Aevumiter

34: Moon

"Thank you."

Draco grunted as the first moment of pain hit him. Harry ran his fingers through Draco's hair in an attempted soothing gesture. Draco's breathing grew heavy, and he felt his body start to shift in an unnatural way. He pulled away from Harry and shrugged off the robe.

Draco felt his physicality change. His nose became a snout, his hands turned to paws. His tail twitched. His whole body ached.

Harry was so startled by the unexpected change that he forgot to take on his animagus shape. Draco didn't look like Remus had, back in third year.

Draco had the fur and coloration of his animagus form, though it was like the cat had mutated. Two hundred pounds of muscle, of wolfish feline. The fur was thicker, longer, the tail bushier. Wolf paws with claws as sharp as a cat's. The sleek frame of a cat, but the menacing jaws of the wolf. 

"Draco?" Harry whispered.

Draco grunted from where he was laying on the floor, panting.

Harry slowly reached a hand towards him. "Draco? Can you hear me?"

Draco's ear twitched, and he looked at Harry with large, silver feline eyes. Draco pushed himself up onto his two front legs, only to flop over and set his head down on Harry's lap. 

Harry instinctively started to slowly pet Draco's wolfish face. After a few minutes, Draco's breathing had evened out, and Harry thought he had fallen asleep.

"Well." Harry said to himself. "This is going to be interesting."

After what felt like an hour, Draco stirred again. Harry kept stroking his head until Draco was fully awake. He lifted his head, and looked up at Harry.

"Draco?"

Draco stared at Harry for a long moment, then tilted his head to the side.

"Are you there? Can you understand me?" Harry asked.

Draco stared again for a long minute, and eventually ducked his head in some semblance of a nod. He stood, and began to pace around the room.

Draco spent the night pacing, shaking his head as though something were bothering him. He would paw at his ears, sneeze, his tail would twitch. He would periodically growl and whine.

When he wasn't pacing, he would return to Harry and lay down next to him. Half the time he would fall into a doze. The rest of the time he would only be able to sit still for a few minutes before he got up again.

Harry dozed when he could, but it was a long night.

~~~

When Harry woke, human Draco was spooning him from behind. Harry carefully slipped away, trying not to wake him. He reached for the robe and draped it over Draco. He opened an eye.

"Goodmorning." Harry said, softly.

"I rather think it's not." Draco grumbled. "I feel like I slept on the floor. Oh wait, I did."

"Well, how about some breakfast?" Harry suggested.

Draco slowly sat up, and slipped his arms into the sleeves of the robe before standing and tying it. "Everything hurts."

"I'm sorry." Harry couldn't help but say.

"Don't apologize for this." Draco said. "I just want some food. More than some."

"Alright." Harry turned, and unlocked the wards, allowing them out. Draco was shaky enough that he held onto Harry's arm as they made their way to the dining room.

Remus was sitting at the table in pajamas, eating a plate of fried eggs. He stopped eating and turned to look at Harry and Draco.

"Goodmorning." Harry said.