She turned around the mirror and observed herself. Deep green dress robes in a contemporary style. Hair pulled back into a messy bun. Pale skin, the hallmark of a bookworm at heart, and the deep brown eyes that matched her hair in colour. Miranda's words were in her head about dressing the part, except Hermione wasn't quite sure what that meant.
Should she look professional and like she knew what she was doing? Or relaxed and welcoming, but at the expense of maybe highlighting her young age and relative inexperience?
She eyed her outfit again and sighed. It looked okay. In fact, it looked almost how she did every day. She'd need someone a little more expert than she was in the world of appearances if she was going to make any substantial changes.
Her flat was the same state of clean and organized as her office was. A few pictures of family and friends carefully placed on an empty shelf, while every other shelf was stuffed with books. She didn't have room in the space given to her at work to have bookshelves in her office, and she though back to Miranda's tasteful office in comparison to Hermione's own rather stark one. Maybe that needed the makeover before she did.
Living in a small flat meant there was no floo for her to get into work, so she grabbed her bag with her packed lunch and made her way out the door. There was a coffee shop at the end of the block with a public floo in the back, and it had been a part of Hermione's morning routine since she'd moved into this place. Coffee, with an ash proof lid, and floo.
As she walked in the still cool air, her mind turned to her upcoming (first!) appointment. There had been no name or information with it, but that wasn't entirely unsurprising. People set up appointments by writing to her office and it magically spelled them onto her calendar. If they didn't fill out all the fields in the request, like their name or reason for visiting, then it would remain blank. The Ministry had a bad enough reputation when it came to werewolves that she felt guilty at the idea of making them be required to put their name down in writing. If it became an issue, she'd change it later.
Besides, she was too excited to even have and appointment to worry about logistics like that right now.
She pulled on the door to the shop and took her place in line behind two women chatting away. An elderly woman stood in front of them placing her order, and Hermione smiled as she saw the cashier endure the small talk she was making with him. She fished out her money, knowing the exact change she'd need for her drink and floo visit, and waited patiently.
"Yeah, well since the Minister came in they've made lots of changes about those things," the one brunette woman in front of Hermione said to the other slightly older lady with greying red hair. The brunette was a waifishly thin lady, her hair long and straight. The red haired lady seemed to be her co-worker and gossip network as the two chattered away.
The redhead responded, "I still can't believe it. People shouldn't be mixing with animals. It's disgusting. They need to repeal that law and make it so they can't even marry. Who could feel safe knowing your husband turns into a rabid dog every month?"
Hermione felt heat flush to her face in anger as she realized what the conversation in front of her was about.
The brunette laughed, "Yes, well I don't have to worry about it! I'd put one down before marry it!" This seemed to be an inside joke or something as they both laughed quite hard.
Hermione's change dug into her clenched fist. "What's wrong with you two?!" she blurted out at the ladies in front of her. They turned to her in surprise, and the elder woman's surprise left when she seemed to recognize Hermione.
"Oh, dear. Just because you're famous doesn't mean that a wolf wouldn't bite you too," she said kindly. "They're dogs, they don't care who they hurt." The condescension in her voice did nothing to abate the anger Hermione felt.
"They're not dogs! They're human beings! And they deserve a life, and marriage, and everything that you do! Have you even meta werewolf! They're fine!" Her voice was loud enough that everyone in the coffee shop had turned to the argument.
"I have," said a quiet voice. The old lady who had been chatting with the cashier stood there behind the two ladies gripping her plastic tea cup tightly. Everyone turned to look at her, and the two women parted slightly to let her stand directly in front of Hermione.
"I've met a werewolf. Met it during the full moon. And it wasn't human," her voice had started to rise as she accosted Hermione, who stood with her mouth open, unsure of what to do. With two ignorant women prattling on, stepping in had been easy. Now, she felt abashed by the angry stare of the old lady.
She walked closer to Hermione. "I saw it when it ripped my son apart and ate him because He Who Must Not Be Named dropped it on our doorstep. And you, Miss Granger, how dare you try and help monsters like that!" She was crying while she yelled at Hermione now, and Hermione felt tears well up in our own eyes in embarrassment and sympathy.
"That's not what I'm trying to do, if they just come and get Wolfsbane then-" she tried to explain but was cut short by the old lady's yelling.
"They don't need help! They're monsters!" And on the last word, she flung her hot coffee at Hermione's face.
