Author's Note:

A few reminders :

- the werewolves in this story have the apparence they gave Lupin in the movies
- in this story Harry's scar ressembles an actual lightning scar, and not a lighting bolt

Harry was still baffled by the Time-Turner's power when he and Hermione sat down in the Forbidden Forest. From where they were, they had the Whomping Willow clearly into view. They had witnessed themselves coming back from their visit to Hagrid, right before Buckbeak's execution, before Ron was dragged into the passage under the tree. Then, they watched Lupin get in.

Harry shivered, a clear picture of what was going to happen to him in his mind.

Now, they just had to wait. For Snape, then for themselves. It would take quite some time, but they had no choice, they couldn't do anything else.

Harry couldn't help but grab Hermione's forearm when he saw Snape advancing towards the tree. She pressed his hand and they exchanged a look. Both unable to say anything, yet knowing exactly how they felt about it all. Harry was still staring at her when her eyes widened, and he had to stop her from jumping to her feet in surprise.

"No no no no no," she said quickly, "I completely forgot about it, oh no!"

As Harry looked back at Snape, he frowned. He looked around until he spotted the blonde head that was quickly approaching.

"What's he doing here?" He asked.

"Shhh!" Hermione shushed him, a finger on her lips. She didn't want to miss a single word she could catch. She needed to know what had happened to Draco that night.

Her brain was working fast, and everything clicked. Of course, Draco was also using the Shrieking Shack during full moons. Too much had happened for the thought to cross her mind at the time, especially with the anger she had felt earlier because of him — but now she knew he had to find another way. They changed the trajectory of his night too. And now Harry would know… If she had to be honest, she didn't even care at that point, she was way too worried about Draco and there was no excuse she could find anyway.

Her doubts were confirmed when Draco and Snape seemed to be arguing. Harry and Hermione listened intently.

"Calm down? Calm down ?" Draco said loudly. "I was waiting for you! I thought I wouldn't be able to take the — I thought you wouldn't show up, that — and you want me to calm down?"

Hermione figured he was talking about his potion, and she closed her eyes just for a moment, remembering their teacher's horrible transformation, and then his other form. Was Draco looking exactly the same? Would it be just as painful, even with the potion?

"Listen to me Draco, please," Snape said. "You cannot go in the passage tonight."

Both Draco and Harry's mouth fell open. But Harry was too shocked to comment on this, or to even look at Hermione. And she was too focused on Draco's expression anyway. She could feel his panic from where she was, hear the fear in his voice as he discussed the decision.

"What if I get too far and don't find my way back tomorrow? What if something comes for me?"

"I'll come and get you first thing in the morning, I promise you. You just find a safe place. Now, Draco. Run."

And Draco did as he was told. They both watched as he hurtled down the slope to enter the Forest not far from them. They weren't even watching Snape enter the passageway, they were only listening to Draco's rapid footsteps getting quieter with each stride he took.

It was only when they couldn't hear him anymore that Hermione finally turned to Harry. The boy was speechless, still staring right in front of him in shock, mouth open as he rummaged through his memories of the year, and then, through the rest. Flashes of Draco in their first year came back to his mind, flashes of his father too, and he thought about what his life might be like at home. Why he was so close to Snape became clear, what Lupin's relationship with Draco was all about too. He remembered the night in the kitchen with Draco and Snape, about his injury, about the mention of Umbridge. He thought about how tired, how sick, he would look sometimes.

He thought about Hermione and Draco in the library and why, in the end, Draco could truly bring himself to talk to her.

He turned to her, met her gaze, and knew why she wouldn't even discuss the matter with Draco himself, or why she just couldn't tell her friends about it. About her reaction when he told her what Draco had said to Lupin — the words were echoing through his mind: "when I wake up, I wish I was dead." While Harry always knew Draco was the most honest he could ever be when he spoke those words, they had never rung so truthful than in that very moment.

"I can't believe it," he whispered, and Hermione barely heard him.

"Trust me, I couldn't either… I realized it when I realized for Lupin," she explained and Harry could only nod.

He took another moment to adjust, before he nodded again. "It is obvious…"

Hermione shrugged.

"Well, I'm glad you didn't figure it out…" They exchanged a glance before she grabbed his hands. "Please, Harry, promise me you won't tell anyone."

"I wasn't planning on doing it," he said as he frowned. He looked behind them at the darkness of the forest as a thought struck him. When Lupin would turn, so would Draco. How close would he be to them? He was suddenly feeling very insecure at the idea of being cornered by werewolves.

