Werewolf in Disguise

YAY! TWO IN ONE DAY---SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG!


Hermione now felt comfortable enough with her new friends to tell them about her own “furry little problem,” but wanted to wait until after the full moon tomorrow night. She didn’t feel the need this time, because the full moon was on a Friday night and James and Lily were having their first date, which means she would be enjoying her box of chocolate frogs soon. Since Sirius and Peter couldn’t control him alone, they wouldn’t be able to go either. Remus had blown the whole thing off, saying that it really was no big deal. Still, they felt guilty about missing yet another full moon escapade.

James also couldn’t believe when Lily had finally said yes to his ‘request’ for a date. She had almost given up on him ever asking her again, when he very seriously and nervously asked her to go to dinner with him. He had tried to make it Saturday, but with her Head Duties it had to be on a Friday, and Remus wouldn‘t let him back out. She had also thanked him for not taking advantage of the situation during their prank. Once again Hermione had been right and James loved her all the more for it.

“What do you think they’ll talk about tonight?” Remus asked on their way to the Whomping Willow.

“I just hope it’s not the Quidditch match. Granted, he did do very well, but I doubt she wants to hear about it over and over,” she replied, holding his hand tighter. “If possible, I think she’s more excited than he is. You should have heard her gushing about him today. Oh yes, I forgot, Dumbledore asked how I was doing a couple weeks ago. I told him that, thanks to you, I was managing surprisingly well.”

“I’m glad to hear it. You do seem to be adapting nicely, well as much as one can adapt I suppose. Snape isn’t giving you any grief is he?”

“Not at all, I think he likes me and Lily, he just won’t admit it,” she chuckled.

“Not surprising. You could charm a snake. Well, here we are,” he said as he stuck a branch in the knob, “after you milady.”

“Why thank you, kind sir.”

As they came to their upstairs room, Hermione asked, “why did we come so early?”

“We’re here the same as last time,” he answered as he wrapped his arms around her shaking body. “It’s ok, I’m not going anywhere, I’ll be right here with you.”

“At least I felt better today, then last time. I’m glad you’re here for me, I’m just so scared. It hurts so much,” she said, with her voice quivering as she leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

“I know, love. Want me to hold you until it starts?”

“Please,” she said as she turned her face to his and kissed him deeply.

Her hands started moving of their own accord, slowly up his chest and around his neck. He moaned deep in his throat and pulled her roughly to him as he leaned back against the door, deepening the kiss even further. Suddenly he broke off.

“Hermione, love, you’re killing me here.”

Smiled up at him and said, “but I think we should, don’t you?”

“Are you serious?” he asked as his eyes flew open wide.

“Hardly,” she replied, “ and you better never let me hear of you kissing him like that either!”

“Oh yea, like we’ve never heard that one,” he chuckled rolling his eyes. “Ok, then, do you mean it?”

“More than anything, love. I want you. Now,” she rubbed her body against his and kissed him deeply once more.

“Wow,” he said softly as he gently kissed her again. “But we can’t, not now, not tonight. I think that’s just your wolf talking and I don’t think I’d be able to control myself, or well, him you know, and I want it to be special, when it, um, happens,” he said nervously, but gently as he kissed her forehead and cheeks.

“Oh, I never thought of that,” she said shyly as his meaning began to sink in. She kissed him and then lowered her head to his chest, saying softly, “I love you, Remus.”

He picked her up and spun her around, both laughing while he held her in his arms. “Oh, Hermione, I love you too!”

She blushed as she said truthfully, “I didn’t think I said that out loud!”

The moment was shattered when she felt him go rigid once again. She watched as he fell to the floor on his hands and knees, shaking uncontrollably. He screamed louder and louder, but all she could do was watch him in fear as his body began to change and his hair grow. He looked up at her and said weakly, “Hermione? RUN!” as his voice quaked with his now changing body. She then felt like she was slowly and painlessly melting. Melting? Painlessly? Wait, this was nothing like last time! She felt no pain, no unpleasant emotions, nothing was the same as last time, yet, there she stood seconds later, a fully transformed werewolf.

