Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Lunaticus Book Three: New Moon Rising	By : JBankai89 Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Remus Views: 12599 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter, I gain nothing from this but a way to pass the time.

Chapter List
- 33
- 34
- 35
A/N: Next update will be October 17^th.
Chapter Thirty-Four – Home Is Where The Heart Is

Harry was deeply curious about what Tavish had said to Greyback to convince him to let Harry have a fortnight off from his duties as pack professor in order to work on the cabin with the others. However, something about the lazy smile upon the sub's face, paired with the distinctly bowlegged gait he'd adopted after his talk with his mate told Harry that he probably didn't want to know.

Working with the other subs was great fun, especially since after his duties with Jade had ended he'd seen precious little of them. The only downside was that almost all of them were shameless gossips, and he had to repeatedly remind not just them, but what felt like at least half the pack to not say anything to Remus when he came for the moon.

The subs with wands helped Harry to fell trees and shape them into planks of wood, while the others took to the task of ripping up the old floorboards and clearing the cobwebs away. The bath at the end of the hall was also in dire need of renovations; the magic that had been used to keep the water clear and clean had significantly deteriorated, and now the basin was filled with a thick, bubbling mud.

“Well, isn't that charming,” Harry remarked as he stared down at it. Tavish lifted his hands in the air in motion of a surrender and walked off, belatedly calling out something about seeing to the flooring before he disappeared.

“Ah, sub males are so delicate,” Leticia remarked affectionately as she rolled up her sleeves, her gaze fixed on the bath. Harry raised his eyebrows at her, and she caught the expression. “Except for you, Harry, of course.”

“I think it may have less to do with sub males being delicate, and more due to the fact that Tavish is something of a little princess,” Adina said, smiling fondly as she gazed in the direction that Tavish had taken off in.

“Well, he is Alpha's paramour...” added Sadie as she dunked her arm into the sludge. A soft pop! sounded from somewhere in the tub, and with a disgusting sort of squelching sound, the basin began to empty.

“I guess that makes him our little prince,” Harry joked, and the others laughed. He used his wand to clean Sadie up, then returned his attention to the draining bath, clearing away the sludge sticking to the sides of the tub as it drained.

“It's true, but I wouldn't call him that to his face,” Adina said with a light chortle, “he hates that nickname.”

With a few good-natured laughs, the group returned to work. Harry cleared out the muck and grime from the basin, and transfigured the packed-dirt pool to marble. The women seemed highly amused by this for some reason, but he tried to ignore their titters as they went about fixing the warming charms on the floor and clearing away the blockages in the drainage of the tub that connected it to the river. Less than an hour later, the bathroom looked how a bathroom was supposed to look, and as the group retreated back to the main area of the cabin for a rest, they spotted Tavish unloading a tray with bowls of food, all of which they accepted gladly.

Harry tucked in to the hearty stew, and as he sat there he was tempted to teasingly call Tavish their prince, just to see what would happen, but he found himself too exhausted by all the work to do so. Instead, he leant back against one of the stacks of wood and ate in silence, smiling indulgently as he gazed around at the cabin.

By and large it still looked distinctly woebegone, but it did look significantly better with a lack of cobwebs. Half the floor was missing, but the other half was covered with new planks, and the freshly cut wood smell that permeated the air gave Harry that potential feeling that Tavish had been raving about earlier in the week.

“This place is shaping up rather nicely,” Adina remarked, as though she'd read Harry's mind, “wouldn't you say, Harry?”

“Yeah, it's looking better than I expected,” he replied as he ate another big spoonful of stew, and laughed when Tavish elbowed him.

“If we finish it in time, do you think your mate will go for it?” Sadie asked from her perch on top of the stack of wood Harry had been leaning against, and he shrugged.

“I hope so, I'd hate it if you lot did all this work for nothing,” Harry answered, while he stared down at new floors. “He doesn't exactly have warm and fuzzy feelings about pack life, so I really have no idea what his reaction will be.”

“It sounds like you're sure that he'll say no.”

