9:00 AM, after getting back from the ministry

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All Zel wanted right now was to go back to bed—the transformation the night before had left him exhausted. He never slept during the full moon, even when the wolfsbane potion was fully effective. Last night, however, it hadn’t been—especially towards the end. As a result, he had several bruises on his shoulder and a couple of minor, self-inflicted claw and bite marks on his right leg. The bruises, he recalled, were from attempts to escape the cell. The other injuries were caused when the wolf was frustrated and antsy about being in such an enclosed space with no hope of escape.

It had been scary, turning back to normal and recalling all that had occurred.

Zel was thankful for the high security of the ministry safehouses.

It was because of the lack of consistency in effectiveness that his case worker wanted him to get an updated physical. Zel’s weight fluctuated often, with his fast metabolism and high activity level. Some months he could keep the weight on, others he couldn’t. It was difficult to eat enough food to support his lanky, 6’7 (or was it 6’8 now?) frame.

 Letter in hand, he opened the door to the hospital hut, looking around sheepishly. Tulojow was there; to his relief, there were no other patients. “Are you busy right now?” Zel inquired, voice barely above a whisper.

The Hospital Hut was, indeed, empty.  So far, no new cases had found their way into the cabin that morning and young Ms. Sally Delabourne had stopped vomiting tadpoles by five o’clock that morning; plenty of time to finish her last dose of Frog-Away and head up to breakfast.

Taking advantage of the apparent lull, Pippi was in the midst of folding the morning’s linens in the main room while Tulojow finished preparing breakfast in the kitchen.  Through the kitchen door, the slight creak from the front door opening was barely audible through the wall but Pippi’s voice rang our loud and clear.  ”Miss!  Miss!  The Mr. Trumble’s here to see you.”

The elf’s voice was definitive but not panicked.  Zel needed attention but it wasn’t a matter of life and death.  Tulojow didn’t have to fully abandon the gravy to ruin.  “Pippi!  Come take over,” Tulojow called back, only leaving the gravy once she was certain the elf would take over in time to avoid clumps.

“Not at all, not at all!”  Tulojow washed her hands at the corner sink and, after drying them, approached the Hufflepuff to retrieve the letter.  She nodded at periodic intervals as she read, finally glancing up to look over the young man.  “Sounds like it was a rough night,” Tulojow offered with a sympathetic grimace.  As she spoke, she gestured for Zel to follow into of the separate rooms.  “How are you holding up right now?  Any lightheadedness or shakiness left over from the night?  Did they get you something to eat?”

Something smelled good; Zel hadn’t realized how hungry he was until he could actually smell food cooking. He could feel a rumbling in his belly, though if anyone heard it, he’d very firmly deny it’s existence. The smell of sausage and biscuits in the hospital hut, however, nearly made him rethink his decision to sneak a cheese toasty from the kitchens later; the house elves were more than happy to help.

He stood there sheepishly while Tulojow read the letter. She always seemed to be empathetic, but Zel didn’t know how much she could understand. She’d try, certainly. “It was.” Zel replied, nodding his head rather stiffly. “I’m fine, just sore...." He cleared his throat and motioned vaguely at his shoulder and leg. "Got a couple bruises and teethmarks...” Nothing that wouldn't heal fine on it's own, but there was no point in hiding it. If she was going to do some sort of physical type thing, she’d figure it out anyway.

His stomach growled again. They had gotten them some food, but it wasn’t enough to even touch on his hunger. He simply hadn’t eaten enough. Zel always forgot how ravenous he was after a transformation. 

"They didn't do any initial treatment of your injuries?"  For the briefest moment, the Healer's mouth stretched into a long, thin line as she looked him over, again, taking in his demeanor, carriage and expression.  She took a deep, long breath and sighed, shaking her head.  This wasn't the first time she'd felt the urge to petition having a safe house near Hogwarts for the resident werewolves so she could keep a closer eye on them.  It was so easy for them to become part of the system at the Ministry.  That was, perhaps, beyond parents' tolerance levels. 

