Hermione meets Lil Grey in his human form. Their future is decided.

Rowle and Scabior went hunting for Lil Grey after they calmed down and stopped cackling. Who they found, after all that ruckus, surprised them. He was in human form, sitting propped in an open window, smoking a Muggle cigarette. He looked around at them and the sadness on his face told them exactly why he had acted up in his wolf form.

"I have to reveal myself to her. In human form. She's going to hate me. She won't let me near her once she realizes I'm the same wolf from her bed. She'll send me away from her." He looked down at his hands. He was so upset that his nails had grown into claws and his fangs were visible. Though normally he spoke perfect English around them, right now his Norwegian upbringing was coming out in a heavy accent. It wasn't something the two were used to seeing or hearing from him.

"And you know this, how? She won't send you away. You were literally the only one who could even touch her, do you remember that? You were the one who held her when we found her. You were the one she was clinging to after we got her loose. You were the one whose arms she fell asleep in. She trusts you." Scabior told him. Lil Grey shook his head.

"No. She was still scared of me, too. Why do you think I turned her face into my chest? I was cutting off her breathing. She had no choice but to pass out in my arms. I'm as bad as the rest of those men we killed. I just didn't attack her." He took a deep drag of the cigarette. Rowle spoke up then.

"You are NOT like those men. Not at all. They were doing everything they could to HURT HER. You were NOT trying to hurt her. You were keeping her calm until we could get her to safety. Do not mistake rendering her unconscious for her own safety with deliberately knocking her out to keep on attacking her. There is a huge difference between the two. Besides, she does trust you." He told him.

Lil Grey shook his head. "No, she trusts my wolf. She knows he wouldn't harm her in any way. She doesn't know me in my human form. She won't trust me. She'll be scared to be near me, afraid I'll do what they did to her."

"Which is why you allow yourself to be introduced to her in your human form. To give her an opportunity to get to know you in this form. She won't be able to trust you if you don't give her the chance to. You proved yourself trustworthy in your wolf form. Now is the time to prove yourself trustworthy in human form. You can do this. You won her over as a wolf, you can win her over as a human. We'll be here to help you, all the way." Scabior told him. Lil Grey looked out the window, thinking their words over. His eyes absently tracked the white peacocks parading outside.

"I wouldn't be too worried about her trusting you. You have things in common with her. You're very smart and love to read, just not quite as much as she does. You've had to prove yourself to everyone, that you're worthy to be here. Same way she had to prove herself at Hogwarts. Of course, you love quidditch and she's not too fond of it. You're not much for sweets and she is. What was that she always bought in Hogsmeade, Scabior?" Rowle asked.

"Hmm, Sugar Quills, Ice Mice and Droobles best blowing gum, if I'm not mistaken. I think I overheard her tell someone that her parents wouldn't allow her to eat candy at home, so she was taking advantage of being able to buy candy while she was in school. She's very graceful when she walks and you're just a tad bit, uh-?" Scabior looked at Rowle for help.

"Clumsy. You do great in bare feet but put boots on you and you turn into a klutz." Rowle told him bluntly as he tried not to snigger. Scabior tried to suppress his own laughter. Lil Grey smiled and rolled his eyes at them.

"C'mon, mate. We'll be right there with you. Let's go get you ready for dinner, aye? We have to find you just the right shirt, too. I know you and your dad both shun shirts and boots, but until she's used to you in human form, you need to cover up. Once she trusts you, then you can start baring yourself around her, yeah?" Scabior playfully pushed his shoulder. Lil Grey finished his cigarette and stood up to follow them out.

Upstairs getting Hermione ready for dinner, Narcissa was trying to figure out the best way to break the news about Lil Grey. She refused to let her walk blindly into the situation in front of everyone. It was going to be hard enough keeping her calm around all the men without her finding out that the wolf who had given her such comfort was also a man. Hermione had begun asking her questions about the young wolf as soon as he left, and she exited the tub. She seemed to be under the impression that he was an extremely young wolf, still a pup, which considering the way Lil Grey would roll and wriggle around trying to get her to pet him, maybe it wasn't hard to see why. Narcissa wasn't even sure exactly how old Lil Grey actually was. Greyback hadn't bothered to share that information with anyone when he showed up with the youngster. She did know that he was younger than Rowle and Scabior but he was older than Draco.

"Do you know anything about the wolf who's been staying with me? Does he have a name? I've been calling him little wolf, but I don't think that's his name. I know he must belong to Greyback's pack. I don't suppose Greyback would want to give him up." Hermione sat as Narcissa played with her hair.

