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. |
A/N: Warning: Towards the end of this chapter, there is a sequence of violence and gore.
Epilogue – Godfathers
Seven Years Later
Harry rotated his shoulders as he appeared just outside the modest two-storey house in an effort to shake off the last dregs of his Apparition journey. He hadn't yet moved even a single step towards the open gate when the front door burst open with the force of a charging bull, and out tore a little girl with a long red braid bouncing off her behind. She ran down the walkway, through the gate, and leapt at Harry in a fierce hug, which very nearly knocked him to the ground.
“Uncle Harry, Uncle Harry!” she squealed excitedly as she linked her arms around his waist. “You're here! I'm ready, let's go!”
“Whoa, whoa, Rosie,” Harry said with a laugh as he scooped her up and carried the little girl back towards the house. “I wanna say hello to your mum and dad before we go.”
As Harry stepped through the gate and carried the excited seven-year-old back inside the house, Hermione came bustling out of the door, her hands on her hips and doing a remarkable impression of her mother-in-law.
“Rose Weasley! What have I told you about running out of the house like that?” she demanded, and Rose winced at her mother's cutting tone.
“B-But Uncle Harry was just outside!” she protested, her bottom lip quivering slightly, but Hermione was not fooled by the wounded puppy look.
“That is no excuse! You do not go running out. You are a werewolf, not a golden retriever. Understand?”
“Yes, Mum,” Rose mumbled as she bowed her head sadly.
“Good, now go and get your bag, your uncle and I need to have a quick chat before you go.”
Harry set Rose down and she thundered up the stairs, while he just barely managed to hold in a laugh at her excitement.
“You ready for tonight?” Harry asked when he was certain the little girl was out of earshot, “big night for you and Ron.”
“Biggest,” Hermione answered, her lips twitching into a faint smile. “I've no idea if I'm ready, but Ron asked me to, and I'll be taking wolfsbane tonight, just in case.”
“Eugh, I don't envy you,” Harry said with a shudder, and she nodded.
“Funny how we had no idea how uncomfortable it was while we were still human,” Hermione said with a small humourless smile. “But...God, the last time I took it, I couldn't smell right for ages.”
“Yeah, it really mucks up your senses, and it tastes like an entire lemon tree in a goblet,” he added, and she nodded again, her face contorted with disgust.
“Anyway, come on, I'm sure you want to see Ron before my daughter drags you off,” Hermione continued, and motioned towards the kitchen. Harry followed her obediently, and found Ron seated at the breakfast nook, a cup of tea cradled in his hands, and a very familiar-looking set of puncture-like markings decorating his throat.
“Hey, mate,” Harry said as he plopped down next to him, and Ron smiled weakly.
“Hey,” he croaked as he forced a small, weak smile.
“You ready for tonight?”
“Honestly? I have no idea,” he replied, red creeping up his neck and to his ears as he spoke. “I know I want it, but I'm...scared.” Ron winced as though he uttered some sort of horrid swear word, and behind the ginger, Harry could see Hermione smiling at him sympathetically. “What if something happens? What if it doesn't work?”
“Ron, we've told you,” Harry said patiently, “when it happens, you'll be like me...a sub. Hermione's pretty much already claimed you, so you don't need to worry about hierarchy, or pushy doms who want to make you their...cuddle monkey, or something. And being a sub isn't emasculating. You'll have me, and Tavish, and Daanish, and all of us are still the same. You know? And since you'll be a sub, that means after Hermione bites you, she'll need to watch over you to make sure you don't die. It's not exactly the most fun thing in the world, but you'll survive it. Hermione'd never let you die from something as mundane as a vicious, bloody werewolf attack.”
“Somehow that's not exactly making me feel any better,” Ron mumbled as he stared down into his half-empty cup, “I mean, we did the marking thing last month, I resigned from the Aurors, and we have all these plans to move over to the territory if everything goes well, but...I have no idea what I'll even do when I get there.”
