[Fanfic:] In the realm of one night (Part One)

[smirkingcat]

Title:In the realm of one night

Author/Artist: smirkingcat

Prompt: Prompt 14

Prompter: starduchess

Prompt: Harry comes into a creature inheritance and it demands to breed/be bred. Draco can be willing/unwilling as you see fit. Additional info: would love to see creature traits (marking territory, possessiveness, fur or feathers or claws), mating rituals, nesting, taking care of the pregnant mate, special feeding or other needs of the baby, worry over the Ministry and its laws

Word Count: 16,327

Rating: NC-17 (no smut)

Warnings! please check out if you know you can be triggered: brief dub-con (first scene); stillbirth and death of child, happy(open) end

Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.

Epilogue compliant?: No, not even deathly hollows compliant - alive!Snape and alive!Lupin

Who is pregnant?: Draco

Notes: dear starduchess your prompt just ran wild with me- you won't believe how much, but in the end, (as i was putting this on top of the story) i noticed how far of your prompt i ended up, i am sorry for that, but still am hopeful that you might enjoy reading this story nonetheless, and can forgive me, that i turned it around so much

THANK YOU smallbrownfrog! for the awesome last min beta! you are a true hero to me! never to mention for all the help and encouragement i got from you- thanks to you, this fic exists and i survived!
also a huge thank you for the awesome mod-crew who gave me the time that was needed to finish this little thing- thank you very much!

the title is my version (which i like better) from Jean Cayrol - all in a night
Summary: Under the cover of night the future and the past meet in the present. The dark haunts us with the worst of our memories, gives life to the sweetest moments of our love, and inspires the growth of new hopes.

In the realm of one night

The moonlight shone bright through the big windows, creating a surreal feeling to the room with the blue shading, making it brighter than necessary for the wolf to see.

It was such a lovely sight that greets the wolf: Blond hair shimmering like silver, long legs not hidden beneath the thin summer blanket, one arm stretched out holding on to the wolf's human hand, the other hiding his eyes from the intense light. The wolf enjoyed being able to watch his mate now without waking him. It hadn't always been this way. His mate was a twitchy one, as soon as something wasn't as his mate expected it, the other wolf was ready to either fight or flight. If his mate had had his way, he would have been a lone wolf, hiding, slowly fading to all the pain he held inside.

However his mate was also used to not getting his way by the time the wolf had found him.

It hadn't been easy, after all his mate was a strong one, but in the end he couldn't deny that the wolf was stronger. It simply wasn't enough to pin your opponent to the floor, you had to be able to keep him there. The wolf preened at the memory.

---

Harry looks up to the darkening sky. He can feel the pull from the moon, not that his wolf really depends on the moon, but like every werewolf his strength also rises with the moon. And his wolf has a goal in mind.

"You'll not be coming back tomorrow, will you?" Remus steps up to Harry, looking also up to the sky.

"No," he states confident, "it's time, the wolf lost its patience," he elaborates, but he knows that Remus is as much aware of it, as he himself is. It is also time to leave the pack Remus has created for himself. His wolf will never be satisfied with not being the alpha of his own pack, but this had been understood for a time now between Remus and him. Wolfs know, and Remus knows him better than anybody else these days.

"I'm rather astonished, that the patience of your wolf lasted this long," Remus suddenly says. Harry grins in a feral way. "We tried, but stubborn gits will always be stubborn" his mouth twitches.

"To true" Remus agrees and looks at the darkening sky. "Just... Harry, be careful. That you can overpower him, doesn't change the fact, that some wolves are born lone wolves," the older wolf says in a calm voice.

A deep growl escapes Harry's throat: "He isn't. He wants to make believe, but he isn't. I know him, and he belongs to me, at my side, in my pack." Harry's voice grows deep, dangerous and bears no argument. Harry hears Remus sigh as he steps away and apparates into the woods close to Malfoy Manor. And because he can, he shifts into his wolf form, before the moon is fully risen. Harry is very glad about the fact, that he isn't depending on the moon to be a wolf, because the wolf is much faster, especially when it's on his way to somewhere it really wants to go. And also for the reason that the wolf knows how to stay out of sight and be not noticed even by other wolves. Harry goes as close to the wards as he dares to, and lays low. He has to wait, but he has been patient this long, so he can wait a little longer.

