A/N: Beta love to brownlark42. She's like the first glass of wine out of a surprisingly good bottle.

I make a manip for every chapter, find me on tumblr at crochetawayhpff.

As always, I love to know your thoughts!


Hermione took a deep breath as she walked through the doors of the Great Hall; she briefly squeezed Draco's hand as students began to notice them. It started with the Hufflepuffs. The table at first fell silent, but then soft, urgent whispers emerged. The Ravenclaws were next, followed by the Slytherins. The Gryffindors were last, of course, but their table had the loudest explosion of whispers. Draco returned the squeeze and dropped a kiss on the top of her head before releasing her hand and sauntering over to the Slytherin table. Hermione envied how cool he looked. As they faced the first dinner back after the Christmas hols, she was sure he felt as much turmoil as she did. He didn't show it.

Hermione squared her shoulders and headed toward the Gryffindors. She slid into a seat next to Harry, who patted her back. Ron was across from her and he didn't look happy. Lavender was nowhere in sight.

"Here, now. What's this?" Ron asked. His face was red and he had his wand clutched in his hand.

"What's what?" Hermione asked as she grabbed a dinner roll and began tearing it apart in her hands. She was too nervous to eat. The whispers continued and she could feel hundreds of eyes on her.

"Don't play dumb, Hermione. You were holding hands with Malfoy. Malfoy!" Ron exploded.

"Ron!" Hermione hissed. "I know his name, no need to shout it."

"I thought you were gathering information, not holding his bleeding hand! Are you dating him?" Ron asked. He was redder than Hermione had ever seen him.

"And if I am Ron? What's it to you?" Hermione sighed. They were going to have it out one way or another. Better to get it over with now than try to placate Ron and have him blow up again later.

"You can't! You just can't! He's a Slytherin! A fucking Death Eater!" Ron shouted as he stood from the table. He pushed away violently and looked across the hall at Malfoy.

"Ron, sit down," Hermione said tiredly and began to stand. She really didn't want to have this conversation in the Great Hall, but she wasn't looking forward to forcing Ron to leave. She gestured for Harry to help her get Ron out of the Great Hall.

"No, Hermione — I'll get him —" Ginny whipped her wand out and hexed Ron with her infamous bat-bogey. Bats started flying out of his nose as Ron tried to knock them away with his hands. Hermione gave Ginny a brief smile in thanks. Ginny nodded back and crossed her arms, looking satisfied with herself.

"Ginny! What'd you do that for?" Ron grumped. Hermione took her opportunity. She nodded at Harry and the two of them hustled Ron out of the Great Hall, into the Entrance Hall, and toward the Room of Requirement.

Hermione paced in front of the troll tapestry, trying to focus on Ron and avoid thinking about Draco. She didn't want her and Draco's room, but something similar would be good for a private conversation. When the door began appearing in the bricks, she grabbed Ron's arm and pushed him through in front of her, while Harry trailed behind. They stepped into what looked like a smaller version of the Gryffindor common room. Red and gold curtains hung on the walls and there was a roaring fire in the hearth with a couch and two armchairs clustered around a coffee table. Hermione dragged Ron to the couch and pushed him down on it. He was still fighting the bat-bogeys flying out of his nose.

Hermione twirled her wand and whispered the counter-curse. Hermione was one of the lucky few that Ginny had shared it with.

"Ugh, that is just vile," Ron complained as he cleaned his hands with a Scourgify.

"Are you ready to listen?" Hermione asked. She hadn't sat, but Harry did. He had the good sense to sit close enough to Ron that he could grab him if things got out of hand. Hermione knew Harry wasn't happy about this development either, but Harry at least knew the rest of the story. Hermione debated how much she should tell Ron. It wasn't that Ron was untrustworthy, but he did have a tendency to talk too much. Hermione had heard more than one secret tumble out of Ron's mouth at an inopportune time, and she didn't want Draco's secret to be the same.

"What's going on with you and Lavender?" Hermione asked trying to distract Ron long enough for him to calm down.

"She's bloody insane," Ron said. "Keeps talking of rings and weddings, she does."

