Theo looked at Blaise for a long moment. Though they hadn't started their Hogwarts career's as friends, the three of them had grown very close, especially in the last two years. When others branded Draco, and his family, traitor's Blaise and Theo had stepped up. Blaise despite his parents, and Theo despite his Uncle. Theo watched as Blaise shook his head looking down at their friend.
"He's going to be okay. You know that batty old woman can work wonders. After all I'm sure that she's the reason so many lived during the war." Theo muttered running his hand through his light brown, curly, hair. He needed to get a hair cut. Though that didn't take precedent at the moment. Blaise nodded, his head bobbing continuously for a moment. The movement so rigorous, Theo worried if he were stuck that way, in a loop of sorts. Tentatively, Theo placed a hand on Blaise's shoulder.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Blaise shook his head this time, as if to stop the nod. "You're right Theo of course. You're always right. Let's go get a bite to eat. I'm sure that after we eat, Drake will be awake." Blaise smiled warily looking up at Theo. "Boy is he going to be pissed." Theo laughed with his friend, removing his hand from Blaise's shoulder.
"Too right you are about that. He's always hating being in Hospital's and hated being in Hospital Bed's even more." The two men agreed that when Draco got himself riled up there, typically, was little anyone could do to stop it.
Hermione didn't want to go back to the common room. Almost 11:30 in the morning, breakfast was over, lunch hadn't begun, yes someone would be in the common room. Merlin's beard knew who, but someone would be there. Hermione didn't care who they were, she didn't want them to see her in this state. Wiping her eyes, muttering a few scourgify's as well as the new Gliphor Charm they'd learned, Hermione instead headed toward's the Head's office.
Bustling into the office, Hermione quickly made her way to her desk. Pulling out rolls of parchment. Work. She had to do work of some sort. Get her mind off of what had happened. She began make a list, listing all the different things they would need for the Halloween Masque.
Drinks. Food. Decorations. Hermione's mind couldn't focus, she kept going back to the wolves. Despite the terrible ending, Hermione rubbed her forehead, it had been a rush. She wanted nothing more than to do it again, to fully become the animagus she was destined to be, instead of having someone cast a spell to transform her. Hermione's eyes closed, as she recounted everything, trying to figure out where it had gone wrong.
" 'God's you smell delicious.' " Those rang in Hermione's ears, despite everything. It gave her chill bumps, set a tingling in her spine. "UGH!" Hermione felt like beating her skull against the desk before her. What the hell did that mean? Hermione didn't understand, and Hermione hated not understanding.
"So, are you going to tell me what's wrong or should I go back to pretending that I'm not in the room?" Neville's voice made Hermione's head snap up. Blinking rapidly the girl blushed swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat.
"Neville, I didn't know you were in here." From the looks of him, Neville had been taking care of business. Hermione couldn't tell what exactly, but it wasn't too taxing, as he'd put his quill down. Neville smiled at Hermione kindly, clearly trying not to laugh at her.
"That much is clear 'Mione. So, are you going to tell me what's wrong? Who knows maybe I can help." Getting up from his own desk, Neville sat on the edge of Hermione's. He looked at her sweetly, though nothing more in his eyes than friendship. Looking at him, Hermione knew she could trust him, trust that he wouldn't tell Harry or Ron what had happened. Taking a deep breath, Hermione launched into her tale, from the beginning.
Neville listened silently for quite awhile. Listened as Hermione told the story, explained what happened, berated herself, questioned herself, even talked to herself for a bit. He never interjected, just waited patiently for her to finish talking, his hands ever clasped in his lap, his eyes down as he thought.
"Then Blaise and Theo showed up." Hermione had left out the part of her kissing Malfoy on the forehead. He already knew that they had cuddled, as wolves, and Malfoy had licked her. She didn't want to add to the fire. "Blaise started yelling at me, blaming me for the whole thing." The girl shook her head sitting down in her chair. She'd begun pacing about five minutes beforehand. "And, well, that's where you come in the picture."
"Let me get this straight." Neville spoke carefully, to make sure that Hermione was indeed done speaking. "Malfoy sniffed you, said you smelled delicious, and that's when he got into the fight with the Alpha, who wanted to." Neville stumbled over the next word, his cheeks a delecate shade of pink. "Mate with you and put pups in you?" Neville asked and Hermione nodded enthusiastically. Happy that he seemed to understand.
