Chapter Two: Fenrir Greyback

The imposing Alpha was nothing short of intimidating, something you came to expect with werewolves and more so for the Alpha of said creatures, but that said, Fenrir Greyback was shit scary.

Tall, nearing 7 feet in height. Arms and legs wrapped in thick layers of muscle where throbbing veins could be seen pulsing just under the surface of what seemed like delicate, sun tanned, skin. However, that did nothing to diminish any though that this Alpha was in any way, shape or form, delicate.

His stomach looked like an old fashion wash board that you could scrub your garments in soap and clean thoroughly. This perfectly toned specimen, sculpted in harsh lines, with an outer layer hiding no secrets to the strength that was carried physically, emotionally and mentally in his position.

Surely this would be the first sign to run for your life.

All manner of greys and silvers accumulated in a thick mane to create the unique hair colour that was associated with this were-man, worn in a messy 'man bun' as Harry and a few brave others had taken to calling it. He had loose strands around his hair line, softened his harsh look – barely, some of which fell past his eyes, adding a little bit of youth to this seemingly ageless man.

The same colours that could shoot you down dead or embrace you in warmth - once you garnered his attentions. It was hard to concentrate once you had been immersed in the colours that constantly changed - like watching a washing machine in slow motion, where the colours of attires got mixed and swirled together.

Harry could not name another he'd been in contact with who had matching hair and eye colour, it was almost disconcerting when one got over the initial fear of the man's presence to notice this unique characterisation. It was not as though it were a werewolf trait either, it was a Greyback thing apparently, pure Were DNA from one of the original families to be turned by mother moon.

"Well?" More of a rumble deep within his chest than formed words. Shaking his head from his distracting thoughts, with a hint of blush creeping upon his cheeks, Harry sighed dramatically.

"It's like you have no faith in my abilities whatsoever." Placing the squirming toddler on the ground, he flew off on steady legs, straight to the building where the pups had schooling. "Don't disturb the school, Teddy!" Landed on deaf ears when a shower of excited squeals and a chorus of 'Teddy' reached them 100 yards away. Another sigh escaped his pastel pink lips, whilst rubbing tired emerald eyes with tense hands.

A rough hand weighted heavily on his shoulder, looking through parted fingers into those damned swirly eyes, his hand fell like dead weight to his side. "Thank you." Meaningfully given. "You really are the boy wonder."

"Urgh! I'd expect that shit from anyone else, not you Fen. I'm not that person, even when I kind of was, I never wanted those titles or publicity or fame. I'm doing this because I'm selfish. I need help with Teddy in ways I can not help him. And I want him to have a life that he does not have to be fearful of prejudice and prosecution over something he has no control over and should not have to feel shame over!" Harry was breathing heavily by the end of his rant, his chest rapidly going up and down. He'd stepped away from the kind gesture Fenrir had placed on him, even his eyes were squint from how angry the 'boy who lived' and following titles enraged him.

"Haha, you may not physically be one of us, but you have the temperament of one." Fenrir's laugh shook him out of his angry spell. Giving in, his body relaxed, and he joined his friend in laughing. "I meant; thank you for choosing the path you have. You may not like it, but to some, you are a wonderous hero. We don't have many allies, especially after Voldemort placing that fucking spell to keep us in line with him. You gave us a chance to explain, to take that potion and tell the truth, to give the memories we remembered, that essentially gave wizards no choice but to accept our role in that war as involuntary. You want a better world for your godson, but the aftermath affects so many more." Harry secretly loved Fenrir's dismissal of wizarding spells and potions.

"I think that is the most you have ever said in one go. Ever." Fenrir just rolled his eyes.

"Teddy will be in good hands with you throughout his transformations and all the other shit that comes along with being one of us." That large, work roughened, hand messed up his already untameable hair. Harry vainly batted the large hand away stubbornly, only receiving a deep chuckle for his attempt. "Let's get that runaway."

Walking the dirt path through the wolves' camp Harry enjoyed the broad arm wrapped over his slender shoulders, not that he would ever admit such to said Alpha.

Harry always remembers the film his aunt and uncle had on the tv one evening as he made their supper, 'Robin Hood' where they had built their village in the treetops, with ladder bridges and zip wires. That is what this pack had achieved, and it was breath taking. They had several buildings on ground level, such as the school and a personalised gymnasium for the children to build strength in order to be in top form for each progressive transformation.

Children, whether pureblood or bitten, had a process into werewolf transformation that would last until they reached maturity at the age of 15. No matter what age someone was bitten, they simply start at their age level and progress from there, where pureblood encounter the full process.

Teddy would be 3 in May and this is where the transformation process evolves, physically, for young cubs. Since birth, the full moon would simply represent a new diet during these nights for the first year. The second year would increase to turning nocturnal along with the changed diet in the first year – not to suggest that a new-born would eat raw meat as part of this diet change, no, as a new born, on top of baby formula like Teddy had since Tonks death, they required extra iron and other vitamins and benefits that would be received from raw meat, so Harry had contacted Draco Malfoy who had inherited potion mastery from his god-father and former Hogwarts professor, Severus Snape, to have a brew made that he could add to Teddy's milk on the nights of full moon. This year Harry and Teddy had stayed awake all night during full moons and slept the days after, it was a nightmare to Harry's work and teddy's routine, but this all occurred in this process to prepare them for this lifelong commitment to the Were gene.

"Your thinking too hard." Harry jumped out of his skin, not realising just how deep in thought he had recessed.

"I was thinking of the last two years with Teddy and more importantly the years to come – specifically this year coming where he faces physical changes. I watched his father suffer in agony as he transformed – I can't bare that for Teddy – "

"You don't have to. Lupin had no pack; he took that poison and he did not go through these stages as you have with Teddy since his parents refused to acknowledge his condition and the changes required to keep him healthy. You have done everything since the moment you acquired him, to make him the strongest he can be ready for this change. Lupin did not know how to raise a Were child, as he did not receive that care himself. He did not research or ask for help – you did. I can only imagine how uncomfortable Teddy would have been that first few months when he was not in your care, that supplement you purchased was at such a strength that it almost made up and more for the times he missed it. He is strong. He has a pack and he has you." This may have been a repetitive conversation between the two adults, but the Alphas thoughts on Remus and Tonks parenting was new.

"You are insinuating that Remus was a bad father." The voice was steely, the same tone he used in court when he was not pleased. Fenrir just shook his head.

"You misunderstand. I merely mean that Lupin had no way of knowing differently and his mate was not a wolf, she would expect her mate to know best. But because you had no experience, positive or negative, towards the change, you researched what you could to be the best guardian you could be. Lupin and his mate would have realised that Teddy was not settled or started looking sickly and then found what they needed to do, but they were distracted with the war and probably put it down to Lupins own violent change that Teddy was distressed during those initial full moons - " Fenrir was going to continue but the distressed woman sprinting towards them with a limp changed the relaxed alpha into the unfathomable battle ready creature he was designed to be.

"Alpha!"