Hi all, i posted this a while ago and then took it down while i sort out a beta, well now i have found one so thank you to Darkness93 for all you hard work. These characters and this universe do not belong to me if it did Ron and Hermione never would have happened, Sirius would have lived and Harry would have married Luna, not a look alike of his mum.

So read, let us know what you think and enjoy.

Pre-word

The truths of Mating: All about Lycanthropy and their Mates

By: Newt Scamander

There are many myths, laws and stigmatisms surrounding those in our society affected by Lycanthropy, many of which are factually incorrect. One thing that the law does recognise correctly is the importance of the mating bond shared by a werewolf and their mate. A mate is recognised by the inner wolf on sight and there will be the immediate need to claim and protect the mate from harm above all else. If a wolf discovers their mate before they have reached physical adulthood, which is found to be around 16, the wolf will be able to hold back from physically claiming their mate until they have fully matured. However, if both wolf and mate are adults it is usual for the claim to be completed within hours of finding one another.

This bond benefits both the wolf and the mate. While many afflicted with Lycanthropy age prematurely due to the physical stress of the change those mated seem unnaturally youthful even by a wizard's standards. The wolf's body will become healthy, stronger and often find itself almost matching the age of the mate in physical appearance. This is said to ensure the bond is able to be fully accepted by the mate. The mate themselves will gain strength and some of the wolves enhanced senses once the claiming has been completed. Breeding is high priority once the wolf has claimed its mate and the fertility rate increases greatly, with contraceptives often not being effective. As with non-mated pairs the Lycanthropy is not passed onto the children, though reports have shown the children gaining some wolf like traits such as fast healing or sensitive hearing. A wolf's mate will not be turned but is to be protected; current law allows a wolf to harm or kill in both forms without fear of punishment if their mate's life is in danger, as killing the mate also kills the wolf. They must not be separated unwillingly of for any length of time or both will suffer.

Much of this bond still remains a mystery as very few mated couples have been recorded in history, although my research has led me to believe that it is not as uncommon as we are told.

Chapter One

September 1st, 1993

I sighed as I set my things on the rack above, the full moon had passed just two nights ago and with preparing for the year ahead and the new job which has been offered to me by Albus Dumbledore I hadn't rested much and was beyond tired. There was still over an hour until the students would begin to board the train and I was happy to be able to relax as I sat in a compartment near the very end of the train.

I heard a few other staff would be riding as well, as a security precaution after... well my wolf wasn't calm enough to think about the why right now. Even almost 12 years later the betrayal ached like a hole in my chest.

Becoming comfortable, I closed my eyes and leant against the window, my eyes closing heavily as I listened to the sounds around me, hoping the train ride would be peaceful. As the platform began to fill with the coming years students I sat on the brink of consciousness, aware but not really awake.

Finally, the whistle blew, and the train slowly began to pull away from the station. I settled in a bit deeper, glad my compartment had been ignored by the students, leaving me to sleep uninterrupted. Or at least that's what I thought until the door opened and the most intoxicating smell filled the compartment.

MATE! Moony howled inside me and it took all of my will power to remain relaxed enough to pass as sleeping. There were three of them entering the compartment, two males and my mate. My mate. I wanted to open my eyes to see her, to see how old she was, but I also didn't want to scare them away and risk them leaving to find another space.

"Who do you reckon he is?" one of the boys asked curiously, he sounded no older than perhaps 14 at a guess.

Then a beautiful voice answered him, and I had to hold back a sigh. "Professor R. J. Lupin." she answered barely above a whisper, but due to my enhanced hearing it sounded as if she had whispered it too me.

I almost asked her how she knew, but remembered I was 'sleeping'.

"How do you know that?" the same boy asked.

"It's on his case, Ronald." she whispered again and must have gestured as another wave of her scent hit me, I almost groaned.

WHY. Why did this have to happen now? I had given up long ago of ever finding my mate. All I knew is that I couldn't touch her.

'WHAT?!' Moony growled, 'WHY NOT'

'YET' I growled back. A single touch was all it would take to initiate the bond on her side. I will still protect her and make sure no harm comes to her. She was a child though and until appropriate and safe, I would avoid triggering the bond through touch, because once that began it was even harder to stop from claiming her once the wold decided she was ready. Of course, she was still mine.