She brought her arms up before her wand, and felt the hot liquid splash across her hands, face, and chest. It burned and she cried out in pain as she got her wand ready to vanish it.
The coffee shop was ablaze with people talking as the old lady marched out without a backward glance. The two ladies that Hermione had originally accosted looked sheepishly satisfied to have had an old woman put Hermione in her place.
She vanished the liquid and saw the bright pink burns on her hand, and from the pain on her face and chest they must have matched in colour.
The cashier that Hermione saw every morning had come around the counter. "Are you okay? Do you want me to help you with an Auror report?" he asked, concernedly.
She wiped the tears away and shook her head. "I've got to get to work. I'd like to just skip the coffee and use the floo today, if that's alright."
The young man nodded vigorously and led her around the back of the counter to the fireplace in the back. The red brick fire place burned cheerily, although cooling charms in the area kept it from throwing off too much heat.
"If you change your mind, let me know," the cashier said seriously. Hermione saw that he looked young, about her age, and he was nervously examining her burn marks. His face was freckled which brought Ron to mind automatically, but his hair was sandy and his eyes a warm brown. And he was much shorter than Ron, although he had a much broader physique. She tried to smile to reassure him.
"I'll be fine. I've got some dittany at work and I really can't be late today. Thanks."
He looked torn on letting her go, so Hermione just grabbed a hand full of floo powder and threw it in the fire where the flames turned brilliant green. "Seriously. I'm fine."
He nodded and twisted his hands, and Hermione's eye was involuntarily drawn to notice how strong his arms looked. She blinked at the inappropriate thought, but the pain from the burns had her mind moving on right away. She stepped into the fire and called, "Ministry of Magic!" and saw the young man staring worriedly after her as she was whisked away by the flames.
She popped out into the usual hustle and bustle of the start of the work day and grimaced as she felt her robes rubbing against the burns on her collar bone as she worked her way through the busy hallways to her office.
Looking at the permanent tempus charms on the walls as she went she saw she still had time to get ready and put some dittany on before her appointment started. But she didn't know if she could get out of the terrible frame of mind that encounter had put her in. The frustration she'd felt had been one thing but being the victim of someone's grief and pain wasn't something she'd had to come to face beyond scathing letters.
She turned the corner to her office, having avoided any cheery morning conversation with her pained look and downcast eyes, she waved her wand and unlocked her office. It was then she saw, leaning against the opposite wall, that Remus Lupin stood there waiting for her.
"Oh! Hello, Professor Lupin!" she greeted in surprise, and then smiled both at seeing him and her calling him professor out of habit. She noticed he looked just as shabby as his time at Hogwarts, although having put on some weight meant the gauntness in his cheeks had gone away. His eyes still looked like the tired amber they had always been, and more silver had begun to work its way through his hair. He'd also grown out a beard, which was surprising to see.
"Hello, Hermione," he said with a smile. "And it's been more than a few years since I was a professor. Call me Remus, you're more than welcome to." His voice was quiet but warm, and she remembered his calming and gentle mannerisms in the classroom. How it had been such a treat when his own enthusiasm for the subject would break his own calm demeanour and get the class wrapped up in excitement with him.
It was lovely to see him, especially without having to feel like she was hounding him, but he'd picked the worst timing possible. She frowned. "It's lovely to see you, Remus. I'm sorry that you picked the one time that doesn't work since I have an appointme-"
She was cut off by him closing the distance between them and eyeing her critically. "What happened to you?"
Her breath caught by the unexpected closeness. She looked up at him, not realizing until now how tall he was, and saw his face serious and lined with concern. The soft and warm expression replaced with something hard, and she furrowed her brow at seeing his nostrils flare. She stepped back and laughed awkwardly.
"An accident getting coffee this morning," she tried to brush it off. "I have dittany in my brewing station, just in case, so I'll just grab that and it should be fine."
She started to step around him to get into her office, when a hand firmly grabbed her by the wrist. She raised her eyes and saw that his already hardened expression seemed to be angry. "An accident?" he asked. He seemed to notice then that he was still holding on to her wrist and let go slowly, as if warning her not to leave yet.
Her face flushed. Part of her wanted to immediately respond to the authority she connected to him and explain herself, but the other part that was striving to be seen as an adult in her post-Hogwarts years made her feel as if that was no longer appropriate. The burns were still hurting, she was still reeling from the encounter itself, and now she was struggling on what to say.
"Someone was... dissatisfied with the Ministry's new efforts to support werewolves," she said, trying to keep her voice level, but hearing it waver with emotions anyway.
