Andromeda sank down into one of the chairs with a weary sigh. "Now, tell me what this is all about."

"Well, I'm a werewolf now," Hermione said as she sat across from her. "Harry thinks my attacker is still out there and will try to kill me again. I don't want to be looking over my shoulder all the time, so I want to join the pack and draw them out."

"That does sound dangerous," Andromeda said mildly. She turned to Harry, as if giving him the floor.

Harry, who had seated himself at the head of the table, scowled. "And I told her that is what Aurors are for. She nearly got killed the first time she tried to hunt down this psycho."

Andromeda glanced at Teddy, who had taken a seat next to her. "Is there a way to discover or draw out this killer without Hermione's help?"

Teddy, who had been considering this, hesitated. Hermione's plan did seem like their best option even if he was loath to put her in danger like that again. They didn't have a clear motive or method. Unless the killer moved on a target they were watching, they might lose the killer this time around as well.

Andromeda nodded as if Teddy had said something and turned to the rest of the group. "Harry, your desire to protect your friends is admirable, but perhaps this is another instance where you must accept the danger?"

The tea kettle whistled. "Give me a minute," Ginny said as she got up. "But that seems like a desperate last move rather than the first one to turn to, don't you think? Hermione has had more than her fair share of danger in her life."

Hermione looked a little mollified by this but still shook her head. "The Aurors have had twenty years to find this person. I think we are at desperate last moves, especially if the killer is working themselves up to another spree."

As the debate continued, Teddy followed Ginny to the kitchen to help her prepare and serve the tea.

They debated and strategized until their tea ran cold and Andromeda was covering yawns too frequently to be ignored. However, it always came back to this: Hermione was their best chance to catch her attacker. For her part, Hermione agreed to all the protective measures. Harry told her to put up wards, wear protective charms, and check in at regular intervals until it sounded like she was going back to war. Teddy supposed in a sense she was. Teddy was inducted as Hermione's official bodyguard while she was at the werewolf forest. He found some comfort in this because it meant that he finally had an excuse to be close to the case again, even if he felt bad about the method.

"I'm glad we had this chat in the basement," Andromeda said as Teddy helped her to the floo. "Stairs seem like a bit too much at the moment." She covered another yawn. "Do keep yourself safe, Hermione," she said over her shoulder. "I would like to catch up soon over a luncheon, and it will be a lot harder if you are busy fighting off a crazed werewolf."

Hermione dryly agreed to seeing her soon. After saying their goodbyes to the rest of the group, Andromeda and Teddy flooed home.

Teddy helped her until she reached the cane that she didn't like to use in public. Then she let go of his arm to lean on it instead.

"You really think this is our best option?" Teddy asked at last, feeling guilty that he hadn't found a way around it.

Andromeda lightly patted his cheek. "You are a dear boy. If you thought putting yourself in danger would solve this case, would you?"

Guilt pricked him again. "Do you think that exposing my werewolfism would help?"

Andromeda laughed softly. "No, Teddy. I highly doubt it. I meant, if putting yourself in a similar situation to Hermione would solve the case, would you do it?"

"Yeah, of course I would," Teddy said defensively. "I just can't figure out how to do it."

She nodded. "Then how can you blame Hermione for being determined to do the same thing?"