Knox sat up and had a look at her when the strangest noise came from her.  But she explained, "oh! Right.  Well, thank you, but it's not my recipe."

The old bear worked for a few more minutes making sure that Ms Dale was sufficiently marinating in the thick  medicinal stew.  When he was finished, he licked his fingers clean and shrugged approvingly at the taste.  Not fit for a meal but a quick snack at least.  He rose and wiped his hands off the rest of the way.

"You'll want a shower? There's one up the stairs with fresh towels.  Don't worry about your welcome, it'll keep for a few hours more at least."

They were still strangers these two, but his visitor was covered in a casserole. 

Lexus gave him a tentative look. While she was altogether very appreciative of his hospitality, part of her wondered if it was safe to wash the concoction off so soon and the other mused over the fact that while she was no stranger to being in the buff in a complete stranger's house, there was usually a precursor of alcohol and flirtations.

"Is it safe?" She glanced up towards the stairwell that indicated there was more than one floor within the small cottage. She turned back to him looking slightly embarrassed as she realized how else he could have interpreted her words, "I mean for the salve. Is it safe to wash it off?"

She was sure that he wouldn't have suggested her washing up if he wasn't certain there'd be no side effects but when it came to potions she tended to be on the overtly cautious side (a little ironic given her current predicament) The last thing she needed was to have some kind of reaction in the shower and have him rush to her rescue while she was still sporting her birthday suit. She mentally scolded herself for the thought that if he had been twenty years younger she wouldn't have even thought twice.

Knox frowned and shrugged like one of his students, as if he had no idea how the toilet exploded or the name of the witch who pioneered the simplified light spell "Lumos".  He moved to consult the book again. 

"Hmm..." he said as he ran his fingers down the column of text. "It...doesn't....say...." he said as he read.

Looking up at Lexus Dale, he shrugged again.  "I warned you I was no good.  How is it feeling?"

As Knox did, he had grown comfortable with the stranger in his house.  Knox had always adjusted easily to people, a son of Hufflepuff ever, an extrovert to the extreme.  He wasn't afraid to admit to the fellow werewolf that he was as stumped as she at this juncture.  And if a Potions expert had doubts about the shower...

Despite the situation Lexus found herself chuckling softly. She probably should have been a lot more worried that the man taking care of her wasn't entirely sure how to take care of. However beggars couldn't be choosers. She had no one else to turn to and he had done a really good job so far. At least the burning in her shoulder had subsided and she was pretty sure the concoction he had put on her shoulder had done enough to stop the potion from eating any more of her skin.

She rolled her shoulder. The pain was pretty much gone and the salve felt like it was hardening. She reached over to touch it. It was still wet to the touch, though she had a feeling letting it completely dry would be a bad idea. It would be much harder to wash off if she left it too long, "It feels fine, I mean, it's definitely better and it's not hurting any more." She stood up and stretched her lower back a bit looking to the older man, "Well if anything goes wrong I'll give you a shout."

She climbed the stairs and found her way to the washroom. After about fifteen minutes she came back down, her hair dripping a bit into her shredded shirt. She gave him an appreciative smile, "I think it's all good now." She turned her back to him showing the wound through the holes the potion and explosion had torn through her shirt, "How does it look?"

While Lexus Dale was upstairs washing up, Knox did the same.  Or similar.  He tidied up the dishes he'd used and cleaned up a bit of the disheveling having an emergency guest had done to his well-maintained clutter.  He left the nicer chair open and settled into the guest chair to read a letter.

Shortly, the stairs creaked.  Lexus was finished and looking much fresher.  Knox slid off his glasses and rose to check things out.

"Yes, yes, let's have a look."  He  carefully moved some of her torn shirt to the side so he could see where the gone-wrong concoction had splashed her.

"You look like you got a nasty burn.  Blisters forming.  You'll want to keep that covered," he said, feeling confident he knew what he was talking about.

He stepped back again.  "Happy to do that for you.  So you can be on your way and on with your life, I think." 

"That'd be much appreciated." She offered another small grin, now that the immediate danger had past she was a little more self conscious of the way she looked. Or rather the way her now permanent fangs stuck out over her lips. She knew it was silly, the man obviously knew what she was, most did just by looking at her these days but still the thoughts were there. It had been just over a year since the incident that transformed her (more so than the transformations she experienced during the full moon) and she still had a hard time looking at herself in the mirror.

"Thanks again for this." She spoke as he tended to covering her burns, "I think it's really cool what you're doing. I mean offering help to those that don't feel like they can find it by normal means." She gnawed on her lip a bit, "At least that's how Horatio had put it."

Knox set about as she'd bad him.  She had sat down on the foot stool and he'd scooted his chair close.  Bandaging up was simple enough and he was sure she'd been able to do it if she hand no bones in her arms and an eyeball or two at the back of her head.  As she lacked that, he could only too happily oblige his own offer.

He'd purchased some tape and gauze some weeks back from a shop in Diagon and as a werewolf raised no suspicion, ironically.  Werewolves tended to have wounds to tend to from time to time, didn't they? But one usually assumed they were their own.

"Horatio Higgins! Ha! Well enough to be a blabbermouth, I see.  Fine for him," Knox joked with mock indigence.  But in fact, he was a little concerned at how word was spreading.  On the one hand he was happy to help any who needed it, and that happiness was bolstered by a sense of righteousness.  And on the other it was only a matter of time before they were all found out in this most unsavory little medical rebellion.

"If my mangling ministrations can be of use to society so long after I acquired them, then I can not refuse an opportunity to lend them out.  That, and I enjoy house guest.  Preferred to be not bleeding, vomiting or otherwise leaking fluids on my rugs..."

She gave him a true smile, fangs be damned, at that one. When he was finished bandaging her up she rolled her shoulder again to make sure she'd have a range of motion with her arm without tearing his work. She stood again and looked around, taking a moment to take in the cozy little living space. She supposed it would have been a nice place to visit for a small meal or some drinks. Even if you weren't in dire need of medical help. He was definitely a hospitable man to say the least.

"I should be going though." She made her way to the large hearth she had initially tumbled out of, "Now that I'm all patched up I have a cellar to tend to. Hopefully the explosion didn't set me too far back. Most of my potions and ingredients are double or triple charmed in case, well, in case something just like this happens." She touched her lip in thought, "I am going to need to buy a new cauldron though." She shrugged, "Anyhoo, that's something I can take care of later."

She searched the hearth for where he kept his floo powder, "I'll let Horatio know you helped me out. I think he'd be happy to hear that. I don't really know any other werewolves though. Owning a potion shop in Knockturn tends to attract . . . other kinds of customers, and truth be told I've never been really good at making Wolfsbane potions. The last time I tried, this," she motioned to herself, "happened. Although a lot of that had to do with tainted ingredients but still, I haven't tried to make a batch since."

She spied the shimmering ash like powder and grabbed a pinch, tossing it into the hearth turning the large flames emerald, "Thanks again." She gave him a final nod and a little wave before turning to the flames, "Wonderland!" And with a swirl of flames she was gone.

Knox smiled graciously and uttered the appropriate responses to her thanks.  She was very welcome, any time, fare thee well and all that.  He wondered if he'd ever see her again.  He  hoped that if he did it would be under less dire circumstances.

"Safe travels," he said at the last, and watched her get swallowed up by green flame.  Left alone in his quiet woodland cottage, he heaved a deep sigh.  This was only the beginning he was starting to see.

fin