/I could smell distressed throughout the forest, but for some reason, no other animals seemed out that night. While these forests normally harbored rather dangerous creatures, none seemed out to hunt this obvious amount of pain. As I kept in the underbrush my breathing slow and steady, I could taste the track of Pheromone to the gentle bubbling stream. I could see the girls frame sitting in the grass her knees up to her chest, she seemed to look out over the creek.

I slowly walked forward my main head hung low, my tail staying within the grass. My other head seemed to just be content chewing. She did not seem to react to me but I could smell fear spike for a moment, the sense of calm came over her. I walked slowly keeping my eyes trained just down and moved to lay beside her, she laid her head on my back.

"You know, I am unsure what I feel, I feel a bit numb, but at the same time I feel.. Relief?" her voice was soft as she spoke, but I could still hear her, "I know I am doing the right thing for me, there is so much ahead of me," her voice was soft one hand going down to her belly. "I guess I am scared if this gets out and if I am making the right decision." her hand moved and trailed in my fur. A gentle purr rumbled through me.

I knew I could never be like this with her in my true form, it would be something I would never allow. I could never let anyone inside my shell, it was the only thing that kept me safe through those years. The purr seemed to lull her for a little bit as she ran her hand through my mane gently, careful not to catch any of the small snarls. If I could give her just a bit of comfort, while this happened, then I would. Who knows how she would have reacted if I was in my natural form.

"I feel weird, I don't think it is a bad weird. It's almost like sadness for the end of something but it's me… innocence, my youth." she placed her face in my fur again. " but it isn't because of what...we…" her voice stuttered softly as she hid her face in my fur again. "It's the fact that I made the choice," I could almost hear a laugh in her voice.

"I wrote 10 essays this week. They help me process things. Thank you for letting me make this choice Severus." this was the first time she had ever said my name. It sounded almost odd but my purr deepened, my large head rubbed her leg. "I know I will have another chance at being a mom, I will have a better start next time. I would love if you take me to dinner first at least," her voice was firm then held a small laugh but then a soft gasp of pain left her lips as her hand moved to her stomach again.

Without warning Hermione changed into her lioness form and curled into a tight ball, I moved to curl with her, my large body cupping hers as I extended a large black wing to cover her slightly and give her a sense of warmth and closeness. I hoped she could understand.

I will not leave her tonight. I will watch her and help her, she will be able to grow into that beautiful woman I saw in the prophecy. Only then will I ever forgive me for putting her through this. /

I awoke with a slight start.

Sometimes that dream would come to me out of the blue other times it was when she was mentioned in The Daily Prophet. In the beginning, it had made my heart hurt, but as the years went on I was able to forgive myself and the feeling turned from pain to pride.

The first bit of forgiveness was while I worked with her as she apprenticed. I had sent papers and essays to Journals under my name with her name as my co-author. My name got it there, her name kept it there. She met and rose above any challenge I gave her. Excellent disagreements between us had kept her in the lab far past curfew.

The second bit came from Graduating Top of her class, with the highest NEWTs scores in almost all of her classes. She had honors in 5 of her master level classes and even university credits.

The last bit was when she also gained the title; Potions Mistress.

Finally, I could look in a journal and see her name attached to it. I could finally shut the dark voice away. From within my dungeon, I could watch the star that is Ms. Granger light up the world of Potions, and realize to myself I did not destroy her.

I could still remember her laugh when she had said dinner. I never brought it up, I kept our apprenticeship as that and only that; I taught her as my pupil.

It was lunch by the time I made it out of my labs, I had been working on a potion to go with the muggle Vaccines. Take one and be done, I had made some headway in finding binders for each of the medical elixirs but I still had more to research, and I needed help.

As I passed the entrance to the great hall, I took in the silence of the school. It had been nearly 5 years since Hermione had left. Finally, I had the balls to admit I wanted to reach out to her. I needed the help, and she hadn't published since early spring. I hoped that if I sent the owl now, early summer, she would be open for the co-authorship I offered.

I made my way to the owlery and found one of the quicker ones. I tied my letter then sent the owl off. As I watched its brown body disappear on the horizon I sent out a hope that she would agree.

The same owl nearly landed in my lunch the not long after I sent the letter. The message it carried was a simple written in the careful quick scrawl of Ms. Granger.

Severus,

I will be there tomorrow at 8 pm, the northern gate.

Hermione

Ps. I still expect dinner sometime.

Shock to say the least ran through me as I read the simple reply. As the feeling of lighting ran down my spine, I could feel my magic flare with the shock. The feeling of it warm in my upper stomach seemed to fill the small dark parts that had gathered since she left. A small smile split my lips as I reread it.

I had dinner reservations to make. That owl was sent out with much fewer nerves, and the almost smile stayed on my lips until I gave myself an early night.

The summer had been very mild so far this early summer, but this night was surprisingly humid. It was odd weather but not too far out of the norm. More so with the muggles doing what they do, destroying what they have.

I stood at the front gate my collar slightly damp, as I cast another cooling spell. I had walked out half-past 6, to make sure I would not miss her if she was early. The sounds of the bugs and late day birds tried at my nerves.