"You need to promise me, Harry," Hermione continued, visibly miles away from that kind of thoughts, "even if you're angry at him, even if he's being really mean to you, please don't get your revenge by revealing this. You don't know what it's like for him…"

"Do you?" He asked sharply. Hermione looked down.

"I can only imagine," she said quietly. "With what we know, what you've told us he said to Snape and Lupin, with… the way he acts when we're alone…" She slightly shook her head. She didn't really want to get into it. She met Harry's eyes again. "Just leave him be… Fighting with him isn't worth it, and it just looks like he's putting up a front…"

"You slapped him," Harry said. "Talk about not fighting with him…"

She shook her head again, avoiding his gaze, and Harry could have sworn she looked ashamed.

"I immediately regretted it," she confessed. "I don't know what's going on with me, I just…"

She knew perfectly well what was going on with her, what she didn't know was how to stop it. Whenever she saw him, whenever she thought of him, whenever he was mentioned… Every single emotion she'd feel would vastly increase, sometimes to the point of irrationality. Her anger earlier was the perfect evidence that she just didn't have control anymore. When she heard Draco and Pansy talk this way about Hagrid, she shouldn't have been surprised, and even less disappointed. Yet, there she had been, her heart crumbling. Her hopes, her feelings, her little daydreaming sessions turned into what they were; fantasies, lies. She didn't know if she was more angry at herself or him. And in retrospect, she couldn't even blame him for making her like him, because he didn't do much for her to feel this way, did he? Yet she felt like she had stepped into a trap, she feared that their moments were nothing more than her imagination.

"It doesn't matter," she lied, "it just doesn't matter… I shouldn't have done that just because I got upset. We shouldn't keep arguing with each other, it's just ridiculous."
Harry pursed his lips as he stared at her. Of course, he wouldn't say anything. Though incredibly tempting, he knew that no matter how many opportunities he could have, he wouldn't say a thing. It wasn't even because Hermione was taking it so much to heart. It just wouldn't be right.

"I promise," he said quietly. Hermione glanced back and gave him a shy smile.

They stayed silent for a few minutes as they looked at the Whomping Willow, waiting again, but now with a slight discomfort in the air.

"Oh," Harry let out, "now that I think about it… That howl we heard, the one that drove Lupin away from us, remember?" Harry asked. Had it been Draco all along? It seemed plausible. Maybe that was why Lupin left, because he recognized Draco? Because they had spent so much time turning together this year… Harry bit his lip as images crossed his mind, feeling uneasy about it.

"It might have been," Hermione agreed. "D'you know what that means?"

"That… they might have fought in the Forest, since Lupin didn't drink his potion? What if one of them is hurt?" Harry said, not wanting to use the word 'dead'. Hermione blinked.

"I was going to say that Draco saved your life, but, now that you mention it…" she said, pulse rising.

"I'm sorry," Harry muttered, pressing her shoulder. "Maybe I'm wrong. The night wasn't over when we went back, so who knows? I sure don't. Maybe it'll help them to be together…"

Hermione didn't say anything about it. She was trying to push away this idea with all the strength she had left.

"Look… Remember what Dumbledore told us. That more than one innocent life could be saved. Maybe he wasn't just talking about Buckbeak and Sirius?" He said, trying to sound confident though he didn't know how they could possibly handle a werewolf, let alone two. Hermione gave him a shy smile, as if she was agreeing and accepting this whole thing, but he knew she didn't.

So they stared at the Whomping Willow again.

They both stood up when they finally saw themselves getting out of the passage.

It was just a matter of minutes before Lupin's transformation, and they knew Draco was somewhere behind them, having the same thing happening to him. Hermione couldn't get Draco's face out of her mind, she had seen how terrified he had been. She grabbed Harry's arm when Lupin started to turn and they both unconsciously listened close to any sound that could come from the Forest.

They left their spot quickly when Sirius and Lupin left the premises, Harry behind them, so that they could keep watching.

"Nothing's happening," Harry muttered.

"It will. Draco will… It will happen," Hermione said. But they couldn't hear anything. "He will save you," she muttered firmly, as if it would summon him.

"He's not doing anything!" Harry panicked as he tried to move forwards. Hermione grabbed his arm and pulled him backwards, afraid he would come out of the Forest, not caring about being seen. She placed herself in front of him and didn't even think about it. Hands around her mouth, she howled as loudly as she could.

"What are you—"

"Shut up," she said quickly before she did it again. Lupin had stopped moving. He was listening intently, clearly hesitant but unable to resist in the end.