“That isn't something you'll need to worry about, since it'll be Alpha who assigns you someplace,” Harry offered with a small shrug, but Ron didn't appear cheered by his words.
“Uncle Harry!” a little voice suddenly chirped, “I'm ready, can we go? I wanna see Uncle Remus, I writed another book for him!”
“Yeah, Rose, we're nearly done,” Harry called to her, and she let out a loud, frustrated groan.
“Go on,” Hermione said with a nod towards the door, “before she explodes. We'll see you at sunset.”
Harry nodded and stood up. He offered Ron's shoulder a quick squeeze, hugged Hermione, then finally headed over to the door.
“All ready?” Harry asked Rose, who was hopping from foot to foot in her excitement, a violently pink rucksack perched on her back and a plush lamb in her arms.
“I was ready ten years ago, let's go! It's the moon! I wanna see my friends, and Uncle Remus!” she said this all very fast, and grabbed Harry's hand, then began to drag him towards the door.
Harry offered his friends a quick wave, then finally allowed the little girl to drag him outside.
Just past the property line, Harry stopped and withdrew a cracked seashell from his pocket and held it out to her.
“Portkey?” he asked, and with a bright smile, she eagerly grabbed hold of it.
One dizzying trip later, Harry and Rose arrived at the Apparition Point in a jumbled heap, and Rose was up and darting off before he'd even begun to sit up.
“Auntie Jade, Auntie Jade!” Harry heard Rose call excitedly, “where is Xue and Calliope?”
“Hello to you too, Rose,” the older woman said with a small laugh, “they're with their brothers at home, how about you go say hello to your Uncle Remus and drop off your bag, then you can go see them?”
“Okay!”
By the time Harry had gotten up, Rose had already darted off for his and Remus's cabin. Harry nodded towards Jade in thanks, and she offered him a warm smile as he turned and headed for the cabins, smiling to himself as he went.
So much had happened in such a short span of time, and still Harry could hardly believe how wonderfully, beautifully normal his life had become.
As normal as life gets for a werewolf, at least.
From the frenzied owl from Ron now just over seven years past, informing them that Hermione had gone into labour, to bursting into their flat, scaring the midwife half to death, and the wonderful look of pleasant shock that had registered upon Remus's face when Hermione had asked both Harry and Remus to be godfather to her daughter.
It got even better when Charlie and Ulrich's tentative relationship began to blossom, and where Harry had found Ulrich's over-the-top defensive behaviour on the side of maddening, Charlie seemed to revel in it. He sported a prideful smile every time that it happened, he and was always quick to drag his werewolf off for some alone time not long after. They were still in a limbo of trying to decide when and if they should take the next step—either by way of a human/werewolf bond or by turning Charlie, but it seemed as though they'd yet to come to a decision. Harry was thrilled for them both, especially after what he and Ulrich had gone through some years before.
And now it was to be Ron's turn for a major change in his life.
It was a far cry from what Harry's turning had been like, and Ron's was to be how it should be, according to Tavish, Greyback, Adina, and practically every other person in the pack. Ron would come to the territory at sundown, duly protected from harm by the claim marks at his throat and Hermione's scent on him, and the pack would witness her turning him. It would be difficult to watch, Harry was certain, but at the same time, Harry felt that it was right, like his family would finally be complete again.
When Harry arrived at their cabin door, he could hear the high, excited voice of his goddaughter babbling away happily on the other side. It successfully drew him from his fog of pleasant memory, and with an indulgent smile, he opened the door.
“...and this is the part where the Princess Wolfington the Brave beats up the bad, evil wizard, so that everyone can go to school for real, and not just pretend,” Rose said as Harry stepped inside. He spotted Rose and Remus by the fire pit, two empty mugs on the bench beside them, and the little girl was perched in her godfather's lap while she showed him her latest storybook that she'd drawn for him.
“The bad wizard wasn't letting the werewolves go to school?” Remus asked her, and Harry saw Rose shake her head.