Less than an hour has passed, before the twilight turns into the night and the moon rises from behind the woods, but only the first howl makes him move, braking through the wards, searching out the heir of this great estate. The wolf's natural instinct has taken completely over, staying out of sight of its prey, staying out of the wind, so that he won't be noticed too early.

The moment he lays his eyes on his mate, something close to amazement comes over the wolf. His mate is so beautiful, so strong, each step has a grace to it, that even the wolf can't help but admire. The silver overcoat that grew darker around the legs makes it easy to see him standing underneath the moonlight, while at the same time, Harry has no doubt, is able to give the other a very sufficient way to hide and find cover. However he isn't here to admire, he came to claim what is his.

The wolfs steps out of his hiding, calm confident, walking straight at the other one, who looks at him in something akin to shock, before a fierce look settles in his eyes. The growl Malfoy lets loose is loud, dangerous and, as he notes, that Draco isn't going down without a fight. He can't help it, not only is there pride for his mate in him, but he also somehow knows that both of them yearn for this fight. They have, since their first day at Hogwarts sought this competition. A way to fight against each other, but through the times, the stakes have shifted. And Harry intends to win tonight, because his mate is his, and the bugger just better learn to live with it.

Malfoy bends his head down, and moves his paws outward, ducking before his home. The growl gets lower, and Harry feels the command to leave and let him be alone. Greyback did a good job on the blond. Not many werewolves are able to regain such powers in such a short time, according to Remus. But still Harry is stronger, and just because he can feel the command, doesn't mean he has to obey it. He takes another step closer, and another closer still. The fur of the other wolf is standing afar, making him look bigger, stronger, additionally Draco shows of a very nice set of sharp tooth.

'Leave me alone' is the message this time. 'I don't want nor need you here. Go AWAY' Harry can hear it between the dangerous growls Draco makes.

He takes one more step and is finally face to face with the wolf, he can smell him, and what a lovely smell he has. It is a fruity fragrance, with a very peculiar set of notes for the wolf. Harry notes the citrus, and some wood, also some sort of spice he can't name at the moment. It smells good, no matter what it is.

'I won't go, and you know it,' he himself snarls now at the other wolf.

'This is my home. You can't come in and demand it for your own' is the answer he gets, and the wolf really has a rough time to not just ignore the remark, because really, he isn't interested in the belongings of one Draco Abraxas Malfoy, he is interested in the wolf and the man himself.

However before he can really react, there is a sudden attack to his front leg and a yowl escapes him. Those shiny teeth are more than a little sharp!

He jumps away, trying to get some room to move, but Draco is with him every step. The wolf takes delight in the finesse of his mate, and the fight makes it calm and alert at the same time. There is nothing like a hunt or a fight under the full moon.

But after the first bite, he manages to be not bitten again. It is nice to see, how his fast reactions get Draco worked up. The other clearly wants him gone. And then there is the opening the wolf waited for, without even a moment of reconsidering Harry jumps in Draco's middle and bites down on the not so well protected leg. Another yowl sounds loudly through the night. Nevertheless the silver wolf refuses to give up, and moves, till Harry finds himself on his stomach, pushed into the ground, the teeth of Draco deep in his neck. It hurts, not like the changing bite did, but still the pain is raw, and he howls. It never has occurred to him, that Draco would really fight him nail and teeth. But he does, and now something in Harry loosens up. He moves his hind legs and buries them deep in the body of the other wolf, before he turns around and tries to escape from the grip the silver wolf has on him.

He dislocates him with rapid movement of his back, before he jumps at him and turns him on his back, one of his paws at the neck of the wolf, the other between his front paws. He bites down too, even less caring then Draco at how much pain he might inflict. The both know he would win from the start, so why would Draco go so far and make the fun, the game, real and hurtful?

There are some rules he will have to teach his mate, and the first one would be, not to really go and anger or spite him! He is the alpha. He sets the rules. He can feel how Draco tries to remove Harry from his body, how he tries to get away, so he buries his claws deeper in the other body, makes his bite hurt more.

'Give up, you can't win.'

'Never.'

