Chapter 1: Birth Of A Hunter

Someplace Else, Plain of Hircine...

Proud and elated the large beast-like creature with the head of a stag and the body of an agile man stalked its grounds. A lush and fertile plain teeming with game and rich in abundant resources. A waterfall in the distance gave both life and sport as it had been home to a great many fish. The sky an appropriate backdrop for the events below had taken on a shade of crimson in stark contrast to the golden fields below. Even the moon had been dressed in the fitting color of blood. Though the air had been filled with various scents, the sickeningly sweet smell of death overpowered the others to become the most potent fragrance.

Obsidian eyes opened in this strange place to find that this place had been a kind of realm. The creature known as Hircine stepped forward his large form with glowing red eyes. Inside there was a familiarity to this man-beast. The voice in which it spoke had been filled with praise and affection as it looked upon him.

"You have awakened...rejoice newborn pup," it said pleased. "Welcome to the family...son."

In the distance, other beasts of twisted humanoid form hissed and howled in approval all bringing forth fresh kills as if to be paying a sort of respect. The newly awakened beast with a long mane of lank raven hair and obsidian eyes opened its mouth letting out a howl of compulsion as the affection from its "father" filled its great barrel chest with warmth and pride.

No time seemed to pass in this realm of beasts as they all participated in the seemingly gathered feast. The moon hung in the distance filling the ears of her newly awakened son with the sweetness of her lullaby. Compelled once more the beast opened its mouth and howled returning her song.

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The Infirmary, Hogwarts...

White-hot searing pain coursed through the slow healing sickly pale form of Potions Professor Severus Snape as he lay in one of the numerous beds dressed in sheets of white with a single equally white covering. Delirious from fever and unable to move due to the heaviness of his bones as well as the pain, Snape half opened his obsidian eyes noting that he had been taken to the Hogwarts Infirmary. He had not been alone when he arrived with one of the beds being occupied by a sedated Remus Lupin, post-transformation, and Sirius Black from his injuries sustained while battling the beast. Both the other men had managed to recover well enough and they were able to return to their respective businesses. Snape, however, had not been so lucky.

His muscles ached in places that he never knew he had and the slash marks on his pale chest had barely been mended. His body temperature had been higher than he had ever known it to be as sweat poured off him in waves making his lengthy raven hair stick to his clammy forehead.

His breaths were painstaking as his chest rose and fell beneath the numerous blood-tinted bandages that were wrapped around his torso. The tattered ebony robes he usually stalked about in were nowhere to be seen. Med-witch Madam Poppy Pomfrey arrived in time to stick a thermometer in his mouth and check his temperature. She sighed knowing all too well the telltale signs of infection running rampant throughout the body.

"You poor boy." said the old med-witch. "Don't you worry...we'll have you on your feet in no time."

Though she attempted to offer the dour wizard reassurance he could tell that she was thinking about something else that weighed heavily on her mind. He had not the strength to invade her thoughts or it would have given him more than enough reason to. More heat and pain filled him and Snape found that he could no longer summon the energy to keep his eyes open. He blacked out once more with the familiar sounds of Hogwarts fading away.

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Later...

The dour wizard heard the barely muffled voices of Sirius Black and Remus Lupin as one-paced about worried beyond belief as he looked over the bed-ridden Potions, Professor. He had forgotten to take his Wolfsbane Potion and this was the cause. If it had not been for Snape then he would most certainly have attacked the students...the son of one of his best friends among them.

"It'll be okay Remus," said Sirius. "None of the children were hurt."

Remus Lupin had been as pale as a ghost and sweating profusely. His dull and unappealing attire only made his sullen figure more depressing. His dark eyes fixed on the hospital bed that contained the feverish Potions Professor had been filled with worry and grief.

"If only I had taken it," he said. "Severus may be hard to deal with at times but the man does not deserve this."

"Take it easy Remus," said Sirius Black trying to console his guilt-ridden friend. "Snivellus will be fine...he's as resilient as a cockroach."

"That's not the point Sirius," said Lupin. "I would not wish this wretched curse on my worst enemy...let alone a colleague."

