AN: Alright, sorry this has taken a while to get out…I am still working on He's Not One of Us I'm just going through a bit of writer's block...Well it's not really block more like too many ideas and no idea which one to choose. But anyway, here is chapter four hopefully it doesn't completely suck. Let me know what y'all think!

PS. Oh and I don't own the Harry Potterverse that would be Rowling…Cheers all! Review please!

Where's My Wolf?

Chapter Four

Harry's head was spinning at the suddenness of Fawkes' take off and landing in the middle of the Grangers' living room. The screams from the two dentists didn't help his ringing ears; he glared up at the laughing trills coming from the fire bird while still trying to keep his dignity by not falling to the floor.

"Ruddy bird, you could have warned me it would feel like that," he grumbled. Fawkes only reply was a trill that could only be explained with the saying of "no fun". Hermione's running to her parents, calming them, stopped the teen from literally snapping at the bird. Harry gave Fawkes one more glare before slowly heading over to his friend.

"Mum, Dad, it's alright. I'm sorry for the sudden appearance but there have been a few issues that have came up. I'm getting ahead of myself. Mum, Dad, this is Harry, my friend that I've been telling you about. Harry, this is my mother and father, Drs. Heather and Julius Grangers," Hermione quickly rattled off. Harry did a double take at his friend; she had said that all in one breathe. He struck his hand out to shake with the two still slightly stumped Muggles.

"Hello, Dr. Granger, Dr. Granger, it's a pleasure to meet you," Harry stated, finally bringing them around.

"Harry, yes it is a pleasure. So what brings the two of you here so early? Hermione, we weren't expecting you for another couple weeks," Heather added with a soft, kind smile for the two teens, even with her eyes glancing over to Harry's face so often. The dentists sat back down waving to their daughter and her friend to sit with them. Hermione fidgeted slightly finally realizing that they hadn't really discussed whether they would tell her parents about Harry being a werewolf. She looked over to see his friend shake his head slightly apparently thinking the same thing. She jumped slightly at Harry speaking up first.

"I don't mean to sound to forward but I've recently been dealt a few issues that prohibit me from staying with my…relatives. My godfather has found a place for us to stay but it needs some cleaning before I can move in there. Hermione put out the idea that I could stay with her. it should only be a week, two at the most. I can pay my way and do my share, my godfather also said he would pay to ease the burden," Hermione turned to face her parents trying to make out their reactions as Harry put out the ill thought out idea.

"You don't have to answer immediately, of course," she started but stopped as her mother raised her hand.

"May we speak with you a moment first, I don't want to be rude, Harry,"

"No, of course, if you point me in the right direction I will gladly leave you to speak," he stated as he stood up. Julius stood up with a look to his wife.

"Why don't I show you the backyard, we'll chat and let the women be themselves," he added with a cool look to his face. He spotted the new forming scar but the quiet confidence was hiding something that he couldn't place; he wanted to get his own opinion of the boy.

"Yes, sir," he glanced over at the gentle touch on his hand. He gave Hermione a crooked grin.

"I'll be alright," he muttered following the tall lean man out of the room. Hermione let out a sigh with a shake of her head.

"Hermione, dear, what is this really about? I'm glad that you've finally brought one of your friends to meet us, but to them ask for him to stay a few weeks," Heather stared at her daughter to see the emotions flicker in the girl's brown eyes. Hermione slumped her shoulders slightly.

"Mum, his relatives are terrible people. He never really says much about them but there are just some things that…Oh Mum, I think he's been abused there. I don't say this to push you against him, but he's been given a chance to leave there and never go back. He just needs a place to stay until his godfather gets his home in livable condition. He's a perfect gentleman, I'm sure he won't be much trouble," Heather smiled at her daughter.

"Hermione, he's not a dog or some stray animal to bring in as a pet. What I want you to tell me is just how he came about that scar on his face. He seemed a bit stiff as well, has he been injured in another of your adventures?" she asked, she was startled by the sudden tears that came to Hermione's eyes. Heather pulled her into her arms gently rubbing circles in the girl's back.

"What is it, sweetheart?" Heather whispered.

"Oh, I was so stupid, Mum. I just sat in the dirt, frozen…he saved me," Hermione finally managed through her tears as she sat up. Heather stared at her daughter instantly checking her for injuries.

"I'm fine, just a few scrapes and bruises that Madam Pompfrey fixed in a few minutes," Hermione waved if off as she tried to wipe her tears away in agitation with herself.

"Hermione, what did he save you from? How were you even in that position in the first place?" Heather asked as she held her daughter's shoulder.

