A/N: Today, I am offically 15! :)

In honor of such an event, I am updating all my stories! Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: Even on such an amazing occasion such as this, Jan. 25, I am still without claim to any books, anime, or TV shows. Still, can't complain.

The days following the last Order meeting, Madame Pomfrey saw a great change in Hermione. She was taking her potions without complaint, eating all the food she presented to her, and was even starting to accept visitors. Of course, the only person she would let in was Remus, but, she asked him to pass on a message to Ron and Harry asking them when they would be coming by next. So, all in all, things were improving rapidly.

It was around mid-day, and the young Gryffindor in question was stretched out on her stomach, reading the potions textbook in front of her, chewing on her lip as her eyes moved down the paragraphs. Beside her, a just finished essay sat, and a thing of ink with the quill still inside was floating beside it. Leave it to Hermione to have homework be the first thing she does after coming out of her brief depression.

With a sigh, she closed the book in front of her. She had been double checking her facts, and was now confidante that everything she wrote down on her parchment was true. That was it, she was done.

In a span of 4 days, she managed to catch up in all the homework and lessons she missed in the span of 2 weeks that she was a patient here. Anyone could tell she was becoming the old Hermione again.

Lifting herself up and out of her laying position, she groaned with pleasure as she stretched her cramped muscles, grinning slightly as she her back and elbows pop. Letting her body fall into a slouch, she vaguely wondered what she would do with the rest of her day. All the work she needed for her classes were done and now had nothing left to do.

With a sigh, she let herself fall back onto her bed, this time on her back. With her hands behind her head, she gazed at the tall, stone ceiling of the infirmary, picking out the details she had never noticed before being bitten. In an unconscious movement, her left hand gripped her right forearm, and the marred skin that showed where she had been bitten.

It became an unnoticed habit of hers. Whenever she was worried, or nervous, or even subconsciously thinking about the changes she had gone through since become a werewolf, she would clutch at the mark, as if trying to erase the reality of it all.

It was the grip she had on her arm that made her come out of her thoughts. Releasing her hand from her arm, she hissed in quiet pain. Looking down, she noted that if she was still a normal human, she would have had a broken bone or two, but now, only light bruising.

“I guess I’ll have to watch myself more often. I can crush a person if I gave them a big enough hug.” She said with slight amusement.

A week ago, some epiphany like that would have put her into a deeper depression then before, but now, it only fascinated her. She wanted to know more about how her body adapted to her new DNA. It was obvious she was stronger, much stronger, but what about speed? And she could tell her senses were more adapt. She could smell the different potions simmering in the lab near the infirmary Professor Snape used to make the needed medicines, and she could hear the scurrying of the house elves as they did their chores without being seen. Her eyes could pick out the tiniest of spider webs in the corners, and their even tinier makers and in the darkness it was as if her eyes had their own night vision. She also knew from experience that she could drink down a potion she had never seen or taken before and give you all the ingredients used to make it. Even her touch was sharper, being able to feel the roughness of even the smoothest stone.

But, what else has changed?

She was so deep in her wondering, she failed to sense the sound of two pairs of feet, one falling in heavy falls, as if he was just letting his weight drop, while the other was light and quick.

It wasn’t until the shadows appeared behind the curtain that she finally realized someone was there.

“Hermione? Are you there?” Harry’s voice tentatively called out.

Launching herself off the bed and past the curtain in amazing speed, she latched onto him in a fierce hug, as if he were her lifeline.

At first surprised, Harry quickly got over his shock, and returned the hug with the same amount of strength. He truly missed his friend, and by the feel of her grip on him, she missed him just as much.

After a minute or so of keeping that position, the girl unwound herself from the raven haired male, only to attach herself to the tall red headed one standing next to her.

Unlike his friend, Ron was more awkward at the personal contact he was getting from his female friend, so instead of holding onto her as if she was brought back from the dead, he gave her a few awkward pats on the back, his ears turning redder with every second she held on.

Quickly noticing her friend’s discomfort, she released him and stepped back, giving him back his personal space, and was content with just smiling at them.

“I missed you two so much! And I’m sorry for acting the way I did up until now!” She finally spoke, sincere regret filling her words.

“Don’t worry Hermione. Neither of us has been in your exact position, but we’ve been pretty close to things like it, so we understand completely.” Harry reassured her.

“Y-yeah Hermione, we understand.” Ron backed him up, quickly regaining his own pale color.

A slightly awkward silence fell over the Golden Trio, neither of the three knowing what to say. Finally, Hermione spoke up.

“Umm…OH! Malfoy got him comeuppance!” Harry said, exchanging a sly look with Ron, who had gotten on a very large grin.

“Alright, what did you two do?” Hermione asked, trying to play the disapproving role, but she could help her frown tilt up at the corners ever so much.

“Well….”Harry said and began retelling the wonderful pranks he and Ron had pulled on the Slytherin Prince in the days she had been absent.

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An hour later, and the Hospital Wing was filled with the laughter of the newly reunited Golden Trio.

“So he went the entire day bald with an I 3 Gryffindor tattooed on his skull?” Hermione asked through her breathless laughter, loving the image she got.

“Not only that, but with Ginny and Luna’s help, we got his shirt to be our House Colors with a roaring lion that went off at random times!” Harry said, his face starting to hurt because of how big his smile was.

It was nice to see his friend in such a happy mood, a complete change from the last time he had tried to visit her.

“So, Hermione, when are you getting out of here?” Ron finally asked, also enjoying the atmosphere changing back to before the attack.

“Well, Madame Pomfrey said I’m back to 100% health, and Remus said I should be able to return to school tomorrow.” The girl said happily.

“That’s great ‘mione, it really is!” Harry spoke up, his feelings showing on his face.

Hermione smiled back, but inside, she was worried. Up until now, she had very little encounters with the outside world since her attack, and tomorrow, she would be thrust back into the magical world, to which she was now a stranger. The Hospital Wing had been a safe haven for her, free from worries of other people’s thoughts, not having to heed the whispers or talk behind her back. She was now positive that her ailment had filtered throughout the school, because if everyone outside of Hogwarts knew, it was more certain that those inside knew just as much, if not more.

Tomorrow would certainly be a challenge, and would take all of her Gryffindor courage to face up to it. But, the question was, did she have enough?

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