“Nope. Mister Toffee and Missus Toad was scared of us, so he said that we weren't allowed to go to real school, because then we'd get smart and learn how to make him go away. Mummy gave me the idea.”
Remus chuckled, and Harry smiled, having an inkling as to where Hermione had gotten that particular idea. As the door snapped shut behind him, both Remus and Rose whirled around to face him. Rose was bearing a wide, excited smile, while Remus's was more reserved, and bore a warm adoration that never failed to make the colour rise in Harry's cheeks.
“What took you so long, Uncle Harry?” Rose asked, her eyes wide and curious, “I was showing Uncle Remus my new book, but you can look too. Princess Wolfington and Loopy want to go to school, but a bad wizard won't let them.”
“A bad wizard, eh?” Harry asked as he approached them and sat down next to Remus, pausing just long enough to offer his mate a light kiss. “Why doesn't he want Princess Wolfington to go to school?”
“Because he thinks werewolfs are bad, so he thinks letting her learn stuff is bad too,” she explained proudly, and Harry bit his lip to keep himself from laughing.
She is so much like her mother, it's amazing. Always wanting to learn.
Rose read out the rest of the picture book to Harry and Remus, and they followed along with her story of Princess Wolfington the Brave, and how she brought down the corrupt government in order to allow her and her werewolf friends to go to school.
“...and then Princess Wolfington went to Hogwarts, and she was picked to go in Gryffinclaw, 'cause she was smart and brave, and she lived happily ever after. The end.”
“What a great story, Rose,” Remus said as he squeezed her shoulder, and she beamed at him. “Why don't you leave it with your other storybooks while you go and see your friends? You haven't seen them yet, you came straight here.”
“I saw Auntie Jade, she told me to leave my stuff here first...”
“That you did, but—” Remus began, but a sudden hammering on their cabin door successfully interrupted them.
“Rooose, are you done yet? Mum said you went to put away your stuff, and you're taking forever...” a juvenile voice sounded from the opposite side of the door, one which Harry recognized immediately as belonging to Rose's best friend, Xue.
“Coming!” Rose called, and jumped up off the bench, her storybook forgotten as she ran out the door without so much as a goodbye.
“She really doesn't lack for energy,” Harry observed while Remus stood and tucked away Rose's latest storybook on their shelf along with all the other stories of Princess Wolfington she'd written over the last six months.
“You're not wrong,” Remus replied with a soft chuckle, “it's amazing Ron and Hermione aren't run ragged by her.”
“I suppose having werewolf stamina certainly helps,” Harry joked as he stood up and meandered over to Remus, getting on his toes to offer him a more proper kiss that was not intended for the eyes of his goddaughter. Remus let out a tiny sigh of contentment, and wrapped an arm around Harry's waist, drawing him a little closer.
“I don't think I'll ever get tired of kissing you,” Remus purred against his mouth, and Harry's face split into a grin.
“Me neither,” Harry replied, his hands dropping to Remus's waist, and they kissed again. Though it was still early, Harry could practically feel the hum of the impending moon on his skin, and it seemed to make his arousal amplify as he leant in to kiss Remus again.
“Don't do this to me, Harry,” Remus murmured with a soft groan between kisses, “we're supposed to be keeping an eye on Rose until Ron and Hermione get here...”
“Jade can watch her,” Harry said softly as he extended his tongue to trace the shape of Remus's lips before he leant in for another kiss, “come on, you know neither of us will last long at this time of the month, and I still have Hermione's scent all over me, a dominant who isn't you...”
That seemed to do the trick, and with a soft, possessive growl, Remus dragged his sub towards their bed.
~*~
An hour later, Harry and Remus wandered out of the cabin hand-in-hand, both sporting smiles that bordered on goofy.
When they reached the main area of the territory, it took about three seconds for Rose and the other kids to notice them, and Remus was abruptly dragged off for story time. Or, in layman's terms, censored versions of the Marauders' misadventures that Remus had adapted for the ears of the pack's pups.
