A/N: I own nothing, as usual! This is a gift fic for remuslives. Lana, I hope you feel better! Enjoy all!
Remus, Harry, Fred, and George, were sitting around the kitchen table at 12 Grimmauld Place eating lunch when Remus asked, "Harry, where's Hermione?"
Harry winced. "She's upstairs," he said, helping himself to another sandwich. "She's got strep throat, and she's been in bed all day."
Remus tried to act casual as he asked, "Has anyone done anything for her?"
Harry nodded. "Sirius is out looking for some strange kind of tea that's supposed to help her, and I've gotten her some ice cream." He cast a glance at the twins. "They've been absolutely no help at all."
Fred and George raised their hands defensively, trying not to grin. "Hey," they said simultaneously.
"It's not our fault-" Fred added.
"-that we offered Hermione a bar of soap-" George announced.
"-we thought that it would sooth her throat-" they added together.
"-plus teach her to stop using those nasty words she's been growling at us," they finished, smirking.
Harry shook his head, trying hard to hide his smile. "So you see," he told Remus, waving a hand in their direction, "this is why Hermione's no better."
Remus grinned at Harry and the twins. Those Weasley boys could be rather absurd at times, but he knew by their guarded expressions that they were truly worried about Hermione's wellbeing. "Perhaps I should go take a look," he offered, standing and pushing his plate away.
Harry, however, saw right past his nonchalance and grinned up at the werewolf. "Mm," he said, "perhaps you should." His eyes twinkled as he acknowledged the affection Remus carried for one Miss Hermione Granger.
"Would you like to use the soap?" the twins asked, and Fred held up the smooth bar of ivory soap that was still wrapped up in its linen package.
Remus laughed at their antics. "Thanks, boys," he said carefully, "but I'll pass."
"Suit yourself," they muttered, and turned back Harry to open yet another debate about quidditch teams.
Remus, however, made his way carefully up the steps of Grimmauld Place. Normally, he would have apparated right up to the third floor instead of trekking up all of those stairs, but today, he felt like taking his time. He didn't want to rush in to Hermione's sick room without properly preparing himself.
The floorboards creaked slightly as he continued his trek, able to breathe in the scents that many humans missed. The rough, warped wood that he was currently climbing smelled musty, like some of the books Hermione liked to read. The sunshine, streaming in through the slightly cobwebbed windows didn't have a smell, but he immediately thought of Hermione's eyes, and the way they lit up when she laughed. The glow of the sunshine, however, certainly reminded him of Hermione's face whenever she was happy…or sometimes when she looked at him.
He shook his head slightly, before sights and smells could remind him of anything else about Hermione that would lead to…inappropriate thoughts. After all, she was his student. "Was your student," his mind whispered. "That's been over and done with for three years. She's of age, and there's nothing stopping a relationship now if she wants it."
A stair squealed under Remus's weight and the thought sent images of bed springs…. No! He had to stop thinking like that. Perhaps Fred and George's soap had gone to his head. Yes, that must have been it. Those few whiffs of ivory were what were turning his thoughts towards those rather unexplored areas.
His musings found him quickly at the third floor, and he strode down the hall to Hermione's room. There, he stood in front of her door for what felt like hours. Could he really open the door? Of course he could! It was only Hermione on the other side, and it wasn't as though she was waiting for him. She was sick, after all!
He pushed the door open gently, not bothering to knock in case she was asleep. Inside her room, his senses were immediately assaulted with her scent. Even sick, she smelled delicious. But of course, he couldn't dwell on that. Not here, not now.
He found her sitting up in bed, pillows propped all around her as she read. She looked up and her whole countenance changed when she saw Remus standing there. "Hi," she croaked out.
"Hi," he said in return, moving over to the bed to get closer to her. "How are you feeling?"
Hermione sniffed. "Streppy," she muttered, absently pushing her book out of the way so that Remus could sit down next to her hip.
"What was that?" Remus teased, cupping his hand around his left ear. "I believe I heard that you were strapping. If that's the case, Miss Granger, there's no reason for you to be in bed. A strapping young person like yourself should be up and about!"
Hermione laughed, which quickly turned into a cough. Remus handed her the glass of water that sat beside the bed and she took a few gulps. "Thank you," she said when he had taken the cup from her hands and replaced it once again on her bedside table.
"Sure. Is there anything I can get you?" Remus asked her. "I came up to check on you since everyone else has had varying degrees of results." His smirk made her glare suspiciously at him.
"Nothing comes to mind," she said. "Why, what have they told you?"
"Oh, I believe it had something to do with soap?" Remus teased.
Hermione shook her head, smirking. "Whatever they said about me, I swear I didn't do it."
Remus wagged a finger at Hermione. "Ah, but from what I hear, it has to do with you swearing a little too much." He laughed. "You'd better watch it, Miss Granger."
"Or what?" Even sick, Hermione managed to lift her chin challengingly and stare at him with those chocolate brown eyes that had always captivated him so much.
Not even realizing that he was leaning closer, Remus said softly, "Or you just might find yourself in detention."
"As long as it's with you, I'll be happy to serve it," she shot back, and then waited, her expression showing only the barest of flashes of uncertainty. Had she been too bold? Had she misinterpreted all of Remus's actions towards her?
With the careful smile that was sliding over his face, Hermione doubted it. "We'll see," he said casually. "I might let this one slide as the first offense, though."
Hermione shrugged. "Then perhaps you could think of something for extra credit," she told him, startling a laugh out of him.
"I'll see what I can do," he teased her back, not knowing what to really make of her confidence. "Right now, I think you need to rest up for a bit." He reached out and took the book she had been reading and placed it on the bedside table. "We'll discuss rules and regulations later."
As he bent to tuck her in more firmly, Hermione reached up and placed a warm hand on the back of his neck, startling him and keeping him from pulling away once his task was complete. "You know that you've never been just a teacher to me, don't you?" she asked him quietly. "I love you." Remus's breath caught for a moment, and he stared at Hermione, her face so close to his. Hermione bit her lip and laughed awkwardly. "This is the time where you're supposed to either accept or reject, Remus," she teased. "Just standing there is not an option."
Remus pulled himself out of his thoughts and had the decency to blush. "Sorry," he murmured. "You just surprised me, is all." He leaned down pressed his forehead to hers. "I love you too. I have for a while."
Hermione grinned. "Good." She turned her head sharply to the side as another coughing fit wracked her body and made her wince as the force of the coughs tore at her tender throat. When she had finished coughing, she looked back up at Remus and asked, "We'll talk about this later?"
Remus nodded. "Absolutely. Right along with those rules and regulations." He winked and kissed her forehead, his lips lingering over her skin, memorizing her taste and feel so that he could add those to his list of memories. "Now get some sleep, please."
Hermione nodded and dutifully closed her eyes. Remus stayed with her until her breathing evened out and a smile graced her face. He left her to her pleasant dreams and tiptoed back out of the room. As he made his way back down the stairs, he stopped by one cobwebbed window and smiled, staring at the paths of light that were dancing through the panes of glass.
Hermione Granger even tasted like sunshine.
A/N: I hope you all liked it. I've never done a Remus/Hermione before, so I hope it was okay. Please review!! :D