Remus ended up coming through on his proposal to revenge on Pansy and Draco. In class a few days after the full moon, Hermione noted that he was in an unusually bright mood. There was also something suspicious about the way he was inspecting the room, his eyes straying to the Syltherins for extended periods of time.
The class was practicing shielding spells. Hermione was paired up with Harry. Ron had run off to work with Lavender for some unknown reason. Hermione and Harry were already experts at shielding and wards. She had practiced and researched the curriculum most of the summer, and Harry always excelled in DADA. It was because of this that they were very relaxed about the day's activities.
Draco and Pansy were working together, and unfortunately right beside Harry and Hermione. Pansy had erected her shield, and Draco was firing hexes at it, as the activity mandated for their practice. Every once in awhile, Pansy would slip up and catch a nasty stinging hex from Draco. This was quite amusing to Harry and Hermione.
"Ouch, Draco!" Pansy hissed, jumping backwards when her shield failed.
Harry snickered under his breath. He was lazily flicking spells at Hermione's shield, with stood proud and steady.
"What are you laughing at, Potter?" Pansy spat, noticing Harry's amusement. She glared at Hermione as well, who was trying to hide her little smile of satisfaction. "Oh, wipe that smile off your face, Mudblood." She said it quiet enough so that only Hermione, Harry, and Draco could hear.
Harry instantly stiffened at the word, but before he could let his anger get ahead of him, Pansy let out the strangest noise. It was a strangled sort of squeak that came out of her mouth. Her eyes grew wide with alarm, and she made the noise again, louder this time.
Hermione watched Pansy closely. The noise she was making sounded almost like…
"She sounds like a pig," Harry muttered, a shocked, yet amused expression on his face.
Pansy oinked several more times in panic. Half the class was now giggling. Remus was still sitting at his desk, pretending to be oblivious to what was going on. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, and then looked back to Pansy. He wouldn't… would he?
"What did you do, Mudblood?" Draco growled, stepping closer to Hermione. Harry was now at her side, along with Ron. They both seemed to be prepared to curse Draco, but then, just as he spat out the word "Mudblood", his expression changed. He opened his mouth to say something else, but a high-pitched barking noise came out instead.
Harry and Ron seemed to have caught on, and let out roars of laughter. Hermione made the connection that these noises were a result of Draco and Pansy calling her a Mudblood. Malfoy barked angrily, but he still sounded like a yippy little poodle. Pansy made the occasional oinking noise, her face red with embarrassment.
Hermione once again looked over to Remus' desk. He was now standing up, walking towards the group of students. For a moment, his eyes flicked to meet hers, and he winked conspiratorially. Hermione's jaw dropped. He had done this! Of all the irresponsible things for a teacher to do!
Oh, but she had to admit, it was rather funny. Draco had a hand clamped over his mouth and Pansy was still making outraged chortling sounds. Most of the Gryffindors were roaring with laughter, including Harry and Ron.
"Professor Lupin, something's happened to Draco and Pansy!" one of the other Slytherins desperately tried to talk to Remus over the laughter.
"Ah, I see," Remus murmured, a calm expression on his face. Hermione was surprised by his self-mastery, but then again, he was a Marauder. "Looks like some sort of Weasley product gone wrong?" He showed false concern over Pansy and Draco. "Not to worry, it already seems to be wearing off."
Sure enough, Pansy stopped oinking. "What was that?" she screeched, a sour look on her face. After a moment, Draco regained his voice. He was glaring at Harry and Hermione suspiciously, but didn't dare say a word to them. Hermione got quite a kick out of that. Here he was, afraid to talk to her. Perhaps this wasn't the worst thing Remus could have done.
Suddenly, the bell rang. The crowd of students dispersed, grabbing their books and filing out of the classroom. Laughter and amusement still hung heavy in the air. Pansy and Draco nearly bolted out of the room.
Harry and Ron looked like Christmas had come early. Hermione shared a look with them and their eyes flicked to Remus curiously. They were silently asking if Remus was the cause of all that. Hermione nodded reluctantly, confirming their suspicious. She then moved to approach Remus, who was standing beside his desk, packing up some papers.
"You could have just given them a detention for calling me that," Hermione mused, watching Remus pack his things. Harry and Ron were behind her, still grinning with satisfaction. The classroom was empty except for the four of them.
Remus smirked, "Ah, but that takes all the fun out of it. Besides, this way they actually learn not to do it again. Detention doesn't get anything done around here."
Hermione crossed her arms, "You know I don't approve of this."
"Well I think it was bloody brilliant," Ron beamed.