Harry chuckled as he watched the kids drag him off, and turned away in time to see Tavish sauntering towards him, a lewd smirk on his face.
“You stink like sex,” Tavish said, and Harry shoved his shoulder lightly.
“So do you, so your accusation is a bit pot calling kettle black, don't you think?” Harry asked, and Tavish grinned, adjusting the collar of his jumper to make the purple marks on his throat more visible.
“Gods, I love the day of the Moon,” he said as he stretched his arms over his head luxuriously. “So much fun to be had. You excited about tonight?”
“I'm not sure excited is the right word,” Harry replied as he and Tavish wandered over to the bonfire and took seats on one of the benches not far from where Remus was regaling the young ones with their favourite tale—Cat, Rat, and Dog. “Ron's really nervous. I know he wants it, but...a sub's turning isn't exactly the most fun thing in the world.”
“So I've heard,” Tavish muttered with a small grimace, and Harry blinked.
“You don't remember your turning?” he asked, and this time Tavish blinked at him in equal confusion.
“I'm a born wolf,” Tavish explained, “I thought you knew. My father was not happy that he'd produced a sub, so I had to leave my pack, and I came here.”
“I must've missed the memo,” Harry replied, his tone very dry, and Tavish cracked a small smile. He could see that there was a story there, but something about his friend's tone told Harry that it wasn't something he was willing to discuss, and quickly dropped it. “Anyway, I nearly died from mine. I think that's sort of traumatized Ron, so he's really nervous.”
“That's sort of the point, though,” Tavish said as he stared into the high, crackling bonfire. “Born of blood to protect in blood...or born in blood, to protect blood...I can't remember. It all boils down to all the old tales that glorify subs as these great caregiver types.”
“Like how women are supposed to be good at cooking and having babies and things, and men must do manly things like accountancy or fishing...” Harry muttered, and snorted at Tavish's perplexed look. “Muggle stereotypes of men and women.”
“I'm suddenly very glad for my all-wolf upbringing,” Tavish joked, and Harry laughed.
They whiled away the afternoon by alternating between chatting together, keeping the pups occupied, and sneaking off with their respective mates. Harry and Remus only made it back to their cabin half of the time, and it was only after they were caught snogging in the woods on the edge of the territory for the third time did Greyback gruffly remind them that they had a cabin for a reason. Neither Remus nor Harry were overly embarrassed about being caught; after seven years, their track record was in the low hundreds, and at least two thirds of the pack could attest to having caught them at it a handful of times each.
As evening began to set in, Remus returned from the kitchen tent with a massive serving of food for Harry, and he stared at it bemusedly.
“Because of the turning tonight, there will be no hunt, so everyone needs to eat a little more than usual,” Remus explained, and Harry looked around to see the other subs tucking into huge portions of their own, and even the pups had close to adult-sized portions of food before them.
“Right,” Harry said as he accepted the bowl and Remus sat next to him with his usual pre-moon serving, that looked like it could feed five Remuses, not just one.
The pair tucked in, and Harry tried to pace himself in order to clean his plate, but after half of his portion his stomach began to protest, and he pushed his leftovers away with a small groan. Remus frowned at him, but Harry shook his head.
“I know I'll regret it tonight, but if I eat anymore, I might explode,” he explained, and Remus nodded a little, vanishing the lot with a lazy flick of his wand.
“When you wake up tomorrow to your stomach eating itself, don't blame me,” Remus said mildly, and Harry snorted.
“It takes more than twelve hours for that to happen, you prat. Besides, I think it's more likely for that to happen to you, not me.”
“What makes you say that?”
“You big, strong dominants, for all your strength, you're always hungry,” Harry pointed out with an arched brow, and Remus chuckled.
“Point,” he murmured as he wrapped an arm around Harry's waist, tugging him a little closer, and leant in to nip at the sub's earlobe, making him shiver. “We'll just have to eat each other, then.”
The husky tone with which Remus spoke suggested that he was trying for a clever double entendre, but the phrasing caused Harry to bark a laugh.