"Thanks," Harry whispered. It hadn't been Draco after all; Hermione had saved his life. "Now he's coming," he said, grabbing her hand. They started to run as fast as they could. Harry's stomach lurched when he thought that Draco might have heard them too.

They were stuck in the Forbidden Forest with two werewolves. They couldn't have come up with a worse scenario if their lives depended on it.

Their lungs burning in their chest, they only stopped behind a tree when they couldn't take it anymore. They held each other and Harry felt Hermione's entire body shaking against him. She was terrified, and he kept his arms around her and her head buried against his shoulder as they waited in silence. He only got one of his arms back to clasp his hand on his mouth so he wouldn't breathe so loudly.

He did it right on time too, as they heard Lupin approach. The werewolf had stopped running. It was approaching calmly, sniffing the air and looking around to find its preys. From where they were, Harry and Hermione could see it, so it was only a matter of time before it'd find them. They didn't dare make a move, afraid of being noticed directly, but it didn't matter. Lupin slowly turned his head in their direction. They both stepped back, Hermione whimpering as the beast approached, rising on its hind legs, ready to strike.

They heard some noise, loud rustling, a feral growl and right after, something collided with Lupin with so much strength they both fell violently on the ground a few feet away from their initial spot. Harry and Hermione toppled backwards as they watched the new terrifying figure getting back up.

This second werewolf was, as it turned out, different from Lupin. It was slightly smaller, but possibly just as strong, and unmistakable. The fur of a werewolf was visibly the color of its natural hair in its human form, because this one was almost completely white. But when it turned to Harry and Hermione, it had the same murderous, shiny, yellowish eyes the other had.

Hermione knew that even with the use of the Wolfsbane potion, humans weren't safe at all in a werewolf's presence. But she just couldn't move anymore, and neither could Harry. She just felt his arms around her again when the werewolf approached, teeth bared as it too stood high on its hind legs. The loud roar that came out of its mouth alone turned their blood to ice. Harry barely noticed that Lupin had stood back up and it was their teacher's turn to unknowingly save them, this time. Draco had been enough of a distraction, and their anger soon turned into a violent fight.

Harry had to react quickly when Lupin struck Draco right on the back, claws ripping through the skin. He grabbed Hermione by the arms and helped her up before he dragged her away. The only time he looked back, he caught a glimpse of the reddish fur on Draco's back, and he saw Lupin biting Draco's shoulder as they both fell back on the ground in a brutal comotion.

They ran for their lives, abandoning the beasts behind, high-pitched sounds reaching their ears as the werewolves kept attacking each other.

.

Neither Draco or Lupin knew for how long they fought. Both exhausted at some point, Lupin managed to push back Draco on the ground, falling with him, before he sunk his teeth into his arm. With a weak moan of pain, Draco hit him one last time, claws scratching his neck, and Lupin released his arm as he staggered to the side. Draco saw the other werewolf fall down, hurt and tired. Still on his back, he rolled and got back up before he ran away, knowing Lupin wasn't following him.

He couldn't get very far, he didn't have enough strength left. Confused, whining in pain, he soon slowed down. He sniffed the air, tried to find his way back to the place he turned, but he couldn't distinguish his own scent from the blood, anger and fear floating in the air. He walked around for a few minutes, a thought coming back to his mind again and again. He had to find a safe place.

He didn't really, but he did find a large tree that had fallen on the ground and he dragged his exhausted body behind it. He sniffed around, trying to make sure he was perfectly alone but again, no scent could cover his own blood. So, he pitifully rolled up into a ball right against the trunk, small whines leaving his snout with each breath. While drowsy, the adrenaline was still pumping in his veins and he needed some time to calm down.

He carefully licked his injuries, his raspy tongue cleaning each puncture wound Lupin had inflicted on his arm, though he couldn't reach the ones on his shoulder. The scratches on his back were painful too but he couldn't do anything about it either. Then, he just lay there, curled up, waiting for the night to pass, until he finally fell asleep.

.

The next morning, Harry hurried towards Lupin's office, his heart pounding. He resisted the fight to barge in and knocked, every worry lifted off his shoulders when Lupin told him to come in.

He seemed to be doing fine for the most part. Though visibly tired and pale, he could stand on his legs. Harry didn't miss the dressing on his neck and how carefully he moved when he handed him the Marauders Map back. He didn't want to imagine the other injuries he might have sustained that night.

Harry's mood changed pretty fast when Lupin told him he had resigned because of his secret being revealed.

