"George Weasley I am going to kill you." Hermione walked into Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes on her lunch break the day after her 'date' with Remus. Ignoring the handful of customers she went straight to where George was chatting to Angelina and made her threat.
"Now now Mione, don't be hasty." George said, backing as far away from her as he could while behind the counter.
"Oh, it won't be hasty, it'll be slow and extremely painful" She growled.
Angelina laughed at the way George was cowering. "What did he do now? Test a new product on you? Charm all your underwear silver and green?"
"He set me up on a date." Hermione said.
"That's not so bad is it? Annoying but well meant, surely?" Angelina said, puzzled as to why Hermione was so angry.
"With Remus."
"Remus? Lupin? As in our former professor?" Hermione nodded. "But, why? I mean, he's pretty hot, for an older guy, I suppose, but also kinda quiet and I guess he could be a bit dull."
"Actually, he's funny and really interesting to talk to. A complete gentleman and hot for a guy half his age." Hermione said, an odd feeling in her tummy when Angelina spoke so dismissively of Remus.
"So, why are you angry? He's funny, interesting, nice and hot, apparently. And you're yelling at George for setting you up?"
"I'm not angry because he set me up with Remus, I'm angry because he set me up with Remus." Hermione replied.
"Yeah, that made no sense at all." George said, feeling safer about joining the conversation now Hermione had lowered the wand which had previously been pointed at him.
Hermione sighed. "I mean I'm not angry that you set me up with him because there are far worse people you could've tricked me into going to dinner with, but then it's Remus, who I'm friends with, and you could've made that really awkward. He probably still sees me as just a former student, so now I'll look like some silly school girl with a crush."
George looked a touch ashamed of himself, but Angelina merely smiled. "So you are interested in him then?" She asked
"That's not what I said." Hermione protested.
Angelina grinned knowingly. "Haven't you ever heard that sometimes what isn't said speaks louder than what is? After all you haven't said you're not interested either." Hermione stared at the other woman, not saying anything. "If you only had friend type feelings you would've have a nice night with a friend, told him as much and wandered in here to tell George he was wasting his time since you didn't feel like that about Remus. And everyone would have a giggle over it, and George's attempt at playing Cupid."
Hermione looked curiously at Angelina. She didn't know her well, just from George's constant praise recently really. She'd always put her down as just another Quidditch obsessive, one of the lads. Clearly there was more to the very perceptive woman than Hermione had given her credit for.
"I..I'm... we...he." Hermione sighed. "It's just not like that. I guess I have a bit of a crush, but that's all, really."
"But you want it to be more?" Angelina said.
"It's not that I don't want I to be, it's that it can't be." Hermione looked at her watch. "I'd better get back to work. See you for dinner tomorrow?" She said to George.
"Am I forgiven?" He asked. Hermione leant over and kissed his cheek.
"Course you are." She glanced at Angelina. "Let me know how many I'm cooking for." With a final smile she made her way out of the shop.
"That girl's in serious denial" She heard George say as the door swung shut behind her. Hermione laughed ruefully as she walked away. She wasn't in denial, she knew she was attracted to Remus, that a single word or action from her could've meant a very different ending to their date, but was she ready to let someone in?
Can't make omelettes without breaking eggs, she heard her grandmother's voice in her head, and you can't find true love without a little heartache on the way. You can keep your heart safe, but safe sounds lonely to me. You might need to break eggs for omelettes, but broken eggs didn't hurt as much as broken hearts. Might if you're the egg. The old lady's voice sounded, laughter in her tone. She wished so hard for her Gran sometimes, she always knew what to say to make her feel better, but she had died years earlier.
Hermione shook her head and went back to work, trying to distract herself from thoughts of laughing eyes, sandy brown hair, and sinfully sexy smiles. She didn't get much work done that afternoon, especially since she kept remembering snatches of a dream the night before. There had been chocolate and Remus, and she had woken with a wet heat between her legs and an ache in her heart.
He was crossing the Atrium at the Ministry when he heard his name being called. Turning he spotted Harry and Ron headed towards him.
"Hello you two." He greeted them.