“I had no idea cannibalism turned you on,” Harry teased, and Remus flushed a faint pink.
“You know what I meant,” Remus said, his tone shifting back to normal, and Harry smirked.
“Definitely.”
Remus leant in at the same moment that Harry did, and their lips pressed together lightly, just as a pointed cough sounded from the left of them. They broke apart and turned to see Greyback standing nearby, his arms crossed.
“Do we need to have another talk about you two keeping your filthy shagging sessions to your cabin?”
“You're one to talk—” Harry began, and Remus elbowed him sharply to shut him up.
“Watch your mouth, Potter,” Greyback growled with annoyance. “I mean it, none of us enjoy catching you two voyeurs in action, regardless of what my paramour might say.”
“It's a beautiful expression of love!” Tavish cried out from across the circle, and Harry tasted blood from biting the inside of his cheek as he tried to keep himself from laughing. Remus seemed to be faring no better, and Greyback shot them each one more withering glare before he stomped off.
“I got the impression that Alpha was trying to tell us something...” Harry said airily, “maybe about not shagging in public anymore?”
“It's difficult to tell,” Remus replied in the same teasing tone as he chuckled, “he wasn't very clear. One might interpret his words as we just need to get more creative about where we shag in public...”
“I think I have a few ideas...”
“I don't doubt that, but maybe keep it for after the moon, I think we're out of time at the moment,” Remus said, and nodded to the west. The sky was a deep orange shot with hues of pink and gold, making it clear that moonrise was not too far off.
“Too bad,” Harry replied with false disappointment as he leant into his mate's side. Remus secured his arm around him, and they watched the sunset in peaceful silence while the other pack members around them slowly finished off their meals.
It was nearly moonrise by the time Ron and Hermione showed up. No one noticed them straightaway, and it was only Rose's excited shriek of, “Mummy! Daddy!” that alerted the rest of the pack to their presence, and Harry turned just in time to see Hermione scoop Rose up and swing her around happily.
Harry gave Remus's hand a quick squeeze before he broke away from his mate to go and see his friends. Ron's complexion was even paler than it had been earlier, and it seemed to have taken on a greenish tinge, which his daughter did not notice as she babbled away at them about her day.
“Well, it's good that you're not really, really nervous about tonight, or this would be really difficult for you,” Harry remarked, and Ron snorted as he offered his best mate a weak smile.
“Will it hurt?” Ron asked with a wince, and Harry grimaced.
“You probably don't want me to answer that,” he replied delicately, and Ron's complexion seemed to get even greener.
“Brilliant,” he rasped, and glanced over to the pack. “Is this what it felt like when you were waiting to be turned?”
“More or less,” Harry replied, “I guess my hissy fit no longer seems like an overreaction, does it?”
“Not so much, no,” Ron replied, his tone a little dry as he smiled weakly at Harry.
“Don't worry, it'll be fine. Hermione will take good care of you.”
“Aren't I supposed to be the one taking care of her, though?”
“Whole new world, mate,” Harry replied simply, “just 'cause she's a dom and you're not doesn't make you any less of a man, trust me. Daanish is one of the most respected werewolves in the pack, and he's a sub. It's nothing.”
Ron answered with a noncommittal grunt, but Harry decided not to push it; Ron would work it out in his own time.
Harry broke away from Ron to go to Remus, while Hermione took Ron's hands and led him to the centre of the territory. It was a little odd to see, especially when he realized with a jolt that this was what his own turning would have looked like, had he gone with Greyback the morning after he'd been marked.
Adina, as usual, sifted through the pack, accepting their clothes as they disrobed, and noted Ron's look of horror—it appeared as though Hermione had forgotten to mention that he'd be surrounded by naked werewolves before the change actually came upon them.
Harry watched Hermione draw Ron's attention back to her; he could see her lips moving, but from such a distance, he could not discern the words.
“Rings,” Remus said suddenly.