She started to walk over to Remus and it was then she realized she had transformed, but without the pain or emotions of last time. She nudged him as he slowly stood up with questions in his eyes that she couldn’t answer. They stayed together quietly for a few minutes before she wagged her tail and bit him, taking off in the opposite direction to start their game again. This time she told herself, she wouldn’t growl at him in anger, no matter what!

They were making so much noise they couldn’t hear what was happening down the tunnel several hours later.

“Look guys, I don’t want to talk about Lily right now, the date was completely perfect and she agreed to go out with me again. But, I’m really worried about Remus. This will be the second time he’s transformed without… what in the world was that?” James broke off as he heard paws bounding around upstairs and furniture shattering.

“Sounds really rough this time,” Sirius said, extremely worried about his friend, “Let’s change and go on up, I think he could really use us.”

Soon they were all in animal forms: Sirius the enormous, shaggy, black dog; James the large, beautiful stag, with amazing antlers; and Peter, a slightly large rat with beady. watery eyes, much like his human form.

Sirius was leading the group up the stairs, hoping to take the brunt of the impact before his friends could enter. What they saw however, left them all in the doorway, eyes wide and stunned motionless.

There were two werewolves playing in the room. Two?! Both were brown and their tails were wagging as they jumped and pounced on one another playfully. Before long, the new wolf stopped dead and turned in their direction, growling fiercely towards them as she approached, putting Remus behind her. Sirius dropped his head and crouched down. One wolf he could handle but not two! And who was this new one anyways, where did she come from?

Before they could act, Remus came up behind her, ready to interrupt if need be. He watched as Hermione walked up to Sirius, knowing if he didn’t submit, Hermione would probably attack him and he would have to intervene. Sirius submitted immediately, although it was obvious it pained his ego to do so. She sniffed around him, then walked to James and Peter, wondering who this strange bunch was, why they smelled familiar, and what they were doing there. She obviously couldn’t ask, but Remus seemed very unconcerned, so she walked back and sat down next to him. He moved over to his friends and greeted them playfully. With his werewolf self being in a very good mood tonight, all he wanted to do was play.

Padfoot, being the only other canine, joined in their game, pouncing on Remus first and rolling him around. Hermione then jumped on Padfoot, finally realizing, with extreme shock, the smell as Sirius‘, and sent him flying before she pounced again. Soon Prongs and Wormtail had joined in the fun. She couldn’t wait to ask them how they became animagi without anyone knowing and what they were planning with Remus. Several hours later they were all laying down, feeling very tired indeed. Remus curled up next to Hermione and after licking her head several times, placed his head on her shoulders where he drifted off to sleep just like before.

Sirius and James quietly crept downstairs with Wormtail before transforming to their human selves. “Who was that?!” Sirius asked amazed.

“Hermione will be so mad!” Peter piped in, “he seems to really like the new wolf.”

“You’re right, Pete,” Sirius said angrily, “I told him I’d kill him if he hurt her. He just better hope it was the stupid wolf he couldn’t control.”

“We may as well go back up and get some rest,” James said, “We’ll know who it is soon enough.”

With that, they headed back to the castle to get some sleep, knowing that when they rescued Remus from Madame Pomfrey, they’d be able to find out who the new addition is.

Remus and Hermione were in the hospital wing recovering from their previous nights adventures. Since Hermione had the easiest transformation imaginable for a werewolf, she was feeling very frisky through the night. Needless to say, there was a lot of running around until the wee hours of the morning, before they laid down from exhaustion. She was very stunned and slightly upset to learn Remus’ friends were the ones in the shack the night before and, subsequently, discovered her secret, but she wasn’t overly worried, since she had already decided to tell them anyway.

“I still can’t believe it didn’t hurt. I just don’t understand it.” Hermione was sitting on Remus’ bed waiting for Madame Pomfrey.