“I'm not sure, Sadie. I'm just...he's got a lot of issues, and it's not really my place to detail it, but he's had it rough when it comes to encounters with others of our kind.”

“Well, maybe instead of dwelling on the past, this place will help him look to the future,” Tavish offered, and Harry smiled.

“Yeah, I hope so.”

That evening, as so many preceding it, Harry had a quick wash before he went home to Remus, but that did not completely erase his physical exhaustion from his day of renovating the cabin. The moment he fell into Remus's welcoming embrace, and the dominant eyed Harry suspiciously. Harry ignored the look, and Remus did not ask. Stupidly, Harry felt as though he'd dodged the proverbial bullet—that is, until they'd sat down to eat.

“Those kids really put you through the ringer, don't they?” he asked mildly over dinner, and Harry choked on his mouthful of cassoulet.

“Er...yeah, they're tough sometimes,” Harry replied with a weak, awkward laugh.

Remus stared at him, and arched a suspicious brow.

“Any chance that if I asked you what you were up to, you'd tell me?” he asked mildly, and Harry offered him an innocent smile, which he clearly did not buy for a second.

“Whatever gave you the idea that I'm up to something?” Harry asked, and immediately Remus snorted.

“Have you forgotten who my two best friends were? You can't pull the wool over my eyes that easily, Harry.”

“Well whether I'm up to something or not, you'll find out soon enough,” Harry replied in a bland tone and casual wave of his hand as he reached for his wine.

Remus looked as though he couldn't decide whether this was reassuring or not. Harry's neutral mask dissolved as he grinned at his mate, while Remus rolled his eyes with a chuckle, and for the moment, seemed to give up on his interrogation.

The couple spent their evenings as they had spent every one before it, curled up by the fire, with cups of tea, a plate of biscuits, and books in their hands.

Tonight however, it was intermingled with Remus's varied attempts to get Harry to tell him what he was up to.

“Oh, come on, Harry,” Remus purred as he abandoned his book in favour of dragging the young man into his lap when he still wouldn't budge. “Just one hint, one.”

Harry shook his head as he straddled Remus's legs and looped his arms around his neck, and grinned as he leant in for a kiss. Remus's hands found their way to his hips, and he tugged his mate a little closer.

“I never said I was up to anything,” Harry finally pointed out as he pulled back a little, “this might be all in your head. Or it's paranoia from spending your adolescence with two people who lived to terrorize others and make trouble.”

“Or you actually are up to something, and you're just being a bit obnoxious to throw me off,” Remus shot back at him, the corners of his mouth twitching a little as though he was trying very hard not to smile.

Harry eyed him for a moment.

He felt warm, and comfortable, and this halfhearted argument and teasing felt strangely good for some reason. Even though Remus was being something of a pest, Harry couldn't find it in himself to be irritated by him. Instead, he found it strangely endearing.

“All right, fine,” Harry said at last with a heavy, defeated sigh. “You win. You really want to know what's going on?”

“I really, really do.”

“Alpha's converted the pack into a three-ring circus.”

Remus choked on air as he threw his head back and laughed, his arms tense around Harry.

“No, really!” Harry cried as Remus continued to howl. “All the subs have gotten together for that tiny clown car trick, and Alpha has big red nose and floppy shoes, and the whole hunting party has come up with a flying trapeze act, and—”

“Stop, stop!” Remus interrupted between guffaws, “too much, I can't breathe.”

Harry clamped his mouth shut, but continued to grin at his mate as he began to calm down.

“You're terrible,” Remus said at last, “now it'll be something of a miracle if I manage to keep a straight face in front of Alpha...”

“Did I tell you that his red nose honks?”

Both men snorted at the mental image, and Remus significantly softened the mood when he drew Harry into a kiss.

“Okay, you win, I'll not ask again. You have your fun.”

“Please, Remus. It's always fun at the circus.”

“Oh, enough,” Remus chuckled and pulled Harry in for another kiss. Grinning, he happily returned it. “I think I'll head to bed, would you like to join me?”

Harry's grin widened.

“Gladly.”