Harry snorted and leaned back on the couch, catching Hermione's eye. Hermione shrugged. She didn't know what to tell Ron. Maybe she should just start with the basics?

"So you aren't together anymore?" Hermione asked after Ron fell silent again.

Ron looked up at her horrified, "I'm too young to get married."

Hermione laughed, "Good, at least you recognize that."

"What's going on with Malfoy? I thought you were just talking?" Ron asked. He'd calmed some. He was getting better at managing himself. His blowups were shorter and he came around faster. Hermione figured she should be thankful for that at least.

"Well, we were just talking. But things started to change..." Hermione trailed off and shrugged again. Ron looked at her thoughtfully.

"What aren't you telling me?" Ron asked.

Hermione thought for a moment.

"He's a werewolf and I'm his mate," she finally said.

"HE'S A WHAT? YOU'RE WHAT?" Ron shouted in confusion and anger, standing from the couch. Harry grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back down. Ron plopped back on the couch in a graceless heap. Hermione quirked a smile at their antics. She was glad Harry was with her.

"See why she doesn't want to tell you things?" Harry asked. He had slung an arm over Ron's shoulders, holding him in place.

"But, what? When did this happen? How did this happen? I don't-" Ron sputtered.

Hermione sighed. "It was his punishment. Voldemort decided that Draco was to be punished because Lucius failed to capture the prophecy last spring."

"That hardly seems fair. Shouldn't be punished for your father's sins. Isn't that a saying or something?" Ron asked.

Hermione let loose a low chuckle. She was glad that Ron had matured some over the years.

"Yes, it's barbaric to punish the son for the father's sins. But it's Voldemort. Anyway, Fenrir Greyback bit him over the summer. So now he's part of Greyback's pack. His Beta actually. And as strange as it might seem, I'm his mate. He figured it out on the Hogwarts Express back in September."

"You've been seeing him since September?" Ron asked. He looked at Harry for confirmation.

"Not really," Hermione admitted. "More like, since the middle of October or so? I'm not sure when it all happened, but there are a mate bond and pheromones at play. I - It's hard to explain," Hermione said.

Ron nodded thoughtfully, "Is this why you aren't around anymore? You are always with Malfoy?"

Hermione hung her head. She knew she had been neglecting her friends. She didn't realize they had noticed though.

"I'm sorry. I'll try to be around more," Hermione said.

"S'all right. I was a little too involved with Lavender there for a while," Ron admitted. Hermione grinned at him. This is why they were friends. They might get angry, but they were always managed to work things out.


The following weekend was a Hogsmeade weekend, and Hermione, Draco, and Harry had plans to meet with Tonks and Lupin at the back of Madam Puddifoot's again. The previous week had been fairly unbearable for Hermione. She and Draco had hardly had a chance to even speak to each other privately. They spent less time in the Room of Requirement and more time in the library studying. They had decided if they were going to be out, they shouldn't hide away. There were whispers and stares every time they were together, but it was still better than being apart.

Hermione had taken to keeping her wand in her hand at all times and a shield charm ready to go. The Slytherins were getting downright nasty in their hexes. Harry and Ron helped where they could, and surprisingly Parkinson did as well. In Ancient Runes, Nott had tripped Hermione as she walked past him and her bag split open when it hit the floor. Draco wasn't there yet, but Pansy was. As Hermione repaired her bag, Pansy distracted Nott by starting an argument and then used a handy spell — that Hermione was determined to learn from her later — to help collect her things and file them neatly back into the bag.

Hermione couldn't wait until the next scandal happened. She was sick of being in the spotlight. She was hoping this weekend would provide a little relief and next week would be better. At this point, any amount of stress taken off of her would help. She felt like she couldn't relax for a second or else all the balls she and Draco were juggling would come tumbling down.

It didn't help that letters from Remus were few and far between. Hermione suspected he wasn't helping as much as he promised. She knew how much he hated the werewolf side of himself and that he resented that was always the role he played for Dumbledore. Token werewolf. But Draco needed the help. And at this point, Hermione was prepared to do anything she could to help Draco.

