Hermione’s breath caught in her throat and she fought to breathe. She clapped her hand over her mouth in horror, and thought, “Is he dead?” She watched as Arthur Weasley tended to the vicious wounds on his chest, keeping the pressure up and trying to stop the wounds bleeding too much. Snape had a bottle of some viscous potion and he was trying to daub it on to some of the heavier wounds. McGonagall was wiping Lupin’s face with a damp cloth, which had turned pink.
It was at this point in her rising panic that Hermione noticed two things. Dumbledore had stood back from the group and he had his wand out, his face etched with concern and something else, there was hardness there, no gleam, and had his wand pointed at Lupin. The second thing was that Lupin’s hands were covered in blood. Hermione couldn’t move, she was frozen rigid to the spot and no one seemed to have noticed she was there.
It was just then that Lupin started to convulse, first his limbs went rigid and shook and then they started to flail around so violently that Snape had to put the potion down and pin Lupin’s arms to the table. Arthur Weasley stopped trying to hold the bandages on and had to lean down upon Lupin’s legs almost lying upon them with all his weight, which was needed, given the violence of his convulsions. McGonagall was trying to stop Lupin from smacking his head up and down on the table, and Hermione saw that he had awful scratches on his face.
Hermione gasped aloud and Dumbledore turned sharply in her direction, his eyes looking hawk like and searching, but instead of sending her away he said, “Miss Granger, I’d advise you not to get any closer and stay where you are, do you understand?” The tone of his voice left no doubt as to how serious this situation was. His eyes became slightly softer and searched her face for some sign that she comprehended what he had just said.
“Y-yes...I understand,” Hermione responded with a small whisper and saw that what she had said was enough to convince Dumbledore she would stay put. Dumbledore refocused on Lupin.
A loud crash whipped Hermione’s attention back to the table and she saw that Snape had been thrown to the side by Lupin and had landed against a cupboard full of crockery, which objected and rattled violently. The potion he had been using and had set aside had smashed on the floor. Then Hermione’s eyes widened in fear as she heard a low guttural growl come deep from within Lupin’s chest. She apparently wasn’t the only one who was now scared because Arthur and McGonagall let go of him and started to back away. He had stopped convulsing and now just growled at a low pitch like a rumble. It was the only sound to be heard, as all present froze momentarily.
Recovering from her moment of panic Hermione realised it wasn’t full moon; it wasn’t due for two weeks. She had always kept track of that before, now more than ever because she was staying at Grimmauld Place. Curiosity took over the fear and battled for first place, it won and Hermione found herself speaking:
“Its not full moon, he’s not changing...is he?” Hermione’s voice was small but now she had alerted Arthur, McGonagall and Snape to her presence and their heads whipped around to see her, but before they could berate her for being there Dumbledore spoke.
“We cannot take any more chances, Severus, help me get him to the cellar.” Dumbledore offered no more explanation than that and Snape assisted him, by casting a binding spell on Lupin. Hermione wondered why they hadn’t used it before instead of pinning him down.
Lupin was still growling that low rumble but stayed still while he was being floated down the cellar stairs. Professors Snape and Dumbledore appeared back at the top and secured the door with wards and a locking spell. Snape was speaking to him:
“That binding spell won’t last all night; if he changes he may well be able to break through the door. He’s danger to us all.” Hermione couldn’t help but hate Snape for badmouthing Lupin, though at the same time she knew he was right. She knew that Professor Snape wasn’t fond of werewolves, and of Lupin in particular. Hermione also knew that his fear was justified having seen Professor Lupin in all his Werewolf glory. She shuddered a little at the thought.
Dumbledore looked, well, like Dumbledore and patiently he said, “He will be safe enough in there, I have placed a strong enough ward to repel a werewolf if necessary. I do not believe that he will change however; there is something more to this situation than we understand at present. I propose you, Arthur and whoever comes off duty next, Tonks I think, take watches until dawn, unless you are badly hurt from your fall, Severus?” Dumbledore looked to Snape.
“I am fine,” Snape replied, slightly insulted. “I will take the first watch,” he added as if to prove his healthiness.
Just then, an awful howl came from below, it truly was blood curdling in every sense, and Hermione remembered her third year when she had witnessed Professor Lupin’s change into a werewolf and the terror it had inspired.