"Alright, we'll get you feeling back on top of the game in no time."  Her usual warm smile had returned to the Healer's features and she rested her hand on the young man's shoulder for a moment. 

Her hand moved to feel Zel's neck and his forehead with the back of her fingers before feeling his pulse with her fingertips.  Finally her fingers brushed the hair back from his face.  Fully satisfied the young man was safe to be left alone (she could only hope the Ministry had intelligently determined at least that before sending him back), Tulojow straightened herself up and stepped back out into the main room.  A few moments later, she returned with a thick, charcoal grey fleece robe and small jar of a dark green leafy, powdery mixture.   

She handed both to the young man.  "Pippy's drawn a bath for you,"  Tulojow gestured towards the door leading to the adjacent bathroom[1].  "Add this to the bath and soak for at least twenty minutes, though there's no rush if you're comfortable; it should help with the soreness.  Just leave your clothes by the door and Pippi will get them cleaned for you.  I'll let your professor's know you're excused for the day.  Once you're ready, come back in and we'll get you checked out and get some real food in you."

1.	Patients' bathroom

Zel shook his head, No, they hadn’t. To be fair, there  were a few werewolves who were much worse off than he was. They were out of control for their entire transformations, his only failed towards the end. Slowly feeling his mind slip away throughout the night was almost scarier than it happening instantaneously. He jumped slightly at her touch—it wasn’t unwelcome as much as it was unexpected.

He could always use a nice bath. Zel did have access to the prefect  bathrooms, but he didn’t always feel like he got the privacy he wanted when he took a bath. The hospital hut’s patient bathroom, however, was very private. Zel’s only concern was whether or not he’d actually fit in the tub. Would he be sitting with his knees brought up to his chest? That didn’t sound very comfortable! Still, she assured him that soaking in green-powder-water was bound to help with the body aches.

He took the towel, the robe, and the jar and nodded in response. “Twenty minutes, then?”  Zelig didn’t know how he’d keep track of that, but he figured that by the time his fingers got pruny, the time would be up. He walked into the bathroom—it was rustic, but clean and far nicer than any bathroom his family had growing up.  He closed the door behind him, changed into the batrhrobe and then set his clothes outside the door before closing it once more.

Zel didn’t get why Pippy was going to wash the current clothes, but it was very kind of her. She was one of his favorite house elves out of the ones that worked at Hogwarts. He was also quite fond of Gerda, who almost always had grilled cheese sandwiches prepared just for him. He began to pour the powder into the tub,when the jar slipped out of his hand and fell into the warm water. After a moment of mild panic , Zel pulled the jar out (completely unscathed, the glass must’ve been charmed) .

“I’m okay!” He called out. Zel’s eyes rested upon the small little corner tub.

He wouldn’t fit unless somebody chopped him up into little pieces. Zel soup. 

The werewolf hesitated, but slipped into the tub. To his delight (and surprise), the size shifted to accomidate his height. Besides the prefect tubs, this wsa the only one he could actually lay down in and stretch out his legs. Zel rested his head on the edge of the tub and closed his eyes—the heat itself was soothing to his aching muscles, and it didn’t take long for him to drift off to sleep.

The next thing he knew, he had slipped underwater and inhaled a fair amount of bathwater. Not enough to drown, but enough for his lungs to protest. Loud coughing and sputtering noises could be heard from inside the bathroom. Judging by the lukewarmness of the water, it had been more than twenty minutes. He got out of the tub, dried off with a towel, and put the charcoal robe back on. Although it was nice and fluffy, he still felt naked even though he was totally covered.

At least he wasn’t as sore anymore, even without the heat.

Zel cracked the bathroom door open to see if anyone else was around. The Hut was surprisingly slow for a Saturday.