"Wotcher, 'Mione, cousin," Tonks said as Draco and Hermione entered the room they had secured atop Madam Puddifoot's.

Hermione smiled and greeted both Tonks and Remus with a hug. Then they poured tea and had some small talk while they waited for Harry to arrive.

The door blew open, and then shut again, but nobody was there. Hermione reached her hand out and grasped the edge of the cloak. As she pulled, Harry appeared out of thin air.

"Sorry 'bout that. Had to dodge Ron," Harry said as he tried to flatten his hair.

Once they were all seated, Remus began the meeting, "All right, I've had some luck in convincing a few wolves to join my pack. I've got three so far -"

"Three is not enough," Draco said as he leaned back in his seat and ran his hands through his hair. Hermione could feel the tension rolling off of him. He'd been tense since he returned from Christmas hols, and he had been very vague about what happened at the revel. She hated that he was still keeping secrets from her, even if she had a few of her own to keep as well.

"I know, but it takes time to convince wary werewolves to join the pack of someone who has been a lone wolf his whole life," Remus replied evenly. Hermione peered at him and could see he was strained as well.

"What would help?" she asked.

"Money," Remus replied. "They're all hungry. None of them can work, and most don't even have a house to sleep in most of the time."

"That's an easy fix," Draco said as he leaned forward. "Give me your Gringotts account info and I'll have some money transferred to it. Can you use it to bribe them?"

"I will try. I'm not…" Remus trailed off and Tonks took his hand.

"This is hard for Remus. Being a werewolf is an absolute curse for him. He abhors the violence of the lifestyle and given his choice, he would never see or contact another werewolf for the rest of his life. They're not civilized, and they do not welcome him either. It's just hard - but he doesn't have a choice," Tonks explained.

Hermione frowned. She knew it was hard. This was war - it was hard for everyone. Tonks and Remus were the adults. Why was every adult in Hermione's life insisting that her generation fight the war? Why was it was her generation that needed to figure out the problems and take care of them? She was exasperated; she had had enough.

"Listen, I understand. It's a tough position to be in, and I don't blame you for hating being a werewolf. But we," she gestured to herself, Draco and Harry, "can't be the only ones fighting this war. If Volde - the Dark Lord gets wind that you aren't trying hard enough, Draco is the one who will be punished. Draco is taking a bigger risk than any of us to help win the war. You're the adults and you are the ones allegedly leading the Order. You need to suck it up and deal with it."

Draco and Harry looked at her in awe.

"Damn right, Hermione," Harry said. "I'm sick of all the adults pushing this war on us."

Remus groaned and dropped his head into his hands, "It's not that simple. We aren't pushing the war on you. I just am not any good at this Alpha business. Or at convincing the other wolves to trust me."

"Then get good at it," Hermione snapped. "Draco's going to give you funds. Merlin, Remus, they don't have to fight for the light, they just have to promise to not fight for the dark! Just taking the werewolves out of the fight, in general, will be enough. You aren't trying to save their souls, you are trying to save lives."

"Fine," Remus snapped back. "Let's move on to Order business."

Suddenly, the door to the room opened again, and Ron Weasley was standing in the threshold with Lavender Brown hanging on him, kissing his neck. He looked confused for a moment and then his face darkened.

"Oi! What's going on here?" he asked as he looked back and forth between Hermione and Harry. Hermione kept her face calm and relaxed, but she glanced at Harry and he looked guilty. Merlin, he's a terrible liar, she thought.

"Ron," Harry began, but then looked at Hermione as if asking her permission. She sighed. Of course, this was another mess for her to clean up. And Lavender was here too. What a disaster. She stood, pulled both Ron and Lavender into the room, and shut the door. Then she properly warded it, surprised that Remus and Tonks hadn't already done it. Draco conjured chairs for both newcomers while Hermione shoved them into the seats.

"Merlin, what are we going to do?" she looked at Draco and Harry, completely ignoring the rest of the room.

"What in the bloody hell is going on?" Ron shouted.

"For Circe's sake, Ron! Just shut up! For one fucking minute, shut up!" Hermione shouted as she whirled on him and put her wand in his face. She didn't know if it was the swearing or the wand, but he shut his mouth.

