Chapter 12

"Remus! We were just talking about you!" Hermione stood up from the sofa to greet him, feeling as though she hadn't seen him in days.

"Oh, really? Because I thought you were talking about how much you love Harry here." His voice was light, but his eyes hard. Hermione frowned.

"Well, of course I love Harry, but..." She was interrupted by Remus grabbing her upper arm. He pulled her close to him and smelled her hair. Hermione tried to jerk her arm away, embarrassed at his actions in front of Harry. Remus growled and held her tighter. He sniffed her sweater and met her eyes, a snarl on his lips.

"I can smell Ron Weasley on you, Hermione," he accused, looking at her with something akin to disgust.

Hermione stared. This was unbelievable. "Remus, you're acting very strange. Ronald gave me this sweater, yes, but it shouldn't smell of him!"

Harry was watching intently, ready to intervene, but he was also shocked at the change in Remus' attitude.

Remus laughed mirthlessly. "Actually, all of your clothes have smelled of him for the last few days. Even the damn bedroom smells like him! Is there something you want to tell me, mate? " He fairly spat the last word, and Hermione's eyes widened. She shook her head in denial. She didn't want to be afraid, but his grip on her arm was tightening and the look in his eyes was unnerving.

"So, I come home from a long day at work to see you drinking wine, touching him..." He jerked his head at Harry, who stood up. Remus growled warningly at him, and Harry paused. "And telling him that you love him, and now you reek of your ex-boyfriend? What would you have me believe?"

Harry spoke up, "Remus, you know Hermione and I are only friends. She loves me as a friend and nothing more! And she probably smells like Ron because Ginny brought her clothes back from their room, where he still stays. You're being unreasonable!"

Remus looked at Hermione, his face hard and unchanging. "Harry, you should leave now."

Hermione was trying to decide how not to anger Remus further and chose to remain silent for the time being. Her protestations seemed to enrage him more.

Harry laughed a hard, biting laugh. "You must be kidding. I am not leaving Hermione here with you when you're acting like a... like an animal!"

Remus slowly turned to face Harry. "An animal? How interesting you should say that, since I am nothing but an animal! And you've both known that all along. I've tried to tell you, haven't I? Hermione? But you didn't listen. And now you have the gall to act afraid of me?"

Remus let go of Hermione, and Harry went to grab her and leave with her, but she held up a hand to him. He frowned, but stayed back.

"Remus, look at me," she demanded. She was still within his arm's reach, but he looked like he'd rather cut off his arm than touch her again. But he did look at her, and she could have cried at the torment and confusion in his light brown eyes.

She smiled softly. "Remus, you're my mate. You'd know if I'd done something inappropriate with another man. Smell me again and tell me it's Ron on my clothes, or Ron's scent from being in the same room for so long with my clothes. Think back to what you heard when you first came in. Was I anything but friendly with Harry? Really think about this. You know the answer."

Remus looked at her intently. "Take the sweater off," he ordered. Hermione did as he asked, tossing the offending garment to Harry, who caught it.

"Come here," Remus told Hermione, his voice only slightly softer than before. But she obeyed, stepping up to his chest, baring her neck both to offer her scent and show her submission. She suspected the nearness of the full moon was at fault for Remus' shift in behaviour, and she didn't want to blame him for something beyond his control.

That didn't mean she wasn't pissed.

Remus inhaled deeply of her neck and chest. He smelled her hair and even bent to sniff her belly. He nodded, as if to himself. Returning to her neck, he caressed the claim mark, which had healed but scarred. She shuddered at the sensation; it felt just as though he was caressing between her legs. He lowered his lips to the mark, licking it softly and biting it gently. Hermione moaned. She didn't want to do this in front of Harry, but Remus was in control right now.

He pulled her body tightly against his before turning to Harry. "I'm sorry, Harry. I... I'm not myself, it seems. I was unreasonable. However, I still need you to leave." He went back to kissing Hermione's neck as though there was no audience.

Harry scoffed. "Absolutely not. How do I know that, the minute I leave, you won't go back to yelling at her?"

Hermione gasped at a particularly long lick, her head falling back to offer more of herself. Tears gathered in her eyes at her conflicting emotions.

