The Lambs

9. Complications

December 19th 1998

Since Fenrir had his mate firmly within his grasp he no longer had a reason to attack Hogwarts or to order his pack to capture or kill as many Elementals as they could get their hands on. They were no longer needed as leverage; he already had his mate. From the moment King James has declared Harry off limits the rest of the Elementals had tried hard to avoid that patch of the forest in case they stumbled across him. They were all well aware that the other wolves would attack them, and they were sure that Harry would attack them too, if provoked. Nobody wanted to be the one to kill the Prince, even in self-defence. The Queen's wrath wouldn't be worth even their own lives.

Now that didn't mean that there weren't Lambs out there who still enjoyed hunting down and killing wolves, but they were careful to capture rouges. There were more packs than Fenrir's, though his was the largest and the deadliest. Fenrir had around thirty-five wolves in his pack. The other packs only consisted of five or six each, and even then it was generally a mated couple and their children, or parents. Many of the Lambs rather enjoyed hunting down those packs and killing them all. They were after all vicious murders: the packs or the Lambs, for both killed mercilessly.

Fenrir tried to keep from Harry the fact that over the past month there had been more and more sightings of Elementals around their particular clearing. Nobody knew why, and none of the Elementals had been captured alive, so they couldn't be questioned. As one was dying, he had gargled the name "Peter" but Fenrir didn't associate the name with anything of relevance and so he attempted to push it from his mind. His only concern was protecting his mate.

A mate who was, perhaps, in a very delicate condition.

Fenrir watched Harry sleep. The boy was covered, head to toe, by the furs he slept on and beneath. His mop of hair barely peaked over the top of the animal skin, and his legs were tucked to his chest. Fenrir grinned, his teeth poking out over his bottom lip, his hand reaching forward to rest above where Harry's stomach would be. Tonight he would know for sure. He fought hard to remain nonchalant as if the definite answer to his guesses wasn't important to him. But it was. He badly wanted what he thought was being offered to him now, and if, to find out he had guessed incorrectly, then he would be horridly disappointed and no doubt angry.

He wasn't sure of Harry's reaction, so he didn't mention anything to his mate. The boy would find out tonight, with the others.

"Morning," Harry said. He peeked over the corner of the furs, smiling shyly at Fenrir, before rubbing his eyes with a fist.

"Good afternoon, actually." Fenrir's smirk widened as Harry's beautiful green eyes widened. "Hmm," he said, "yes, afternoon. You slept almost the whole day away."

"But I'm awake in time for the full moon, so you have nothing to complain about," Harry said snarkily, pushing Fenrir off of him so he could roll from the make-shift bed. The elder wolf grabbed the boy, and, carefully, mind you, pulled him back down onto the furs. He lay on top of Harry, pinning the smaller man to the ground, and wiggled his hips lightly. Harry let out a groan, and Fenrir chuckled.

"Is that any way to speak to your Alpha?" Fenrir teased.

Harry's fingers tangled into the silver hair and he tugged Fenrir's face down. "Hurry up and kiss me, before I find someone else willing." The elder wolf let out a growl of jealousy before he crushed his lips to Harry's. He settled between the spread legs, still ravishing the boy's mouth, and neither left their tent until the early evening.

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December 19th 1998

Godric's Hallow was already decorated for Christmas. There was a large tree in every room of the castle, and streamers and shiny paper banners hung from the walls and ceilings. Mistletoe swayed gently in the breeze, above the doors, every time a door was opened. Many an Elemental had been stopped as they walked through the castle by giggles of 'kiss, kiss' should they have been unlucky enough to pass through the doorway with someone else.