It's A Werewolf Thing.

Hermione- multi (muhahaha yes many)

Summary: In a world where a werewolf is an insult and those that help them are misunderstood; there are few that can understand. They can recognize the difference between anger and frustration. Between happiness and lust. They are the souls that speak to such a flexible and misunderstood creature. Remus was lucky, he could count on his hands how many people he trusted. Most werewolves don't even have a single person to turn to.

However, life could be so different at this time. He was returned with a start by someone he wasn't expecting to see. There he was, standing in a familiar setting with some of those he trusted and a few he wouldn't have dared to. Why? Now, the statement Sirius loved was something of commonplace. "It's a werewolf thing, Moony."

What happens when the one person to wrangle a new pack didn't want to do so at all? A natural alpha needs a witch with a wolf drive to help with the chaos. However, what if she wants to take no part. Is it really just a werewolf thing or something more?

A fortnight to the full moon.

Hermione Granger had decided a few years ago to fall to the backdrop of the wizarding world. She had opened a bookstore in Hogsmeade. Her unique featured section, muggle literature, was actually a great selling section during Hogsmeade weekends. Making her store quite profitable especially since she was already renown. She had a lovely flat above the bookstore that out the window she could see Hogwarts from a little nook she read books.

Harry was, of course, supportive of her and her decision to leave behind the ministry after she passed the anti-discrimination laws she desired to achieve. It seemed hallow for her that the people who it would have affected the most had been dead for so long.

Ron, however, was less thrilled with her occupation change. Her defining moment in their relationship was when she chose to dedicate herself to the shop. It was in his opinion, selfish. He thought after she quit the ministry that she was going to become a house witch and marry him; have kids, the whole nine. However, she didn't, and he hated it. That ended it for them.

Now she was a lone wolf so to speak. She could understand Remus on several levels and could see him running his own bookstore as much as he enjoyed teaching. The witch was putting up some books when she heard the bell ring at the door.

"Welcome to Spines and Binds," Hermione called out as she approached the front.

Her feet froze in their spot; Draco Malfoy was standing there at the entrance. "Granger," he huffed with a glare. His eyes were almost strange for her now that they held a very menacing glint. His frame was even more so, but it wasn't aggressive per say, just very daunting. It was as if someone pasted her memories of him onto a wall and washed the details off as he glowered at her.

"What can I do for you?" Hermione murmured, plastering on a welcoming smile.

Draco sneered roughly and waved his hand. "I'm buying your silence. I need books, but you can't say a word to anyone," he growled as he closed the distance between them.

She stared up at him as his finger went to in front of her nose. "Are you threatening me?" Her curly hair made her feel warm as his eyes narrowed sharply.

His expression grew aggressive as his upper lip rose. "You bet your arse I am, Granger."

Hermione stood straighter and put her hands on her hips. "Go ahead, try it, Malfoy," she hissed with narrow eyes. "I won't give you anything with that attitude."

It shook him from his dominant posture as his eyes softened. "Okay," he sighed and bobbed his head. "Can you please help me? No one else I know can."

Hermione relaxed and waved at him before flicking her wand. "I'll close up, and we can go have some tea. You seem disheveled," she murmured as the door clicked and the sign on the door shifted.

Draco huffed and ruffled his blond hair. "I'll do almost anything, Granger."

She escorted him toward the back and led him to the door marked private. He seemed apprehensive, but Hermione remained calm as she smiled politely back at him. It was odd for her, and she felt it bubbling in her chest, but she released it; if he sensed her trepidation, she would cause more strife. There was something almost familiar about his behavior, but Hermione didn't want to project either. She hasn't seen Draco in years, but something difficult was causing him to reach out so desperately.

They climbed to her sitting room with ease before she offered the armchair to him. "Go right ahead and sit down. Let's talk," she said with a nod as she sat on the sofa.

Draco flopped and rubbed his face before turning to the witch; his eyes were already glittering. "Granger, I'm in so deep. I don't have anyone I can turn to and my son needs me."

Hermione swished her wand, and the tea was fixing itself in the kitchen. The tray soon floated toward her coffee table, and she dressed a teacup. "So explain to me how I can help. I know I am the last person you want to come to…" she declared as she took the cup to her lips.

Draco's face skewed up as he exhaled. "I need books on werewolves, Granger," he sighed, covering his face.

She paused her cup in the air as her face paled. "Draco?"

His icy eyes met hers, and he exhaled. "Yes."

"What happened? How?" Hermione gasped, nearly dropping her cup.

Draco groaned and tossed his head toward the ceiling. "I was caught unawares on a task for my father. He needed me to meet a client of his for a book he was selling off. He was a werewolf and was planning to seek revenge on my father. I suppose he thought I was next best… that fuck was still using Wolfsbane Potion when he attacked me and left me on the road, half dead. I lost my wife a few years back and can't disappointment my son. I need help," he finished, and his eyebrows were knitted in distortion.