"A wolf, Mum, we were walking along the edge of the Forest and it jumped out at us. It had me on the ground; I didn't even think to use my wand. Oh Mum, I was terrified I just kept seeing you and dad and thinking of the times I should have stayed with you over summers and Christmases; seeing Harry and our adventures. Then he just tackles it and they were fighting right there in front of me. I didn't do anything; I could have lost him forever," Hermione broke down again, sobbing into her mother's shoulder. Heather was frozen herself, she could have lost her baby girl if that boy, if Harry hadn't jumped in to save her. a few tears of her own formed in her eyes as she held Hermione closer.

"Easy, everything's fine now. You're safe and alive, and Harry's safe and alive. That's all that matters, sweetheart," Heather whispered against the light brown hair that her father had given her.

%

" I really didn't mean to bring it up like that, Dr. Granger, it's just I really didn't want to go back to my relatives if there was another option," Harry stated this time not being able to keep the growl from his voice in mentioning "them". They stepped out on the brick patio revealing the long backyard, pool, and brick bar-be-que. Harry stared at the crisp green grass and bright colors of the huge flower garden along the concrete around the pool. He shook himself at the soft chuckle from his left.

"Beautiful place, Sir, I must say I've never been able to keep my aunt's flowers quite as bright," Harry said.

"Heather will be glad to hear that, they're her pride and joy next to Hermione, of course. So, Harry, tell me about yourself; I'd like to have a bit of an opinion of the boy who wants to stay here with my daughter while we're at work," Julius added as he lead them over to the patio set to sit down in the shade that the big umbrella gave.

"I don't really know what to tell you, Sir, that Hermione's not already said," Julius nodded his head at that answer; his daughter had currently said quite a bit about the boy in front of him.

"I'll give you that one, but what about that scar? Did you get it in a fight with um, what's that boy's name…Decon...Drano…Melner something," he arched an eyebrow at the laughter coming from Harry.

"I'm sorry, Sir, it's Draco Malfoy; I was just laughing at the picture of someone calling him that to his face. But, uh, no I didn't get it fighting him. I got it wrestling a um, wolf. He…It came out of nowhere so I just reacted more like a Muggle without a gun rather than a wizard," Harry shrugged absently, flinching slightly as the new skin pulled at the movements. Julius stared at him a moment blinking.

"Son, I would have ran the second it jumped out rather than attack it head on," he finally said.

"I wasn't going to leave my best friend alone; people have different reactions to sudden attacks. I've learned to just face them head on rather than run from them," Harry returned turning to look at the flowers, reaching up subconsciously to hold his shoulder.

"How bad did the animal get you? Is your friend alright?" Julius asked slowly.

"Yeah, just a few scrapes and bruises; I took most of it. It- it got in a few good licks on my side and shoulder here," Harry answered turning back to show the dark glint that had entered the teen's eyes at the memory.

"At least your friend and you are alive, that's the good side of this," Julius started.

"My thoughts exactly, Sir," Harry added with a half grin that only lifted the unscarred side of his face. Julius nodded his head once again to the boy. The two fell silent, one watching the flowers sway a bit in a breeze, and one watching the other.

"So, what about my daughter; what do you think of her?" Julius asked abruptly snapping the teen back to reality.

"I think she's the greatest thing that ever happened to me, finding out about magic was a Godsend but she's what saved my life, Sir. I would have never made it to today if I hadn't met her on the Express or gone into the loo on Halloween our first year there,"

"The loo?"

"Yeah, when the troll got in the school, she was in there when it went there. I jumped the troll while our other friend had one of his more brilliant ideas and levitated its club and knocked it out with it," Harry said with another shrug that pulled his new skin again. Julius stared at him, had that been what changed his little girl's mind? It had been after Halloween that the letters had changed. Troll…his mind suddenly shot the picture from one of Hermione's books that he had read in attempt to keep up with her, and his eyes widened while his heart tried to stop.

"Harry…w-what kind of troll?" he muttered, the teen spun his head to stare at the man's white face.

"She didn't tell you?"

"Yes, but it's only been lately that I read up on your creatures," Julius lied at the shocked and worried teen. Harry watched him a moment before finally answering.

"A Mountain Troll, Sir,"

"Great…Harry, thank you," Julius said solemnly; Harry blinked a few times as he stared at the man who had spoken so kindly to him

"F-for what, sir?"

"For saving my little girl's life," Harry nodded his head slowly.

"You're welcome, Sir, anytime," It was Julius' turn to nod then he stood up, a signal to Harry that their conversation was done. The two went back into the house, stopping short at the sight of the two Granger girls calming down from crying.

