Two hours later Lavender sat in the waiting room of St. Mungo's, tearing a tissue to shreds. Hannah was next to her, apologizing over and over again. Lavender couldn't hear her through her worry. The Auror's plan had been good, everything had been set to go – and then it had turned awful.

Apparently not wanting to see their son taken by the Aurors despite joining Lavender in front of the Ministry nights before, Adeline and Danny had picked a fight. The Aurors hadn't been expecting that, not after Leo had told them that they weren't werewolves. Adeline had managed to tackle one of the Aurors and steal his wand and had turned out to be a remarkably competent spellcaster and had tied up more people than Lavender would have thought possibly. Danny, meanwhile, had jumped on another Auror and started punching him. That man was in the hospital now too.

Of all their opponents, Svensen had seemed to be the least of their concerns. That had also turned the plan on its head, because Braxten had expected the werewolf to fight. But the young werewolf had just seemed exhausted and confused when the Aurors shot chains over him.

The chains had been what made Lavender step forward. Chains on Svensen hadn't been a part of the plan that she had agreed to. But that step forward had drawn Max's attention to her, and the terrible snarl that had ripped from his throat had made her freeze. Even the wolf in the back of her mind had cowered down, unable to fight that primal sound. "You betrayed us!" Max had snarled.

She looked at him like a deer in the wandlight as he charged at her. He looked more wolfish than any human had a right to, or any werewolf had a right to outside of the full moon. But those were definitely claws on his hands and elongated teeth, a lengthening muzzle – Lavender had screamed as he leapt at her, seeing Fenrir Greyback in his face.

And then, out of nowhere, a small figure had crashed into Max and send him rolling. Terrible snarls and yelps started coming from the tangle of human and wolf on the ground, and when Lavender heard her name being screamed it snapped her out of her fear and shock. She, along with two other Aurors, started sending stunners at the fight, unable to tell who they were hitting. Finally, when they had gotten enough spells in that the fight was still, Seamus had waded in and pulled the fighters apart, grabbing Max by the scruff as the now half-wolf man twitched limply. But Lavender only had eyes for the young, scruffy-haired boy who was laying still and bloody on the ground.

"Leo!" She had screamed, throwing herself on the ground next to him. "Ennervate, oh Merlin, Leo, please wake up." He had stirred gently at the spell, a slight sigh escaping him, and she had suddenly become conscious of the massive amounts of blood around him and on his clothes. "Somebody help!" She screamed, looking around in desperation at the Aurors.

After the shock of the last few seconds, the Aurors had remembered their training. Maybe they just weren't used to dealing with rogue werewolves and their parents, but Lavender intended to have a strong word with the Head of the Auror Department. An insane werewolf should never be able to get the drop on the pride of the Auror department, of that Lavender was sure. Finally, two with field medical training stepped forward and started tending to Leo, murmuring spells to stop the bleeding and replace the blood. "He needs St. Mungo's," the female Auror of the pair said after a minute. "He's safe to move, but he needs a Healer."

The male Auror of the pair had nodded agreement and then swept Leo up into his arms, turning on the spot to vanish with a crack. Lavender had stared where they had vanished and Hannah came racing up to her, apologies already flowing from her lips. "He said he forgot to tell you something so I told him he could tell me and I would go, and then when I turned to apparate he grabbed my arm and side-along'd himself. I'm so sorry, I would never have done it except I thought it was important that you know that Max could turn outside of the full moon, I'm so sorry Lavender!"

"I need to go to St. Mungo's," Lavender had said numbly.

"I'll take you," Hannah had offered instantly, seeing that her friend was clearly incapable of apparating herself right then.

And so now they were here, waiting for news. Lavender had filled out paperwork that Hannah brought her, listing herself as Leo's sister and guardian so there wasn't any confusion. There had been the start of a stink when it came out that Leo was a werewolf, but Lavender had fixed the head Healer with such a look that the man gulped and backed down. His bite was only dangerous on the full moon, she had reminded them quietly, and if there was any issue she was happy to take it up with the Minister. She needed to stop name dropping, she knew, but until Inhuman Resources got up and running and had a reputation of its own, that was what she had to do. After ensuring that Leo would be cared for as would any human, she resumed her seat and stared fixedly at the wall, seeing nothing and only thinking please please please be okay.

