The following weeks passed quickly, with no real change in the student's attitude towards the pair. They were still avoided, with very few actually talking to them. Neville and the twins seemed friendly enough, if a bit cautious. Ron only seemed to speak to them if he needed help with homework. He even asked for help with a couple assignments after they were due. Ginny would talk to Harry, but seemed to deny Hermione existed, which tended to cause Harry to cut any conversation short.
At the beginning of October, Moody taught them about the Unforgivable curses, going so far as to demonstrate them. Both Harry and Neville were almost sick after that class. Neville appeared to have a very bad reaction to seeing the torture curse, while Harry just felt dirty from the feel of the spells. His Feel for magic had gotten better, and those spells just felt wrong, like some perverted disgusting abomination. How a teacher could do that in front of students Hermione couldn't understand. At least Moody had taken Neville aside after and even given him a rare Herbology book, which Hermione had instantly asked to borrow of course.
They had a few animagus study sessions with Professor McGonagall as well, which were extremely informative. They'd done a bit of study and found that, of the two common methods of becoming an animagus, one actually allowed for a bit more flexibility than the other. The 'shortcut' as they referred to it, a potion that took five months to prepare, essentially locked in your transformation. Every reference to Multi-form animagi noted that using the potion method made this option unavailable. So they decided the hard way would be the best, despite a time frame anywhere from a few months to five or more years. Hermione said it best when she said that 'anything worth doing, is worth doing right'.
The pair also had a very hard and long discussion about their future. It happened on one of the last warm days as they again studied on the grounds.
"Hermione," Harry hesitated, drawing up all his courage. "As much as I may want to explore being more than friends with you, I'm not sure we should."
"Why?" Hermione asked softly after a pause, hurt tingeing her voice.
"Voldemort is still out there," Harry began, "And so are a lot of his followers, like Malfoy. If we were together, they'd go after you just to get to me. If we aren't, they may still hunt you, but I don't think they'll do it as aggressively." He held up his hand, to forestall her interruption, "It's not just you, Hermione. It's your family too. If we got together, they'd be in danger too, and how could I put people who've shown me nothing but kindness in that kind of danger? They have no defense against magic."
Hermione was quiet for a long while. She knew he cared, that he was thinking of her and her family, but lord, he was dense sometimes. And so self-sacrificing she wanted to scream.
"Harry," She began, choosing her words carefully, "you have to know that I'm going to be by your side, regardless of if we're a couple or not. I will be target number two or three, even if we aren't together."
"Maybe," Harry conceded, "But it will be a lot larger target if we are."
"I doubt that," Hermione contradicted him, "Especially after all the times we've squared off with Draco. Even if it is a little bigger, I'd still be targeted."
"I think…"
"No, you're not thinking," She cut him off, "You're being your usual self-sacrificing self. And while I love that about you, it also drives me up a wall when you give up what you want for others."
"I'm not giving anything up."
"Oh yeah," Hermione glared at him now, "So you aren't giving up your happiness, OUR happiness."
"I'm putting your life and happiness first." Harry said sullenly.
"MY happiness?" Hermione grinned slightly, "And what if what makes me happy is you? What if I don't want my life without you in it? In a role closer than best friend?"
"I…" Harry hesitated, trying to think, to explain what he meant. "Hermione, I don't know if I can do it. If something happens to you, or your family, because of me, I don't know if I could take it."
"I KNOW I can't get through this without you." Hermione pressed, "Before I thought I had feelings for you, but since you have stood by me despite everything, I've come to know it. I think about the future Harry, and you are in every thought. I think about graduating, and it's you I hug first. I dream of my wedding, and it's your face waiting for me."
"I...really?"
"Yes, Harry," Hermione sighed, and pulled him closer, "I want you to ignore everything else, no thoughts of the danger, no thoughts of what people will think, just tell me this: Do you want to be more than friends with me."
"It's not that easy, Hermione,"
"Yes, it is, Harry. Just tell me, ignoring everything else, do you want to be my boyfriend?"
"If nothing else was going on, then yes, I would be your boyfriend in a heartbeat. But Hermione…"
"No, no buts. This is just about what we want, which is to be happy together." She leaned in and kissed him tenderly, "And we are going to be happy. We'll work out everything else together, together as a couple."
"Is this how it's going to be?" Harry asked with a grin, "You tell me to pull my head out of my arse and do as you say?"
"No, but we will discuss our issues and decide together," Hermione grinned suddenly, "Then we'll do it my way."
"I see," Harry smiled at his new girlfriend, "and if I do this?"
Hermione's squeals as Harry tickled her echoed through the glen.
