Hungry Like The Wolf

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. Jo has let me borrow them but only if I return them to their proper place after.

lisa: Yeah, I think that people who just portray Hermione as a bookworm don't 'get' her, at school I was practically Hermione, and I even had a teacher LIKE Snape. Believe it or not, I HATED this guy so much, and then I found out a bit about his personal life that made me respect him, and by the time I left school I even had a crush on the guy... so, that is why I write SS.HG in a lot of my stories, or have to have them together at some point! Anyway, good girl... Fenrir promised that he'd make another appearance didn't he?

cateye: Okay darling, here's an entry to calm you down. I hope you take a chill pill soon... love the review by the way, and Fenrir did to!

angel: Yeah, so was I. Here's the next chapter.

The Recovery and Capture

Remus had come back first thing in the morning to the headquarters. He walked past a tapestry and looked at it, it was depicting a scene of one of the Black Ancestors being burnt alive by Muggles and the faces of the Muggles looked devilish and exultant. Remus shivered. But, like the painting it was non removable. He walked past it and up the hallway to the first floor, where Snape was being kept.

He was about to open the door when a very tired looking Hermione walked up to him with another potion.

“Have you been up all night?” Remus asked.

“Well I tried not to be!” She snapped. “But some of these potions take a long time to brew; I’ve finally finished the last one and now have to give them to him.”

“How many have you done?”

“Six in all: one for the headache, one for the fever, one for the cold, one for the cough, one for the muscular aches, and finally the last one for his temper!”

Remus laughed at the last one. She looked up at him as he was laughing.

“Do you want me to feed them to his Royal Grouchiness?” Remus asked.

Hermione sighed and dashed some hair from out of her face.

“No it’s all right I can manage,” she said. She lowered the cauldron on the floor and opened the door – levitated the cauldron back up again and walked through it. Remus decided to follow.

He was going to protect Hermione as best as he could. His mind wondered to the prospect of being a father; he has always wanted a daughter; one like Hermione. He wasn’t sure if he wanted a son like Ron or Harry. He wanted an easy life; one without complications and worry as far as children were concerned.

*^*^*

Snape was sitting up; he was wrapped up warm; his nose dribbling, his eyes swollen, and his cheeks were puffy. Both Hermione and Remus could tell he’d been crying. Hermione set the last potion down and filled a cup with it and poured it into Snape’s mouth. She felt his forehead and muttered something indistinct; she then went to a scroll and wrote down some notes as if she were a professional Healer.

She heard a groan coming from the bed and then ran back up to him and picked his chin up.

“What do you want?” She asked.

Snape woke up and peered a paler than usual eye towards Remus direction.

“Cub here to laub at be hab you?” He asked trying to get the energy up to be nasty.

Remus rolled his eyes.

“Of course not, Snape, laughing at someone else’s suffering is not one of my favourite pastimes you know,” he answered stiffly.

“You did a lod of dat at dool!”

Hermione sighed heavily and looked at Remus and then turned her attention back towards her patient.

“If you really looked at me hard enough, Severus, you would have noticed that I did not like most if not all the things they were doing to you, and they knew I didn’t like it.”

“You didn’t try and dop it, dough!” Snape replied.

“Oh for pity’s sake will you stop it, Snape!” Hermione snapped. “Save your energies you’ll need them.”

Snape looked at Hermione.

“You’ve changed,” Snape said.

“You weren’t deluding yourself that I was actually afraid of you were you?” Hermione asked.

Snape blinked. He sat back and folded his arms across his chest.

“I don’t want it!” He exclaimed as Hermione was trying to give him another potion.

“Oh don’t be such a baby,” she sighed. “Open wide!”

“You dwo are endoying dis ardn’t do?” He asked after he sneezed again.

Remus walked up to Snape and stood the other side of the bed across at Hermione.

“Truthfully?” He asked.

Snape nodded.

“A bit!”

“Professor Lupin if you are only going to aggravate him I suggest you leave,” Hermione said. “Oh and please fetch me all my ingredients, I’ll stay here with Snape.”

Remus smiled cheekily at Hermione.

“Yes mum!”

Hermione picked up a bit of cloth and chucked it at him.

“Go please,” she said. “And Professor Lupin was not speaking for the both of us, I am not enjoying your pain and suffering; even a minute bit!”

Snape looked at the young woman before him and settled back to let her cure him. Perhaps she was his key to getting back in the Order, if he co-operated with her then she might put in a good word.

