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Pairing: Draco/Hermione

Main characters: Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, Bill Weasley, Ron Weasley, Minerva McGonagall, Narcissa Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy

Summary: The War is over, Voldemort defeated, and everyone settling into their post-War lives, with Hermione taking up a position at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Yet, when she comes across Draco's name in the confidential register of creatures, she leaves everything behind to go off on a search for him... (Submission to the 2016 HP Creatures Halloween Fest)

The story plays about a year after the Second War, during the summer break, to place it. Hermione herself has been on the search for about six months, following his trail through half of Europe, and that's where the story starts.

Author's Note(s): This story was written for the HP Creatures Halloween Fest on LJ. I've included my prompt at the end of the chapter...

Huge thanks to Ashley for beta reading my story, and pointing out a few things that I seemed to have missed. Your feedback is highly appreciated! :-)

Rating: NC-17 (contains explicit scenes, mentions of self-mutilation and suicide attempts, swearing, implied violence)

Chapter 1

Hermione nervously walked down the main street of the small village in south-western Hungary to which she had been guided by local people. They all had that expression of fear and apprehension when they finally understood what she wanted to know, and they had all said to come here to this village, then added to leave them alone again, making the sign of the cross. To make sure she wouldn't appear too obvious, Hermione had cast a Disillusionment Charm on herself to appear uninteresting to onlookers, and hoped she would soon find the shack everybody had mentioned. Despite not really believing in any higher deity, she did send silent prayers upwards because she had followed so many leads over the past few months through half of Europe, and all of them had been a disappointment. So, yes, she was nervous, but still tried not to get her hopes too high. She heard a small peeping sound from her coat pocket.

What did the people say?

It was Harry who checked in on her. He was her contact to the Ministry and provided her with information whenever he came across something that could help her. And he proved to be a reliable friend who just helped her without asking why she had to do it. They said I should visit a remote village. They were all afraid to talk about it.

Let me know what you find. We all hope you can come back soon…

Hermione smiled faintly, and put the little device back in her pocket. Yes, she missed her friends as well, and sometimes wished she could just see them and talk about it. But right now, she was glad that they put the past behind them and helped her in her quest - or at least Harry seemed to. Sighing, she continued walking down the village main street, and soon reached the outskirts of the village, with the road winding on past a group of trees that seemed to hide a ruin; that was probably the shack everybody had pointed her to.

The shack seemed to be held together by sheer will—the walls were full of holes and several boards were missing already. It didn't look very welcoming or even remotely like a place to live. Yet, everybody she had managed to speak to had said that there lived a ghost in this shack that sounded like her description. He couldn't possibly be here, this so had to be wrong... Yet, she had to make sure. With her heart beating faster, she pulled the door of the shack open as carefully as she could, afraid that she would bring the shack down with that. Inside, she could see the remains of a makeshift bed, and empty cans littering the floor. It looked like she scared the inhabitant away before she had the chance to see him. She sighed. Yes, this was just another misleading hint, like all the others. But then, when she was about to leave the shack again, she thought she saw a movement in the corner; she was sure that hadn't been the wind. Her heart beating faster, and her hand clutching her wand tightly, she very slowly approached the corner where she had seen it. And then she heard someone shift as if they were trying to get away. "Please, don't leave. I'm not here to harm you," she said as softly as she could while following the sound. And then, seemingly long moments later, she discovered who was trying to hide from her, and she stopped in her tracks. "Draco?" Shocked, she kneeled down, putting her wand back in her sleeve. "Shh... It's me. Hermione. Please, don't leave. I've looked everywhere for you."

That finally made him stop moving to get away from her, and instead now stared at her as if he could only vaguely remember her.

Hermione eyed him more closely, and was absolutely shocked to see him in this state – shabby clothes that looked too big, his hair all flat and dull, having probably not been washed properly in ages. Yet what shocked her most was his face; it looked haggard and almost empty, while his eyes had an almost animalistic look to them. He was all taut, as if there was a battle raging inside him. For a moment, she let herself be overwhelmed by her emotions - it made her sad to see him in this state, with nothing left of his former self. No, it was all gone. She took a deep breath and swallowed her tears. "Draco, I'm not here to harm you," she finally whispered, trying to keep her voice calm, and with what she hoped to be a warm smile.

"Leave," he growled in response, his eyes fixed on her. "You shouldn't be here."

"No, I won't let you go again, Draco." She shook her head, and then got the shock of her life when he darted towards her with a surprising speed, stopping only inches from her, growling dangerously, snarling even. She trembled, but tried to remain still; according to the little information she had gained from her books, she shouldn't show fear right now, not when he was in this stage of the cycle.