—-
The next moon was bad. They had planned to use wolfsbane at some point, to test its effects, and this was the moon. They'd found silver didn't affect them, though they were uneasy around Moony and Padfoot near the full moon. That got chucked up to the whole cat vs Dog reaction. They also found their senses were getting less affected by the moon, staying heightened even during the new moon. This was both a blessing and a curse, they experienced so much more, but both Harry and Hermione complained vociferously about the lack of forethought teenage witches put into their perfume.
After dinner, Professor McGonagall took them to another small set of quarters off the hospital wing, and Madam Pomfrey took some readings of them. Two goblets of Wolfsbane potion later and the pain began. Each of the teens felt their skin on fire, and the sensation of things crawling all over them. The pain burned through them and sent their magic into upheaval. Hermione screamed through her transformation, despite Harry holding her and trying to comfort her. Magic rolled off of them in waves and bursts. The walls cracked and the bed broke under the assault.
"What's wrong with us?" demanded Harry, his voice raw with barely restrained emotion.
"I'm not sure," Pomfrey said in frustration. "The magic you're emitting is preventing my spells from taking any useful readings."
"Could it be the potion?" Minerva asked, concern written all over her face. "Could it have affected them adversely?"
"I don't see how," The matron said cautiously, "It's designed to fight lycanthropy."
"But we don't have lycanthropy," Hermione called from her huddle on the floor. "It's not lycanthropy anymore."
"I suppose…" the matron said worriedly.
"Either way, the only thing that has changed is the potion," McGonagall said decisively, "Can we purge it?"
"I don't know, maybe" Pomfrey left the room in a rush, returning a few moments later with a pair of vials of a sickly green substance. She turned to the teens, huddled as they were on the floor. "These are purging potions. They'll cause you to expel everything you have in you, both in your stomach and further in the… digestive process. Basically, if you take these, it'll be a very unpleasant four to six hours as your body removes all food and drink from you as expeditiously as possible."
"So basically we're going to be throwing up for half the niiiiiiiiight?" Hermione asked, her voice breaking into a yowl as another explosion of pain passed through her.
"Yes, as well as being unable to get up from the toilet as it will cause both ends to expel." the slightly embarrassed witch explained. "It is a most uncomfortable situation." She paused, "Plus, I don't know if it will work. Wolfsbane is absorbed rapidly to produce its effect. I can't say that this will relieve any of your pain."
A whispered conversation later, the pair stood shakily and made their way over to the mediwitch, arms around each other as they helped each other walk. Harry reached out to take the potions, before they turned towards the suite's bathroom.
McGonagall followed, conjuring a pair of buckets that would automatically vanish the contents. The pair paused at the layout of the bathroom, before Minerva spelled a second toilet into existence beside the first.
"Would you like more privacy?" the transfiguration mistress inquired, "I can conjure a divider for you…"
"No," Hermione said quickly, "It'll be a bit embarrassing, but I don't want us to be separated." She turned to Harry and continued softly, "Not how I planned this, not how I wanted us to see each other…" She broke off, blushing.
"Hermione," Harry sighed, "It's ok. Not the way I wanted things either, but I'll try not to peek, if you'll do the same." He gathered himself, "But you're right, tonight we need each other more than we need a bit of dignity. Plus, how am I supposed to hold your hair back for you if I'm not by your side?"
The small smile Hermione gave him at that remark gave Harry the little bit of hope he needed. He kissed her forehead where it rested against his chin, handed her a vial, and together, they drank.
Madam Pomfrey turned out to be half right. The potion didn't eliminate the pain, but it did reduce it. By the time the purging potion had run its course, their skin merely felt like it had a bad sunburn. And thankfully they were allowed a mild pain potion now that she was confident the wolfsbane was no longer present to interact with. Finally, at about two in the morning, the pair were able to sleep.
—-
"Oi, where have you two been?" The redheaded menace of Gryffindor demanded Wednesday morning.
It was the second morning since the full moon, and the first time Harry or Hermione had been seen since Monday night at dinner. They'd been confined to the Hospital wing Tuesday to recover under Madam Pomfrey's care, getting checked for any changes from the previous night. So far, nothing adverse was found, but she had said that their cores were still in flux, so it was possible they'd discover after effects days or weeks down the line.
"Had a small mishap with a project for Professor McGonagall," Hermione explained, "It really wasn't anything bad, but Madam Pomfrey had us under observation yesterday as a precaution."
"What special project?" Ron demanded, "Can I get extra credit for it?"
"You, Mr. Weasley," The venerable professor in question cut in behind him, "did not meet my exacting requirements. These two have shown they can handle the extra responsibilities I'm asking them to assume. They get no slack in their other classes nor in mine. They will be required to make up any class work they missed yesterday and do any homework assigned. As you are already behind in your normal work, why would I give you more? Particularly work on a project as important to me as this one is?"
"But we always do everything together," Ron protested, "If they get a chance at extra credit, so should I."