"Heather?" Julius was shocked, he had never seen his wife so tearful since they first found out she was pregnant. At his deep voice the two jumped and stared at the doorway. Heather instantly got to her feet and had Harry wrapped in a tight hug. Harry tensed slightly at first but slowly began to relax but was still gob smacked looking from Julius to Hermione then to Fawkes on his perch on the back of a chair. The firebird let out a soft sweet trill that eased everyone. Heather let up enough to look into the boy's green eyes where she saw the silver flecks sparkle slightly.

"Harry Potter, you are always welcome in this house; anytime you want this is your home as much as it is ours," she stated with a soft but watery smile. Harry stared at her in shock, they barely knew him. He was a freak, a creature; he looked over at the firm hand on his shoulder that had brought him from his thoughts.

"Quite right," Julius added to the disbelief of both Granger girls.

"Daddy?" Hermione muttered as she came up to the three.

"It seems this is one of the few teenage boys that thinks more with his head and hearty than with anything else," Julius answered with a smirk, to get a chuckle from his wife, an exasperated roll of eyes from his daughter, and a faint blush from Harry. Fawkes suddenly gave a trill which had Harry looking over at the bright bird.

"That bad?" he asked to receive another trill from the bird.

"Harry?" Hermione gazed into her friend's eyes.

"Sorry, Mi; Fawkes was just saying that the Professor needs us back with him. Snape seems to not to be taking this all that well," Harry answered with an apologetic look towards the adults. Hermione blanched slightly.

"Mum, Dad…"

"It's alright, Dear, Harry tell your godfather it's fine for you to stay for as long as you need," Heather interjected with another smile for him.

"Thank you, Ma'am. Sir, it was a pleasure to speak with you," Harry stated shaking his hand firmly before the two teens went to stand between the couches where Fawkes hovered in air. Harry took hold of Hermione's hand looking up at the bird.

"A little gentler this time please," he called to get a return trill that had Harry rolling his eyes as he grabbed the long tail feathers. The three burst into flames once more and were gone. The two Muggles shook their heads in wonder.

"Heather, why were the two of you crying? Is she alright in going back to that school?" he jumped slightly as his wife instantly began to wipe her eyes.

"That poor boy, Julius, he saved our baby,"

"From a troll yes, he told me will mentioned more like. We are going to have to sit that girl down and just plain order her to tell us the truth when it comes to the dangers of that school. I mean a Mountain Troll in the loos of the place,"

"What troll; what are you talking about? I was talking about the wolf that gave him those scars. He just attacks the animal to get it off of our little girl," Heather interrupted looking at her husband.

"What…but he…He told me he did it get the animal's attention off of his best friend. He never mentioned Hermione," he murmured, his knees going out from under him. He fell to plop into his favorite chair.

"What troll, Julius?" Heather asked as she sat across from him.

"I had asked him what he thought of our daughter, and he comes back with saying she was the best thing to happen to him, said something else about her saving his life that he wouldn't have made it this far if he hadn't met her on the train or went to the loo. Heather, he went into a loo to save Hermione because a Mountain Troll had gone into the same one. It was that Halloween their first year there, an eleven year old jumped onto it to save our girl," he answered to look over wide-eyed to see his wife just as shocked.

"How can we ever repay him?" she muttered as Julius slowly shook his head.

"I don't know,"

Harry gave a low growl up at Fawkes as the flames disappeared; his stomach was in knots again and the bird continued to laugh at him.

"You do it on purpose, don't you? Damn bird," he grumbled to only get another laughing reply from Fawkes. He never noticed the raised voices that were around him until Hermione's gentle squeeze of his hand. His left eye twitched as he looked over to see his Potions professor arguing with his Head of House, the heated debate of whether or not to have both of them executed for the danger towards the students.

"The boy's a menace and now he'll be even more of one! Before it was just his stupidity now it's his stupidity added with werewolf blood thirst and strength!" Snape yelled as his whole body shook with his pent-up rage.

"He is not stupid, Severus, and I've not seen this blood thirst yet! You just refuse to let the past be past! He is neither James Potter nor Sirius Black!" McGonagall retorted.

"He is a monster just like the creature that bit him. Am I the only one who sees this! He will be a threat to the rest of the school once he gets it in his head that he'll be a 'tame' werewolf. He'll go about the halls in all his monstrous glory. I warn you now," Snape sneered.

"Severus, please see reason. I have never seen that boy do anything of the like; he's an attentive student, good manners," Sprout started.

"He has you all fooled!" Snape interjected but was cut off by a deep growl from behind him. He spun around to see the teen glaring at him, glowing silvery green eyes boring wholes into him, sending him back to seeing another pair of glowing eyes only golden brown with a muzzle of gleaming wet teeth bared at him.