Those same nerves have been steadily getting more and more frayed as the day had gone on, yet another reason I was thankful it was summer. No one in the school could take note of my manner.

My eyes scan the path up to the gate again as I pulled a small watch from my pocket. I should not have come out as early as I did; I expected nothing much exact punctuality from the witch. She should be here soon, but at the same time, the sweat on my temples was not from the heat. It was my nerves.

While she was in school I would have never admitted I wanted a chance to have the proffered dinner with her.

Maybe if she had grown with different parents, ones that seemed to care for her, not ones that only used her. Maybe if I had not taken liberties with her likelion. These and a few more reasons had kept me from asking her. Hell, those reasons kept me from asking even after she graduated.

To say I felt less now for her would be a misunderstanding. While I kept my distance from her, I cradled the warm feeling of her magic with mine. The nights where the voice would be just a bit too convincing and the cool waters of death seemed too inviting. My magic would flair and keep the thoughts at bay. Sometimes the image of her as the older witch would wrap me in her arms.

This had not gone away, because I believed it went past simple lust.

(I try not to POV switch in chapters but gonna do it in this one. Mainly cuz I feel like it needs it.)

When the letter arrived just after lunch, I was quite happy to see the Hogwarts owl. He had been the one I used when sending off the theories to the Potions Journals. He was the only one that Severus would offer small bits of sausage too when it would return with messages.

I took the letter away and grabbed some of the deli meat I had left. I opened the letter noting that it was Severus' seal on the dark black wax. I could feel my heart clench in excitement as I scanned his letter. It was well written and well thought out, of course, it would be coming from him. A wide grin split my lips as I moved to grab a well-worn quill and ink, quickly jotting my reply on a spare bit of apartment. I gave the owl another bit of meat before opening the window to let him return.

The grin turned into a small smile as I held up his reply.

It had been nearly five years since I had graduated. So much had changed in my 7th year, every achievement I had he had some credit due for them.

Even if his critics had kept me up through the night, rewriting an essay due at the end of the quarter. He became the mentor McGonagall wanted to be, and he never boasted.

Last year McGonagall had done an interview about my school years, and in my opinion, said things that were a bit overblown. But I don't blame her, the Gryffindor house had finally won the House cup in my seventh year. I had been one of the first shining stars of her pupils in a long time.

But Severus had become to me like a steady object. He treated me no different after our incident, while I would not have minded if he took me up on the dinner offer; I thankful he had not. If we had started before I left, I would have never left.

I missed the feeling somewhere just above my stomach, a small warmth that sparked when we worked together in the same room. Though sometimes it would burn with the same intensity as the heat somewhere lower when we argued. Bickering about chopping or slicing spider leg, or a half stir would be better than a ¾ one.

Then the moments I stole from him. Where he would be sitting there reading, one hand holding his quill while the other made a slight fist and would rub his pointer finger on the first knuckle of his thumb. Moments where he would be so entranced with a potion he would not notice that he would rub small scuffs into his wooden spoons.

Then there were nights I would hunt the Chimera. We had made a small schedule for runs in the forest, keeping us separate, to make sure we would never meet at a time like that again. He would run ahead of me, leaving small clues and feasts, but never enough for me to catch him. He even gave me training that McGonagall could not have. He taught me to think like a creature, not just a human in a creature shape.

A week after what I felt was a close hunt, he let me know why he never registered. It fell around the same time I had sent out some of my essays on the mating of Mythical creatures.

'Animagus animals can be described as spirit animals, and those resemble animals in more 'natural world'. Animals that evolved not mixed with magic somewhere in the line.'

Almost nothing is known of mythical Animagus past the 15th century. The last one written about was a boy who had changed while escaping the court of Charles the VII of France. He had been captured by the king first and tortured until he returned to the mythical creature. The king had hoped the magic would heal he ever-increasing sores. It held him on for 2 extra years, but no further as the ministry came to capture the boy. He had not been seen outside of the ministry castle since then. While papers were written on the boy he was not allowed to ever leave. Laws came into effect after the boy's nephew fought for his freedom and it was announced he had passed away.

Severus was scared of losing his freedom. If it came out that he was mythical there would be requests for studies, and a loophole in the law could allow the Ministry to hold him in custody until they made sure he was no harm. Experiments and tests alone could keep him there for years.

I pulled myself out of my thoughts as the whistle on the kettle went off. I made myself a cuppa before moving through my small flat. He had mentioned a room would be available while I stayed to study with him.

This small flat had never felt like home. I missed the feeling of a castle around me. Magic everywhere, the scent of warm grass on the summer wind. I missed Hogwarts every morning as I made a simple porridge, or when I had to leave my wand at the desk when entering the Hillow Library just outside of London.

But I would not trade these years learning and growing by myself for anything within those teaching grounds. Even for the dark-winged beast that called me back at certain times in my cycle. Learning with him taught me to trust my instincts, and putting that to use in my adult world seemed to be exactly what I needed to continue having the self-assured attitude that Sir Millert had helped install.