"But you're not the only one! Why should you leave?"

Lupin tilted his head, considering Harry for a moment.

"You know it's not the same…"

"Why? It's unfair, you can't leave!"

"Yes, well, there's not many things that are fair in life, Harry, I supposed you knew that," Lupin said. He was still emptying his drawers, as calm as ever. "About that…" He asked, and he hesitated just for one second. "Have you seen Draco?"

Harry clenched his jaw and looked away, trying to contain his furor now that he was faced with this injustice. He hadn't seen Draco in the hospital wing that morning, so he shook his head.

"I didn't, but you're here so I s'pose he's somewhere around. Or maybe he's at Hogsmeade with his friends, it's the last day they can go visit."

Deep down, Harry knew he didn't believe his own words.

"I seriously doubt that," Lupin said as he looked down at his desk. Draco should, at the least, be in the hospital wing. If his recollection was correct, he might have been sent to St Mungo's, even. Well, if it was up to Madam Pomfrey only. He didn't think Draco would want to be seen being treated for werewolf bites. Given how he himself was injured and barely standing on his feet for more than a few minutes, he didn't want to imagine Draco after that night. Actually, he even wondered if he had been able to leave the Forest. Surely, Severus was helping the boy.

Draco would probably hate him after what happened. Lupin wasn't angry about his own injuries; his body was already destroyed and if it hadn't been for this attack, he would have killed Harry and Hermione. But Draco…

"Can you do me a favor?" Lupin asked.

"Yeah, sure, anything."

"If you see him… Could you ask him to come and see me? I need to talk to him."

Harry couldn't read the expression on Lupin's face but he didn't like it very much. It seemed to be a mix between sadness and exhaustion. Harry had to unclench his jaw again so he could sound natural.

"Yeah, alright."

If Draco wasn't coming soon, Lupin would go and look for him in the Forest by himself.

.

"Are you alright, Hermione?" Ron asked as he looked over at his friend. Hermione was very, very quiet now that Harry was back in the common room and had told them about Lupin, omitting only certain details.

They hadn't told Ron about Draco. He had a pretty strong reaction to learning Lupin was a werewolf already, so Hermione had begged him not to say a thing to him either. It was burning Harry's lips, but he was fighting the urge as best he could.

"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll be alright," Ron continued, "we can't get a worse teacher than Lockhart now, can we?" He joked, and even Harry had to force a smile. "Besides… Look, I like Lupin as much as the next person, and he was an amazing teacher but… I think he's making the right decision… Not just for our safety. He's right and you know it, can you imagine parents' reactions? What do you think yours would say if they knew you were around a werewolf all day?"

Hermione closed her eyes, breathed deeply, and let out a sigh just as deep. She chose to ignore Ron's obtuseness and she looked at Harry.

"So Lupin's back but…" She said quietly. Harry looked uneasy and that, Ron noticed.

"What's it about?" He asked. Not wanting to lie to Ron, Harry looked down.

"We need to do something about it," Hermione said. Harry raised a brow.

"Do we?"

"Harry!" Hermione let out more loudly, looking almost offended. "I know you're angry Lupin has to leave but you can't take it out on him, it's not his fault."

"Thanks guys, I don't feel pushed aside," Ron mumbled as he rolled his eyes. Hermione glanced at him, looking genuinely sorry.

"We can't…" she said. Ron stared for a moment before he looked at Harry.

"Even you?"

"I'm sorry," Harry said, just as genuine.

"Yeah, yeah, right," Ron said with a wave of his hand.

"Harry, please, help me. Or I'll go alone."

"No, you can't, why—" he stopped, knowing otherwise he'd raise his voice. "Fine. But it's the only time I'll do something for him."

"Can I come?" Ron asked eagerly.

"No," both Harry and Hermione said.

"Can I at least know where you're going?"

"In the Forbidden Forest," Hermione said confidently as she stood up. Harry sighed and Hermione pushed his arm. "You're so insensitive. We wouldn't even be alive if it weren't for him." As hard as it was for Harry to admit, it was true. "I'm sorry Ron but… with your leg… And there wouldn't be enough space under the cloak."

"I get it," Ron said, sounding frustrated, but he also knew she was right, that'd just be impractical.

"We can meet at the hospital. I don't know for how long we'll be gone but—"

"I'll meet you there," Ron said as he stood up too. He'd go to the Great Hall in the meantime — he knew Fred and George were there and he wouldn't mind having them entertain him.