Hermione didn't bother with social mannerisms as she set her cup down and went to hug the broken man. "Draco, I'm so sorry. I will do whatever in my power to help you. I can write out a few owls to discreetly get some potions for you. We'll work this out."

He tugged her to him and buried his face in her neck. "I'm so scared about this full moon. I don't want to be alone."

She made a calming sound and chanced running her fingers over his shoulder as he clung to her. "We will figure it out. Alright? I am so proud of you for reaching out," she whispered and patted him.

Draco released her and gazed up to her eyes. "I can't tell my family, Granger. My parents will try to take my son from me. I can't live without him now that Astoria is gone."

Hermione nodded and tried to climb from his lap, but he didn't release her. "I know we don't know each other now, but I'll help however I can." He ran his nose against her neck, and she could hear him smelling her skin. "Draco, I need you to stay with me alright. I know it's only going to get worse the closer the moon gets, but we can do this. Remember Remus? He was responsible and very conservative."

Draco tugged his head back and frowned. "Lupin? You think he would know what to do?"

Her frowning increased, but her lips softened. "Of course, he was amazing. I never met a more dignified man in my life."

There was something almost unhinged and predatory about his hands on her. Hermione tightened her expression as he gripped her closer. "I need something," he grumbled as he pressed his forehead to her chest.

"Draco, I need you to let me go, alright?" she asked firmly.

His grasp was more confining as his throat rumbled in defiance. "No, I feel so much less insane like this," his voice was throaty, but more of a whine.

"Draco, let go, now," Hermione ordered.

He released her, and she nearly fell to the floor. Hermione righted herself and stood before the torn man. The blond was collapsing on himself, and she exhaled, touching his shoulder. Draco glanced up at her, and she saw the argument his inner voice was struggling with. Hermione remembered fragments of that look on Remus's face.

"Hermione, I don't know what to do when I feel like this."

"Just breathe, Draco."

"I can't go home tonight. My mother thinks I'm out on business. Please, can I stay here?" he inquired with a pout.

She felt like she just adopted a puppy with the pout he was giving her. Hermione exhaled and bobbed her head. "You can stay, Draco. I have a spare room, and we can work some of this out in the morning. Are you hungry? I can make you something to eat."

His face morphed into curiosity as she padded into the kitchen. "You cook?" he asked.

Hermione made an effort to contain the smile on her face as she pulled out some chocolate chip biscuits. Flicking her wand at the plate, the smell seeped into the small space as Draco entered. She pivoted and saw the evidence of the wizard salivating. "Why are you alright with this, Granger?" he murmured with a hint of suspicion in his tone.

Hermione sighed and shifted with the dish still in her hands. "Remus would have without a second thought regardless of the past. I just want to walk in his shoes when it comes to helping the magically conditioned."

Draco took a cookie and nibbled on it with contemplation etched in his eyes. "Have you done this before?"

Hermione bobbed her head slowly. "Yes, with a few. Right after my bills were passed, I had several young werewolves approach me for help. That's why I'm happy to have my bookstore; in the ministry, I wasn't allowed to insist on being proactive," She stated and set the platter down on the counter next to him. "Draco, you're going to have to change your life a bit. There is no shoving it under the rug as you have for the last two weeks."

"How are you going to help me, Granger?" he asked, tilting his head.

She admired the odd creature that Draco Malfoy now was. He had filled out in the years after school, and his jaw had angled handsomely. The blond hair was wild and dangled around his brows and icy eyes with a life of their own. All in all, he was a new being in comparison to the boy she remembered all those years ago. The urgent expression he donned was intense, but she had recognized it with green eyes a lifetime ago.

"We will start by getting your Potion for next week. Then after I will see if we can solve less pressing problems."

Draco leaned against the counter, and his long legs bowed. "Well, I know you think I'm insane for coming here and collapsing your life in a blink," he mumbled, gazing down at the tile.

"I don't," she responded as she went into the cupboard. "I understand. I may not be a werewolf, but I understand lycanthropy better than most."

"Why?" his voice sounded pained as she busied with crafting a meal.

"Because I've seen both sides of it, Draco. Remus was tender and tortured. However, Fenrir was a monster and proud." She announced as her wand swished in the air.

She felt him approach her personal space and his nose traced some of her wild curls. "Is that why you smell familiar?" he breathed against her.

"I'm not a werewolf, Draco. I would appreciate it if you stopped moving so close," Her voice was slightly pointed as she continued her task; ignoring his probing. "He attacked me after Bellatrix tortured me. I have some unsound scars, but that's about the only complaint I have."

Draco pulled away and groaned loudly. "What is this? I either want to fuck or bite people. This isn't normal," He growled and smacked his hand down on the counter.

Hermione attempted to hide her bright cheeks among her tresses as she finished the steaks she had pulled out. "Remus never spoke about any of that," she whispered.

"Of course not, you were a child. A swotty little witch who didn't even realize how intimidating you were." Draco retorted, still closer than she would have liked. "When's the last time you had someone over," he mused, and she could hear the audible sniff. "It smells like food and you in here. Not a trace of any foreign intrusion."

