A/N: I guess I forgot to mention that I was taking a summer class??? I've also been having problems getting these posts long enough; a couple of you mentioned you'd rather have them longer. With that, though, you're going to have to wait longer for each post. Luckily my professor loves to drone on for like an hour in each class so I'm able to write some of this. Hope you enjoy! :)

Remus stood in the doorway to his bedroom with a small smile on his face. It was well into the night and Hermione and Tarak had already retired to bed. It seemed Hermione liked to sleep on top of whoever she slept with. Tarak lay on his side while Hermione's limbs draped across him with her face buried into his thick fur. After a while Remus backed out slowly and shut the door. He found Sirius in the kitchen preparing hot chocolate for both of them. It was common for the two friends to share a cup of the hot beverage on sleepless nights.

"They asleep?" Sirius asked as he flicked his wand to levitate the cups to the table.

Remus paused to allow the dishware to pass before taking his seat. "Sound asleep in my bed." After taking a sip he continued, "You're going to have to stop that in front of Hermione."

"What?"

"Using your wand. Hermione flips out every time she sees one. I think it has something to do with when she lost her memories."

Sirius looked at his wand oddly before sticking it in his pocket. "You mean we have to live as muggles?"

"It won't be too hard."

They lapsed into silence as they each nursed their drink. "I see you're teaching Hermione how to read."

Remus' eyebrows shot into his forehead. "I am?"

"Well, I had assumed so. Haven't you noticed the books scattered around the living room?"

Remus smiled. "Oh, she's not reading them. She just likes to look at the pictures."

Sirius shook his head, "Not those books. The ones she was looking at didn't have any pictures. Is someone else coming over and teaching her to read?"

"No, nobody had been coming over regularly."

Sirius suddenly started laughing. "She's teaching herself to read! Should have guessed it. What was it you called her before? Brightest witch of her age. If I wasn't sure it was her before, I'm positive now."

Remus also smiled and drained the rest of his cup. "Well, it's late. Tomorrow I'm accompanying Ginny and Hermione on a shopping excursion."

"Shopping?" Sirius asked. "You're daring."

Remus made a noise in affirmation. "I don't know how they convinced me. Good-night," Remus slipped out of the kitchen.

Sirius smirked, "Perhaps because you're a sucker for those big, brown eyes." Shaking himself from his thoughts, Sirius drained his cup and went to bed."

=-=-=-=

Once again, Remus woke up to something warm cuddled up to his back. Without looking, Remus grunted, "Hermione, why are you in my bed?"

He heard a feminine sigh as she snuggled closer, "I was cold."

"You have Tarak now."

"You're warmer." Which was true. While Tarak had thick fur to keep him warm, werewolves were known to have a higher temperature than normal.

"I even gave you the bigger bed," Remus said more to himself. "Where's Tarak?"

'Here, Pup,' Tarak said from the double bed.

Remus looked over his shoulder to the wolf sprawled on the bed. "No, I gave up my bed because I knew both of you wouldn't fit on the cot, but I'm not giving it up just for you."

Tarak raised his head, 'You share with Kitten?'

With a heavy sigh, Remus dropped his head back to the bed. "I give up. Yes, I will."

'Tarak wrong. You not grow backbone.'

Remus rolled onto his back, mindful of not squishing Hermione, and glared at the wolf. "Don't you have something else to do?"

Tarak's tongue rolled out of his mouth in the perfect canine smile. 'This fun.' His mouth snapped shut with a click, 'Mutt also fun.' Tarak leapt from the bed, taking time to stretch both his front legs, then his back ones, before trotting to the door and nudging it open with his nose.

Remus finally sighed and relaxed after he saw Tarak's tail flip out of the door. "That wolf has too much fun."

Hermione had waited for him to calm down before she made herself comfortable again. Her head used his shoulder as a pillow and her arms were wrapped around his arm and torso. Remus didn't say anything, feeling for once an odd sense of peace.

Remus had thought Hermione had gone back to sleep when she hummed and asked, "What time was Ginny coming?"

"She said at least not until noon."

"Can we sleep until then?"

Even without opening his eyes, Remus could tell she was barely holding onto consciousness. Normally Remus would have disapproved of staying in bed all morning, but he had no urge to leave the bed. "Sure."

