IV.

When Remus Lupin had woken up at St. Mungo's, it had been nothing short of chaotic. The poor man had no idea where he was, who was at his bedside, or what the date was.

He screamed for Sirius, and later Harry. Hermione wondered why he didn't call for Tonks.

When he was calmed and his fever brought down, it soon became clear that the man was no more mad than Hermione herself, only disoriented and depressed. He spoke very little, asked very few questions, and barely ate what was given to him.

He asked once about Teddy. The boy was safe, living with his grandmother Andromeda Tonks, and the occasional weekend with Uncle Harry.

"Does he change?" Remus asked, showing a flicker of emotion: Fear.

"No," Harry answered with a smile. "I think he'd like to know you."

Remus remained silent.

The full moon was still weeks away, but the staff of Mungo's made it clear that despite Remus' condition, he would be discharged before then.

Hermione argued that Remus' silver poisoning would require weeks of Detox healing, and didn't the hospital have the proper facilities for werewolves?

No, St. Mungo's did not have the proper facilities, but perhaps a Magical Creature's hospital just outside of London would be more than happy to treat him…?

Harry had a flat with Ginny Weasley in the middle of the city, and Mrs. Tonks worried for the toddler in the house. Hermione, having shared a flat with Ron also in the city and crashing on Luna Lovegood's couch as of late, decided she would very much like to live in the country, what a coincidence!

"There's no such thing as coincidences," Luna said in that eerie voice of hers, and Hermione knew the point had been lost on the poor girl.

"It's not much," Hermione apologized as she led Remus into the modest cottage. "But we shouldn't be bothered too much."

"'We?'" Remus questioned, his hands shoved in his pockets as he glanced around the sitting room. He slouched, not from exhaustion as he had in his youth, but almost to make himself smaller and less noticeable.

"Would you rather be alone?" Hermione asked, surprised by his question.

"…No. It is your house, after all."

"Right. Well, the surrounding land isn't all ours, but the neighbors are a few kilometers in each direction, I don't think we'll have to worry about them. I went ahead and set the fireplace up for Floo, but only Harry and Mrs. Tonks know how to access it-"

"You've thought of everything, haven't you?" Remus turned to her, a small, peculiar smile on his face. It was the most his face had moved in near a month.

Hermione offered a much friendlier smile of her own. "Professor Slughorn, do you remember him? He's brewing the wolfsbane potion for you. Harry will bring that along when the time comes."

Remus' smile didn't change, but he did turn away to glance around the room again. "Such a clever little witch."