Remus spoke against her skin, loud enough for Harry to hear, but just barely. "I'm not going to yell at her. I'm going to fuck her. And you can't watch, so you need to leave."

Hermione groaned, completely humiliated now. Remus' mouth on her was so soft and so at odds with his crude words. He whispered to her, "Tell Harry to leave, baby."

She met Harry's eyes, certain she looked wanton and depraved. "Harry, it's okay. It's... it's the wolf. It's so close to the full moon. You can leave. I'll be fine." She explained as best she could, but knew Harry would not like her request.

She was right. "Hermione, he might hurt you!"

Remus snarled, and both Harry and Hermione were startled by the noise. "I will not hurt my mate. Never! She is safe with me, only safe with me. Now leave, Harry, or I will make you."

Remus didn't wait to make sure Hermione's champion had actually exited the room before he thrust a hand between her legs, rubbing her harshly through her pants. Hermione distantly heard the front door close, and the sound brought her back to herself for a moment.

She reared her hand back, restricted slightly by Remus' tight hold on her body, and slapped him across the face. His head barely moved, and he laughed, "Hit me, will you? Do we need a reminder as to who belongs to whom?"

Hermione shook her head. "Remus, you hurt me and embarrassed me! Let me go!"

Remus stroked her back with his calloused hands, gripping her arse and pulling her hips against his. "I'm not sorry; I had to reassert my claim. And I can smell your heat, Hermione. You want me to show you that you belong to me."

"But you belong to me, too! I have a say!" Hermione had the feeling things were spiralling out of control here, and she wanted to make sure she could get them back.

"Of course I do, love. I'm sorry I scared you. I hate thinking of him touching you. But I'm not sorry for making sure you remember who you are. Mine. Isn't that right, Hermione?" He kissed her, hard and demanding, not waiting for her compliance before forcing his tongue into her mouth. She only put up the smallest defence; she was angry, but she wanted him like she'd never known. It was out of control, it was hard and rough, and it felt good.

"That's right, Remus," she agreed softly, succumbing to the sensations, giving in to her mate. She moved her hips lightly against his, and he yanked her shirt off in retaliation.

"Say it, love. Tell me," he pleaded, unbuttoning her pants and taking them off. He took off her bra and turned her around, pressing her back flush against his front, pulling her arms up to encircle his neck.

"I'm yours, Remus Lupin. I belong to you, I'm yours." Her voice was quiet but clear. His hands cupped her breasts, holding them proprietarily before tweaking her nipples. He was kissing all along her neck and shoulder, nipping her skin at the same time as he pinched her nipples. Her mind, which had been racing, slowed down to a snail's pace, thinking only of the way her body was reacting to his words and hers, of the way they fit together perfectly like this.

His hands trailed over her ribs and flat belly, stretched from her position. He held firmly onto her hips, pressing her back onto his granite erection. She gasped at the contact, wishing there were fewer layers between them. He slid his hand into her underwear, immediately seeking and pinching her clit. She was so wet, so ready for him, and somehow she knew he wouldn't tease her.

Taking her arms from around his neck, he led her over to the arm of the sofa. Without preamble, he bent her over it, and Hermione whimpered a little at being exposed thusly, but was unable to deny her desire. He yanked her underwear down and threw them across the room. He spread her legs and knelt behind her.

With his hands on the back of her thighs, Remus licked a long trail from her engorged clit, all the way across her slit, and ending at her tight back hole. Hermione whipped her head around, speechless. No one had ever...

But Remus was humming with pleasure at her taste, and she couldn't move if she'd wanted to. He feasted equally on her slick pussy and her clenched rosette. She couldn't explain the sensation; it was dirty and utterly decadent. He tongued her mercilessly, prodding her back tightness until he breached the tight muscle, and she gripped the sofa cushion to contain herself.

"Ready for me, love?" Remus asked her, using his fingers to draw her wetness out.

"Yes, I'm ready!" she cried, having never felt so damn empty in her life.

"Good, because I can't wait to be inside you. It's all I ever think about. It's all I want," he rasped, standing and lining his cock up to her entrance.

