Harry hummed jauntily to himself as he made his way to the head dorms. Harry was off to see Draco and the pair were going to spend some time catching up and just hanging out. Since their return to school at the beginning of September, Harry felt as though he'd barely seen his best friend, and it was now the first week in November. Harry had just been so caught up with his romance with Daphne, especially their recent new development, while Draco had been busy with head duties and Hermione. However, Hermione and Daphne were studying together in the library, meaning a boys night was on the cards.
When Harry reached the head dorms, Draco answered the door and after giving his best friend a quick tour of the head dorms, the pair settled down on the sofa in the common room to talk.
"So what's it like having your own rooms?" Harry asked.
"It's good," Draco replied. "It certainly beats sneaking around in the middle of the night to see Hermione."
"Yeah, dating someone from a different house once things get serious is pretty tricky," Harry agreed.
"And how serious are you and Daphne these days?" Draco questioned with a knowing smirk. His friend had never once mentioned taking his relationship with Daphne further, but Draco just got the impression things had progressed between them when he watched them together.
"We're very serious. I love her," Harry answered.
"Wow. Love is pretty big," Draco said with a low whistle.
"I hope you're not implying that I can't love her because we're only young," Harry said, bristling slightly. "We're the same age as you and Hermione, and you two love each other."
"I never said you couldn't love her, Harry," Draco soothed. "I just said it was big thing. It took me a while to admit I loved Hermione."
"It took you an eternity to even admit you fancied her," Harry laughed, remembering how stubborn his best friend and aunt had been about their feelings. "Let's face it Draco, I'm better at feelings than you are."
"True," Draco conceded with a nod. Even though he was pretty open with the people he cared about, he still wasn't as free and open with his feelings as Harry, or Hermione for that matter. "So, you and Daphne are in love. Does that mean you've professed your love in a physical way?"
"Professed our love in a physical way?" Harry scoffed. "Are we living in medieval times here?"
"Fine. Have you slept together?" Draco corrected with a roll of his eyes.
"We have," Harry confirmed, unable to help the smug smirk that broke over his face at the admission. "It was great, and that's all I'm going to say on the matter. I don't want to discuss my sex life."
"Only because you don't want me to discuss mine," Draco chuckled.
"True," Harry agreed with a nod. "I'd rather not hear about what turns my Aunt on."
"No, you'd never be able to look at her in the same light again," Draco joked.
Harry rolled his eyes at Draco, knowing his friend was just trying to get a rise out of him. "So how are things going with the wolf thing?" He asked, swiftly changing the topic.
"The wolf thing?" Draco chuckled, amused by Harry's phrasing.
"Yeah, you've had two full moons since school started, haven't you?"
"I have," Draco confirmed with a nod. "And it's going pretty well. We're working on making sure I don't black out when I'm hunting. At the minute, I keep blanking when I'm hunting in my wolf form and Greyback says that until I can remain in control at all times, it's too dangerous to have people around me in my wolf state."
"He wants you to hunt?" Harry questioned, his nose wrinkling in distaste.
"Hunting is a natural part of being a werewolf, I just need to fully accept that part of my nature," Draco answered with a shrug. "We're hoping by the new year that I've got enough control to start thinking about exposing me to people."
"By people I take it you mean Hermione?"
"At first. Greyback thinks she could be the best place to start as we have a strong connection. But eventually, the plan is to get me so acclimatised to being a wolf that I can be around anyone and have full control. Unless, of course people are too scared to be around a dangerous wolf."
"You don't scare me, Draco," Harry laughed, knowing just what his best friend had been implying. "Just say the word and I'll be there at the full moon to stand by your side."
"Thanks, Harry," Draco replied, giving his friend a genuine smile. Despite the joking nature of the conversation, he knew that under the banter lay solid support from his best friend.
"Any time, little wolf," Harry replied with a smirk.
"Make that big wolf," Draco retorted, giving Harry a dangerous grin. "There's nothing small about me."
"I'll have to take your word for that," Harry laughed.
"Just ask Hermione, she'll back me up," Draco said.
"I don't think so," Harry replied with a shake of his head. "Let's leave the girls out of things for now and talk about the important stuff."
"Like?"
"What do you think? Quidditch," Harry laughed. "You need to prepare yourself for another loss, Draco. The cup is ours this year."
"I don't think so," Draco replied. "We're not going to let you win again. Slytherin win will the cup this year."
With talk of girls and werewolves left behind, Draco and Harry lost themselves in quidditch talk. After discussing the upcoming matches they would be playing over the coming year, they turned their attention to the league and the fact the world cup would be taking place in a few months' time. The pair got so caught up in their talk, they didn't realise how much time had passed until Hermione entered the head dorms.
"That was quick," Harry remarked, slightly annoyed that his evening with Draco had been cut short.
"Quick?" Hermione frowned at her nephew. "We've been studying for hours. Curfew's in half an hour."