“Well I for one, am very happy you didn’t have any pain, love. I think that’s the worst part of it, me watching you in pain. I just can’t handle seeing you hurt like that,” Remus replied lovingly as he pulled her down to lay beside him. He couldn’t believe that in less than two months he was so in love with her. He knew now what part of her his ‘wolf side’ was attracted to, but also, how much he himself loved her. His initial attraction to her was mostly himself and not ‘natural instincts’ or anything of the like that he had been afraid of. When she had told him last night that she loved him, he was happier then he could ever remember being in a long time.

“So, are you going to tell me about the boys? I’m dying to know how they did that and why the were there.”

He started filling her in on how they found out his secret. He then told her that they became anamagi to help him and how much it actually worked.

“That’s why now, when I transform, I’m able to keep my human side in control. They helped me do that. Even with you, I’m still me and not a monster. But you can’t tell anyone about them, no one knows, not even Dumbledore.”

“Well, I think after a good rest, we should be able to leave soon. Look, neither one of us have any wounds at all,” Hermione said happily as she snuggled into him amazed at what her new friends had accomplished years ago.

“Yea, but you know Pomfrey, she’ll keep us forever if she can,” Remus said wearily, “except I’m sure the guys will come soon to find out who you are. You sure you’re ok with that?”

“Yes, I was going to tell them anyway, so now I guess they’ll be even more surprised.”

“I’m just glad today is Saturday,” Remus said.

They lay there just looking at each other and talking about various things when they heard the doors open loudly. Looking up, they saw James and Sirius strutting into the room smiling broadly. Madame Pomfrey came in screeching as James quickly slid the invisibility cloak onto Remus’ bed after a very surprised and knowing look at Hermione.

“What is the meaning of this Potter, Black?! I have patients in here!” she was starting to swell with fury when Sirius swirled her around, facing the opposite direction as Remus slid the cloak over himself and Hermione.

“Poppy, my dearest, dearest love. You astound me with your words, amaze me with your actions. Just dance with me darling!” he said, swooning, in a dramatic voice.

She started laughing despite herself and Sirius spun her over to James. “Oh Poppy, my hero! We just had a few minutes and wanted to thank you for all the times you saved our poor, miserable lives. We worship the ground you walk on and the potions you keep.” She started laughing more as both boys gave her very low bows and grinned up at her.

“Just go the both of you. I know what you did and if either one of them are hurt because you rescued them, I will have both your hides quicker then you can say “Quiditch.”

James and Sirius just laughed and bowed again as they made their way to the doors. When they finally left Sirius asked, “How did she know? Remus must have messed up this time.”

“Oy! I heard that,” Remus said as they pulled the invisibility cloak off and handed it back to James. “Perhaps you have pulled that stunt so many times before that she is more then on to you both. However, we do thank you. Now, let’s eat, Hermione’s stomach is growling louder then anything we did last night.”

Hermione was starting to argue when her stomach grumbled loudly and they all started laughing as they walked to the Great Hall.

“So, Hermione, have the flu again?” Sirius asked chuckling.

“Sirius darling,” she said exaggeratingly, “I was just not myself at all last night.”

They all burst out laughing at that comment and she couldn’t believe how easy this was.

“So, why didn’t you tell us before?” James asked with a sincerely hurt look on his face.

“I barely know you guys!” she replied incredulously. “Remus had to know or I wouldn’t have told him either. With Lily, it just sort of came spilling out when she saw my wound.”

“Your leg, right?”

“Right.”

“So, the reason you were really sent here was because of Remus? That’s just odd,” Sirius said, putting two and two together.

“Those were your circumstances we couldn’t ask you about, right?” James asked as she nodded her head. Then, as another idea seemed to take hold of him, he added, “So, I just love those wolf pjs you had on the other night, Hermione,” he said mischievously.

“James, no,” Remus said with a warning in his voice as he pulled Hermione, with a very confused look on her face, closer.

“Um, thanks. Listen, you guys won’t tell anyone about me, will you? I mean you have to swear not to ok?” she asked worriedly. The way they were just throwing comments around when anyone could be listening was starting to unnerve her.

“Of course not! But since tonight is Saturday night, we have a surprise for you. Meet us in the common room at 9:00 dressed to go out and don’t be late,” James said, again grinning mischievously.

