(A/N) Next chapter has Harry, Ron, and Ginny coming into the picture! Please review! Your reviews make me happy and inspire me, so help me out! :)

-Rains Of Freedom.

This chapter was edited by the wonderful Of-butterbeer-and-frogs

Chapter 5 – Just for one night

The warm steam rose above the shower curtains. Even after the water had drained, the bathroom was coated with it. The door to the bedroom was opened and a wave of cold air entered the bathroom. It made the occupant sneeze a couple of times while her body adjusted to the new temperature. After brushing her wet unruly hair a little, she wrapped the towel around her head and another bigger one around her body. The stillness in the air, the cold hitch to it made her skin sport goose bumps. Making her way to the dresser, she found her night gown and slipped it on. Putting her old clothes aside with the wet towels, she sat by her side of the bed and sighed.

'What an awful day' -she thought vaguely as she lit a scented candle. It wasn't all bad; she had to admit as much. It was nice to spent time with her husband, even if it was laughing over something so critical as the Ministry Prescribed Spells and Charms for Confrontations and Combat against the Dark Arts.

Still, there was also the sensitive part of her friends. She missed them terribly and felt guilty for keeping them in the dark all these months. If only they knew how imperative it was for both Remus and she to keep quiet.

There had been a couple of classes she was sure to see them in, and she was hoping to catch a moment with them to do damage control, but none of the two guys showed up for any of the lessons. It wasn't like them to miss a class. Could the two be avoiding her? She could believe it from Ron, but Harry?

Her only remaining friend, that she saw and would talk to her, was Ginny. And talking with her had been so difficult because of the little options they had for privacy. Even so, they managed to sort out a couple of doubts in between classes and even decided on a place to meet to talk the following day.

Just thinking about her friends made her sad. She placed a hand on the drawer of her bedside table and was thinking of opening it. A minute flew by before she realized she'd been frozen on the spot, lost in her thoughts.

"Not tonight." –she said to herself. Tonight, she'd keep her thoughts. Taking her wand from the table, she unlocked the bedroom door.

She rose and walked over to a small table near the window and summoned her books there. Within minutes she was immerged in her own world of studying.

.x.X.x.

Remus had heard the 'clack' of the door being unlocked. He thoughtlessly rose from his chair and walked over to the door, knocking once. When he heard the soft "Enter" from behind it, he opened it and walked inside. Just as he thought, she was studying. She looked up at him and smiled. He felt his insides warm up and smiled back, almost quickly lowering his eyes as he turned away to the bathroom. Despite his overall tiredness, he took a very long shower in the hopes of washing away the load of thoughts from his mind. It was proven unsuccessful after an hour, so he surrendered.

When he came out, Hermione was placing his night clothes on the bed. He watched as she brought the shirt and trousers from the wardrobe and placed them neatly over the blue covered mattress. He looked on as she lifted her gaze to him and smiled again. Like a shock wave, his thoughts flew into the confines his mind to be locked away for the evening. Oh the little witch! She had such power over him!

Hermione lifted a hand and beckoned him to her. When he complied and took hers, she drew him close for a hug. They stood there, relishing in the warmth of their embrace and the closeness they shared with their inner selves. Remus kissed the top of her head and she giggled. He could whisk her away into their own world with just the simplest of affectionate gestures. She knew, deep down, they needed each other to be at peace and that no words needed to be uttered for them to understand what the other was going through.

"What has you so quiet and distant?" –she asked softly into his chest.

"The smell of that strawberries and cream shampoo you so often use. Do you know how mad it drives me and the Wolf?" –he replied just as calmly. Moony was angry at him for lying to his mate, but it somehow understood the circumstances and allowed the small lie. It wasn't hurting his mate. She was laughing now.

"Oh really? It drives you mad with anger?" –she asked innocently, now looking up at him.

He looked down at her, flashing a mischievous grin. The way he was looking at her now signaled only one thing.

"I think we have strawberries and cream in the kitchen, Moony."

.x.X.x.

He couldn't sleep. That was probably the up tenth time he'd put off speaking to her about his thoughts that day. Leave it to the Wolf to sate her so fully. At least one of them could sleep tonight. He looked at her from his seat beside her side of the bed. She was curled up on her side, her back to him. He could listen to her even breathing and knew she wasn't going to wake up soon. Good.

Glancing at the bedside table, he drew open the drawer. Inside was a very small artifact he had given her as a wedding gift. It was a pensieve meant to hold her most precious memories. He took the object out and held it in his hands, watching the silver threads swim around. He would need this. Drawing out his wand, he cast a spell to duplicate the artifact. The duplicate of course had not the memories but instead held the image of the silver threads so it appeared like the real thing. If anything happened, Hermione would not know he took it.

It would be for one night only.

He needed to do this.