Hermione helped him out of the portrait hole while Harry went to get his Invisibility Cloak before they were ready to go.

As the duo went down the marble staircase in the Entrance Hall, Harry elbowed Hermione and nodded towards the dungeons. Pansy was standing near the entrance, arms crossed.

"She's not at Hogsmeade…" Hermione whispered. "Look at her… She clearly knows. She's waiting for him."

"Wait, you can't be sure," Harry said, grabbing her arm as she was already leaving to go and talk to Pansy.

"But it makes sense," Hermione said, turning to her friend. "Think about it. She must have found out, or he told her, maybe that's why they stopped talking for so long. Or maybe she's known all along, I've heard they go way back. Look at her," she repeated.

Harry glanced. She did look worried, yet hopeful, as if Draco was about to walk through the big doors any second now.

"We need to let her know, don't you think?"

"She can know when we come back," Harry said. Hermione rolled her eyes, turned around and walked towards Pansy. Harry sighed and followed her anyway. Pansy finally noticed them as they approached and she raised a brow, looking at Hermione from head to toe. Last time she had seen the Gryffindor girl, she had slapped her best friend.

"And what do you want?" She asked scornfully.

"Have you seen Draco?" Hermione asked.

"Why would you want to see him after what you 've done?"

"I just need to make sure he's there, I don't need to see him," Hermione said as she nodded towards the stairs.

Pansy hesitated. Should she lie? Hermione probably didn't know about his secret, right? She wouldn't know where he was if she said no, but would she doubt her word if she said yes?

That morning, when she entered the hospital, all she saw was Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley, all asleep. No trace of Draco anywhere. So, she left immediately. She went to his dormitory and only found Theodore who was already packing his things. He seemed surprised that Pansy of all people didn't know where Draco was, and he did mention that he didn't sleep in the dormitory. Pansy had quickly escaped his questions, uneasy.

She theorized that Draco didn't go to the hospital because of the trio's presence, but why wouldn't he be in his bed? She figured he just wasn't back yet, and she'd just have to wait, though it was later than usual.

Hermione and Pansy stared at each other for a moment and Harry started to get impatient.

"Hemione," he called shortly as he pulled on her arm.

"He's not there, is he?" Hermione asked Pansy. She didn't answer. "You know, don't you?"

Pansy's heart skipped so many beats it might as well have stopped for a moment. Her cheeks turning scarlet, her gaze shifted back and forth between Harry and Hermione.

"How did you—"

"I figured it out," Hermione whispered as she took a step towards Pansy, getting closer as two Hufflepuffs were leaving the Great Hall. "Pansy, if he's not there, he's… look," Hermione sighed. "Go take some clothes for him."

"What?" Pansy and Harry said in unison. Hermione elbowed her friend.

"Look, we're on the same side here, we want to help him," Hermione said, but Pansy looked dubious. " He needs help . From all of us."

"Then I want to come with you, where is he?" Pansy asked quickly, suddenly inclined to believe every word that could come out of their mouths.

"If you want to help, please, go grab him some clothes and give them to us. Then, why don't you wait for him in the hospital? We will bring him back there."

Harry noted that Hermione sounded extremely sympathetic with the girl. And as he looked at Pansy's face again, he wondered if he could have acted differently given her expression. She wasn't hiding how worried she was for Draco, and it was almost touching.

"Let me come with you," Pansy insisted. "Is he hurt?" She asked, her voice quivering.

"We don't know but…" Hermione glanced at Harry but made the decision to tell her alone. "He's in the Forest."

Pansy clasped her hand to her mouth.

"You said you want to help him, so I'm asking you again, bring us his stuff and wait for us at the hospital. I promise you, we only want to help him. When we come back, we'll head there immediately."

"Fine," Pansy capitulated. She gave them another glance, visibly unsure, before she turned around and hurried down the stairs.

Harry and Hermione waited for her anxiously, and she came back rather quickly.

"That should do it," she said as she stuffed Draco's clothes into Hermione's hands.

"Thanks," she said.

"Just go!" Pansy rushed them, shooing them with her hands.

As soon as they walked away, Pansy rushed to the stairs to go to the hospital wing.

.

"I think we were around here," Hermione said, pointing at a spot near the edge of the Forest.

"Yeah, look," Harry said as they approached. Though the soil was dry by this weather, some of their prints were still visible.

"Alright," Hermione said and gestured to remove the cloak but Harry stopped her.

"You never know around here," he said quietly and they both looked around, nervous. She nodded and they placed themselves where they stood the night before when they were observing the Whomping Willow.

