Here you are, everyone. The sixth chapter to Daughter of the Moon; even if I did update it on Super Bowl Sunday. Yes, I know! So evil! I have to thank everyone who reviewed once more; I've now hit over fifty! That's more than I ever expected to receive! Thank you so much! In reward, here, this chapter is much longer than the last one - by about two thousand words! (Of course, this is a very important chapter, kind of, and I couldn't cut it short, could I?) Either way, I hope you enjoy. Go Indianapolis Colts! Yes, I live in Indy. And I'm proud, what can I say?
~*----------*~
Chapter VI
"You don't have to be afraid of Professor Dumbledore," Harry was urging her as he gently pushed her towards the Headmaster's office on Thursday afternoon. "He'll understand, of course. All you have to do is ask him about this Saturday…"
"Oh, but Harry, I'm sure he has so many other matters to attend to," protested Hermione, looking quite nervous as she clutched the letter from her parents to her chest. "I wouldn't want to disturb him if he's doing something important…"
"Hermione, this is important," Harry reminded her. "It's not every day a witch finds out she's adopted. You have to go and speak to your parents, if that's what they are. You and Lupin have to go. Even if it's to find out this has all been some kind of serious misunderstanding and the Professor turns out to be a complete nutter. Your family is much more important than anything else going on right now. Not even your mark in Transfiguration means as much as this."
Hermione considered this. "Are you sure Dumbledore won't mind?"
"Of course not," was the reassuring answered. "You just have to… Oh, dung, I don't know if he's changed his password or not…"
"Potter? Granger? What are you doing here?"
Hermione and Harry turned to see Professor McGonagall coming towards them with her purposeful stride, her sharp eyes on the pair before her. Instantly, both third years looked sheepish as though they'd been caught with their hands in the cookie jar.
"Professor, we were just leaving…" Hermione began.
"Hermione needs to see Professor Dumbledore," Harry supported at the same time.
Professor McGonagall looked surprised. But when she spotted the letter in Hermione's hands, her eyes narrowed and she seemed to understand. But she didn't say a word, but rather let out a worried sigh. "Mr. Potter, I will escort Miss Granger to Professor Dumbledore's office. Feel free to wait here, but I ask you do not follow us onto the staircase. Come, Miss Granger. Apple Pop."
The legendary gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office stepped aside and allowed Professor McGonagall and a very anxious Hermione to pass through onto the staircase.
"I'll be waiting here, Hermione," Harry called after her.
Hermione was about to tell him that wasn't necessary when the gargoyle jumped back into place, blocking her view of her dear friend. Professor McGonagall led her swiftly up the spiral staircase and stopped just outside the door.
"I will wait to conduct my business with the Headmaster until after you have finished, Miss Granger," the reserved Professor informed her as she stepped back. "Go ahead in. I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will be waiting for you."
Hermione looked at the Professor as though she had grown a second head - how was it possible for the Headmaster to be expecting her? Nevertheless, she followed the Deputy Headmistress's instructions and went inside. It would be the first time she had ever been in Dumbledore's office.
When Harry had described it last year, he had gotten it quite accurate. The room itself was circular, very much like the Gryffindor Common Room, and just as loud, but the noises were strange. Not human voices, or even animals'. Items were whirring, grunting, groaning, and making all sorts of funny little sounds all throughout the room. All around the walls were portraits of previous Headmasters and Headmistresses. In the center of this office was a large, claw-footed desk that had various documents and items scattered across its surface. And sitting behind it in a high-backed throne-like chair, looking at her over half-moon spectacles was Professor Dumbledore himself.
"Ah, Miss Granger," Professor Dumbledore, as if he had been expecting her arrival. "Please, take a seat. Might I interest you in a Chocolate Frog? I've just got a new shipment and I'm quite afraid I can't eat them all."
Hermione did as she was told. "Er, no thank you, sir," she answered, settling back into one of the two chairs that sat before Dumbledore's desk. "Professor, I was going to ask you permission to visit the Muggle world this weekend. With… Professor Lupin. There's been a bit of confusion…"
"There's a fair bit more than confusion as far as I am concerned, Miss Granger," Professor Dumbledore interjected suddenly.
"… Sir?"
