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Part III: Remus and Hermione:

Hogwarts -

He stood by the window, watching the leaves fall from the trees. It felt so good to be back at Hogwarts. In many ways, it was the only place he ever truly felt he belonged. He knew his time here was precarious, so he would try not to become too comfortable. Dumbledore wanted him here this year to help Harry. To help Harry prepare for his future, and what a dark and bleak future it was. He could hardly believe how much Harry looked like James. He was different though, in so many ways. He had more compassion, and a deeper sense of what was right and wrong. He also had better friends.

He laughed when he thought of that. Where was Miss Granger anyway? It was unlike her to be late, especially with that time turner McGonagall gave her. He turned around just as he heard a timid knock on his door.

He walked over to the door and opened it. "Hello, Miss Granger," he greeted her warmly.

"Hello, Professor Lupin," she said.

"Now, I believe you wanted to speak with me," he said. He sat down on one of the chairs at one of the tables, and motioned that she should sit at the other. She sat beside him and looked at her hands. He would make this easier on her. He would start. "You wanted to speak to me about the essay that Professor Snape assigned for you in my class, isn't that right?"

"Yes, Professor," she said. "I wanted to ask you about Lycanthropy."

"Did you not find any interesting books on the subject in the library?" he asked.

"Well, yes I did," she said, "but that's not what I wanted to know."

"Do tell," he said with a smile.

"I wanted to know what it felt like. I wanted to know how one coped with such a malady, and how one kept it a secret. I also wanted to say that if I knew of someone with this disease, I would still think of them as a human being first," she said.

He smiled. She was smart. He said, "Harry's father used to call it my hairy little problem." He stood up and said, "Let's not talk of unpleasant things, and believe me, it is very unpleasant."

"How old were you when you were afflicted," she asked.

"My, you are persistent," he said. "Fine, I was a child. I was just ten years old. My parents wanted to hide me away at first. Back then, Wolfsbane potion had not yet been invented, so I had to endure my monthly changes all on my own. After I entered Hogwarts, my friends helped me."

"How did they do that?" she asked.

He sat back down beside her and said, "They all became unregistered animagus. Each month, when the new moon came, they would change along with me. Only Professor Dumbledore knew. We would go to the Shrieking Shack, and change there, and then they would roam the forbidden forest with me until I changed back. They kept me out of harms way, but more importantly, they kept me from harming anyone."

"I'm sorry that happened to you," she said. "And, for the record, your secret is safe with me. I won't tell a soul."

"I know you won't," he said with a smile. He said, "Harry is lucky to have you as a friend, you know."

"I think he's lucky to have you, too. You give him a connection to both his parent. One he's never had before, and for that, I want to thank you," she said.

She was thanking him. He marveled at the young woman before him. He said, "I think you and Harry are both destine to great things, Hermione. Remember above all else, be true to yourself, be proud of who and what you are, always show others compassion, even if they don't show it to you, and love those you love you, and even those who don't."

"Thank you, Professor. That sounds like sound advice. I wish the same thing for you," she said. She walked toward the door, turned back once, smiled at him, and left.

The War

Remus Lupin sat at a long wooden table in the kitchen of 12 Grimmauld place and remembered that conversation as if it were yesterday. He looked across the table at the young girl, no, young woman, and he felt bad for her. She had no idea how hard it would be to help Harry carry the cross in which he must bear.

She was smart, no doubt about that, and he would need her brains, and her compassion, and her friendship, to get him through this insane task that Dumbledore, the stupid old fool, set at their feet. If only he could help them in some way. He offered to, but Harry told him no, that Dumbledore told him he had to do it alone.

He tried to convince Harry that he should come, too, that they might need his wisdom and maturity. The truth of the matter was that he was afraid. Remus Lupin was afraid, and his fear was twofold. He was afraid of letting Harry, Hermione and Ron go off on this quest into the unknown on their own, and he was afraid of staying here and facing the fact that he was going to be a father, and probably a terrible one at that.

Harry more or less bawled him out and told him to stop thinking of himself and start thinking about his unborn child. Perhaps Harry was more like James than he realized.

Hermione was embarrassed by Harry's outburst to him, he could tell. She smiled at him as she left the room shortly after Harry left. Now, just ten minutes later, she came back, and in a silent dance orchestrated for his benefit, to offer him reassurance, he was sure, she waltzed back into the room, book in her hand, and sat across from him and started to read. That single, simple act meant more to him than words could say.

"Hermione?" he asked.

She looked up. "Yes, Professor?"

"First, I've asked you and Harry both a million times to call me Remus. I haven't been a professor for a long time."

She laughed and said, "Old habits die hard. What may I do for you, Remus?"

"How is Harry, truly?" he asked.

"As well as to be expected," she said.

"I can make your burden lighter, if you would only trust me, you know," he said.

"It's not that Harry doesn't trust you, Professor, I mean, Remus. He does. He just has to do this himself. It's the way it has to be. Believe me, we wish you could help, too. We wish Professor Dumbledore had left us clearer instructions. We wish for many things," she said, closing her book. She stood up and walked over to him. She sat on the bench beside him and held his hand. This act of kindness reminded him how tired he was of being alone.