“What? Oh, right,” Harry replied as he turned to his mate, remembering belatedly what he was referring to. He pulled the ring off his finger and threaded it through a long chain that he had around his neck, usually concealed beneath his clothes. In their human forms they seemed to be overly long, but after the transformation it fit against Harry's throats comfortably, very much like a narrow dog collar.
“How's Ron?” Remus asked conversationally as he finished threading his own ring onto the chain, and looped it back over his head. “Is he ready for this?”
“He is; I think he's more scared of the pain than anything else,” Harry replied, his eyes not on Remus, but on the darkening sky. “Being turned is never easy, but considering he'll be a sub...” Harry trailed off, and he saw Remus nod out of the corner of his eye. He didn't need to say it—the older man knew what he meant.
A warm hand slipped into Harry's, and at the same moment he felt his skin begin to prickle with cold sweat.
“It's coming,” Harry whispered, and Remus could only nod as he began to breathe harshly. Around him, the other pack members were equally affected by the moon's appearance in the sky as low moans and cries filled the air. Harry's notice of them fell to the background as the change took him, and he slid to his knees as he welcomed his wolf.
The painful crunch of bone, the stretching of his skin, and the distinct burn of wolf fur sprouting from every follicle overwhelmed Harry as it always did, and after a moment, it all stopped.
Harry stood on all fours and shook himself, and he could feel his mate doing the same next to him. He turned, his tail beginning to wag, but he froze as an unfamiliar scent met his nose. He turned, and spotted the human.
The human was afraid—blindingly so. Harry could taste it on the air, but paired with it was the strange sense that he was almost pack. He saw Hermione sitting near him, nuzzling his cheek, her tail wagging, while a russet pup ran in circles around them, yipping excitedly.
Alpha was not with his mates, or the dominants, but instead he was shepherding every pack member into position to observe the human. Many of the subs appeared unnerved by the human's presence, and with teeth bared, they made numerous mad dashed towards him. The human screamed; Harry didn't like the sound, and his ears flattened against his head. Each time however, Alpha, Hermione, or one of the other dominants intercepted them, protecting the human from harm.
Harry whined as Alpha reached him and his mate, separating them as he shunted Harry towards the semicircle of subs. All of them were sitting still and watching the human, while Alpha's mates bracketed them, breaking formation only when it appeared as though one of the subs might run forward and attack.
Alpha then rounded up the dominants, placing them behind the subs in the same semicircle pattern. The mated subs were gifted with their dominants at their back, and Harry felt himself relax when he scented Moony not a foot from him, and wagged his tail lightly.
Their alpha at last moved to the front of the formation, sitting roughly two feet in front of the subs, directly in the middle while he faced Hermione and the human. He let out a short bark, and Hermione stood up on all fours, giving herself a quick shake before she rounded on the human.
Harry fidgeted; it smelt like a hunt, and he was overwhelmed for a moment with the urge to lunge at the human. A warning nip to his hindquarters from Moony stopped him short, and with a frustrated whine, he forced himself to sit still.
The human was speaking, but it was gibberish—Harry couldn't understand a word of it. He sounded frightened, but Harry had no idea why. With his pack all around him, he never felt safer. This human smelt like pack, so why did he not trust them? Harry was once again overwhelmed with the urge to lunge forward, this time to teach the human a lesson, but at the risk of being reprimanded by his mate again, he forced himself to stay where he was.
Hermione growled as she bowed forward in a traditional pouncing stance. The human stumbled over his large feet as he scampered back, and Alpha circled away from his pack towards the human, caging him in and preventing him from fleeing, but not interfering with the ceremony, either.
Hermione stayed still for a moment longer, her gaze calculating, then without warning, she lunged.
The human screamed again as the scent of blood filled the air, paired with the tearing of flesh, and the audible snapping of bone. Harry pawed the ground as the fresh smell made his stomach rumble, but a warning growl from Moony was more than enough to keep him in position.