"Enough, Snape; I will be a monster if you truly want me to be, but I'd just as soon not eat you because I'm certain that you will taste like only grease and bitterness. I don't know what your problem is with me or Remus but it's time to get over them. I haven't asked for your help and I don't intend to. I'll make the damn potion myself if I have to," Harry snarled as Hermione wrapped her arms around his middle and nestled her face into his shoulder. His arm came up to hold her around her shoulders as the sweet smell of her fluttered into his nose.

"That is enough, Severus. Harry, this is no time to burn bridges. Severus, he is not at fault for this. I know I am the last person who you wish to hear speaking right now, but he is still an innocent in all of this," Remus interjected sending a stern look over to Harry. The aged werewolf watched the young boy turned away from Snape with one last glare before facing Hermione and giving her a small smirk. Severus snarled at the sight but a ghost of a smack to the back of his head caused him to take a second look at the young teenagers. He saw the softness in the boy's painfully familiar green eyes that was aimed only at the young muggleborn in his arms. Once again he was forced to remember his past as the scene brought another young couple fresh from graduating. He snapped his head away from them to land on a pair of sad pale blue eyes that were watching him.

"You're unfortunately correct, Lupin, this is no time to burn bridges and you are the last one I want to hear anything from; but I will make the bloody potion for the two of you. Best to have at least one werewolf where I can watch him rather than one that I cannot find without it killing me," Severus sneered as he abruptly turned to head for the door being stopped by the Headmaster's voice.

"And the matter of Sirius Black…"

"Albus, you continually make the habit of asking a great deal of me, but the bastard is innocent of killing Lily I will admit to that," Severus returned with a subtle nod of his head before he swiftly escaped the office.

Harry arched an eyebrow at the fleeing Potions Master; it was just last night that he had been raving about having the great honor of watching Sirius have his soul sucked out. What could have possibly changed his mind so quickly? There was another thing that he really needed to work on, his temper. Harry could admit that he had always had a short fuse when it came to the Potions professor but he could usually hold onto it better than that was it the inner wolf that he now possessed? He knew that it was the reason for the sudden possessiveness that he held for Hermione, well maybe not completely. She was his best friend after all.

"Harry, Hermione, did your meeting go well?" Remus asked pulling the teenage werewolf from his thoughts. Harry turned to face the rest of the professors, his arm never leaving Hermione's shoulders.

"Sure, went better than I thought it would. Though Fawkes little stunt when we first arrived gave them a bit of scare. I mean really, making me dizzy and nauseous for my first introductions was not a good idea," Harry answered with narrow-eyed stare into the phoenix's beady black eyes, and as usual the firebird only gave him a mocking trill of laughter.

"Just wait, I'll get you back eventually, Fawkes. When you least expect it too," Harry retorted under his breath as Dumbledore chuckled.

"It is good that you and Fawkes have made such good friends and so quickly. So I can assume that your staying with Miss Granger until Sirius can clean up a bit is agreeable," the Headmaster said as he looked over his half-moon glasses at the teenagers.

"Yes, Sir, Mum and Dad actually like him already, which is really astounding when it comes to Daddy," Hermione answered finally looking away from her friend to see the sad yet happy smiles on her professors' faces. She then realized that she was still wrapped around Harry and that his arm was still holding onto her, a blush instantly pinked her cheeks.

"Wonderful, but perhaps you should return earlier. It would give us a bit of leeway in coming up with a reason to why you now have such visible scars, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore paused as he watched Harry smirk a bit with a glint entering his green eyes.

"If I may, Sir, I was actually thinking that maybe someone could put a glamor to cover them until we reach Hermione's. Then come next semester I can still simply say that I received them from my relatives. I can assure you they won't be the first that they have given me," Harry added with a flick of his eyes from Dumbledore, Remus and Hermione, while the others of the room gasped. The Headmaster gave him a sad twinkle of his eyes before nodding his head slowly.

"I believe that would be better in the long run, than sending the two of you home early. Yes, Mr. Potter, we will go with your idea. Step forward please," Harry stepped away from Hermione to stand between his Head of House and Charms professor. He let out a breath of air while McGonagall, Flitwick, and Dumbledore waved their wands over him.

"Not bad if I do say so myself; Mr. Potter, now that you look like you did before last night I believe it is time to relieve Madam Pompfrey of your friend. Oh, Remus and Sirius will escort you two from Platform 9 ¾, they can explain a few things to your parents," Dumbledore stated as Hermione stared at her now unscarred friend, she nodded her head absently while Harry smirked at her. He shook his head as he grabbed her hand gently and lead her from the office.

"See you later, Remus and tell Padfoot to behave. Doctors Granger know how to use drills," Harry called over his shoulder to hear a laughter that the other adults hadn't heard in a long time.