Secrets, Trust, and the Bond of the Pack
Chapter 16: The Wolf Within: Secrets, Trust, and the Bond of the Pack
The next morning started early—far too early, if you asked Draco.
After a night spent on the cold floor next to a frightened wolf, he had absolutely no patience left for Potter’s stubbornness.
And when Zabini announced at breakfast that he had arranged a meeting with Snape for Potter, the drama was complete.
Harry was not thrilled.
Not at all.
Draco had just tied his shoes when Potter declared with a grim expression that he wasn’t going.
Draco, utterly exhausted and not in the mood for another argument, just looked at him flatly and said,
“Then I’ll carry you to Snape in your wolf form.”
Harry’s eyes widened, flicking between Draco and the others.
Zabini grinned. “I wouldn’t challenge him, Potter.”
After a few seconds of deep thought, Harry grudgingly gave in.
And now, here they were.
Standing before the massive wooden door of Snape’s office.
Harry looked tense, his body stiff, hands buried in his sleeves as if he could hide within them.
Draco could practically feel the nervousness radiating off him.
_____________________________________________________
The door creaked open softly.
Snape stood in the doorway, his expression as unreadable as ever.
His gaze swept slowly across the group.
Then he said calmly, “Malfoy. Potter. In.”
Harry flinched slightly.
The others stayed behind.
Draco stepped in, then turned and waited.
Harry stood frozen.
His shoulders were slightly hunched, as if he were trying to protect himself.
Then—with a deep breath—he stepped inside as well.
The door closed behind them.
Snape sank into his chair and regarded them silently.
Harry looked like he was standing on needles.
Draco leaned casually against one of the armchairs in front of the desk, waiting.
He knew Snape was drawing out the silence on purpose.
But Harry was too tense to endure it for long.
“So… you know something,” he said quietly at last.
Snape raised an eyebrow slowly.
“I know you’re hiding something.”
He crossed his arms on the desk.
“The question is whether you’re ready to tell me.”
Harry’s fingers clenched in his sleeves.
Draco watched him from the corner of his eye.
He knew this was hard for him.
But he also knew they had no choice left.
Harry briefly closed his eyes, then exhaled slowly.
“Alright,” he murmured. “But… see for yourself.”
Before Snape or Draco could react, Harry let it happen.
His body began to change.
Bones shifted, clothes vanished, and seconds later, a small, snow-white wolf sat on Snape’s office floor.
Snape froze.
He said nothing.
He didn’t move.
He examined the wolf with sharp eyes, his face impassive.
But his eyes—
His eyes revealed surprise.
Slowly, he leaned forward.
“Interesting,” he finally said softly.
The wolf twitched slightly at the voice, crouching a little lower.
And then—before Draco saw it coming—Harry moved.
He jumped onto Draco’s lap.
Draco, completely caught off guard, let out a soft gasp as the white wolf pressed against his chest, his head half-buried in Draco’s cloak.
Snape raised an eyebrow.
“Has he done that before?”
Draco blinked. “More times than I can count.”
Snape observed the scene for a moment with a peculiar expression.
Then he slowly leaned back.
“I suppose that explains a few things.”
Harry carefully lifted his head.
Snape studied him again, then nodded almost imperceptibly.
“You’re not a werewolf,” he stated plainly.
Harry shook his head slightly.
Snape tapped his fingertips to his lips, eyes glinting thoughtfully.
“You didn’t just transform,” he continued. “It wasn’t voluntary. This was… a mutation.”
Draco held his breath.
That was exactly the part they didn’t quite understand themselves.
Harry lowered his gaze.
“I… I’m not really sure,” he murmured softly. “It happened on my birthday. Suddenly. And then… it was just there.”
Snape said nothing for a while.
Then—slowly—he nodded.
“I see.”
He leaned forward, folding his hands.
“Have you had yourself examined?”
Harry tensed.
“No.”
“Have you told anyone else?”