He pushes his body even more on the silver wolf, buries him with his whole body.

'Relent,' he demands, seeing the frustration slowly melting away into a lost stare. Harry can understand that Draco wants to hide from others, wants to be alone, but he knows the other better. Draco can't survive on his own, he needs to be with others, and he is meant to be with Harry.

'I won't,' the fight has not left the silver wolf yet, he still tries to get away, tries to bite down on Harry too.

'Draco' Harry warns, spilling the blood of the other wolf already. It has a metallic taste to it. It isn't a taste he particularly cares for, but the smell is still intoxicating. The essence of his mate.

'You are mine' he tries again as he realizes that the other wolfs defence is less and less violent.

'I belong to no one' the spark starts again, as Harry clearly has chosen the wrong words. But he cannot retreat now. This is too important. The silver wolf has to understand.

'You know you are mine. You belong to me, and you want to, like I belong to you' he states, watches the eyes of his mate, sees the inner conflict the wolf is having. He knows the man, the wolf like no one who is still alive, he can understand the inner commotion, but he can't help there, Draco has to relent, has to acknowledge their connection.

'Let me take care of you' he prods, hoping it would help.

'So that you can toss me away, like all the others. I am my own' the silver wolf suddenly snaps and with a sudden burst of force, manages to shift his body out from beneath Harry. Harry has to fight to not either loose his grip or kill him unintentionally with his bite.

But the stubborn git moves so much, that it is hopeless, and Harryh as to let go of him, and move away.

The silver fur around the neck is covered in blood and he can see, how the other wolf is fighting with his sense of sight. He notices that the blood loss makes it additionally difficult for Draco to hold a strong posture. Or as Harry just realizes he must have dislocated the front paw with his attack before, because it seems that Draco is not really able to shift his weight there. In such a state, he can't possible expect to win.

Not that Harry himself is not also injured, he can feel the blood in his own fur well enough but none of his senses or his paws are giving him any trouble. He is perfectly able to keep on fighting.

'I would never cast you away' he tries to stay calm at the site of his injured mate, the injuries he has cost.

Why would Draco not see? He has tried so hard in the last months to make him understand. And sometimes he feels Draco yearning for his company, that the blond is happy that Harry is there with him.

'Yeah, you would only exchange me with a stronger one, when some come along. I have lived with the pack and I read books written by werewolves - I know how they live, and I choose not to live that way' the growl is furious, but also the wolf detects the sense of hopelessness.

'If you are going to compare me with Greyback we have a whole new set of troubles' he growls and attacks the wolf again, pushes him easily into the ground.

The yowl that escapes Draco is full of pain and anger.

'Relent' the wolf asks again, 'don't make me force you anymore' he roars.

The silver wolf lies still beneath his big black paws, not moving, barely breathing. The seconds run by and Harry gets agitated again, but he strives for patience. Really, Draco can't take anymore without being in serious danger, without getting hurt with some consequences.

'I relent.'

'Say it right' he grunts, pushing his paw ever so slightly, making Draco yelp again.

'I relent... alpha,' comes the defeated answer, as the body goes limp and the striking eyes close in humiliation.

Harry doesn't care about it, he shifts his body and starts to lick the deep wound, starts to clean the fur. He hates to note, that Remus was right: this was a victory, but its taste was bitter-sweet.

Still, the wolf is happy, not only has there been a good fight, but his mate is also really strong and could hold himself in a fight. The wolf is aware that both their bodies would be aching tomorrow, but that is also of little consequences to the wolf, as he lies beside his mate, heals the wounds he inflicted and purrs softly.

---

Yes, it had been such a night to remember. Still, the bitter-sweet taste of the blood lingers in his memory. Harry has never been more at odds with the wolf then in these moments. It had been horrible to watch how hard Draco tried to stand for himself, after all that had happened to him, and to know that he had to take it away, just to make him his, to make him as happy as he deserves to be.

Sometimes even now he wondered if his decision had been right. If maybe Remus had spoken the truth and that not all wolves were born to live in a pack.

He saw how Draco's body shifted in his sleep, how his mate seemed to search for his presence, even while touching him. He obliged Draco, moved closer and let a soft purr escape his throat.

