Fucking! Fuck! Fuck! There was someone else in the forest. At least it wasn't the full moon, so he didn't have Longbottom to worry about, except...except of course he did. Longbottom stepped into the clearing scanning the field. He supposed he could try hiding, but the man was obviously looking for him.

Draco could kick himself, the information and the joke had encouraged his ridiculous obsession and now Draco was going to have to be an ass to him -again. At least he had the sense to lose his tails. Draco huffed, that was funny. Perhaps, he had a future as a satirist. Longbottom picked up on the sound of Draco's huff from across the clearing and turned to Draco.

He was leaning against a tree looking out over the field as the mist rose. It was a little warmer tonight than it had been, so his robes were keeping him warm. He watched Longbottom as he walked toward him. Draco supposed the man was attractive in his way. He was a little rounder than most of the blokes Draco found attractive, especially his face. He'd never lost his chipmunk cheeks even as the rest of him had slimmed up a bit as he grew.

He turned his face away as Longbottom came alongside him, leaning his shoulder against the tree just a few inches from Draco. "Hey, Draco." He said, nervously. "Longbottom." Draco replied noncommittally.

He heard Longbottom swallow and say, "nice night," trying to sound cheerful.

"Yes." Draco replied distantly. They stood there not speaking for a good two minutes before Draco gave up on the cold shoulder routine. "Longbottom look, I know you can't help this... whatever, because of you affliction, but I really think its best you..." Draco made a motion to the path with his hand hoping that Longbottom would just give up and go.

He heard Longbottom moving and turned to see if he was, in fact, leaving. He wasn't. Just putting his hands in his pockets. He smiled when Draco met his eyes. "I noticed, you know." Longbottom said, then bit at his lip.

"Well, after all the yelling the other day I would hope you'd more than noticed.."

"Not that," Longbottom jumped in, "that you've kind of disappeared this year. I even noticed you heading here a few times. I didn't think much of it, but after that night I wondered if some part of me might have known you'd be here. Maybe I was looking for you?" He finished sounding earnest.

Draco leaned against the tree to support his weight. His damn legs felt shaky. "Why? Thought you'd finish me off?" Draco heard the bark scrap against Longbottom's shoulders as he slid closer. "No, I don't think that's why I came here."

Draco was speechless. Either Longbottom was telling the truth or re-writing history to try and make some sense of his attraction. He leaned closer and Draco found his voice, "You don't like me. Even if you didn't come looking for a meal, it wasn't you looking for me, just some instinct that drew the wolf to the nearest possible shag."

Longbottom shook his head, "I didn't even know you liked men until Hermione told me. Ron nearly fell out his chair when she told him what you said." He said, laughing a little at the memory. "Well, I'd take Granger over Weasley any day, so you can let him know his virtue is safe."

"And that is beside the point, instinct is instinct you may not have known, but the wolf did."

"I guess it could have." Longbottom's shoulder was touching his now. Draco was trying to think of something suitably vicious to say when Longbottom leaned in and asked, "Can I kiss you, Draco?"

Draco ran the tip of tongue across his lips. He should say no, but now his lips were cold from the wetness cooling on them.

He wouldn't say yes, but he did nod his permission. Longbottom came in and softly pressed his lips to Draco's . It was lovely, if a little disappointing. He'd half expected the kiss to devolve rather quickly into being ravished. He felt his stomach drop at the thought.

"Was that okay?" Longbottom asked solemnly. Draco nodded again. "Wanna do it again?" Longbottom pressed even closer. Draco nodded, yes.

This kiss was still soft but lingered for a moment of two longer that the first had. Draco dug his hands into the rough tree bark to hold himself up. It had been too long if a few kisses were making him this weak-kneed. "You will probably find another toy at the next full-moon." He said quickly, trying to convince himself as much as Longbottom.

Longbottom drew back a little, "I told you that's how I think about you now," he said, sounding genuinely hurt.

"Okay. Let's say you've just discovered this great attraction for me." He continued, his mind working to find a solution to his completely illogical reaction to Longbottom's kisses.

Finally finding his feet literally and metaphorically, he said, "and it just happened to coincide with you chasing me down in the forest." Longbottom's chin came up defiantly, "then this attraction or affection or whatever it is you have for me should last beyond the next full moon, should it not?"

Longbottom tilted his head to the side as he considered Draco's words. "If after your next transformation you still find you simply must..," Draco began to walk toward the path, "come find me. If not, well, we'll know, I guess." He looked over his shoulder at Longbottom, who's arms where now folded across his chest. He caught Draco's eye and nodded. "Okay, Draco in 20 days. We'll see."