'OURS' moony reminded me.

'Yes' I conceded to him and struggled not to laugh about talking to myself. It had taken too many years for me to be comfortable with moony in my head, but once I had accepted him rather than fought him, my transformations had become so much easier. While I didn't have control, he listened more to my reasoning. At the same time, he helped me stay alive both during the war and after, making me faster, stronger.

Moony was still sore about Sirius, he didn't believe that he had betrayed us. He trusted in the pack bond, but the evidence was against him. The pack bond had told him the moment James had died. Of course, with Peter being a rat, I had never bonded with him, but I assume it would have told me about him as well.

As I listened to the teens talk around me, I realised that not only was I in the compartment with my mate, but also a pup. Harry, James and Lily's son. As soon as the train came to a jerking stop, I was alert, wand in hand. Then I felt it, the chill of a Dementor. As more children entered our space, stepping on toes and sitting down, I decided it was time to make myself known.

"Quiet." I said, my voice hoarse and scratchy. I cringed, of course that's how I sounded the first time she heard me. I quietly casted a Lumos to light our space and quickly took in the faces of the children, around me. Harry was easily recognisable, and my chest ached at the sight of my old friend's double. Another boy that I could easily recognise was Frank and Alice's little boy. There were two red heads that must belong to the Weasley clan and finally there she was.

I still didn't know her name, but that didn't matter right now. Her chocolate brown eyes held mine for a moment that lasted eternity, but I pulled myself away to approach the door. I had to protect her, them.

Before I could reach the door, it slid open and the Dementor approached.

Sept 30th, 1993 First full moon of the year

Despite the Wolfsbane Potion Moony howled, locked in the room behind my quarters, warded and silenced, he howled. He knew his mate was close, but he couldn't get to her. He had been close to her, watching her, making sure she was safe. But tonight, he howled knowing she was close but not his. It was going to be a long night.

November 5th, 1993

She had written the essay, the only one to do so of course, as Snape had no reason to set it for my 3rd, 4th and 5th year students. So now of course she knew what I was, she was too smart not to. But her essay wasn't cruel and full of how we were dark, evil creatures that needed to be hunted.

It was full of facts about how we were unwilling victims, about our mating habits and the use of Wolfsbane Potion. I had no doubt she would keep my secret just as I had no doubt that I loved her already.

June 6th, 1994

It was the last full moon of the school year and I was thankful. I had spent as much time around Hermione as I possibly could as her teacher, but it was a struggle.

The map made it easier though, I could watch her, without stalking, see she was safe when I was otherwise busy. It kept Moony calmer as well. I am watching it tonight I followed as she left Hagrid's hut with Harry and Ron. Then a name caught my attention. 'Peter Pettigrew' was with them, with her. I pulled the map into my pocket and ran out of my office. The map never lies. So many thoughts filled my head, but I wasn't fast enough. I could smell the blood and caught a glimpse of someone disappearing into the Whomping Willow as I exited the castle.

I raced after them, stunning the tree and diving in, ducking down as I raced as fast as I could through the tunnel. I heard them screaming upstairs. They were up there. With her. Moony growled as I burst through the door and then froze at the scene in front of us.

Ron was lying on the floor, it was his blood I could smell. Clutching at the rat form of Peter. Hermione was crouched over them and Harry had his wand pointed at Sirius, face black with rage.

"Expelliarmus!" I shouted, catching Harry's flying wand before any of them really even registered, I was there. "Where is he, Sirius?" My voice shook with rage as I struggled not to pull Hermione behind me. I knew where he was of course, but they didn't. "It was him wasn't it? You switched places." I stated as everything started falling into place.

"Professor Lupin, what's going-?" Harry asked, not finishing his sentence as I lowered my wand, no longer pointing it at Sirius. Once he realised I had caught on, he moved to stand at my side.

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Hermione screamed, raising herself off the floor and pointing at me. Eyes full of rage. "You – you," She stuttered.

"Hermione!" I pleaded.

"You and him."

"Hermione calm down – "

"I didn't tell anyone!" She screamed again. "I've been covering for you- " Moony purred, delighted in the fire our witch held. Not now, I scolded him.

"Hermione please, listen to me. I can explain."

"I trusted you!" Harry shouted, standing beside her. Lily's temper could definitely be seen here. "And all this time you've been his friend!"