She'd expected him to soften again, to move out of the way and help her into her office like the quiet and caring professor she knew. Instead his face grew angrier and she saw the muscles in his jaw clench. He didn't respond to her right away as his eyes continued to examine her burns in fury.
"...Remus?" she said with concern. It was unusual to see him not completely composed and she wanted to break him out of wherever his train of thought had gone, since it obviously wasn't a happy place. "I've got an appointment right away and I really need to treat these. Do you think you could come back later?"
It didn't break his anger, but it did bring his eyes to hers. "You're double booked?" he asked, and now she felt him examining her face.
"What? No, I've only got the one appointment," she said. He must have had higher hopes for the program than she had to think that she was double booked.
She wanted to be happy with his faith in her, when he replied, "It's me that has an appointment. I'm sorry, I didn't fill out the info, Tonks told me you knew I was coming."
"Oh! I'm sorry... I must seem so disorganized. I just heard she'd tell you about how things were going, not that you would be stopping by today." She blushed at the faux pas. Maybe names really should be a required field when setting up an appointment, if this first one was any indication.
She moved slightly towards her office door to see if he would stop her. When he turned to follow her instead of stop her, she opened the door and invited him in.
"Feel free to take a seat," she said as she crossed towards the second door that lead into her brewing station. "I've got to take care of this." She gestured towards her chest and neck. She noticed he didn't sit, but instead followed her into the other room.
Her brewing station was much more comfortable to her own preferences than the Hogwarts dungeons had been. While her office was slightly clinical, and admittedly reminded her of a hospital waiting room with its pamphlets and low budget chairs, she had worked hard to make where she brewed comfortable. Wolfsbane took a lot of time to brew, that required her to be in at odd hours, and if she was to be putting in that time and effort then she wanted it to become a happy place.
Steel tables were more practical than the desks they'd had in potions class, but there was a comfy chair in the corner, with a table next to it littered in books and notes. Bookshelves lined one wall and whiteboards on another, and she blushed at the idea of her old professor seeing her work still there in blue ink.
The cauldrons were immaculate and had a slight shine to them in the dimmer more ambient lighting. She passed by the work tables to a cabinet on the far side of the room and pulled out a precisely labelled bottle of dittany. She turned to start applying it and Remus was standing by one of the two lab tables, watching her silently.
She didn't acknowledge him watching her as she opened the bottle and spread some of the potion on her bright red wrist and hand. The immediate relief there made the pain across the top of her chest, neck and lower jaw all the more apparent. She doled some more out on her hand and started to spread on her chest and neck where she could feel the burns, straining to see exactly where they'd gone.
And then he was standing in front of her again. She'd never noticed before now that he had a different concept of personal space, and stood very close to her where he gently took the bottle from her. She looked up at him and said, "I had it, Remus. It's fine."
He shook his head. "You're missing spots. Just let me."
She sighed and turned her head to the side and tilted her jaw upwards so he could see the burns better. He touched her lightly, just enough to rub the dittany in, and when she glanced at his face it was just concentration she saw there.
Concentration wasn't what she was feeling, however. Being touched by a man was leaving little tingles along her skin and she made herself stand still and hide her discomfort. His fingers felt so cool against her heated skin as he brought relief to the pain bit by bit. She could smell the pungent smell of the dittany, but under that was the smell of him standing so close to her. An earthy, woodsy smell that felt utterly masculine.
When his fingers trailed along her chest, he delicately pulled at the edge of her robe to get the bits that stretched under it. Surprised, she stepped away and rubbed that bit herself.
He looked confused before she realization clicked on his face and he opened his mouth a little in surprise. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I got focused on just where it was red and didn't think at all. I really didn't mean to, well, I mean, it's not like I was trying to..." he trailed off in embarrassment.
She laughed in spite of her own embarrassment. "It's alright, Remus. I didn't think you were trying to get frisky or anything."
He looked more embarrassed and she could see a pink tinge on his cheeks, despite the beard he was now sporting. It was endearing to see him get flustered, and she laughed again.
"It feels better now anyway. Thanks for the help, Remus." It did feel a lot better, and she felt herself returning to normal instead of the emotional frazzled mess that Remus had met in the hallway.
He handed her back the dittany bottle to put away and went to looking around her office while he waited for her. She put the bottle back in the cabinet and spelled her hands clean, when she saw Remus looking at the notes by her reading chair.