About an hour into their wait, Neville had brought news that Danny and Adeline and Max and Svensen were all being held at the Ministry, the first three in the holding cells for Azkaban, and Svensen in the werewolf cages. That had stirred Lavender a bit from her stuporand she fixed Neville with a burning look.

"Not there," she demanded. "Those places reek of filth and fear. Take him... take him anywhere else. Even put him in the Azkaban cages. But not the werewolf ones." Neville nodded at that and then left again, letting Lavender slip back into her mantra of please please please be okay. She tore another tissue into tiny pieces, damp sweat on her shaking hands making the tissue wet.

She remembered something suddenly and turned to Hannah slightly. "Can you," she coughed. Her voice was raw. "Can you go to my office? McGonagall is supposed to be meeting Leo there soon. I don't want her to be offended that we're not there. I'd send a patronus but there's probably too much to tell for one of those."

"Of course," Hannah said instantly, squeezing Lavender's shoulder as she left.

It felt like Hannah had only been gone for a moment before she heard raised voices. "Sir, this area is for family only - " a harried sounding Healer said.

"You want to move now," growled a familiar Irish brogue. Lavender lifted her head at the sound of it. "If you don't get out of the way I'll hex you."

She rose halfway out of her chair as Seamus pushed his way into the waiting room, eyes raking the room until he saw her. "Oh Merlin, Lav, are you okay?" He asked, suddenly in front of her.

"Yes," she said, stunned that he was here. "Leo - they haven't told me anything about him."

Seamus's hand reach up and touched her cheek as if to reassure himself that she was really fine and then he walked away, off down a different hallway than the one he came through half a moment ago. She dimly heard quiet words and then some shouting, and then more quiet words until he came back. He stood in front of her again and she stared at him, desperate for answers. "He's still being worked on," he said. "But they say he's going to make it."

Lavender took a shaking breath that was more of a sob. Tentatively, like he was worried about frightening a scared wild animal, he held out his arms to her. She collapsed into them, letting him comfort her for the first time in months, letting his soothing smell surround her, letting him murmur reassurances in her ear until she got a hold of herself. She pulled away reluctantly, sniffling. "Thank you," she whispered with a watery smile up at him. He returned it hesitantly before digging in his pocket and finding a handkerchief. It was so unlike him that she laughed a little. He had never had handkerchiefs on him before. "Learning some good habits?" She asked.

He shrugged. "I know you well enough to know you cry when someone comforts you. I figured it would be good to have."

She blinked at him, realizing something. "Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

Another shrug. He looked away and then back at her, eyes filled with some strange emotion that she couldn't read. "I needed to know you were okay."

"I'm fine, thanks to Leo."

To her surprise, he let out a breath of laughter. "We're all kicking ourselves about the fact that a fourteen year old is faster at protecting civilians than we are. If he ever wants to come be an Auror, have him talk to the Head."

"That's exactly what he wants," Lavender said. "I'll let him know when he wakes up." She still couldn't believe that he had come away from work for her, not while knowing that that was what had broken them up before. "Aren't you going to get in trouble for leaving?"

"It's worth it if I do. I got away as soon as I could, when we were doing the paperwork for the arrest. I'm just sorry i wasn't here sooner. You're... you're worth a lot more to me than some job." He raised his hand again like he was going to caress her cheek before making a fist down at his side and looking away. "Let's get that drink soon. I really need to talk to you."

Suddenly breathless, Lavender nodded. "I'd like that," she whispered, making a fist of her own in an effort not to touch him.

A Healer came through the doors and broke the moment. "Miss Brown? Your brother is going to be fine."

Lavender couldn't help it – she started crying again. She had already known Leo was going to be okay because Seamus had told her so, but it was so relieving to have the official word. Despite only knowing her for a few days, that tough kid had bonded strongly enough with her that he had no issues jumping in front of a werewolf to save her life. Maybe it was a werewolf thing to show fierce loyalty to people who help you. Maybe it was a Leo thing. She said a quick goodbye to Seamus, thinking quietly that this Healer had flawless timing to stop her from doing something she might regret later, and the Healer took her in to see the young werewolf. The first thing she said when he grinned sleepily at her was, "You saved my life. You're going to make the world's best Gryffindor."

He tried to sit up and she pushed him back down gently. "I need to see the Headmistress," he said.