"Agreed," Harry piped. They were both staring at Remus as if he was some sort of god. Hermione rolled her eyes dramatically and bid Remus a farewell, dragging the boys off to Transfiguration.
The prank on Pansy and Draco was talked about through most of the school over the next day or so. Hermione found out that Remus was quite pleased with himself, and really, she couldn't complain. Things would probably be a lot easier now that Draco and Pansy were afraid to speak to her. A good mood carried her through to the next week, but she soon realized that there were things that needed to be attended to One of those things was the conversation she had promised Harry she would have with Remus.
It was late in the evening. Hermione had just slipped inside the room after coming from the common room. She spotted Remus sitting in front of the fire. "Can I ask you a question?" her voice was quiet, but it carried over to him.
Remus looked up from the book he was reading, "Of course," he assured, examining Hermione's anxious expression.
She moved to sit down across from him. There was a quaint fire flickering in the fireplace, and it was growing dark outside. She had promised to do this for Harry a while ago, and it was about time she got around to actually having this conversation.
"I was wondering," she paused hesitantly, "if you can tell me something about a particular aspect of dark magic."
He closed his book and set it aside before focusing his full attention on the girl across from him. There was a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. "What is it?"
She swallowed dryly, "Well- um- I don't want to alarm you or anything, but it's pretty dark, and the reason I'm coming to you is because Harry, Ron, and I are at a loss of information."
Remus nodded, "Go on."
"Horcruxes," she said, her voice flat.
He didn't show much of a reaction, except for the slight quirk of an eyebrow. A silence stretched between them.
"Harry's been having meetings with Dumbledore about V-Voldemort." She explained quickly, "Dumbledore is withholding information from Harry, and we're trying to figure out why."
Remus took a deep breath, "Dumbledore thinks Voldemort made a Horcrux." His expression was ashen.
"Several."
He watched her for a long moment, before letting out a curse under his breath. She was surprised by his vulgarity, unable to remember ever hearing him curse before.
Hermione began to explain most of the story and what they knew of the Horcruxes. She told him about Tom Riddle's diary, the ring, and what happened in the cave at the end of the previous year. "Harry says Dumbledore almost died, and the Horcrux was a fake anyways. Now he's been shutting Harry out more and more." Hermione sighed, "Dumbledore is trying to protect Harry, but we all agree that he deserves to know more. We don't even know what half of the Horcruxes might be, and Dumbledore won't tell Harry anything else."
"I'm sure Albus has a good reason for doing this," Remus interjected. The shadows on his face flickered in the firelight.
Hermione fell back against the cushioned armchair. "We're just trying to shed light on it. You can't deny that Dumbledore's been acting at least a little manipulative lately."
He closed his eyes, as if contemplating what he was going to say to Hermione. After a long moment, he spoke, "so you want to know if I know anything about Horcurxes?"
She nodded.
He shrugged, "Well, I think you already know more than I ever learned about the subject. I'm afraid I probably won't be much help to you, but I can keep an eye out, and there's likely something sitting around the library at Headquarters. Next time I have a chance, I can look."
"Thanks," she said, smiling lightly. There was a strange edge in the atmosphere, but it was something Hermione was relatively familiar with. Talk of war and Voldemort usually brought about this sort of tenseness.
Hermione relayed this conversation to the boys the following evening. Harry was glad to hear that Remus seemed to be on their side. Ron was still a bit uncomfortable talking about Remus in general. "I'm going to talk to Lavender," the redhead grumbled out after awhile, getting up and moving to the other side of the common room.
"Is that a thing again, you think?" Harry asked, wincing as he watched Ron sit near Lavender and her friends. He was referencing the former relationship between Ron and Lavender.
"I certainly hope not," Hermione replied, "though I suppose Ron can do what he wants."
Harry turned to look at her, a contemplative expression on his face. "So… are you over him, then?"
She was surprised by his forwardness. "Oh… well yes, I suppose I am."
Harry smiled ever so slightly. She knew that he had been aware of her previous feelings for Ron, but she didn't think he paid this much attention.
"I think I just needed things to be put into perspective," she muttered, running a hand over the fabric of her skirt.
"I understand," he assured. Hermione was struck by the strange, insightful mood he seemed to be in.
"How are you and Ginny, then?" she questioned after a moment.
Harry's eyebrows pulled together, "we're fine." He propped his elbow on his knee and rested his chin on his hand. There was a strange gloom about him all of a sudden.
"Are you sure? It seems like something's wrong."
He sighed. "She's been asking a lot of questions… about the Horcruxes and Dumbledore and what I'm going to do if something happens."