Her 'pet project', as Harry called it, was working on improvements to the Wolfsbane potion. She didn't know if Remus was a skilled potioneer or not, but she felt that she'd rather not have her old professor see her failed attempts and unfinished work. She cleared her throat. "We can go sit in my office now."
He bent back up from looking at the books and notes and smiled. "Alright."
She lead him back into the other room and sat at her desk, feeling the still new veneer of professional demeanour settle upon her. He sat across from her, looking uncomfortable still, and examined the pamphlets on her desk.
"Not to push, but Tonks said you weren't getting Wolfsbane anymore," Hermione began, watching him scratch at his beard and try to get comfortable in the cheap chair.
"Not a drop since Snape stopped brewing it for me," he said and then looked sheepish. "Or I guess I should outright say he died. Still seems bizarre to think he's gone."
Despite him getting Remus fired and the fighting the two had continued while part of the Order, there was a very genuine note of grief in his voice. Hermione nodded, understanding the mixed feelings the death of such an unpleasant man had given many of them, particularly after his huge efforts were revealed to the public.
"Well, as I'm sure you know, part of the condition of me opening this service was me proving my own proficiency at brewing Wolfsbane. Since there's currently no clients, I'd be more than happy to have you sign on as my first, Remus." She smiled, and felt the excitement bubbling at getting things started.
"That would be great, Hermione." He grimaced. "Although I don't fancy to be tasting that again anytime soon. It's still better than getting patched up after the full moon, however."
The calendar on her wall that showed the purple lettering of her current appointment also showed the full moon to be in half a week away. "You've come at a rotten time, though Remus. I don't have any brewed currently, and even if I did there's not enough time to dose you properly. We can set up times for you to come during the week before the full moon next month, though. Part of the requirement is that you come here and be supervised drinking it, just in case there be any side effects with the potion."
"Seems fair," he nodded. "I can do whatever time works for you. My schedule is flexible right now. I'm only doing independent research for different scholars, so my hours aren't fixed."
She felt her curiosity piqued by the word 'research', and by the smile on his face she knew he'd notice her look of intense interest. She filed it away for later, knowing that with these appointments for potion dosage that they'd have plenty of time to discuss it if he wished to.
Her face broke into a beaming smile, as she remembered Tonks' comment the other day. "Well, maybe you should chat with Tonks about when works the best! Congratulations, by the way!"
His face, having had the knowing smile about her love of research, fell quickly. He looked away and said with a tone of finality, "Tonks and I are separated."
She gaped. Not having once expected to think that Tonks' prediction of a proposal was at all outlandish. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to assume. I had heard that you were going to propose."
He shook his head and sighed. "I guess we both get to have our embarrassing moment today, Hermione." He smiled tiredly. "No, we're not engaged. Things just... weren't working out."
Curiosity burned even stronger now, and she wondered why the two had split. Could it have been the age difference? Was there things she didn't see in their relationship? Admittedly, she hadn't seen them together since the war, so it could have been anything from raging fights to Tonks snored.
"Alright. I'd say I'm sorry to hear it, but I'm not sure if that's appropriate to say or not. My experience with breakups is more mine and Ron's major fights and Harry being overjoyed when we split up."
Remus barked out a laugh. "I suppose he would have been. I can't imagine how I'd have handled it if James and Sirius were dating one another."
That shocked a laugh out of her in turn and she smothered her giggles. "I think I'm glad they didn't date just because it means that Harry would never have been born!"
They were both laughing for a moment, and Hermione was amazed at how much younger it made Remus look. The grey hair suited him, and she found she liked how the silver complimented his eyes, but his laugh seemed to take away all the baggage that had aged him so much quicker. Like much of that war generation, she supposed, but it was nice to see the carefree laughter now. It felt like healing. She felt warm fuzzies tingle up her chest and towards her finger tips.
"I'll owl you with times, then. It's nice to finally feel like I'm helping someone. Reception to reopening this office has been... less than stellar." She found that mentioning the anger and failures didn't bring her down into a grey funk as usual. The happiness still merrily clung around her heart and she embraced it. "But it's all in one step at a time. Thanks for being step one, Remus." She stood up and he followed suit.
He smiled. "If I'd pulled my head out of my arse instead of trying to hide after everything that happened, then maybe I'd have been by sooner."
He walked to the door and stepped into the hallway, and Hermione followed to say goodbye. It felt so good to be cheerily ushering a client out of her office with the promise of aid. To be actually doing something and seeing a real person benefit. Especially someone she knew, at least peripherally. "I'm so happy to help, Remus," she said.
