Epilogue

The Full moon washed the clearing with cold light like molten silver. Every leaf, every blade of grass, every inch of craggy bark was coated in it. It gave the bloodwolf an advantage over the vampire it stalked. A moon so bright would blind the furless creature, but the hybrid had other senses-just as strong-to rely on. So long as it remained downwind, it need only hide the blatant fire of its heart to remain undetected, and with the ubiquitous lunar glare, that task was made easier still.

Even if the night had been free of moonshine, the bloodwolf would have been superior to its prey. The other Dark Creature was older. Its senses were dulled by a lifetime of potion consumption designed to suppress its gifts. The bloodwolf had a potion as well, but the regimen was new. All the serum did was allow the bloodwolf to think more clearly. On the night of the Full moon, it only made the creature more formidable.

The vampire was not helpless, however. Besides being quicker, it was craftier. What it lacked in might, the vampire made up for in cunning, and the bloodwolf could not allow vanity to make it reckless. Not when it was so close.

The vampire listened. It would hear the crunch of leaf litter under paw if its rival was not cautious. It stood utterly motionless, scanning the surrounding trees with sharp eyes, but the bloodwolf approached from behind. It only needed to advance a few more steps, and it would be able to spring…

It was one step too many. A brittle twig snapped beneath the bloodwolf's heft despite the muffling spread of the pad of its paw. The vampire did not even turn. It bolted, out into the clearing. It was brighter there, but there was no place for the bloodwolf to hide. The time for stealth was over, anyway. The bloodwolf bounded, leaping forward with its long, powerful back legs to give chase.

The vampire was swift, but the bloodwolf was young and determined and soon overtook its victim. The vampire turned at the last moment to face the bloodwolf and catch the force of its impact with its chest rather than its back. Its spindly arms were strong, but the bloodwolf avoided its grasping fingers and took hold of its shoulders in almost-human hands to pin the vampire to the ground with its considerable weight.

The vampire growled and fought to shift the beast, but it was futile, and the bloodwolf peeled its lips back from its fangs in a snarl, slowly dipping its muzzle toward the vampire's scowling face.

"Don't," the vampire barked, not quite begging, turning its head to avoid the saliva that threatened to drip from the bloodwolf's slavering jaws. "Stop, I say!"

The bloodwolf ignored the entreaty, extending its tongue to swipe it up the vampire's face from chin to temple.

"Gods dammit, Harry," Severus sputtered, kicking him in the side to indicate the joke was officially no longer funny. "Bloodwolf breath is atrocious. I'll be washing drool crust from my hair for ages," he fumed, his nose scrunched in disgust.

Harry wheezed through his fangs and refused to budge, lapping repeatedly at Severus' face until the man surrendered to a fit of laughter.

"No!" he said firmly, speaking to Harry as if to a naughty pup but unable to stop smiling. "This is not funny," he shouted, laughing harder. "Harry! No, stop. Remus, help!"

Harry heard the soft pelt of approaching paws but pretended he didn't, attacking Severus with his tongue more feverishly while he was still able before the enormous blonde werewolf burst from the trees and bowled him over, knocking him to the ground to rescue the poor, beleaguered vampire.

Harry was on his feet again almost instantly and turned to face Remus. The two squared off with a growl as Severus picked himself off the ground, swiping at his face with the fabric of his robe. Harry saw Remus' muscles bunch as he prepared to pounce, and the bloodwolf shifted, bracing himself for the anticipated impact. But the werewolf yipped, startling Harry, before feinting to the left. Harry hopped to the right to intercept his bound, but Remus tore off to the left after all, sprinting back toward the forest with Harry chasing after.

Remus wove between trees, leaping fallen trunks with ease. Each time Harry thought he had him, the werewolf would change direction, his even limbs far more agile than Harry's mismatched ones. The bloodwolf was gaining on him, though.

Just as Harry was certain he was about to overtake his quarry, something streaked across his path in a flash of pale skin and flap of black linen, bopping him lightly on the head as it passed. Severus danced forward to draw even with Remus, looking back to taunt his slowness before turning and leaving them both behind, his silvery laughter bouncing off the trees as he went. The wolves never slowed, but as they drew even, they shared a determined look before persuing their frolicing prey together through the woods.