Disclaimer: Obviously I do not own Harry Potter! Everything you recognise belongs to JK Rowling and various publishers. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is the property of Douglas Adams.
AN: So here's chapter two, I hope you like it. Please let me know what you think about it, there's nothing an author likes better than a review, and I'd like your opinions so I might make the story better, thanks.
To Replace the Irreplaceable
Chapter 2
Remus woke up first the next morning and he quietly snook out of the room and down into the kitchen where he was met by Molly Weasley and a plate of warm eggs.
"'Morning Remus, slept well?" she asked energetically.
"Yes thank you, Molly," he answered as he sat down. Ron, Harry and George soon joined the two of them and the quiet morning was suddenly not so quiet anymore.
"Have anyone seen Hermione today?" Molly asked after a short moment. The boys all shook their heads.
"Perhaps she's still in bed," Remus said, careful not to say too much, as he was certain Hermione wouldn't appreciate it if he told them about their talk that night.
"But she's usually the first one down here, and I need her to help me with this new cleaning potion. Perhaps I should go wake her." Molly was already on her way out of the door when Remus stopped her.
"Molly, let her sleep," he said, "She might need it, she's been through a lot. Find Severus and get him to help you with that potion instead."
"But he's so unpleasant, and I just can't deal with that today," Molly started to argue, but Remus cut her off seriously.
"Let Hermione sleep Molly. If she wants to help you with the potion she can do so when she wakes up." Molly looked angrily at him, but instead of arguing she sat down at the table again. The boys looked at Molly and Remus and hurried to finish their food.
"You needn't have talked to me like that!" Molly said indignantly when the boys had left the room.
"Molly have you any idea what this girl has been through in these past days? Have you any idea how much she has lost? And you all still treat her as if nothing happened," Remus said. His voice was serious and stern.
"Hermione is a strong girl, she will be fine. She has to keep on going and live her life," Molly argued.
"Molly do you honestly think she doesn't need to be treated a little differently, that she can really keep on going like nothing ever happened?"
"But she's doing fine Remus, really, I don't see why you worry so much," Molly said, "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got work to do." She walked out of the kitchen, probably to go cleaning somewhere, and Remus leaned his head on his hand and sighed. He understood Hermione's decision to keep up her facade much better now. Even Molly refused to see that she wasn't as fine as she said she was. For some reason they were all in some state of denial where Hermione was concerned, and so far the only one who had been able to see it was Hermione, and once again she had decided to sacrifice herself for the better of all the others. He admired her strength, but he was still sure she needed someone to be strong for her right now, someone for her to lean on. And if no one else would give that to her, he would.
--
When Hermione still hadn't showed herself at noon Remus went to see if she was all right. She was still in bed and she had the covers pulled tightly around her. He sat down at the edge of her bed and stroked her hair.
"Something wrong Hermione?" he asked softly. She looked up at him and sniffed.
"I just don't feel very well," she said, her voice thick.
"How long did you sit out there last night?" Remus asked.
"I don't know," Hermione answered weakly, "a few hours, I think..." Remus laughed softly.
"I'm not surprised you don't feel well," he said, "Listen, stay here, I'll get you a cup of camomile tea and something to eat." Hermione just nodded and Remus stood up and went down into the kitchen. He stepped into the room again a couple of minutes later with a tray with some toast and a mug filled with tea.
"Here you go," he said and put the tray down at her bedside table.
"Thank you," Hermione whispered and sat up with her back against her pillows. Remus reached out a hand to touch her forehead, it was burning and she probably had a fever. Hermione reached for the tea and took a sip.
"I feel like shit," she said.
"That's because you're ill, you have a fever, " Remus said, sounding much like you do when you're trying to explain something complex to a small child. Hermione laughed dryly.
"Seriously," she got out, "I can't even read... I tried to this morning, but the letters just keep changing places and dancing around on the paper..." Remus chuckled.
"Yeah I see, that's a huge problem..." he said in an ironic tone.
"Yes it is, I'm bored out of my mind" Hermione whined, "But if I went down Mrs. Weasley would just send me straight to bed again."
"Yes she would, and I'd help her," Remus said, then after a while he added, "Do you want me to read for you, that way you won't be so bored?" Hermione looked up at him.
"Would you do that? For me?" she asked in a small voice.
"You look like you could use some company and entertainment," Remus just answered, "and I have nothing better to do anyway. However I do refuse to read aloud from any schoolbook."
"That's all right," Hermione smiled at him, "I've been wanting to start on 'the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' for a while now, I've heard it should be rather good... It's in the top drawer of the bed side table..." Remus found the book and opened it on the first page.
"It is good, I read it as a child," he said softly, "scoot over." Hermione moved to one side and let Remus sit beside her, and he started to read.
"Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the Western Spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun..."
Most of the afternoon went by like that, and Remus managed to read quite far into the book. He didn't stop until Molly called them all down to dinner at 6.
"Should I come up with a tray or do you think you're well enough to come down and eat?" Remus asked as he closed the book and placed at the bedside table.
"I feel much better now, so I think I'll come down," Hermione said. She got out of bed and wrapped her fluffy bath rope around her and stepped into her slippers.
"Listen Remus, thank you," she said when he got off the bed.
"What for?" he asked, just a tad bit confused.
"Everything," Hermione said, "For being there last night, for telling me everything I needed to hear, for keeping me company today... I think I needed the company of someone mature enough to understand..."
"It's fine Hermione," he answered, "Come on." He placed his arm around her shoulders and walked her down to the kitchen.
--
"How are you feeling Hermione?" Ginny asked as Hermione took a seat across from her. Hermione just wrinkled her nose and sighed. She felt a little faint, even from the short walk down to the kitchen. Remus silently sat down beside her and said nothing. Ron sat down at her other side with Harry across from him and they started talking immediately, not sensing that she wasn't really in the mood for conversation. But she did her best to seem interested in their incessant babbling about quidditch. She nodded, said yes and no, at the right times and all the while she picked a little at her food. Ginny soon joined in on the conversation, thinking that Hermione was probably just feeling a little ill, but otherwise fine. Remus watched the group carefully all through dinner. He couldn't decide whether to admire her for her astounding acting talent, or be mad at her for not telling the truth, or whether to be mad at her friends for so obviously not sensing anything out of the ordinary. He was angry with them, they refused to see the truth and he felt sorry for Hermione, because she did not deserve to be treated like that.