Still don't own anything but the plot! R&R please!

Upon reaching Gryffindor Tower, the trio was relieved and dropped their bags dramatically.

"Ok guys, I'm starving. Let's go get good seats for dinner." Harry said.

"Can we at least put our things in our rooms?" Hermione demanded more then asked.

"Whatever 'Mione, just hurry up."

Hermione normally wouldn't care about getting to her room right away, but this year was different. She got her own lodgings since she was Head Girl. There was a secluded nook of Gryffindor tower that, more often than not, was the local spot for an occasional snog. In this nook there was a large portrait of a full moon which led to her room. It was hers and hers alone, complete with its own password protection. Bubbling over with built-up excitement, she mumbled the password. The moment she stepped through the door, her jaw dropped.

A room about half the size of the Gryffindor common room was decorated lavishly in reds and golds. A small kitchenette was off to the side, and it matched the rest of the room perfectly. A large plush couch and matching chairs were arranged in front of a massive fireplace, which itself was flanked by 4 large bookshelves. I'll have to check those out very soon! There were two doors to explore. She discovered that one led into a bathroom, so she assumed the last was her bedroom. She was right. Expecting things to still be red and gold, what she found surprised her. The room was sizeable, but plain. With dull furniture, bedding, walls, and flooring, it looked as if it were designed a hundred years ago and had not seen life since. Huffing in annoyance, she pulled out her wand and was about to do what she could to decorate the room properly. Before she could do anything though, the room changed on its own. It turned various shades of blue and grey, the colors she had always wanted to use in her room at home. The furniture had turned from decaying wood into magnificent dark oaks. It only took her a minute to realize that the room could read her mind; it changed to suit whatever she desired at any moment in time. To test her theory, she closed her eyes and imagined a room of pink and yellow, with birds and butterflies and girlishness. When she opened her eyes, it looked exactly as she had imagined it would. With a shudder, she immediately changed it back to her blue and grey. She wasn't a tomboy by any stretch of the imagination, but did tend to avoid pink. She hurried back to the Gryffindor common room to meet the boys.

"What took you so bloody long?" Harry joked.

"I'll show you later, let's eat."

And with that, the three of them headed down to dinner.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Professor Lupin was seated in the Great Hall with the rest of the professors. As the room began to fill, he found himself looking for a certain seventh year girl. When he spotted her coming in the doors with Harry and Ron, he relaxed a bit and watched them take their seats.

He jumped into conversation with the other professors about the next day's lessons so that he would seem fine. But inside, he wasn't. His mind was fighting a fierce battle about Hermione, and it was wearing him out.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Dumbledore got up and proceeded to give his annual speech. The sorting of the first years began, and the Sorting Hat took its sweet time as always, making the first years wriggle and sweat. Soon everyone was being dismissed. Hermione led the way for the new Gryffindors and told them the password to get past the Fat Lady.

Inside the common room, the seventh year boys quickly began their tournament of Wizard's Chess and the girls gathered in groups to catch up on the past months. After hours of celebration, complete with goodies from Fred and George and kegs of illicit butterbeer, people started to disappear for bed. Hermione didn't feel like going to bed, but she didn't feel like staying up talking with the other girls or watching Wizards Chess. So, she decided to patrol the halls. As she walked, she found herself lost in thought again. Thoughts of the future, thoughts of the past, and thoughts of the present. Thoughts of places, things, and people. Of a certain person. She rounded a corner and then suddenly ran into someone, the very object of her deep thoughts. She thanked Merlin that it was dark enough that her crimson blush couldn't be seen.

"Why hello Hermione," Lupin began, after rubbing his arm where she had just plowed into him. "Fancy seeing you here." She could see his smile was warm and playful, even in the dim light.

She laughed heartily. "Why hello Prof…. Remus. I couldn't sleep, but I didn't want to talk to the girls or listen to the boys yell about chess either, so I decided to take a walk."

"Oh, yes. A stroll through the halls is quite the workout. I myself couldn't sleep and decided to walk, and here I am." He paused and then asked, "So, do you like your new rooms?"

"Remus I absolutely loved them!" she exclaimed. "Have you seen them?"

"No I haven't, but I've heard that the Head dormitories are supposed to be amazing, even compared to the common rooms."

"They really are. Come on, I'll show you!" as soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them. She had just invited a male teacher into her dormitory room as if it were the most casual of things to do. She was about to apologize, when he agreed.