"And you haven't been answering her questions?" Hermione asked, a hint of irritation in her tone. She understood Harry's trepidation to tell Ginny these things, but honestly, they were far too deep in their relationship for him to abstain from answering these questions.
"I just don't want to see her dragged into this war." He seemed tired, and for a moment, much older than his seventeen years.
"Harry," Hermione spoke firmly, "She's going to be involved in this war whether you like it or not. I'm sure she already feels isolated enough – we all do – and it's not going to keep her safe if you don't communicate. Unless she's shipped off to another country, she's bound to be involved. I think you should talk to her."
He considered her for a moment before nodding. "You're right."
Hermione bit back an 'Of course I am' and stood. "I should get out of here. I have to do some rounds tonight."
Harry said goodbye and she left, taking one last glance at Ron, who was engaged in a seemingly enthralling conversation with Lavender. She found it strange that there wasn't a familiar ache in her chest at the sight of them being together. Last year, she had felt such terrible sadness when she saw them together. Now, it just felt normal. She was over Ron, but was that a result of someone else being on her mind? Hermione certainly hoped she wasn't developing feelings for Remus. He surely didn't feel anything out of the ordinary for her.
No, she wouldn't let herself develop a silly crush on Remus.
It wasn't long before another fortnightly deadline came around for Remus and Hermione. It was nearing Halloween now. Hermione figured that before she knew it, December would be coming along, and with it, the holidays. She wondered what would happen when she left Hogwarts. It would be the first time she would have to see the Weasleys and possibly other Order members. That would definitely be awkward…
"You look like you're thinking too hard about something," Remus murmured. He had just stepped in from his office. Apparently, a couple Hufflepuffs had detentions to serve.
"I was thinking about the Christmas holidays," she replied, biting her lip in thought.
He chuckled, "We've not even gotten past Halloween yet."
"I know," she explained, "I suppose I am thinking a little too far in advance." She stood up from the couch to face Remus. Her homework was spread across the coffee table that sat in front of the fire.
"Do you need to finish this?" he asked, pointing at the papers and textbooks spread across the table.
"No, I've got plenty of time to do it tomorrow. Shall we?" she asked, inclining her head towards the bedroom. There was an excitement building within her. She was more than ready for the intimacy that they were about to share. They'd only done it twice, but she was becoming more familiar with him, and that lent itself to more enjoyable activities.
"Of course," he said curtly, leading the way into the bedroom.
She noticed that he hadn't shaved in at least a day. There was a bit of stubble on his jaw and chin. He closed the door to the bedroom and Hermione instantly moved in. She kissed his jaw, then his mouth, giggling at how his stubble tickled her lips. He appeared to be pleased by her good mood and responded with fervor. It wasn't long before he was sitting on the edge of the bed, Hermione straddling him.
She began to unbutton his shirt methodically. In the dimly lit bedroom, he looked more handsome than ever. She wondered it this crush that was developing was just a result of the sex. She could hazily recall reading somewhere that women released some sort of hormones after sex, causing emotional attachment.
Was this happening to her? Could meaningless sex be creating these feelings? She knew that Remus probably didn't share the feelings at all. Perhaps it was the fact that he was her first sexual partner, and a good sexual partner at that.
"I think you're thinking too hard again," Remus' gruff voice cut through her thoughts. She had been looking down at his shirt as she undid the buttons one by one. He placed his hand on her jaw, lifting her face to look at him. "Anything on your mind?"
She shook her head, "Sorry, I just got caught up in something." Before he could say anything else, she was kissing him again, molding her body against his. That seemed to get his mind off of things.
They were both lying under the sheets in bed, naked, coming down from their highs. Hermione looked over at Remus, examining his form. He was staring at the ceiling, a tranquil, post-coital expression on his face. She watched his chest rise and fall as his breathing slowed down. Tonight he had been much less rowdy than the previous time, but it was still just as exhilarating as Hermione remembered. She loved having sex with Remus, and that was a fact that would probably take awhile to completely understand.
Shifting closer to him, Hermione examined his abdomen, at least the half of it that she could see from this angle. It was brighter in the room right now, a few candles were lit and intensified by Remus' handiwork. While removing his shirt earlier, she had noticed for the first time that the scars on the left side of his body seemed more prominent than those on the right. Now, in clearer light, she could see evidence of this again. Plus, the scars seemed to be very recent in some places. She wondered if he still hurt himself, every full moon.
Without thinking much on it, her hand reached out to trace a line along his ribcage. Remus stiffened, as if he hadn't expected her to touch him. They didn't really do this sort of thing: touching each other so comfortably when they didn't have to have sex. Still, she persisted, tracing a couple of scars while gauging his reaction.
