Hermione spent the first week of term in the library. This, of course, was not unusual in the slightest, except that she was devoting most of her time to books on werewolves and moon cycles. If she was going to be living with one, especially a newly transitioning one, she figured she needed to know as much about them as she could. Snape had made them write an essay in third year on recognizing and killing werewolves, but that information barely scratched the surface and wouldn't help her now.
There were surprisingly very few books on werewolf behavior in their human form. She guessed this was because very few werewolves lived in the company of regular wizards. A whole species of people that was shunned and considered useless and dangerous was obviously not a priority to write about unless in their wolf form. Overall, the writings were biased and often dehumanized all werewolves by refusing to refer to them as people at all.
Harry often joined Hermione in the library, and she would have to cover the books with others that actually focused on her homework. Harry didn't need to know about Draco's secret, and she worried that he might figure it out if he found her doing copious amounts of research on werewolves. He usually came to talk about Ron and vent about how stupid he was being. With how much Harry seemed to lecture him on abandoning his child, she was surprised they were still on speaking terms. Ron certainly hadn't made any attempt to talk to her, even in lessons.
Eventually, Harry was there so often that she couldn't continue the research, and she had to sneak books back to her room. She wasn't sure how Draco would feel about her research and hand-drawn moon charts, and, unfortunately, he was apparently fond of doing his homework at the coffee table near the fire.
She had put off contacting the most reliable source of information in fear that Remus would mention her letter to Draco. But, by the end of the week, she was so frustrated with the lack of information in the library that she decided it was worth the risk. So, she sent two letters: one for Remus and one for Tonks. The first letter asked about Remus's experience as a werewolf and how he felt during the days leading up to and following the full moon. The other asked Tonks to explain what it was like living with a werewolf and what challenges Hermione might run into.
A bit more at ease now that the letters had been sent, Hermione decided to use the rest of her Friday night before their rounds to work on her Ancient Ruins essay.
Walking into her and Draco's common room, she saw him working at his spot at the coffee table. He was bent forward over a book, flipping the pages slowly with an annoyed scowl distorting his features. It made him look even sicker than she figured he was. Now that he had shed his robes for just slacks and a sweatshirt, she could see how thin he had gotten. And there were always bags under his eyes as if he never slept at all.
She set her Ancient Ruins textbook, parchment, quill, and ink down on the small ottoman. That way it would be reachable from the floor since the coffee table was only big enough for one of them to work at a time. They each had a desk in their room, but it was much cozier to work by the fire, which they both seemed to prefer.
"What are you working on?" Hermione asked as she lowered herself to the floor so she was sitting on the floor by the ottoman. She was really trying at being nice as McGonagall had suggested, and it helped and surprised her that Draco seemed to be following the same advice. He hadn't called her "Granger" or "Mudblood" all week. Granted, they typically only said words in passing or short sentences on their rounds, so maybe he hadn't had the time or energy to work in an insult into conversation yet.
Draco had one hand supporting his chin as his eyes scanned a passage of the book. "Muggle Studies essay," he murmured.
She blinked at him. "But you never took Muggle Studies back when we could first take it in third year." She had taken it that year while using the Time-Turner, but she had dropped the class since then.
"Remus said it would be good for me," he explained, still staring at the page. "When he couldn't find work in the wizarding world, he did Muggle jobs as much as he could. So, Dumbledore's letting me take the introductory course with the third years."
Hermione winced. That must have been embarrassing. "Well, what's your essay on?"
"This one's due Monday, and it's on Muggle coffee and energy drinks compared to Pepper-Up Potion. But, I have a much longer one due the day after the full moon." He dropped his face into his hands. "It's a comparison of Floo Powder and Apparition to Muggle communication and transportation. Has to cover cars, trains, phones, letters, television, computers, and pagers. I'm just overwhelmed and can't concentrate."
Hermione frowned in thought. She remembered doing those essays. "Professor Burbage is an easy grader, don't worry. A lot of her grades are based on effort and big picture concepts."
"Everything is an easy grade for you," Draco replied, his voice slightly muffled by his hands still.
"Hmph," Hermione said and turned back to the fire. She pulled her Ancient Ruins book into her lap.
"Wait," he said. "I'm sorry."
She immediately twisted around to stare at him. He had just apologized to her. She didn't even think "sorry" was in his vocabulary. "What?"
"I'm sorry," he repeated, frowning at her. He really did look sorry. "I just meant...this school stuff comes easy to you."
"Because I enjoy it," she said.
He sighed. "Fine. But, I don't. I wasn't made to sit and read. I just..." He swallowed and then looked at her carefully, cautious. "You grew up with Muggle parents."
"Yeah. What about it?" she prompted him, her words slow. She was expecting an insult to follow.
"Can you...help me?" he asked. "Like, just read over what I write and see if it's ok?"
She nodded after a moment, her anxiety easing. "Yeah, I guess so."
They each went back to their homework, working in silence except for the turning of pages and scratching of quills. Hermione's head was buzzing though with thoughts about this new, nice Draco. It was odd to say the least, but maybe this year wouldn't be miserable after all.
