The hut was smaller than the others as Remus waited outside. The fires were embers, but the sky showed thousands of stars glimmering above. The sliver of the moon was brilliant and massive in the night that went on forever. He was thinking to himself about the entire day, he was exhausted, but his mind was wheeling in contemplation.

"You can come in now," She murmured through the flap on the door.

The werewolf slunk inside to see the witch had changed into a nightgown. She was brushing her hair in the low light of her wand glowing on the skins. Her curvy body was stretched out on the bed as if it belonged there and likely always had. He cleared his throat and tugged at the collar on his shirt. "How was your afternoon?" He asked.

Her eyes met his as her lips curled. "It was a good day. I spent a good portion of it brewing potions and distributing them."

"Why did you tell them you were spoken for?" Remus asked, still standing near the bed.

"I'd rather not be offered up as a trophy to warriors. They may not be allowed to marry me or for the love of magic father my children, but healing magic works many different ways out here. Or so they claim," Hermione huffed as she turned from him.

"My words mean more," he said.

She nodded without glancing over at him. "Are you going to stand there all night or crawl into bed?"

Remus unbuttoned his maroon shirt and contemplated sleeping in his dirty slacks, but thought better of it. Hermione had criticized him on occasion for falling asleep in his daily wear. Turning to his bag, he pulled out some pajamas and undressed. The witch was still brushing out her curly hair when he turned to her, shirtless and far more comfortable.

When he climbed under the skins and groaned at the discomfort of the pillows, Hermione flicked her wand toward them, creating a far more vibrant set of pillows. The witch crawled under the blankets and kept her back to him. Usually, he wouldn't have minded her distance, but after tonight, he knew there was more to it than exhaustion.

"What's wrong?"

Hermione didn't move. "I'm just tired," her tone was distant.

Everything about the situation was wrong. They never had any division between them before. Remus gripped his courage and touched her shoulder. "What's wrong?" He repeated.

"You just don't understand, you won't," Hermione whimpered, and he could smell the distinct salty texture of sadness on the air.

"I won't if you don't tell me. I may be a bright werewolf, but Hermione, I'm still a man," He whispered.

Her body snapped away from the pillows, and he could see her anger building even in the darkness. Her face was contorted, and the peppery scent of frustration lingered on his nose. "That's just it, Remus, you don't understand. You're so bloody polite and kind, but I want you to make a fucking mess," she hissed.

He blinked and swallowed hard before sitting up. "What do you mean?"

"Honestly, I could dance around in my knickers, and you still wouldn't understand," Hermione grumbled and erected herself from the bed. "I'm going to go for a run," she muttered.

"Wait, just hold on!" He snapped and flung himself to his feet. "Tell me what I've done so I can fix this. I've tried very hard to make our friendship comfortable for you, Hermione."

The witch moaned and pressed her hand to her forehead. "You haven't done anything, that's the problem. I'm not even agitated with you, I'm angry with myself and taking it out on you. I don't know why I even thought you'd want to change this."

Remus reached for her arm and tilted his head. "Change what?"

Her eyes glanced up at him, and they read pure agony. Her lips quivered, and it all caused his heart to wrench from his chest. The witch was in utter misery over whatever was holding her captive. "Us, Moony. I've tried so very hard to show you while respecting your boundaries. I blundered by kissing you, and now I can't relinquish the feelings it built off of."

His fingers skirted the welcoming flesh on her arm as he attempted to catch his breath. "You kissed me for what?"

She glanced away and exhaled loudly. "Because I'm enamored by you, Remus. I've been mental for you for longer than I'm willing to admit. Something about the dance and the freedom, it didn't allow me to stuff it down and remain your faithful companion at that moment. I was greedy and selfish," Hermione voiced.

A figurative foot kicked his chest- he lost his breath as his hand skated to her shoulder. "For certain? You didn't tell me why? Hermione that is a big task for anyone to hold onto that for so long," He responded in a calm tone.

She glanced up at him and took his free hand in hers. "Don't you see? You keep everyone at a distance because you blame yourself for Dora. I never wanted to compromise the friendship we had for my greed. I can continue to ignore my feelings," she couldn't finish.

Remus had tugged her in for a kiss, and she melted. He wasn't sure if it was the wildness of Africa or the freedom of her admission, but the heat had built in his gut. The werewolf groaned as she jumped into his arms and coiled her legs around him — a hot and vivid kiss. Details of her tongue in his mouth and soft fingers roaming his hair were the pentacles of passion.

When they pulled apart, she gasped through a laugh. "You see?"

"I do now," he chuckled and placed the witch on the skins. "Was all of this to show me how much you wanted to take the next step? I would have been happy with just a date, Hermione," he teased as he slumped next to her.

He needed to take a beat to absorb the new concept, if only so that he didn't take advantage of the situation. Hermione, however, seemed to feel quite differently. The witch bent over his form and kissed him again, slowly, etching out her adoration in sighs and fingers skating his chest. Her lips pulled away, leaving a string of their saliva running from their mouths before she smiled. "I had hoped you would have caught on a few years ago."

"Years," Remus groaned as he rubbed his face. "Sirius always said I was thick. I had a sickening thought that it might have been in my head."

Hermione laughed and shook her head. "The thickest skull but warmest heart. I don't think you could have imagined my distant desires so vividly for this long, regardless of your imagination, Moony."

The werewolf reached out and touched her cheek. "Tell me, is this what you wanted? Be honest; I need to know beyond snogging you like a teenager at Hogwarts again."

"Remus, I have wanted you to tell me the truth about your feelings for years," Hermione murmured before looking away from his eyes. "I wasn't ever positive how you felt, but it seems I can't help myself any longer."