No, he might wonder about his decision, but he never really doubted it. Draco belonged to him, and he was to take care of him. This was how it should be. And he too clearly remembered the first time Draco understood, that Harry was not about to leave in a hurry.

---

Harry steps out of the bedroom onto the balcony. Draco has already left for the day, As only members of his and Remus' packs know Draco is a wolf too, the blond is still able to hold a decent job and go into society like most others without any troubles beyond the Death Eater remarks. It makes Harry sigh when he hears about it from his friends, the wolves he sends to follow his mate, just to keep him safe of course, or reads it in the papers. How can wizards who live this long hold such deep grudges? It makes no sense to Harry.

He can see the small huts of his inner pack, who have actually chosen to live with them on the grounds, while the larger pack lives beyond the borders, but within the extended wards. He knows Draco doesn't like it. The Malfoy ancestors make their opinions about werewolves in Malfoy Manor very much known, and the portrait of Draco's parents still is empty. Draco had told him one lonely thundering night, that his parents had awoken, but stepped away, hiding. The blond thinks it's because he is now a wolf, but Harry somehow believes it's because of what they had done and what they had let happen to their son. However Draco allowes no argument, and Harry is out of any argument to give.

He stretches in the sunlight, it will be yet another warm summer day, and the wolf likes these days. He will dress and venture out to his pack, have a breakfast with them. Some of his pack members are still humans bound or married to werewolves and refusing to let them go, or the children of wolves, but most of them are wolves. His pack was rather big, but he was a strong alpha, and he had a strong mate, who will have his back. Draco has proven himself more than once to Harry and the pack. He might not like to be a werewolf himself, but he took care of the pack and their moral. When he found some of the new members of the pack, like their healer, the good teacher and as one of the women was with child, Draco went and searched for a werewolf with knowledge of midwifery. Harry sees that this is Draco's way of caring for the pack. As little as he interacts with most of them, and even though he doesn't let them near the house at the nights of the full moon and barely invites them any other time, still he would go and provide the things they need, without them asking for it.

Also and that is because his mate is a very talented man, Wolfsbane potion is never amiss, and really helps all the less fortunate of the werewolves who couldn't stay in control of themselves.

"I can't decide if I should call you lazy or energetic standing on the balcony stark naked at this hour." The condescending voice reaches him, before the interesting fragrance does.

"I'm very energetic this morning. I've already decided how to spend my day, while you were gone, but now that you are here, I think that my plans may change," he smiles and turns around, leans against the balustrade with his back this time.

The wolf had trained him into running around naked in the house. He had asked Remus about this once, only to have the older wolf laugh at him, before he answered: "Yes, clothes make the wolf itchy. I think it's because of the smells that stick so easily to them, against the smells of the fur and the skin." Knowing that he isn't the only one, Harry easily accepted that his wolf felt more comfortable this way.

Draco never gives in, the only concession he makes for his wolf is, that on days he doesn't leave the house he only wears loose pair of silk trousers and a soft silk shirt. It gets Harry randy every time he sees it. However he only had torn the clothes apart once, it was a week he wouldn't ever forget, because his mate isn't someone who forgives easily either.

"I'm not here to amuse you, just because you are bored. My case got rescheduled, I think Granger..."

"Weasley, when you refuse to call her by her given name, at least use the right surname!" he injects with a low snarl.

"...well, she has something to do with it, I'm sure. However if she gets the amendment added to the codex before a decision can be made, that is only good for my client," Draco goes on without the hint of being disturbed by what Harry said.

"The Veela case? Or the Dragon case?" Harry asks, because these are the only two cases he can think of, where Hermione, as the Head of the Department of Magical Creature regulations can interfere with Draco's work.

"The Dragon case," his mate states and loosens his tie. "I also sent word for Severus to help with the sick children. He isn't a healer, but he knows enough and has dealt with enough sick children in their pack. I can't stand the smell of sickness any longer," he growls and turns away to go back into the room.

Harry smiles at the last comment, he knows some of the children of his pack are sick because the parents have told him so, but the smell of sick children definitely doesn't travel so far, not to mention all the special wards Draco had put around the house or the house elves, who would never let anything smell bad inside the manor.

