The next few days passed in a blur. Thursday and Friday Hermione continued to take the long way to work, which went quickly. Secretly she hoped that Remus would come back to borrow something else, but of course, he never did.

Friday night came and with it came the Friday night dinner. Every Friday, all four of them got together in the kitchen to help cook and then eat together. Hermione was attempting to read in her room when she was called downstairs to help. On her way out, the golden wolf around her neck flashed in her mirror and she realized she should probably take it off. But the thought of doing so was almost painful. When she had taken it off that first night to go to sleep, she found that it only kept her awake. As if something was pulling her to it, nagging at her to put it back on. And then once she finally gave in, her mind was at peace once again. She left it on, the boys would hardly notice if she dyed her hair purple.

Hermione, who wasn't very good in the kitchen, always offered to make salad. So as she was chopping, Harry made some sort of meat and potatoes, Sirius had soup simmering, and Ron was working on pudding. Another downside to living with all boys, besides the messy bathrooms and displaced dirty socks, was that the food was always heavy. By the time they sat down to eat they were next to exhausted from the cooking like always.

"I just don't understand how he managed to mess up that assignment," Harry began.

"I know! It seemed so simple on paper," replied Sirius.

"Are you really that surprised?" asked Ron. "The mans a Neanderthal, I didn't expect anything else from him."

Hermione was used to being left out of their conversations about work. It didn't bother her in the least. She was happily off in her own little world.

"You know, it wouldn't even seem that bad if we weren't the ones assigned to fix it."

"True."

Then they remembered she was there.

"Hermione your quiet tonight," Harry said.

"Not quiet, just enjoying my soup."

"Well let's hear about your week then."

"It was—you know—the same. I don't exactly have any coworkers, so I don't have any stories for you."

"Well what else is new?"

"Yeah, is that a new necklace?" Ron asked so mannerly and un-Ron-like, that it worried her. Maybe Sirius had said something to them and they were all secretly baiting her. Now that she was worried, she felt the weight of their eyes on her.

"Yes its new," she began. "I got it in Diagon Alley when I was there—Wednesday."

"I like it," he concluded and Harry agreed.

"You know what else that guys problem is—"

Ron and Harry went back to their previous conversation, satisfied that they had included her enough for tonight. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and continued her soup.

"—Isn't that right Sirius?"

But Sirius hadn't been paying attention to them. He was absentmindedly biting the corner of his thumb. "Sorry, didn't hear a word you said." He then locked his slate colored gaze across the table with Hermione's. "Was lost in thought."

After dinner Hermione settled for tea and a book from the library. She backed in, shoving the door open with her shoulder and then lit the fire. When she turned around she was startled to see Sirius sitting on the couch grinning at her.

"Sirius! Why didn't you say anything?" she cried out nearly spilling her tea.

But he just kept smiling with a big dumb grin on his face. "What and spoil all the fun? Besides I'm allowed to sit in my own library aren't I?"

"Yes, but you rarely do. So what do you want?"

"I want to ask you some questions."

"About?"

"About the man who used to be my best friend, but who now seems to be sneaking around without telling me a thing about it."

"What do you expect me to know?"

"A whole lot more than I do—that's for dam sure."

Hermione just looked at him, unsure of where he was coming from.

"So lets start at the beginning shall we? How long have you and Remus been cuddling like that on the beach?" Then he stalled. "No wait let's start at the very beginning—are you REALLY—seriously—truthfully attracted to Remus Lupin?" he asked with blatant cynicism.

Hermione was frozen, paralyzed by his questions. What was she supposed to say? She doubted that she could possibly pull off a convincing lie to Sirius. But her lack of words seemed to be all the answer he required.

"Ok next question. Where is he and what the hell is he doing?"

"I don't know where he is—"

"So you haven't been sneaking off to see him?"

"No of course not I—"

Sirius reached out and brushed his fingers along her neck, stopping at her collarbone. He pulled the red cord out from underneath her shirt. "Then when did he give you this?" he demanded with dark humorless eyes.

"He d-didn't," Hermione stuttered.

"I know—you bought it in the Alley," he quoted her words. "And don't worry, your story works on them. They're completely oblivious to your little Affaire de Coeur. Unfortunately for you darling, I already know that necklace belongs to Remus."

Again Hermione was stunned. Hadn't Remus told her that he'd bought it for her?

"See the funny thing about that necklace is that I have one too," he said as he pulled a red cord out of his pocket, dangling it in front of her face. "And I already know what it does."

"What it does?"

She could tell by the look on Sirius' face that that was not the answer he was expecting.

"He didn't tell you?"

Hermione felt shrunken under Sirius' interrogation, as if she were a small child. Apparently she still didn't know what was going on.

"He told me he bought it and then thought of giving it to me."

Sirius' gaze became both dissatisfied and a touch concerned.

"Did he give you any reason why he would give you that charm?"

"He just said it was for being a friend."

Sirius' look softened completely after that. And he let out a groan as he collapsed back into the couch. He held his head in his hands for a moment and when he lifted his eyes to meet Hermione's, she could see the worry.

"Well he basically instructed you to wear that, so I'm putting mine on for good measure." Sirius dropped his own necklace around his neck.

"What does it do?"

"Protects you."

"Protects me from what?"

"Werewolves."

"Why would he give me something to protect me against werewolves?"

"Maybe your in danger."