The next week was awkward. Pansy seemed to alternate between looking at them longingly and avoiding them. Ron kept catching her gazing worriedly at Hermione, but the second she saw him looking, she would leave.
"We'll talk to her after the full moon," Hermione said as Pansy ran out of the library after they caught her staring at them again. "I think she's just feeling shy after what happened in the common room… or she misunderstood what you tried to tell her."
"Yeah… maybe." Ron sighed, deciding to change the subject to a more pressing matter. "Did you decide what you're going to do tonight?"
"Yes. I only have one option I feel comfortable with. I'm going to spend the night in the Shrieking Shack." Hermione slumped over the table tiredly.
"I don't feel right leaving you alone there." Ron frowned.
"Did you suddenly learn to be an animagus overnight?"
"No."
"Then you're going to let me spend tonight alone." Hermione opened her transfiguration book and started writing an essay.
"You're not seriously going to let her spend the night alone, are you?" Harry asked, watching Hermione leave.
"What else can I do?" Ron mumbled, his eyes on Hermione until the entrance to the common room closed behind her.
"Well, have you figured out why your sanamora is so weak?" Draco asked, not looking up from his homework.
"I…" Ron glanced over at Pansy who was staring out the window. "I think so."
"It's about time." Draco stood up. "Hermione needs you both. You can help her."
"What are you talking about, ferret?" Ron glared, tugging the sleeves of his jumper over his hands nervously.
"You know exactly what I mean."
"Ron, he's right. This isn't the time for shyness. Draco did a lot of research. He figured out how to cure lycanthropy." Harry pushed up his glasses.
"Why didn't you say so sooner?!" Ron shot to his feet. "Hermione's been suffering all week!"
"It wouldn't have worked until tonight. She needs to be a full wolf when you cure her and if she knew what curing would entail, she wouldn't have let you near her," Draco explained calmly.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Pansy's voice was laced with anger as she approached them.
"Hermione wouldn't have let either of you get close enough to cure her if she knew what I have planned." Draco lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender.
Pansy's hand moved towards her wand. "Start talking before I hex you," she said dangerously.
"I don't have time to explain everything, but if all three of you are together while Hermione is a full wolf and you two call out to her, she will become human again."
"And she won't become a wolf again after that," Harry added. "Sanamora will cure her for good. Not just transform her back, but really cure her."
"What are you waiting for then? Go save her, Weasley!" Pansy shoved him in the direction of the door.
"Wait! If this is true, we need you there too!" Ron grabbed her hands.
"What?! Why?" Pansy demanded, trying to pull her hands out of his grip.
"Because you're part of us!"
"What?" Pansy stopped fighting his hold and stared up at him with wide eyes.
"I don't have time to explain this now. Can you just trust me? If only for Hermione's sake?" He stared at her and when he could see her give in, relief washed over him. Looking back up, he asked Harry and Draco: "We just have to call out to her at the same time right?"
"Yeah. That's what the research says." Draco looked at Pansy. "You both need to be there."
Pansy gave one last uncertain look towards Ron but soon enough, she took a deep breath, steeling herself. "How long until the moon rises?"
Harry checked his watch and glanced outside. "I think you have enough time to get to the Shrieking Shack before she turns if you run and take the shortcut."
"Got it… what do we do if this doesn't work?" Ron swallowed nervously.
"Barricade yourself in one of the rooms." Draco shrugged nonchalantly. "It will work though."
"We don't have time for this!" Pansy twisted her wrists out of Ron's grasp, but immediately linked her fingers with his as she started running.
Ron followed her lead, squeezing her hand. He couldn't remember seeing Pansy run before. Ever. She was fast for someone wearing high heels. Even with his long legs, Ron was having a hard time keeping up with her.
They ran through the halls and down staircases. The whole time, Pansy never slowed or let go of his hand. Once, Ron stopped her from stepping on a trick step on one of the staircases. They leapt over it together.
The cold November air bit at their exposed skin as they burst outside. Ron was suddenly aware that Pansy was only wearing a thin sweater and jeans.
"Take my jumper," he said, slowing down.
"No! We need to get to Hermione!" Pansy tugged on his hand, running towards the castle gate.
"Wrong way! We're taking a shortcut, remember?" Ron pulled her, leading her to the Whomping Willow.
Pansy slowed when she saw where they were going. "Ron, we're going to get hit!"
"No, we won't. Just be ready to duck," he panted.
As soon as they were close enough, he levitated a branch to hit the knot on the Whomping Willow's trunk. The tree, which had been quivering its branches threateningly, stilled.
"Come on. We don't have long before it starts trying to kill us." Ron tugged her forward before letting her hand go so he could climb into the hole at the base of the tree.
"You're joking," Pansy groaned as he disappeared into the tunnel.
"Come on, it's not too bad and this is the fastest way to reach the Shrieking Shack."
A few seconds later, she was crouching next to him. "How did you even know this was here?"
"Sirius Black dragged me to the Shrieking Shack down this tunnel in third year." He started to move forward, stooping so he wouldn't hit his head.
"Are you serious?"
"No, he was Sirius," Ron half joked nervously as Pansy elbowed him. "Yes, this really happened. He actually broke my leg when he was pulling me down here."
"That sounds… terrible." Pansy shivered.
Ron cast a warming charm on her as they walked together through the tunnel.
"It wasn't too bad looking back. Worse things have happened."
A period of silence passed. Pansy's hand found his and squeezed. "Don't read too much into this. I'm just… I don't like tunnels or the dark."
"It's okay. I don't mind." Ron slipped his fingers between hers. "I tried telling you before. We feel the same way about you."