"Leave," he repeated, and then moved even closer, tilting his head so that he could reach her neck, to take in her scent. "You smell good."

Hermione held her breath, afraid that any movement might provoke him. It might not have been her wisest decision, but she had no other choice that day than to check the shack out, even though it was almost full moon. It could have been too late afterwards... She shuddered when she felt him trace a finger down her neck. "I've brought food," she whispered, trying to keep her mind focused on something else than his touch, which was so incredibly gentle. Very slowly, she opened her travel bag, which she had enhanced magically for everything to fit inside, and just as slowly managed to pull a parcel out while he was still eyeing her, his fingers still roaming over her neck. It was as if he was in some kind of trance, or he was just figuring out how fast he could kill her. No, better not think that...

"You should leave," she heard him growl, after another deep breath. "Hermione."

He remembered her name. She couldn't stop herself from smiling for the shortest of moments. But how had it come to this? What had really happened that let him fall so deeply? That turned him into an animal, barely able to control himself?

"You shouldn't have come." He finally snatched the food parcel and let go of her. "Leave."

She slowly nodded. "I'll wait outside for you."

"Just stay away."

No, Hermione wasn't going to stay away; instead she put up her magical tent outside the shack as she had done most of the nights over the last endless months, and guarded it with an Protection Spell that she had worked on during days with slow news that should keep him out as long as the werewolf in him was in control. Working on that spell had kept her from going insane, from losing her perspective. And now it helped her focusing on something else than him and his current condition. Yet, she failed miserably at that - he was all she could think of. I found him. Maybe texting Harry about her success might keep her from going in circles too much.

It's almost full moon. How is he?

He looks starved, filthy...

Malfoy and looking filthy? SCNR.

I was shocked to see him, Harry. He lives like an animal.

Did he do something?

Hermione thought for a moment about what to tell Harry. No. He barely remembered my name. Told me to leave and stay away.

Maybe you should?

No. Not after searching for him everywhere. Hermione could hear Harry sigh, even from that distance. He always sighed at her determination, but never teased her about it - he knew that her determination had saved their lives more than once.

What will you do now?

Wait.

What then?

I don't know yet. No, Hermione hadn't really known what she wanted to do when she would find him, and she still didn't know. Thinking so far would have raised her hope too much to even find him. All she knew was that she couldn't leave Draco again, or he'd be dead within a month or two.

Something that sounded like a pained howl pulled her from her drifting thoughts later that evening when it was already dark outside. Was that him? How painful was it to fight against the beast inside him? She had never dared to ask Lupin to avoid hitting a sore spot. If only he was still alive! He could answer her all her questions about what to do just before full moon, or how much control a person had left during that time of the month. Of course, he would have told her as well that her quest was hopeless, but she had felt compelled to find him. How else was she ever going to know if he really meant what he had told her in that moment alone during the Battle at Hogwarts? She sighed, and could hear more pained screams from the shack, letting her heart sink. He was in pain, and she couldn't help him...

The next morning, Hermione woke from a sleepless night, having only dozed off occasionally, before being woken again by the screams and sounds coming from the shack. Every time she had heard them, her heart had clenched in her chest, and she had held her breath. She had had her wand ready to render him unconscious should he try to enter her tent in his human form, as the Protection Spell only guarded her from his werewolf form. Though she wouldn't even have needed her wand any more, having practised casting Stupefy without her wand if need be. That spell had taken quite some effort to master, but she eventually managed it. It was just that feeling her wand in her hand had somewhat soothed her racing mind last night. Now, in the morning, everything was quiet. No sounds coming from the shack—he was probably asleep from the exhausting night. It was probably better to stay inside the tent all day, not wanting to provoke him unnecessarily.

How was the night?

Sleepless. He is in pain. Hermione finally sat up on her bed. It was some time in the middle of the morning, according to the light outside. She swung her legs over the edge to get up and make herself a coffee before she would start her day—all she could do was wait, and hope that she had really figured out her Protection Spell.

He's probably already transforming. Tonks told me that Lupin was usually in pain the night before full moon, almost unbearably so...

Hermione sighed, feeling helpless because they had to go through all that, Lupin and Draco. How much did she tell you?

Not much. And I didn't ask. Ron says hello by the way...

She smiled at that. Yes, she missed Ron too, and his attempts to cheer her up, even though they usually achieved the opposite. But she always knew that he cared, and never stayed annoyed for long because of that. Tell him I'm fine. He doesn't need to worry...

We all worry, Hermione.

Yes, she knew. They'd all tried to convince not to go on her quest, but no one knew the real reason why she simply had to go, they all just assumed something. Draco had joined the Order and had helped them gather information about the Death Eaters; he had still been met with a lot of open mistrust by other members, even by her in the beginning. But then they had started talking, getting to know each other better, and that had changed everything for her. So yes, she had missed it—missed him—ever since the War had ended; she needed to know what happened to him, and come to terms with his fate. Now she knew. I'll be home soon.

