Shifted

Turning Tides

Hermione was grateful when she awoke hours later, still in Draco's arms, that he was willing to untangle themselves and not ask any questions.

At the moment, she simply needed to pretend like nothing had happened. Guilt no longer washed over her, nor was she embarrassed over what had happened. She needed more time to understand why that was.

When her haze came two days later, Draco left her alone except to coax food and water into her system. She didn't refuse this time.

Her haze was almost pleasant, the way in which she was allowed to just sit and feel nothing. She wasn't trapped or caged at all. Felt at peace as the moon grew and called to her. Looked forward to it, as much as she could.

The morning after the full moon, she awoke to the now familiar aches and pains of post transformation existence. It was dreadful, as it always had been but there was something new to it. An almost euphoric state of mind still lingered at the back of her mind, like the feeling after a free fall. Like she'd just disembarked off a roller coaster and her legs were still jelly beneath her and her blood thrummed through her veins.

Like the soreness after a good fuck. She'd enjoyed her time under the full moon.

She did not know what to make of that. Tucked away that information to ponder when she was more in control of her inhibitions.

Draco was still much himself when she returned to the cabin. She sat on the porch steps in her tattered clothes, leant back on her arms with her eyes closed and let Draco preen over her. Basked in the feel of his magic closing up her wounds, healing her bruises and broken bones. Did not flinch when his tongue licked at her glands.

"That's nice," she said instead, tilting her chin for a better angle.

"What is this instinct?" He didn't sound mad just... curious. Confused, even as he kept going.

"A mating one. You've got them too." Her hands came up to massage the glands at his neck and he nearly collapsed.

She laughed. "One day, supposedly, most likely after the full moon, we'll fuck and there will be this insatiable urge to bite each other right around here—" she pinched at the gland and Draco moaned. "And if we give into it, we'll be bound for life."

"If?"

She cleared her throat. Dropped her eyes. "Hypothetically speaking, of course."

Draco nodded. "Naturally."

He pulled her to her feet then, escorting her to the bedroom and turning on the shower.

When she came out, hair still dripping onto her shoulders and back, Draco handed her a sandwich and cup of water.

"It was grossly irresponsible of me to not have been better prepared last time. You probably wouldn't have gotten so sick if I took better care of you earlier."

In her chest her heart pounded a staccato rhythm. The quivering in her hands as she reached out for the food was obvious, but Draco said nothing.

"You've been reading that book, haven't you?" She took a bite. Felt the pounding in her head that was always present post transformation recede a bit.

"There's a lot of helpful information in there. Advice on what a mate should be providing. You're..." he cleared his throat. "It described post transformation as being a time of excessive... mating."

Hermione nearly choked on her sandwich. "An offering to the moon. That's what she'd said, right?"

Draco nodded, a longer piece of hair falling into his eyes. Her fingers twitched. "But you don't seem to be..." his hands waved awkwardly.