Hermione took a deep breath as she paced the length of the room for a moment her wand still in her hand. She was trying to decide what to do when Draco spoke up.

"Weasley's practically in the Order, we should tell him. If you're worried he'll blab, let's make him take a wizarding vow. I think Brown should get a wizarding vow to not speak about what she saw here and then she learns nothing else," Draco said quietly.

"I won't blab!" Ron shouted. Hermione glared at him, and Harry sighed and cast a silencing spell over him. Draco nodded his thanks to Harry. Even in the middle of everything that was going on, Hermione was glad to see this tiny gesture as proof that Harry and Draco could get along.

Ron's face was growing redder and redder as he sat under the silencing spell. Lavender just looked around with curious eyes. Too curious in Hermione's opinion. The Brown's were an old pureblood family, and Hermione had never fully ascertained where she stood. She could not be allowed to leave here with any information.

"What about an Obliviate for Lavender instead?" Hermione asked. Ron's chair bucked like he had attempted to stand, when Hermione looked in his direction, Harry had a firm hand on his shoulder. Harry looked like he was spoiling for a fight. He had been so angry this year.

Draco thought for a moment, "I wouldn't trust myself to do one. What's the concern?"

"She can't be allowed to mention any of this to anyone. I'm worried a vow could be talked around. Or written around or something," Hermione replied. "I've been practicing my Obliviate, actually," she admitted.

Draco raised an eyebrow at her, but Hermione looked away. She didn't want to tell him she was considering Obliviating her parents and sending them away. They were sitting ducks in the Muggle world, and she didn't want them to be hurt or killed because of the part she was playing in this war.

"I think a wizarding vow is the way to go. Obliviates are tricky things, and they can be overridden with enough Veritaserum. Even with Veritaserum, a wizarding vow will hold if worded correctly."

Hermione nodded. She turned to the group - everyone was now quiet and staring at her and Draco. Draco grasped her hand and squeezed. Hermione took a deep breath.

"Ron - we'll tell you everything, on the condition you take a wizarding vow that you won't repeat or divulge anything you heard or saw here today with anyone outside this room. Also, Lavender won't be included in the vow, so you will not be able to discuss with her at a later date," Hermione stated. "Do you accept our terms?"

Harry canceled the silencing spell sometime during Hermione's proposal.

"And if I don't agree, 'Mione?" Ron asked petulantly.

"I'll Obliviate you," Hermione replied.

"Hermione!" Remus and Harry shouted standing from the table. Tonks was looking at her with her jaw hanging open in shock.

"I won't have him inadvertently blabbing secrets that will get someone killed. He's almost as bad as Hagrid in that respect," Hermione snapped.

Ron had the grace to look sheepish, "You're right 'Mione. I just forget. I'll take the vow."

"Good. Lavender, you can either be Obliviated or you can take the same vow, except you don't get to learn anything new. It's your choice," Hermione said her voice like steel.

"I'll take the vow too, Hermione," Lavender said, suitably cowed.

"Good. You first then, Draco will be our bonder," Hermione stood next to Lavender and grabbed her wrist.

"Will you, Lavender Brown, keep everything you have seen and heard today, from the moment you stepped foot into Madam Puddifoot's to the moment you leave, in confidence?" Draco asked and twirled his wand in a complicated pattern.

"I so vow," Lavender said quietly and a bright blue strand of magic circled around Hermione and Lavender's wrists. Draco tapped his wand on their joined hands and the magic sank into their skin, leaving nothing behind.

"You will not disclose any information, whether directly or indirectly - verbally, symbolically, or in writing - about anything you have seen, heard, thought, or experienced related to the time you have been in this establishment," Draco asked with another complicated twirl of his wand.

"I so vow," Lavender replied. Another strand of bright blue magic surrounded Hermione and Lavender's wrists. With another tap of the wand, it too merged with their skin.

"It's done," Draco said.

"Lavender, what do you think about Draco and I meeting with Professor Lupin?" Hermione asked.