They followed their prints to where they stopped when Lupin and Sirius fought.

"I think we ran this way when Lupin chased us," Harry said. They weren't that deep in the forest yet so they could still see pretty clearly thanks to the sunlight. So, they tried to find some other prints. It turned out it was easier to follow Lupin's, his claws having marked the ground regularly with his long strides. Just thinking about it got Hermione shivering.

They followed the markings until they couldn't anymore. They knew immediately when they arrived where the fight had taken place. More feeble, very thin and small trees were broken, smashed under the werewolves' bodies. Some trunks had scratch marks but what struck them most was the blood they were able to detect, even on the ground. Some patches of soil were darker, still humid. Harry glanced at Hermione. She was twisting her fingers, visibly anxious and confused about what to do. He had never seen her so lost before.

He was surprised when she decided to get out from under the cloak but she escaped his grip.

"Hermione, come back under it!" Harry uttered. He looked around nervously but ended up letting her look for more clues.

At some point, she turned around.

"Harry?"

He lifted the cloak and she quickly came back under it, pointing at the prints she had just found.

"One of them left this way!"

"What if it was Lupin?" Harry wondered.

"I haven't seen any other prints leading out of here," she said, gesturing at the scene. "So if it was Lupin, maybe Draco followed, maybe they fought elsewhere. And if he's not there, we'll just have to come back here, and look for more clues," she said, sounding determined. Harry didn't know if she was trying to sound more confident than she felt, but he knew she wouldn't give up before they found him, whatever the results were.

"Lupin wouldn't have been so calm if he had… you know, I'm sure Malfoy's gonna be fine," Harry said after a few minutes of walking. When they weren't looking at his prints, they were looking around to catch any glimpse of their classmate.

"I know, I'm not worried," Hermione lied.

"He just doesn't know where he is but that doesn't mean anything. I'm sure he believed Snape took care of him or something…"

"Of course he did," Hermione said, still trying to hide her anxiety, as if she had a chance to fool Harry now.

He didn't dare continue, she clearly wasn't going to talk about it much more. He narrowed his eyes as he spotted something on the ground, a few feet away. Surely, he was mistaken…

"Wait, is that…"

"It's his tie!" Hermione exclaimed. She got back out of the cloak again and Harry sighed, removing it finally. "Maybe he turned not that far from here."

Harry approached as he rolled up his cloak and held it in his arms. "D'you think we've just been going in circles then?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, I don't think so. If he had turned near us, we would have heard it, and he would have caught up to us quicker than he did."

She pointed at some prints and this time, they were clearly made by shoes. They kept following the clues, now completely silent, focused. Harry was getting slightly worried they wouldn't find their way out, and he kept looking behind him to keep in mind the path they'd have to take to go back.

It was by chance, as he turned his head to look behind him again, that he caught something. He grabbed Hermione's arm and she immediately looked all around them.

"What is it?" She asked fervently.

"I think he's there," Harry let out pointing at a trunk not far from them.

You really had to focus to see it, it was a miracle that Harry recognized his foot for what it was. As soon as she saw it, Hermione launched herself in his direction and Harry had to grab her.

"Wait, don't go!"

She turned, surprised. He let go of her arms and held out his hand as he glanced at the clothes she was holding. She went pink and they both tried to ignore it. He gave him the cloak, took the clothes, and he instructed her to wait for him.

"Hurry up," she whispered.

Harry nodded and almost ran towards the large trunk. As he came close though, he slowed down and almost came to a stop.

Please be asleep, please be asleep, please be asleep , he thought, please don't be dead…

Every single ounce of nervousness left Harry when he discovered Draco. His chest was moving up and down with his regular breathing; he was asleep. Yes, he was injured, but at least he wasn't dead. He turned to give Hermione a thumb up and he saw that the same relief surged through her body.
Harry huffed, mustered up some courage, and he finally walked to Draco's side.

The boy was on his side, his back against the trunk. He was curled up if it wasn't for one of his legs — if it hadn't been for this leg, they would have never seen him. Heart beating hard against his ribcage, Harry kneeled beside him. Not wanting to make it more difficult for the both of them, he put down Draco's pants next to him but opened his shirt so he could place it on his waist.

Then, very carefully, he put his hand on Draco's shoulder, just above the bite marks on his arm. He couldn't help but glance down at his forearm when he noticed the long scars on it. His gaze drifted on Draco's face. His skin was tainted by blood and he was pretty sure that unlike the ones on his body, those drops and stains were only Lupin's. Yet, under the violence of those traces, he looked so peaceful, almost innocent.