"You're wrong." This would be much easier if everyone just sat down and listened. My senses were in overdrive and I was not in the right frame of mind to be handling this. "I haven't been Sirius's friend for twelve years, but I am now... let me explain..."

"NO!" Hermione shouted, "Don't trust him Harry, he has been helping Black get into the castle, he wants you dead too, he's a werewolf." She said it with such hurt that I almost stumbled as though the wind had been knocked out of me.

As we made our way back through the tunnel, I did my best not to show how enraged I was that Hermione was so far from me, with two enemies in between us nonetheless.

"Are we going to talk about your witch." Sirius said so lowly that only I could hear. Of course, he could feel the pull to protect her as his Alpha's mate.

"Mate." I grunted out.

And Sirius let out a low whistle.

We made it out and I waited by the base, following behind the group, levitating Snape, while keeping my wand trained on Peter.

Then I felt it. The moon was up, with everything that had happened in the last few hours I hadn't thought about the time, or the fact that I hadn't taken my last dose of Wolfsbane this evening.

The change was upon me before I could even move myself away.

Finally. Moony growled as he set his eyes on Hermione. Mine.

He would not hurt her or change her, but he would take her, and he would kill anyone that tried to stop him. Right now, that someone was Snape.

Stalking towards the man between us and our mate, we let out a low feral growl. Moony smelt his fear and revealed in it, licking his lips.

Then from the side he was tackled as Padfoot pushed him to the ground, taking him away from the group. Trying to get past him without hurting him was difficult and as Moony pulled him by the hind leg there was a definite crunch, Padfoot crying out as his leg was shattered.

He was stalking towards them once more, no matter how hard I screamed at him not too.

Then we heard the most beautiful sound. The howl of our mate, but she was in front of us. But that was definitely her and she was calling us.

Moony turned and sprinted towards the sound, sniffing the air, following her scent as he came closer to having her.

February 28th, 1995

"How dare they!" I seethed as I paced, Sirius just nodded, taking a swig of his drink. "How dare they use my mate for a task and as his prize!" The only thing that had kept me and Moony from going and ripping out Viktor Krum's neck was that Harry had assured Sirius that there was nothing other than friendship between Hermione and the seeker.

"Well it's not as if anyone knows that she's the mate of an Alpha werewolf." Sirius said and I growled, continuing my pacing. "How long until you can claim her?"

"She will be of the legal age 16 by the end of the school year thanks to her time turner adventures." I growled. "But September 19th, 1996 is technically her 17th birthday, which is what I would prefer to wait for." Moony growled, he understood waiting until she was at least fully developed, but an extra year to make wizards who didn't even want us in their community happy, that was pushing it.

"Okay so just wait and then we will get her. She is part of the pack and we will protect her." He said, when did Sirius black become my voice of reason?

"Yes." I said letting out one last growl before I collapsed onto the chair and took a swig of fire whiskey. "I'm going to kill Rita Skeeter!" I promised while glaring at the copy of the profit on the floor.

"According to Harry, your witch already has a plan when it comes to that problem." He said with another chuckle and I groaned. It was going to be a long year.

July 1995.

She was here in the house. So were the Weasley's but that didn't seem to matter because she was here. Moony was the calmest he had been in over a year despite the rise of an evil dark lord. Because as of two weeks ago when Hermione got into a fight about her being allowed back into the magical world, she had been staying with us. I was sure Sirius only thought to invite the red headed family so that Hermione would be in the house and for that I was forever grateful.

If I could of, I would have taken her and claimed her the minute she stepped through the door, but it was still too soon, she was still so young. Instead we made do with stolen moments, debating literature in the freshly cleaned library, glances across the dinner table and listening to her heartbeat to lull us to sleep.
It was enough. For now.

September 3rd, 1995

"Umbridge!" I screamed as I paced back and forth.

I was in Dumbledore's office with Sirius as I raged while the two men sat calmly, waiting for me to calm down. The woman behind more than 70% of the laws that made it impossible for me to find work and live a half normal life. This is who would be teaching them. What if she hurt her?

"Remus, I implore you to see reason. We didn't have a choice." Dumbledore said softly, knowing better than to risk enraging me any further, even if he didn't know why I'd rudely flooed into his office unannounced and raging.