*^*^*

Remus went down to the apex where he saw lots of ingredients tidily labelled and decided to just bring them all up. Harry came in and saw him.

“Did you go in his room, Harry?” Remus asked when he saw a grin spread across Harry’s face.

“What? Why on earth would I want to go in a room that beholds Snape? I don’t want to see him again,” Harry stated flatly. “It was bad enough before but now it’s worse. I don’t even want to be in the same country as him!”

Remus checked the boy over and sighed.

“Look Harry we’re not going to cure him and then kill him,” he said. “We’re going to cure him, get his side of the story out of him, and then decide what to do with him.”

Harry set his jaw in determination.

“That man killed my parents, that man killed Sirius, he murdered Dumbledore before my very eyes and you’re telling me that we can’t kill him?”

“Hmm,” Remus mused thoughtfully. “Look I am angry at James and Lily’s death, I am angry at Sirius’ death, and I am livid at Dumbledore’s death but we can’t kill him before we get the full story out of him. Be sensible, Harry.”

“Then I’m going to kill Pettigrew!”

“You can’t,” Remus said. “You saved his life and he owes you a life debt, which thus far has not been repaid. Until it is, he has to remain alive. Snape had a life debt to your father, which he never paid back and I suppose he’s been trying to do it through you a bit. Remember your first Quidditch lesson Harry,” Remus said. “I believe he went all out to save your life that year but it’s not quite the same. He never paid the debt back to your father, that would make Snape sort of continually in your fathers debt,” Remus began walking out the room. “For someone like Snape that would be punishment enough.”

He closed the door leaving Harry on his own. Harry walked out soon after. He needed somewhere to think; somewhere to escape from, so that no one could tell him what was right and wrong, just him, on his own. What Lupin had just told him was basically what Dumbledore had said at the end of the first year. Snape must have been tortured continuously for what his father had done to him. Harry began to believe that Snape might have preferred death to this. If death is what he would prefer then perhaps he could erase his father’s mistake and kill him! ‘NO!’ a voice said to him. ‘You need him Harry!’ it was the voice of a female. His mother!

“Mum,” he whispered. “Is that you?”

‘Yes, darling, it is, please do not be so angry at Severus, if only you knew what he had suffered throughout his childhood then you could understand and sympathise for it was similar almost to yours.’

“Mum, I can’t believe you’re defending him,” Harry said aloud.

‘I know what he has done, Harry,’ Lily’s ghostly voice said. ‘But, please, listen to him once he is recovered. And believe his story. For it is the truth.’

“MUM!” Harry yelled, “MUM, WHERE ARE YOU? I CAN’T HEAR YOU, MUM!” He screamed at the ceiling and began to cry. “DON’T LEAVE ME NOW THERE’S SO MUCH TO TELL YOU! MUM!”

But the voice had gone. Harry sank on the floor and began sobbing, he had her here, his mother, and he heard her beautiful voice. But not there to cuddle and comfort him, not there to hold him tight, to wipe his tears away. He didn’t do anything until he felt a hand squeeze his shoulder and he looked up into Arthur Weasley’s kind blue eyes.

“I heard you screaming, Harry,” he said gently. “I’m sorry but you’re mother’s not here.”

“She was!” Harry exclaimed. “She was here! She spoke to me! she was here!”

“Harry how many times do we have to go through this? Hearing voices is not a good sign, someone is playing a trick on you.”

“It was her!” Harry exclaimed. “I know it was!”

Arthur sighed and held Harry close to his chest and gave him a fatherly hug, it wasn’t fair and, he mused, it wasn’t right! He saw seven beautiful children grow up and was about to see one of them married off but those two youngsters just taken in the prime of their life and not seeing how wonderful their child was… it made Arthur’s blood boil! That Dark Lord better watch out!

*^*^*

Hermione had spent a whole day with Snape, Remus offered to take over but she refused. Eventually Tonks turned up. She was a bit more forceful than her boyfriend.

“Wotcher!” She exclaimed. “By Merlin’s beard what have you been doing all night?” Tonks asked Hermione. “You could pack a suitcase holiday for two for a fortnight those bags are so big.”

Hermione laughed but quietly. Snape was finally dozing and she had sat down and began knitting to relax her. She watched Snape carefully as she was knitting.

“I am sorry, Tonks,” she said. “But he needed several long brewing potions, thankfully once you brewed them you don’t need to do it again if you’ve done enough. I just have to give him doses morning and night, but I thought I’d better stay here and keep a close watch on him.”

“Where’s Remus?” Tonks asked.