Harry shook him softly, not wanting to scare him or hurt him more than he already was.

"Malfoy, come on, open your eyes," he whispered. He glanced around, still afraid something might come out and attack them, before he shook him again. "Come on, you've got to wake up."

Draco moved, startling Harry who quickly removed his hand. Draco grimaced and let out a faint moan of pain. There wasn't as much light in this part of the Forest, which made it easier on his eyes when he opened them.

"Malfoy," Harry whispered again. It was a moment before Malfoy realized that there wasn't just somebody with him, but that this somebody was Harry Potter. He immediately wanted to recoil, but his body was hurting all over.

"Potter—"

"It's fine, don't talk," Harry quickly said as he now started to feel seriously bad for Draco. The Slytherin looked up at him, his cold grey eyes piercing through the redness surrounding them. "We're here to help you."

"We?" Draco asked hoarsely. He looked so confused that if he hadn't said his name before, Harry would have believed Draco hadn't recognized him. "Who — What — How did you…"

"We'll talk later," Harry said, trying to stay calm so he wouldn't stress Draco out even more. "You're hurt," he whispered, looking down at his chest this time.

"No kidding," Draco mumbled, and Harry knew he was slowly coming back to his senses. He actually looked really embarrassed, now, but there was nothing he could do.
Harry watched as he slowly rolled on his back, grimacing and quickly getting out of breath. Draco stared at the leaves high above him as he tried to remember most of his night.

He remembered Snape's demand, he could remember turning in the Forest, and he could remember smelling humans. The mere thought of it made him sick, and he also feared to know who he had attacked. He couldn't make out their faces for now, and he wondered how much time he had left at Hogwarts now. Lupin's howl came back to his ears, and then… another call. It wasn't Lupin, he would have known. Yet, all he got then were flashes of his fight with Lupin. He clenched his jaw hard as he tried to keep his tears back in, and he finally tried to sit up.

Harry directly put his hand on his back and, knowing he was hurt there too, he was careful not to touch his injury. However, as he also grabbed his arm, he touched Draco's scars from his first encounter with Lupin. As soon as his fingers touched the old injury, Draco jerked his arm away.

"Sorry…" Harry muttered.

Draco only shook his head and looked down at his own body. He breathed deeply as he discovered the scratches on his chest, his tummy and his side. Harry could see his chest moving faster with each of his breaths and he couldn't stop looking at Draco's injuries. He looked at the bite marks near his collarbone, with no doubt that the other half of the wound was on Draco's shoulder blade. Then, he looked at the bite on his arm again, which was cleaner, before he noticed a third one, even more intriguing than the others. It was an old one, and he could only guess that it was the bite that changed Draco's life forever. There were some drops of blood splattered on the old wound, and another detail that caught Harry's attention. It looked like scratch marks, but it had nothing to do with the scars on his arm, or the ones he'd have after that night. He dared to think they had been made by Draco's nails alone, and he felt very uneasy at the idea that Draco might have been hurting himself this way. The marks were faint, barely visible really, but they were there, and Harry slowly looked up at the other boy.

He gulped when he saw that Draco's gaze was fixed on him, and he didn't look exactly happy about what Harry had been doing.

"D'you want pictures, Potter?" He asked, his usual vehemence coming through. "D'you want to touch?"

"I'm sorry," Harry apologized again, ashamed. He quickly felt around for Draco's pants, unable to unlock their eyes, and he held them out to him.

"We're going to walk you back to the hospital… I'm going to help you," he said as he stood up. He glanced at Hermione, who was staring in his direction, and he gestured for her to turn around.

"I can get dressed by myself," Draco said quietly, unable to look at Harry anymore.

"Are you sure?"

"Just go…" Draco pleaded.

Harry hesitated and surprised himself when he decided against it. "I'm staying right here," he said as he pointed at the trunk. He walked around it and sat, his back to the other boy and he crossed his arms. "Take your time, and just tell me if you need help," he insisted.

Draco didn't answer anything and Harry only heard him move behind him. He couldn't help but think about his injuries, and something Draco had told him one day came back to him. "Jealous? Of what? I don't want a foul scar right across my head, thanks. I don't think getting your head cut open makes you that special, myself."
 Harry's fingers brushed his own scar, went down its lines, from his hairline to under his right eye. To Draco, his scar was his perceived monstrosity, while Harry was praised for his own. Again, he wondered how things were working at his place. From the glimpse he got of Draco's relationship with his father, Lucius Malfoy didn't seem to be mistreating him. The biggest piece of evidence for this was that he was still living with them, wasn't it? Strange, how things worked. How much of a front was his family putting everyday?

