Becoming Beta

Chapter 27

A/N: Beta love to brownlark42! She's like the first day in the fall you can turn off your air conditioner and open your windows again.

Please note that there is a Death Eater Revel in this chapter. It's bad, dark, triggery, etc. If that will upset you, please skip over it.

I make a manip for every chapter, you can find them on my tumbler at crochetawayhpff.

Fenrir waited for his pup and his pup's mate in the foyer of Malfoy Manor. He didn't want to be here, but Narcissa insisted on formal greetings and goodbyes. The Granger girl was going back to Hogwarts with Snape, but his pup had to stay here for the New Year's Eve Revel. Fenrir drummed his fingers along his thigh in anticipation of the revel happening later this evening. The scent of blood thick in the air and the sound of screams wrenching through the night always got his heart pumping. He knew he was on thin ice with the pack, and he'd have to be careful after tonight's revel. The last one was a disaster - he'd almost had a mutiny on his hands. He shook himself from his revelry when his pup and mate arrived before him.

"Thank you, Fenrir, for allowing us to stay with the pack. And for answering all of my questions," the Granger girl said after giving a small curtsy.

"Our pack, girl," Fenrir told her and clapped his Beta on the shoulder. She grinned up at him and moved on to give her thanks to Narcissa.

Fenrir eyed Narcissa. She was doing something different with her hair these days, and Fenrir liked it. He wondered if it had something to do with him. He'd been unable to get her alone in several weeks, but was hoping to do so again. Maybe he would find her before the revel tonight. Snape had been her watchdog up until now, but Fenrir did not expect him to return after escorting his Beta's mate back to Hogwarts.

He watched his Beta whisper something in the girl's ear. She blushed and Fenrir smiled his approval as Snape ushered the girl out of the house and down the drive.

"Come, pup," Fenrir said impatiently and began descending the stairs. He didn't bother to check if his pup was following - he could hear Draco's footsteps behind him.

"There's a revel tonight," Fenrir began as he led his pup away from the entrance, to the dungeons and toward the dueling court.

"I'm aware," Draco replied cooly. Fenrir narrowed his eyes and turned back to his pup. They were in the basement now, far enough away from prying eyes. The rage that always simmered below the surface these days threatened to spill over.

"Listen, here, pup," Fenrir growled. "You are my Beta, best not forget it. You take orders from me. I don't want to see you cloistered away with Rand again." He attempted to look down on his Beta, but he realized the young wolf was now slightly taller. When had that happened? He stepped closer, crowding Draco, until Draco's back was against the wall.

"Woah, Alpha," his pup replied and offered his neck in submission. Fenrir took a inhaled deeply, catching his Beta's scent and the scent of his Beta's mate. He felt Draco emanating the collective's calm, and he took a breath and let it sweep through him. He stepped back toward the center of the corridor.

"I wasn't doing anything with Rand besides catching up," Draco replied with his hands held up, showing he was unarmed.

"Yeah, well, Rand has been getting ideas," Fenrir muttered. He half turned away from his Beta to peer down the hallway toward the dueling court. Fenrir tugged on his beard as he recalled the revel a few weeks before. He'd been high on sex and murder, and he hadn't cleaned his robes properly.

"If he does, he hasn't shared them with me," his pup told him. "I'm on your side. I'm your Beta."

Fenrir turned his gaze back to his Beta. Draco still had his head tilted and his neck offered in submission. His hands were down at his sides, with his palms facing Fenrir. Fenrir sniffed and rolled his head and neck.