~*~

The last week preceding the full moon had passed in a flurry of activity, and amazingly, Harry and the other subs had managed to finish the cabin's renovations on time.

The flooring had been stained a deep, rich brown, and the benches surrounding the fire pit were highly polished and looked new, despite the fact that Harry had pilfered them from another abandoned cabin. A pair of empty bookcases stood in one corner of the space, ready for Remus to fill with his books, and on the opposite side of the room sat Harry's bed from the Sub House, enlarged to fit two people comfortably instead of one. His own belongings had already been transported to the cabin, and a few changes of clothes, his scant few books, and other treasures had been secreted away in a simple wooden chest that he'd placed at the end of the bed, completing the décor nicely.

Outside, there was a light snow falling on the territory, and all the sentries with wands were out in force adjusting the warding. Technically, the weather within the territory should not dip below late autumn temperatures, but it seemed as though the attack from the rogues and the subsequent invasion by the Ministry, something in the warding had weakened, and it allowed some of the natural weather to seep in.

Not that anyone was really complaining. Snow was a rare sight for many of the werewolves, those who never left the territory in particular, and the pups seemed to be loving the weather. Despite that fact that he'd been sequestered away in the cabin adding last touches to it, Harry was well-aware that the pups—his students, mostly—were pelting snowballs at the outside of it, making the windows rattle. This attack was interspersed with pleas for him to come out and join them.

“Oh, come on, Harry!” he heard Gina cry, “we just want a snow war, teacher versus students!”

“One versus twenty isn't fair odds, Gina!” Harry called back, and the response was met with another sharp thwap! of a snowball hitting the door.

Carefully so as to avoid detection, Harry peeked out the window and saw a number of his students loitering about outside his cabin in mismatched jackets, gloves, and hats. Some were wearing winter cloaks, but most seemed to have donned muggle winter attire. They had a pile of snowballs at their feet, and Gina seemed to have taken control of the group. Based on how she was speaking (she was too far away for Harry to hear what she was saying precisely) and how she was gesturing with her arms, she seemed to have adopted the role of General, and was devising some sort of plan of attack.

Except, Harry noticed, they had not chosen a spot to stand in very carefully. He could see that the branches above their heads were heavy with snow, and it took but one flick of his wand to shake the tree and cause a small avalanche.

A number of high shrieks sounded from outside, and Harry grinned as he leant back against the wall of the cabin to bask in his victory.

Shortly thereafter, he heard a soft knocking on the door. Even from a distance, he could smell that it wasn't one of his kids, but so close to the moon the scent of a nearby dominant without Harry's mate present was enough to make him nervous. He rotated his shoulders in an effort to shake off the sensation; he knew it was his instincts playing with his mind, and besides, it would be a cold day in Hell before Hermione fell out of love with Ron.

“Come in!”

Hermione let herself in, and Harry beamed at her. At just over five months, her pregnancy was now distinctly noticeable, and the little rounded area of her stomach drew Harry's eye immediately. She smiled sheepishly at him, and rested both hands on her belly as she crossed the threshold and looked around while her small smile shifting to an expression of awe.

“Oh, wow, Harry. This is amazing!” she cried as she looked around, and Harry grinned at her.

“Thanks,” he replied as he straightened up to shut the door behind her. “The others helped out a lot with fixing it up...I just hope Remus likes it.”

“Oh, I know he will, Harry. It's so...quaint.”

“Thanks,” Harry repeated, and once more fixed his gaze on the swell of her stomach. “But what about you? You look...really happy.”

“In between the heartburn and the morning sickness I can't tell you when I've had more fun,” she replied, though despite her negative words, she was positively glowing with excitement. “The Healers say I'm far enough along now that it can hear sound and things...It moved when Ron tried talking to it, and...oh, Harry...I think we need to stop telling him he's got the emotional range of a teaspoon.”

“He cried?” Harry asked, just barely holding back a laugh, and Hermione smiled again, though at Harry's tone, it shifted to a stern look.

“Don't take the mickey out of him for it,” Hermione said firmly, “I mean it. It was really sweet.”