Narcissa smiled at the thought of Greyback being asked to give up his son. He'd snarl ferociously at the very idea of it. "I think I've heard the others calling him Lil Grey. He's actually Greyback's son." She held her breath as Hermione processed that information.

"H-he's G-greyback's son?" Hermione started trembling. "But why is he a wolf if he's Greyback's son? Shouldn't he be a human like Greyback?"

"My dear, he IS a human. He's just been in his wolf form. Apparently, he's more comfortable in that form. But tonight, he'll be in his human form. You'll be meeting him, along with the Dark Lord." Narcissa told her softly. Hermione paled at those words. "The Dark Lord isn't interested in torturing you. He just wants to get to know you. He thinks you would benefit more from staying with us than going back to the Order."

"He does? Why would he think that?" Hermione frowned at her. Narcissa wrapped her hair into a loose bun. She pulled a few strands loose to frame her face.

"Because you might help play a part in ending this war without too much bloodshed. The Dark Lord used to be quite the politician in his younger days. I know he misses being part of the political scene. Who knows, he might want to discuss certain laws and policies with you. Things that need to be changed. You could be his representative in the government." Narcissa picked up a necklace and held it against her neck.

"Me? Represent the Dark Lord? I really can't see that happening. He hates Muggleborns." Hermione scoffed at her. As she eyed the necklace, she noticed the large G in the middle of it. Narcissa noticed her interest.

"He doesn't hate Muggleborns. If he did, he wouldn't have sent you a present. This is from him. It will give you the protection of his name. He has a great many thoughts about Muggleborns which I'm sure he'll be pleased to share with you. Do you accept the present?" She started to lift the necklace away. Hermione reached up and held it in place so she could fasten it.

"All right, so I'll be meeting the Dark Lord. But you said there would be others there?" She asked nervously. Narcissa nodded and answered her.

"It's going to be a full assembly, I'm afraid. I would have preferred to introduce you at a small family gathering and then a larger assembly later on, but it wasn't left up to me." Narcissa shrugged. Lucius had given her very clear instructions directly from the Dark Lord himself. "You'll be staying right beside me all night. I made sure he knew that. Bellatrix will be on your other side. You won't be left alone." She picked up a stoppered bottle of Calming Potion. "This is a very powerful, long-lasting calming potion. Severus himself brewed this once he realized that you were going to be brought out perhaps earlier than you needed to be. He had originally brewed it because we needed to help you stay calm whenever anyone stopped by to check on you. If you think you're ready to face everyone, we don't need to worry about it. But if you're still fearful of everyone, then we need to use it and the elves will be standing by with another dose if the first starts wearing off too soon."

Hermione didn't need to answer. She had begun trembling violently as soon as she was told she would be facing ALL of the Death Eaters. Narcissa opened the bottle and poured her a large dose. Hermione gulped it down and felt the calming effects almost immediately. She stood up as Narcissa hugged her. "You are a Gryffindor, Hermione Granger. Now, head up, shoulders back and show them exactly how courageous a young lioness can be." Bellatrix had come to the door as Narcissa spoke. She smiled at the girl and linked arms with her as they exited the room.

Downstairs, Voldemort was standing with Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape. He was looking around and noticing that one of his Death Eaters and two of his Snatchers were not present. "Lucius, where are Rowle, Scabior and Grey? Did they not realize I meant for everyone to be here?"

"I believe, my lord, that Rowle and Scabior had to go in search of young Grey. He was not happy about having to reveal himself to Miss Granger." Lucius told him.

"But he WILL be here, correct?" The Dark Lord looked sternly at Lucius. The Death Eater nodded in confirmation. "Good. I've spoken to Greyback. It seems that Grey has laid claim to young Hermione. He wants her as his mate. Her parents are dead. I saw it in her memories. Therefore, I will be claiming custody of Miss Granger and sealing the alliance on her behalf. There will be no marriage until the war is over. But he will be allowed to court her until then. Miss Granger will make a fine representative of the Riddle name."

Severus had listened quietly to his plans. 'So,' he thought, 'the Dark Lord ISN'T interested in hurting the girl. He wants to tutor her in Wizarding politics.' He nodded to himself. "The girl has missed her last year of school. She might be interested in finishing her education. She's a very apt student."

Voldemort nodded. He placed a high value on knowledge himself. He definitely wanted her to finish her education. "This will also help her heal and give Grey a chance to let her get to know him without feeling like she's being forced into a difficult situation. All right. That's settled. Miss Granger will have her last year of schooling and Grey can court her. In the meantime, I'll be instructing her on matters of government. But should we homeschool her or send her back to Hogwarts?"

