After a slightly restless night, Hermione was awake before the sun rose. Sneaking out of the head dorms she made her way to the back door where Draco would re-enter the castle. Keeping an eye out for any other early risers, Hermione waited for her fiancé to return. Less than ten minutes after sunrise, she spotted Draco approaching the castle, keeping to the early morning shadows.
"Hey," she whispered in greeting when Draco reached the castle.
"Hey," Draco returned, before pulling Hermione into his arms and giving her a passionate kiss.
Hermione automatically returned the kiss, and although she wanted nothing more than to make the most of the friskiness Draco would be feeling, she reluctantly pulled away from her fiancé. Not only was it not the place to get intimate, but they had other things to discuss. The previous night hadn't been a normal full moon, and they needed to be ready for what would happen next.
"Did everything run okay after I left?" Hermione asked.
"Let's talk back in our rooms," Draco said, glancing around and checking no-one was lurking around.
Nodding her head, Hermione slipped her hand into Draco's and the pair snuck back to the head dorms. Thankfully no-one spotted them and they were soon ensconced in the head dorms. Instead of going up to Draco's room, where they would only get distracted, they settled on the sofa to talk.
"So?" Hermione prompted when Draco didn't start to speak immediately. "What happened? Did you have problems with Ginny?"
"Nothing I couldn't handle," Draco replied. "She transformed shortly after you left, but she was out of it for a while before she woke up."
"You were the same," Hermione said, recalling the night when Draco had been attacked by Lupin. "So how did the rest of the night go?"
"Severus and Father will be pleased to hear the wards around Hogwarts worked," Draco said. "She tried to get up to the castle, but she couldn't. She also tried to get down to the village, but I stopped her. I wasn't exactly gentle though. She might be a bit roughed up. She certainly wasn't looking too good when she transformed back at sunrise."
"You saw her when she turned back?" Hermione frowned. "Without her clothes on?"
Chuckling lightly, Draco wrapped his arm around Hermione's shoulder and pecked her on the cheek. "It was just a glimpse, but you've got nothing to worry about. You're the only witch I want to see naked. I just wanted to be sure she wasn't awake right away."
"Why wasn't she?" Hermione asked with a frown. "You're always awake when you turn back at sunrise."
"I am now, but I wasn't the first time," Draco reminded her. "I was awake fairly early in the morning, but not at sunrise. Chances are Weaselette will be asleep for a while yet."
"I wonder how things are going to run this morning," Hermione mused. "Do you think someone will miss Ginny before she wakes? Or will she wake up and try to find her own way back to the castle?"
"I have no idea," Draco replied with a shrug. "But let's not worry about what happens next. I've just spent the night as a wolf, and I have some remaining energy. How about we use up that energy?"
"Sounds like a plan," Hermione said with a smile as she rose to her feet. "Are you coming?" she asked, giving her fiancé a sultry look.
"That's my plan," Draco answered with a smirk, jumping up and grabbing hold of Hermione.
Laughing happily the couple headed off to Draco's bedroom where they collapsed onto Draco's bed and spent the first few hours of daylight using up Draco's excessive sexual energy following his night as a wolf.
C.O.T.D.
Knowing what was happening overnight, Severus got very little sleep. He'd deliberately stayed at Hogwarts so that he would be on hand when the inevitable fuss about Ginny swirled up. Not sure when the problem of Ginny would raise its head, Severus was up just after sunrise, trying to distract himself with paperwork. In fact, it was nearly seven before there was a knock on his office door.
"Come in," Severus called, making sure he didn't look expectant.
When the door opened he wasn't surprised to find McGonagall entering the room. Given what had happened recently, things were still tense between them, so he didn't give the Head of Gryffindor the warmest of welcomes. However, McGonagall was undeterred by his frostiness as she clearly had something more important on her mind.
"We have a problem," she announced.
"What sort of problem?" Severus asked.
"Ginny Weasley."
"What's she's done?" Severus questioned.
"Nothing," McGonagall answered, clearly annoyed by Severus's assumption that the Gryffindor girl had done something. "She's missing."
"Missing?" Severus frowned. "What do you mean, missing?"
"She's not in her dorms," McGonagall explained. "One of her dorm mates came to see me this morning. According to them, Ginny snuck out of Gryffindor Tower late last night and she still hasn't returned."
"That's hardly missing," Severus snorted. "Maybe she's holed up with a boy somewhere. I don't think we need to cause a huge fuss over a student breaking the rules. When she turns up, you can punish her for leaving dorms after the curfew."
"That's it?" McGonagall questioned. "A student is missing, and you're just dismissing it. I bet you wouldn't have this attitude if it was one of the Slytherins missing, or your sister or son."
"If Miss Weasley is missing, I will be very concerned," Severus said snappishly. "But have you even searched the castle to establish she isn't here?"
"No, not yet," McGonagall admitted sheepishly.
"Then I suggest you do so," Severus ordered.
McGonagall glared at Severus, but she turned to leave the office and follow out his orders. However, before she got a chance to leave the office the floo network sounded, signalling someone was trying to get in touch. Walking over to the fire, Severus activated the floo and the head of the wizard managing The Three Broomsticks for Rosmerta appeared in the flames.
"Liam," Severus greeted. "What can I do for you?"
"You need to get down to Hogsmeade," Liam replied. "One of your students has been found just outside the village."
"Found in what way?" Severus asked.
"Naked and unconscious," Liam answered. "She still hasn't woken up, so to be honest we're just guessing she's one of yours. She certainly just looks like a teenager, albeit a battered one."
"I'll be straight there," Severus said, ending the call. When he rose back to his feet, he found McGonagall staring accusingly at him. "I'm sorry," he bit out. "You were right. But you didn't know you were right."