"You think so, do you? Even after you've abandoned them this term?" McGonagall demanded, then nodded. "Very well, if you think you have the required skills, we shall test that theory. Report to my office tonight at 7pm. I shall test your skills and knowledge, and if, I repeat IF, you can demonstrate the abilities you claim to have, you may join this project."
As the transfiguration mistress walked away, Harry swore he saw her grim expression crack for just a second. His musing at this unprecedented event was cut short by Ron demanding to know what he'd be tested on.
"Come on guys, tell me what I'll need to know."
"We can't." Hermione informed him.
"What?" Ron exclaimed, spraying his mouthful of food across the table. "But you gotta help me, we're a team."
"Are we, Ron?" Harry asked cautiously, "You could have fooled me."
"What're you on about, mate?" Ron demanded, obviously offended.
"You have stood by as Hermione was ridiculed." Harry said darkly, "You even joined in the comments, the verbal slights. And you barely speak to us, unless you want help with the homework you apparently aren't even finishing on time."
"Come off it, mate," Ron brushed the comment off, "It's just Hermione. Besides, it's funny."
"You think so, Ron?" Hermione demanded harshly, "So, you thought it was funny when you were throwing up slugs second year and everyone laughed? Or what if people started calling you a creature? Or maybe just a squib? A mudblood, maybe?"
The hall had slowly fallen silent as more and more of the students looked on at the confrontation. Even McGonagall stalled out in her return. She'd started to return once she heard the confrontation start but paused as the pair stood by each other. She'd realized they needed to do this, to stand without staff support. That it was against their supposed friend was just that much more a statement.
"But I'm not, so they wouldn't," Ron dismissed her, "It's not my fault you screwed up a simple potion and ended up looking like a freak."
SLAP
Ron sat open mouthed, a bright red handprint glowing on his left cheek. Silence filled the hall, broken only by the small sobs from Hermione. Harry had his arm around the distressed witch, but his glare never left Ron Weasley. The red head's temper was short circuited by the shock of being hit, of being slapped. As he turned his glare back to the pair, he missed the ice cold green eyes of Harry, as his attention focused to Hermione.
"You hit me!" the aggrieved teen complained.
"You're lucky that is all she did," Harry's voice was colder than anyone had ever heard it before. "You need to leave now."
"But she hit me!" Ron continued to see himself as the injured party.
"And I'll kill you, if you don't leave," Harry said in a way that left no doubt in anyone that he would. Harry'smagic slipped its reigns, flaring and sparking around him. The spectators finally started moving away as the twins moved towards their brother.
"Harry," Ron whined, "There's no need to get upset over this, it's probably just her time of the month."
"I. SAID. LEAVE" Each word was punctuated by a wave of magic rolling off the joined pair. Those around the trio were physically slid back by the power of it, causing several people to pale as they realized what was happening. The third and by far the most powerful pulse of power, saw Ron physically ejected from the bench and thrown against the far wall.
As Ron picked himself up, it was obvious all he saw was red. He took all of half a step before he was flanked by his twin brothers. Fred and George each grabbed an arm, lifting him up and dragging him towards the entrance. Ron was screaming bloody murder, detailing his intentions to beat both Harry and Hermione bloody, before tearing their heads off.
"20 points each for removing a hostile element from this confrontation Mr.'s Weasley." McGonagall called after the twins, "Please take him to my office, you know the way, and keep him there until I arrive."
"100 points from Gryffindor for casting spells in the great hall and fighting with another student, Potter, Granger." Snape's glee was evident in his voice, then he sneered. "Each. And Weasley too"
"Denied" McGonagall rounded on the potions professor, "They are not the initiating party, nor did either of them actually cast. They merely defended themselves. Your instant and aggressive attitude against members of Gryffindor house when your own house has done the same thing as you've accused these two without punishment, has called into question your neutrality. ALL points awarded or deducted by you, to ANY student, shall be reviewed from now on. This is my decree as Deputy Headmistress."
"That's outrageous!" Snape bellowed, "How I enforce discipline is my affair. You have no call to question my methods."
"I beg to differ," McGonagall refuted, "As Deputy, discipline falls under my purview. If I feel a professor is abusing or mishandling their position in this regard, it is my job to review the situation."
"They broke the rules!" Snape was starting to spit as he yelled, "You can't just deny punishing them to suit your petty need to win the house cup, Minerva."
"And you can't arbitrarily assign excessive point deductions and punishments out of spite." The highlander returned. "It ends now, Severus."
"Headmaster," Snape called turning to the old man as he approached the confrontation, "You aren't going to let this stand are you?"
"Discipline is indeed under the Deputy Headmistress's purview, Severus," Dumbledore confirmed sadly, "I will, however, join her in this review. After all, four eyes are always better than just two after all."