Just as he consented they heard a strangled yell come from somewhere in the house. Without thinking Remus went into battle mode, something that everyone had retained from the war, and grabbed his wand. He bolted to the door and quickly ran to Sirius' room. There he found Sirius backed against the wall and Tarak wolf-grinning on the bed. "What in Merlin's beard is going on?" Remus demanded. "I thought you were being attacked or something."

Sirius was now glaring at the wolf, "I was being attacked. That stupid mutt tried suffocate me!"

"What? How?"

"I woke up and he was sitting on my face! If you don't kick him out, I'll run him off," Sirius growled.

'Not likely.'

"Just watch me!" Sirius leapt forward to pounce on him, in mid-air transforming into Padfoot. Tarak quickly dodged the feeble attack and bolted toward the door.

'Run, run, Mutt,' Tarak said and left the room with another flick of the tail.

Sirius barked and growled loudly as he raced after him. Remus fell back into the hallway to avoid being trampled. It was only then he noticed Hermione standing in the doorway of their bedroom looking terrified.

Remus took a step towards her, but she quickly shut the door and he could hear the lock slide into place. Confused, Remus reached up to rub his neck when he noticed the wand in his hand. He swore softly as he tucked the weapon away. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all."

=-=-=-=

Remus stood horrified at the sea of whites, pinks, and other various girlish colors. That sea before him was the lingerie section.

"Remus, aren't you coming?" Ginny called from somewhere in that terrifying section. Remus could spot her with her arms already full of...various garments.

Remus shook his head and shifted the multiple bags in his hands. "No, no, I draw the line at this, Ginerva."

"Oh, grow up, Remus. It isn't like you haven't seen one before," she rolled her eyes and held a lacey, red bra up to Hermione, who looked utterly confused at what she was looking at.

Remus' gaze sharpened on the red-head. "I may not be your professor anymore, but I still deserve some respect."

Ginny finally looked over and saw Remus' azure blue eyes flash amber before returning to normal. "Are you alright Remus?"

"I've been dragged all around Diagon Alley, forced to view every scrap of clothing each of you tried on, and been designated as some sort of pack mule. I'm tired and would like nothing more than to return home."

"We'll make this quick then," Ginny said, still speculating how Remus' eyes changed colors. "Why don't you find a bench somewhere and rest while we try on some."

"I'm going back home. You'll drop her off, right?"

Hermione's silly smile fell of her face and she stared at him sadly, "You're leaving?"

"Yes, I'll meet you back at home," Remus said stiffly. He turned before she could guilt him into staying and fled the store. He found a suitable alley where he could go home undetected. When he opened his eyes he was in the hallway by the front door. Struggling with the bags of merchandise he actually had to turn sideways to even try to get through the kitchen door. As soon as he was through, he dropped the bags and joined Sirius at the table.

Sirius eyed the bags then the haggard-looking Remus. "Uh, did you forget the shrinking charm?"

Remus glared at Sirius, "I couldn't use magic in front of Hermione."

"Where are the girls?"

"I managed to get through all of their shopping until they got to their, uh, under things."

"Isn't that the part where you'd want to stay?" Sirius asked with a smirk.

"Enough, Sirius," Remus growled.

"Right, right." Sirius picked up a letter next to him and handed it to Remus. "Molly invited all us to lunch on Sunday."

"Again?" Remus asked as he skimmed the letter. "Is she making this a weekly thing?"

"It seems there's always something to celebrate."

Just then there was a popping sound as Ginny and Hermione appeared. Hermione struggled out of Ginny's arms and looked around frantically. "How did we—? Remus!" Hermione leapt towards him and attached herself to his shirt.

"That was quick," Sirius said.

"Why didn't you walk home?" Remus asked.

"We ran into trouble," Ginny said and dropped a bag onto the pile.

"What happened?" Remus asked as he absently held Hermione's hand that was on his shoulder.

"Our favorite reporter showed up and recognized Hermione. By tomorrow morning the news of Hermione's return from death will be plastered on the front page of the Prophet."

"Well, it isn't as if it was a big secret," Sirius commented.

"Yes, but there's still the whole memory loss problem. Whoever wiped Hermione's memory probably won't be too happy when their plan to be rid of her didn't stick."