Everybody in the room froze and paled a little. The howl turned to growling and then a loud crash, and a scream that could only be described as anguish and pain. After that, all that could be heard was a high-pitched whine, which almost sounded like wolfish crying.
Snape spoke then, breaking the spell of no talking. “Miss Granger, I suggest you get yourself up to bed and don’t come back down again, I know it's hard, but do you think for once you can do as you are told?” He did not sneer or become overly nasty but Snape’s face had a look of seriousness that wasn’t to be argued with.
Hermione nodded but couldn’t help adding, “Professor, I won’t be able to sleep, not now...” she shuddered outwardly.
Snape opened his mouth to reply angrily but Dumbledore beat him to it. “Miss Granger, I think it would be useful if you helped clear up and perhaps a nice cup of tea for everyone?” Everyone but Snape nodded at the tea comment and instantly there was activity in the kitchen, everyone grateful for now having something to do other than listen to the pitiful whining coming from the cellar.
When the table was clear, Hermione set down the cups of tea, having made one for everyone. She then sat down herself and sipped from her own cup. Everyone was curiously quiet and didn’t speak for a long time, listening to the keening sound still emanating from beneath them. Soon a quiet chatter started between Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, and Arthur Weasley. Hermione didn’t add anything to it she just sipped her tea and listened to the conversation flow. Dumbledore soon had to leave and she said goodbye with the others.
Hermione took the Headmaster leaving as a chance to sit in the living room where she could read comfortably. Sitting snugly in a chair, she started to read. At first, she found it a little difficult to concentrate on the book in her hands. The events of the night had left her mind alert and active. Trying to settle down and relax was a little hard, especially when poor Professor Lupin was suffering. Briefly, she thought of going back up stairs to reassure Ginny that everything was ok for the moment, but she knew then that Ginny would wake Ron, Harry, and the others. Best to let them sleep and speak to them all in the morning.
As Hermione continued to try to concentrate, she found she couldn’t help but worry. A frown started to form in her brow and her chest tightened at the thought of Professor Lupin being hurt. It really wasn’t fair. He was such a nice and understanding Professor, the best she’d ever had. Not only that, she feared for Harry, whom she thought would not be able to cope with more loss. She then started to think of happier times with Harry and Ron, smiling a little at the memories. It was at this point the frown started to relax as her eyes fluttered, opening and closing a few times before finally shutting.
Hermione didn’t know exactly when she had fallen to sleep but she awoke with a start and her neck ached. She was also startled to find that she now sported a blanket, which she didn’t remember putting on herself. Looking up, she saw Snape sitting across the room looking at her with a book in his hand.
“I told you to go back to bed, and the blanket was Tonks' idea, I would have allowed you to awaken cold. Should you be thirsty, Tonks has just made some tea and I believe toast as well,” he smirked as he finished speaking, though for Snape that was positively warm and friendly.
“Is Professor Lupin better yet?” Hermione looked anxiously to Snape who glared at her for mentioning Lupin.
“We will see when the sun arises, won’t we, Miss Granger.”
Snape seemed a little exasperated by her, and Hermione decided that being in the same room as a possibly sleep deprived and grumpy Snape, was not a venture she wanted to experience. Therefore, Hermione thought Tonks' tea was sounding more promising. As she rose, however the keening rose to a howl again making Hermione jump. Then there was a sudden thudding as if someone was climbing the stairs. Hermione didn’t hesitate pulling out her wand and a bustle of movement from Snape’s direction confirmed her thought that he had his wand out also.
There was a soft whispering at the door and Hermione couldn’t quite make it out, she moved closer to hear it and noticed that Snape had done the same. She realised that the whispering was heavy breathing, and that Lupin was right next to the door. She heard him say one word and she dropped her wand, she looked to Snape instantly who looked paler if possible and his eyes darted to Hermione’s. An understanding seemed to pass between them and Hermione picked up her wand.
She retreated to the kitchen where Tonks had been poking her head out of the door; she too seemed to have heard what Lupin had said because she looked shaken and shiny eyed. She knew that Snape would not allow her to remain within earshot of Lupin now, for fear of what else he might say. Not that she wanted to listen, but her heart ached with sadness inside at what Lupin had just said.
