âRight.â Fenrir shot the sofa a dirty look as if intending to scare whatever creepy abilities it held into submission. He pocketed the phial and sat down slowly â partially to keep the dust cover in place, but also to stop his bones from screaming at him. âSomethinâ to help me recover,â he answered vaguely. And then, because he knew she wouldnât let him rest until sheâd drawn every ounce of truth out from his tired and aching body, he added, âBlood.â Another long sigh was exhaled. Fenrir settled into the cushions, pleasantly surprised to find that they were comfortable. Heâd half expected them to be filled with glass shards or something equally lethal. He lifted his boots onto the adjacent armrest and let his head fall back against the other, Anastasiaâs thigh warm against the crown of his skull.Â
âIt was full moon last night.â He had shut his eyes but he tried to imagine her expression, only to find that he couldnât. Something close to a smirk formed on his mouth, tugging at one corner of his lips. âJust like shagginâ a pureblood, Lycanthropy can be a fuckinâ bitch the morninâ after. And, just like shagginâ a pureblood, itâs always worth the hassle.â Fenrir tried to laugh but the sound came out as a coughing fit. It took a moment for him to recover, grumbling irritably to himself about the time of the year and healing rates. He cracked an eyelid open and rose his chin until he could see Anastasia properly. âI thought cominâ âere would make it a bit less shit.â
Despite hesitating, Anastasia glancing down at Fenrir in surprise, she uncrossed her legs to let him to rest his head better.  She wasnât sure at what point sheâd begun to care about his comfort, but just this once, she indulged the concern.  His answer had things fall into place.  â...Oh.â  Spoken softly, the realisation clear in her voice, at first it was all she said.  Why hadnât she considered that?  As she looked at him, she realised his werewolf side wasnât something sheâd given much thought to, no matter how closely the two parts of him always seemed intertwined.  She wasnât sure how she felt about it  -  or if she felt anything at all. Â
Everything she knew of them had been taught by Durmstrang.  The school might welcome the dark arts, but like everywhere in the wizarding world, they were less forgiving of what were considered dangerous, uncontrollable beasts.  It wasnât hard to imagine Fenrir that way.  It shouldâve made her wary, but Anastasia had always been taught curiosity over caution.  Only, any questions she mightâve asked were interrupted by his joke  (for his sake, she hoped itâd been a joke), and a frown formed.  âShag many purebloods?â  Her tone was sharper than sheâd have liked, betraying her annoyance.  When he dissolved into coughs, however, her small scowl wavered.  Without thinking, her hand stroked through his hair, gently brushing it away from his face.  She hadnât expected his next words, and when she found him peering up at her, she moved her gaze away.  âI hadnât realised you found the shop so comforting.â  She knew it wasnât what heâd meant, but the honesty threw her.