"Well?" he demanded. Hermione wasn't sure what he wanted, but she knew what she wanted, so she begged, pleaded for him to fuck her.

"You beg so prettily. I might have to punish you more often," he told her. She wanted to deny that this was punishment, but rightly assumed her words were not needed.

He thrust inside her with one stroke, filling her completely and nudging her cervix harshly. She cried out at the invasion, wanting even the slight pain that came with it.

He was holding her hips and pounding into her without rhythm or care. One hand snaked between her legs, flicking and tugging on her clit. She'd never had such rough treatment, never felt so completely under his power.

His other hand was on her arse, his thumb lightly caressing her arsehole in soothing circles completely contrary to his demanding thrusts. His thumb left her for a moment but came back slickened. He pressed it into her slowly, and Hermione moaned at being breached. She'd never had anything in there before; it felt uncomfortable and stung a little, but it also felt incredibly stimulating. He worked his thumb in a deep as he could, flicking her clit with his other hand and pounding his cock into her without regard to anything but their imminent explosions.

When he pulled his thumb most of the way out and plunged it back in at the same time as he thrust his cock into her and pinched her clit, she came with a hoarse scream, feeling her orgasm right down to her clenched toes, and she rode the waves flooding her.

Remus withdrew his thumb and pounded into her yielding body ruthlessly, finally coming hard and deep inside her, flooding her with wet heat. Hermione felt lightheaded from her position, head nearly upside down over the arm of the sofa. Her body sank backward, slipping over the arm toward Remus, and she would have ended up at his feet had he not caught her and picked her up lovingly, arms under her knees and shoulders. He was still fully dressed with only his pants open, and Hermione shook her head at her shamelessness, but she wouldn't have changed a thing.

She would think about what it all meant in the morning. When Remus placed her in their bed and undressed, getting in beside her and pulling her into his arms, she only spared a brief moment's regret; not for the way things happened between her and Remus, but for the way she'd worked so hard on a dinner they'd never gotten around to eating.

*

"So, did you want to explain your behaviour last night? I'm sure Harry will never come back here, now."

Remus sighed. He was completely chagrined by the way he'd acted toward his old friend's son, but he maintained that he was only doing what came naturally to him: protecting what was rightfully his. However, he knew that he'd embarrassed his mate, and he was sorry for that.

"I shouldn't have acted like that in front of Harry. I'm sorry, love." His fingertips stroked her bare belly below the sheets, but she moved his hand away. He frowned, but did not try to touch her again.

"But that implies that you would have been right to act like that as long as Harry wasn't here, and that isn't right, either. You can't treat me like that. I'm not a possession."

"Well, maybe not technically, but I do possess you. You are mine," he asserted. Before he'd met Hermione, he hadn't believed the werewolf talk about the incredible jealousy that came with having a mate. He thought it was an excuse for people to act poorly toward others. But knowing that he'd insulted Harry and fucked his mate in a rather undignified fashion made a believer out of him.

Hermione put a soft, cool hand on his cheek. He hadn't realised how warm he was until her hand felt nearly icy against his skin. "Maybe so, but you're mine as well. And you wouldn't like it if I behaved like that to you in front of your friends."

Thinking that over, Remus would have to disagree. He'd probably feel a real thrill at seeing her assert her dominance in front of an audience. He wouldn't like her trying to dominate him per se, but he might enjoy her staking her claim a little.

However, to keep the peace (or get it back), Remus replied, "I suppose not. But there's something about you that makes me absolutely mad. Rationally, I know Harry would never touch you and vice versa, but irrationally, I hated hearing you say those words to him."

Hermione looked puzzled for a moment. Remus pursed his lips and looked away. He hadn't meant to give away that her words were the main issue. She'd told Harry she loved him.

"Anyway," he continued before his meaning came to her, "I'll try to be a good dog from now on. Promise." He crossed his fingers over his heart, and she smiled softly. He knew she was still hurt and upset, but he didn't know how to fix it when he still felt that bone-deep jealousy.

Hermione sighed. "I suppose I have a lot of laundry to do today if I'm to completely eradicate Ron's scent."

"I'll help you."