Snape opened his eyes as rage surged through him at the sound of the ridiculous childhood nickname. He had not known why but he was filled with the sudden need to tear Sirius Black to pieces. The image of him ripping the arrogant prat's soft flesh between his teeth flooded his mind and his heart-rate increased.

The thunderous pounding had gotten Lupin's attention and he found himself sniffing the surrounding air. A fear coursed through him as he noted that another strange scent had been present, powerful and foreign. Snape continued to sweat from the increasingly high fever that ran rampant through him.

"Sirius," said Lupin more worried. "I think we should go."

Sirius arched an eyebrow at this.

"What for?" he asked.

"I do not think Severus appreciates your being here," said Lupin unable to put into words what he gathered from the scent.

When at last the two men took their leave, Severus Snape lost consciousness yet again.

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Much Later...

Snape found that his mouth had been dry as if he had been sucking on cotton for the past he had no idea how long it had been. His sense of time was eclipsed by the heat of his fever and the degree of pain that ripped through him. His body shivered from the chill that now swept through him. He had not known what was happening but it was clear to him that his body was trying to fend off an infection of some sort.

Madam Poppy came in the dead of night with a glass of water and a straw. She made her way over to him and he opened his mouth to speak but she silenced him with the unwelcome taste of the plastic straw. The old witch ordered him to drink and he began to consume the water. She had not been surprised when Snape drank down the last of the water and motioned for more.

With a wave of her wand, she summoned more water and he downed that as well. After several more glasses of water, Snape seemed to have sated his overwhelming thirst. She sighed looking over at the younger wizard. It had not been so long ago that she was treating him when he attended Hogwarts as a student terrified that the werewolf Lupin was going to kill him.

Now here he was lying in the infirmary after risking his life to save three other students from the very same creature.

The obsidian eyes of Severus Snape closed once more and the infirmary of Hogwarts faded away.

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Elsewhere...

The call was maddening and the beast raged against the prison of flesh aching to soothe its primal urges. The need to hunt and gorge on blood-dripping flesh had been strong. A sound began to build in the depths of its chest desperate for release. Obsidian eyes of rage and blood lust peeked out from the confines of the prison of flesh. Everywhere sights and sounds caught its attention. It forced open the mouth of the fleshy captor tasting the freedom it longed for.

The scent of jasmine filled its flaring nostrils and a being of warm soft flesh had been at its side. Whatever this frail thing of flesh had been, it caught his attention. Visions of ripping it asunder flooded the brain of the primal wolf and it licked its lips absently. There was fear present. This fleshy morsel reeked of it but it had not feared the wolf nor its awesome power...as the creature took in the unfamiliar sounds it made everything seem to confuse it all the more.

This morsel was weeping not from fear of it like most of its kind but in fear for the beast itself. This too caught the beast's attention. Though it did little to change its mind about having her for a snack, perhaps she would be saved for last.

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The Infirmary, Hogwarts...

Severus Snape's Obsidian eyes opened once again but this time it had been the soft sobs of Fifth year Gryffindor Hermione Granger that had caught his attention. He had not understood why the girl was fool enough to venture to The Infirmary when he was sure it had been too late in the day for her to be about.

The amber eyes of Hermione Granger met Severus Snape's and she froze for a moment unsure of what to do. The potions Professor could hear his heart pounding in his chest and hers as well. His attention drifted from her sad tear-stained eyes to the pulsing vein in her small neck. He opened his mouth finding that it was dry once more as if he had been eating cotton.

Hermione immediately summoned a glass of water and brought it over to him. The injured Professor drank it down greedily spilling some on his bandages. She summoned more and he did the same not taking his eyes off the pulsing vein. The young witch had not known why but she began to blush beneath the intensity of the dour wizard's gaze.

She summoned more water and he drank it down quickly. When his thirst had been sated Snape lay back down his body battling a combination of feverish heat and icy chills. The bushy-haired witch took it as her cue to leave after watching the wizard's pale lids grow heavy and slid over his obsidian eyes giving her relief from the intense gaze.

The scent of jasmine filled the air, strong and tantalizing as it seemed to beckon to the beast trapped behind its fleshy prison.