Hermione knew the exact moment Draco arrived in the bookstore. Sure, she'd heard the door open and close, but she'd known it was Draco even before he grabbed her hand from behind and inhaled deeply. She turned away from the bookshelf to look up at him, wondering if he'd get offended if she asked how his meeting with Remus had gone. He was tense, but he'd been tense since they arrived in Hogsmeade earlier that day.

"Was Remus able to help?" she asked. Draco's eyes narrowed slightly at Remus's name, but Hermione ignored it.

"Yes, he was able to explain some things that seem to make more sense now than when he said them," he replied. There was something in the way that he stared at her as he spoke that made her toes curl and her lower abdomen coil, but she refused to acknowledge that.

Draco was her best friend and had recently been attacked by a werewolf. No matter how hotly he'd kissed her after, she needed to remember he hadn't been thinking clearly and was likely regretting his actions now.

"Oh?" Hermione asked. It seemed to be the only word she could form for a moment until she could gather her bearings. "Well, I'm glad he could help."

Draco hummed and glanced over the bookshelf she'd been poking through. He looked down at the books in her hands and she flushed when she realised she'd been looking for books on werewolves. The library at Hogwarts hadn't had everything she'd been looking for, but she'd found a book containing the diary of a werewolf and another book about how man and wolf interacted within a werewolf's brain. It seemed to take a more scientific approach which was something Hermione had been thrilled to find.

"I thought maybe it could help?" she said, offering him the books. "I know it's probably not the same as experiencing it, but I'd like to understand a little better."

Draco smiled at her but didn't take the books.

"Finish up here and we'll return to Hogwarts," he told her. Hermione grinned and turned back to the bookshelf, skimming over book titles and pulling out ones she thought might give her a better understanding of what Draco was going through.

It occurred to her as they left the bookstore that it might be worthwhile to have Draco read through them first and make notes of what felt accurate and what did not, but she wasn't sure he'd be particularly open about the idea. His wolf and all the resulting changes due to his werewolf bites were still new and he didn't seem excited to talk about them just yet.

"What did you and Remus talk about?" she asked, clutching her new books to her chest as they walked back to the school. "Did he say anything about the Shrieking Shack?"

"No," Draco said, shaking his head. "I suppose that's the best place for me during the full moon though."

"It's where he changed while at Hogwarts," Hermione told him. She glanced at him and pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders at a cold breeze. "I'm not too sure your wolf would appreciate his scent, but it is the safest option even with the Wolfsbane potion."

Just like she'd expected, his nose wrinkled at the thought of being around another wolf's scent during his transformation, but he didn't snap at her. Instead, he nodded in agreement and asked what she'd need to brew the potion for him in the future. Her steps faltered and she blinked up at him.

"Well, I'll have to create a lab in our dorm," she said. She couldn't brew the potion in the potions lab where Amycus Carrow was sure to find it. "Headmaster Snape has offered his entire potions supply, but I looked through it and it won't be enough. I'll need a little more of each ingredient and that just covers until the end of school, not summer or the months following."

"I should have some supplies in my lab at the Manor," Draco said softly. He stared straight ahead and Hermione frowned. She didn't want him to return to the Manor when it was full of Death Eaters, but they didn't have many other options with how limited potion supplies were these days. It was a miracle Snape had offered his supply up.

"I won't need it until later," Hermione said. He wouldn't have to get it immediately and could wait until at least after his first full moon. "When is it? The full moon?"

"Three days," Draco replied. He tensed as a breeze blew around them and looked away from her. "Lupin was adamant I lock myself away well before then."

"Surely you can wait until after classes," Hermione said. Draco shook his head. It was early November and the moon would likely rise late in the afternoon. To not prepare ahead of time was too risky.

"I'll leave at breakfast," he told her, leaving no room for argument.

* * * * *

Draco stayed very far from Hermione after their visit to Hogsmeade. He warded his room and stayed tucked inside except to go to classes and meals. Hermione tried not to take it personally, but when Blaise arrived at their dorm, confused and saying Draco had told him to accompany her, it was difficult.