“Cross my heart, you know I'd never tease him about something like that,” Harry replied, and Hermione eyed him with a look of abject disbelief. “D'you know if it's a boy or girl yet?”

“The Healer told Ron, but I want it to be a surprise,” Hermione said as she sat down on the bench near the fire pit, her hands still cradling her stomach.

“Any theories?” Harry asked as he joined her, and flicked his wand at the fire to build it up a little. “You're the cleverest witch of our age, after all, you must have some idea.”

“I dunno, honestly,” she replied, but after she shrugged, a thoughtful smile crossed her face. “But...I can't explain it, and I feel sort of silly saying it, but I just have this sort of...sense that a princess is on the way.”

“Well I know you and Ron will love him no matter what his sexual preferences—”

“Harry!” she cried as she cuffed him, while Harry laughed a little harder than was probably necessary. He tumbled off the bench, and massaged the back of his head as he climbed back up, still sporting a teasing grin.

“Sorry, couldn't resist. But, seriously, I know you and Ron will be great parents.”

Hermione glanced down at her stomach again, and cradled it. Again, she smiled.

“I hope so.”

~*~

When Harry was certain that his students had gone, he ventured out of the cabin with Hermione at his side. She moved as though to shift away from him, but he grabbed her arm and tugged her close again.

“Harry, what are you doing?”

“You're my shield.”

“I'm...your shield?” she asked, blinking in confusion.

“I have a theory that my kids are less likely to ambush me with snowballs if I'm next to a pregnant person.”

“Are you telling me that you're scared of a couple of twelve-year-olds?” Hermione arched an eyebrow at him, and Harry snorted.

“Do you remember us at twelve?” Harry asked, “better safe than sorry.”

Hermione shook her head as they slipped past the edge of where the cabins sat, and into the main area of the territory.

The moment that they crossed into the space, Harry heard the distinct crack of someone Apparating into the territory. He turned, unable to stifle his grin as he spotted Remus ambling towards him, a small smile of his own plastered across his face at the sight of Harry.

“Be back,” Harry said to Hermione, and she waved him off as he turned and ran for Remus, allowing his instincts to take over as he practically jumped into the older man's arms and crushed their lips together.

“Happy to see me, are you?” Remus asked teasingly as he quirked a brow, and Harry smiled sheepishly.

“Something like that,” he replied as he felt his face grow warm, and jumped a little when he felt Remus's hand casually drop to his arse and give it a small squeeze. Harry laughed and pressed himself back into Remus's hand while he arched an eyebrow at his dominant.

“It's the moon, I have certain...urges. I can't help it,” Remus explained in his familiar, innocent and mild tone. Harry snorted.

“Yeah, I know all about your urges,” Harry teased as he got on his toes to kiss him lightly. Remus refastened his arms around Harry to return the kiss, and Harry could feel it in his very bones—this was going to be a very good Moon. “Come on,” Harry said with a grin as he took both of Remus's hands and gave the dominant a small tug towards the forest.

Mirroring Harry's grin, Remus allowed himself to be pulled into the shelter of the woods. They wove through the trees, but did not go very deep before Harry staggered to a stop and looked around to make sure that they were indeed alone.

“I think this is far enough,” Harry said after a few moments as he glanced back towards the main area of the territory, and was pleased that he could no longer see it. “We shouldn't be spotted out here.”

Remus pulled his hand from Harry's and wrapped it around his waist.

“Are you sure?” he asked as he arched a brow, “we don't have the best track record for staying hidden when we try for a semi-public shag.”

“Hermione's covering for us,” Harry replied reassuringly as he got on his toes to peck a kiss to Remus's lips, “she'll keep anyone who might come looking busy until we've finished.”

“Well, I think you may want to consider getting her a bottle of wine or something for being such an excellent wingma—erm, wingwoman.”

“She's pregnant, remember? Maybe I'll get her a bottle of grape juice,” Harry said, and Remus wrinkled his nose. “What?”

“I hate grape juice.”

Harry stared.