“Don’t know try the kitchen,” she said. “He does have a wolfish appetite.”

“In all areas of life,” Tonks agreed. Hermione blushed and made particular care to study the knitting pattern before her.

“I hope you find him,” Hermione muttered.

“You should get some sleep,” Tonks said. “Honestly what do you think it’ll do to you? Once he’s recovered he’ll have to do the same for you and it’ll be like a never ending cycle.”

Hermione looked over at the bed and nodded. She finished off her knitting and curled up on the sofa and went to sleep. She was just drifting off into a glorious dream of being seduced by Casanova when she heard a gasp come from the bed.

She immediately sprang up and walked a fast step towards the bed and frowned. She saw him rock his head side to side; he was having a nightmare. She found his breathing was quick and fast; he was gasping for air. He began thrashing his arms against the mattress. He was having a panic attack!

“Brown paper bag,” she said. “Must find a brown paper bag, or any paper bag,” she seized an empty ingredient’s packet and decided it’ll have to do, she enlarged it and put it over his mouth, she raised his head up and whispered in his ear whilst smoothing his hair that it was all right, that she was here.

“M – MOTHER!” He screamed.

“Stop it, Severus, Mummy’s here,” she whispered gently in his ear. Anything to make him calm down, she hated deception but this was necessary. “Mummy’s here!”

“Mum,” Snape said. All traces of a cold seemed to have gone. “Mum leave me, I don’t deserve it!”

Hermione was feeling nervous but she had to keep comforting him, it was the only thing to do.

“I am your mother,” she said. “What could you have done to turn my love away from you?”

“MUM!” He screamed.

Oh heck, she thought, how could she cope with this? She continued making him breathe into the paper bag; he was still thrashing his arms and legs, screaming his head off.

“Yes, Severus, I’m here,” she said getting closer.

“Sing to me, mum!” He said he was beginning to calm down now.

Hermione looked down on the carpet, she couldn’t think of many songs. Apart from Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

“Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are,
Up above the world so high.
Like a diamond in the sky!”

She sang it softly into his ear smoothing his hair and rocking him back and forth in an effort to steady his breathing, eventually the panic attack subsided; after she sung the song about fifteen times he began to end up crying. She clung onto him.

Snape woke up a few hours after with Hermione collapsed on top of his chest. He furrowed his brow in confusion. He shook her awake and she wiped her eyes from the sleep that had formed there.

“Are you all right?” she asked.

“Shouldn’t I be?” He answered. “It seems the potions have worked their magic straight away.”

Hermione breathed a huge sigh of relief.

*^*^*

Later on that day Hermione went to the bathroom to have a bath and to relax after what had happened. She had held Snape close to her body and, it seemed, fell asleep right on top of him. She did not know whether it was the shock that made her not care or whether it was something deep within herself that made her not care.

She walked down the stairs after she got bathed and dressed and walked into the meeting room. Dora and Remus she noticed were separated either side of the room, she smirked.

“Miss Granger can you please report on Snape?” McGonnagal asked. She was peevish because she considered it irresponsible of Remus to allow a young inexperienced woman like Miss Granger alone with a Death Eater!

“He’s recovering well, the potions seemed to have worked straight away and all he needs is a night of rest, and then he can tell us what his version of events are,” she said. “He also has not done me any harm and I think that he might have something worthwhile to say. He seemed to show guilt for something, and during a panic attack he called for his mother he told her – or rather me – that he wasn’t deserving of her love anymore.”

A snort of derision was heard and Hermione looked over in the direction and saw Harry sitting there. He was finally allowed in meetings it seemed.

“And you believed him, Hermione?” He asked savagely.

“You didn’t see him, Harry,” she said. “He was clinging onto me for dear life thinking that I was his mother, he was about to say something but he had calmed down enough to be in control of his senses again.”

Harry turned his face away and looked outside the window.

“But,” said Tonks. “If he was panicking why didn’t you get one of us up there to help you? Surely you could have screamed for help it would have been so much better…”

“No Dora,” Hermione said. “My grandfather suffered them before he died, from the age of six I’ve seen men suffer from panic attacks, once I recognised what it was I was able to deal with it.”

The company settled down into silence.

“Now, to other matters…” there was a knock on the door. “Come in!” McGonnagal exclaimed peevishly.

Snape walked in the room wrapped in nothing but a bath towel. Hermione tried to keep her eyes off his chest. Even McGonnagal found it hard not to blush. Dora found it easier to look at Remus. Hermione looked at him, as he was looking at her.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Um,” he stuttered. “I, er! Need someone’s help.”