"What I'm having trouble with is, well why did he want to mate with me!? On top of that, I just don't understand what Malfoy meant. I don't understand any of it, and that's what ticks me off the most. I don't understand! Me. Hermione! The bookworm! There's nothing I don't understand but this, this is beyond me." Hermione didn't feel bad admitting it to Neville, while others might have berated her for her choice of words, he just responded with another kind smile. Hermione's hands flew up in the air, slapping back down on the table in her frustration.
"Well, I don't know much about wolves personally Hermione, but judging from what you've told me. You were in heat." Neville shrugged at the incredulous glare Hermione tossed at him. "That's the only explanation I can think of 'Mione. This other girl wolf in the pact, what was her name?"
"Lilac."
"Yes, Lilac, she obviously wasn't the strongest one, or the best choice. You presented yourself as a strong candidate. A new Alpha female, if you will. In Light Paw's mind, bare with me he is only a wolf, there was no other option. As the Alpha he get's the first choice. You," Neville gestured toward her as he spoke. ", you took down that animal, making yourself the best option." Hermione stared at Neville for a long moment, her mouth agape. She had never thought about it that way.
"I never thought about it that way." Hermione's words echoed her thoughts. "Thank you Neville! That's very helpful." He nodded as the girl stood up.
"Told you I'd be able to help if you just gave me the chance." Neville gave her a little wink as she grinned at him. "Oh, before you leave 'Mione, Professor McGonagall asked me to remind you that you need to take your potion again, the one we volunteered for. She's got them in her office. I've already taken mine." Neville had a dreamy smile on his face as he thought about it.
"Thanks Neville, I wanted to go see McGonagall anyway, talk to her about Professor Langdon." Hermione opened the door, getting ready to leave when Neville stopped her with a question.
"'Mione, when you take the potion, does it feel like your on fire? No in a bad way, but in an absolutely wonderful way?" Hermione hadn't talked to anyone about how the potion made her feel. Not even Ginny. In fact it had been a subject none of them had talked about since that first night. Her hand on the door, Hermione looked at Neville.
"No, no when I took mine it made me feel like electricity, beautiful, wonderful, electricity is coursing beneath my very skin." Neville nodded accepting her answer.
"Guess it's different for everyone." He mumbled.
"Yeah, yeah, I guess it's different for everyone." Talking about it made Hermione eager to go take the potion again. The get back that feeling of electricity. Great gargoyle's when had she become an adrenaline junkie?
Her thoughts didn't stop her from making good time to McGonagall's office. Uttering the password, 'Albus', Hermione found her Headmistress sitting in a dark office, grumbling behind her desk.
"Professor McGonagall, what in the world are you doing?" Hermione asked lighting the tip of her wand.
"Dammit girl! Turn that off. Can't you tell a woman nursing a hangover when you see one?" McGonagall asked. Had Hermione not been a little angry at the woman, for getting drunk with Professor Langdon, Hermione would have laughed at her idol. The woman was too old to be staying up all night, getting drunk. She was the Headmistress of a school after all. She should have known that this would happen. Needless to say, Hermione lit a candle, making the end of her wand stop glowing.
"Professor McGonagall, I wanted to talk to you about last night, about Professor Langdon." McGonagall never lifted her head, her severve bun at the base of her neck was in dissarray. She waved one hand at Hermione.
"Later, tomorrow. I don't care which. Take your potion and leave Miss Granger. We will talk later, after dinner. I should be able to focus by then." Hermione opened her mouth to protest. "Please Miss Granger." McGonagall knew her protege well, knew the stubbornness that lay within her bushy head. "We will talk after dinner."
Hermione sighed, walking up to the table and taking the silver potion. Holding up the goblet Hermione wasted no time in downing it. The same feeling overwhelmed her, only this time stronger. She felt as if rubbing her fingers together would cause sparks of electricity to flow through her. Hermione felt amazing, like she could do anything. Though what she wanted to do was go wake up Malfoy. Though, Hermione knew that was out of the question. Instead she bounced, skipping, all the way to the Gryffindor common room.