Lucius offered his advice on the matter. "I think we need to keep her here. No doubt, Narcissa will want to keep her close, for a while anyway. She always wanted a daughter to spoil. This is where Greyback always stays when he's not with his pack. So, it's perfect for Grey to court her as well. Draco might or might not enjoy having a sister to boss around when she's recovered. Depending on how sassy she is, and I'm told by Theo and Blaise that she was quite sassy in school."

Voldemort was pleased. His plans for Miss Granger were falling very nicely into place. Now to get her and Grey settled. Tonight's meeting between them would determine whether he announced their engagement tonight or held it off until a better opportunity came along. Greyback had told him the boy was prepared to wait for as long as it took for Hermione to recover from her ordeal.

Just then, Bellatrix walked in the door and caught his eye. She nodded towards the door and held out her hand. He watched Hermione peep in fearfully as she took her hand and crowded against her. Narcissa glided in gracefully behind them, laying her hand on Hermione's shoulder reassuringly. The women guided her over to the Dark Lord. Hermione eyed him warily as she drew closer. Strangely enough, she paled slightly at the sight of Lucius but smiled when she saw Severus.

Hermione came to a halt in front of Voldemort. Both Bellatrix and Narcissa had reassured her that he meant her no harm. Hermione figured she'd just wait and see if that little tidbit was true. He held out a hand, touching the necklace she was wearing. "Miss Granger. I'm pleased to see you accepted my present. That belonged to my mother's mother, so I'm told. It was in the Gaunt family vault for years. I was very happy to have an excuse to bring it out. It looks beautiful on you, my dear."

Hermione touched the beautiful necklace as well. "Thank you for gifting it to me. Narcissa explained the protection it offers me." NarcIssa smiled proudly at her. The Dark Lord looked behind them and waved his hand. Yaxley and Dolohov drifted over.

"Miss Granger, I'd like to formally introduce you to two of your rescuers. You may already know them by reputation but allow me to introduce Corban Yaxley and Antonin Dolohov." He said. The Two Death Eaters kept a careful distance between themselves and Hermione. She turned towards them.

"Thank you for helping me. Words aren't enough to express my gratitude. You didn't have to help but thank you." She told them holding her hands out nervously. They each gently squeezed a hand as they smiled at her. They stood back as the doors opened once more. This time, it was Thorfinn Rowle who led the way into the room, followed by Scabior. Hermione easily recognized both of them. It was the dark-haired young man who followed them in who took her attention.

She turned to Narcissa. "Did he go to Hogwarts? I don't remember him." Narcissa looked around at Lucius who stood beside Greyback. Greyback shook his head no. Grey hadn't gone to Hogwarts.

Greyback spoke directly to her as he watched his son approach. "Grey went to Durmstrang. He wasn't part of the delegation who went to Hogwarts your fourth year. If he'd been there, there's no way he would have overlooked you." Hermione stared wide-eyed at the young wolf. He was frowning as he looked down, clearly concentrating on where he was placing his feet. About the time he looked up at them, he stumbled and growled as Scabior and Rowle caught him on both sides. Greyback choked back a snort of laughter knowing it was the boots making his son clumsy. Scabior and Rowle were sniggering as was Grey himself.

"See! I told you those boots would trip me up!" They heard him hiss at the others right before the three of them reached the Dark Lord. Hermione was biting her lip as she fought back a grin. She couldn't help it. He looked so dangerous but at the same time he looked so adorable. She was right in one respect: He looked quite young. Certainly not as young as her and Draco but she couldn't see him being as old as Scabior either. She knew Rowle was four years older than her. Scabior was two years older than her. That meant he was either the same age or a year older than her.

"Hermione, you might know the three of them. This is Thorfinn Rowle. Here we have Michael Scabior. Last but not least, we have Fenrir Greyback, Jr. Better known around here as Lil Grey." Voldemort introduced them to her. Hermione shyly thanked them and hid against Narcissa. Lil Grey backed away quickly, not wanting to scare her.

The ladies moved away and took a seat in front of the fireplace. The men stayed in their own group. Though the rest of the Death Eaters stared curiously at Hermione, none of them offered to approach. She was grateful for that at least. As Narcissa began telling her the history if the house, she allowed herself a peek ever so often at Lil Grey. Sometimes he was watching her, other times he was answering Scabior or Rowle. Voldemort was watching them both. He decided that he would announce their engagement after all, especially when he noticed several of his other Death Eaters starting to edge closer to her.

