Heat

CHAPTER 12: Howling











Remus was quiet, as he always was on the day of the full moon. Hermione had learned over the time she had known him that it was best to leave him be. It couldn’t be pleasant, knowing that in a few hours he would transform into a mindless creature with no control over himself.





Hermione fixed him a large dinner of ham, potatoes and green beans. The change would sap all his energy stores and she wanted to make certain he had enough so that he wouldn’t be ill come morning. She set his plate and a glass of milk in front of him, along with a small vial of wolfsbane potion. It would help make the change easier and allow him to retain some of his memory while in wolf form.





“Thank you.” He said quietly as he downed the potion and chased it with his milk. “Nasty stuff.” He said, shivering slightly before setting to work on his food.





“Maybe we can add flavoring to it, make it less disgusting.” Hermione said, watching as he practically inhaled the food on his plate.





“Snape said it would dilute the formula.” Remus answered between bites. When his plate was empty she got up and went to the counter and refilled it.





“There you go. Your appetite certainly has grown.” She said, setting his plate in front of him.





“It must be the food. I’m not used to home cooked meals, or someone watching over me to make certain I eat.” He said.





“I’m glad the meals please you Remus.” Hermione said before returning to her own dinner.





“Everything about you pleases me, Hermione.” She looked up and her breath caught. He was looking at her, his chocolate eyes held something she couldn’t identify, but whatever it was it pulled her in like a magnet. She pushed her plate away and walked around the table. He reached out to wrap an arm around her waist and pull her into his lap.





“Thank you, for saying that.” She said, resting her brow against his.





“No need to thank me, it’s the truth.” He kissed her lightly and rubbed his nose alongside hers.





“Still…I know that you really didn’t want this to happen between us.”





“It doesn’t matter what I wanted, it happened and now we will see it through to whatever conclusion it’s meant for.” He caught the softly fading light through the window. “It’s about that time.”





“Ugh, I hate the thought of you down there alone in that dark, damp cellar.” She said, wrapping her arms tight around him and burying her face into his shoulder.





“This is what I am Hermione, you’ve known that from the start.” He said, stroking his palm over her back to comfort her.





“Doesn’t mean I have to like it.” She said petulantly. “Let me pack up some bottled water and crackers for you to have when you recover until I can unlock the doors and let you out.” She started to move off of his lap, but he held her tighter. He nudged her chin with his thumb, urging her to look at him.





“I want you to promise me that once you lock those doors, you will not approach the cellar for any reason until the sun comes up.” He said, torn by the tears forming in her soft amber eyes. Had anyone ever cried for him?





“I promise. Just try not to hurt yourself.” She kissed him, then slid from his lap and shoved some bottled water, crackers and granola bars into a bag. She grabbed a key ring from the hook by the door and followed him outside and around to the side of the house. He opened the cellar doors then turned to face her. “Here.” She handed him the bag.





Remus smiled slightly and moved closer, kissing her gently. She responded eagerly, their tongues dueling and mating. Her hands clung to his shoulders as they pulled apart.

“It’s alright Hermione, don’t worry about me. Just fasten the chains over the door and make certain the padlocks are locked. I will see you in the morning.” He stroked a finger over the side of her face and walked down the steps into the cellar, pulling the doors closed above him. Hermione threaded the chains through the metal rings and secured the large padlocks with the keys. She lifted her wand and cast a protective ward over the door. She blew a kiss in that direction and went inside.







She had just finished the washing up when she saw the moon peek from behind the clouds through the window above the sink. She had seen him change only once, but she remembered the look of pure agony on his face as his bones and muscles creaked and reformed themselves.





She smiled sadly when a mournful howl rent the night. She locked and warded the door and climbed into the lonely bed to cry her self to sleep.













Remus was reading when he felt the nauseating tug of the full moon rising. He had already removed his clothing in preparation, so he set his book aside and stood. As always the burning hit him first, it felt as though he were on fire and roasting from the inside out. Then came the aching, as though every muscle in his body had been used excessively. He could feel his teeth sharpen, the fangs lengthen. His nails began to grow, and his bones were shifting, rubbing against each other as his shape shifted into the gangly form of the were-wolf.







He paced restlessly, able to remember the woman upstairs, his mate. Back and forth in a small circle he paced, his claws clicking on the cellars stone floor. He heard her moving, could smell the salty scent of her tears. He raised his head, arching his neck and howled his frustration into the night.









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I know it’s a short chapter….but the full moon was a hump (no pun intended) I needed to get over before things could get juicy…..