"You're worried about Tonks, aren't you?" she asked.

He said, "How can I bring a child into this world of darkness, Hermione? How can I be a good father, being what I am?"

"What you are is a kind and generous man. You will be a good father because you are a good man," she said. "And this world of darkness will get better. Have faith. Harry will succeed. He will make things better for you, and for all of us," she said.

"I wish I had your blind faith," he said back.

She chuckled and said, "All faith is blind, Remus. It's not something you can see in your eyes, only in here," and she placed her hand over his heart, "and after you feel it here, you will believe it here," and her hand moved to the side of his head.

She stood up and picked up her book. She started toward the kitchen door, turned back around to look at him once more, and smiled. He smiled back. He thought one thing, 'the student has become the teacher.'

That was the last time she ever spoke with him.

After the Battle -

After the battle of Hogwarts, Remus was brought into the Great Hall with the other casualties. His body was placed beside the body of his wife. Hours after the end of the battle, Hermione walked around the Great Hall, at a loss. She was numb. She honestly didn't know what to do. For the first time in her life, she didn't have a clue what to say or do, and that scared her. Ron was with his family, mourning the loss of Fred. Harry had disappeared, and she understood, he needed to be alone. That left her by herself, something she hadn't been in a long time, and she wasn't comfortable being alone. She needed a shoulder to cry on, but right now, there wasn't a shoulder available.

Where was her place? What should she do? What was expected of her? She bent down to look at Remus, pulling the sheet away from his battle-scarred face, and she started to cry. She just cried. For Remus, for Tonks, for little Teddy, for Fred, for Colin, and even for her parents, whom she missed terribly. She cried.

She cried for Ron, for Harry and for all the rest. For Dumbledore, for everyone. She cried. Mostly, she cried because she was alone.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Oliver Wood. He smiled down at her and said, "Are you okay, Lass?"

She shook her head no. She turned back to look at the dead body of her former teacher. Oliver leaned over, pulled the sheet back over the dead man's face, and pulled her up by her shoulders. He held her and let her cry. She cried until she thought no more tears would come.

Hours later, as the evening sky started to envelope the day, she was walking the grounds of Hogwarts when she saw Draco Malfoy sitting alone on a stone bench. She was about to turn and walk away, when he looked up and saw her. He bent his head back down. She thought of the words her professor had told her when she was young. She should have compassion. She should love those who loved her, and even those who didn't. She would start right now, for Remus. She would honour him by doing what he told her to do.

She walked up to Draco Malfoy. He didn't raise his head. She said, "Draco, I know they took your mother and father away. I want to tell you that I'm sorry. I know this war has been hard on everyone, you and your family included. I just wanted to let you know that." She fully expected him to tell her to sod off, to call her a nasty name, and tell her to keep her feelings to herself. When the impending deluge didn't come, she started to walk away.

He kept his head bowed when she spoke, but looked up when she turned to walk away. She sensed this and turned back. She locked eyes with him. She walked back toward him and said, "And thank you for not telling your aunt who we were when we were captured."

"What good did it do?" he asked, no longer looking at her, but looking back at his clasped hands.

"It may not have done any good, since she found out who we were anyway, but at least you weren't the one to tell her," she said. She turned back around. She took two steps away from him when he said, "Hey, Granger?"

She turned back once more.

"I'm sorry for what my Aunt did to you at my house," he said.

She smiled. "Thank you."

"I'm sorry about the Weasley twin, and about Professor Lupin. I saw you crying by his body. You must have really been close, huh?" he asked.

She walked over to him. To her surprise he scooted across the bench, and to his surprise, she sat next to him. She said, "He was one of the best men I have ever known, and I'm going to miss him a lot." She started to cry again. She was embarrassed that she was crying in front of Draco Malfoy of all people.

The thing that happened next shocked them both. He placed his arm around her shoulder. She didn't push it off; instead, she placed her head on his shoulder. She placed her hands over her face and continued to weep. He placed his other arm around her front, and with both his arms around her, he held her.

The day turned from twilight to night, and for countless hours, her former enemy, the bane of her existence during her time at Hogwarts, held her as she cried. Not a single word passed between them. Sometimes she cried silent tears and sometimes she cried loud wails. Sometimes he cried with her.

When the night sky turned coal black, she heard someone call her name. Draco let her go. She looked toward the outline of the person calling her name as they approached. It was Oliver Wood again. He said, "There you are, Hermione. Harry wants to talk to you. He was worried when we couldn't find you. Come inside with me."

She looked over at Draco and said, "Where are you going to go?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly.

"Thank you for your compassion," she said.

"Thank you, too," he said. "You are the only one today to show me any consideration and benevolence, and to offer me any apologies. I appreciate that more than words can say."

She stood up. smiled, and said, "I did it in memory of Remus Lupin." She leaned down and kissed Draco Malfoy's cheek, in an act that could only be described as surreal.

Oliver took her hand and led her away. Draco placed his hand on his cheek and watched her go.

(Next part, Oliver and Hermione, and then the last part will be Draco and Hermione.)