"I know exactly why you are here, Miss Granger. You are here to request permission to speak with your adopted Muggle parents - to see if Professor Remus Lupin truly is your father. While I can confirm that he is by a mere statement, I know that you, being a girl of logic and integrity, will not only take my word for it. You wish to find out the truth - a noble aspiration for a Gryffindor such as yourself. Of course I will give you permission to visit the Muggle world. I will need to know where you're going, of course."
Hermione blinked, completely shocked by the Headmaster's knowledge. Then again, she chided herself mentally, this is Dumbledore. He does know just about everything.
"On the contrary, Miss Granger, you will find that there is much that I don't know," provided Dumbledore, as though he had read her thoughts. "But I do know a great deal about matters such as this. And I know just how confusing and mind-boggling this whole situation must seem to you."
Hermione flushed a bright red. "It is, sir," she confessed quietly. She knew she could trust Dumbledore almost more than anyone at Hogwarts - besides her best friends, of course.
"Then you must go as your adopted parents ask of you," Dumbledore answered. "But as I said before, I will need to know exactly where you're going and exactly for how long…"
"It shouldn't take more than an hour or two during dinnertime, sir," was Hermione's instant reply. "We'll be at a diner in London. The Dancing Leprechaun is the name. Is that enough information, Professor?"
Professor Dumbledore nodded, smiling. "It will suffice, Miss Granger. I will sign a form that will inform the Ministry of your outing, and I will arrange for transportation to London for you and Professor Lupin. Although, I will leave the informing of your Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor to you. You must understand I am very busy with the beginning of term and all the silly and tedious paperwork that accompanies it…"
"Of course, Professor," said Hermione, though she was secretly half-angry and half-scared to have to ask Professor Lupin herself. "Thank you very much."
"There is no need to thank me. I would do the same for any student undergoing such troubling times, Miss Granger. Off you go. I am sure Mr. Potter grows anxious waiting for you down below. Might I say he is a very loyal friend, and you would do well to keep him close," advised the Headmaster.
Hermione nodded. "I understand, sir. Harry is my closest friend. I would never do something to push him away."
"I'm glad. Off you go, Miss Granger."
And so Hermione exited the Headmaster's office with a new sense of anxiety. Professor McGonagall dipped her head to the third year as she walked out, and went inside and shut the door behind her. Hermione sighed and descended the staircase. The gargoyle stepped out of her way so she could exit, but as soon she had passed it, it jumped back into place again to resume its guard.
Harry was sitting against the wall opposite the gargoyle. It seemed as though as soon as he had spotted Hermione, he clambered to his feet.
"Well, what happened?" he asked.
Hermione sighed. "Dumbledore's allowing me to go this Saturday," she told her dear friend as she neared him. "But I have to tell Professor Lupin myself about it."
"We could go and see him now, if you'd like," offered Harry.
"I don't think he'll want to see me…"
"Nonsense. If he's your father, then…"
"Can we please not talk about that?"
"Hermione, if we don't…"
"Please, Harry. Please. I don't want to think about that right now."
Harry sighed, but didn't argue. "We still ought to go and see Lupin now. Might as well get it over with so you don't have to worry about it."
"You'll go with me?" asked Hermione.
"Of course. If you want me to," Harry replied.
Unable to answer verbally, Hermione just nodded. Harry was right. Worrying about this all week would only cause more strife - something that Hermione was convinced that she didn't need any more of. She hardly had any homework to do, and dinner was still a few hours away. The only thing she could go and go right now was go back up into the Common Room and stay with Harry and Ron, or go outside. Either way seemed to be a little boring.
Perhaps seeing Professor Lupin would be a good idea after all.
So Hermione set off, Harry at her side, and she thought as they walked down the Grand Staircase to the second floor.
She was so absorbed in her thoughts that Harry had to tug on her sleeve when they finally reached the Professor's office. Hermione looked up, gulped, and Harry patted her awkwardly on the back.
"You'll be fine. I'll wait out here again. I'm sure you wouldn't want me listening in on the conversation," Harry told her.
Hermione nodded nervously, suddenly feeling much more agitated than she had been a few seconds ago. Harry gave her another reassuring pat before pushing her towards the door.
"Go on," he urged her.
Her hands shaking, Hermione closed the remaining distance between her and the closed door. Ever so hesitant, she raised a fist to knock on the door…
The door opened before Hermione even had a chance to knock. Professor Lupin stood there, looking tired and ruffled as if he had just woken up from a nap. He didn't look at all surprised to see Hermione there, as though he knew she had been outside his door. His eyes were weary as he gazed down at her, and that same emotion ignited in his eyes that Hermione had seen every time they made eye contact. She still wasn't completely sure if it was love or some other emotion that she didn't care to look into.
