Snape?"
"It's huge. Where the Hels did he find the damn thing?" He ignored the gossip as he was wont to do and made his way to the Head Table. Minerva had taken over as Headmistress as he refused to be Headmaster after the War was over.
"Who's our guest?"
"Beauty." The wolf panted softly as he sat down, a wolfish smile on his face as Severus fed him pieces of rare briskette. "He was bleeding all over the base plants and my asphodel."
"Will you need to special-order them?"
"No, the next good rain should wash them off." Black sneered at him and he sneered back as a matter of habit.
"Have you cast Animagus Revelo?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at Black. The man only grinned sheepishly.
"Thrice before we left the clearing and thrice before we entered the wards. He is simply a magical familiar." Beauty growled as Black reached to pet him.
"Weird. Wolves and dogs usually like me..." Lupin extended a cautious hand, held courteously flat for his wolf to sniff.
"I forgot to mention he's my familiar." Beauty crooned under Lupin's scratching, thick tail thumping on the flagstones in rhythm to the strokes. "Traitor."
The wolf caused no trouble and was, for such a large animal, surprisingly gentle with his first year Slytherins. He had a small girl sniffling at his office door. Beauty woofed quietly at the child, wagging his tail and licking her face.
"Beauty stop that at once." His wolf merely butted the chit's hand shamelessly begging with bright green eyes.
"Ms. Nightingale, you'll have to excuse my familiar."
"I was feeling a little homesick, sir, but your wolf made me forget..."
"Well then, perhaps some tea and a letter home to your parents?"
Severus smiled at his familiar, offering the emerald leather collar to Beauty.
"To make our bond permanent, Beauty, I ask that you wear this in good faith." Intelligent green eyes looked from his face to the collar and back again. The wolf nodded his great head and lowered it to allow Severus to put the collar on. Once buckled and hanging from Beauty's neck, the bond sealed itself; familiar to Wizard, Wizard to familiar.
Hello, Severus. Severus jumped as the mind bond snapped into place as well.
"I don't suppose you'd like another name?"
Beauty is fine, my Wizard. Thank you for healing my wound in the forest.
"I have a soft spot for injured animals. Think nothing of it."
-PoV-
Harry was happy to be back in Hogwarts Castle and in the company of his Mate. Loping around the castle, he came across a sobbing Ginny Weasley. She looked up, brown eyes red from her crying. He wagged his tail, cocking his head to the side and whining softly.
"Go away, stupid wolf!" He growled, baring his fangs as she reached for her wand. "Reducto!" Dodging the curse he snarled, his claws digging in as his hackles raised, saliva dripping from his mouth. Snapping at her leg, his fangs caught the fabric draped across it while ripping into the flesh.
Warm, coppery fluid washed over his tongue, encouraging him to bite down harder and shake his head fiercely. Ginny screamed as he growled in the back of his throat, now locked on the taste in his mouth. A crack resounded throughout the tiny stone corner.
"Beauty, heel!" He reluctantly let go of Ginny's leg, blood spilling out of the sides of his mouth as he licked his chops. "Ms. Weasley, how injured are you?"
"Your familiar bit me!" she screeched, pointing an accusing finger at him. Harry lifted his lips to reveal bloodied fangs, his ears flicking back as he snarled again. "All I was doing-hic!-was crying in-hic!-my little corner!"
"Ms. Weasley, I will not ask again." His Mate was implacable, obsidian eyes flashing with fire.
"My-My leg hurts... really bad."
"Moblicorpus; to the Infirmary and Madame Pompfrey we go. Beauty, come."
"No! Keep that vicious animal away from me!"
"He is my familiar and we shall get to the bottom of this."
Harry lounged on his pillow in the Headmistress's office, his head on his paws as Severus ranted.
"That Weasley chit tried to kill Beauty. Doesn't she know what that would do to me? No. Of course she wouldn't, her familiar has never been taken from her before..."
"Severus, surely you exaggerate?"
"Would you like to see the memory?" his Mate countered with a sneer. "I assure you, that is exactly what she intended." He poured the silvery liquid from a vial into the Pensieve. "Well?" She put her face into the liquid and disappeared. Harry rolled over, bumping into Severus's leg on purpose.
