Stealing Away

Sometimes, only a moment can last forever.

Part IV- Dinner and desert of a different kind.

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It was a quarter till six as Hermione was nearing the dungeons. She was careful how fast she walked. She had to make sure her steps where soft enough as to not alert Mrs. Norris or even worse, Professor Snape. She rounded the corner to the hallway that, according to the map she was given, Remus' room was and noticed a small sign indicating a restroom. Rather than going straight to his room she decided to take a small detour into the restroom.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror and was please and what she saw back. Her hair was down and curly like it normally was, but her face was made up with a tinted brown eye shadow and a barley-there pink lip gloss which made all her features stand out. She wore a simple thin-strapped black dress accented with a small silver butterfly pin she had received from her mother. She wore black open toed heel, just to pull it all together. All together, outwardly, she looked very beautiful, calm and collected. However, on the inside she was a girl who was about to explode.

Class during the day was more difficult than she could have ever imagined. She very well couldn't explain to everyone why her nerves were in a bunch, so she spent the whole day creating excuses for herself. It wasn't that the classes had gotten any harder, it just seemed as if her attention span had eaten itself up, all thanks to the letter from Remus. Harry and Ron made it a joke to count how many times she had spaced out. During lunch she couldn't keep from doping everything and, after spilling juice on Ginny for the third time, she excused herself from the table and headed to the library. Potions was a disaster, for it seemed that Hermione's clumsiness wasn't something for just the lunchroom. Professor Snape nearly kicked her out after she had added the bat kidney too early to the sleep draught, causing it to become deadly if ingested. Thankfully, Potions was the last class of the day, and she had a good 3 hours to prepare for the evening.

She did one last turn in the mirror and, finally satisfied with the fact that looking at her reflection won't change anything, she left the restroom and walked down the hallway reading the numbers on the dungeon door. She walked up to the door that said 2343 and looked at the paper in her hand.

2343. That's what the paper says.

She raised her hand to nock, but before she could do so, the door opened from the inside.

She looked up and came face to face with…

"Why, Hello Professor Dumbledore." Hermione choked out, trying to hide her look of surprise.

Dumbledore look down at her and smiled, "Why good evening my dear, Miss Granger. I was just stepping out. I trust that I will not see you in my office later for reasons involving the breaking of curfew. Goodnight."

Hermione moved to the side and Dumbledore stepped out of the doorway allowing Remus to come and welcome Hermione in. She looked at Remus with a confused look, to which he replied with a smile. Hermione watched Dumbledore walk down the hallway and then stop.

"Oh, Miss Granger." Dumbledore started looking over his shoulder at the young girl. "By the way, if I remember correctly Professor Snape patrols this hallway from around 9 to quarter off." And with that he apparated to his office.

"Gee," Hermione said slowly her eyes still fixed on the spot where Dumbledore had just been, "It's like he's trying to tell me something."

Remus chuckled causing Hermione to look up at him. She looked into his eyes and immediately was intoxicated. Remus broke contact by grabbing her hand, "Care to come in?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

Rather than replying, Hermione stood on her toes and kissed him. It was a sweet and shy kiss, but one none the less and she replied, "I would love to."

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Dinner was quiet. It seemed like they had nothing to say to one another, for they were both quite content with the others presence. After they both had finished eating Remus transformed the dining table into a couch allowing them to be able to talk more comfortably. He handed Hermione a cup of tea and held on to his own. Hermione sat, unsure of where to begin, or even if she should be the one beginning. Remus' brow was knit together and she could tell that he was as unsure of how to start as she was. Finally she blurted out the only thing she had been thinking about since she knew he came back.

"I missed you, you know."

She placed the teacup down.

Remus looked up at her and he saw how Hermione's emotions had began to stir once again.

"It was so hard, not knowing if you were alive or not. I couldn't tell anyone...how afraid I was…how lonely I felt."

Remus smiled, touched by her words and looked down at the teacup in his hands.

"Hermione I have missed you too." he began, "I am glad that you no longer have to go through that pain."

She looked up at him, waiting for more. Waiting for the words she knew resided within him. Remus, upon seeing her look stopped, the words becoming difficult to say.

"Remus," she began without even realizing she was saying the words she had kept inside."I think I love you."

It happened in a flash. Remus dropped his cup, causing it to break. Hermione's was knocked over. And she suddenly found herself in his arms. "I am so glad Hermione." He kissed her and she felt all her emotions melt away. Her nervousness, her excitement, her confusion and her fear were all replaced with relief. After a few minutes, Remus broke apart their kiss and embrace.

"Listen Hermione. I have to tell you that this isn't going to be easy. I am much older than you…and your teacher. We will need to keep things at a difficult level of secrecy."

Hermione laughed, "What are you talking about Remus? Nobody knows you are here except for the teachers and I'm sure they are not going to blurt your presence."

"Yes Hermione, but…"

"And anyway, who cares about my age. I am legal in both the Wizarding world and Muggle. No one will even take notice."

"I realize that Hermione, however…"

"Don't forget that I wouldn't want to jeopardize whatever relationship we start, be it a friendship or another sort. I'm not some sort of gossipy child, you know."

"Of course. I wasn't saying that…"

"Also, you are not my teacher anymore. So we are in perfect rules for school if there are even any made up!"

"Uh," Remus began hoping he wouldn't get cut off, "That's not entirely true."

"I'm sure if anyone found out….huh?" Hermione stopped and looked at Remus, very confused by his statement. "Say again?"

Remus rose on his feet and started pacing as he talked, "Well, the reason Dumbledore was in here prior to your arrival was because he was offering me a job here…again. This way, I will be protected and not have to hide the fact that I am here."

"Ah." Hermione replied not sure what this meant for their relationship.

"What does this mean?" She asked, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"It means," Remus sat down and cupped her cheek with his hand, "That I have to make sure I don't screw things up by letting us get caught.'' He kissed her before she even had time to realize what he had said. It hit her finally, and she kissed him back.

She broke them apart and looked at the clock.

"Bugger. It's 9. Snape will be in the hallway, if I leave now I will get caught." Hermione cursed.

"Mmm." Remus started, a low growl developing in his throat, "that mean there is time for dessert."

Hermione laughed as he started kissing her neck, thankful for once that Professor Snape was around to "ruin" her plans.

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