Shifted

Growing Pains

When Hermione came back into the house, neither Harry nor Theo had anything to say about Draco's dramatic entrance. Theo opened his mouth once or twice, but a swift whack to his thigh from Harry silenced him.

She sat down stiffly next to Harry. Took a moment to take a deep breath and collect herself.

"We need to come up with a plan to bypass the wards. There has to be a way and we need to figure it out."

Harry nodded. Sat up straighter, angling his knees towards her, looking eager to please. "We've run by some things with Malfoy, but—"

"Nothing viable," Theo cut in. Harry shot him a glare poisonous enough to kill.

Hermione sighed. "Lupin wasn't kidding about the wards then. He did warn us."

Harry glanced down, a guilty frown marring his face. "We'll figure something out because we have to. This is not the way any of us die. It's too—"

"Easy? Depressing? Embarrassing?" Nott supplied.

Harry's nose wrinkled and his eyes squinted together. "It's just not how we go."

And how many times had Hermione thought the exact same thing?

And so far, she'd been right every time.

"When Draco's a bit calmer we'll sit down again and talk about our options. Perhaps there's a way to ward an area for me. Or to ward the cabin. We might have to do some research, but I've got some books in my bag—"

"I don't like that you call him Draco," Harry cut in.

Hermione bit back the urge to snap at him. "Harry, I never asked a single question after you stopped visiting Ginny's room in the middle of the night. I'm asking for the same type of blind respect."

His eyes darted to Theo for a split second.

She stood, not waiting for a response and headed into the bedroom to change into more appropriate running attire.

---

The days went on much like that, Hermione seeking out Malfoy to try and work things out, Malfoy evading, and the four of them meeting up to try and come up with a substantial plan. Inevitably, it always seemed to end in shouting— most of the time it was her and Malfoy, but Theo had tried to do her in once, and he and Harry had their fair share of loud disagreements that disbanded their planning.

She gave up on trying to reach out to Malfoy a week in. He refused to join them in brainstorming after that.

"It might not matter," Hermione sighed as they watched him slip outside a little over a week before the full moon. "My wolf will probably kill me before the full moon if things keep going like this."

"I could try and talk to him," Harry insisted.

Hermione scoffed.

She'd told Harry and Theo about the hazes. Figured they ought to be aware when she stopped eating and drinking out of the blue.

"Nott could do it, then."

Theo's back straightened, an air of defiance clouding him already. "Why would I do that? If Hermione died my life would be extensively easier."

She grit her teeth, annoyed that he'd taken a first name basis with her without permission.

"Would be easier to get your cock wet then, wouldn't it?"

Theo shrugged, shameless. "Not like I want to mate for life with him."

Hermione threw a pillow at his head hard enough that it whipped back.