"Really?" Checking the time, Harry was shocked to find his aunt was right, the time had just drifted away and he'd been in the head dorms for a few hours.
"Although, don't let me spoil your fun," Hermione said as she put her bag down beside the desk and removed her cardigan. "I'm going for a shower."
"Maybe Harry should leave and I can come and scrub your back," Draco offered with a sinful smirk.
"Maybe," Hermione replied, walking over to her boyfriend and leaning over to give him a kiss.
Harry rolled his eyes at the couple, and moved his head so he didn't have to watch the pair of them slobber all over each other. However, as he moved his head, Draco brushed Hermione's hair over her shoulder and a red mark on Hermione's shoulder caught his attention where her blouse had slipped from her shoulder as she bent over.
"What's that?" He demanded with a frown.
"What?" Hermione asked as she stood back up. As she did so, her blouse settled itself back into place and the red mark was no longer visible.
Jumping to his feet, Harry grabbed Hermione's collar and yanked her blouse away from her shoulder. "That," he spat, pointing at the red mark on his aunt's shoulder.
"It's none of your business, Harry," Hermione said as she pulled herself out of her nephew's clutches and straightened her clothes.
"It looks like you've been bitten," Harry protested. With a gasp, a horrifying thought entered his head and he turned to face his best friend. "Tell me you haven't done that?"
"Harry, leave it," Hermione said firmly.
"Tell me," Harry yelled at Draco, ignoring his aunt and focusing on the blond Slytherin. "Tell me you're not stupid enough to bite Hermione."
"It's not what you think, Harry," Draco said as he got to his feet. "I've never been near her in my werewolf form."
"But you have bitten her?" Harry demanded. "You're sick. You're supposed to love her, and yet you're biting her. I just can't believe this."
"It's none of your business, Harry," Hermione said. "I'm in no danger."
"No danger? He's a sodding werewolf, Hermione," Harry yelled. "How do you know he's not slowly turning you into one?"
"Because we know he's not," Hermione argued. "We've read a book."
"And that makes it all okay," Harry snarled. "Wake up the pair of you, this isn't some game. It's irresponsible for him to be biting you at all."
"You're right," Draco said quietly.
"Draco," Hermione protested. "Don't listen to him, he doesn't know the full story."
"It doesn't matter though, he's still right," Draco said. "I shouldn't be biting you. All we've got to say it won't affect you is some banned book my mother found. It's not proof, it's just the ramblings of a wizard attempting to justify biting the witch he claimed to love. And I'm doing the same thing. Instead of getting myself under control, I've bit you twice now and claim it's because I love you. If I loved you, I wouldn't bite you."
"You don't love me now, is that what you're saying?" Hermione demanded angrily.
"That's not what I'm saying," Draco said. "I do love you, Hermione, more than anything. And that's why, this needs to stop until I've got control. Until I can be sure I won't bite you, I can't put myself in that position. I'm sorry, but I won't hurt you. It's over."
"Draco," Hermione called as her boyfriend turned away from her and headed towards the stairs that led to the bedrooms.
"Don't Hermione, this is for the best," Draco said, turning back to look at Hermione one final time, before he hurried up the stairs and into his bedroom.
"Are you happy now?" Hermione hissed, turning on Harry and fixing him with her most deadly glare.
"I never meant to cause trouble," Harry said, feeling guilty for what he'd just witnessed, and the speed in which it had all happened. He'd never meant for Draco to end things with Hermione, but he couldn't just sit back and let him continue to bite his aunt.
"Do you have any idea what you've done?" Hermione asked, her voice brimming with anger. "You've just set him back months. Do you not think he felt bad the first time he bit me?"
"I'm sure he doesn't mean to hurt you, but you have to see that it's dangerous," Harry argued.
"I don't care," Hermione yelled. "Yes, what we've read might be wrong and the bites I get from Draco might start affecting me, or even change me in the long term, but I still don't care. In case you've forgotten, Draco is a werewolf because of me. He got bitten protecting me. So I really don't care if he wants to bite me when we're making love. In fact, I love it."
"Your kinks aside, it's just too dangerous," Harry protested. "I won't let you do this."
"It's got nothing to do with you, Harry," Hermione said in a low voice. "Now go away before I do something I can't take back."
"Hermione," Harry pleaded, reaching out for his aunt.
"Go," Hermione hissed, backing away from her nephew. "And you better hope I can get through to Draco. I swear, if I've lost him because of you, I'll make you regret it."
"I'm sorry," Harry offered as he backed away from his aunt, knowing there was no point talking to her until she calmed down. "I was just looking out for you."
Without a second glance at her nephew, Hermione stalked out of the room. Harry listened as she climbed the stairs and knocked on Draco's door, begging her boyfriend to talk to her. When it became clear that Draco wasn't going to open the door, Harry slunk away feeling incredibly guilty. He'd never meant to cause so much trouble, and he just hoped it could be fixed. He didn't want to lose either his aunt or his best friend, but something told him that if he wasn't careful, he could do just that.