“James, I said no,” Remus growled.

“Tis the only way Moony, my man,” Sirius responded smiling broadly as he looked at the pair.

“The only way for what? What are you all on about? Why would we go outside after curfew?” Hermione asked, getting more worried now.

“You’ll see, it‘ll be worth chancing Filch, or Lily for that matter. Come on, I’m starving,” James whined.

“You’re always starving, Prongs,” Sirius laughed as the entered the Great Hall.

“Hermione!” Lily yelled, “You’re out early, oh.” She broke off as she noticed the others.

“It’s ok Lils, they know.” Hermione said as she sat down beside Remus and watched as Lily sat beside James, both blushing slightly.

The rest of the day flew by. They went outside under their tree to study more for N.E.W.T.S.. Severus walked by, and although the boys looked at him eagerly, none raised their wands and he just kept walking. Several hours later they went back in for dinner, only to go back up to the common room and study some more, until Lily went to do her rounds. Eventually 9:00 came and they were all ready to go.

“We’ll have to separate to make it to the statue without being seen. Lily is patrolling tonight so we need to be extra careful, without the map,” James was saying. “I’ll take each of you down and when we’re all together we’ll head out. Remus, Hermione, you’re first.”

They all slipped under the invisibility cloak and walked to the statue, where Remus muttered the password and then slipped in pulling Hermione in with him.

“What’s going on Remus? What is this surprise?” she asked hesitantly.

“I can’t say, but if it’s what I think it is, then you are definitely allowed to say no to them ok?” he asked, losing a slight bit if his unwilling air, and starting to really like the idea.

The statue swung open not long after and the other three walked in.

“Let’s go!” James said excitedly as he lit his wand.

“We’re going to walk in this tunnel for awhile, then come out in a cellar. Be really quiet when we get there ok.” Sirius told her.

“Ok,” she responded starting to get a little excited at the adventure she reluctantly came on. “What map were you talking about earlier?”

“The Marauder’s map,” Peter said.

“We four made up a map of Hogwarts,” James said as he began telling her all about the map.

“But not long ago, we let Filch confiscate it. He’ll never know what it is, or what it does, but if another group of intelligent trouble makers come..”

“Who are as worthy as we...”

“Then they’ll get the map and be very thankful for us.”

“Tis our legacy, my dear!”

She laughed at their antics, all the while praising them for their ingeniousness.

What seemed like hours and hundreds of steps later, they came to a trap door in the ceiling. James opened it and climbed through, helping Hermione up after him. They silently walked around and up another flight of steps. Peter stumbled on one step earning a harsh ‘shh’ from the others.

“We’re in Honeydukes!” Hermione excitedly whispered.

“Not for long, come on,” Sirius said as they made their way through the store and onto the street.

They kept walking past the many stores Hermione had seen previously to a very deserted looking part of the street. Suddenly she saw a building that looked very dark and had moving pictures plastered to the numerous windows.

“This is it,” said James excitedly as he stopped a short ways from the store. “Now, the only way we can assure you that we won’t breath a word of your secret and that you will keep ours, is to induct you.”

“Induct me?” she asked uncertainly.

“Exactly,” came Sirius’ reply as Remus groaned. “But first, we have to name you, let’s see. Moony is obviously taken, so that won’t work.”

“You mean into the Marauders? No way, you’re kidding right?!” she asked in disbelief.

“I told you she wouldn’t, that she‘d chicken out,” said Peter.

“Wouldn’t? What would give you that idea? And I am NO chicken! Wow, I’m so excited!” she squealed.

“Ok,” James said, laughing at her excitment, “but there are rules, number 1---we keep each others secrets no matter what. Number 2---we have to pull pranks on others, which you have already helped us do. Number 3---we haven’t came up with yet. Now to be inducted you have to be named and marked.”

“Marked?” she asked hesitantly.

“Yep, marked,” Sirius replied as his grin widened, “with a tattoo.”

“Oh,” she said with a small voice.

“Hermione you really don’t have to do this,” Remus said comfortingly.