“Why?” She asked.

Snape looked down on the floor.

“I can’t seem to change this towel back into my robes,” he said. “I can’t seem to do any spell very well at all!”

“There is a God!” Harry exclaimed.

“This is serious Harry,” Hermione said. “Well I can’t help you with that one, Remus could!”

“NO!” Snape said. “You.”

Hermione shook her head.

“Baby!” she muttered, as she walked out of the room and he followed.

*^*^*

Fenrir smiled as he walked into a cave his senses reeled. He smelt a full human. He sniffed again, h’mm musk, and then another smell hit him. He smelt a Werewolf, and… well, well, the flowery scent of woman, not that girl he almost got his paws on the other week, but a younger woman. He sniffed her scent again and felt something happen in his groin. Yes, he thought to himself. I’ve got to find out whom this one is!

He walked out of the cave before he remembered who the man was. It was Snape. He leered as he took a bouncing confident step. And there was nothing in the Daily Prophet of his capture and imprisonment, and then he realised. Members of that insipid Order must have found him; he loped away and then slumped against a tree and crossed his arms. He looked up at the Moon; she was graceful and elegant, how he loved her. He frowned who was a Werewolf and in the Order? He knew it could not be him that pretty fit girl had distracted him of late, but other than that he was there at the pack Meets as regular as clockwork. And then the flowery scent perked up his senses. Whomever that young woman was, a woman that had barely left adolescence, he’d have her.

*^*^*

Hermione had promised to do the spell with her back turned or rather, she insisted. She couldn’t believe that Snape of all people could actually flirt! She’d gone down stairs after she helped Snape, and then went to have dinner.

“Let’s see what Dora can do!” Remus exclaimed.

“Oh come on,” Dora said. “I’m not really supposed to use my powers of metamorphing in jest.”

“It’ll dwindle away the hours,” Remus said putting his girlfriend on his lap. Hermione stared down at her food, being alone with a clothed Snape was bad enough, and there were a few times in the later hours before curfew where she was alone with him in the library, sometimes at the same table. She didn’t think she’d ever be alone with him NAKED!

“Oh all right, Hermione, do you want to see what you truly look like?” Dora asked.

“Hmm, oh, okay,” Hermione said rather distractedly. Snape had flirted with her a good deal.

Dora stood in front of everyone and then right before everyone’s eyes she turned into Hermione. Hermione looked at herself and found it a rather disconcerting experience.

“Who’s next?” She asked.

*^*^*

Remus and Dora went back to their little cottage and Remus had decided to make them a hot drink, Tonks decided to go out watering the greenhouse, she had decided to have a bit of fun and changed back into Hermione, she found she didn’t mind being Hermione. At least she didn’t have oversized breasts like her aunt Bellatrix. At least her hips didn’t jut out of her skin. She had sprayed herself a bit with Hermione’s perfume before they left. Hermione recommended it to her and Tonks said she’d try before she bought it.

She was about to put a lock up charm on the greenhouse when she felt huge heavy hands clamp around her mouth.

“Hello my pretty,” the leery drunk voice said. “Come here to look after the plants for my cub and his mate?”

Tonks eyes went wild and she tried to bite him but he was too strong for her this time. He carried her off with such dexterity that she could not believe it. And soon he’d apparated her away.

Remus came out of the back door holding a cup of hot chocolate. He dropped and smashed the cup and went extremely pale. His wolf senses prickled inside his skin and he knew immediately something bad had happened here. Where was Tonks? she had not come in the house. He’d have known if she had. He sniffed around the greenhouse; it was Hermione’s perfume, whomever had kidnapped Tonks, probably intended to kidnap Hermione!

A fist closed around his heart. He went back in the cottage and floo’d over to the Order straight away.

“Back so soon?” Snape asked as he was reading a book in the library.

“Oh like you care!” Remus spat.

“Try me,” Snape said.

“Tonks is missing,” he said. “But it wasn’t her the man – beast – whatever, was after.”

Snape looked at Remus and then looked across at a very heavily sleeping Hermione. So tired the poor girl was she slept through the cracking noise of the fireplace, and didn’t know anyone had entered the room.

“Oh Merlin,” Snape breathed. He got up and walked up to Remus. “We’ll get her back, but you have to trust me!”

“I’ll trust anyone at this point to help,” Remus began sobbing. “She’s my little Dora.”

A/N Fenrir was pleased with those that answered the call to review, please he'd like some more, otherwise he might not be tempted to play anymore!