“You, whose favourite food is ground up animal bits and oatmeal stuffed in the stomach of a sheep...and you hate grape juice?”

“What's the point if the grapes aren't stomped on and fermented in a cask?” Remus asked, and Harry snorted as he shifted to take Remus's hands, and he gently tugged him towards a thick oak that would completely conceal them from view if anyone came looking.

“You are ridiculous, Remus John Lupin,” Harry murmured as he pulled him in for a warm kiss.

Remus coiled his arms around Harry's waist and he tugged him close. Harry stumbled into the embrace as he handed the control of the encounter over to Remus, who gently pinned Harry to the tree as he devoured his mouth. The sub let out a soft groan as he felt a hard bulge brush his thigh, and he pressed himself back more securely against the tree, allowing Remus to pin him there.

“Love you,” Harry whispered against Remus's mouth, and leant in for another kiss. The words made Harry feel light and giddy, and they seemed to be having a similar effect on Remus.

“Love you too, Harry, so, so much...” Remus replied as his hand snaked beneath the waistband of Harry's jeans and found his half-hard cock. Harry buried his face in the crook of Remus's neck to stifle a groan, while his hips bucked weakly into the dominant's hand. “Let's make this quick, I'd rather not get caught...”

“Hard and fast,” Harry breathed, “just how I like it.”

Chuckling, Remus turned Harry to face the tree, and wiggled down his jeans and pants to his knees. Harry let out a soft moan at the feeling of Remus's hot breath against the back of his neck, and the soft rustle of him opening his trousers and whipping his cock out.

“Please...” Harry murmured, arching his neck in order to turn a little and see his mate. Remus's pupils were blown wide with lust, but the expression upon his face was soft and loving. The sight of it was deeply humbling, and Remus paused just long enough to kiss him tenderly before he flicked his wand at Harry, and he shuddered as he felt cleansing, preparation, and lubrication charms all shoot through his arse in quick succession.

“Sorry,” Remus murmured, “but you did say fast...”

“I did,” Harry replied just as softly, “it's okay, keep going...”

Harry's eyelids fluttered when he felt a soft kiss press to the back of his neck, and he closed his eyes completely as Remus parted his cheeks and positioned himself.

Harry groaned as Remus breached his arse with his delicious cock, and Remus shushed him with a soft chuckle.

“Quiet, Harry, do you want them to hear us?”

“I dunno...maybe they'll learn a thing or two...” Harry breathed in reply, but bit his lip as he tilted his neck back against Remus's shoulder while he sheathed himself inside of his mate. “God, so good...”

A soft whimper sounded from behind him, but it was a familiar sound, and Harry recognized it as Remus's feeble attempt to keep himself quiet. Harry pulled him in for another awkward kiss, then his mate pulled back as he began to rock his hips, thrusting in and out of Harry shallowly. Harry let out a soft grunt with each thrust, following Remus's movements easily, his palms pressed to the trunk and his fingertips scrabbling for purchase as his forehead dotted with sweat, despite the distinct wintry chill in the air.

When Harry felt himself getting close, he let out a soft whine as he reached down for his aching cock, only to have his hand swatted away.

“N0,” Remus growled into his ear, “you'll cum on my cock, or not at all.”

“Remus,” Harry whimpered, breathing hard, “th-that's impossible...”

“I'll be happy to prove you wrong,” Remus replied as he adjusted his angle just so, tightened his hold on Harry's hips, and Harry nearly bit straight through his own bottom lip as he saw stars.

“Fuck, Remus...” Harry keened, and a shaky moan escaped him before he could stop it, and groaned again when he felt the sting of Remus's teeth raking across the flesh of his throat. He shuddered and reached one hand back to hold him there as his thrusts grew more erratic.

Harry found his release without the aid of his hand, just as Remus had promised, and the resulting orgasm more powerful and mind-bending than any he had ever felt before. He shot ropes of sticky cum across the tree trunk, and a moment later, Remus's own hot release filled Harry's arse.