“No, no, it’s ok, but what do I get and where?”

“Are you sure?” he asked again, a little more excited now.

“Of course!”

“Wait,” whined Sirius, “The name first!”

“Oh yea,” said James. “What could it be. Let’s see, you’re a wolf, what about Lunar, like with the moon? We can call you Luna for short.”

“No, I don’t think I like that. What else?”

“Gypsy,” said Remus quietly as everyone turned to stare at him with appreciation. “Since you just wandered into our lives and may be wandering out again. Besides that’s what James first called you, remember, and then Dumbledore?”

“Gypsy,” she tested the name, “Ok, I can live with that. Now, what about this tattoo?”

“Well, mine is a wolf,” Remus supplied as he raised his sleeve to show her, “because that’s what I am. That’s why James commented on your pajamas earlier. Padfoot has a large dog, Prongs a stag, and Wormtail a rat. So I guess maybe you could have a wolf too.”

They all then rolled up their sleeves to show their tattoos. Sirius had a large, shaggy black dog on his bicep, which would run, pounce, and chase its tail, then silently bark and growl. James had a beautiful stag on his arm, which would shake its large antlers around and then charge at nothing in particular. Peter had a rat that would chase a piece of cheese, then sit and nibble at it.

“Right, but we all have to add to ours now,” said Sirius. “We all have symbols of the others on our own. I have a wolf paw print, a set of antlers, and, get this, mouse ears, around mine. They all have a paw print for me.”

It was then that she noticed the other shapes around the much larger tattoo on the arm of each.

“Wouldn’t that be three paw prints then?” asked Peter.

“How about the moon? You could get it waxing and waning.” Hermione said, thoroughly excited and ready to go.

“Great! Now what will you get, Gyps?” Sirius asked, beginning to use her new name immediately.

“Oh, I have a few ideas,” she added chuckling mysteriously, “but I want it to be a surprise!”

They all walked into the store and gave him their requests, Hermione separate of course. He had done their previous art work and was excited to do another one for the newest member of the group.

“Where ya gettin’ it at, gorgeous?” he asked as Remus growled slightly.

“Oh, I didn’t think of that, I really don‘t want it on my arm though,” she said.

“How about here?” Remus asked as he touched her lower back, sending shivers up and down her spine. “That way you can hide it or show it, depending on your mood.” Then he whispered in her ear, “It’d be very sexy there, and I could dream of tracing it every night.”

She shivered again at the thought and whispered back, “So, I should get it covering my whole body.”

The burly man just stared at her as she giggled at Remus’ expression, then she said, “my lower back please.”

She was surprised at the lack of pain. He had used a numbing spell on her, then drew with his wand exactly what she had requested. Then he added the moon to the others and they watched in amazement as it faded from sight, grew to full, then slowly faded again.

“Alright Hermione, let us see it now!” James said as they were walking away from the shop.

“Nope, not yet.”

“WHAT?! Why not?” Sirius whined.

“Please, please, please Gypsy, we wanna see it!” James whined too.

“I’d like to touch it,” said Remus grinning at his friends moody expression. It was now becoming funnier and funnier to watch how overprotective they could become over her.

“Back off Moony, keep your paws to yourself,” warned Sirius.

“You’re one to talk about paws, Padfoot,” Remus said, laughing back.

Hermione found herself slowly circled by the four boys, each looking at her expectantly.

“Oh what is a girl to do? All four at once?” she asked, then laughed at their shocked expressions.

“Over my dead body,” Remus said seriously.

“Only kidding, love,” she assured him, “ok, take a look.” She slowly undid her pants and rolled them down so she could show them her wolf.

She had a beautiful brown wolf on her lower back. It would wander around like it was lost, then stop and howl at the moon, only to start running around playfully until it laid down. It would then get up and start over.

Remus reached down to touch it and she grinned at him over her shoulder. He suddenly jerked his arm back and started laughing.

“I didn’t want to make it too easy on you,” she chuckled.

“What’s up?” Peter asked.

“Touch it,” Remus said in awe.