He seemed to pick up on her meaning, that she meant helping in general and not just helping him specifically. She hoped he wasn't offended by the implication that he wasn't special, but his eyes softened as they had when they first met.
She extended her hand to him to shake, and he shook it. She noticed how much bigger his hand was than hers, and could feel the calluses on it. She wondered what he'd been doing that calloused his hands, when he said his job right now was just research.
He let go of her hand, and put it in his pocket. "I'll see you soon, Hermione. I've got things to take care of now. I don't own a lot, but it's all still got to be moved out of Dora's place sooner rather than later." His eyes were downcast again, and Hermione felt her curiosity over the details of the breakup be overshadowed by empathy.
Moving before she meant to, she wrapped him in a hug. The kind of hug she'd given the boys too often when they were upset. The physical comfort that humans need and for some reason men just wouldn't give to one another. He stiffened, and then relaxed and hugged her back lighting.
"How touching," sneered a deep voice, and she let go of Remus to see Draco striding past with a disgusted look.
Her cheeks burned, although nothing they'd done was particularly inappropriate, and she let go of Remus. He didn't seem fazed by the comment, and instead looked at Hermione's red face as Malfoy continued his way down the hallway.
"I see that Malfoy Jr. is as pleasant as always," he remarked with a slight tone of amusement. "And that you still let him get to you."
She looked away, frustrated to have her childhood grudge dragged up at such a bad time.
He put a hand on her shoulder and she looked back up at him. "Don't let him get to you. Or anyone else for that matter. Being a werewolf means you need thick skin. You've chosen to involve yourself in our world now, and you're going to need that thick skin too."
She felt a little abashed to still need a lecture from her old professor, but the words were true. She nodded at him thankfully and he dropped his hand.
He began to walk down the hallway, and said over his shoulder, "I've said before that you're brilliant. Just remember that you're a Gryffindor first. Strong and brave, Hermione. Take care."
Her eyebrows rose up, and she wondered how many times he'd have had the same thoughts about his placement in Gryffindor. According to Harry Remus was the brainy one in his own group of friends, who had to deal with the shenanigans of two quintessential Gryffindors. "You too, Remus," she called after him before he turned the corner.
The hallway felt weirdly silent after all the embarrassment, laughter, and serious conversation. She turned around to see if Malfoy was still there, but he was gone, presumably in Miranda's office after he showed up yesterday and left in a snit when Hermione was there. She scoffed, and wondered if maybe he was just after a date with the beautiful witch, since the idea of a spoiled Malfoy giving up his house elves was so unbelievable.
She went into her office and sat down, writing out a brewing schedule for the Wolfsbane to sync up with the next full moon. She thought about the encounter with Remus and how nice it felt to interact with him as an adult. How this little bit of one on one time had brought out so many facets of his personality she'd never before seen. The anger at her being hurt, the grief over Snape, the laughter over a joke between just the two of them.
And he had smelled nice. She blushed at the thought. Maybe it was being single since her time with Ron, beyond a couple not very serious dates, but she certainly was well aware of every touch that they had shared this morning. His fingers lightly on her collar bone, the weight and size of his hand as she shook it, even the feel of his solid body as she'd hugged him. He was still quite thin, but in hindsight she was surprised at how hard he felt against her. Thin, but not out of shape, that was for certain.
She shook her head. One client in and she was already having the most unprofessional thoughts. And about someone who just admitted to being barely out of a relationship (but at least not still in one, her traitorous mind threw in there) and old enough he could be her father. She should really direct her thoughts somewhere more appropriate if she was going to think like that.
She thought back to the concerned cashier from a few hours ago. She'd had noticed his body too. She wiped a hand down her face. She wasn't boy crazy, but to be thinking like this so often wasn't usually her style.
She doubled her focus on her brewing schedule. She could at least make it to lunch without being a needy, touch starved, witch.
Besides, now that the war was over, maybe she could contact Viktor and see what he was up to. She smiled and scribbled a list of ingredients in different time blocks, putting away thoughts of strong arms or comforting smells to be dealt with later.
She was Hermione Granger, after all, and nothing could get in her way when she had a project.
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Author's Note:
Thanks so much to everyone who read chapter one and reviewed/favorited/followed! Your feedback means a lot to me, and I'd love to know what you like, would want to see more of, or don't enjoy! Constructive criticism is very welcome.
Thanks again for reading! Cheers x