"I suppose so," McGonagall muttered. "But I'm coming down to Hogsmeade with you. If it is Ginny, I want to be there for her."
"Follow me," Severus said sharply as he grabbed some floo powder from the pot on top of the fireplace.
Severus flooed to The Three Broomsticks, promptly followed by McGonagall. Liam was waiting for them when they arrived, and he showed them into a back room. On the sofa in the room lay Ginny, wrapped in blankets that Severus recognised as belonging to the pub. There was bruising on Ginny's face, and down her left cheek was a long, vivid red scratch mark.
"What happened?" McGonagall gasped, rushing over to Ginny.
"As I said, she was found just outside the village," Liam said. "I'm always up early sorting the pub for the day, and when I was in the back yard I spotted a figure on the ground. When I saw it was a young girl, I covered her up and brought her back to the pub. I did it all magically as not to hurt her."
"We need to move her back to the castle," Severus said. "The school medi-witch can treat her."
"Allow me," McGonagall said, raising her wand to levitate Ginny.
Making sure to keep the blanket firmly wrapped around Ginny, McGonagall moved her over to the fire. With a bit of manoeuvring, McGonagall got Ginny back through the fire and back to Hogwarts. After thanking Liam, and asking him to keep quiet about what had happened, Severus followed the pair back to school. From Severus's office, they took Ginny to the hospital wing where the witch who'd taken over from Madam Pomfrey was just setting up for the day.
"What happened?" Madam Jenkins demanded.
"We don't know," McGonagall replied. "She was found like this on the outskirts of Hogsmeade."
"Settle her on a bed and I'll look her over," Madam Jenkins ordered.
Once Ginny was settled on the bed, Madam Jenkins pulled the curtains around the bed and set about examining Ginny in private. However, she'd barely started her examination when she pulled back the curtain to address Severus and McGonagall.
"You'll want to see this," she said sombrely, gesturing for the pair to come forward.
Severus and McGonagall stepped forward to Ginny's bedside and found that the blanket had been pulled down enough to reveal Ginny's neck and the top of her shoulders. On the left side of her neck was a vivid red gash, and when they leant forward they could see teeth marks in Ginny's neck and upper shoulder.
"Something bit her," McGonagall gasped. "What?"
"I don't know," Madam Jenkins said. "But I do know last night was a full moon."
"No," McGonagall whispered, the colour draining from her face in horror. "It can't be."
"I guess we'll know for sure when Miss Weasley wakes up," Madam Jenkins said.
"We'll also find out what she was doing outside of the school grounds," Severus said.
"Surely you're not blaming what's happened on Ginny. She's the victim here," McGonagall snarled, glaring at Severus.
"I'm not denying she's been hurt, but she was found outside of the castle grounds," Severus replied. "If she left the safety of the castle, what happened to her is all on her head."
"I never thought you were so callous, Severus," McGonagall hissed. "Even with who your father is, I thought you had a shred a humanity. But you don't, you're just as bad as the rest of your family. You're a monster."
Severus smirked at the insult, and shrugged a casual shoulder. "I suppose that depends on your definition of a monster. Now, I suggest we let Madam Jenkins finish her examination."
Clearly disgusted with Severus, McGonagall backed away from Ginny's bed to let the medi-witch finish. By the time Madam Jenkins had finished examining Ginny, and determining that aside from the obvious bruises and scratches, she was okay, Ginny was beginning to stir. As the redheaded girl woke up, Severus stood at the bottom of the bed and watched as McGonagall hovered over her.
"Ginny," McGonagall said softly, stroking Ginny's hair as her eyes fluttered open. "Can you hear me?"
"Yes," Ginny whispered. "What happened? Where am I?"
"You're in the hospital wing," McGonagall explained gently. "As for what happened, we were hoping you would tell us. You were found down in Hogsmeade."
"Hogsmeade?" Ginny frowned as McGonagall helped her to sit up, all the time keeping the blankets wrapped around her to maintain her modesty.
"Take your time," McGonagall said. "Just tell us what you remember."
Ginny's eyes slid shut as she clearly tried to remember the previous night. After a few minutes, her eyes suddenly flew open and glared angrily at Severus.
"Hermione," she hissed.
"Excuse me?" Severus frowned.
"Hermione," Ginny repeated. "It was Hermione. I thought I was meeting Parkinson, but it was Hermione."
"Hold on," Severus interrupted. "You left school grounds to meet Pansy Parkinson?"
"Yes, but it was a set up," Ginny answered. "It was Hermione who was there, and she wasn't alone."
"Who was with her?" McGonagall asked.
"Greyback," Ginny whispered. Slowly her hand raised to her neck and wailed slightly when she felt a rough scratch on her skin. "He attacked me," she choked out before breaking down in tears.
"It's okay, Ginny," McGonagall soothed, sitting down on the bed and pulling Ginny into her arms. While Ginny sobbed into her shoulder, McGonagall glared at Severus. "I think we need to talk to your sister."
"You believe her accusations?" Severus chuckled. "Because I'd bet my life that Hermione never left the castle last night."
"We'll see, won't we," McGonagall replied. "And I also think we need to send for Molly and Arthur. They need to be here."
"Yes, they do," Severus agreed. "And rest assured Minerva, we'll get to the bottom of what happened last night."
Leaving McGonagall to comfort Ginny, Severus headed off to contact the Weasleys. He just hoped Hermione had everything in place, and that Ginny's story would crumble in a heap. With any luck by the end of the day, the blame for her accident would be laid at Ginny's door and the entire wizarding world would think she only had herself to blame for ending up being bitten by a werewolf. After all, Ginny would have been perfectly fine if only she hadn't left the safety of the school grounds in the middle of the night.