The Heart of Night

Heart of the Night

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Meet Your Kind

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1 Moon, 1 Fortnight

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"I don't remember asking you to come with me," snapped Severus. He was walking over the Hogwarts grounds, a basket in his hand. Of course, he would have wanted to say so much more, but he hardly could do that. Demanding to know who had given the other werewolf the permission to follow him would have been pointless; his alpha needed no permission, and, much to his chagrin, Severus knew that as well.

"Well, that's good," Remus said cheerily. "I don't remember you asking me, either, and I'd hate to think that my mind has got that fuzzy already. But if neither of us remembers that, it probably didn't happen."

"Lame, Remus, lame," snorted Severus, hastening his steps. The other werewolf quickened his pace as well with no difficulty. Of course. They were almost exactly equals in any physical aspects -- well, as much as he hated to admit it, Severus was still a bit weaker -- and there was no use trying to leave the other behind.

"You shouldn't be in such haste," said Remus, frowning slightly, as he again reached Severus's side. "You know what Poppy said, you're still too weak to exhaust yourself. Look, I know you don't like being thought weak, but nobody can blame you if you want to stay in the castle. Albus could --"

"Sent for the ingredients I need," finished Severus curtly. "Second-level ingredients, that is. Poor quality, at least when compared with the ones I can gather myself. I'm not going to collapse in the middle of the Forbidden Forest. And even if I do, you can always carry me back, I'm sure," he added sarcastically.

His stab was ignored, however. "If need be, I will," the other werewolf said calmly, nodding a bit. Then he sniffed the air as they finally entered the Forbidden Forest. "Nothing around here," he said. "Although I don't think it would really matter anyway. Not many creatures dare to come near... well, us," he finished awkwardly after a moment of hesitation. It was clear, however, that he hadn't originally meant to say that.

"Near werewolves, you mean," Severus said dryly. "I know. Very rarely anything has come near me even before -- they seem to avoid the bearers of the Dark Mark as well."

"Oh." The other werewolf's pale cheeks flushed a little. "Then we certainly don't have anything to fear around here, now do we?" While saying this, he glanced around, his expression still wary.

"Hardly," muttered Severus. "Come on, if you're so firmly set to follow me, you'd better hurry up. I need to collect the ingredients now, when it's the new moon. Not only are some of them most powerful when collected under the lightless moon, but I also want as little of the wolf in my mind as possible."

Not saying another word, Remus just nodded, then simply followed him to the depths of the forest. To his great delight Severus noticed that he could now easily keep up a pace much faster than the one he usually sported. So there was at least something good in his new abilities, then.

For quite some time they collected the ingredients Severus needed for his potions. The Potions Master moved quickly from one place to another, knowing where every herb and flower grew strongest and most powerful, and Remus helped him gather the plants. By the time the sun started its way down from its peak, they were deep in the Forbidden Forest, well beyond the boundaries of the school and even their territory.

Suddenly, however, both felt something approaching. This confused them for a moment -- during all that time, they hadn't seen one creature coming near them even in the darkest corners of the forest. Then, however, Remus's amber eyes lit up with a wild light.

"The pack of the Forbidden Forest," he realized. "We're coming to their territory."

Severus nodded slowly, eyeing around with his own, now equally amber eyes. "They're nearing us," he then said, his voice nearly a hiss. "Most probably to see who's coming to their area."

Remus nodded. He was a bit wary, he couldn't deny that. Sure, he had met this pack before, ran with it under the full moon, even. But back then, they had been his pack, he had been one of them. Now he and his pack -- his beta, Severus -- were there as intruders, facing the Forest's pack as offenders. Of course, they held no ill will, and it being the new moon, there was no chance that any of the werewolves would snap out of control, like could have happened if they had been in their wolf forms under the full moon. However, he had a feeling that the meeting would be awkward at best. And on top of that, he feared what Severus might do. The Potions Master was much more aggressive than Remus himself, there was no telling of him.

After a moment, several figures emerged from the shadows of the ancient trees. An amber pair of eyes after another eyed the two Hogwarts Professors, who were looking back with equally flashing eyes. It was only because of the strong self-control from Severus's side and the uncertainty on the other werewolves' that nobody started to growl at their opponents. Like Remus noticed, the Forest's werewolves were mostly young, at least the ones they were seeing -- younger than those he'd known before. Then again, it had been very long since he had run with them; during his teaching, he had hardly left the castle during the full moons.