Hermione had ripped the human open, and blood dripped thickly from her jaws. The human was weeping openly, his hands at his belly, and it seemed as though Hermione had very nearly bitten him clean in half. His white hands were red, and Harry could see the shine of the stars and moon glint off his internal organs, some of which were in danger of tumbling out. She growled, and lunged at him again, but this time Alpha interfered and snapped at her sharply. Her ears flattened against her head as she seemed to come back to herself, and began to whine as she circled her alpha and made for the human.
He did not seem to be completely conscious anymore, laying on his back, his hands resting at his stomach, which was still bleeding heavily, but his grip seemed to have lessened somewhat. Hermione licked away his tears, and whined again when he let out another pained groan. He said something, his tone plaintive, and Hermione moved to lick his bloody hands, her attention focused on keeping the grievous wound from becoming fatal.
Her saliva worked into the wound, and Harry watched the human's skin knit back together very slowly, pink and raw, though the human seemed to have fainted, and did not see his mate tending to him.
When the wound was completely sealed and the fresh blood smell began to wane, the human's scent changed very suddenly, almost like an explosion of pheromones on the air. Now, Harry could smell only one thing—werewolf.
Hermione lay down next to her mate, her large brown head resting on the centre of his chest. Her pup broke ranks and joined them, the little ball of red fur curling up tightly between her parents.
Alpha tilted his head back and howled, welcoming the new werewolf to their ranks.
The dominants followed suit, engulfing the subs in the sound, and at last Harry tilted his head back as he joined them, singing welcome to the newest member of their pack—their family.
As the circle slowly began to break up, the unmated subs stayed close, protecting the new wolf from further harm, while the others went to their mates. Harry was the only pair-bond sub to stay behind as he watched the little werewolf family, his head cocked. Moony sidled up to him and Harry pressed against his side, while at the same time he inched a little closer to the trio.
Hermione curled her lip back in warning, and moved to block her mate and pup from sight. Harry backed off with a soft whimper, while Moony rested his head atop Harry's consolingly.
Harry backed off a little, but he was still reluctant to go too far. He lay down, his ears pricked and tail high as he watched the new werewolf, unconscious for the moment, his mate, nuzzling him almost continually, and the tiny pup, little more than a fluffy red ball, squirming and fidgeting between her parents.
Moony lay down at Harry's side with a soft huff, his much larger wolf form curling around him protectively. He licked at Harry's ears and nuzzled him gently, while Harry laid his head down upon his crossed forepaws, and watched over Hermione, her mate, and her pup attentively.
Harry's intent to keep them safe—regardless that his muddled sub instincts was telling him that he needn't do so—kept him awake much longer than usual. The sky was a deep indigo by the time he shut his eyes and curled into the warmth of his mate's thick fur, and he found peaceful sleep that night, his dreams devoid of dark lords, of terrorist groups, and of rogue werewolves.
The End
A/N: I don't even know what to say here, but it feels like I should say <i>something</i>. Just over eighteen months have passed since I sat down to outline this story, and I can't even begin to express my sheer amazement at the reception this thing has gotten. I want to say thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to every single reader who took the time to read this, share this, and especially, comment on this. This isn't one of the most popular ships out there, and so to receive such a volume of support for a rarer pairing is doubly exciting, and I am just so very humbled by the popularity of this story.
When I first started this, it was out of frustration at not being able to find the kind of fic that I personally wanted to read for this ship, and it quickly evolved into its own separate thing, and to not work on it anymore is a little bit strange for me, like letting my child go off to their first day of kindergarten or something.
This has been a truly amazing ride, and thank you again for sticking with this story, I am so deeply humbled by all of you for your support for this story, from those who have been there since the beginning, to more recent readers, to those lurkers who are too shy to leave a comment. Thank you guys so, so, so, so, so, so much!
xox
James
PS. As of now, this will be the last thing I post to AFF. I am moving over to just AO3 and Tumblr, so if you guys wish to follow anything I might put out after this, that is where you will find it. Thank you again for all your support!
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