"Who says he's even still alive? The final battle was brutal." Sirius shuttered, obviously trying not to remember. "Besides, even if he is alive, most of the death eaters ended up in Azkaban."

"Remus, what does all that mean?" Hermione asked.

Remus squeezed the hand under his and only then did he realize he had been holding her hand. He dropped his into his lap and said, "Don't worry about it. We'll deal with this as we go. Besides, there are only a few people who know where this place is."

"On to a cheerier topic, why don't you ladies show us what you got?" Sirius grinned when Remus groaned. Hermione smiled and helped Gin carry the bags out of the room. Sirius called after them, "Start with the things you got at your last stop!"

"Sirius," Remus growled.

Sirius stared at him with a smile, "Did you just purr?"

"No, I didn't purr. I want you to leave her alone." Again, Remus growled as his eyes shifted to gold.

"Remus, you alright? Sirius asked, all joking aside.

Remus only stared harder and said, "Say you'll leave Hermione alone."

"Alright, I'll leave her alone. Now tell me what is wrong with you."

The golden shade of Remus' eyes had left as soon as Sirius had made his pledge. "Wrong with me?" Remus asked in his normal tone. "Nothing, why?"

Bewildered, Sirius could only stare at his friend. Before he could say anything Ginny's voice came from the hallway, "Alright, here's outfit number one!"

Remus groaned again and made a quick getaway. "I'll be in the sitting room reading. Come get me when they're done." He darted across the hall, stopping briefly to make sure Hermione had on more than just her last purchases.

=-=-=-=

"So did you have fun today with Ginny?" Remus asked that night. He was already in bed—his bed—with a book in hand, but he was watching Hermione more than reading. She had on her usual clothes, a pair of his sleep pants and large shirt, and was brushing her long hair by herself for once. For some reason Remus couldn't look away from the brush as it went through her thick curls.

Hermione set the brush down and pet Tarak, who had taken over the cot as a large dog bed, on her way to bed. "Yes. I'm glad you came with me." She crawled under the covers and under his arm to cuddle against his side.

"You're going to have to get used to being alone with others eventually." Remus set his book aside and slid down the bed to get more comfortable.

"Why?"

"Well you know I'm not going to be with you every second of the day. And also these are your friends. They all want to spend time with you."

"I never know what to say to them," she admitted.

"Just talk to them like you talk to me." Hermione didn't say anything and Remus could feel how tense she was. "I'm not angry with you. Just think about it, alright?" he asked gently. "The Weasley's are having a family gathering on Sunday and we're all invited. It'll be a good time to practice."

"Alright."

"Good, now get some sleep." Remus flicked the light off and they both settled down. Remus thought back to when Hermione was brushing her hair and tried not to think of how domestic it felt. He was almost asleep when Hermione shifted. Remus automatically shifted with her. A few minutes later, just as Remus was about to fall asleep again he, again, shifted in answer to her own. This happened two more times before Remus asked, "Why are you so fidgety tonight?"

"It's that bra thing Ginny made me put on. It's uncomfortable," she said and shifted again.

Remus' hand on her back unconsciously slid up and he could feel the bra through her shirt. Blushing in the darkness, Remus asked, "Why didn't you take it off before bed?"

"I couldn't get it undone. Ginny showed me how to get one on, but not off."

Remus scowled and said, "Remind me to send Ginny a howler in the morning."

"What's a howler?"

"Never mind. Just sit up so I can unclasp the thing." Taking a calming breath, Remus quickly reached up the back of her shirt and undid the clasp. "Now go into the bathroom and take the dumb thing off." He waited until the door shut before bolting from the bed. That howler couldn't wait until morning.

'Have fun, Pup?' Tarak asked from the cot.

"Shut up, Tarak." Remus saw the light on in the kitchen and found Sirius drinking hot chocolate.

"I thought you'd gone to bed a long time ago," Sirius said as Remus grabbed a stray piece of parchment and a quill to write his letter. "What are you doing?"

"Giving Ginerva Longbottom a good piece of my mind. She deserves a good lecture."

Sirius decided not to ask when he saw the golden tint to his friend's eyes. He did decide he needed to talk to some of their friends about Remus' odd behavior lately.

A/N: Hope all is well! :)