With the cuppa gone I began to pack my things. Everything would fit into my truck, the larger furniture was pleased with the flat. Most of the books I had collected over these years had never even seen the outside of my trunk.

This was going to be a whole new adventure, one that I hoped, would mirror the vision that had fully returned to me. I never found myself mad at his reaction, to him not telling me clearly what was going on in the 'prophecy'. He was just as scared at the implications as I would have been. A pregnant student kissing him, that would worry any good teacher.

Good teacher.. those words stayed with me as I finished boxing my tiny kitchenette, then moved to the small sleeping area. It was calming to do the sorting and packing of the shrunk items into my trunk, it always amazed me how much could fit if things were shrunk right.

Good Teacher, that did not seem a way to describe Severus to me. While I school I would never say that I didn't see him as a teacher, or someone who did not deserve the respect of a teacher. But in school, I could see someone beaten by the early parts of the war. I could see someone who struggled to grow from a past like my own. Even if he had never felt it, I felt a kinship to him that I really had not felt to someone else; then or now.

Once things were packed except for the few toiletries and my bedding, I settled down for the night burrowing into my blankets.

With the hope that Severus took my not so hidden hint, I hoped I would not be left hungry when I arrived at the school tomorrow.

"Seeing you tonight has been amazing, " the bright smile that continued to inhabit my lips stayed. We had been quiet for awhile both drawn into our own reading.

We were sitting in a small area in the back of his lab, he had set up their stations much to how I had them Five years ago. He knew that I would be eager to see his research, and I was glad he thought of take-away.

We sat and talked as we ate, he would stop with a forkful just to his lips; his eyes and apparent train of thought focused on what he was reading. I would remind him by batting the end of his fork.

The first time I reached over and took a soft bat at it, the food had not been secured and flung back onto his black outer robes. He actually /hissed/ in surprise! He moved quickly to remedy the mess, choosing to take off top robe leaving his black jacket on. But in the quick moments, I could see a faint blush on his cheeks.

The second time the food was more secure and all I received was an arched brow.

"It has been a pleasure going over all of this with you," his voice and the slight upturn on the side of his lip betrayed he was just as enthused by the night.

"Early you had asked why I was so quick to coming out," I offered, I was ready to give the reason I gave such a quick response. He nodded and sat his book down. A clear sign to continue.

"For the past 3 years I have been researching Animgus', magical ties, and what leads to mythical forms," I pulled out from my bag a black journal on the front was a silver embossed Chimera. He leaned forward, not interrupting. "I was able to track down one other mythical Animagus," I flicked open the journal and offered it to him.

On the page I offered was an elderly Male who slowly transformed into a large feathered snake. There was a sample of a feather I had taken on the page as well. Severus' brows furrowed as he watched the picture. A slim finger ran over the edge of the feather.

"He was hiding in the mountains near Toluca Mexico," I reached over and turned the page for him, on this side was a drawing of his home. No exact places or names. "He spoke of his family and the curse placed upon it. He was the last of a fairly long line."

I sat back and took a long drink of sweet wine he had offered near the end of dinner.

/nearly in the before common was the myth.

12 brothers spied an Oracle bathing. All twelve brothers were cursed to turn in beasts.

These twelve brothers grew lines of their own children and spread far and wide across the earth. Only the first son of each brother would carry on the line. As time went on and the magical curse found magical output, as in a wizard, they would manifest those transformations. Thus legends around the world began.

/

"Well Hermione this is something," his voice was soft as he returned the book, he mimicked me and took a long drink of wine, "You are saying my father was one of the lines?"

"I believe so," I nodded and flipped through the pages. "There are a few things I would love to…" I chewed on my lip and moved my eyes to meet him keeping them slightly hooded.

Five years taught me a lot, two years on the dating scene taught me even more about myself. I had spent the first three years away thrown into my work. I had to make something of this second chance I had to bloom.

When Potions Mistress was added to my name I began to look for the company. I looked far and came to find many hated that I was so young and already accomplished. So I tried the bar scene, while I could get a man back to my flat; I could not seem to find any desire to go further. The times I tried, they did not meet any mental expectations.

Halfway through the night, I found my stomach full of butterflies, they had come from the buddle of wiggly nerves that inhabited it early. I felt the same draw I remembered when we worked together. The draw both held to much respect for the other to never act on.

Now was a whole new game.

"Are you asking to study me Hermione?" he asked, his brow rose. He leaned back again and cupped the goblet with his long fingers, bringing it up to his lips.

"In short," I laughed with another wide smile. "In the long, it would be a co-authorship with my study also." I looked up at him more fully, I watched as a small drop of pink wine collected in just the corner of his mouth. I mimicked the lick, as I saw his tongue flick to catch the sweat droplet.

"I believe we could come to an agreeable arrangement," he reasoned with a smirk curling the slide of his lip.

I stood and stretched, offering him a much smaller smile, I watched him under heavy hoods again.

"Severus, I feel like a hunt." I leaned over the table to look at him, my hands found clear spots on the table. I cocked my head and gave what I hoped was a playful smile, "Maybe I could catch the Chimera this time?"

The end.