"Hi Remus. What brings you to the Ministry?" Harry asked.
"Kingsley wanted to see me." Remus said.
"Oh?" Ron said. "What did you do that meant the Minister himself was involved?" He asked with a grin.
Remus laughed. "Nothing. He's planning on revising a lot of the laws pertaining to werewolves and wants me to act as a liaison between the DCRMC and the werewolf community. A lot of werewolves are very wary of mainstream wizarding society, and Kingsley thinks that with me to mediate we should be able to involve the werewolves in the changes, making them feel involved and not dictated to for once."
"That's great Remus." Ron said. "Actually, I think Hermione mentioned something about it on Saturday, maybe you guys will be working together."
Harry frowned at the mention of their best friend. "Speaking of Hermione, I wanted you to know that I wasn't involved in Ginny and George's plot last night, she only told me afterwards, even if my name was involved somewhere."
"What plot's this?" Ron asked, confused.
"George and Ginny set Mione and I up on a date last night." Remus explained.
"I really am sorry, I'd have tried to talk them out of it if I'd known." Harry apologized.
"Wait, why would they set you two up?" Ron was still confused, even after the explanation.
"I suppose they think we would make a good couple, and were trying to be helpful." Remus suggested.
"Well obviously you'd make a good couple, but surely pushing one of the most stubborn people they know into a relationship doesn't seem like a good plan, even to Gin and George." Ron said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"You think we'd make a good couple?" Remus asked, slightly surprised. "And I'm not that stubborn."
Ron laughed. "Not you mate, Mione."
"As for you guys as a couple," Harry added, "in theory you'd be great. Both intelligent, caring people. But that has to be you and Hermione's decision, not anyone else's."
"You don't mind the idea?" Remus was struggling to get his head around the extent of the maturity the two younger wizards were showing. He knew they had grown up recently, but this was a bit staggering really. "I'm so much older than her, a werewolf, I have nothing to offer her."
Both Harry and Ron laughed. "Hermione was never going to end up with a man her own age, she's way too mature." Harry said. "We don't care you're a werewolf, you know that. As for what you can offer her, you can love her, care for her, make her feel like the most wonderful, special person in the world. And that's what our Hermione needs." Harry shrugged. "But it's all entirely up to you what happens, it's really none of our business."
"If you do end up together though bear in mind that we'll kill you if you hurt her. Promise." Ron added.
Remus smiled. "I'd expect nothing less. But there's nothing going on between us." Unfortunately, he added mentally. "I'm glad you would be supportive, but I think it's probably a bit premature. There's a lot to consider." His eyes looked sad as he spoke. Harry and Ron exchanged glances that quite clearly wished a world of pain onto Tonks for hurting Remus so badly.
"Right, well, anyway, you coming to the fortnightly dinner tomorrow?" Harry asked. "Hermione's hosting this time, and she's a wicked cook. Makes amazing chocolate puddings." He said with a mischievous grin.
Remus hesitated a moment before replying. While seeing Hermione might be awkward, especially given how desperately he had wanted to kiss her, to erase every memory of Tonks by losing himself in her, he had to see her sometime. Plus they were a nice group of people, willing to overlook the fact that he had taught nearly all of them and accept him. "Yeah why not? Where does Hermione live?"
Harry gave him the address and the three parted ways, leaving Remus with a lot to think about as he headed to the fireplaces to floo home. It seemed that everyone but he and Hermione had an opinion on Remus-and-Hermione, that it had been considered and wasn't a ridiculous idea. He sighed. He knew how he felt, but was it just a physical attraction, a rebound? He didn't think so but he couldn't be sure. Besides which Hermione wasn't interested, regardless of what anyone else said, why would she be? It was pointless to hope for what couldn't be, he should be grateful for her friendship. And stop thinking of how beautiful she had grown, and how good she would feel wrapped around him, moaning as he pounded her into his mattress. He groaned as he stepped out of his fireplace.
"Just friends," he insisted to himself. He glanced down at the bulge in his trousers, "yeah, right."
A/N An update in less than a week! I'm so proud of me. Reviews always welcomed.