"I, er… I wrote a letter to my parents," Hermione whispered.
Lupin's eyes widened and gestured for her to come in. Looking at Harry, he dipped his head in gratitude (somehow he knew that it had been Harry to convince her to come here) before shutting the door behind his daughter.
"Would you, er… like to sit down?" he offered, pulling out a chair from his desk.
Hermione shook her head. "I want to just say what I've come to say and leave," she murmured, looking towards the door almost wistfully.
Lupin sighed. He had been hoping that she had wanted to stay, to find out more about him and he about her. But that was obviously not her wish. It was also obvious that she was having trouble comprehending everything. Those Grangers must have loved her a lot in order to have her so confused right now.
Not that he wasn't grateful. He would never be able to thank the Grangers enough for their kind service to him and Hermione.
But oh, how he wished she knew, accepted, and understood the truth. All things take time, as Vivian had always said, and never did Lupin believe that words were so true. He had observed his daughter over the years, and he knew that she would not just accept this right away. He had hoped, of course, but in the end he had known she would take it in such a manner.
Hermione, on the other hand, was a little surprised by her possible father's demeanor. He seemed so exhausted, but she expected was it was from all of this full moon business. She remembered that he had said she was the daughter of a werewolf, and that werewolves were only active around the full moon. Hermione found herself wanting to ask him about the full moon, about his lycanthrope form. But she knew she had other business to discuss with him. She didn't want it to seem as though she were too interested.
"It's like I said. I wrote my… well, my parents about this." Hermione peeked up at Professor Lupin. He only blinked at her and didn't say anything, so she continued. "They said they want to meet us at their favorite diner this weekend. I went to Dumbledore about it, and he's given us permission to go."
"What time?"
Hermione frowned. She hadn't expected Lupin to respond so casually to this. Maybe it's because he really is your father and he isn't worried about proving himself at all, a snide voice in the back of her head commented. Hermione shushed it and shoved it into the far corner of her mind.
"Around dinnertime. My parents will be waiting at a diner in London," Hermione informed him.
Professor Lupin only nodded, looking at her calculatingly.
"And you… how are you doing, Hermione?" he asked, true concern in his voice.
Hermione was caught off guard by it. "What?"
"How are you coping? With everything? Are you feeling quite well?"
"Er… yeah. As well as I can be, I suppose," Hermione muttered uncomfortably, scuffing her foot across the floor.
Professor Lupin observed her for a moment more. "You don't have to talk about it if that isn't what you want," he murmured. "I only want you to talk to me when you want it or need it, not out of duty. I'll see you in class on Friday, if not before then." He nodded in dismissal.
Hermione got out of that office as quickly as she could without running.
She didn't hear the regretful sigh from Professor Lupin as she shut the door behind her.
~*----------*~
The week passed quicker than Hermione wanted it to. Defense Against the Dark Arts class on Friday was painless and fast. Ron and Harry were exceedingly supportive, and for the first time in a long time, they were accompanying her to the library to help her with homework and making sure she was alright every night before she went to bed. Never before had Hermione seen such behavior in her two best friends before, but she most definitely didn't mind it.
Saturday morning dawned bright and sunny, sooner than Hermione cared to admit. She'd hardly gotten any sleep last night, tossing and turning the way she was with all the thoughts going through her head. She had no idea what today would bring. That's what she hated.
Would she find out that what Professor Lupin said was true? That her parents weren't really… her parents? That she wasn't a Granger, as she was so proud to be, but a Lupin?
Or would she find out that Professor Lupin was a complete lunatic? That he had been lying this entire time, putting her through all this strife for nothing?
Both ideas were completely terrifying.
"Hermione?" the voice of Ron drifted up the stairs, and Hermione raised her head from her pillow. "Are you up yet?"
Hermione groaned. Though she was up, she didn't feel like climbing out of bed. So this was how other girls felt on school days. They didn't want to face the day ahead of them, so they stayed in bed as long as possible in the hopes of being forgotten under their covers…
But Hermione was not a coward. She was a Gryffindor. And, remembering that, she rose from her bed with newfound courage, pulled on fresh clothes, and went downstairs to meet Ron.
When she found him in the warm Common Room, Hermione found that Harry wasn't there. So she asked,
"Where's Harry?"