The fact that Draco had told Blaise about the attack did not surprise her. Quite the opposite actually. She was surprised Blaise hadn't been around more often. If Blaise felt less of his friend for no longer being a Pureblood, Hermione could not tell and would have been surprised.

When Wednesday came around, Draco disappeared after breakfast and she found Blaise at her side almost constantly. He sat beside her in potions and met her outside any class they didn't share. It wasn't until after dinner when he found her outside the Great Hall that she knew something was up.

"What, Blaise?" she asked, adjusting her book bag strap on her shoulder.

A few students pushed past her, shoving her into the wall despite the empty hallway around them. Blaise scowled at them and sent a stinging hex at one of the retreating students. He yelped and glared back at them, but when Blaise raised his wand again, they continued down the hall without a problem. Once they were gone, Blaise turned his attention back to Hermione.

"What?" he asked, stuffing his wand back into his robes.

"What's wrong?" she asked. Blaise frowned at her and Hermione gave him a look. "You've been following me all day."

"Maybe Draco told me to," he said. Hermione snorted and Blaise glared at her. "What? It's not that unbelievable."

"No, but I know that's not it," she replied. Blaise continued to scowl at her, but Hermione didn't let up. She just stared at him until he stopped glaring at her and frowned at the ground.

"He's on his own," he said quietly, "I know he's dangerous to be around right now, but I still can't help but feel like I've left him to deal with it on his own. And that's not what we do, Granger, we don't leave each other to fend for ourselves."

The doors to the Great Hall opened again and even if it was just a Hufflepuff and a Ravenclaw that walked out, Hermione knew they shouldn't be talking about Draco in the open.

"It's alright, Blaise," she sighed, grabbing his arm and steering him in the direction of the head's dormitory. "He knows you didn't leave him and you really shouldn't beat yourself up about it."

"I know, but I am," Blaise said.

He opened his mouth to continue but stopped when a group of younger students came around the corner. Hermione recognised two of them from the DA and smiled. They smiled back and Blaise gave her the most confused look as the four students passed.

"How come you know so many younger students?" Blaise asked, spinning around so he could walk backwards and talk to her. "I don't know any of the second or third years, let alone the first years. Do you run some sort of underground, baby tutoring club?"

"Yes, Blaise," Hermione said drily. Clearly that was the only reasonable explanation. "Now that we've established that," she said, turning him back around so he wouldn't trip as they walked up the stairs. "If you're really worried about Draco and want to help him, I think I can help you."

"Yeah?" Blaise asked, looking at her hopefully. Hermione nodded but made him wait until they were both locked inside the head's dorm before she told him anything else.

"Headmaster Snape refuses to brew the Wolfsbane potion for Draco," she said.

Blaise's eyes narrowed and he glared at the door as if it was Snape. Not that she could ever tell Blaise, but she knew why Snape couldn't do it. Even if he was with the Order, he had to act and represent Voldemort's forces and no self-respecting Death Eater would brew a potion for a werewolf.

Blaise couldn't know this though, so instead, she said, "He's given me his full potion supply to brew the potion for Draco here in the dorm and I'm sure I could use your help."

"Granger, you're better at potions than me," Blaise said, eyeing her. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Yes, but I'll need someone to snatch extra supplies when I run low," she told him. While Blaise's family was currently neutral about the War, she knew he'd be able to get extra supplies without much question. "Draco's offered his own ingredients, but even then, it will only be enough to get through summer. With a little luck, the War will be over by then and I'll have unlimited access to the ingredients, but until then, I could use some help."

"My mother stores several bezoars in our Manor," Blaise offered after a moment of silence. "There's probably six? Seven? I can get them during the holiday."

Hermione beamed. Bezoars were hard to get even before the War and were now impossible to get ahold of. For Blaise to offer a two years supply of them seemed too good to be true.

"That would be perfect!" she exclaimed, hugging him tightly before he could react.

As she pulled away, she took him up to her room where she had already set up her cauldron. She was planning on starting the potion that night as it needed to brew under the full moon. All the ingredients were ready and as soon as the moon appeared above the horizon, she'd begin the potion.