Help comes from unexpected sources
Another player is added to the pack. Scabior slowly improves. He, Hermione and Philip grow closer.
The next day, Hermione wrote a note to Professor Snape, hoping desperately the Hogwarts was secure. While she was at it, she also wrote a short note to the Australian Ministry of Magic and Viktor Krum. Krum might not know himself but she was willing to bet he knew someone who would have a clue. Same as the Australian Ministry of Magic. They might have some ideas about the virus. They could also check on her parents.
Right after she sent the notes, she, Harry and Philip set up the potions lab and began chopping ingredients to start their first rounds of experiments. She discovered she had everything they needed except belladonna. Philip went in search of his father. "Hermione needs to speak to you."
"Hermione. Philip tells me you needed to speak to me?" Greyback asked as he followed his son back to the makeshift potions lab.
"Yeah. When you snatched me, we were outside the apothecary. Do you recall a flower shop around there? I have everything I need for the potions I'm wanting to try except belladonna! Worst comes to worst, do you know anyplace that it grows?"
"I seem to recall there being a flower shop across the way. If there's none there, I'm quite sure I've seen it growing in the Forbidden Forest." He told her.
"I don't suppose you'd let me leave long enough-?" Hermione broke off her question as Greyback was already shaking his head no. "Would you be willing to send a few of your naturalborns to check the flower shop out?"
"Well, as long as they know what they're going there for, I suppose I could send a small group out." Greyback conceded. Hermione smiled brightly at him as she grabbed a book.
"Ok. This is the plant they're looking for. It would be useful if they could bring the whole plant back. We could sit it on the roof, maybe. It needs a lot of sun so it'll most likely be displayed in the window." She took her wand and replicated the picture. "All right, who is my group leader?" Philip immediately raised his hand. Greyback raised an amused brow at him. Philip cleared his throat and grinned at his dad. Greyback chuckled and shook his head.
Philip carefully folded the picture into his pocket. Then he selected a group of three more naturalborns. They left and Hermione rejoined Harry at the table. It was almost time for Scabior's daily injection. Greyback took hold of his arms as Scabior tried to jerk away from her.
"Come on, Scabior, you need the shot. Its helping you get better. I know you hate it. I hate getting shots, too. But it's important that you have this shot." He frowned at her in confusion as he softly growled at her. She rubbed his shoulder after his injection. He slumped toward her. She laughed as she hugged him. "There, all done for today."
The Snatcher nuzzled her as he gazed at her adoringly. He seemed to know she was trying to help him. He stayed pretty close to her most of time. The only times he left her side was when he, Philip and Harry got to roughhousing. Then Hermione would climb onto the table beside Greyback and let the three fight it out. He still had yet to say any more than those two words that first day. Greyback had told her it was likely that his throat was so sore and torn up from growling and snarling constantly at them. Once his throat healed, he'd probably start talking again. Considering how broken and raspy his voice had sounded, Hermione agreed with that assessment.
She and Harry had everything ready to go except the belladonna. There was a bang on the door as the group got back. She and Harry both looked up and frowned at the sound of a very familiar voice. "Granger! Potter! I mean no harm! Please!" It was Draco Malfoy! Hermione pushed through the wolves and stopped beside Greyback. Philip had Draco shoved against the wall, his claws extended against the stark white of Draco's skin. His fangs were also on full display. Greyback, his arm protectively around Hermione's shoulder, recognized the signs of an Alpha male in protective mode! 'Merlin knows he'd done that more than enough times, protecting Philip's mother, an aggressive she wolf in her own right!'
He wondered if Hermione realized what she was seeing. Harry had followed her over and Scabior was also by her side. He was growling in response to Philip's aggression. If she'd never seen Lupin in protective mode, then she probably didn't. She was gazing at Draco curiously.
"Malfoy? Why are you here? Why aren't you at home?" She asked. Draco looked at her miserably.
"My parents, Granger. He-he killed my parents! The wards went down! Those-those things out there are all around my home. They can't get in. The gate and fence is keeping them out. But I couldn't stay there! He killed my parents!" the boy looked on the verge of tears. It reminded Harry of facing him in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and the night Dumbledore died.
"Hermione, maybe he can stay here, with us?" Harry asked quietly. Hermione shrugged and looked up at Greyback.
"I can't say, Harry, it's not my place. It's their hideout!" Hermione deferred to Greyback. Greyback tipped his head towards the boy.
"Are you bitten or scratched anywhere? If you are, little Miss Hermione has a present for you." He watched the blonde frown.
"No. I'm not bitten. Nor am I scratched. I apparated from the Manor to Tattings and Twilfit. It's just across the way. I'd just got to the street when he grabbed me and pulled me in here!" he motioned at Philip. Greyback nodded approvingly.
"Ok. You can stay, for now. But you cause any trouble between my boys or with Hermione and I'll personally throw your little white arse to the dead! Are we clear on that?" he asked.
Draco nodded hurriedly. "Perfectly clear, sir!" he said politely. He waited to see if the younger werewolf would obey his father.
"Philip. Come on. Let him go. He knows the rule and consequence. Let's see what he has to say." Greyback eyed his son. He knew why Philip was being so aggressive. He was figuring the Malfoy brat would try to horn in on Hermione. She'd already been declared Scabior's and, by extension, his! No whiny, blonde brat was going to steal her away from him and his best friend as long as he was around!
Philip slowly backed away. He retracted his fangs and his claws. He felt two small arms wrap around him and raised his arm to allow Hermione to slide under it. She pressed into his side as she kept her gaze on Draco. "Why did he kill them, Draco?"
"They were trying to get him to let me go back to Hogwarts. He refused and killed them. He called them traitors. If they could have gotten me out of there, they were going to the Order. Somehow, he figured that out." Draco told her. She nodded. She'd figured it was something like that.
"Do you know if Hogwarts is secure? The gate should hold out, shouldn't it?" she asked him.
"The gate only protects the front of the castle, Granger. It stops at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, you should know that. The only way to really secure the castle are the actual castle gates. If he got everyone inside in time and the gates all closed, then yes, the castle SHOULD be secure, If-?" he paused, not wanting to say it out loud.
"IF nobody was bitten or scratched before they went into the castle." Hermione voiced the thought he didn't want to think about.
"Yea. That. Why do you ask?" he asked her.
"I needed his advice on some potions. Also I wanted to see if he had any theories about a possible cure for this madness." Hermione said.
"Maybe I can help?" he stepped forward, only to hurriedly step back again as low growls issued from both Philip and Scabior. Harry and Greyback, along with Bertrand, were hiding grins as the two young wolves pressed her between them protectively.
