The End's Intent

Chapter 14

Hermione knew the exact moment Draco arrived in the bookstore. Sure, she'd heard the door open and close, but she'd known it was Draco even before he grabbed her hand from behind and inhaled deeply. She turned away from the bookshelf to look up at him, wondering if he'd get offended if she asked how his meeting with Remus had gone. He was tense, but he'd been tense since they arrived in Hogsmeade earlier that day.

"Was Remus able to help?" she asked. Draco's eyes narrowed slightly at Remus's name, but Hermione ignored it.

"Yes, he was able to explain some things that seem to make more sense now than when he said them," he replied. There was something in the way that he stared at her as he spoke that made her toes curl and her lower abdomen coil, but she refused to acknowledge that.

Draco was her best friend and had recently been attacked by a werewolf. No matter how hotly he'd kissed her after, she needed to remember he hadn't been thinking clearly and was likely regretting his actions now.

"Oh?" Hermione asked. It seemed to be the only word she could form for a moment until she could gather her bearings. "Well, I'm glad he could help."

Draco hummed and glanced over the bookshelf she'd been poking through. He looked down at the books in her hands and she flushed when she realised she'd been looking for books on werewolves. The library at Hogwarts hadn't had everything she'd been looking for, but she'd found a book containing the diary of a werewolf and another book about how man and wolf interacted within a werewolf's brain. It seemed to take a more scientific approach which was something Hermione had been thrilled to find.

"I thought maybe it could help?" she said, offering him the books. "I know it's probably not the same as experiencing it, but I'd like to understand a little better."

Draco smiled at her but didn't take the books.

"Finish up here and we'll return to Hogwarts," he told her. Hermione grinned and turned back to the bookshelf, skimming over book titles and pulling out ones she thought might give her a better understanding of what Draco was going through.

It occurred to her as they left the bookstore that it might be worthwhile to have Draco read through them first and make notes of what felt accurate and what did not, but she wasn't sure he'd be particularly open about the idea. His wolf and all the resulting changes due to his werewolf bites were still new and he didn't seem excited to talk about them just yet.

"What did you and Remus talk about?" she asked, clutching her new books to her chest as they walked back to the school. "Did he say anything about the Shrieking Shack?"

"No," Draco said, shaking his head. "I suppose that's the best place for me during the full moon though."

"It's where he changed while at Hogwarts," Hermione told him. She glanced at him and pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders at a cold breeze. "I'm not too sure your wolf would appreciate his scent, but it is the safest option even with the Wolfsbane potion."

Just like she'd expected, his nose wrinkled at the thought of being around another wolf's scent during his transformation, but he didn't snap at her. Instead, he nodded in agreement and asked what she'd need to brew the potion for him in the future. Her steps faltered and she blinked up at him.

"Well, I'll have to create a lab in our dorm," she said. She couldn't brew the potion in the potions lab where Amycus Carrow was sure to find it. "Headmaster Snape has offered his entire potions supply, but I looked through it and it won't be enough. I'll need a little more of each ingredient and that just covers until the end of school, not summer or the months following."

"I should have some supplies in my lab at the Manor," Draco said softly. He stared straight ahead and Hermione frowned. She didn't want him to return to the Manor when it was full of Death Eaters, but they didn't have many other options with how limited potion supplies were these days. It was a miracle Snape had offered his supply up.