The first victim of the day's magical learning, a first year Ravenclaw, had slipped in while the sixth year had been resting in the bathroom.   Last minute panicked scrambling for finals had driven the lad to try and practice some potions on his own.  A few too many mixes in the wrong direction and any remnants from the young man's breakfast were long gone.  Studying-related ailments seemed to be the trademark of Ravenclaw just as self-induced acts of bravery or foolishness were Gryffindors.  It had been an easy enough case; after a stomach calming draught and a cup of mint tea, the first year had been tucked in one of the other bedrooms to sleep off the effects.  By noon, he'd be back up and on his to try and poison himself with another potion. 

There had been a few stray sounds from the Hufflepuff during that time.  As Tulojow had been tending to the Ravenclaw, she'd spotted a pile of clothes (presumably with a house elf underneath) cross the main room and through the door of the kitchen.  A few moments later, there'd been a dull crash from the bathroom and Pippy had started sprinting back across the main room until Zel had called out.  A couple minutes later, Pippy had passed through, again, with Zel's clothing now cleaned, dried and carefully folded. 

The Hospital Hut had fallen quiet, again, when Zel finally emerged from the bathroom.  "Feel a little better?" Tulojow asked as she led him to the kitchen. 

"Alright, let's get a quick weight.  Up on the scale and then have a seat.  Unfortunately, one last formality before you can eat.  Pretty straightforward and painless."  She handed the young man a small, empty vial.  "Breath in deeply, hold your breath while I count to five and then exhale into the vial.  Once the full breath is in, stopper it up.  Ready?"  Tulojow waited until Zel was ready and counted off the seconds. 

He saw that Pippy had cleaned his clothes for him, and Zel grabbed those and quickly changed before emerging from the bathroom completely. “Sorry, I fell asleep…” Zel murmured, rubbing the back of his neck apologetically.  “But—thank you Pippy, for washing my clothes.”  In the house in Germany, growing up, they had a house elf by the name of Mausi. Zel remembered that his father instilled in him and his siblings respect for the creature who cleaned up after them. He hadn’t seen her since his father died and they were uprooted to Cardiff to be closer to his maternal grandparents.

Zel stepped up onto the scale,  not knowing if he wanted to see his weight—but alas, he peeked. One hundred-sixty-five pounds even. His shoulders drooped as he sighed heavily. He had been trying to get up to a healthier weight of 200 pounds, but it seemed he couldn’t get past twelve stone even if he tried. Zel didn’t want to stop his running or swimming in favor of gaining more weight—it helped him de-stress and burn off anger or resentment or whatever he was feeling at the time.

"It changes often, my weight." He clarified. Zel didn't step on a scale often, but he could feel when he lost or put on a few pounds. At the beginning of the year he had been fairly underweight-- but he also hadn't been eating full meals.

And then it was on to the next step.

He inhaled deeply, holding his breath for approximately five seconds. He exhaled into the vial and then stoppered it up as soon as all the breath was out. Zel felt like it was taking forever—but to be fair, his active lifestyle and large frame probably meant that his lungs had a large capacity.

"Eleven stone six," Tulojow read off as Zel stepped off the scale.  Despite the absence of an obvious health record, the young man's vital stats were being scribbled down in a chart by a dutiful quick quotes quill.  The quill (much better behaved than the reporter Rita Skeeter's version) and charting parchment were tucked in a cupboard off the side where it could record important notes without making patients uneasy by the persistent scribbling after every other word.  "Have you noticed any correlation between weight fluctuations and moon phase?  Do you notice any significant weight gain or loss before or after the full moon?"  Tulojow asked. 

Tulojow took the vial and, after scribbling a quick label, handed it off to Pippy as the elf passed through the kitchen.  "Take a seat," she invited, pulling a chair out from the kitchen table.  "Are you attending all three meals?"  With a school full of kids and teenagers, that shouldn't be a question she needed to ask but, alas, for many differents reason it was.  "I know the offerings change but in a typical day, what do you eat?" 

