The direct aftermath of the attack was a bit of a blur for Hermione. Draco was moved inside and her father and Lucius settled him in one of the rarely used rooms of the ground floor of the manor. While the two wizards were making sure Draco couldn't hurt anyone if he woke up, Beth insisted on checking Hermione over. Hermione was adamant she was fine, after all if she'd also been bitten she would also be a wolf, but even so her mother still checked that she wasn't badly injured.
All the time Beth was checking her out, Hermione's eyes remained glued to Draco, or rather the wolf he'd turned into. She was still struggling to come to terms with what had happened, especially since nothing seemed quite like what she'd read about werewolves. She'd never ever read that a person bitten on the full moon would transform that night, nor had she ever read about anyone turning into a full blown wolf. In everything she'd read, a werewolf was pretty much a wolf-human hybrid, very much like Remus had been. However, here was Draco lying here looking like a natural wild wolf.
"Is he okay?" Narcissa anxiously asked her husband as he and Voldemort backed away from Draco after spending nearly an hour working on his injures.
"We think so," Lucius replied. "His breathing has improved, and we've dealt with the bite to his neck."
"So why's he still asleep?" Narcissa questioned.
"We're not sure," Lucius admitted. "We're not experts on werewolves."
"But I do know someone who is," Voldemort added. "First thing in the morning, I'll send for him."
"Why not do it now?" Hermione demanded. "Draco needs help now."
"I can't send for him now, as he's also a werewolf and knowing Greyback he'll be out somewhere enjoying himself in wolf form," Voldemort told his daughter.
"Greyback, as in Fenrir Greyback the notorious werewolf?" Hermione questioned. Even though she'd never met the man in question, she'd heard about him and she knew his reputation as a ferocious werewolf.
Voldemort nodded. "Yes. He can help Draco through this."
"Can anyone help him?" Narcissa whispered in a broken voice. "We all know how werewolves are treated in our world. Draco will be an outcast. His life is ruined forever."
"That needn't be the case," Voldemort said. "I think we should inform Severus and Harry of the situation, but other than that I suggest this news doesn't spread any further. We will be the only ones who need know about Draco's condition."
"Is that feasible?" Lucius asked with a frown. "Can we really send him back to Hogwarts with no-one aware of his condition? Isn't that dangerous?"
"Yeah, everyone kicked up a fuss about Lupin in third year," Hermione agreed. "I'd hate to see Draco be treated like that."
"Let's wait and see what Greyback has to say, but this really isn't anything like the Remus Lupin situation," Voldemort said.
"Speaking of Lupin, I do hope he's going to be dealt with," Beth said with a snarl. "He attacked Draco and then tried to attack Hermione."
"Actually, he attacked me first," Hermione said in a quiet voice. "Draco spotted him, and he dove on top of me. Draco's transformation was an accident, he was trying to get me. Draco is a werewolf because of me."
"No, he's a werewolf because of the monster that attacked you," Lucius said firmly. "Don't blame yourself Hermione, because I can guarantee Draco won't blame you. I know my son, and I'm sure he would much rather be the one cursed with lycanthropy than you have to suffer that fate."
"And no-one needs to worry about Lupin, I will deal with him," Voldemort promised. "I can get Greyback to track him down and dispose of him."
"And what about Draco?" Hermione asked, looking over to where she could have sworn she spotted the wolf moving. "He'll be like this forever, won't he?"
"There's no cure for lycanthropy," Lucius said sadly. "So yes, Draco will be a werewolf for the rest of his life."
Just as Lucius finished speaking, the wolf opened its eyes and Hermione found herself staring into a pair of crystal blue eyes. For a moment she thought she spotted a glimpse of Draco in the eyes, but just as suddenly the wolf's eyes darkened and with a low growl it sprung to its feet. Thanks to the spells Lucius and Voldemort had cast on Draco, the wolf was unable to move out of a small circle that had been traced on the floor around him. However that didn't stop him from growling and baring his teeth at the assembled group.
"Draco," Hermione whispered, taking a few steps forward only to be greeted with another low growl from the wolf her boyfriend had turned into.
"It's no use, Hermione," Voldemort said softly. "He doesn't recognise you, he doesn't recognize any of us."
"Will it always be this way?" Narcissa asked, swiping at a few tears that had leaked out of her eyes.
"I'm no expert, but I don't think so," Voldemort replied. "I've spoken with Greyback about his condition a few times, and I know when he's in wolf form he knows exactly what's what and who's who. Although, I have heard it said that a werewolf regains no memory of their very first transformation."
"So Draco won't remember this?" Hermione asked.
"I don't think so," Voldemort replied. "But as I said, I'm no expert. Greyback will be able to answer all of our questions tomorrow."
"And for tonight?" Hermione questioned.
"For tonight, we watch Draco and ensure he doesn't escape," Voldemort replied. "It's one thing to kill knowingly, but it could destroy him if he escaped and killed someone without realising it."
"I can keep an eye on him," Lucius said, pulling out a chair and settling himself down near to where Draco was angrily pacing the floor, trying to find a way out of the magic circle.
"I'm not leaving either," Hermione said, joining Lucius in his vigil.
"I don't think anyone is going anywhere," Beth said as Narcissa joined her husband.
"If it's okay, I will just go and let Severus and Harry know what's going on," Voldemort said, looking towards Lucius.
"That's a good idea," Lucius said with a nod.
While Voldemort went off to speak to his son and grandson, Beth sat down next to Narcissa and took her friend's hand in hers. Less than five minutes later, Voldemort returned with a worried looking Severus and Harry. Rosmerta was also with them, and she rushed straight over to Narcissa, while Voldemort and Lucius explained what had happened.
"How did Lupin get past the boundary wards?" Severus asked with a frown as he watched his godson in his new wolf form.