Hey, are you alright?
"You are far too much trouble sometimes... But you have made my life a thousand times better." Obliging him in a belly scratch, Severus ignored the Headmistress as she spluttered and then got angry as the full weight of what Ginny had done settled onto her shoulders.
"Ginerva Weasley will not be finishing her education at Hogwarts. We shall snap her wand and expel her immediately. No one tries to kill a magical familiar on my watch!"
He gave a wolfish grin as the entire school cancelled classes, loping behind his Mate's presence as students cleared the way for Severus.
"How dare you? A member of MY HOUSE trying such a despicable thing! Your family will be so ashamed of you!"
"It was just a smelly wolf!"
"That wolf is Professor Snape's familiar." Brown eyes widened and then Ginny was sputtering apologies right and left as what she'd done hit her.
"I didn't mean it. Please, Professor, I really didn't mean what I cast! It's just-I cast without thinking!" Ron, Hermione and most of his year looked horrified. "Really, it's the War... I thought it was going to attack me!"
"Houses, at attention!" Everyone fell silent at the command, standing at their places in the Great Hall. Severus took his position as Head of Slytherin, Harry by his side.
What's going on, Sev?
"Killing a familiar is a terrible thing to do, Beauty."
I don't understand. In fact, they'd never gone over it in any of the classes. Harry was very confused.
"A familiar houses part of a Wizard or Witch's magic, vitality and strength. It is often a punishment superseded only by a Dementor's Kiss." Harry shuddered at the memory of the Demetors and Sirius.
Oh.
"Yes. Now Ginerva must come to terms with what she could have done to me."
Bitch. he spat, his lips lifting again as she looked at him with absolute terror in her gaze.
"Beauty."
Hmph, she is one and you know it, Sev. Didn't know you showed pity to Gryffindors... Slender fingers sank into his fur as Severus petted him, probably to assure himself that Harry was still there staunchly by his side. Severus, I am here.
"I know; but forgive an old habit of mine." The fingers tightened momentarily before Severus resumed the petting.
"We call you to this Hall, in this hour, to expel Ginerva Molly Weasley. Should anyone protest this decision, please speak now." Oppressive silence was her answer. "On the count of attempted murder of the familiar, known as Beauty, of Severus Tobias Snape, we hereby break the wand of the accused. Severus, would you do the honors?" His Mate nodded regally before taking the fine-tuned wand and examined it with a callous expression.
"Beauty?" Harry stood, wagging his tail. "How would you like a new chew toy?" He barked, bowing his body in play. "Fetch." Sev threw the wand like a stick and he raced after it, claws clicking as he ran on the flagstones. Catching it in his mouth he crunched down, spitting out the pieces into Severus's waiting hand. "Good boy." The Hall had gasped when his Mate had so casually thrown the Weaselette's wand. When he'd bitten down on it, the wince of the Houses was visible. Weaselette took back her mangled, slobbered-on wand and sobbed quietly.
Feeling vindicated, he lay down by Sev's feet, watched as she was stripped of her House emblem and her peers bonds before being expelled. He lazily chewed on the crest, ignoring the rest of the students as they sat down to lunch.
"Sir?"
"Mr. Weasley."
"On behalf of the Ancient and Noble House of Weasley, the Clan apologizes for Ginerva's behavior. She shall be struck from the Family Name as she has brought dishonor upon our Clan."
"Apology accepted. Beauty?" He wagged his tail and rubbed against his best mate.
"Whoa, he's big."
"Hmph. He's an over-grown puppy when it comes to most people. That's his demand that you pet him."
Hey! I don't demand... I ask with my puppy face.
"Like that wasn't a direction if I ever heard one; have you lost your mind?"
Nope. Just some important parts are missing. Severus groaned before motioning that Ron could pet him. Warm hands scratched at his ruff and caused him to croon.
"Oh. He likes that..." Harry whined when Ron stopped, scratching at it with his hind paw. "Okay, okay... I see what you mean now, sir."
Sev! I have a tick and it itches...
"Excuse me, Mr. Weasley, would you be so kind as to part the fur on his neck?" Ron obliged and gasped at the bug on him.