The Healer set a healthy portion of biscuits and sausage gravy in front of the lad along with a bowl of fruit and a mug of cocoa.  She fetched a bowl of fruit for herself and took a seat on the other side table. 

"I want you to start keeping a food diary," Tulojow explained.  "Nothing too elaborate - just a list of what you eat during the course of the day.  And, we should start checking your weight weekly.  What's your wolfsbane dose?"  Tulojow, of course, knew it however she wanted to ensure the young lad had it firmly memorized.  "I know we're coming on the end of the year, but I'd like to drop in regularly and keep an eye on that diary.  We'll figure out a new dosage today but, if we do get your weight up, we'll need to adjust.  Will you let me know where you're staying?"

Tulojow was asking so many questions, and requesting a food diary and… Needless to say that Zel was beginning to feel overwhelmed.   “Um. I think I lose some weight after the full moon, maybe?” But he wasn’t sure. He never exactly paid attention to his weight changes when the full moon was coming—or at least, if he did, he never made the correlation. It was dififcult to tell. “My weight’s always fluctuated though.” He explained, “My family—we’re all tall and skinny, y’know? M’mum’s taller than most men. M’dad was taller than I am now. We always joked there was giant blood in his family.” Except it wasn’t actually a joke.

Zel sat down, though he jiggled his leg out of nervousness. “I…” He cleared his throat. “I do, mostly. I didn’t at the beginning of the year but I do now. Sometimes I go to the kitchen for cheese toasties when I get hungry.”  And his wolfsbane dose… “Er, the last one was five hundred milliliters every day for a week. It wasn’t enough.” And it tasted so bad. “I think I take more than , y’know… Other werewolves do. But that’s also the dose my sister takes…”
He groaned when she asked hwere he was going to be.

“Uh, everywhere. I’ll be with Figaro a bit. Working at his family’s shop. But my brothers and little sister and I—we’ll be at Garrett’s place. I’ll be between Garrett’s and Emeline’s all summer.” He didn’t know how well Tulojow would handle hearing that he wasn’t going back to the home he grew up in, his stepfather’s home.

"I could owl you...? If you need to know..?"

The Healer smiled warmly at the young man, nodding encouragingly as he tried to plow through all the information.  It was a lot to consider and keep straight for anyone at any age.  Most kids and teenagers reveled in the perceived freedom that their youth provided: eating what they wanted and taking risks without feeling the need to second guess themselves.  Chronic conditions, especially contagious ones, always brought the unwelcome burden of heightened personal responsibility.  All in an environment where few of their peers could understand. 

She knew she was posing a lot of questions but the questions were, unfortunately, necessary.  Metabolism significantly impacted the way the young man's body processed his food as well as the wolfsbane potion.  The breath samples from before the meal and the ones she would obtain after the meal would help her gauge his metablism but what understanding what he ate was a vital part of the equation.  It played a key role in both body weight and medication. 

"During the course of the day...let's say the day before the full moon, do you remember what you ate?  Take me through your meals."  She offered a slight grin.  "Besides cheese toasties." 

“For breakfast,” Zel started, squinting as he tried to remember his meals.  “Scrambled eggs, bacon, orange juice and toast. A couple of sausages, too.” He wringed his hands together, “For lunch, a ham and chicken sandwich. I drank water. And dinner, I ate some carrots, steak and kidney pie, and mashed potatoes.  I also had a cheese toasty before lunch. I drank mostly water.” He shifted uncomfortably.

“That’s… A lot of food, isn’t it? I wasn’t even thathungry.” He wasn’t usually very hungry before the full moon, but afterwards he was ravenous. Like now.

His stomach betrayed him as it rumbled rather loudly. Redness crept up his cheeks, and he hoped Tulojow wouldn’t notice.