And then, the young ones stepped to side, making way for somebody coming up from behind them. From the woods yet another man stepped to their sight, this time one Remus knew. The man's hair was almost wholly grey, but his eyes were still bright with a wild light, and his steps were fast and steady. When they'd lastly met, he'd been the beta of the pack. Now, however, there was a feeling in him that screamed of an alpha, some kind of an inner strength that none of the other werewolves possessed.

"Logan Matson," Remus acknowledged, nodding his head for the tiniest bit in greeting. "We hold no ill will to your pack, and we wish to go along in peace."

The older werewolf, however, chuckled. "Why, such strange manners, my dear friend. Have we not run together under our cruel Mistress, and howled to her pale and painful light side by side? Then why do you talk as if we did not know the sight of each other's face?" He smiled at the younger alpha.

"Well, maybe my manners are strange by your mind," said Remus, now relaxing, "but your words are as big as ever. And need I remind you, my dear Logan, that we are now of different packs. I'm no more a favoured cub playing on your side, I am an alpha myself now."

"I do see that," replied Logan, paying no attention to the several younger werewolves following every word of their interaction. Then he added with a slight grin, "And even if you won me in a fair battle, you still wouldn't be any more than that much favoured cub to me, alpha of Hogwarts, playing on my side and chasing mice. Even though I should think your prey has got bigger by now. However," he then said, his amber gaze now flickering towards Severus, who returned it coolly, "who is this companion of yours?"

"He is Severus Snape, the Potions Master of Hogwarts, and my beta," replied Remus levelly. Then, with a sigh, he added, "He's not been a werewolf for more than one moon. And before you can ask, yes, it was I who Turned him." This brought him a sharp glance, one he returned determinedly.

"Well, as nice and interesting as all this is," Severus said coolly, finally fed up with being ignored in such a way, "I really don't think we have time for some idle chitchat right now. So, if either of you has an actual point, you'd better get into it, as I, for one, am not going to stand this much longer."

The young werewolves of the other pack looked scandalized. The alpha, Logan, however, merely laughed. "Fierce, isn't he? With an attitude like that, he's not going to stay just your beta for long," he said, winking at Remus. Then he turned towards Severus. "Well, I apologize to you for wasting your obviously precious time, Master of Potions," he said in his almost exaggeratedly old-fashioned manner. "It has, however, been truly a long time since I saw this little cub, though he is dear to me. So, forgive an old man's weakness and his hope to reunite with a friend who's become a stranger."

"Old?" Severus raised an eyebrow. "You haven't got past your sixty first winters and you're already calling yourself old? That's not much for a wizard, you know. And a wizard you are -- you reek of magic."

"You're right about my age, Master of Potions," the eldest of the men said, smiling, "although how you knew of it, I will never know. And a wizard, well, I guess I still am that, although it's been more winters than howls in the night since I lastly took pride on work of a wand. But for us, slaves of the great Lady Luna, time runs differently. We do not die sooner than any full human, like you surely know, but age reaches us faster. Even this dear cub here, hardly past the time of a child, carries the snow of his few winters on his temples." He nodded towards Remus as he said this. "Most don't feel that burden until in the age where humans do, some not even then. I, however, already do feel the age on my shoulders, although I do hope to have at least as many winters in front of me as I've left behind, and even more."

"Well, you must be old," Severus said dryly, "if you aren't really capable of even proper speech. I do understand the fascination of the times of old honour, but is it really such a crime to be easily understood?"

The young werewolves growled deep in their throat, ready to step forward in their alpha's defence. The alpha himself, however, just chuckled again. "A nasty one, you are, I can see," he said with a grin. "That's okay, I can bear that. It's not like I hadn't thrown my own fair share of stabs of tongue in my own time of youth and pride. The young of my pack, however," he added, nodding towards the now angry young men and women, none of us had yet spoken, "seem to have taken the insult upon themselves."

"That they're well allowed to do." The darkhaired fresh werewolf did not hesitate a moment. "And I will face any or all of them in a fair battle of wills. However," he added, raising his hand as the others started to move forward as one, "I do not think it is a fair battle for them all to come to me at once."

"Then I will be the first," said a tough-looking, yet clearly inexperienced man, most probably not past his twentieth birthday yet. "And after that, there'll be no need for others to step forward."

"That we will see soon, you young hothead." And with this and a deep growl, Severus allowed his eyes to glow with a golden light as he and the young werewolf startled to circle each other.