"Quidditch tryouts were first thing this morning. They'll probably still be going. You missed breakfast. Want to head down to the Quidditch pitch and see how Harry's doing?" Ron offered.
Hermione nodded eagerly. Anything to forget about the meeting with her parents tonight. "That would be lovely," was her answer, and Ron beamed.
"Oh, on your way down there, you can eat this." Ron tossed her a wrapped bagel. "Harry said you would like that. Come on." And he went to the entrance to the Common Room without even missing a beat.
Hermione unwrapped the bagel and smiled. It was blueberry, her favorite. How had Harry known?
She and Ron went down to the Pitch, and sure enough, Quidditch tryouts were still going on. It looked like they were on Beater tryouts now, which mean that Seeker would be next. Ron and Hermione hurried to find seats, although it wasn't too hard. The only people here were very interested Gryffindors who wanted to see what their Quidditch team would look like this year.
Harry wasn't too hard to spot. Hermione saw him standing at the edge of the pitch having a discussion with the Quidditch Captain, Oliver Wood. He was wearing an old red sweater and a pair of faded jeans.
After the tryouts ended an hour later, it wasn't hard to see that Harry would once again be Seeker. Hermione's stomach was also growling when everything finished up, and thankfully the lunch bells began ringing just as Harry came out from the locker rooms. His hair was ruffled from the wind blowing through it, and he had a bright and happy smile on his face. The sight of it sent butterflies flitting through Hermione's stomach.
Stop it, she told her own body, and it obeyed instantly. The butterflies settled, but started flitting again when Harry threw his arms around her in a great hug.
"I'm so happy I made it," he exclaimed when he finally let go.
"Please, mate, as if anyone could beat you on a broom," Ron scoffed as he slapped Harry on the back.
Harry shrugged, still grinning. "Come on, let's go get lunch."
And so they did. As they were eating (Hermione had a considerable amount of food on her plate - even Ron didn't have that much to eat), Professor Lupin approached them.
"Professor Dumbledore wants to meet us outside the Great Hall just before dinner starts," he muttered, and walked straight on.
Hermione gulped, and set down her piece of bread. Her appetite, and her good morning, had vanished into thin air.
~*----------*~
Hermione, dressed in a pair of jeans and a striped t-shirt, made her way down the Grand Staircase to the Entrance Hall, Harry and Ron at her sides. Though they had both denied that they wanted to offer her moral support, and that they just wanted to be early for dinner, Hermione knew that wasn't true. Never had she realized that they could be such good friends. Harry even had an arm wrapped around her shoulders, which made Hermione feel very safe and secure. For a moment, she wasn't even afraid of seeing her parents.
Of course, the bravado disappeared the instant Professor Dumbledore and Professor Lupin came into view. They were talking quietly as she approached with her two friends, but Professor Lupin turned to smile at her reassuringly. Hermione just blinked, and Harry's arm tightened around her shoulders.
Professor Lupin only narrowed his eyes when he saw that.
Dumbledore smiled serenely at the trio as they came closer. "Ah, Miss Granger has arrived. Although, Harry and Ron, I can not allow you to accompany Professor Lupin and Granger…"
"We know," Harry volunteered.
"We, uh, wanted to be early for dinner, Professor," Ron supported.
Professor Dumbledore chuckled, and he smiled at Harry and Ron warmly. "Then get into the Great Hall, boys. I'll be sure to start supper as soon as these two are safely on their way."
"Sure you'll be alright, Hermione?" Harry asked as he turned to his dearest friend.
Hermione nodded, unable to speak right now. Harry gave her a hug, and so did Ron (admittedly, his was a tad awkward), and the two of them headed off into the Great Hall, leaving the Headmaster alone with the Professor and the nervous Gryffindor.
"I've arranged for a Portkey to be created. Here you are." Dumbledore handed Professor Lupin an old baseball. "It'll be transporting you two in a little less than a moment. When you're ready to return to Hogwarts in an hour or two, Professor Lupin, you know how to reactivate it. All ready? Excellent. Now, I must start dinner if you'll excuse me." And he departed into the Great Hall.
Hermione grabbed onto the baseball the instant Dumbledore was gone, being careful not to make contact with Professor Lupin's hand that was also grasping the baseball. They both held on tight, both silent, except for at the last second when Professor Lupin began to say,
"I'm so sorry about…"
He didn't finish his sentence. They were whisked into teleportation the instant the word 'about' left his lips, and they exited less than a split second later in an abandoned London alleyway.