They each reached over to touch the wolf, who promptly bit at their fingers. No contact was made, but they jerked their hands back in surprise laughing.

“That’s great, Gyps, completely Marauder worthy!” Sirius beamed as the others nodded their heads in agreement.

They quickly made their way through Hogsmeade and back to Honeydukes.

“Well, why we’re here, might as well get some candy, eh?” James asked. “So, Gyps, what’s your favorite?”

“Hands down, Chocolate Frogs! But James, you just paid for the tattoo, you can’t buy more stuff. You do buy this right, not just take it?”

“Of course,” replied Sirius, his mouth full of candy, “we just take what we want and leave the money on the counter. We left a note in our fourth year, not signed of course, to tell the owners we would be mysteriously popping in every once in a while, and we’d pay for what we took.”

“We’ve never had a problem, and they left us a note saying it was ok!” said Peter laughing.

“It’s ok, love, help yourself,” Remus said as he reluctantly released her hand. She grabbed his hand back and drug him with her.

“Ok, thanks!”

After they had stuffed their pockets with candy, they went back to the castle, unable to believe it was so late and thankful tomorrow was Sunday.

“I bet Lily is probably sick with worry,” Hermione said after they woke the Fat Lady up and crawled through the portrait hole.

“AND YOU’D BE RIGHT!! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?” Lily screamed, her face red from crying.

James immediately went to her and tried to console her. The others stood off to the side, afraid of what would come next.

“Lily, I’m sorry, we had a surprise for Hermione and we had to keep her out of trouble. You should have known if she was with us that she’d be ok. You trust me don’t you?” he asked hesitantly.

“Y..y…yes,” she started to sob, “but I was worried about all of you, you were just gone, and I didn’t know where you went or anything, you just left me.”

At this, she broke down in James’ arms as he held her tight and whispered words of comfort in her ear.

“Come on,” he said softly as he led her to the stairs.

“I don’t want to go to bed,” she whined, much like a five year old would, which made James and the others chuckle.

“We’re going up to our room and I‘ll explain,” he said softly.

Tiredly they made their way up to the boys dorm and then explained their evening to Lily.

“Oh Hermione, let me see!” she beamed. She too jerked her hand away and laughed when the wolf tried to bite her. “That’s amazing!”

“Yes, we’re rather proud of our girl,” Sirius said with his arm around her. “So, are we camping out in here again tonight?”

“Yea, stay in here guys, just like before!” Peter said happily.

The girls agreed and after stealing more clothes from the boys, were ready for bed. Remus stood up as soon as they came back and grabbed Hermione’s hand quickly.

“As much as I love you Lils, you’re not who I want in my bed, sorry,” he said as he led Hermione to his bed and turned down the toasty covers, ignoring the glares from the others.

“My bed is never this warm,” Hermione said.

“Maybe you should get a new elf,” Sirius joked as he gave in to the inevitable.

“It’s not funny, Sirius, house elves should be treated with respect, not like slaves.”

“You need to meet Kreacher then, if that’s what you think,” Sirius mumbled.

She climbed in bed with Remus and snuggled up to him closely as he wrapped his arms around her.

“Perfect,” she heard him sigh.

“Look,” she whispered and pointed to Lily.

Lily was trying to figure out where she was going to sleep as the guys started arguing over her. With true Gryffindor bravery she lunged to James’ bed, the only empty one, and said, “you can sleep on the floor, but I’m going to sleep in a bed.”

“That’s what you think,” he replied and jumped in beside her. He didn’t see her blush, or her amazing smile, but it wasn’t lost on the rest of the room as they inched closer together.

“I want to be a Marauder, too,” she pouted.

“Maybe one day, love,” James said as he kissed her forehead and the lights went out.

“I expect you two blokes to behave, and keep your hands to yourselves,” Sirius mumbled.

“Hear that Lils,” Hermione said, “They have to behave, but we don’t!”

James and Remus groaned as Sirius growled at her. Soon, they were all asleep and wishing they could stay that way. Little did they know, things were going to go drastically wrong in the months to come!