His thumb drifted along her cheekbone. "Hermione, I've been quite enthralled by you for a long time. Years I've shunned myself for being a monster chasing after a young witch. Pining for just a smile. Something to keep my heart still beating even if I could never have the object of its desire."

"You're not a monster, Moony," Hermione huffed.

"I am quite a bit older, and your former professor," he reminded her.

Hermione's vision returned to his face as she exhaled. "I know, but I can't help the way you make me feel."

"Don't you want someone your age? Someone who isn't going to look like your father on holiday trips to Africa?"

She groaned loudly while swiveling her eyes. "I knew that bothered you. No, I don't care about that. In fact, that should be a compliment to my excellent genetics of remaining youthful."

"Nothing makes an old wizard feel all the less wholesome than a witch who looks so forbidden," He sighed with a small smile.

"Twenty years, does that bother you?" She asked as she tucked into the blankets next to him.

"Well," he said through a breath. "It would have probably five years ago," he said before laughing. "Five years is a long time to resist temptation."

"Don't I know that," Hermione puffed before grinning up at him.

"How about this," he started and ran his arm around her, pressing the witch closer to his bare torso. "We stop being polite. Andromeda told me I was a dunderhead."

"You were," Hermione agreed with a toothy smirk.

"Well, I was, but I can't ignore your feelings since you've so clearly announced them. I waited to see if I could be misinterpreting everything, which I suppose I wasn't."

Hermione maneuvered in his soft grip and kissed him again. He moaned into her mouth, and she crawled on top of him. A different need started drumming in his mind and caused his brain to short circuit- was he actually entertaining sleeping with the witch he had silently pined for the last five years?

Remus tilted back his head and shuddered. "Hold on, Hermione. This is all fairly new, and I'd rather not get carried away."

His perfect view of her face was contorted as she cast her head to the ceiling and groaned. "Moony, we're both consenting adults, can't you just be the big bad wolf sometimes?"

"I could, but I'd rather have a bit of control with that," he chuckled as he took her hand against his. "Please let an old werewolf catch up?"

Hermione shot him an impatient expression. "You aren't going to run away from your feelings, are you?"

"I promise, you know my truth now and I won't be renigging it."

"You want me?" Hermione asked as her eyes found the wall of the hut.

Remus sat up enough to cup her face between his hands, forcing her to look at him. "Infallibly and irrefutably, Hermione."

She kissed him, and this time, it held more urgency. He was spending the last of his reservations quickly as her hands ran against his warm skin and her body rocked in his lap. Hermione whimpered and shuddered as he shifted her to the mattress, plundering her mouth with a heady groan. Her shift had skated up her legs as they encased his hips, connecting on his lower back.

Remus could honestly say he'd never tasted divinity such as her. The relief that it wasn't one-sided or his terrible madness winning over. She wanted him and the potent smell of arousal mingled in the air. When they parted to breathe, he pressed his forehead to hers. "We should stop before I do something about the spell you put me under," he panted.

"Please, Moony," she implored with a pout.

"Love, you're just about doing me in," he huffed while nuzzling her cheek.

Hermione nipped at his neck as her hands were searing on his skin. "We've waited so long, Moony. I could burst," she whimpered.

"My wild witch," he breathed.

"Lioness," a voice from outside the hut announced.

Hermione groaned as she slumped. "Yes, Bathuni?"

"You are being asked for," he said.

"You told me tomorrow," Hermione retorted as Remus nuzzled her jawline.

"I tell you when he's ready. It's time," Bathuni declared.

Hermione exhaled and pouted as Remus stared down at her. "I have to go," Hermione whispered.

Remus shook his head before kissing her. "Not yet, I don't want you to leave," he responded.

Hermione sighed and kissed him again. "I have to," she responded.

"Why?"

She caressed his cheek with a small smile. "So that we can heal you, Remus. I promise to be back in bed before you wake up."

A fear built into his chest as she attempted to uncoil from him. "Wait, don't go. I don't," he couldn't finish as she pressed her fingers to his lips.

"Don't even verbalize that thought. We can't restart this, Remus. Dramatic moments aren't going to snuff out this budding feeling, alright?"

"Okay," he said under her fingers.

She crawled out from under him and exhaled loudly as she reached for a robe. He watched her find the sandals, but his eyebrows knitted as she was preparing to leave.

"You aren't leaving in just that, are you?"

Hermione paused and glanced over at him with an arched eyebrow. "Are you being… possessive?" she asked with a smile.

Remus bristled as he sat up. "You're not wearing very much, Hermione."

She laughed and collapsed to the bed, crawling over into his lap. "Moony, I promise, I'll be back and intact, alright?" she asked before kissing him.

It was steamy and slow as she rolled on his lap, sucking his bottom lip into her mouth and rolling it between her teeth. Remus groaned loudly and huffed when she released him. "Merlin! Hermione, now you can't leave," he hissed as his fingers gripped her roughly.

"Lioness, he won't wait all night," Bathuni snapped, but you could hear him smiling.

"Yes, yes," Hermione said as her hands skated across the werewolf's bare chest.

"Make children later, the ink will dry before long," Bathuni responded.

Remus blinked as the witch climbed from him and waved with a sigh. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, Moony."

"Please don't overextend yourself," He pouted.

Her hand grazed his cheek, and she motioned agreement. "Of course."

When she left the hut, he heard the quiet snickering of the man jeering her about making quick of the werewolf. He could hear her smiling as she grumbled in protest, and that eased him. Remus grunted as he relaxed back on the skins and sighed. That was such a quick succession of events, and probably the most potent was that she… Hermione Granger wanted him. Remus finally climbed into bed and relaxed, gazing at the ceiling.

He wasn't sure how everything was going to turn out, but he was glad that he was able to speak his mind. She most certainly spoke hers...