But this is the way of his mate, and he sure as hell won't speak a word against it. It would be a felief for the whole pack, when the sick children are back on their feet, and Severus is a welcome guest in his pack. Maybe Remus would join him, it had been quite some time, since he saw both them.

"So you have an unexpected day off now? What are you going to do?" he asks as he enters the room after Draco.

Draco starts to open the buttons on his button down and makes a thinking noise: "I really need to do some brewing, and maybe I can finally do something else then reading codices and legal- texts. I have quite a reading list already, and I am behind on the reading of potions monthly too," he states and Harry looses a growl at that.

You can't go and hide in your study because you have to work and then stay in your study when you don't have to work too! That is unfair," he exclaims. He really, really has learned to accept that Ron isn't the only one married to a bookwormish workaholic, but sometimes, like in this moments, when all Draco thinks about is how he has time for even more studies, it drives him up the wall.

"Well" Draco says in a quiet voice. "I also could change into my dark blue silk trousers and shirt, go down to the grounds, and soak up some sun, beneath a parasol of course. And maybe I would get some company, and we could do some talking and stuff, you know, what people might do under the sun, in the grass, alone at home, when they are supposed to be at work," Draco teases, and Harry has to gulp loudly.

The dark blue silk is usually reserved for times when he has pissed Draco off royally and the blond wants to punish him. It drives him mad, because due to its colour it not only highlights Draco's fine skin colour, but it also shows off the body it hides. It is torture, and the wolf is seldom amused with such treatment.

However when offered the opportunity for "stuff that people like to do under the sun" his excitement is hard to control. "You could also forgo the dressing and join me on the balcony enjoying the late morning?" he asks in a hoarse voice.

"And where would be the fun in that?" Draco rolls his eyes, as if it has to be obvious what he wants.

The problem is that Harry rarely finds anything Draco does obvious. Most of the time it's hidden beneath piles and piles of subtext and Harry has to navigate a minefield to understand his mate. It is that that makes Draco so fascinating for Harry and even more so for the wolf. A grin appears on his lips: "Apparently not there, since fun can only be found on the grass, in the shade with dark blue silk that had been covering your body" Harry answers Draco's questions.

"Exactly where I thought it would be" his mate answers, making Harry's grin even broader. "So why you would suggest anything else, really is anyone's guess" Draco says and puts on the trousers and slides the silk shirt on. Harry has to wet his lips. His days certainly are a lot more interesting with his mate in them.

"Needing some extra invitation?" comes the annoyed voice from the door, a blond eyebrow arched, before his mate disappears.

Harry rolls his own eyes in amusement before he joins his mate on the way to the backyard.

"Are you walking around naked to piss my ancestors off, or to prove that you can?" Draco asks him suddenly and Harry feels rather surprised by the question. "I just wonder" the blond shrugs and opens the huge French doors. With a flick of his wand Draco sets up a big parasol next to the woods and then moves to sit beneath it.

Harry joins him and inhales in deeply the scent of the ground. It smells so alive. No human would ever understand how alive earth is, in scent, in feeling, in the damp of the night or in broad light of the day.

"I really don't want to piss of your ancestors, but it's been more than five years now, they can accept the fact that you are a werewolf, that you live with a werewolf" he answers the question asked.

"Malfoys don't accept things easily..."

"Yeah, I noticed."

"... but they learn to live with it, and even my ancestors have gotten better with the accepting of this situation. They don't condemn you and your foul creatures anymore," Draco states and sighed longingly, "such good times, sadly they are gone now. Can't believe that they grew tired of mocking you so fast," the blond lays back on the ground, closing his eyes.

Harry looks down at him, before he moves closer: "They stopped because you asked them to," he says, and sees how the lips of his mate twitch.

What was I thinking, I miss you being called every word in the book. I mean you must give my Great-Aunt some credit, no one would've ever guessed that she knew such words" Draco smiles softly and opens his eyes.

"Yeah, and it was fun looking some of them up too. Why did Binns never tell us about how imaginative the old language was." Harry grins and lays his head on Draco's chest, listening to the even heartbeat.

"Because all Binns wanted to talk about were Goblin- wars. Really how he taught History of Magic is a mystery, because all he really taught was history of goblins," Draco sighs and caresses Harry's hair.