“Just you.”
Snape looked at him for another moment.
Then he sank back into his chair.
“Well,” he said calmly. “This is… problematic.”
Draco frowned. “What do you mean?”
Snape directed his gaze at Harry.
“Your transformation isn’t the problem,” he said. “But your instincts are.”
Harry unconsciously ducked lower into Draco’s cloak.
Snape noticed.
He sighed softly.
“This isn’t a transformation you can control, Potter. Not fully.”
He paused.
Then added:
“Your instincts are stronger than your mind.”
Harry’s ears twitched slightly.
“You don’t react like a wizard,” Snape continued. “You react like a wolf. Your fears. Your need to protect. Your… social behavior.”
Draco stiffened slightly.
Snape had noticed.
That Harry didn’t just seek protection—but that he built trust instinctively.
That he was bonding.
Snape observed the two of them for a moment.
Then he said slowly:
“You’ve found a pack.”
Harry froze.
So did Draco.
Because in that moment, they both realized it.
That’s exactly what had happened.
He had joined them.
Not out of duty, not through conscious choice—
But because his wolf wanted it.
Snape shook his head slightly.
“You know that can be dangerous.”
Harry said nothing.
But the grip of his paws on Draco’s cloak tightened.
Snape studied him again.
Then took a deep breath.
“Very well,” he said at last. “I won’t tell anyone.”
Harry’s head shot up.
“But you will work with me, Potter,” Snape added. “We need to find out what you are. And what this means for your future.”
Harry hesitated.
Then nodded slowly.
Snape leaned back.
“Then our conversation is over for now.”
Draco stood up, still with a wolf pressed to his chest.
He gave Snape one last look, then turned toward the door.
But before he could open it, Snape said one more thing.
“Malfoy.”
Draco turned around.
Snape’s gaze was piercing.
“Take care of him.”
Draco looked down, at the little white wolf still lying in his arms.
Then raised his head.
“I already am.”
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The weeks after the conversation with Snape passed faster than Harry had expected.
The professor hadn’t summoned him again, hadn’t asked more questions.
He had only said he needed to gather information.
That alone had brought Harry more relief than he cared to admit.
He could sleep better.
He could breathe easier.
And by now, he wasn’t just tolerated—
He had become part of them.
A pack member.
It was a realization Draco had taken a while to accept.
But now—as he lay on his bed watching Potter in wolf form tearing through the room—it was impossible to deny.
They were his pack.
And he… belonged.
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It had started with Nott’s idea.
He had ordered a dog toy by owl post—a magically enhanced, durable ball that bounced and occasionally moved on its own.
When he opened the package and dropped it in front of Potter, the wolf had merely stared at him, insulted.
He hadn’t even looked at it.
Draco had thought that was the end of it.
But then—
Nott had started playing with it.
He tossed the ball across the room, let it bounce back, rolled it across his fingers—casually, without high expectations.
And Potter?
Potter had resisted for a whole hour.
Pretended it didn’t interest him at all.
Until he couldn’t take it anymore.
Until the ball rolled just temptingly enough across the floor.
And then—
A leap.
A growl full of excitement.
And all self-control forgotten.
Now Draco watched as the white wolf chased after the ball, caught it, and chewed on it enthusiastically, tail wagging.
Nott’s laughter was full of triumph.
“I knew you couldn’t resist, Potter.”
The wolf growled playfully before leaping onto Zabini’s bed with the toy and chewing it contentedly.
Pansy shook her head with a grin. “Merlin, I never thought I’d see Potter with a damn dog toy.”
Draco sighed heavily.
“You do know he’s going to kill us all once he’s back to full rational thinking, right?”
Zabini grinned. “Probably. But until then—enjoy the show.”
Draco watched the white wolf snuggle into one of the blankets, toy held contentedly between his paws.
His pack.
His wolf.
He knew Harry would never admit it—
But he liked it just the way it was