Draco thought he heard a little doubt in the voice. Well, that was good. At least he was open to the possibility that it was just instinct drawing him to Draco. At the very least no one could accuse him of taking advantage of the man's affliction.

He turned back to the path. He could still feel Longbottom's lips on his and they tingled wanting more, but this was for the best and he knew it. He would just go on with his life and Longbottom get over his little fascination and everything would be fine.


Why couldn't he leave well enough alone?

But, well, he'd been thinking about it and maybe the problem wasn't the potion but the dosage. If Longbottom and Weasley were demonstrating werewolf tendencies outside of the full-moon, then only treating them once would be useless. He wasn't sure if they had explored the possibility or not, but he did want to at least suggest it to Granger.

Perhaps even find out how they were making the wolfsbane. Maybe the idiots just weren't doing it right. Snape had told him he had a natural talent at potions. Draco slowed his pace, but maybe that was a lie as well. No, at least some part of the man had to be real and really there wouldn't have been anything to gain by paying Draco the compliment, so he would just take it at face value.

Draco assumed they were using Snape's old lab in the dungeon, since that is where they kept Longbottom during his transformations. It was supposed to be closed until next summer when they planned to complete renovations, but perhaps that was just an excuse to keep students out. The reason Slytherin House was traditionally housed in the dungeons had been the privacy afforded the accommodations.

He could barely see as he descended the stairs, but he didn't want to cast a lumos just in case someone passing saw the light down the tunnel.

If they were going to brew the potion they would have to start under the new moon. One of the difficulties of brewing wolfsbane was allowing the potion the time needed to come to full strength. Two weeks of tending and adding ingredients at just the right time, if you were off, the potion was worthless. It was one of the reasons that werewolves could never be trusted, even if they took wolfsbane, who was to say the brewer hadn't missed a step.

Granger was the only student, besides Draco, in the entire school who could even attempt such a complex mixture. He was nearly to Snape's classroom when he heard it. Several voices talking softly. He'd been right they were using Snape's lab. God, if he were still alive he would have been livid.

Draco shook the unpleasant thought away and proceeded. He had hoped to avoid Longbottom, but Granger was just as difficult as ever to get alone and if they were going to increase Longbottom's dosage they had to start on the potion tonight.

Longbottom had been true to his word and stayed away from Draco for the most part. Unfortunately, Longbottom's distance didn't keep him out of Draco's thoughts. Draco had taken to analyzing their every interaction and even using the memory of Longbottom's kisses when he pleasured himself. He didn't do it often though. He was sure that Longbottom would be able to take a sniff of him and just know that Draco had been pulling off while thinking about him.

He took a steady breath and lifted his hand to knock. Whoever was in the lab must have heard or sensed him because it went suddenly quiet. He knocked anyway. He was just going to make a quick suggestion to Granger and be out. He wasn't here to cause trouble or have a scene.

Granger answered the door, pulling it open only enough to show her face. "Malfoy, what are you doing here?"

"Hello Granger, nice to see you as well. Fancy a chat?" Draco replied coolly.

"Let him in Mione," Longbottom said, from somewhere in the room. He heard Potter and Weasley start some sort of protest that was cut off by Granger pulling a face at them from the door that shut the men up.

"Come in, Malfoy," Granger said warily as she opened the door. Sure enough Potter and Weasley were sitting on benches prepping ingredients, (Well, that was probably one issue right there), while Longbottom stood next to a table, smiling broadly at Draco. Draco felt a small smile tug at his lips, which he quickly schooled to a smirk.

"So, a knitting party I take it." He said pointedly to Weasley and Potter. Weasley had not stopped glaring at him since Draco had shared what he knew about Greyback. "Malfoy, if you have something to say, say it." Potter said, exasperated.

"Right." Draco said, "Well, Granger, I just thought I would let you know some thoughts I had about treatment that you could try...if you wanted."

Longbottom stepped toward him. "Yeah, Draco that would be wonderful." His voice had a hopeful lilt to it, but Draco knew it wasn't because he was eager to hear his suggestions.

"Well, Draco I have to be honest. I'm shocked. I hope you'll understand if I take your suggestions under advisement."

"Mione!"

"Neville, I'm sorry, but it is the smart thing to do." Potter piped in.

"Quite right, Longbottom. One should always listen to a Malfoy's advice with a discerning ear. After all, I have so much to gain by fooling you and your little friends."

Draco began to turn back when he heard Granger say, "Wait Draco! What were your suggestions?"