The couple remained motionless for several seconds, panting heavily as they came back to themselves. Remus finally slid his softening cock out of the sub's arse and cleaned the pair of them up. Immediately Harry's knees wobbled dangerously, and Remus quickly wrapped an arm around his waist to help him stay standing, while at the same time he awkwardly stuffed himself away.

When Harry felt as though his legs might be able to hold his own weight, he pulled away from Remus reluctantly to tug up his jeans and pants. When he'd finished, he turned around and offered Remus a small, dopey smile as he reached for his dominant and tugged him close, then kissed Remus hard.

“It's been so long since you've taken me to heel like that,” Harry purred against his mouth, “I forgot how good it can feel.”

“So no apology needed this time?” Remus asked, and brushed his fingers over the purpling skin on his throat, “not even for this...?”

“Not this time, no,” Harry reassured him, and kissed him again. “It's when it extends outside the occasional bedroom—er, or forest romp that it becomes something of a problem.”

“I refuse to let that happen again,” Remus said firmly, his voice hard. “I won't become that person again, Harry, I promise.”

“I know, Remus, you don't need to convince me,” Harry replied, and pecked a kiss to his lips. “Come on, we better be getting back.”

Entangled in each other and both grinning like a pair of fools, they slowly made their way back to the main area of the pack territory, where Hermione and Tavish were waiting for them, and eyeing them both with knowing smiles. Neither man had the good grace to blush as they rejoined them near to the bonfire, but neither of their friends seemed to expect them to, either.

~*~

For the remainder of the day, Harry and Remus spent most of their time with Hermione and Tavish, though with his sub in the presence of two dominant werewolves, Greyback seemed to feel compelled to drag Tavish off and re-stake his claim more than once, which resulted in the sub returning to them littered in love bites, his hair apparently permanently mussed, to the point where after the third time, he'd stopped trying to tame it, as though he knew only too well that it was only a matter of time before Greyback came back to him for another round.

Harry also made a point of avoiding Ulrich—it wasn't that he didn't want to see him or talk to him, but he was well-aware that what he and Remus had been up to earlier in the day would cling to his skin like a heavy perfume. For this reason, Harry didn't want to inadvertently rub Ulrich's nose in it, and kept his distance.

When evening began to fall, Harry was once more subject to watching Remus and Hermione consume their body weight in food while he looked on, alone, given that Tavish was off with Greyback again.

“Hermione,” Harry said suddenly as something occurred to him, and she glanced up, her mouth full of food.

“Hm?” she grimaced as she swallowed, “what?”

“I was just wondering...do you or Ron have any idea what...er, species your baby will be?” Harry asked, and she blinked bemusedly. “I mean, a werewolf and a human making a baby, I mean...will it be a human baby, or werewolf baby, or a little of both?”

“We're not sure,” Hermione answered honestly, “I mean with Veela, their blood blends with the human they mate with, there are barely pure Veela anymore, but werewolves...my case is so unique that it's hard to say.”

“More likely, your child will be all wolf,” Remus said, an apologetic note to his voice. “In cases where a dominant male impregnates a human, it will almost always be a werewolf, not a human child. The dominant werewolf genes are too strong, they'll overpower pretty much anything.”

“I guess that's an answer,” Hermione replied with a smile as she rested her hand over the swell of her stomach.

“Hermione? You okay?” Harry asked, and she shrugged weakly.

“I don't know, honestly,” she said as she pushed away the last dregs of her food, her appetite clearly gone. “I mean, being a werewolf in the wizarding world is...hard. Harder than I thought it would be. I just don't know if I want to expose my child to all that...”

“You could always talk to Ron about coming here permanently,” Harry suggested, “although there'd need to be an exchange of bodily fluids for it to be safe for him...”

“I'll need to talk about it with him,” Hermione replied with a small frown, “but I don't fancy the idea of fighting other dominants for him all the time...” she glanced over to eye Harry knowingly as she trailed off, and he felt his face burn. It took a moment for what she was saying to sink in however, and he blinked hard as he tried to process what she had just implied.

“Hang on, are you saying that Ron would be a sub?” Harry asked, and Hermione nodded.

