A few days later, Ron, Harry, and Draco had retired to bed early after a day spent playing quidditch. All three of them were sore and tired and hadn't bothered drawing the curtains around their beds. Ron had just started drifting off when the door flew open. Hermione all but threw herself into her boyfriend's startled arms.

"Ron! My potion! It's gone!" she said hysterically.

A few beds over, Draco sat up groggily. "What is going on?"

"Someone stole my potion! I need to take it every night this week and it's all gone!"

Ron pulled Hermione into his arms and rubbed her back gently. "Are you sure it's been stolen? Someone might have just moved it?"

"The cauldron is empty, Ron!"

It was easy to understand why Hermione was so uncharacteristically frantic. She had never gone without the wolfsbane potion before. Without it, she wouldn't be in control of her wolf. It wasn't a secret that Hermione was a werewolf either. One of the stipulations set by school governors was that she take the wolfsbane potion every full moon and be locked in a room for that night.

"Were you able to take any of it?" Draco asked as Harry sat up beside him.

"Take any of what?" Harry mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"Hermione and her wolfsbane potion," Draco answered impatiently, climbing out of bed and padding over to Ron and Hermione.

"No, tonight w-w-was supposed t-to," Hermione gasped for breath around panicked sobs.

"Listen to me. You need to calm down before you pass out. Take deep breaths. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Follow Ron's lead," Draco instructed gently. "Breathe in. One, two, three, four… Breathe out. One, two, three, four."

It should have been strange to see Draco being so gentle with Hermione, but they were all friends now. Moreover, Draco knew what it was like to have panic attacks.

After being woken up by Draco's screams, Harry had asked Madam Pomfrey for help and she had taught him breathing exercises to do with Draco when he woke up from a nightmare. Then, they found that they slept easier together and had started sharing a bed after swearing they wouldn't do anything erotic while the other guys were sleeping.

One night was all it had taken. Blaise had brought a hufflepuff into their dorm and forgotten to cast a silencing charm. After that, the guys had all charmed their curtains to keep sounds out when they were closed.

Ron followed Draco's guidance for Hermione, letting her feel his chest rise and fall. It took her a long time to steady her breathing, but when she did, she wiped her face.

Harry had taken a small cup filled with Draco's calming draught over to them and he gave it to Hermione. She downed it immediately, grimacing at the bitter taste.

"I was supposed to take my first dose tonight… and if I don't take it in the next couple hours, it will be too late." Hermione leaned into Ron's arms, tears falling from her eyes.

"Well, let's look for it then. Maybe we can find who took it and why," Ron suggested.

"Do we know anyone who might have an extra supply?" Draco frowned. "All the shops will be closed… will an owl even be quick enough?"

"I doubt it. I'll go ask Slughorn if he has any," Harry volunteered. "He likes me, so maybe he won't be too cranky about being woken up."

"I'll come with you," Draco said, his hand sliding into Harry's.

"Why are you crying?" A voice demanded from behind them.

Ron and Hermione looked up at Pansy, both of them blushing. Pansy blinked down at the pair who were looking futilely under Hermione's bed for any clues.

Hermione quickly rubbed her eyes and cleared her throat. "I'm fine."

"You're clearly not, Granger. Why is Weasley in our dorm? I thought boys couldn't enter the girls' dorms." Pansy carefully knelt, her nightgown pooling around her legs.

Before Hermione could say anything, Pansy grabbed her chin and looked her over. "I don't see any marks…"

"Why would there be marks?" Ron asked slowly.

Pansy snorted derisively. "Why are you here?"

"I'm helping Hermione look for…" he hesitated, glancing at Hermione.

"My wolfsbane potion is missing," she said quietly, wiping the tip of her nose on her sleeve.

Summoning a handkerchief from her bedside table, Pansy tilted Hermione's face to her and started dabbing at the fresh tears spilling from Hermione's eyes.

"We'll find it. Tonight is your first night of the week, right?" Pansy asked, her brows furrowed. "Blow your nose."

Hermione glanced between Ron and the expensive looking handkerchief dubiously before blowing her nose. She seemed at a loss.

"You're going to help us look for it?" Ron inquired, carefully keeping his tone neutral.

The last thing he wanted was to offend Pansy. He was fairly certain if he sounded surprised, she would leave.

"Of course." Pansy's cheeks flushed. "Don't read too much into it. I just don't like the idea of Hermione going feral. It seems like a shitty way to spend a night."

"I… I'm going to pretend you said that out of kindness rather than to be derogatory towards werewolves," Hermione said, looking at the floor.

"That's how I meant it. Sorry… I'm not trying to be a bitch. It's just my nature." Pansy let out a breath. "Let's start by asking everyone if they saw what happened to your potion."

"That sounds like a plan to me." Ron stood up, offering his hands to both women to help them stand.