Dogs barking nearby caused Hermione to jump, and Professor Lupin pulled her to him instantly, holding her head to his chest as he tried to sense if there was any danger. As soon as they realized what they had done, the pair of them jumped apart awkwardly, and Hermione swallowed and let out a nervous chuckle. They exited the alleyway together, and Hermione looked around.
It wasn't hard to find her parents' favorite restaurant. Hermione had been to the Dancing Leprechaun quite a few times in her childhood, and remembered always wanting to dance when her parents told her what it was called. But right now, she felt like doing anything but dancing.
"Shall we go in? Will your… will the Grangers be inside?" Professor Lupin questioned.
"They should be," Hermione murmured, glancing down at her watch. "This is usually when we eat dinner at home."
Professor Lupin only nodded, and together they went inside.
"Granger, party of four," Hermione informed the hostess as Lupin stood awkwardly behind her, not knowing how a Muggle restaurant worked.
The hostess nodded, glanced at Lupin nervously, and gestured for them to follow her. "This way," she informed Hermione and Lupin, and together the three of them ventured into the back of the restaurant to one of the more secluded booths.
Sitting there were Mr. and Mrs. Granger, holding hands and looking quite anxious themselves.
As Hermione approached, the pair of them got up to greet her.
"Hermione, dear, I'm so glad to see you," Mrs. Granger gushed as she wrapped her daughter into a warm enveloping hug. Mr. Granger wrapped them both in a hug, his eyes on Lupin calculatingly. When the small family of three finally unraveled, Mr. Granger offered his hand to the grizzled Professor.
"Professor Lupin, I take it?" he asked as Lupin took his hand and they shook.
"The very same," Lupin replied. Their tones were not menacing or threatening - only polite. Hermione watched their interaction very closely from her mother's arms, trying to see that there was some way that what Professor Lupin had been saying was false. But to her horror, she found none. There was only mutual respect between the two men, and even Mrs. Granger seemed to view Lupin with a certain air that definitely wasn't hostile.
"Sit down, sit down, please," Mr. Granger invited them, gesturing for Hermione to sit down and Professor Lupin beside her. Mrs. Granger and her husband took seats across from them, and just as Mr. Granger was about to begin talking, the waitress showed up.
"Hi, my name is Melissa, and I'll be your server this evening. Anything I can get you to drink?"
All four of them ordered waters, and the waitress was gone in the next instant to fetch their drinks.
"Now, Mr. Lupin…"
"Call me Remus, please. I hate for this to be so formal."
"Alright then… Remus. Then you may call me John, and this is my wife, Tricia," Mr. Granger answered, and Mrs. Granger dipped her head in acknowledgement. After Lupin had also dipped his head in greeting, Mr. Granger continued. "Now, I don't suppose you could give us any proof that Hermione really is your daughter? That you're the one who left her on our doorstep?"
"Wait." All eyes went to Hermione, who looked suddenly very afraid and almost nauseous. "Are you saying that I'm not your daughter? That I am adopted?"
"Sweetie, we realize we ought to have told you much sooner. But your father and I, we… we were going to wait until you were of age. I've never been able to have children. Your father wanted a daughter, or a son, so badly and I wished that I could have given him one. But you came along one night, crying on our doorstep, with a note on your blanket explaining that whoever put you there couldn't take care of you. We took you in and went through all of the adoption processes. When your original parents didn't show up, we were allowed to take complete custody of you," Mrs. Granger explained, reaching across the table to take her daughter's hand.
Hermione yanked it out of her mother's reach. "I need to use the loo," she gasped, and practically shoved her way past Lupin before she speedily walked to the nearest restroom.
"I'll go speak with her," Mrs. Granger offered, and got up to go after her adopted daughter.
Mr. Granger ran his hands over his face. "This wasn't the way it was supposed to go," he groaned in exhaustion. These past few nights had been difficult for him, especially since Hermione had written the letter.
"Things rarely go the way we mean them to," Lupin pointed out just as the waitress, Melissa, returned with their drinks.
"Are you ready to order? Or should I wait until the ladies return?" she asked.
"We'll wait," Mr. Granger told her, and the waitress disappeared again.
