The nights are the time I love the most, sitting in front of the fireplace with a good book and a glass of wine in my pyjamas. I'm often joined by the others, but on occasion I will get an evening to myself. Tonight is one of those nights. Harry, Ron, Sirius and Remus are all out on the town, Ginny and Luna have gone to the cinema and I don't expect any of them back any time soon.
The alarm on the wards tells me I'm wrong, and I cannot hold back a sigh. Remus pops his head into the room, and I acknowledge him with a smile. He has done nothing wrong after all, this is what happens when you share a home with so many people.
"I thought you were out with Harry and the others?" I ask, wondering if my peaceful night was about to be interrupted by the others, all more than likely tipsy already.
"Dora was in the club, and, well, I'm sure you can guess how that turned out," he replies in explanation with a sigh, coming fully into the room and sitting beside me on the couch. My heart goes out to him, he doesn't deserve the grief she gives him.
"She'll get over it, eventually," I tell him. I have never been very good at the whole comforting thing. A half smile creases his face, and I know he's thinking the same thing I am.
"Is your book good?" he asks me, and it is my turn to smile. He is always so unfailingly polite, in any and every situation.
"Not great," I admit, closing it and placing it onto the table in front of me. I summon a second glass and pour both of us a sizable glass of wine.
He thanks me as he takes a glass from me, before staring forlornly into the fire. It always pains me to see Remus in anything but a happy state.
"You shouldn't let her affect you so. It will mean she is winning," I tell him, my eyes also resting on the fire.
"It's not quite as simple as that, Hermione. There are...other reasons why she is so upset with me, she wasn't the only one who did wrong in our time together."
"She cheated on you. Did you ever so much as kiss anyone else while you were with her?"
"Of course not, but -"
"Did you ever hit her? Steal from her?"
He shook his head, apparently deciding to forgo a verbal conversation.
"Remus, you did nothing wrong. You need to move on, as does she."
"You don't understand. I wanted someone else, someone that wasn't her, and she knew all about it."
"Who? and even if you did, you can't help who you love Remus. No one can."
"Perhaps. But I went about it the wrong way, and in the end, it was all for nothing anyway. The woman I love will never love me back."
"Any woman would be lucky to have you Remus, I think you'd be surprised."
I rose from the couch, uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. Time for my bed, and in the morning, we could pretend like the conversation had never happened. As I walked passed him, he grabbed my hand to halt me.
"Do you mean that, Hermione?" he asked, rising so he was stood in front of me.
I nodded, and smiled, intending to follow my original intentions to get out of there, but they all left my mind as he pressed his lips to mine, in a soft, tentative, perfect kiss.
"Maybe it is time to move on," he whispered, his lips still close to my own. Smiling, I pressed my lips back onto his. Maybe we could move on together.
Written for the Monthly OneShot Challenge for prompt #88 Fireplace
Written for the Duct Tape Competition for Dark Blue - Write about night.
Written for the Pen Name Challenge - Hermione/Remus
Written for the Cinema Competition for the Rocky Horror Picture Show - Write Cross-Gen
Written for the Star Challenge - Polaris