“I, ah, I accidentally bit him during...well, you know,” Hermione's face flamed as she glanced towards Remus, but he did not react to her words. “A bite in human form isn't contagious, but I could sense it. I never told him, no reason to, but I think he'd take it hard...he's never been very well-balanced when it comes to self-esteem things like that.”

Harry nodded; he could definitely see Ron getting upset over the idea of being a submissive anything, and being seen as physically weaker than both Hermione and Remus would definitely be a blow to his ego.

“Well, you don't need to decide anything for another three or four months, at least,” Harry said after a pause, “and things are getting better for werewolves in the wizarding world; you know that.”

“Yeah, I know...” Hermione rubbed her stomach absentmindedly as she looked away from the couple, her expression nervous and thoughtful.

Remus's hand covered Harry's, and he leant against his mate as he looked away from Hermione. He didn't want to say the wrong thing and upset her, especially with the moon so close, but he desperately wished there was a way to make things easier for her. Once again, he was reminded that this was his fault, and he felt his stomach churn with guilt. He knew better than to voice it, knowing that Hermione would simply wave it off, but he couldn't help feeling it nonetheless.

~*~

As the sun began to dip on the horizon, Harry reluctantly parted from Remus and Hermione, and went to join the other subs.

Being away from Remus was making him anxious, and as he gazed across at him, he offered Harry a small nod and smile of reassurance, which helped him to relax. He still felt edgy, but nothing like before as he began to shed his clothes, but this time kept his eyes down, certain that if he caught Remus looking, he would have a very embarrassing reaction to that stare.

Harry felt the instant the sun gave way to the moon, and his knees buckles as he let out a low, pained moan.

He rode out the transformation, but like all the ones before it, it did not get any easier. When it had passed, Harry lay there for a few moments to catch his breath before he finally stood and shook himself, then made a beeline for the dominants—one in particular, who was waiting for him, his tail high and wagging, and mouth open in a clear wolfish smile.

They passed the moon as they had so many others before it. They played and ran with the pups, Hermione lay resting and watching, a few female subs guarding her, and Moony disappeared early in the evening with the other dominants to hunt. Because of the season, their kills were small, but still more than enough to fill their bellies. Beyond that, having Moony at his side while he ate, instead of filling the role of omega was brilliant, and Harry felt as though he he might burst with happiness and contentment.

After they'd eaten their fill, none too surprisingly, Moony was suddenly surrounded by the pups, all of them eager to play with their favourite dominant. They were all jumping up and biting at Moony's scruff, hindquarters, tail—essentially anywhere they could reach as they tried to coerce the dominant to play with them.

Harry yipped his approval, and bowed forward as he gazed at his mate, his rump and tail high in the air. Moony responded with a bark of his own, and soon the pair were off, running and playing with the pups once more. The other pack members looked on as they ran, the pair keeping the pups occupied while the adults rested. The parents of the born wolves intervened occasionally when they felt that Moony was getting too rough with them, and immediately the dominant would adjust his behaviour to accommodate the reprimand, but otherwise, both he and Harry were left to corral the small pack of young ones on their own.

A howl called them all back when the night had begun to wane, and Harry and Moony happily herded the pack of whining, but exhausted pups back to the subs and their respective parents. They all flopped down heavily, an action Harry immediately mimicked as he fell into the snow, rolling himself around to cool off from the tiring run.

Moony let out a pleasured sort of growl as he stood over Harry and nuzzled him affectionately, both their tails wagging as Harry got up and shook himself off. With a few gentle nudges from his mate, he happily trotted off to a more secluded area of the woods, which featured a small den that had been protected from the snow.

Had Harry been in his human form, he may have noticed how the way the snow had been cleared from the hollowed tree in a perfect circle, or the warm summer air that seemed to be condensed only to that one spot was clearly the cause of some kind of spell or charm. In his present state however, all Harry cared about was that it was warm and secluded, and he felt safe there.

Harry curled up just inside the den with Moony surrounding his lithe form like some sort of blanket, and after the exhausting night, he fell asleep quickly.