“Morning of the full moon I had some porridge. Didn’t eat hardly at all. I was still full from the day before.”
Zel was thankful that Tulojow didn’t draw a lot of attention to the fact that he would be moving around quite a bit during the summer. It was a source of embarrassment for him.

The Healer nodded her head as she listened as the young man described his meals.  "It is a lot of food," Tulojow confirmed, eating a piece of melon.  "Though, not all food is created equal.  We may need to be a little more strategic in the foods you eat.  For a little while - at least until your metabolism settles and dosing stabilizes." 

After another bite of melon, the Healer added.  "As you know, this is especially true while you're taking the wolfsbane.  It needs lots of protein and fat to work its best.  I imagine it isn't always easy to get a full meal in on the full moon but that's when those nutrients are most important.  In the future, if you're only feeling up to porridge, come see me.  We can find a more palatable way to get those in you or I can let the Ministry know to adjust the overnight dosage accordingly." 

It was unfortunate and mild frustrating that this was surfacing right before the summer break.  Though she hadn't drawn attention to the idea that the boy would be moving around, a lot, it hadn't escaped her attention.  She was attempting to avoid overwhelming the young man further by getting at the information in a less direct manner.  There were times years of experience as an auror did prove advantageous in healing.

"Who will be doing most of the grocery shopping while your away from school?"

More strategic in the foods he ate? What did that mean? Zel hoped that didn’t mean he’d have to eat gross things. He didn’t have anything against eating his veggies, but truth be told he didn’t really know how to eat a balanced diet. He had never been taught it. Mostly he just ate as much as he could to satiate his hunger. At the beginning of the school year, he didn’t eat much—but his eating habits had mostly returned to what they were before the bite.

“I don’t… As long as I don’t have to eat peas.” Or kiwi. Or bran muffins. He had never been able to stomach any of those three things.

Who would be doing the grocery shopping though? That was a hard one.

“Um.” He hesitated, “Me, probably. I think my sister-in-law will be doing grocery shopping too… But she doesn’t know that I’m..”  Zel blushed, “She doesn’t know I’m a wizard, let alone a werewolf.” There was a strict no magic rule at his brother’s home. It made sense, as Garrett was a squib. Besides, there were plenty of electronics at their home that would be ruined if magic was around.

Tulojow smiled sympathetically at the young man and shook her head.  “Don’t worry.  It’s not as much about the specific foods as the types of foods.  Unless you’re really picky, you should be able to find plenty of foods you like.  It’s more about being more aware of what different types of foods do for you.  A ham and chicken sandwich may seem like a lot, but it won’t sustain you for very long.  Especially not at the rate your body would be processing protein.” 

The Healer templed her fingers in front of her face as she considered the various bits of information.  The young man opposite her was either spending time with friends or with non-immediate family members who were oblivious to his magical ability and chronic condition.  There were many questions to consider but the most pressing seemed to be the most basic.

“What would happen if she found out?” Tulojow asked, simply.  “Realistically.”  Magical ability could be hidden over the course of the summer.  Taking wolfsbane for a week and disappearing for a night around each full moon would be harder to camouflage.

“Well—I don’t know.” Zel admitted, “I mean. She’s nice and all, but she’s a muggle and my brother wants to live a muggle life. I can’t do that to him. He’s a squib, he’s not… He won’t ever fit in our world and I don’t want him to be unhappy. I don’t know my sister in law well enough to know how she’ll react.” Zel sighed, “And they have a baby, I can’t do that to them while they have so much to worry about.” He shifted, “My sister though, she lives on her own? Her place is small.”

He bit his lip, “I will have a job this summer, so I can do my grocery shopping. And help out with the little siblings. Zora’s starting school next year, and she’s going to need new robes and everything.” He knew that Hogwarts had some money set aside for students whose families couldn’t afford much, but he didn’t want to have to resort to that unless they absolutely had to.

He was growing more comfortable with Tulojow the longer they spoke. He had always liked the healer.
“But… What foods should I be eating, then..?”