"She'll understand why you can't today," Lavender reassured him. "I asked Hannah to tell her what was going on so she wouldn't be confused. We can talk to her later."

"No," Leo insisted. "You said we would talk to her today. I want to talk to her."

"Leo, I don't think – "

"No," he growled, staring at her. "We said today."

Looking at him, Lavender couldn't help the tiny smile that crossed her face. He was resilient to a fault, another thing that would serve him well at Hogwarts. She raised her wand and sent a patronus, the wolf bounding out the window instantly. Leo's eyes were wide and he breathed, "Can I learn how to do that? What was that?"

"It's pretty advanced magic, but I'll be happy to teach you once you have a wand. It's a patronus, usually used to repel dementors but Dumbledore discovered how to use them for lots of other things, including sending short messages. That one is taking a message to the Headmistress, saying that you want to speak with her if she is still free."

They chatted for a few minutes, Leo looking much more alert than she was expecting him to. The news about becoming an Auror had him almost glowing with pride. He gave her an exasperated look when she commented on his perkiness. "I'm a werewolf, Lavender. You think this is the worst I've ever been chewed up? After all the healing spells and blood replenishing potions those Healers gave me, I feel fine. If I could have this and Wolfsbane all the time, I'd be much more functional after the full moons."

"You haven't been to the hospital after the full moons?" She asked him, frowning.

He shrugged. "After I was first attacked, sure. Then Mum and Dad decided the basement was the best place for me to live for about a week out of every month while I healed after the full moon, and then they threw me out. It's not like I've had the money for a hospital." He said it carelessly but she could tell the memories still stung.

She moved to put a hand on his shoulder and a knock sounded at the door. "Come in," he called, giving her a reassuring smile that was somewhat marred by the claw marks on his face.

The door opened and Headmistress McGonagall stepped through. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw the battered boy in the hospital bed, but Lavender was impressed and grateful at how quickly she smoothed her expression. "So you are Leo, then," she said with a nod. "I am Headmistress McGonagall of Hogwarts. Miss Brown tells me you want to attend my school, and she gave you a glowing recommendation."

"I've never wanted anything so much in my life," Leo said. "Not even being human again. I promise to be totally harmless during every full moon – I'll take Wolfsbane – I'll hide in the dungeons – I'll chain myself to the walls if that's what it takes for people to feel safe. Only please let me go."

If the Headmistress was surprised by his vehemence, she did a good job not showing it. "Wolfsbane alone should suffice. I don't think we have need of any drastic measures, Mr... what is your last name?"

"Marinos. My full name is Leonidas Marinos." That was a surprise. Lavender looked at him with a raised eyebrow and he shrugged. "Grandpa was Greek."

"I will tell you now, you will be placed with the first years. It may be strange for you to be in class with children a few years younger than you."

"What if I'm really good?" Leo asked, determination in his voice and eyes. "What if I learn spells and potions and things past my year? Could I move up?"

"The coursework is very difficult. You are not the first with aspirations to pass through Hogwarts more quickly."

"But what if I do?" Leo pressed.

Headmistress McGonagall fixed him with a strange look and Lavender could have sworn a slight smile passed over her face. "Then we shall see. Mr. Marinos, please look for your letter by owl in mid-July. We look forward to having you at Hogwarts." As a huge smile spread across Leo's face, the Headmistress looked at Lavender. "Miss Brown, may I have a word in the hall?"

Lavender nodded. "I'll be back in a bit, Leo. Get some sleep." He didn't look like he was going to sleep for at least the next week but he agreed.

They stepped out into the hallway and McGonagall led her to the small tea shop. They sat down, each with a steaming cup in front of them, and Lavender watched her old teacher with some confusion. "Is all that true?" McGonagall asked finally. "That he was kept in the basement, that he hasn't been to the hospital since he was first attacked? I was standing outside the door as you were asking him about it," she explained. "And I didn't want to interrupt."

Lavender nodded. "I suspect it's all true. Truthfully I just met Leo about a week ago, a few nights before the demonstration we did at the Ministry. He hasn't told me much about his history but I do know that he was thrown out of his house some years back, when his parents didn't want to deal with the werewolf side of their son any more. From what I know of werewolves, that's a fairly common story." She paused, then asked, "Did you mean it? Will he really be getting his letter in July?"