"Do you want to do rounds a little early?" Draco asked after a while, his quill landing with a soft thus as he tossed it down on the table.
Hermione looked up at the clock above the fire. They still had thirty minutes before they had to do their nightly rounds. But they had been working on homework for over two hours, and she could use a break to stretch her legs. "Sure," she said and moved to stand.
She followed him out of the portrait hole and up through the castle. This week and next, they were assigned rounds in the corridors and classrooms up near the Astronomy Tower. The point of rounds was to make sure students weren't out past curfew and that Peeves wasn't causing major mayhem or noise.
There was no sign of Peeves as they rounded the corner of the Astronomy Tower corridor. But, as they approached the middle of the hall, Draco stopped.
"What?" Hermione asked softly, turning back to peer at him in the torchlight.
"I hear noises," he said.
They waited in silence as Draco cocked his head. After a moment, he motioned for Hermione to follow him. She stayed a few steps behind him as they crept past classroom doors. Draco paused to listen at each one along the right hand side of the corridor. She guessed his hearing was heightened due to being a new werewolf because she certainly couldn't hear any noises.
But at the second-to-last classroom, she finally did. Gentle whispers, almost sexual cooing, was coming from beyond in the classroom.
Draco frowned while Hermione sighed. He swallowed thickly and edged back a bit as if he were squeamish or something. "You want to handle this one?"
She huffed and stepped forward. She contemplated just throwing the door open, but she didn't really fancy seeing any of her peers naked and engaged in such activities. At least she and Ron had had the decency to always meet in the Room of Requirement for such intimacies. Instead, she eased open the door, praying the couple inside would hear or see it and have time to get somewhat dressed before she confronted them.
She had the door halfway open before she finally looked inside. No one had responded, and the moans and praising whispers had only grown louder now that the door was open.
What, or rather who, she saw made her stomach twist up like Devil's Snare.
Ron had Lavender Brown pressed up against the blackboard. Her eyes were closed, her head thrown back against the board as Ron sucked hickeys onto the top of her breasts. They were only half naked with their shirts lying discarded near them on the floor. Lavender luckily still had on her bra.
Hermione fely Draco brush past her, and she, along with Ron and Lavender, jumped when he threw the door back against the wall. It bounced back from the wall, and he caught it firmly.
"WEASLEY!" he shouted. "Get your hands off her. You've already knocked up one girl. We don't need another."
Ron was speechless, but Lavender stared at him. "You told me Hermione's pregnancy was just a rumor!"
Hermione rolled her eyes. All Ron did was deny and avoid his problems, so this didn't surprise her. She hadn't told anyone else about the baby yet, but they would all know soon enough. And sooner still now that Lavender would tell everyone else by lunch tomorrow.
Lavender turned to Hermione. "Is it...Are you..."
"Yes," Hermione said. "And Ron doesn't want it."
The girl gaped at Ron, and then with a sound of disgust, she snatched up her shirt and hurried out the door.
Ron was now slowly pulling on his shirt. "You always ruin everything, Hermione. Damn it." He had put on his shirt backwards.
"You're the one not taking responsibility, Weasley," Draco snapped.
Ron finished turning his shirt around and said, "Shove off, Malfoy. Or whatever slime name you go by now."
Hermione opened her mouth to tell Ron off, but before she could, Draco gave a low growl, picked up a desk, and hurled it at Ron's head with such force that it shattered the blackboard when Ron ducked.
"Bloody hell!" Ron said, his eyes wide. "Are you mental?"
"GET OUT!" Draco bellowed.
With barely a backward glance, Ron dashed from the room.
The instant Ron's footsteps had faded, Draco slumped against the wall and sat down.
"Are you ok?" Hermione asked, watching him as he pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes.
"Yeah, I'm sorry. It's just...hard to control my emotions a lot of the time. They're too powerful sometimes."
Hermione nodded even though she knew he wouldn't be able to see it. She moved to the front of the classroom. With a few waves of her wand, she mended the board and desk and moved the desk back to its proper place.
She stopped in front of Draco, who hadn't moved at all. "Uh, the rest of the rounds won't take long."
He shook his head against his palms. "I'll finish the rounds. Go back to the dormitory."
"What? Why?"
"I need to walk off some stuff," he said, finally looking up. At her confused and searching look, he sighed and elaborated, "I could smell it. Their hormones. And I got mad because I couldn't...I don't..." He swallowed and looked away, his cheeks coloring. "You heard Snape say werewolves are really lustful in their first year..."
"Oh. Yeah." Then she realized what he meant. "Oh!"
"Yeah."
"Well, I, uh, can still keep you company," she offered. "Help you focus on non-sexual things."
Draco shook his head. "No, you don't understand. You have to go. It's taking everything in me to stay sitting right now. Go back to your room, run if you can. Lock the door and don't come out till sunrise."
Thank you all for your lovely reviews and follows! I hope you guys are liking the dynamic between Draco and Hermione.