She sat at the kitchen table and Tonks just poured tea without asking Hermione if she wanted any. Tonks then poured herself one and hesitated over the third cup. She glanced to see if Snape had followed Hermione into the kitchen, and didn’t pour any in when she saw Snape had returned to the living room. She set the teapot down and sat down herself opposite Hermione. They both sipped in silence until Tonks broke it with a loud slurp.
“Sorry,” she said not blushing or looking ashamed.
Hermione couldn’t help but smile though. Tonks seemed to think this was an invite to speak again. “I miss him too y’know, it’s not right him not being here.”
Hermione winced, thinking of the name whispered by Lupin. His voice had been so empty, so desperate, and so alone that Hermione couldn’t think of it without feeling her eyes prickle. She couldn’t speak but Tonks seemed to understand this and patted Hermione’s hand a little and said no more, and she was blinking rather a lot and looking at the ceiling. They sat and chatted a little until dawn, very deliberately not talking about anything in particular.
When dawn arrived, Hermione saw the sun gleaming on the kitchen curtains. Tonks had gone to bed, tired from her night's work as well as an extra shift of Lupin watching, she made sure Snape was awake when she went through to the living room. He was still reading in the living room, having sat in there all night.
Hermione went back to the kitchen and read her book, not wanting to be told to go to bed by Professor Snape.
Hermione heard a shuffling noise coming from the cellar door and she again whipped out her wand, aiming at the door. She watched in mute horror as the door handle turned and the door opened. She swallowed what felt like an apple of fear in her throat, and her stomach flipped silently. “Where’s Professor Snape?” she thought.
The door didn’t creak or make any noise but she saw the very human hand of Lupin hold the edge of the door. The hand was still covered in blood, though it was dried now and rustier looking. As he walked out from behind the door, the full awfulness of his appearance hit her. He had scratches all over his face and arms, his shirt hung in tatters, there was barely any of it left. His face had dark circles under his eyes, and his eyes were red and puffy. He looked exhausted.
Then suddenly Snape was there, eyes narrowed, wand out, almost jabbing it in Lupin’s neck, and he flinched putting up his hands and backing off a step. There was a moment where Hermione thought Snape was going to stun Lupin anyway just to be sure. Snape lowered his wand and indicated that he should sit down in the kitchen. Hermione noticed that Lupin walked very shakily, he was unsteady. Suddenly his legs seemed to buckle and he pitched forward. Snape caught Lupin’s elbow roughly and guided him to the table and a chair. Snape bent over slightly and looked Lupin in the eye as if looking for the werewolf within.
“How do you feel, Lupin?” Snape asked whilst looking deeply into Lupin’s eyes, which Hermione thought was unnervingly intimate. Snape’s wand was gripped in his hand still as if Lupin were going to launch himself at Snape any minute. Hermione suspected that he was probably using Legilimency on Lupin.
Lupin nodded a little as he spoke, his voice dry and raspy. “I’m all here Severus, whatever it was has been and passed,” he touched his throat and said, “I am a little dry, and I would like a glass of water please.” Hermione jumped up and went to the sink to fetch a drink for Lupin. Snape in the meantime was looking over the wounds Lupin had received, mostly self-inflicted.
“I will need to go and fetch some supplies that will be able to fix you up; you broke my last skin-healing potion last night. I will be gone about fifteen minutes.” Snape looked at Hermione and seemed to hesitate leaving Hermione alone with Lupin, looking from Lupin to Hermione he said, “If in doubt, stun him straight away; take no chances, Miss Granger. Arthur should arrive before I get back, possibly with Molly. The other children shouldn’t be down for a few hours just yet.” With that, Snape took off and Apparated out of the kitchen.
Hermione was left there looking at the bedraggled Lupin, and she found that she was a little scared of him. He seemed to sense this because at that moment he gave her a small smile and looked up. The smile didn’t reach his eyes however.
“Are you ok, Hermione?” Lupin’s voice still rasped a little and he looked concerned. Hermione just nodded.
Hermione looked back at him and remembered the name he had spoken in his anguish last night, her eyes welled up, tears threatened to fall. She broke the eye contact between them and turned her back on him, opting instead for the kitchen sink. She filled a bowl with warm water, took out some clean flannels, and put them in the warm water to soak. Turning off the tap, she picked the bowl up and set it on the table beside Lupin.