McGonagall nodded. "It is past time Hogwarts is made open to all. We preach acceptance and tolerance, especially so soon after the war, but now we need to start acting on that talk. He will have a hard time of it, but anyone that is willing to jump in front of a werewolf to save another is someone who will always have a place at Hogwarts."

"Thank you, Headmistress," Lavender said, trying to put all her emotions into the words.

"Are you his official guardian?" McGonagall asked.

The question made Lavender pause. "I... I don't know. I put myself down as his sister for St. Mungo's. Are you going to need parental permission for anything? I don't want to have him deal with his parents."

"I agree, absolutely no talking to his parents," McGonagall affirmed, anger clear in her voice. "If it is amenable to you, I will put myself down as his guardian. It has been done before, with orphans who have come to Hogwarts. If necessary he can remain at the school over the summer and for winter and spring break, but I will of course release him to you during those times if he wants to visit."

"Actually, Headmistress," Lavender interjected. "Could he be made a ward of Inhuman Resources? I think he'd like that better, since he is a werewolf and we're an organization for werewolves."

"I shall take it up with the Board," the headmistress agreed after a few moments of thought. They finished their tea quietly and the headmistress excused herself soon after. She promised to write with more details closer to the start of the school year, and she reminded Lavender again to turn to her if she needed anything.

Lavender sat in the tea shop for a while longer, just thinking. She owed Leo her life, most likely, and she certainly owed him her sanity. Three werewolves jumping at her face in less than a year, one of which had savaged her brutally, one of which brought back all the memories, and one of which was actively trying to kill her, seemed to be far too many werewolves jumping at her face in less than a year. She was clearly not over her first attack, judging from the way she had frozen. The second attack had been different because it had been an actual wolf. Animals were different than people, and seeing a half-wolf, half-man thing running at her, bent on destroying her, was a lot more scary than a wolf.

What if there were others like him, others that would violently oppose her organization? What would she do if there was opposition from the community she was supposed to be helping? But then she thought about the look on Leo's face when McGonagall said he was going to Hogwarts and smiled. At least there was one who she helped.

And then there was the whole Seamus thing. The fact that he had come to visit her in the hospital gave her so much hope she felt like she would burst from it. He had been here to reassure himself that she was okay. When confronted with her distraught self, he had found out the news that had calmed her down and then let her cry on him. It felt like seventh year again, like the best parts of that year. It felt like when he would wake her up from nightmares and hold her close and tell her that he loved her, that nothing was ever going to hurt her again. It felt like trust and new beginnings and it was enough to make her giddy. Or maybe that was just the lack of sleep and the excitement of the day.

She stood up, joints creaking from disuse and exhaustion, and walked back to Leo's room. She would deal with Seamus later, maybe a few days from now. Maybe tomorrow. She took a seat in the armchair in the corner of his room and rested her head on her hand, watching the young werewolf breath peacefully as she dozed off. Hope and trust were the best feelings.

They checked Leo out the next day. She took Leo back to her house and insisted he rest on the couch, despite his protests. He had protested the hospital food so she made him a massive breakfast and he thanked her for it by eating everything put in front of him. "Thank you," she said again once he was done. "You could have been killed."

Leo shrugged, every inch of him an awkward teenage boy. "You looked so scared. And you've been nice to me, and you've been so happy about Inhuman Resources. Max doesn't get to take that away."

"Take what away?"

Leo flushed, toying with his fork. "Someone who has put her neck on the line for me and done things for me when I don't deserve them. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, as stupid as that sounds. And you looked terrified and none of those stupid Aurors were doing anything about it. Maybe you don't matter to them, but you matter to us. That night at the Ministry... you made a lot of friends that night, even if you don't know it. We saw someone who was willing to stand up for us when we were too beaten down to do it ourselves. You gave us hope. We're not about to let you die, especially by one of us who's gone crazy."

Touched, Lavender looked away. He was clearly embarrassed by his speech and she didn't need to make him bare more of his soul. But it was nice to know her efforts were appreciated. More than nice. It was amazing. "So," she asked in an attempt to break the heaviness of the moment. "I think you'd be an amazing Gryffindor, but if you got to pick, which House would you go into?"

Leo started talking immediately, now waving his fork around for emphasis. Lavender listened to him happily, thankful he was okay and thankful she was too.