"I know." I seethed. Really, I did but that didn't make it any better. With only 14 days until Hermione was legally at the age of consent, everything was getting much harder to control.

"Who is she?" He asked surprising me I looked at him, not answering so he continued. "I know your mate is here, looking back I would say you found her when teaching in 1993. However, that would mean she was in 5th year or below. Based on your behaviour over the summer I would hazard to guess the young Miss Weasley or Miss Granger." He reasoned, hands folded in front of him.

"Ha!" Sirius barked out a laugh and I scowled at him.

"Hermione." I whispered and let my shoulders fall, waiting for the man to berate me.

"Hmmmmm." he nodded, "Minerva owes me five galleons." He said with a chuckle.

"You were betting on this?" I growled.

"Yes, and I won." He was way too cheerful.

"Headmaster, I am not doing well right now." I bit out, emphasising how close I was to losing control, I'm sure my eyes glowed amber as Moony held more control than I right now. Sirius was by my side in an instant, hand on my shoulder.

"I will do my best to protect Miss Granger and keep you updated on her as much as I can. The only thing I ask is that you please try and hold off claiming her until the end of this school year. By then, that woman will be gone, and it will stop her from becoming an even larger target."

'WHAT' Moony howled.

'It's to keep her safe'. I tried to reason.

'We can keep her safe!' he growled back

'Not like this we can't' I wasn't happy either and he could feel that but logically it would keep her safer from that toad's wrath if she wasn't with me. Once we claimed her, there would be no hiding our bond.

"Fine." I sighed and left without another word.

18th June 1996

I bent over, clutching my stomach. Something was wrong. Hermione was terrified. Normally I didn't feel anything from her apart from that she was alive, but now I could feel her fear and I knew that something was really wrong.

"Sirius!" I gasped, glad for his enhanced hearing and I heard him bound up the stairs two at a time.

"What is it?" He asked, face full of concern.

"Hermione's in trouble." I managed to get out as I slowly struggled myself, panting.

"If she is, Harry probably is as well." He said and I nodded. I could feel her fear, but function was coming back.

"Let's go." I said marching out of the room and down stairs right out the front door to Apparate.

"Where?" Sirius asked.

"To her, grab on." I held out my arm and once his grip was firm, I turned on the spot, letting the bond guide me to her.

We landed outside the guest entrance of the Ministry of Magic. In the alley I saw a couple of Thestreals and brooms. What were they doing, did they fly here? It was then I realised where they were going, I quickly sent messages to the Order, telling them to come quickly, before running through the halls and down into the depths of the Ministry. I felt the others join us.

As we entered the room, I saw Hermione being hit by a Curse. I growled, moving faster than ever as I tackled her attacker. Not even bothering with my wand, I crushed his windpipe and watched as the life drained from his eyes.

All around me the battle continued but I didn't care. I made my way quickly to Hermione's prone form, putting a stasis charm on her to stop the bleeding and the curse from spreading. At least for a few moments. I didn't know what she was hit with, so my priority was getting her to safety.

I stood over her and began shooting spells off at everyone. I had stunned three Death Eaters when I saw Bellatrix battling with Sirius in the centre of the room near the arch. Time slowed down as the killing curse approached him and I panicked. Not willing to move but not willing to lose another pack mate.

"Accio Sirius!" I shouted, literally summoning him out of the way and away from the arch which made my hair stand on end.

Bellatrix laughed and cackled, the Order was winning, and Dumbledore had arrived. She turned on her heal and fled. Harry chased after her before anyone could move to stop him, running into the hall. Sirius chased after him while the remaining Death Eaters started disappearing from sight, leaving their wounded behind. I grabbed a price of rock and pointed my wand at it whispering 'Portus'.

Ron, Neville, Ginny and Luna were gathered around us, each looking injured, but none as bad as Hermione. Now that it was safe I turned and scooped Hermione up in my arms. Making sure her skin never touched mine.

"Everyone grab on!" I growled. Holding onto Hermione tightly as we spun through the air, landing directly in Dumbledore's office. The only place in Hogwarts you could Portkey into and only if you were approved. Without breaking a step, I moved toward the fireplace. "Someone activate the floo!" I growled and Luna scrambled forward grabbing a handful of powder and throwing it into the grate as I shouted "Hospital wing!"