Fluffy 2

"Remus?" Hermione began nervously, clutching at his trouser leg. Lupin found it highly amusing and rather odd that little Hermione was not now running far from him and his scarred features, "yes?" he promoted as they sat around the newly emptied table. Hermione scooted as close as she could to him before whispering, "is everyone here invisible, am I invisible?" she asked in such a serious tone that Lupin burst out laughing, something he did not do often.

"No Hermione, you are not invisible, I can see you quite well. What makes you think we are invisible?" he asked curiously, the girl pointed to the spit next to where Mrs Weasley was sliding strays out of the oven, where kitchen knives were being washed in mid air by a well known charm.

"Ah- well it's magic" he revealed, looming up briefly as Sirius sat down.

"Magic!" Little Hermione gasped, there was something about the innocent wonder in the child's voice and in her actions that made Remus want to tell her everything, read her every book in the world just to see the single bit of magic that gleaned in her young eyes.

However, she was careful to thank Molly once her food was served and even waited until everyone else had gotten their good before gingerly tucking into the pasta.

"Right" Said Molly briskly, hanging up her apron, "we'll be off. Boys, if you need anything, just Floo in - I won't mind. Hermione dear" she said warmly, "if you need me in the night you just wake Sirius or Remus, okay? Good girl" she planted a kiss on Hermione's forehead, bade them al, good night, and disappeared along with her husband.

"So Hermione, what do you like to do?" Sirius asked conversationally, however a hint of mischief rested in his eyes and he was no doubt savouring the information he gathered for four year old Hermione in order to taunt 15 year old Hermione when she returned.

"um...I like colouring...I like picture books...I can spell by the way" she bragged, and a grin broke out on Sirius's unshaven face,

"you can spell, can you?" he said, not unkindly, "you might have to help Padfoot out with some of his spelling"

"oh it's easy, you have to think about what the letters sound like -" Hermione babbled on for quite a while, gradually becoming more animated and relaxed, and it made Remus smile. Hermione had the tendency to stop suddenly when speaking and apologise, as if she had wasted someone's talking so enthusiastically about a subject she enjoyed, and after a chat with Ron Weasley he had learned that it was the work of Severus and his determination to lower the girl's confidence- the bastard.

Lupin's head turned an caught a glimpse of a small post-it on the fridge, highlighted in yellow were the words: Bed before 9 ! Pyjamas in new room . He cringed as the grandfather clock read 9:15, however he was determined to give this parenting thing a good shot. "Hermione" he said slowly, "it's getting very late, and I think it's time to go to bed" he was testing the waters, seeing how she'd react. Thank fully, she nodded in agreement

"This is your room" he said, showing her the room she had shared with Ginny just a few weeks ago, it had been hastily put together, with only one bed against the left wall and a few drawers along the wall of the door.

"All for me?" Hermione gasped

"All for you" Remus confirmed, double checking for any mould that may have re grown in the upper corners of the room. Sitting by the wall with the window were too very big cardboard boxes that Remus presumed were some of Ginny's old clothes for Hermione.

"Come and you can pick what pyjamas to wear" He said, he and Hermione began slowly working through the abundance of material.

"how about these?" Remus suggested, holding a white top with long sleeves and a cartoon rabbit on the front, with matching white trousers. Hermione nodded. "do you know how to dress yourself?" he asked

"uh huh" she answered proudly and instantly began to undress, Remus turned around to give her some privacy. "finished!" she said after a few moments. He must confess that little Hermione did look utterly adorable and even younger than she already did.

"The bathroom is just across the hall" he reminded her as she climbed into bed.

"Remus..." she began slowly, "could you read me a bed time story?"

He paused and looked at her quickly, she was so little, and it had been a very long day for her. Yet he was confused as to why is mauled appearance hadn't scared her, as she looked up at him trustingly. "of course, I'll have a look at what we have" he found himself saying, he doubted very much that there was a children's book in the house- until he spotted the corners of a very brightly colours book poking out of the box of clothes, clever Molly for thinking to bring a book!

