Disclaimer: I do not own anything from JK Rowling's Masterpiece. No money is being made. I just like to play with the characters from time to time.
Author Note: I had thought that I posted this a long while back when I posted to AFF...oh well... This is the tale of how a lowly assistant in a ridiculed department helped a friend in dire need. She never expected to fall in love with him. This is for all you Hermione/Remus fans, the few that are out there somewhere.
Everything was quite peaceful at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. Harry had finally managed to propose to Ginny properly, but only after he confirmed with seven different Aurors and Mediwizards that the dead body at his feet was that of the Dark Lord, Voldemort. Ron had somehow managed to land a spot on the Chudley Cannons Quidditch team, happily forcing him to travel the world. Hermione, however, had chosen to stay behind and take up a job as Arthur Weasley's assistant in the Wizard, Muggle-Born, Half-Blood Interactive Affairs Department, the newest department in the Ministry.
Her work came before anything else. She adored being able to help parents of muggleborn witches and wizards adapt to the news that their child was gifted. Hermione was the Hogwarts Liaison for new students. She also felt blessed with the ability to help the purebloods understand that the magic chose the wizard or witch, that it has nothing to do with their blood. With Arthur backing her up, Hermione managed to bring a new understanding to the Wizarding world about less than pureblood status. However, that only made the prejudice at the Ministry find a new victim to degrade and humiliate; the Marriage Law having been overturned and demolished soon after Arthur and Hermione's propaganda began flooding every floo and owl post within a thousand miles of London. She had managed to get a petition from Ron, however, after a short engagement prior to the law's downfall, they found they had nothing in common that a long and happy marriage could be based upon. They went their separate ways as soon as the law was rescinded.
Now, Hermione received a memo on her desk about a new law. A law that would deeply affect someone rather close to her; a person she respected for his outlook on life despite what it's dealt him, his courage to face the odds, and his ability to overcome a prejudice and misinformed community. To summarize, the law states that any persons with tainted blood were considered animals due to their grotesque and brutalizing methods on the battlefields, no matter that these same characteristics rid the world of some of the most evil people that every breathed. No…they were now considered animals, which meant that they now had to be owned, like a dog. Or in Remus Lupin's case, a werewolf.
"It's true, then?" Remus asked with a sigh as he ran a hand over his almost completely gray hair.Hermione sat down beside him and placed her hand on his arm. She looked up to Harry who was scowling like mad.
"I'm sorry, but yes. I don't think that a few posters will help this time. It says you have five days to register your calendar, habits, and general day to day activities. Then, someone will look over your schedule to see if it fits theirs so that they can determine whether or not they can…" Hermione swallowed not sure of what words to use.
"Just say it, Hermione," Remus said fully aware that she was trying to save his feelings. "I've heard worse, let me assure you. The people need to know if they can what?"
She sighed. "If they can take care of a pet. I'm so sorry, Remus. That's the word they used. Unfortunately, I don't see how this anything different than some kind of uniformed slavery."
"It is and I won't stand for it," Harry said as he slammed his hand down on the other end of the table. "This is absurd! How can they do this? They're people, too! What did Remus, or anyone else, ever do to them?"
Remus stood up and put an arm around Harry. "It's not what we have or have not done. It's what we can possibly do in the future that scares them. This is the Ministry's way of keeping tabs on all of us. Hermione, what else did it say?"
She took a moment. She had been so intrigued by his opinion that she truly admired him. "Oh, um…just a few other details…"
"Like what?"
"Here, it's best you read it," she said as she handed him the twenty- page highlighter orange leaflet. Harry finally sat down as Remus thumbed through the pages. The two young adults looked up with query in their eyes when they heard the older man laugh out loud. Remus looked up from the pages with tears of laughter falling down his cheeks.
"They want to know our loo habits!"
"WHAT?!" the other two said in unison.Remus turned the papers around and pointed to the clause.
Section 28:4 - Urinary and Bowel Functions while transformed (Pertaining to Werewolves and other creatures of that nature)All animals must provide a schedule of defecation and urination to the Ministry so the owners can adjust their activities to provide a safe and healthy home life for their children. No child will be allowed in the presence of an unkept, unclean, diseased, and filthy animal in the home. All animals will notify the owner and the Ministry at any time that this schedule fluctuates in regards to sickness, potions or other medications, or timing of the full moon. To not notify the appropriate authorities of such a change constitutes defiance of this law and is punishable up to but not necessarily including a dementor's kiss.
"Oh my god," Hermione said as she sighed and put her face in her hands. "I hadn't read that part, yet."
Remus and Harry looked at each other than Hermione. Harry then said, "What day is it?"
She looked at him with concern on her face. "It's Friday, the 18th of April. Why?"
"Oh, I'm just writing this down as the day that you admit you didn't read something," he said with a laugh to break the solemnity of the news. She swatted his arm and then sat back in her chair trying desperately not to mentally organize Remus' habits.
"Who is it I need to see? It doesn't say here."
Hermione's train of thought was broken just when her catalogued memory started on Remus' bathing. "Oh, um…Amos Diggory is still in control of that department. Just talk with him. I'm sure if I speak with him, we can find a suitable home for you."
"Sounds like the S.P.C.A.," Harry said as he crossed his arms, his mirth quickly disintegrating.
Hermione stood up. She couldn't stand to be the bearer of bad news, but at the same time, she felt she needed to be the one to tell Remus. He had done so much for her, including taking the brunt of a curse at the final battle.
"Well well if it isn't the little Mudblood coming back for more," Dolohov said as he approached her from behind.
Hermione's eyes narrowed, recognizing the voice. "I'm surprised you haven't tried to hex me already, you bastard."
"Now, why didn't I think of that? Oh that's right, Hogwarts' brightest thinks of everything. Young Mr. Malfoy told me to be careful of you, but I have a score to settle. Shall we do this?" he responded stopping in front of her and saluting in the usual dual stance. Hermione's attention was momentarily interrupted as she saw Harry casting the killing curse on Voldemort behind Dolohov. Remus saw her eye line and screamed her name, distracting her more. She turned her head just as Dolohov raised his wand. Remus dove for her, successfully knocking her out of the path of Dolohov's Crucio, as he cast a stunner towards the Death Eater.She rolled over to see the older man covering her with his body. He was so close. She could feel his breath on his face. It was sweet, like chocolate. But the man was shaking uncontrollably, the effects of the Crucio grazing his back.
Her memory of that night quickly disappeared as she heard Remus' chair scraping the hard wood floors beneath it.
"Well, I suppose I should head that direction. I'll stop back by when I get registered," the werewolf said as he grabbed his cloak.
"Wait, Remus, I'll go with you," Hermione said.
She made her way to the closet, took out her cloak, and headed towards the floo.
"I'll try my best to make this transition as comfortable for him as possible. I just have to," she thought as she threw the powder into the floo and called out for the Ministry of Magic.