Voldemort waved them back over. Narcissa felt slightly uneasy as he was watching Hermione closely. He took Hermione's hand in his own as he tapped his wand on the mantle. "At this time, I would like to make a few announcements. First and foremost, I would like to introduce to you the new heiress to the houses of Gaunt and Riddle, Hermione Granger. She will take up the seat of Gaunt in the Wizengamot when she has been thoroughly prepared. As of this moment, she is now my daughter, and she WILL be treated with all the respect of that title." He glared at his followers. "Next is the matter of her engagement." He felt Hermione jerk but kept her hand in his. "Hermione is now engaged to our very own Grey." Lil Grey watched in shock as Hermione glared at HIM in mingled shock and fear, despite the fact that he'd had no clue this was going to happen. He glanced at his dad who didn't seem pleased at the announcement but also didn't seem shocked by it.

He could see everything going down the drain. She hated him! Now he'd never have the chance to prove it could have worked out for them. He backed up and ran before Scabior and Rowle could grab him. They had no choice but to listen to the rest of the speech. Then they could go after him again and convince him AGAIN that he had no need to worry about Hermione!

"This marriage will not take place until after the war is over. You will have from now until then to get to know him, my dear. In the meantime, we have your education to worry about. We are going to homeschool you here as Narcissa will also be introducing you into wizarding high society. You will have what would have been your final year at Hogwarts. I will personally be tutoring you on what to expect and watch for as the seated member of house Gaunt." His mention of politics grabbed Hermione's attention. 'He was going to reach her Wizarding law? Did that mean he might not adverse to Muggleborns after all?' He smiled at her. "There are quite a few outdated laws we must discuss. Then we need to see how they can be improved and set about getting them changed. Don't you agree?"

"Yes. There's so much I need to know, so much I don't understand." She was almost bouncing on her heels eagerly. It was all she could do to remind herself this man was to be greatly feared.

"Never fear, my child. We have plenty of time to teach you everything you need to know." He told her ad he patted her hand. "But now, I think it best for you to talk to Grey. I'm afraid I rather managed to blindside both of you with my announcement."

"Oh! He didn't know you were going to announce that, either?" Hermione was suddenly less anxious about the engagement announcement. Now that she knew there was no hurry, and they weren't going to force her into a hasty wedding, she was willing to get to know him. She glanced around the room. He had yet to come back and both Scabior and Rowle were once more missing in action.

As soon as they heard the rest of the speech, the snatcher and the death eater ran to find their young friend. They had to tell him everything was going to work out just fine. They looked all over the house without finding him. "Ah, damnit! Where in Merlin's name has that little brat hidden himself?!" Thorfinn wondered. They were walking down the hall. Scabior glanced out the window purely by instinct and burst out laughing. He grabbed Finn's arm and pointed. There was a HUGE mudpuddle right outside the window. Laying smackdab in the center of it was none other than their missing pal, Lil Grey in his wolf form. Ahead beside the door leading outside they could see the shirt and boots they'd barely persuaded him into earlier, along with his duster.

"Who's going to fight him into the tub this time?" Scabior cackled with laughter as Thorfinn rubbed his hands over his face. Just then, Bellatrix and Hermione came down the hallway. They were also looking for Lil Grey. Thorfinn whistled innocently as he pointed out the window. By now, Scabior was rolling helplessly on the floor, dying with laughter. They looked out and Hermione began giggling as Bellatrix facepalmed. 'Oh, no! Not again! She'd already given that little hellhound one bath and her ears still hadn't stopped ringing!'

Hermione ran to the door. She pulled it open and began whistling for him. Lil Grey's ears perked up and he raised up, padding to the door. Hermione motioned Scabior and Finn closer. Evidently, they were going to be the grabbers this time. "Lil Grey. Lil Grey, c'mon. I need to talk to you." At the sound of her voice, he started panting happily and trustingly followed her into the house. Before he knew it, two sets of arms were wrapped around him again and they were once again dragging him into the dreaded bathroom.

Hermione was there already filling up the tub. They put him in. Scabior closed the door as Finn held him down. Surprisingly, he didn't give them as hard of a fight this time. He still howled like he was dying but he didn't try to jump away from her. She washed and dried him thoroughly without him trying to nip and bite her as he'd done earlier with his father, Dolohov and Bella. Finn and Scabior figured that it had to be Hermione making the difference this time. He was cooperating only because she was the one washing him.