Lavender's mouth opened, but no words came out. She grabbed her wrist like it hurt and then closed her mouth.

"Good, it worked," Hermione said. "You can either leave, or I can put you in the corner and blindfold and muffle your ears. Your choice."

"I'd rather wait for Ron," Lavender said quietly.

Hermione nodded and pulled her chair to the corner. She sat Lavender facing the wall. Then conjured a blindfold and placed it over the other girl's eyes. Then she set a Muffliato and a Silencing charm on her. Then she had Draco do the same.

"Is that really necessary, Hermione?" Ron asked bitterly.

"How do her parents feel about the Dark Lord?" Hermione asked Ron, and he shrugged. "Then yes, it's necessary."

She and Ron stood and grasped hands to perform Ron's wizarding vow. A vow was different than an oath. A wizarding oath that was broken was deadly. A vow just stopped a person from doing whatever it was they vowed they wouldn't do. It was strong in that it couldn't be broken by Veritaserum, but a powerful Legilimens could get around it. It wasn't foolproof, but neither was Obliviation. Foolproof would have been locking the door in the first place.

Once Ron's vow was over, they all took their places at the table and silence reigned for several moments.

"It's your show, 'Mione," Harry finally said.

Hermione rolled her eyes. It seemed like it was always her show these days. She began telling Ron everything. How Draco was a reluctant Death Eater, how awful Fenrir Greyback was, and what their plan was to try to undermine the Dark Lord's plots with the werewolves. Ron took it all in without saying too much. He asked a few clarifying questions, but for the most part was silent. Hermione did want Ron's input - he was a brilliant strategist. Maybe there was something she was overlooking?

"I don't like it," Ron finally said. "Greyback is an unknown and the Dark Lord is unpredictable. It feels like you are playing with fire."

Hermione sighed, "None of us like it. But we have to do something. I'm not going to let Draco become some sick, depraved, Death Eater because nobody in his life is willing to help him. Think about it, Ron. Not one single person in his life is willing to help him out of this mess."

"Hey!" Tonks interrupted. "Remus and I are here, aren't we?"

Hermione turned her glare on them. "And what were we discussing before Ron showed up? How hard it is to be a werewolf? How hard it is to recruit for your pack? How hard do you think it is for Draco to return home? To leave his mother in a house full of Death Eaters and the Dark Lord? How about to pretend loyalty to not one, not two, but three different sides in this war? Both the Dark Lord and Fenrir's plans line up for now. What happens when that changes? I don't want to hear your complaining," Hermione snapped.

Tonks looked angry, but Remus looked chastened. Good, Hermione thought, it was time for some adults to take responsibility in this war.

The meeting broke up with nothing resolved beyond Draco promising to set up the transfer between his Gringotts account and Remus'. Hermione hoped it would be enough. She hoped that the next time they met with Remus he would have better news. She hated to think what would happen if Draco were summoned and he had to give the Dark Lord a report on how little Remus had been trying. If the Dark Lord didn't think Remus was trying hard enough, he'd make him take the Dark Mark or worse - he might kill him.


The next week flew by and Hermione cornered Professor Snape for another Fiendfyre lesson. She had to be capable of successfully calling the fire back several times before she would trust herself to try to destroy Horcruxes with it. She wished they had a Horcrux or two to destroy with Professor Snape. If she knew what to expect, she wouldn't be so nervous when she inevitably had to try it on her own.

The training went well. She was getting better at controlling the fire but recalling it was another story. Professor Snape had to save her every time she tried to recall it. The power was there, but her control was lacking. She finally asked Professor Snape for some good controlling exercises. He sneered at her, but then told her to try Wingardium Leviosa on several objects of varying weights. If she could get them to rise and fall at a steady rate, it would help her control with other spells.

He recommended she start light and work her way to heavy. Very heavy, as in picking up more than one person at a time. The heavier the object that she was able to control, the better her control would be. Hermione had returned to the castle that day and promptly set out for the lake. There were several large boulders around the lake and she was sure they would make perfect practice.