Hermione took it without thinking and stood, but Pansy hesitated. Her jade eyes fixed on Ron's hand, looking unsure. Still holding his hand, Hermione offered her free hand to Pansy.

"It's okay," Hermione said, glancing at Ron. "We don't bite… unless you ask nicely."

Pansy's cheeks flamed red, but she carefully took both of their hands. Once she was standing, she quickly let go.

"Let's go. We don't have much time," she said, marching out of the dorm.

"Did that go well?" Ron asked, hanging back for a moment.

"I think so…" Hermione looked at the closed door thoughtfully.

"We bite if you ask nicely?" He smirked, nudging her.

"Oh, shut up. You weren't trying anything and I wanted to take my mind off my potion for a few seconds."

They split up. Hermione and Pansy went to talk to their peers and Ron started charming Hermione's cauldron.

Questioning their fellow eighth years led nowhere. No one had seen anything suspicious, but it was interesting to watch Pansy fiercely question every single person in the common room. She somehow managed to seem urgent, calm, and intimidating all at the same time.

Even after Hermione gave up, Pansy continued questioning people. She didn't stop until Hermione, sitting on the couch with her face in her hands, told her it was no use and to stop.

Ron stopped trying spells on Hermione's cauldron. He was getting a headache. None of the spells revealed who had taken the potion. He couldn't even unvanish the potion. Nothing worked.

Pansy and Ron sat on either side of Hermione, who ran her hands over her face tiredly.

"It's too late. Even if Harry and Draco came back this second with the potion, it's too late. It's midnight." Hermione stared at her knees. "Thank you for helping us look, Pansy. I wish it hadn't been a waste of time."

"It wasn't a waste. I wanted to help you look… but the worst thing that will happen now is you spend this one night as a werewolf. You won't be expelled." Pansy rested her hand on Hermione's shoulder. "Your friends aren't going to turn their backs on you."

Wiping her eyes, Hermione leaned against her. Pansy looked shocked, but she carefully wrapped her arms around the other woman.

"Thank you, Pansy. That helped a lot," Hermione said quietly.

"It's, um, nothing." Pansy blushed and patted Hermione's hair hesitantly.

"She prefers her hair being stroked," Ron murmured. "She started liking it after her first full moon. I think it's the wolf in her."

"Shut up, Ronald," Hermione growled, kicking his shin.

Expecting it, Ron caught her foot in his hand. He rubbed circles into her ankle with his thumb. A soft sound left Hermione. She buried her face in Pansy's shoulder. Pansy glanced up at Ron hesitantly, but she still followed Ron's advice and slowly stroked Hermione's hair.

Time passed in silence for a while. One by one, students went to their dorms. Ron started wondering where Harry and Draco were. They had left ages ago.

A soft snore interrupted his musing. He glanced at the two women next to him and saw Hermione had fallen asleep.

"Who would do this to her?" Pansy asked quietly, her fingers still running gently over Hermione's curls.

"I don't know. I thought we were all getting along now… someone must really hate her."

"No," she objected in a fierce whisper, gazing at Hermione with gentle eyes. "No one could hate her. She's too good for anyone to feel that way."

Their eyes met. Pansy flushed and looked down at Hermione. It could be a good time to tell her about being soulmates, if Ron could just figure out what to say.

"Pansy… you really like Hermione, don't you?" Ron murmured.

"Don't worry, Weasley. I'm not moving in on your girlfriend," Pansy hissed, stiffening.

"That's not what I meant."

Pansy was already standing, carefully moving Hermione so she was laying on the couch. Ron grabbed her hand, but Pansy jerked it away.

Cursing under his breath, Ron followed her to the entrance of the dorms. He caught her by the elbow just before she disappeared inside.

"I didn't mean to say it like that. I'm sorry. I meant… well, it's obvious how worried you are about her. I am too," he said quickly. "It's okay."

Pansy blinked up at him, looking suspicious and vulnerable. She glanced at Hermione and a sad look passed over her features.

It came instinctively to Ron. He wanted to comfort her. Tugging gently on Pansy's elbow, he pulled her into his arms. One arm wrapped around her waist and his hand buried in her hair.

It felt nice to hold her and she smelled like lilacs. Even though she was taller than Hermione, the top of her head barely came to his chin… it was more than the physical feeling though. It felt like she was meant to be there. Just like when he held Hermione.

Pansy tensed, but her hands slowly slipped around Ron, hugging him back.

"I just… I just want her to be happy," she said, voice muffled against his chest.

"It's all okay, Pansy. All of it. We feel the same."

"Leave me alone, Weasley!" Pansy jerked away from him abruptly, her eyes filled with tears, and, before he could even react, she stormed into her dorm.

"Where did I fuck that up?" he asked himself, staring at the door.

Notes:

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