"Merlin, I do hope he doesn't lose," muttered Remus, too quietly for anybody but Logan to hear. "I don't think there is much of his pride left, especially since he lost the battle to me. If he now falls, he'll probably never rise again."

"Have no worry, young alpha," advised Logan gently. "I can see he has great power, and even greater control. Experience of years is maybe lacking from him, yes, but so it is from most of my people. If I'm not sorely mistaken, none of my young can win him alone. On this day, his pride shall not be broken."

And truly, it was so. After only a moment of circling, Severus's eyes flashed golden even stronger than before. The next second, the proud young werewolf of the Forbidden Forest's pack bowed his head, then stepped back. Immediately another one took his place, and the same circling began again.

The young still looked hopeful, the others giving teasing glances at the one of them who'd lost to a man Turned only one moon before, but the experienced eyes of Remus and Logan saw more. They saw that the young one had been tired after the battle. However, Severus didn't blink an eyelid in exhaustion, didn't show a single mark of weakness or tiring. Instead, his amber eyes glittered with something not completely unlike amusement, or even delight. He was obviously enjoying this.

"A strong fighter, this Master of Potions, young alpha of Hogwarts," muttered Logan quietly, again so with a voice so low that nobody but the two could hear the murmured conversation. "And, though he seems to fight his position, a good beta. He's no match to you," at this, he gave an approving glance to the younger werewolf, who smirked slightly in response, "but he is a fierce fighter, and a skilled one. The only thing he needs is some experience, and one day you find yourself lowered to be the beta."

"In fact I hope that," mumbled Remus in reply. "He considers his Lycanthropy an attack against his pride, and blames me for taking that pride away with my bite -- subconsciously, if not aloud, even though that's happened, too. If he were the alpha, he wouldn't have so many problems with being a werewolf."

"Why don't you take him as your mate, then?" the other alpha suggested casually. "That way, you would together form the alpha couple, with no need to fight for domination -- outside the bed, of course," he added then with a carefree laugh. Fortunately, that did not attract the attention of the young.

Remus turned towards the other werewolf, startled. "Just what did you say?" he demanded sharply.

"Aw, don't try to deny it, my dearest young Alpha," teased Logan. "You reek of attraction every time you set your eyes at him. It's a wonder he can avoid noticing it, such a skilled and watchful man he seems to be. Must be because he's too freshly Turned to serve Lady Luna to pick out the different scents."

"I do care for him, that much I admit," Remus sighed. "But I cannot mate with him if he doesn't accept it himself. And believe me, there's nothing he would rather avoid than being my mate."

"Or so you think, I guess," Logan said cheerfully. "You've never even tried, unless I'm mistaken, in which case I grieve. You always were so uncertain, Remus, my Little Golden Moon, always hesitating to take risks, and you still are, unless it is for those few precious ones you put your love and faith in. I think it's the time for you to try, if not succeed, since death might claim you suddenly, or the one in your liking, and then you'll never know whether you could have had a chance at happiness. For happy you would be," he added with a deep voice, even quieter than the one he'd used before. There was a soft glint in his amber eyes.

"Do you see something, Logan?" asked Remus sharply. "Something that I don't see, perhaps? Or is there something outside my knowledge that you've been let into?"

"I'm not a Seer, Little Golden Moon, not the way your beloved is," replied the older man calmly. "He might not be a Seer in the usual way, not one who sees what comes tomorrow and what shades the day after it. However, he does see and know things he has no business seeing or knowing, although he truly tries to hide his rare talent. Though I don't have his talent, nor do I See the coming days and trials of tomorrow, I still pick up a few things here and there, so to speak. He might not love you yet, and he might turn you down, should you approach him now. Give him some time, though, and maybe one day, your feelings will be returned. He's a tough one, set to love and care for nothing and nobody. Still, young alpha, I've seen that you have a talent too -- a talent for softening the hardest and coldest hearts and turning them towards you. I would not be surprised if you managed to make even the Cold Shadow feel warmth."

Remus couldn't help but laugh as he heard the werewolf's name for the Dark Lord, and his claim that Remus might make even him know love. "I do doubt that, though," he said. "And even Severus's change of mind is unimaginable -- once he's set to something, he won't budge an inch. I'll remember your words, though," he added then, "and think about them."