Hermione swiveled her eyes as she plated the steaks and turned to him. "Draco, I understand this is the first time you are able to be your more lupine self with someone else, but I would appreciate it if you didn't nose about in my personal life while you're here."

He smiled for the first time since he arrived in her shop. "Granger, you don't have to be shy. I knew you had a throbbing crush on me in Hogwarts."

Her face grew twisted as she groaned. "Disgusting," she spat and shoved him aside before grabbing their plates. "I'm expelling as much patience as I can for you, Malfoy, but I'll not have you trying to get into my knickers because you are randy and wild," Hermione told him as she exited the kitchen and walked toward her dining table.

"Randy and wild? I have to wonder how you know these things. How many affairs with werewolves have you had?" He teased as he collapsed in front of the plate at the table while she glowered. "Don't give me that steely stare; I'm only jesting. It's been a long two weeks of loneliness and anger for me."

Hermione had scooted her chair forward when she sat down and frowned down at her plate. "I have to be honest with you, Draco. Your life is going to change indefinitely, and I'm not certain what to do with you. I became an animagus years back when I was helping young werewolves before the program in the ministry, but as for your life, it will be difficult to hide that from your parents."

Draco cut into the steaks and smirked. "This is nearly pulsing, Granger."

Hermione had cut into hers and revealed the same display. "Well, get used to it, Draco. Most meats will taste overcooked now." They were silent a few moments as Draco absent-mindedly stabbed at his veggies and chewed them with mild disdain. Hermione, however, had pulled a book off the nearby empty chair and was browsing its pages. He watched her eat and flip the book's contents with amusement. "We're going to have to figure out how to take care of you. I would rather not have to, but we can't very well ask Sirius…" Hermione sighed shaking her head. "He was such a disorderly man, but terribly kind."

"You really are going to help me?" he questioned with a tilt of his head.

Hermione met his gaze with confusion. "Draco, why wouldn't I? I know you can't go asking the ministry. They will tell your father of your status. I, unfortunately, couldn't change that about the bill, but at least you will still be eligible to receive your inheritance without a doubt. I surely don't want them to send you away and keep your son. We have had enough corruption in this world without your father raising another child."

Draco winced at her tone and sighed with a nod. "Thank you, Granger. It was not my intentions to flop on your lap as I had. I just knew if I came and demanded books on werewolves, you would point me in the right direction without judgment. All the time I spent discriminating those that are different and now I am a monster," he finished with a deflated posture as his shoulders sank.

Hermione pointed her fork at him with a glare. "Firstly, being a werewolf doesn't make you a monster, Draco. Remus was a shining example of that. Secondly, you best deal with your own repentance for being such a bugger in school on your own. Finally, if I'm going to help you, then you must understand that I have to pace myself as much in this new found situation too. No trying to take advantage of my kindness, clear?"

"Understandable, Granger."

Hermione grimaced at her plate; suddenly hunger wasn't as important. "Draco, I don't know how to tell you this, but if we don't find someone you can confide in aside from myself, you will certainly fall apart. Lycanthropy is like someone turns up the most erratic senses in your brain. Eat. Shag. Fight. Bite. Self-harm. Those are just things you are going to touch on once this full moon is over. I have seen it happen to others. Tamer wizards who were nowhere as potent as your personality."

His eyebrows skewed as they rose from their rest on his brow. "How often did you help with werewolves?"

"Often enough to know that they are creatures that need foundation. I have seen many choose to run off into the wilds because it was easier than the trials of trying to reformat the life they knew into something after they were bitten. If you are insistent on keeping it hidden, then you're going to need friends, Draco. I know you don't have many of them now, but you might need to find your pack. You need people to lean on. I keep using him as an example because Remus was a stellar wizard and didn't let his affliction dictate his life. He had found those that kept him afloat and human." She concluded and bobbed her head as he slumped in his chair.

"I don't make friends well, Granger."

"Then you best learn, Draco. It'll define your life from here on out. Wolves aren't meant to live alone. The canine beasts have a unit and pack to fall upon. Social gratification. Protection. Structure. Those are all things that despite what you may think, will define you after this full moon."

"Okay," he sighed as his bottom lip jutted in displeasure.

Hermione smiled despite herself. "Don't pout. It will get easier, I promise." She stood from her chair and bobbed her head. "Now, I'm going to get cleaned up. You make yourself comfortable in here and finish eating. We will go over your symptoms and figure out what we can do to quell some of them so you can get some rest tonight. I can see you haven't had slept in days."

He nodded as he finished chewing a bite. "I haven't which is why I came to seek you after my son was fed for the evening. I need help."

"We'll fix some of the difficult stuff, Draco. I promise I will try my best effort to help."

Hermione left her food at the table, and the blond werewolf was pondering. He listened to her shifting about in the flat and did not continue to eat until he heard the water turn on in the bathroom. There was grumbling in his mind about the dripping form in the restroom. This new textured voice was far more unhinged than he ever was. Would it really get any easier?