"Well, you passed the NEWT didn't you. I mean in the end you learned enough to get an O" Harry said. He feels himself relax even more next to Draco half in the shade of the parasol and half in the sun.

"Please Harry, don't let us talk about those days," Draco states as he always does, never talking about what happened to him or his family during the war or the months after the trials and before Harry set out to meet him again.

"As you wish, but what do you wish to talk about. As I recall it was the first point on your list" Harry opens his eyes again, looking down in the silver ones of his mate.

"You know I just said that to have some sort of list? I am an advocate, I need to have more than one argument to make my case" Draco grins up at him.

"So you mean we don't need to talk?" Harry asks, hands gliding over the dark blue silk.

"Not if you don't have any pressing matters you want to discuss," Draco shifts, his hand wandering down Harry's spine.

Harry leans in and claims Draco's lips in a fierce kiss. He moves his body so that he buries Draco's beneath him and enjoys the feeling of skin and silk against his own skin. "Why is it the dark blue today" he inquires, as he kisses down Draco's throat, his hands opening the tiny buttons on the shirt.

"Why shouldn't it be the dark blue?" his mate asks back, hands all over Harry's body.

"Because you usually punish me for something with it, so it's odd to know I am actually allowed to touch you, when you are wearing it" Harry whispers in Draco's ear, lets his teeth caress the sensitive skin.

"I... I know I have this weird set of rules and... I am... actually aware... that I'm forcing you to do stuff you dislike, or making you obey my rules and try to get a rise out of you one way or the other." His mate's voice is very small and hesitant. "It's just, you are so strong, in everything, and I'm not, and some part of me always thinks that you will leave me behind for one mistake or another. It is actually easier to know why you'll leave me as to having to guess" Draco explains in a way that astonishes Harry with the twisted way his mate sees the world.

"What changed then?" Harry has to ask, because something has to have changed.

"I woke up this morning and you were still there, holding me in your arms, not even twitching as I slid out from underneath you, but still I could feel you were aware that I was leaving, like I did for the best of so many nights it was difficult to remember a time without you in my bed, in my home... in my life" Draco explains and sits up, moving Harry with him. "The Veela-case? I think I learned something from it, and I think I need to understand that not only am I your mate, but you are mine too", he whispers against Harry's lips.

Harry's heart beats so fast he can feel it hammering against his chest, but it was nothing compared to the reaction of his wolf. So long has he waited, being so patient with his mate, never forcing, never demanding, always waiting and watching. Harry can feel his body shaking, can see the fur shifting through his skin as the wolf demands to be with his mate, to be close to him.

He pushes Draco back on his back, and down in the grass to kiss him again harder, deeper than before. It feels like it had been ages since Harry and the wolf wanted the same thing, and only now Harry feels how frustrated and impatient the wolf had grown and still it had tried to never show it to his mate. He releases Draco to let him breathe.

The blond looks at him with huge eyes: "I've never seen you this way" Draco whispers between each breath. "Your eyes are glowing, like on the nights of the full moon," he explains and at the same time his fingers caress the dark fur he has spotted over his chest, his underarms.

"You made us wait" Harry's voice is deeper than usual, but still so very soft, because his mate finally has accepted him.

"I did," Draco nods, not offering any apology and somehow it isn't needed. "But now you have me and I got you." His mate smiles in his own soft and yet wicked way, before Harry is dragged closer, only to feel another kiss.

---

The wolf remembered this moment, like few others. It was a moment that had touched his heart, deeply. It was the moment his mate became a true part of his pack.

This had been the moment, he had become the true mate. But also this moment had made it possible for Harry and his wolf to accept each other, because it was their combined effort, that had proven themselves to his mate. Harry closes his eyes. He could never forget the moment his life changed once more, and everything was upside down again. When everything he had planned and wished for was lost to be never regained.

---

Harry looks around, sees Neville standing there, the sword of Gryffindor in his hand. Everything is in an uproar, many of the Death Eaters are fleeing, since Voldemort himself is no more. He can see Draco Malfoy out of the corners of his eyes, standing there, not moving, seemingly not knowing how to get on. He sees Remus not far away, Severus at his side. Good, the potions master would survive then. Somehow that was a relief.