"How does Goldilocks and the three bears sound?" he asked, the title was foreign on his tongue- perhaps it was a muggle story.

Hermione nodded, and he sat atop the covers next to her. To his surprise, she snuggled closer to him and rested her head on his upper arm. He didn't know how to react. No child had ever shown him so much affection or shown that they were comfortable being around him.

"Once upon a time..."

After only a few minutes the four year old was fast asleep, still with her head against him trustingly, and he smiled briefly but then frowned- it was wrong to allow little Hermione to like and trust him, even if she would forget about it when she was healed- he was a monster and certainly did not deserve the luxury of a sweet child's affection. He gently eased the sleeping child off of him and made his way to the door, checking only once that she was still sleeping before turning the light off and returning downstairs to where Sirius was most likely crying over a glass of firewhiskey.

Hermione was frightened. She hated the dark, and yet she had woken up surrounded by it alongside a painful confusion. She was almost positive she had met Santa that day, and had traveled through a fireplace, and met the man who carried her down the stairs and the kind man called Remus who had been extra extra nice to her, where was he now? Although there was a more pressing matter at hand- she desperately needed the toilet, she wasn't sure where the bathroom was, and she had seen there were many floors and rickety stairs cases and a woman trapped in a painting who screamed lots. She shivered as she imagined waking the entire house up, they would be so angry at her, and they would shout! She really didn't want that, but she also didn't want to have an accident- that would make them angry too. Mustering up all her courage, she slid out of bed and walked blindly through the room she didn't recognise until she was sure she was by the door.

Something growled.

She froze in terror, hoping she'd imagined the sound, yet it still rang clear in her ears- the low, annoyed growl from the other side of the door.

"Stay in your room" the croaky voice demanded. She let out a whimper and clamped her hand over her mouth. It must be a real life monster? Where was Remus and Padfoot? She really needed the toilet, but if she left the room to face the monster is might hurt her! There could be shouting! Maybe Remus had made the monster walk the hall because he didn't want her to get out of bed either. She held her legs together nervously, trying to decide what to do.

Remus panicked when he heard a noise interrupt his sleep. Living through a war has that nasty affect on people, and he shot up, wondering where his wand was. A small sniffling sound from the side caught his attention, and he saw little Hermione standing by his bed with tear tracks staining her skin.

"D-don't be angry" she pleaded, her breath hitching in her throat

"What? no of course I won't be-" he paused once he noticed the distinctive wet patch on her trousers. She wiped a falling tear from her eye. "...angry" he finished, "it's okay sweetheart: accidents happen" He scooped her into his arms and headed to the bathroom.

"I- I didn't mean it. Th- there was a monster outside and I was t-too scared to go" she hurried to explain.

'Monsters? There are no monsters here" He said whilst accio- ing a clean pyjamas. That was false, there was a monster: him, but he doubted that Hermione was referring too.

"Th-there was! He was g-growling and told me to stay in my room" she said desperately, and he paused. Fuck, why hadn't he thought about Kreacher? It was an accident waiting to happen, and he could have saved the poor child a lot of stress.

"That was very mean of him, and I promise I'll be having harsh words with him" he told her, flicking on the bathroom light and kneeling down on the floor where she now stood, she slid out of her under wear and with one hand held his shoulder so she could balance enough to fit into the clean ones.

"Wh-what if he comes back?" she asked, horrified.

"He won't, I promise" He was holding her again, and heading out the bathroom.

"He might- if you're not there! P-please don't leave me!" her cries broke his heart, and the only thing he wanted was to see her content, even if it hadn't been plan a.

"Alright, you can sleep in my room okay?" he offered, she nodded, an old tear still slipping from her tired eyes. "No more tears" he said, brushing them away. He re- entered his bedroom and slid her under the covers before doing the same, the moment she could she snuggled close to him, her hands cold with fright, he held her close and listened to her steadying breaths.

"Th-thank you" she said in an exhausted sigh, her body relaxed against him, and he felt the tension roll off her.

"You're welcome, sleep now" he encouraged.

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