Together we howl (Complete)

Part 37

It had been a few weeks since Harry had seen Bella, which he was extremely thankful for. A week ago, however, he started to feel this longing in his chest, as if something special that belonged to him was missing and completely out of reach. He had spoken to the pack about it but no one had any idea what the feeling was, which made him extremely anxious and irritable.
He spent a lot of time in the woods behind his home, he enjoyed the long walks and the numerous animals that you would find there. Though it wasn't the forbidden forest and didn't hold the same magical aspect, it still gave him the same peace.

It was during one of those days that he heard a distant but painful whine from somewhere to the right of him. He froze in the spot and looked around, squinting in hopes to find the source of the sound. Suddenly, he was struck with a feeling of urgency and need, as if something was pulling him further into the forest. Cautiously, he began to make his way, following the pull that continued to build within him. The further he went into the woods, the darker it got and so, he pulled out his wand and used 'Lumos' to light his path.

"Hello" He called out and instantly scolded himself for giving away his position to a potential threat, though there was something inside him that told him it wasn't a threat but instead, someone or something in need. He sped up and he noticed the trees thinning in a certain area of the forest, as he began to approach, slowly this time, he heard the whine once again. He lowered his wand slightly, not wanting to scare the animal even more than it clearly was and crept to the edge of the clearing. He stopped abruptly when he saw a shape laying in the middle of the clearing, he could tell it had fur but nothing else indicated the type of animal it was.

"Come on, Harry. Where's your Gryffindor courage" He whispered and pushed himself to take another step towards the animal. As he took a step, his foot landed on a fallen branch and it snapped in half, alerting the animal of his arrival. His eyes widened when the animal stood up and he instantly recognised it as a wolf, the same kind as the others in the pack. He looked into its shiny brown eyes and something inside him snapped, it was as if there was once something missing and it was finally found. The wolf stood frozen, not once taking its eyes off Harry until it let out a loud howl, making him jump out of the intense feeling of belonging and happiness.

"Aren't you beautiful" he complimented the wolf's grey fur as it approached him slowly. When It stood in front of him, he couldn't help but smile brightly, especially when it brushed its head against his. He began to run his fingers through its fur and he chuckled when it let out a satisfied growl.

Unfortunately, their moment was interrupted by the sound of multiple paws running in their direction. The wolf tensed and stepped in front of him as if to protect him from danger, making his heart swell in adoration. Its threatening growls had snapped him out of his thoughts and he moved to stand beside it, running his hand through its fur once again.

"It's okay, it's only our pack. They aren't here to hurt you or me, they are family" The wolf turned towards Harry and tilted its head, making him smile and forced himself not to coo at the adorable action. It was then that the pack arrived, they stopped a good distance away, knowing how wolves react when confused.

It was another ten or so minutes that the wolf beside him finally relaxed, he could only assume that they were communicating with one another and had explained a few things. His attention turned back to the pack and realised that both Hermione and Ginny had shifted back into their human forms.

"Harry? Are you okay?" Hermione questioned worryingly, making him frown at the tone.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?"

"How did you come across Leah?" Her name made his heart pound in his chest and he turned towards the wolf, Leah, with a loving smile. At that moment, they all knew and recognised such a smile, especially when most of them wear the same look on their faces every day. Harry had found his mate.