"All right. How do we get there?"

"Well, umm… the only way I know so far is through the Gryffindor common room," she began, "but…."

"Ok, lead the way."

"But Remus, don't you think people will be suspicious when they see you stroll into my room in the middle of the night?" her eyes were full of laughter at the thought, but her question was nonetheless earnest.

"Ah, but they won't see me. Invisibility spells are wonderful. So, you just go on in and act normal. I'll follow you in. Ok? And then I can floo out." He turned himself invisible.

They made their way back to the Fat Lady and Hermione was promptly let in, and Remus quickly followed. Hermione was relieved to see that the common room was empty; everyone must have gone to bed. She went to the picture of the full moon and whispered the password.

Remus, however, was taken aback by the portrait. Dumbledore had mentioned to him that the portraits guarding the Head Girl and Head Boy dormitories were supposed to relate to their deepest desires. And while a full moon could symbolize other things, (he supposed), it gave Remus chills nonetheless. For him, the full moon symbolized a burning, all-consuming struggle that he regularly faced: to unleash the wild animal within, or to stifle it?

Once inside her rooms, Remus quickly took the invisibility spell off. "Wow, this really is amazing!" he said.

She gave him the full tour. She felt somewhat awkward having him stand in her bedroom though, so she quickly re-directed him to her living room. Remus settled into the big red couch, and Hermione paced in front of the enchanted fire.

"So, as my first act as your H.A., it would make sense for me to inquire about your feelings about your classes. However, I know that you're fine in that area (you've had your schedule arranged since last spring. I checked.). To be honest I don't feel like talking about schoolwork. So I am going to instead ask you what has you so deep in thought that you have already begun to wear a spot out on that rug?"

"Oh I'm sorry!" she said as she clapped her hands together sincerely, "I should be a better hostess. Would you like anything to eat or drink? I'm not sure what I have, but surely they stocked this kitchen with something."

"No, I'm perfectly fine. You still didn't answer my question though. What are you thinking about so much?"

She couldn't very well say she was thinking about him. And she was a terrible liar, so coming up with something creative at that particular moment wasn't going to happen. So instead, she insisted that she was fine and joined him on the couch. They often sat on the same couch back at Grimmauld Place, never thinking twice about it. But now, Hermione thought, it feels different. She had no excuse to get up and move to a chair though, and she didn't want to offend him, so she stayed where she was.

Remus noticed that she still avoided his question, but he didn't press the matter. What am I doing here, anyway? If it had been any other student, he knew he wouldn't have come into this room. But it was Hermione, the girl who had been on his mind constantly for months, and who had been on his mind nonstop all day. He knew he should leave, but he couldn't make himself do it. Not yet.

They talked about many things, laughing frequently. They had always enjoyed each other's company, and still did. Neither of them noticed it, but throughout the enthusiastic discussions, they had scooted closer to each other on the couch. They didn't realize that they were merely inches from each other until their conversing paused.

The fire illuminated them both. They caught each other's eyes, and the flames could be seen dancing in them. Slowly, but unmistakably, they leaned towards each other. There were warning bells going off in both of their heads, but the pounding of their hearts drowned them out. They kissed. A very shy, hesitant kiss. A whisper of a kiss. When they separated, they searched each others' eyes. Seeing excitement and hunger, they leaned back in for another. Remus slid one hand in her hair and the other around her waist. She had one hand on his leg, the other clenched in a fist at her side as she struggled internally with what was happening. The kiss deepened. Neither of them had ever felt this fiery feeling before. Remus inadvertently moaned, sending shivers down Hermione's spine. She opened her mouth, giving him access. Eventually they pulled back, both out of breath.

"Remus," she began slowly, "what are we..." Her eyes were searching his.

"Shh…." He interrupted her. "Don't think too much right now. The only thing that needs to be said right now is this: you have to tell me if you felt that too, or was it only one-sided? If it was one-sided, then I will declare myself an idiot and we can get you a new H.A. because I'm sure you wouldn't want to be around a man who…" he was rambling now.

It was her turn. "Shhhhh…" she smiled and snuggled into his arms. "I did want this. We'll think about details later." For now, this was enough.

Relief swept through them both. Remus kissed her on the forehead, and they fell asleep in front of the fire together. What they didn't realize though, was that they were being watched at that very second.