Mr. Granger and Professor Lupin stayed quiet only for a few seconds after the waitress left, when Mr. Granger said,
"Is there any way you can honestly prove that you're Hermione's biological father? I love her very much, you must understand, even if she isn't my own daughter I feel as though she is."
Professor Lupin nodded. "I understand completely. I have her wizarding birth log here with me, along with her birth certificate from St. Mungo's. I can show you my handwriting if you wish to see if it matches with the letter that Hermione had with her when she was found," he offered.
"I have it here," Mr. Granger replied, pulling out said letter from his jeans pocket.
In return, Lupin pulled out his own proof and handed it to Mr. Granger. The Muggle man looked it over, and with each passing second his belief that this man really was Hermione's father grew stronger. There was no way to question official documents such as this. And the handwriting matched to boot. Either this man truly was her father, or he simply had a lot of information on Hermione.
"Where's her mother, then? This… this Vivian Lupin?" asked Mr. Granger.
"Dead." Lupin answered the question just as quickly with Mr. Granger as he had with Hermione. "She was murdered when Hermione was… when she was still in our care. I can summon her death certificate if you would prefer." Lupin truly hoped that Mr. Granger was convinced enough. He didn't think he could stand it if he once again saw the proof that Vivian was gone from his life.
"Ah. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"
"I understand. You meant no harm."
Conversation subsided for a few minutes, and the booth was suddenly doused in a somewhat uncomfortable silence. It was broken when Mrs. Granger returned from the bathroom with Hermione at her side. The thirteen-year-old was wiping tears away from her chocolate brown eyes, and Lupin winced at the sight of her. He hadn't meant to cause so much grief and pain. Admitted, this wasn't entirely his fault, as the Grangers obviously hadn't told Hermione a thing, but he still felt somewhat responsible for her torn state.
Lupin got up to let Hermione in on his side. He expected her to remain frosty towards him, but instead she looked up at him with watery eyes and murmured, "Sorry." She slid in and Lupin sat down beside her, bewildered by her statement.
Hermione caught sight of the certificates and everything, and instantly pulled them toward her. She looked them over with a scrutinizing eye, as if to ensure their legality. Then she looked up at Professor Lupin. There was almost a defeated expression in her eyes, as though she was too tired to question the fact that Lupin was her father anymore.
"So, this… this Vivian Lupin is my mother?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Was, if you'll remember what I told you at the Hospital Wing," Lupin reminded her.
"Oh." Hermione's eyebrows furrowed. "What happened to her?"
"I'd rather not discuss it in a public place. It was rather… gruesome." Lupin scowled and shook his head, trying to clear those memories from his mind. "And I'm not sure how much Mr. and Mrs. Granger know about the wizarding world… I mean no offense by that, by the way."
"No, no," Mr. Granger supplied. "Tricia and I both know that there will be things about our… about Hermione that we will never truly understand. We take no offense whatsoever." He smiled, and Professor Lupin smiled in return.
And that seemed to be all that happened that evening. It was obvious that Mr. and Mrs. Granger believed that Professor Lupin was Hermione's true father. They asked him questions, things a father ought to know about their child. And he answered each question without hesitation and with complete honesty. As their time together wore on, the doubts any of them had about Professor Lupin slowly withered away.
Even Hermione couldn't deny that she was beginning to see the Professor in a new light.
She didn't see him as her father yet, but no longer was he really a source of stress. He was kind to her, never pushed or pressed her about things. In fact, most of the time he didn't even speak to her, which suited Hermione just fine. She was happy just to observe him with her parents. The conversation became laid-back after a while, and even while they were eating, it didn't subside into an awkward silence.
Professor Lupin of course noticed this too. But he wasn't nearly as bothered by Hermione's silence as some men might be. In fact, there was a new way in which she carried herself around him. At the beginning of the night, she was tense and almost hostile towards him. There was no sense of that hostility now, even if he could tell she hadn't fully accepted this yet.
But it was a start.
EOC: There we go! Now, Hermione doesn't really hate Lupin anymore, but she still has a ways to go. After all, this is very hard for her to accept, so don't be too angry with her! And more brotherly adorableness from Harry and Ron. They have to be useful for something, don't they? Well, I hope that green little button below looks somewhat appealing to you at this point, so please review! I know there were two or three I didn't respond to this time around - but I found them really late last night and I was uber tired. o_O Sorry! Love you all, and go Colts! May the best team win! (coughhopefullytheColtscough)
