Anything recognizable is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

Please do not read if you are not of legal age in your country. There are adult scenes, however short and to the point.

Protego Maxima

From there on out, they were inseparable. They could always be found reading together in one of the libraries of Grimmauld place, or sitting in the kitchen enjoying hot chocolate, or strolling around the neighborhood arm in arm. The old Black house was always the center of events with Order members popping by and the guest rooms always full.

Hermione moved out of the room she shared with Ginny to the 4th floor after walking in on her and Harry snogging half a dozen times. Part of it might also have been that Remus' room was also on the 4th floor, but no one seemed to notice. Weeks and then months passed and everyone at the house became used to their easy banter and always touching each other. No one seemed to be able to bring themselves to ask about Ron and Tonks after having lost them in the war.

It was an evening before the full moon when they began to realize just how everyone saw their interactions. Hermione was sitting in the main library reading and Remus was rubbing her ankles absentmindedly. He suddenly lowered her bare feet to the floor and got up. The brunet thought that he was just going to the kitchen. But when he passed in front of the couch for the third time, she looked up. The blond man was frowning and pacing the library, running his fingers through his hair.

"Remus?" She reached out and caught his elbow as he passed when he didn't answer. "What's the matter?"

Lupin snarled at her and jerked out of her grasp. "Nothing." Instantly he apologized. "I'm sorry Hermione. Moony's just on edge."

She was used to him referring to his occasional wolfish nature in the third person, but he had never snapped at her like that. "Is the Wolfsbane not working?" As soon as the words left her mouth she realized her error. Severus Snape had died 6 months previously in the Shrieking Shack.

Remus tried to turn away but a hand on his arm stopped him. "Why didn't you mention that you hadn't been getting your potion?" She sounded hurt that he had kept it to himself.

"I didn't want to bother anyone with them knowing I was having trouble." He finally admitted, looking at her delicate hand on his arm, but not her face.

"I can brew it, you know, since Snape can't."

"I can't ask you to do that."

"You're not asking, I'm offering."

"Thank you." He gently rested his large hand over hers.

"So next week you'll accompany me to the apothecary?" Her tone was playful, but he knew it wasn't a request and he wouldn't have said no anyways.

"Of course. Anything you want." He suddenly pulled the younger woman into a fierce hug. She hugged him back so tightly he imagined he could feel his ribs creaking.

"I'm sorry I didn't realize."

"Don't. I didn't want you to worry. I'm fine knowing you're there."

"Always will be." The brunette Gryffindor promised.

Lupin was suddenly self conscious and he pulled back. "Well, I had better be getting downstairs." He nervously brushed his robes flat. "Sleep well."

Hermione lingered in the library, imagining what the older man was going through. She thought he might ward the basement door then place cushioning charms over the hard surfaces. Without his potion he was likely to try to break out of the dank room and would probably hurt himself in the process. Before he changed, she thought he would remove his robes and most of his clothes to keep them from being ruined and fold them neatly with his wand in a corner.

She had never stayed on the main floor during the full moon before and she heard the moment the moon rose. Soon his screams turned to moans against the pain of the transformation and Hermione sat on the couch, shaking with her knees drawn up to her chest. The last straw was the pitiful howl that drifted up from the basement. Before she realized what she was doing, she let out her own howl as she did in her third year.

A questioning call answered and she acted without thought. The brunette sprinted down the basement stairs and stopped before the locked door. She knew she couldn't open it, but she laid down before it and whimpered, the sound carrying under the gap under the door. Moony snuffled along the crack and whined. She could hear him laying down as well and slipped her fingers under the door.

His nose was wet and cold as it brushed her fingertips before he licked at the tiny bit of exposed flesh. The action calmed them both and they managed to drift into an uneasy sleep. In the morning, Hermione woke cold, stiff, and with numb fingers. She carefully unwarded the door and pulled it open. Remus was curled up next to the door, shivering on the cold floor. The brunette summoned the big quilt off her bed and wrapped it over the older man before laying behind him and curling up, an arm over his waist.

Lupin woke slowly, feeling more comfortable than he could remember after a full moon. There was still stone under him, but he was warm and there was a blanket over him. His body reacted before his mind caught up and he launched to his feet, dropping the blanket and stumbling against the door. Hermione was startled awake by the sudden motion and sat still, watching the older man carefully.

"What are you doing here?" His voice was rough and hoarse.

"You were cold this morning."

Remus ran his fingers through his hair. "You were only here this morning?"

She nodded and couldn't help herself looking his naked body up and down. He was thin and angular, scars crisscrossed over almost every inch of skin, and blond hair sprinkled from his navel to a thick patch at his groin. The young woman blushed as she realised she was definitely checking her friend out.

"Remus, you might want to put on some clothes."

He stopped running his hands through his hair and clasped them over his member. Hermione studied the stitches on the quilt as he picked his clothes up from the corner and pulled his pants on.

"You swear you didn't come in while I -while Moony was around?"

"No, I stayed on the other side of the door. I don't think he would have hurt me though."

"Of course he would have, he doesn't know any better." Lupin was shaking out his robes for his wand.

"He didn't hurt you last night."

That made the old werewolf stop and look down at himself. "What did you do?" He had never woken up after the full moon without bruises and occasionally new scars.

"I couldn't leave you alone. I stayed on the other side of the door and you stayed calm, just licked my fingers and laid there."

His eyes grew large at the thought of her being within reach of being bitten, but softened again at the terrified look on her face. "I didn't mean to be mad, I just can't risk you getting hurt."

"He didn't hurt me." Hermione could hear her voice begin to tremble as she sat on the floor. She knew he was right, but she couldn't have left him alone all night.

Remus sighed and lowered himself to the floor and pulled the younger woman to him. "I couldn't stand it if you got hurt because of me, I just wouldn't be able to live with it. Promise me you won't put yourself in danger like that again."

She nodded against his naked chest, feeling one pink scar against her cheek. Some time later, he yawned, growling softly. "I still need to rest. Let's go upstairs"

They gathered their things and slowly climbed the stairs, Stopping at each landing so Lupin could catch his breath. At last they reached the 4th floor and Hermione helped him to his bed. The blond lay mostly on his stomach, too exhausted to pull the blankets from under himself. As he was starting to drift off, he could feel the young woman run a finger down a large scar on his back.

"Do they still hurt?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Sometimes." He shrugged, knowing that several were still tight and pulled at the motion.

"I have some salve that might help."

Remus guessed he must have answered in the affirmative because he heard her footsteps retreat then return. She spoke almost to herself as she warmed a tub of salve in her hands.

"I used it on my scars. I used to keep pulling them open every time I moved. But they're nowhere near as extensive as yours."

She gently rubbed the balm into his skin, first smoothing it over every scar and then working it into his skin and massaging his muscles. It was all he could do to keep from moaning in pleasure at the feeling of her nimble fingers on his skin. At some point he must have fallen asleep because he woke to the smell of meat cooking in the kitchen and rolled over under the heavy quilt from Hermione's bed. He pulled it up to his nose and inhaled, smelling the brunette on the material before pulling on a shirt and heading downstairs.