Chapter Two

Friday 30 July 1998

Harry

'Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, come to die... Harry Potter is dead!'

I jolt awake, breaths coming out in pants. Just a dream, just a dream, just a dream.

Because, the beginning of summer marking the first time ever, it was just a dream. Not a vision, not a glimpse into Voldemort's mind. Just a memory. But it's over now.

I've been staying with the Weasley's since the Battle. I didn't want to impose, but they insisted. It's only for the summer, anyway, as I'm going back to Hogwarts to finish my NEWTs. Kingsley told me I didn't have to, that after the war I could become an Auror straight away. I obviously have the skill and character. But I don't want preferential treatment, I don't want to be a celebrity, I don't want to be praised for what I did. It's not something to celebrate. It's something to mourn.

I shake my head and decide I need some fresh air. I sneak out of Ron's room as quietly as I can so as to not wake him up. On my way out, I catch a glimpse of the time. Almost midnight. Almost my birthday, I suppose that means. This time last year it would have been a couple of hours until Scrimgeour would deliver Dumbledore's will. A day until Bill and Fleur's wedding, after which Ron, Hermione, and I would officially be on the run. Mere months until dozens, hundreds of people would die for me.

I shake my head to clear it again. If I dwell on it too much, I'm back there.

I don't want to be dead again.

I head out of the cottage and towards the woods behind it, where I sit against a tree and try to calm my breathing. I've come out here frequently over the past month. Sometimes I just need to be by myself, surrounded only by trees and silence. Where there's nothing to remind me of just how many people died because I couldn't save them in time.

I take a deep breath, allowing the cool, forest air to enter my lungs, and finally relax.

And then the pain comes.

I've felt pain before, more times than I would like to remember, but this is unlike anything else I have ever felt. It feels like every inch of my skin is splitting open, all my bones are breaking in every place and then being fused back together just so they can break again. It feels like all the air in the world has been compressed into the 10 centimetre cubed radius around my head, putting so much pressure on it I feel close to imploding.

It hurts so much I find myself begging whatever god there might be to let me pass out, to let me die even. I just don't want to feel this anymore.

Eventually, after what seems like an eternity, my head clears up and the pain begins to ebb away until I'm left with a strange feeling. Almost like when you know you're not alone. Plus the fact I feel like I've gone through some kind of exponential growth-spurt, and my body feels heavier...

Hello?

The voice sounds like it's simultaneously far away and very close. I whirl around, looking for its source.

"Who's there?" The voice chuckles.

I'm your wolf, idiot. I'm in your head.

"My wolf? What do you mean in my head?"

You don't know?

"Obviously I don't know! Could you just explain to me who you are, what you mean by my wolf, and why you just told me you were in my head?"

I can't believe no one's told you... We're a werewolf.

What... what?

You're seriously not fucking with me?

"No, I'm not fucking with you! Just... who are you, and what the fuck is going on?"

Okay, well, my name is Eli. I'm your wolf, you're my human. We share a body. If you want you can give me control of it, and we'll turn into a wolf, but the majority of the time that's up to you. I'll only force my way out if we or our mate is about to be hurt...

"Mate?" I'm drawn to the word, which is weird. I've heard it all my life, been called it and called others it, but now it feels different. Heavier.

I'll get to that. You don't need to talk out loud, by the way, I can hear your thoughts. Anyway, I've always existed, kind of, but you just went through your inheritance; that's what all that pain was. It changed our body and gave me the strength to become more than a presence. Does that make sense? I'm kind of shit at this...

No, I think I get it... Keep talking. But I thought werewolves were like Lupin. (In this universe, neither Remus nor Sirius are dead, please and thank you.) He doesn't have someone living in his head, and he was bitten. I don't remember being bitten.

There are different kinds of wolves, bitten and inherited. We're the latter. We're slightly different; we can change on command, we have mates, we tend to live in packs, which is why I was surprised you didn't know.

What do you mean?

A werewolf pack is basically the same as a wild wolf pack. There's an alpha, beta etc. It's the same sort of dynamic, but less brutal, I guess. More of a human family dynamic. How come you don't have one?

I don't know. I didn't even know my parents were werewolves, or my dad, I guess. My mum was a muggle-born, so she wasn't, right?

She must have been a bitten wolf. The gene is recessive, so both parents must have wolf genes to have a wolf kid, but the bite changes the DNA, so bitten wolves can have inherited wolf kids, and it can skip generations. They still have mates, too, and typically wind up in packs due to this. Which is why its weird that you don't have a pack, unless your dad didn't have one either, but that's pretty unlikely.

Okay, so what exactly is a mate? I feel your emotions change, and it's a weird experience. I can tell they're yours, but in response, mine try to change too. And I feel happier than I've felt in a long time.

Our mate is someone who was made specifically for us, as we were for them. They are our other half, designed to perfectly compliment us in every way. As a dominant, it is our job to protect them with our lives, to make sure they and our pups will be safe forever. They're ours.

Ours. I like the sound of that. Will they be like us? Another werewolf?

Not necessarily. Not likely, to be honest. Most creatures can be mated to any other creature, and wolves are one of the few who can be mated to regular wizards and witches as well.

But if they could be anyone, how will we know who they are?

Do you feel that sense of longing? That sense of missing something, of emptiness?

I hadn't noticed until you pointed it out, but I do. The more I focus on it, the more it starts to burn.

Yeah, it'll do that. It'll hurt more every day, until we find our mate. Then, once we make eye contact, the pain will stop. Unless they reject us.

Reject us? I almost don't want to know, but what will happen if they reject us?

Well, nothing's certain. It depends on your strength of character, and it's better for dominants than submissives, but the likelihood is we'll become so depressed we'll kill ourselves.

Right. I gulp. Okay. Like that's not terrifying.

I know, but as I said, they were made for us. They won't reject us. They can't.

Okay. I feel you getting sad, more than sad, at the thought of being rejected. So what's this whole dominant and submissive thing?

Well, a dominant looks out for their mate and pups, protects them, provides for them. It's our job to make sure our mate and pups are happy and safe. And the submissive carries the pups, as well as makes sure the dominant is relaxed, calm and happy.

And you keep saying pups. You mean...

Children, yes.

Ah, okay. Right, I think I get it.

The thing is, I'm assuming you haven't been trained?

Trained?

Right. What you're used to is very different from wolf society. We have a different way of... handling things. You were meant to learn both submissive and dominant actions, stances and such, before your inheritance, as well as the pack dynamics. Otherwise, you could come off as offensive or pick fights accidentally, or something. But you haven't, so...

What can we do?

I... I don't know. Do you know any wolves? You mentioned one, right?

Yeah, Lupin. He was one of my dad's best friend, he taught at my school in my third year.

Can you contact him?

I can send a letter with Bernie, my owl. After... after Hedwig, Ron and Hermione got me a new one. They made it clear they knew he could never replace Hedwig, but they thought I should have one, in case I needed to contact someone.

Harry?

Yeah?

You can't reject them. Our mate, I mean.

Why would I do that? I would never do that!

Whoever they are, you can't reject them. Whoever you think they are, you can't. They were made for us, Harry. You can't reject them, no matter who they are. Promise me?

I promise. Of course.

Okay. I believe you. Now let's go write to this Lupin guy.

1623 words

Hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you thought in the comments. I know this is a bit info-dumpy, but the plot will start picking up over the next couple of chapters. Next chapter will be up next week!