"Alright," he heard Draco sigh, "alright, just… I can't…"

Harry quickly stood up and turned. He had to look down, as Draco was still on the ground. His pants were on, but he couldn't get his arms in his shirt. Harry hurried and kneeled by his side again, taking his shirt. Draco wouldn't ask for help, and Harry wouldn't have him beg. They didn't have to say anything, they didn't have to force out words they didn't want to say.

"Just a sec," Harry said and Draco closed his eyes when he felt Harry's hand on his back as he removed a few leaves and dirt from his skin.

"Is it bad?" He asked quietly, and Harry didn't catch it, but he stopped what he was doing. He hesitated, not knowing if she should ask him to repeat. Fortunately, Draco reiterated, "My back… is it really bad?"

Harry's eyes widened and he opened his mouth but no sound came out. He glanced at his injuries, stammered, and finally got a few words out.

"Probably not as bad as you feel…" He cleared his throat, eyes going over the scratch and bite marks. "Madam Pomfrey will be able to work something out," he said clumsily.

"Unless it's a miracle…" Draco shook his head. "Can you…?"

"Yeah, yeah, here you go."

Draco got one sleeve on and Harry managed to get his other arm in the shirt.

"Alright, come on," Harry said as he stood in front of Draco, holding out his hands. He still looked hesitant, but what else could he do? Meeting Harry's eyes, he resigned. He clasped their hands together, grip tight, and he got pulled to his feet. As he tottered, Harry got closer but Draco stepped back.

"I'm fine."

Harry looked down at his bare feet and shook his head. He grabbed Draco's wrist and got his arm around his shoulders.

"Don't be a baby about it, I don't like this either," he mumbled and Draco didn't resist.

They walked away from the trunk and Draco, who was only looking at his feet now, dared look up to finally discover who was with Harry, expecting to see Weasley.

"Hermione," Harry called out.

She turned and Draco wished he could have just been abandoned in the Forest. He stopped abruptly and Harry looked at him.

"You're alright?" He asked quickly, actually sounding worried.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Draco asked quietly. "Last night… it was you?"

Of course it was. They wouldn't be here otherwise.

"We're fine," Harry said.

Draco stepped back again when Hermione approached but Harry was holding him tight. Yet, she got it, and she stopped in her tracks. Draco felt a shiver taking hold of his entire body and he slowly looked up at her. He met her eyes and only saw concern, and he didn't think he deserved it.

"Draco," she let out in a breath and his heart bled a little in his chest. He slightly shook his head again, looking away, not wanting to face this reality anymore. "I-I'm glad you're okay," Hermione said.

Again, he quickly, shortly shook his head, chin shaking, arms trembling, knees weak and body abandoning him. Hermione could see he was about to break, so she took the matter into her own hands. She approached, she got all up in his space, too close, and Harry didn't say anything, apprehensive.

"Draco," she repeated quietly, her fingers around his wrist, "look at me."

Because he refused her call, she placed her other hand on the cheek she had slapped, so she could turn his head towards her.

"Look at me," she repeated.

He didn't fight back and she met his eyes. They weren't cold, they didn't shimmer with their usual mischief — they looked empty.

She detailed his face, tainted with the blood of his worst fears, drained of any will, of any strength, and her fingers softly caressed his cheek. Why she thought it was still hurting him, she couldn't tell — maybe she was just projecting.

"I'm sorry," she breathed out, and now both their eyes were filled with tears.

He didn't let them roll out, but he didn't say anything either. His throat couldn't let any word slip past, not with the emotions he was fighting so hard to keep in. But he was so tired.

He slowly lowered his head, then his body, and his forehead found Hermione's shoulder, her hands automatically leaving his cheek to reach the back of his head.

She breathed out her mouth, looking up at the sky as she tried to keep her tears in too.

"I didn't mean to hurt you," Draco finally said and she could feel his tears on her shirt.

"You didn't," she said, her breath shaky. "You didn't do anything to us… Everything's fine now…"

She looked at Harry, who couldn't avoid this exchange as his arm was still locked with Draco's. Though visibly uneasy, and clearly taken aback, he nodded once. It was alright. He got that it had been no use, getting between this… friendship. There was something there he couldn't understand, and probably would never quite du formulaire