"Eww..."
"Indeed. Tollere cimices." Harry sighed as the bugs fell off and died, vanishing within a poof of smoke. "Repellere insecta."
Thank you! Harry chirruped, projecting to both Ron and Severus. Ron looked startled before he smiled softly. Severus shook his head and gave him a scratch behind the ears. Sev, I like the smell of this one. The other was off; if that makes any sense? Like the foaming madness, only of the mind...
"Foaming madness... You mean rabies?"
Yes, the foaming madness. It was in her eyes.
"Perhaps Ms. Weasley should be looked over by a Mind Healer. Poppy, Beauty tells me (in his words and not mine) 'like the foaming madness, only of the mind', that Ginerva may be mentally unstable." The MediWitch eyes widened at the news.
"Oh my. I shall contact the Weasley's at once!"
-Two Months Later-
-PoV-
Severus sighed as the assessment proved correct. The War had snapped Ginerva's mind and had turned her insane. It did not, however, satisfactorily explain why she had attacked Beauty with such a powerful curse.
Sev?
"Yes, Beauty?"
I've been calling you for ten minutes straight. A Gryffindor and a Slytherin got into a fight right in front of you. I split it up.
"What?"
Yeah, they kinda just looked at each other and shook hands. It was real weird.
"Did you project?"
Uh-huh. They left... Should I have done something more?
"No, you dealt with it fairly. I am merely out of practice."
He gleefully took points from the Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors all that afternoon, as well a few Ravenclaws for snogging in his brooding corner. Dinner had him in high spirits, as Black had been cursed into Slytherin colors as well as being forced to say nice things to him and his Snakes. Severus hummed softly as he ate, ignoring Beauty as the wolf slept on his feet.
"Severus, your mood is extraordinarily good."
"Black is in Slytherin colors, I took points from every House but mine and no Potions have exploded today. What else would you expect of me, Minerva?" he answered her unspoken question as to what had caused the mood change from this morning.
"Ah. It is quite the change from your usual. Beauty has changed you for the better, I should think."
"Hear that, wolf?" Beauty grunted then plopped his head back down onto his paws.
Lupin chuckled, but didn't disclose what he'd understood from that sound to Black, "He said 'whatever, old tabby.' It was pretty funny."
"Old tabby, hmm?" Minerva rose a brow at his familiar. Beauty woofed and then wagged his tail.
"Old tabby with a brain. Severus is better when I'm around." Severus shook his head and went back to eating his meal.
It happened because he'd been gone for a few days; he was quite sure of it later. He'd walked into his quarters, expecting to be greeted by Beauty, when he saw the broad-shouldered man on his wolf's pillow.
"Hey, Sev. You're home kinda early." the warn tenor was a soft purr as the man stretched. It was then that Severus realized who it was...
"Beauty?" Fluffy black ears flicked up at his shocked tone and a thick tail wagged. Dear Merlin, this man was a walking wet dream!
"Yeah-You look a bit peaky, Sev. You alright?"
"Alright... The damn wolf asks me whether or not I'm alright. Here." He conjured up a full-length mirror.
"I mean, you don't sound-Oh, Circe. Is that me?" It all clicked as Severus looked the broad-shouldered man over. A very familiar scar peaked out from under side-swept bangs. Wide green eyes begged with him not to say anything.
"Potter? You've been-" A warm hand clapped over his mouth as the large, rather naked man stopped him from speaking.
"Shh. The castle knows and so does Luna. Now you do, fy un tywyll*. I have had years to come to terms with this. Please, I never meant to lead you on... but you were so very kind and open with me." Severus looked deep into the warm green eyes, seeing love.
"I will not speak of your transformation. However, you must tell me the tale."
"As you wish, fy un tywyll."
"Starting with what you just called me in Welsh."
Ending A/N: I hope it met most of your requirements! I'm working on everyone else's. Oh, uh, Ixion26, send me a PM, please? We need to talk about your personal story. I've got plenty of drabbles to work on, but you can still ask. I love my Muses. Aaaannnd... I have college now, so thanks for all of your reviews! Please check out my new 'Irish' series!
*Translation: Welsh for my dark one