"He was in his animal form, so clearly that had something to do with it," Lucius replied. "The wards don't protect from animals since we live in the middle of the country. However, his human side triggered the wards, alerting us to his presence. First thing in the morning, I need to alter the wards to stop something like this happening again."
"I'll help you," Severus offered.
Lucius gave his friend a weak smile, before refocusing on his son. Within a few moments, the room was silent aside from the sound of Draco's annoyed growls and the sound of his padded paws pacing the wooden floor, looking for an escape route. One by one everyone in the room drifted off to sleep, until it was just Draco and Hermione left awake.
"This won't change anything," Hermione whispered to the wolf, who was glaring at her with his crystal blue eyes. "I love you, and we'll get through this together."
C.O.T.D.
Draco slowly blinked open his eyes, his body aching and just generally feeling groggy. When he stretched and went to roll over, he frowned when he felt a hard floor beneath his body. Sitting up, he blinked in surprise to find himself stretched, completely naked, on the floor in one of the rarely used rooms on the ground floor of the manor. Just as he was puzzling over what had happened, he spotted the chairs across the room containing his sleeping friends and family. His parents were there, along with Harry, Hermione, Hermione's parents and Severus and Rosmerta.
"What the hell?" He demanded loudly, jolting the group awake.
"Draco," Narcissa cried happily the second her eyes were open.
It was until his mother was half way across the room to him, that Draco realised he was naked and had given the entire room a flash of his goods. Whirling around, and treating the group to a flash of his backside, Draco grabbed one of the nearby curtains and yanking it from the wall he wrapped the dusty green material around his waist like a sarong.
"Just what is going on here?" Draco asked, moving towards his mother only to find himself stopped by an invisible barrier.
"Do you remember last night?" Lucius asked his son.
Draco frowned as he tried to recall the previous evening. He could remember dinner with his parents and Hermione's family, and then he and Hermione had gone for a walk in the grounds. Draco could recall the conversation he and Hermione had about her becoming the lady of the manor one day, but after that things got fuzzy. As he concentrated, he began to get images of a wild animal launching itself at Hermione, and himself trying to protect her.
"Something attacked us," Draco finally said, even though he couldn't quite get a fix on what animal had attacked. "I think I stopped it mauling Hermione."
"You did," Hermione replied, giving her boyfriend a grateful smile. "But instead of me, it got you."
At Hermione's words, Draco's hand instinctively reached for his neck. Even though he couldn't feel any scarring, he could now remember sharp fangs burrowing into his neck. He could remember the intense pain, that had seemed to flow throughout his body, before everything went black and try as he might, he just couldn't recall anything else from the previous evening.
"What attacked?" He asked in a hollow voice as his hand remained clamped to his neck.
"Not what, who," Hermione said in a whisper. "It was Lupin, and last night was a full moon."
Draco's eyes widened at Hermione's words and at the implications, his knees buckled and he fell to the floor with a whimper. Instantly, Hermione pulled out her wand and lowering the protective circle around her boyfriend, she ran to him and wrapped him in her arms.
"It's okay," She soothed.
"It's not okay," Draco snarled, angrily pushing Hermione away from him as he jumped to his feet and backed away from everyone. "You need to stay away from me, all of you. I'm dangerous and not safe to be around."
"You're not dangerous, Draco," Narcissa told her son as she stepped forward with Lucius. "This changes nothing."
"It changes everything, I'm a monster," Draco spat, tears pooling in his grey eyes.
"No," Hermione snapped as she got to her feet and advanced on her boyfriend. "You're not a monster," She insisted as she grabbed hold of Draco's face and forced him to look at her. "I won't lie, Draco, this isn't going to be easy. Everything has changed, for all of us. But you are still you, and we all still love you."
"You shouldn't," Draco whispered shakily. "I might hurt you, Hermione. You need to stay away from me. I couldn't cope if I hurt you."
"The only way you could hurt me is to push me away," Hermione replied quietly. "Please don't do that, Draco. Don't push me away. Let me help you, let us all help you."
"I'm scared," Draco confessed in a small voice.
"I know baby, we're all scared," Hermione replied, pulling Draco into her arms and burying her head in his shoulder as she began to cry softly.
"Perhaps we should give you some space," Rosmerta suggested. "I think Draco needs some time to come to terms with things."
"I think so too," Voldemort agreed. "I'll speak to Greyback, and we can come and visit Draco later this afternoon."
"Are you coming, Hermione?" Beth asked her daughter, who was still standing clinging onto Draco.
"No," Hermione answered, without turning around. "I'm staying with Draco."
"We'll be back later," Harry promised. Catching Draco's eye he gave his best friend a smile. "This doesn't change anything, Draco. You're still my best friend. You're going to have to do something more drastic than turning into a werewolf to get rid of me."
"Thanks, Harry," Draco whispered.
"Anytime," Harry replied, giving his best friend one final smile before he followed his father out of the room.
Lucius saw everyone out of the house, before returning to where his son was still standing in the room half naked and shaking from the revelations.
"Perhaps you should go and get dressed, Draco," He suggested softly. "Then we can talk."
"What's there to talk about?" Draco asked quietly. "Nothing can change this, can it? You can't cure me."
"No, I can't," Lucius admitted, his heart breaking for his son. "But together we can work out the best way to deal with your condition. This isn't the end of the world, Draco. We're all in this together, and you'll never be alone."
As he left the room to go and get dressed, Draco couldn't help but feel his father's words were wrong. Obviously, he appreciated the support his parents and everyone else was giving him, but Lucius was wrong. He was alone in this. He was the werewolf and it was his life that had been ruined. It didn't matter what anyone else said, this was something he would have to deal with alone, and nothing or no-one could help him.