"Are you sure you want to hear them?" He had asked Granger, but Longbottom replied. "Yes, Draco we'd like to hear whatever you have to say." Weasley let out a heavy breath from his bench and turned back to his work. Which was fine with Draco, the last thing he needed was Weasley's face in his.

"Well, it looks as though you may have already thought of one of my ideas." He pointed to the stations set up for brewing, "I was going to suggest you make enough potion for Longbottom to take daily," Longbottom's face screwed up into a grimace, "see if building up the potion will increase its effectiveness or lessen the effects of the infection in his day to day life."

Granger actually looked a little impressed, "Yes, we were wondering the same. Of course with the amount of time it takes to brew the potion it will be after the next full moon before we can begin testing. And, that's assuming we have the potion right."

"It's never worked then?" He asked, as he felt Longbottom pull up a seat next to where he stood. "I didn't have a potion the first few times, they, the Carrows just locked me up and let me change after Greyback bit me."

Draco tilted his head in thought. "I'd heard the scars were from the Carrows, so none of that was true?"

Longbottom's body tightened as he straightened, "Every incident of torture I reported at their hands was true. I wouldn't make up a story about that and some of the scars are from them, but most of the ones on my neck and shoulder were from Greyback."

A thought struck Draco, "Did they torture you before the bite?"

"Yeah," Longbottom answered as Granger took in a sharp breath, "And after, Neville?"

"Yeah, if anything worse."

Draco looked at Granger, "Maybe the torture is a part of the process. Torture to weaken the body's defenses, to make it less able to fight the infection."

Granger brought a finger up to her chin as Draco risked a look at Longbottom, who seemed lost in thought as he absently rubbed the back of his neck. "But that doesn't explain Bill."

"But other things weaken the immune system too, stress, perhaps the loss of..."

Weasley's chair made a squealing sound as he stood, "Don't you say his name. Don't you say my brother's name Malfoy!"

Draco froze in shock, the shock doubled when Longbottom moved in front of him protectively. Draco felt his heart lurch. No one had ever done something so stupidly daring without him ordering them too. He was torn between feeling touched and annoyed that Longbottom thought he needed protecting from Weasley.

"Ron, mate, I'm sorry, but Fred wasn't Draco's fault." Longbottom held up a placating hand.

"But Bill is, in't he? If he hadn't let Greyback in..."

"Ron," Granger came around Longbottom, throwing her arms around Weasley. He put his head on her shoulder and Draco turned away when he saw Weasley's shoulders begin to shake.

He decided that this had been a bullocks idea and that he should leave before it devolved any further. "Draco, wait." Longbottom cupped his elbow in his hand. Draco slowed looking back to where Weasley and Granger were still embracing. Potter patting his shoulder. "Let's give them a few minutes," Longbottom suggested as he tugged Draco toward the door.

Draco went along already forming an excuse to leave, "I only had a moment. I really should..." Longbottom looked at him dubiously; it made Draco miss the puppy-dog eyes.

He felt his eyes roll, "Alright, I'll give them a minute."

Longbottom shut the door softly, releasing Draco at the same moment. The hall was pitch black, so Draco leaned against the wall to keep his bearings. He let out a shocked gasp when he saw Longbottom's eyes shining in the dark. "What is it?"

"Your...your eyes." He offered, pointing at Longbottom.

"What?" Longbottom's breath sounded a little panicky.

"They're glowing like a...uh..."

"Oh, um ...I'm sorry if it's scaring you. That's new, I think?"

Okay Draco, your smart think of something to say that isn't running in terror. "Can you see better in here than you normally would?"

Longbottom looked around the hall. "How much can you see?

"Almost nothing beyond you and a few things within the light of the door. You?"

Longbottom swallowed, "A fair amount more than that." He was breathing faster and faster.

"It's alright, Longbottom. It's going to be okay."

"Yeah!" Longbottom said, nearly panicked-sounding, "It's going to be bloody wonderful becoming less and less human every day." He placed his arm against the back of the door and leaned his forehead against it. Draco could clearly see when he closed his eyes.

He was panting harshly and Draco could see his jaw working as he tried to calm himself. "Longbottom, really, Granger is brilliant and Madam, they'll figure out how to help you." Draco placed a hand on his shoulder gripping it firmly, "And, I'll help too... any way I can."

He lifted his head at that, turning to face Draco with his shining eyes. With the initial shock of it gone they were actually kind of lovely. Draco's hand traveled from Longbottom's shoulder to his neck. Lingering for a moment on the soft flesh and feeling Longbottom's blood racing beneath his fingers. He slowly moved to cup his cheek, smiling when he felt Longbottom's muscles twitch as he ran his thumb along the cheekbone. "They are beautiful really. Maybe you'd like to keep them? Could be handy, seeing in the dark." Longbottom's breath had slowed and deepened as Draco spoke.