"You do that, Little Golden Moon, and you do wisely," the older alpha said, smiling. "Now, I do have a feeling that my young have felt very well enough humiliation for one day," he added cheerfully, glancing over to Severus and the young werewolves. None of the young ones was laughing or teasing some other anymore. They just stepped forward, one by one, to face the tall stranger in this battle of wills. And, one by one, they bowed their heads, and stepped back. Each one took less and less time from Severus, who still seemed to be enjoying himself immensely, a slight smirk playing in the corners of his lips.

"Have you fought enough already, whelps?" asked Logan cheerfully from the young members of his pack. As the young werewolves groaned in unison, avoiding his eyes, he smirked. "That will probably teach you not to fight every stranger who comes along. They might surprise you." At this, he nodded approvingly at Severus, who smirked in response.

"All this has been very amusing," the Potions Master said, "but I still have ingredients to gather, and if we do not return in time, the people in Hogwarts might start worrying. And we let the Headmaster get worried of us, he will not leave you in peace for a long time."

Now, the elder of the two alphas laughed. "Sounds like the Master of the Castle is still the same man as I once knew him for," he said. "Though you are right, Fierce Dark Flame, it will not do to worry him for nothing. Very well, then we shall part ways, although I do hope you will return one day. You still haven't even met my she, my dear cub," he added, sending a wink to Remus's direction.

"I don't know about Severus here, but I, for one, will return," replied the mild-mannered man with a warm smile. "Although I cannot promise when I will be able to do that. The school year will begin soon, and with the students around and the threat of War looming over us, nobody knows their fate of tomorrow."

Logan nodded. "Farewell, then, Little Golden Moon," he said then seriously, "and you, Fierce Dark Flame. I thank you both for this moment of friendship, as well as for making my young see some reason," he continued, ruffling the nearest young werewolf's hair, making her huff annoyedly. "You're in my liking, and I hope the same in return. Travel fearlessly on the land of my pack, just as I wish to be without fear on the grounds of your beloved castle. I wish you both Lady Luna's light in the dark times that are just about to befall us, and courage in your battle against the Cold Shadow. You're both fierce fighters, and I know you will serve faithfully the Master of the Castle. In that fight, I hope, you will succeed."

"I thank you, Wise Wheat Father," replied Remus with equal seriousness. "You and your pack are in my liking, and you're welcome to travel our lands without fear or frighten. I wish Lady Luna will light your ways through dark times as well as the good ones. We'll always welcome your company, in peace as well as in battle, since united we need to be to bring down the Cold Shadow and allow our Mistress shine her light."

With this, the two packs parted. Logan and his young disappeared back to the woods, while Severus collected his basket of ingredients, continuing his journey, accompanied by Remus.

"What was it with those names?" he asked while collecting some Vendairoot from the shade of an old oak tree that was seemingly suffering of some odd disease. "Little Golden Moon... I've never heard anybody calling you that, and yet it sounds almost, well, appropriate. Like it'd always been your name.

"It's a werewolf tradition," replied Remus, crouching down next to him to collect the best plants in the bush in front of them. "And Logan, if anyone, knows them all. Whatever Lycanthrope tradition, tale, or trait he doesn't know, it is not worth knowing. The basic is, at first you have an adjective describing the person. Then, there's the colour of the wolf's fur -- it's almost always the same as the original hair colour, and though hair may grey, the fur won't. And at last, there's another word describing the werewolf. It is not random, though, like is none of that name -- it's been instilled into every werewolf, and the others of our race can sense it, if they concentrate enough. They're commonly used during the full moon, when we are in our wolf forms, but in human forms, it's only used in some traditional greetings or by the tale-tellers, such as Logan. My name -- well, it's not that difficult. I'm physically small, because I was Turned as only a little child, and though I survived the battle that most don't -- rare people Turned before their twelfth birthday see their fifteenth one -- I never grew much. And as for the Moon -- well, as early Turned werewolves often are, I'm more sensitive to the pull of the Moon than most of our race."

"Sounds appropriate enough," Severus said, shrugging. "Although I do protest about the name he called me." With this, he sent a dirty glare to the alpha's direction. "What were you talking about, anyway? Oh, don't look so surprised," he said as Remus startled. "I'm not that stupid, nor was I too concentrated on those children who wanted to be warriors. I did see you having a conversation, what it was, I don't know."

"Oh, it was nothing important," Remus said, trying to hide his nervousness behind a smile. "Just the usual stuff you can expect from Gryffindors, you know -- friendship, love. That kind of things."

Severus merely huffed, seemingly not believing him. To Remus's great relief, however, he did not demand any more answers, concentrating on gathering the ingredients instead.

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