Lupin watched her back and couldn’t help but wonder if she was ok. He knew he looked a state and frankly, he was completely at a loss as to what happened last night. He shivered, he was really feeling the cold right now, and he ached ever so much, physically and mentally. The cuts and grazes upon his body stung in the cold of the kitchen and he felt himself shaking harder. This was nothing new for him, he was used to the total exhaustion after a full moon, but this hadn’t been a full moon had it? “What the bloody hell is happening to me?” he thought. He knew that wondering about his problem would have to wait until Snape came back or when Molly and Arthur were here, it wasn’t something to discuss with Hermione. He picked up the water glass and sipped from it, as he did Hermione turned around and set the bowl she had filled down beside him. The water steamed slightly. His eyes and Hermione’s eyes both fell to the glass he was holding; it was shaking in his hand.
Hermione looked at the glass and then gently removed it from his grasp. She then turned back to the bowl of warm water and wrung out one of the flannels. She then aimed straight for his face with it. Lupin reached out, caught her wrist firmly, and looked at her doubtfully. “I’m just cleaning up the blood, Professor. I’ll be gentle, I promise.” He relented and allowed her to continue, though he wore a slightly pained expression. He was very quiet, normally he was but this was different, he looked deeply concerned.
Hermione stood in front of him and dabbed the cloth against his head and Lupin breathed in sharply, Hermione ignored it and carried on wiping and wringing out the cloth alternatively. She noticed that his skin was so very pale underneath the blood. It made his eyes stand out starkly compared to the rest of the features on his face. The skin was almost like cracked porcelain. Hermione blinked, she had been staring at his face too long without wiping, and Lupin looked up. He caught her eyes briefly and she flushed pink and dabbed at a cut above his eyebrow so he couldn’t look at her with that questioning gaze. She saw him wince.
Lupin knew that he needed cleaning up, but found the pressure of the cloth on his head excruciatingly painful. However, he really couldn’t be bothered to put up much of a fight, especially if it stopped Hermione looking at him as if he were a monster, which she had been. He didn’t blame her for reacting that way, he was rather used to it, but what had happened last night was unusual in the extreme. He was too tired to think about it and he really wanted to sleep. Lupin noticed that Hermione had stopped poking him with the cloth and when he looked up, she was staring strangely at him, she went pink and started to poke at him again with the cloth. “Merlin, she really must think I’m a sight to look at me like that.”
Hermione continued to dab away at Lupin’s head. She lifted his chin up with her hand and automatically wiped the blood away from his eyes, which tried to focus on her as she did so. As she wiped away the gore she held his chin slightly with one finger, her face was quite close to his face, dabbing away, removing what was on his cheeks and lips. She noticed that his skin was softer than she would have thought. Hermione felt him shudder and start shaking a little again, his eyes were closed slightly; then his eyes opened sharply as there was a loud crack and then another. Mr and Mrs Weasley were standing in the kitchen looking open-mouthed at Lupin. It was then, and only then did Hermione realise how intimate her contact with Lupin was. She stepped away instantly flushing again, worried, she looked to Arthur and Molly and she saw Molly’s face drain at the full sight of Lupin.
Remus felt Hermione lift his chin to gain access to other sore areas on his face. The contact of her warm fingers on his face sent a shudder up his spine; it made him feel the cold even more acutely, as he was exposed. Lupin couldn’t help but notice how close Hermione’s face was to his, he could see how brown her eyes were from here. She was biting her lip and pursing it at the same time. Lupin shut his eyes hoping to knock the image from his mind, and then opened them again at the sound a loud crack and then another. Molly and Arthur had Apparated inside the house and judging by the look on Molly’s face, he was in for the long haul of Weasley family care. He hadn’t failed to notice Hermione jump back though; she seemed embarrassed, probably because of how close she had been to him.
Then Molly was a flurry of blankets, bandages, and tea. Lupin really didn’t know what had hit him. Hermione couldn’t help but see him as a lost boy in the middle of all the activity that was Molly Weasley caring for him.
Hermione retreated to the living room to sit down under the blanket she had slept under previously. She lifted the book to read again and toyed with the thought of going back to bed. There seemed little point and she didn’t want to wake Ginny up. Her eyes travelled the words on the pages for a few minutes but began to glaze over, in a tell tale sign of tiredness. Soon she was asleep again, so much so that she didn’t hear someone come in, pull the blanket up higher, and tuck her in. That someone stood for a moment watching her sleep.
A/N: Thank you to my Beta hells456 for doing a through job :)