When?

I don't know yet. I'll let you know... With that, she put the device back on her bed to have both her hands free for making coffee. Besides, she wasn't in the mood to deal with her friends and their worries right now. While the coffee brewed, she threw something else on to go outside, as she had seen a small creek behind the shack she could use to get some more water for the rest of the day as well as a quick wash. She also pulled another food parcel out of her bag, a remnant of the load of food an elderly village woman had bestowed on her in another place. It was delicious food, and a well-placed Conservation Spell kept it from going bad. On her way to the small creek—after her first mug of coffee—she passed the shack. She only wanted to place the food parcel in front of it, but it was so eerily quiet that she wanted to have a look inside to make sure he was somewhat okay. With careful steps, and a racing heart, she slipped inside. The makeshift bed was empty, but looked as if it had been used, looking torn and stained. And there were new scratches on the floor, which reminded her of the pained screams she had heard throughout the night. She finally discovered him lying in one of the corners, all curled up. However, in that moment, she also realised she had made a mistake when she heard a low growl coming from him—he wasn't asleep, he was listening to every single one of her steps.

"Leave," he growled, barely audible.

"I have more food," she whispered in response, and stiffened when he started to turn around, his eyes fixed on her. Trembling, she slowly bent down to put the parcel on the floor. However, she never reached the floor, as he suddenly darted towards her, pushing her into the nearest wall.

"Why don't you leave?" he snarled, using his body to pin her against the wall.

"I-I can't," she stammered, trying to keep calm; his attack had taken her completely by surprise, she hadn't had any time to react. She held her breath when she noticed that he was smelling her again, taking in her scent. The touch of his finger on her neck, trailing her pulsating arteries, was again so incredibly gentle. Was this the beast touching her, or Draco? She trembled, and cursed herself for putting herself in such a situation.

"You smell so good," he said, his voice a husky growl.

"God, Draco, please don't," she whispered when she felt him scrape her neck. It wasn't enough to leave a mark, but it left her feeling completely vulnerable for a moment; then she felt him move upwards towards her jaw and her ear, sending shivers down her spine when he breathed into her ear.

"I want you," he whispered.

"You or the beast?" she replied breathlessly; her heart was racing, and she tried to keep her focus on something else than his attention to her neck - the gentleness of the scraping even freaked her out.

"Both."

Hermione's heart jumped at that. "Then let go of me," she whispered, trying not to beg. "Please." Oh God, he was licking her neck along her pulse point. With that, she tried to get her hands free—or at least one to cast Everte Statum to push him off her. "Draco!"

Licking her ear one more time, he did indeed let go of her, and even took a step back; however, he was still only inches from her, his mesmerizing eyes fixed on hers. "You should leave," he repeated.

She nodded. "Eat the food." And after another look at him, she wrapped her fingers around the wand in her sleeve, and concentrated on the small creek to Apparate out.

After arriving outside at the creek, she took a deep breath; her legs and arms were trembling, and her nerves frayed from the unexpected confrontation. She had been such an idiot to enter the shack today - she should have known better! You don't approach a werewolf on the day of the full moon, you just don't! And yet, she had done exactly that, like a bloody beginner! After another deep breath, she pulled off her jumper and trousers for a quick wash in the creek. It looked clean enough, and she could definitely use the cold water to bring her nerves down. God, like a bloody beginner - her! Her, who had helped Harry get into the Auror training program; her, who should know that such a mistake could cost a life. She shouldn't let her emotions take over like this—she should know better! But then, this was Draco. She had missed him a lot ever since the War ended, and he had always been on her mind in some way; so maybe yes, she couldn't really be rational when it came to him. She should be, though.

She sighed, and then started washing herself, enjoying the cold water trailing over her skin, with drops tickling her back. A few minutes later, she was back in her tent, refreshed and somewhat calmed down again, and with a fresh load of water that would hopefully suffice for the rest of the day. She didn't plan to leave the tent again until the sun rose the next morning; it was the safest place for her when all her protection spells were put in place. At least it gave her more than enough time to think about her next step.

TBC

Prompt for the story:

He told her he loved her to death and then he disappeared during the Battle of Hogwarts. When Hermione starts working at the Ministry, she sees Draco's name in the confidential register of creatures. After months of looking for him, she finally finds him. Sometimes he behaves like the old Draco, sometimes the wolf in him takes over his body. He is afraid of hurting her but he is no longer able to stay away from her. She can't stay away from him either. All in all, she is the only one who can make him accept who he is now...