He seemed to calm down after the initial touch of her hand. Now, he just stared at the ceiling, a contemplative look on his face.
Going out on a limb, Hermione decided to ask the question she had been thinking about. "Why are the scars worse on this side of your body?"
Remus took a deep breath before replying. It seemed that he had been expecting her question. "It's from another werewolf. A lot of these are from this previous summer. For some reason the werewolf only managed to get at this side of my body."
She was sure that her expression was one of shock. He looked so accepting of this fact. "What happened?" she queried, almost outraged by what had happened to him.
He tilted his head to look at her. There was sadness and worry in his eyes. "It's quite a long story, but I'll tell you if you'd like to know."
She watched him for a moment before nodding. "Only if you want to."
Remus nodded. "Over the summer, Albus began to think more and more about preparations for the war. In the Order, we discussed what we needed to do to face off against Voldemort. As you know, Voldemort's followers are growing quickly. We needed to gain more followers on our side. That was when Albus looked to me for help."
"Help?" Hermione asked, unable to see how this connected to him getting attacked by a werewolf.
"Yes," he continued, "Albus wanted to get a werewolf pack that I am familiar with on our side. I traveled with this pack many years ago, shortly after James and Lily died. They're based in Germany, a very nomadic group of werewolves that travel together. Albus asked me to go find them, try to establish some relationships so that when the time came, we could bring them into the fight."
"And they turned against you?" She traced another scar, the longest of the bunch. It stretched all the way across his ribcage.
"Well, not exactly," he took a deep breath. She could see the memories swimming in his eyes, "I formed some generally good relationships, and was accepted into the pack rather easily. I stayed there for a month or so, but there was one man in particular that I had a few problems with. His name was Rorik, and he felt that I had usurped his power in the group." Remus paused, deep in thought. "Rorik attacked me on one of the full moons. He was very strong, too strong for me."
Hermione felt a pain in her chest. She could tell that the memory was a dark place for Remus to go to. "Were you alright?" she asked, her voice quiet and gentle.
"I almost died," he whispered. She watched as his hand moved to draw a line across the most prominent of the scars on his chest. "But Albus gave me an emergency Portkey to use in case I was in trouble. I used it in the morning, and managed to get back here. I was pretty beaten up, but Poppy took care of me… and I'm okay now."
Hermione's anger leapt at the injustice of it. "Dumbledore never should have asked that of you," she exclaimed, sitting up in bed and beginning her rant. She didn't even pay any attention to the fact that she was still completely naked. "That was dangerous and manipulative of him. Did he know the danger that the other werewolves posed to you? I can't believe he made you do that!"
There was a ghost of an amused smile on Remus' face, which she belatedly realized was a result of the naked tirade that she had just gone on. "Albus didn't make me do anything," he said, his voice cool and collected, "I was completely in support of the idea."
Hermione's shoulders sagged. "Why?"
Remus turned his head and looked back up at the ceiling. "We need help in this war. I don't really care about the risk I'm putting myself in. I'd give my life for this world to be rid of Voldemort."
Sadness took the place of all the anger Hermione had been feeling just a moment ago. The war had been looming for years, and now it was closer than ever. Her voice was quiet and tentative when she spoke. "Do you think you'll die?"
He took a deep, shuddering breath, turning his head to look at her once again. "I've accepted that it's a possibility."
Hermione looked at him forlornly. She felt a terrible ache in her chest building. She had always considered the possibility of herself dying in the war, but now it seemed more real than ever, and she hated the idea of someone like Remus, who had gone through so much in his life, dying.
It wasn't until he reached a hand out to wipe her cheek that Hermione realized she was crying. She shuddered and allowed him to pull her down against his chest. She let him wrap his arms around her and hold her tightly against him. With her head resting on his chest, Hermione cried silently. He pulled them under the covers together and held her while they drifted off to sleep. She could feel his even breaths in the movement of his chest and the tickle of air against her forehead as he exhaled. His breathing was calming, along with the feel of his arm wrapped around her waist. She focused on these things instead of all the other terrible thoughts swimming through her mind, eventually growing tired.
Hermione was too emotionally drained to understand it, but something had definitely shifted between them.
Author's Note: Thanks to NeonDomino for brainstorming pranking ideas with me, and ultimately helping me put together Remus' method of revenge on Draco and Pansy.
So I think that this chapter was mostly relationship development/sorting out the Horcruxes thing. Soon, we'll get to the holidays and that's when things really pick up. I have a long plan of this story written out, and I'm excited for you guys to see all the things I have in store. There are some very interesting things to come.
Coming up next: The looming war becomes more present than ever for Hermione.