Harry is so tired, he feels like he doesn't know how to move anymore. In the end it has to be his carelessness, that makes him not notice the other man. The first thing Harry notices is the scream he lets loose. Then there is the pain that roars through his body. Nothing, not even dying just hours before had felt this way. It hurts so much, like fire burning through each cell he has. The tears are streaming down his face. In his mind he begs for the pain to end, because he can't take it any longer, it is too painful, it is going to kill him. But then as the fangs leave him, he feels a sudden spike of loneliness, a feeling of dread, like his life would be over, if he can't have this closeness again. Why is he left alone? Why is there no one who will take care of him?

He wails at the emptiness that so suddenly overcomes him, before his voice is lost and he collapses in the dirt, not able to see beyond the mud beneath his hands.

"I've got you. Don't worry, I'm gonna take care of you, pup" Remus strong voice s suddenly there and Harry feels himself letting go. Remus has got him now.

The next time he awakes not only in a unfamiliar place but also to an unexpected face.

"So you have woken up" the deep voice says, somehow managing to not betray a single emotion.

"What happened? Where am I? Where is Remus?" he asks seemingly uninterested that he woke up to the face of Severus Snape.

"You were bitten by Nicolai Volkov the alpha of the Siberian pack," Severus said his voice not changing. "You are in my home, because some members of the Wizengamot are out for your blood now. And Remus is at the moment working with other members of the order to put the Wizengamot as it is at the moment down," Snape answers his next question just like the first.

"I'm bitten" Harry suddenly realizes, his voice pitching high. He was no longer a wizard. They would go and break his wand.

"Yes you are for all intents and purposes a werewolf, but Potter," Snape starts before he sighs, "there are so many things you need to be told, but I'm not sure that I should be the person to tell you," his former Professor sighs again.

---

Harry clearly remembered that moment, because it was the first time he smelled an emotion and he was also sure that he would never forget how many emotions Severus Snape's scent had betrayed. Due to that he also learned to never be intimidated by his former Professor again. A small snort escaped his lips, making Draco's fingers flinch. At least in this both Draco and Harry always find ample source for harmless jokes, because Snape was neither able to hide his desire nor any other emotion, when it came to Remus Lupin.

A small cloud wandered across the face of the moon, drawing his attention away from his mate, to the dark doors of the huge closet. The smell coming form was the very reason he couldn't sleep. It was a smell that had come out of there once before.

It had been such a strong and magical moment in his life. A memory so powerful it had changed his patronus. Not that he as a wolf had such a great need for his patronus as he did as a teenager, but it was a fast way to communicate with friends who live far away.

---

A deep groan escapes Harry as he is able to hear his mate complain about one thing or the other just as he enters the Manor. For a little over the last two months now his mate has been in quite a state. To call it unpleasant is such an understatement. If Harry is honest with himself it is pure torture living with Draco now. Even back in the days as Draco refused to be his mate had been pure blessing in comparison to the mood swings Draco has now. It is like from one second to the other nothing is right anymore.

The elves have to bear most of it, and sometimes they seem just as puzzled about what is going on, as Harry himself is. His pack refrains of coming anywhere near the Manor and most of them only dare to speak to Harry when Draco isn't around anymore. It makes his wolf cringe. He can't decide between his mate and his pack, this was the reason why he had enjoyed Draco getting along so fine with most of the others, but seems that those days are gone now.

He sighs heavily again before he steps on the stairs and goes up to the master bedroom, since he can clearly hear Draco's voice coming from there. As he reaches the door he sees Ditty standing before the big, dark door into Draco's walk- in- closet.

"Master Harry must talk to Master Draco, must make him see reason and understand. Ditty has not been allowed in the closet for weeks now. Ditty is knowing something is wrong in the closet. Ditty is wanting to clean for Master Draco to have nice, clean cloths but Master Draco is not allowing Ditty to, so Master Harry has to tell him," the elf cries, wringing her ears in a way it must pain her.

"I will talk to him, but for the moment why don't you go and fix us some tea Ditty?" he asks as calm as he can, given her anxious state. As the elf is clearly not going before she sees, that he is trying to talk to Draco he steps up to the door and knocks softly against it: "Draco? May I come in?" he asks. Really it is a stupid question, as clearly he isn't allowed to. Now that Harry thinks about it, he notices that he hadn't seen the closet door open in weeks now too.