It was toward the end of January that the tentative peace formed between Harry, Ron and Draco finally blew up. Hermione had been studying in the library on her own when she felt her mate bond twinge. Draco was very, very upset about something. She quickly packed up her things and set out in search of him. The mate bond was acting as a signal, telling her where to go. She climbed the stairs all the way to the seventh floor and headed toward the Room of Hidden Things. The door was wide open and she could hear shouting from inside.

She slipped in the door and quickly spotted Draco's white-blond head standing near the vanishing cabinet. Harry and Ron were standing opposite of him, and both had mean mulish expressions on their faces. Hermione shut the door quickly and wound her way through the aisles to join the boys.

"What is going on here?" Hermione demanded. She had drawn her wand but held it to her side. She couldn't believe these three were fighting already. It had only been a few weeks since the Hogsmeade trip. What could they have gotten into a fight over?

"We're looking for you-know-what's-it's, 'Mione. And this prat won't leave!" Ron shouted.

"What?! Here? Of all places? How do you know?" Hermione asked.

"Not now, 'Mione," Harry gritted and flashed his eyes at Draco. Hermione sighed. This was going to mean another conversation with Draco about things she was hiding from him. He was hiding things from her too, she knew. She was so frustrated she wanted to scream and the tension in the room was incredibly high.

"Draco, can you leave for a while, so they can have a look about the room?" Hermione asked.

"I can't, Granger. I'm in the middle of a very delicate part right now," Draco clenched his jaw and his fists.

"Ron, Harry, maybe now isn't the best ti -"

"He's always bleeding in here, though! How are we ever supposed to get a chance to look if he's always here!" Harry exploded.

Hermione took deep breaths as the tension ratcheted higher.

"Granger, what are you keeping from me?" Draco asked in a low voice as he gripped her elbow and turned her toward him. She narrowed her eyes at him. He may bully everyone else with his size and his werewolf intensity. But Hermione knew better than to be cowed by him.

"It's not your concern at this time," she bit out and wrenched her arm away from him.

"Harry, Ron -" Hermione began.

"No! I won't leave!" Harry shouted petulantly. Hermione groaned and threw up her hands.

"Fine, don't leave. Draco you stay here too. I'll leave. If you kill each other, I'll resurrect you and kill you again. Understood?" Hermione snapped as she whirled away. They were impossible. First, the adults were not taking responsibility for anything in this war and now her boys fighting over stupid things.

She left the Room of Hidden Things and slammed the door shut behind her, smiling at the resounding sound. That felt good. Maybe she just needed to go destroy a few things. She hustled out of the castle, summoning her cloak at the same time. She didn't have her apparition license yet, but Hermione wasn't worried. She knew the spell and the moves by heart. She managed to get to the first part of the Forbidden Forest and then apparated to the canyon that she and Professor Snape had been using to practice Fiendfyre.

She knew she oughtn't practice without him, but she had been practicing the boulder trick for weeks. She was up to controlling some truly massive boulders and felt sure she would be able to control the Fiendfyre, especially if she started with just a little and didn't let it grow exponentially as it was wont to do.

"Ignis pe Fende," she murmured and watched in fascination as the fire leapt from her wand and began circling the fallen log she was pointing at. She worked hard on controlling the size, keeping the raging flames small. Sweat beaded her brow as she fought against the flaming beasts within. When the log was no more and the flames started seeking a new target, Hermione whispered "Mergit Ignis."

But nothing happened. She said it again. Twice. Three times. The flames were escaping her and growing larger. The flaming, voracious beasts engulfed a small tree and then another. She was growing frantic as she lost control of the fire and it swirled, encircling her. The sweat poured off her face as she worked on her control, and her hands shook at the power flowing through her wand.

Finally, she shouted, "MERGIT IGNIS!"

Suddenly the raging beasts came right for her. She closed her eyes and turned away from her wand hand. She pointed directly at the fire, bracing herself for impact from the ravenous creatures within the fire.

Slowly, very slowly, the fire began creeping back into her wand. When she finally felt the heat die down, there was just one fire beast left. The flaming wolf seemed to hesitate, resisting her pull as if it didn't want to leave her. But finally, gradually, she drew it into her wand.