"I… what?"
"Hermione and I both like you. We want you to be a part of our relationship." Ron cleared his throat. "You're our soulmate."
"People don't have two soulmates," Pansy scoffed, but she sounded unsure.
"We do. I'll explain more after we cure Hermione, but the only time sanamora really worked for us was when you were there. I tested it."
"I want answers."
"And you'll have them once Hermione is present. I'll even show you proof. For now, please just trust me. Hermione and I want you to be a part of our relationship. If you only want one of us, that's fine. If you don't want either of us, that's okay too. Your comfort and consent is important to us." Ron ducked to avoid a root.
More silence passed. Pansy didn't say anything else until they were nearly to the Shrieking Shack. Ron understood that she needed that time to think and stayed quiet.
"I'm cold… can you cast another warming charm?" Pansy finally asked, her voice soft.
"Yeah." He cast the charm over her. "You can wear my jumper if you want."
"Maybe on the way back… and I do like both of you," she mumbled.
It was too dark to see properly, but Ron was fairly certain Pansy was blushing. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles.
"I'm glad to hear that. Hermione will be happy too."
They reached the end of the tunnel. Ron stopped Pansy and held a finger to his lips. "She might be a wolf already. We need to be quiet."
"We just have to ca-" Pansy's whisper was cut off by a howl and the sound of something being smashed.
In the dim light coming from the trap door above them, Ron saw her blanch. He wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders.
"We just have to say her name at the same time," he breathed. "I'll keep you safe."
Pansy took a steadying breath and nodded. "I'm going to squeeze your hand twice and then we say it, okay?"
"Okay." Ron placed his hand on the trapdoor.
"I'm scared," Pansy admitted, her words barely audible.
"I am too." Ron pressed his lips to her forehead. "Let's go."
He pushed upward carefully and peaked around the room. The sound of scratching and whining was louder, but it seemed to be coming from upstairs. He climbed out of the tunnel quietly and helped Pansy up.
"She sounds like she's in so much pain," Pansy said softly.
"She probably is," Ron murmured, remembering Remus describing his transformations.
"Well… there's only one thing we can do now." Pansy's grip tightened on his hand. "Hey! Come get us!"
The whining was replaced by the sound of heavy paws running across the upstairs.
"So much for the stealthy approach," Ron said anxiously, backing them against the nearest door.
The sound of paws thudding down the steps had his heart racing, but he pulled Pansy behind him. Her nails bit into his arm as Hermione skidded into the room.
If he didn't know it was her - if he had never seen her transform -, Ron wouldn't have recognized Hermione. The only feature that identified her was her eyes. Dark brown eyes glaring at him over her snarling snout.
Hermione didn't hesitate. She lunged at them, her mouth opened wide. Ron was so transfixed by the terrifying sight of Hermione's sharp teeth, he almost missed Pansy's signal.
"Hermione!"
Pansy's and Ron's voices rang out together. Time seemed to stand still as a bright golden light flooded the room. Hermione stumbled, falling to her front paws and knees. A howl ripped from her throat as the sound of bones cracking and reforming filled the small house.
The howl turned into a sob as her body shrank down. By the time the light faded, Hermione lay on the floor - fully human, sobbing and naked.
Pansy and Ron rushed to her side. Pansy conjured a blanket and wrapped it around Hermione. Ron stroked her hair back, relief flooding him. Draco had been right. Hermione was okay.
"It's okay. It's okay. We're here," Pansy kept murmuring, her hands gentle on Hermione's back.
Hermione eventually sat up, her eyes red rimmed. "I don't understand. Why are you both here? How… is the sun up already?"
"No. Draco figured it out. He figured out how to cure you. We needed our sanamora. With Pansy here, the magic was able to work fully." Ron smiled at Pansy over Hermione's head.
Hermione sniffled, wiping her eyes, and looked up at the other woman. "You knew there was a werewolf here and you came?"
"No. I knew you were here, suffering. I didn't… I wanted to help you." Pansy bit her lip.
That seemed to break something in Hermione because she threw herself into Pansy's arms and pressed her lips to hers fiercely. The blanket fell from her shoulders.
Ron pointedly looked away and cleared his throat before summoning Hermione's clothes. He knew she would have taken them off before transforming.
The clothes hit him on the side of his head and a burst of laughter filled the room.
"Ron is always a gentleman," Hermione said through giggles.
"I'm not going to gawk at my girlfriends kissing in a situation like this." Ron huffed, tossing the clothes to Hermione.
"Girlfriends?" both women echoed.
"Pansy said she likes both of us… so I just assumed. Sorry," he mumbled, blood rushing to his face.
"I would like it if you were our girlfriend," Hermione said, her voice sounding shy.
"Um, is this a conversation we want to be having while you're naked?" Pansy asked weakly.
"Will putting on clothes change your answer?" Hermione said teasingly.
"Probably not." Pansy laughed shakily. "Okay."
"Okay?" Ron glanced over at them.
"Yes." Pansy smiled, pulling Hermione into a short sweet kiss. "But please put on some clothes. It's freezing and you don't have fur to keep you warm now."
Hermione pulled away, smiling brightly. She started getting dressed. Pansy moved over to Ron and kissed him, her soft lips parting just slightly.
"Wow," Ron breathed, his eyes wide.
"I still want to see the proof of the sanamora, but I have honestly wanted this for a long time… with both of you." She winked. "I hope you know that I'm a lot to handle."
"I think we'll manage just fine." Hermione kissed them both on the cheek. "After all, we're soulmates, right?"
Notes:
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