"No, Potter you may not" Harry hears the low growl and the warning here. Somehow he also hears a hint of fear.

"Draco, what is going on?" he asks again, he will not take any nonsense if the life of his mate is in danger.

"Go. Away. Far away!" Draco shouts back, and Harry feels his wolf getting itchy just like he himself is getting a hint of uneasiness.

"At least tell me why I should go away" he demands. He knows he can force his way in, but he doesn't want to do that. Draco's and his relationship work best, when the work together, not him going all alpha on his mate. He had learned that the hard way through the years, the many mistakes and bitter hours.

"Because I really can't take your happiness right now... nothing is for certain... you aren't to know yet" Draco's voice sounds thin and somehow helpless.

Harry's happiness? He really was not particularly happy about his mate hiding in his closet. "What am I not to know? Draco I'm really getting worried here?" he speaks softly against the door, leaning his ears against the room, trying to focus his senses just to get a clue what is happening.

He smells dry blood, some kind of reed deer, it must be the kill from the moon night nine days ago. But there is more, there was some kind of strong magic. Something is off. He heard of dark rituals that werewolves used to do, but surely- surely Draco wouldn't.

"Let me in" he says again, more forcefully but also with a begging edge. "It's... really... you shouldn't" Draco's voice grew faint. More than a few moments of silence passes before Harry hears the click of the unlocking from the door.

In an instant he opens the door and enters. However nothing has prepared him for what he sees there: Draco, naked, covered in the skins- for it is multiple- of deer, and fur and also he looks worn, worried, exhausted.

"What?" he tries to ask but has no words. Slowly, Draco lowers his hand, removes the animal skin and Harry sees what Draco was hiding. His belly is extended, and then he feels the magic falling away, and in the silence he can suddenly hear the tiny fluttering heartbeats. Two of them. He looks at Draco in pure amazement, before he rushes to his side, never noticing the shift he makes, as he cuddles close to his mate, growling deeply, caressing the belly with his tongue.

"I knew you would be way too happy for me to take it", Draco says and lies back. The wolf isn't fazed by his mates behaviour, it feels way too ecstatic about the fact, that he will have pups soon.

It takes Harry a few moments to catch on. Of course he knows about male pregnancies, which is a rather rare trait, and it demands a lot of magical power. Still, it happens often enough, that the midwives in his pack knew about it the first time it occurred to a pair of wizards in another pack.

But never had he imagined that he would be one of those fathers, that he would have a pup. Pups, because there were two heartbeats, two children growing in his mate.

"Draco", he looks up at his beloved, his eyes glowing. He still is more wolf than human but the amazement feels real to both of his sides.

"Don't" Draco snarls. "It's hard enough as it is. I can't stand the smell of the house anymore, I can't stand my own bed, every night it's like fighting a hopeless battle just to lay there so I'm not able to take your bloody exuberance," the blond starts to rant, all the same caressing his growing stomach. "Did you at least see Healer Deacon?" Harry dares to ask, because really with Draco one can't be sure enough.

"Everything is fine, they are fine, we are fine. It's just my wolf acting up, but Deacon said that was to be expected, and that I should give in to the wolf at this stage, because he is trying to protect his pups just like I am. And when I did... well, it's called a hide, and you better learn to live with it, because I sure as hell am not going to sleep on the bed in the next few months," his mate suddenly snaps, stretching out more on the animal skin, relaxing in a way, that was new to Harry.

Draco trusts him, in ways where words would not reach. "How far along are you?" he asks softly, caressing the showing bulge with his hand.

"About nine weeks", Draco says, biting his lips. "You are aware that for werewolves the shaky part is not over yet", Draco whispers, catching Harry's hand and holding it warmly.

"It'll be fine, you'll see," Harry states, still grinning in a way that makes his mate roll his eyes once more. "Love you" Harry whispers, before he moves even closer to his mate, and covers both of them with the skin and furs. It is odd to the man, but the wolf likes the feeling of the skins on his skins instantly, and Harry would do anything for his mate, anything at all.

on to part two