Draco felt the heat coming from Longbottom's body in the dank corridor. He moved closer as Draco continued to caress the skin of his cheekbone, until he was pushing Draco against the wall. Draco couldn't take his eyes off Longbottom. The intensity of those eyes focused completely on him was making him the breathless one now. "You think my eyes are beautiful?" Longbottom said, smiling slightly.

"All the time, unfortunately."

He saw the smile go even wider as Longbottom bent to kiss him. Their lips were just about to touch, when the sound of the door opening interrupted, breaking the moment. Draco jerked his hand away as Longbottom pulled back slightly, "Everything alright Mione?" He queried softly.

"Yes, Neville. Malfoy, I'm glad you stayed. I wanted to talk with you some more, if you'd come back in." Longbottom pulled away, wincing into the light as Granger opened the door to let them in.

Draco noticed that Potter and Weasley were gone. "They were finished for the night. Harry's taken Ron to get a nightcap before bed." Draco looked around, but didn't see an exit. "How the hell did they get out?"

"Snape had a secret exit in the storage room." Granger supplied as Draco felt his eyebrows arch. "He was a man of many secrets." He said sagely.

He and Longbottom caught one another's eyes as Longbottom made a face at the mention of Snape's name. Longbottom's eyes were their normal brown now and yes, they were still lovely. Longbottom's blush told him that he knew what he was thinking.

"So, you were saying about torture, Draco?" Granger inquired as they took the stools in front of the station Granger had set up for brewing the potion. She had laid out a parchment and quill, since their earlier conversation and began taking notes before Draco even opened his mouth.

Draco got back on task, "Well, it's just a theory, maybe that is what was happening to Greyback during his visits, some combination of torture, potions and spells to make the infection stronger in him in the hope that it would be stronger in those he bit."

"Do you think they were planning this from the beginning, Draco?"

"I don't know. Was anyone else infected by Greyback?"

"Not as far as I know, but they managed to keep what they did to me from the rest of the student body. Madam Pomfrey found out when I went for treatment, but they didn't' talk about it to me or anyone else as far as I know."

"The night of the attack do you think it was planned?"

"Yeah, I do. I was only half conscious, but I remember they let him in, locked us in and left." Longbottom's checks reddened, "I was too weak to fight him off." Draco's hand reached out for Longbottom's shoulder as his Aunt's warning about Greyback played in his mind. Had that animal done more than bite Longbottom?

He must have seen the question on Draco's face because he added quickly, "He just bit me. That's all I remember anyway, and I was still clothed, bloody, but clothed the next morning when I woke up." Granger was blushing now as well.

"Oh, that's...um... good, my Aunt used to say," he felt Longbottom's shoulder stiffen under his hand and pulled it back, "that he liked little boys. She said it with a sexual connotation, but she said most things that way, so it was hard to know when it actually applied to the situation."

"So the torture as a way to make the infection set up stronger in its victims? That would line up with Greyback's practice of biting young children to increase the chances that they would identify more strongly with being a werewolf. Perhaps he thought if the infection was stronger then their loyalty to the pack would be stronger as well."

"It sounds logical, but who knows. As I said, all I have is theory. There are more practical things I would like to discuss." Draco looked to Longbottom. He was watching Draco intently. "I have a talent for potions and I know that wolfsbane is one of the most difficult potions one can brew. I would be glad to assist you over the next few weeks, perhaps offer guidance." Draco finished looking away to give Granger time to think about it before kicking him out.

It was Longbottom's hand on his bicep that brought his attention back. "That'd be brilliant Draco. Mione's the best of course, but potions is her second best subject and your first, I think." Longbottom looked to Granger, who nodded at him knowingly. "Actually, I would like the input, Malfoy. Madam Pomfrey has been analyzing samples to see if she can find anything wrong with my technique, but perhaps there is something happening that she cannot discern from her analysis."

"Brilliant, shall we then?" Draco proposed, hoping off the stool and going to look at the herbs that Potter and Weasley had been processing. The room was silent and he turned to see Longbottom and Granger looking at him boggled. "What? You don't want to wait another month do you?"

"No Malfoy, you're right, let's get started." Granger said, a sly smile lighting her face. It was dulled by grin that blossomed on Longbottom's face. Draco felt himself smiling at the man and forced himself to look back to the mess Potter and Weasley had made.