~*~

The next morning dawned cool and bright, and the previous night's enchantments on their den had long worn off, meaning that Harry woke up shivering.

There was a dull ache in his bones, which intimated to Harry that it could not have been long after the moon had set. That, and the fact that the sky was still dark.

Remus was still partially draped over him, fast asleep, and his skin felt almost hot to the touch. Harry shifted closer to him, but it did not help to warm him nearly as much as he had hoped that it would.

“Harry?” Remus's voice sounded the moment that he shifted closer, and it was thick with exhaustion. He cracked one eye open as he ran a hand over the sub's arm, and stiffened. “Good God, you're freezing! come here...”

Remus rolled onto his side and drew Harry closer, one arm around his waist, while the other rubbed at his arms and chest, trying to warm him up.

“S-sorry,” Harry mumbled between chattering teeth, “I didn't mean to wake you...”

“Nonsense,” he murmured, and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I'd much rather be woken up at the crack of dawn, rather than you freeze to death...”

Harry tried to snuggle closer, but just short of slipping into Remus's skin, he was as close as he could get. He was slightly warmer than before, but it still was far from comfortable.

“This isn't working,” Remus murmured after a few moments, “I'll find my wand and make a Portkey to get you home, I don't think I'm strong enough to Apparate right now...”

“Wait!” Harry said quickly as a smile spread across his face, “I have a much better idea. Help me up, I have to show you something.”

Remus's brow knitted in confusion, but he obediently helped a still-shivering Harry to his feet, and with a wide grin he took Remus's hand and tugged him towards the cabins.

“Harry?” Remus asked, confusion lacing his voice, “where are we going?”

“You'll see,” Harry said, his smile never fading as he continued to tug Remus along, “I was planning on surprising you with this later, but I think now might be a much better idea...”

Remus appeared more confused than ever, but did not pose any more questions as they wove through the cabins, and at last stopped before their cabin.

Holding his breath, Harry opened the door and took a step back to let Remus step inside first.

The fire pit burst to life the moment he crossed the threshold, bathing the cabin in a warm, flickering light. Harry stepped in behind Remus and quietly shut the door, and watched Remus's face for a reaction.

His eyes were wide, his lips were parted slightly, and he turned his head left and right, as though unable to believe what he was seeing.

“Harry, what is this?” he asked softly, a mixture of confusion and awe in his voice.

“Our cabin—our home, if you want it,” Harry explained as he stepped up to his mate and took his hand.

Remus forced his gaze away from the empty bookcases and looked down at Harry, his face still lined with confusion.

“This isn't...a pressure tactic to make you stay in the territory or anything like that,” Harry explained quickly, “but what with Alpha's offer, we'd need a place together, so the subs helped me fix this place up. What do you think?”

Remus looked away from Harry and back to the cabin, his expression thoughtful.

“I'll...Harry, this is wonderful, but I'll really need to think on it, it's a big decision for me,” Remus explained, and pulled Harry in for a quick kiss. “But that you did this for me...for us, I have no words for how happy that makes me. Let's sleep on it, and we'll discuss particulars tomorrow—erm, later today, all right?”

Harry nodded, swallowing his minor disappointment behind a neutral mask. It wasn't a no, but it wasn't the yes he'd been hoping for, either.

The pair headed for the bed, and Remus pulled Harry down under the warm duvet, holding him close as he nuzzled the back of his neck lovingly.

“Better than the cold ground?” Harry teased, and Remus chuckled.

“Yes, much,” he replied softly, “let's get some rest, all right?”

Harry nodded, and rolled over to curl more securely into his dominant's embrace.

Despite the small sting of disappointment that his plan did not go exactly as he had intended, he could not deny that curled up with Remus like this in a cabin that was theirs still helped him to live in hope that Remus might acquiesce to stay in the territory.

He sent a silent prayer up to any deity who might be listening, and then gave himself over to his exhaustion, and finally fell into a peaceful sleep.
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Lunaticus Book Three: New Moon Rising