Don't own HP or characters.
Just so you are all aware, I am putting thought into the colors of both Tonks and Teddy's hair. I probably should have shared this earlier. I will from now on.
Meaning behind the choice of Purple (last chapter) for Tonks' feelings on prepping for her date: Royalty, Selfless, Ceremony, Mysterious, Transformation, and Fantasy
Meaning behind the choice of Turquoise (last chapter) for Teddy's feelings about getting to see Hermione: Calm, Creative, Peaceful, Joyful, and Aware. But also, kids are said to be very intuitive, so he can feel the awkwardness: Secrecy, Indecisive, and Dishonesty
Meaning behind the choice of White/Yellow (this chapter) for Teddy's feelings toward Hermione: Purity, Peace, Innocence, Youth/Joy, Happiness, Imagination.
Remember to R&R…otherwise how do I know you enjoyed it? ;)
Chapter 12
"Oh how you frightened me!" she cried. "I never knew how much I loved you until just now, when I feared I was too late to save your life."
"Can you really love such an ugly creature as I am?" said the Beast faintly. "Beauty, will you marry me?"
She answered softly, "Yes, dear Beast."
As she spoke a blaze of light sprang up before the windows of the palace; fireworks crackled and guns banged, and across the avenue of orange trees, in letters all made of fire-flies, was written: "Long live the Prince and his Bride."
Turning to ask the Beast what it could all mean, Beauty found that he had disappeared and in his place stood her long-loved Prince!
The marriage was celebrated the very next day with the utmost splendor, Beauty and the Prince lived happily ever after. The End.
Hermione peered down at the sleeping little boy by her side. His hair was the whitest she had ever seen it. She set her mother's copy of Beauty and the Beast on the nightstand. Rising slowly from the bed, so not to disturb him, she pulled the sheets up further around Teddy's small body and kissed the top of his head, his hair changing slightly, adding a few shades of light yellow.
"Good night, sweetie," she whispered, stroking his warm cheek.
Taking her book with her, she switched off the lamp. She walked quietly from the room.
"My-Knee?" his small voice squeaked.
"Yes, Teddy?" she turned at the threshold, facing toward his small twin sized bed.
"I wuv you," he said with a sleepy smile.
The words made her heart sing. "I love you too, Teddy. I will see you soon, all right?"
"You pwomise?"
"Yes, I promise. Now, go to sleep."
His eyes closed, as he drifted off into a dreamlike state, a smile on his face. She pulled the door closed, shaking her head thinking to herself how adorable he was.
Replacing the bedtime story with her journal of her and Remus' transferred conversations from her small, purple, beaded handbag, she settled into the comfortable couch in the family room. She had enchanted the handbag with an undetectable extension charm on it. Inside, there were dozens and dozens of her most treasured possessions. Some of them were items she kept for safety; some were for sentimental reasons, her Instant Writing Journal being one of the most sacred.
She stared blankly at their hundreds, perhaps thousands of words scrawled all over the parchment pages.
"I love you," he had said, looking up. He looked at her, she knew he did. The moment was on repeat, replaying over and over in her mind. Those three little words that held so much meaning sent her over the edge. She wasn't even certain they were meant for her. But the idea that they might have been was enough to fill her body with excitement—and nerves.
x x x
The fireplace spewed green fire while Floo powder glittered the room. Remus and Tonks stepped through to the comfort of their cozy home.
"You have a good time? I—" she spotted Hermione on the couch, sleeping peacefully. "I did," she finished at a whisper.
His eyes moved to the beautiful brunette lying on his couch, a book—of course—draped across her rising and falling chest. "Me too," he whispered back.
"I'm going to go say goodnight to Teddy. Then I'm going to get out of these clothes and hop in the bath," she raised her eyebrows suggestively. "Join me in the bedroom in about twenty minutes for your birthday present?"
He pulled his hands out of his pockets, raking his fingers through his hair. "Sure," he said softly, "I'll let Hermione know we're home."
His wife smiled gently and disappeared around the corner, headed toward their son's room.
Only once he was positive that she was far enough away, he knelt down next to her. He took the book off of her chest and was about to close it when his own handwriting stopped him. He got the feeling that every single one of the conversations he had ever had with her were there. The thought that she would keep all of them was strangely flattering. He smiled, stroking the fallen curls out of her face. She cooed, stirring in her sleep.
"Hermione, honey," he said tenderly. "We're back, sweetie."
She nuzzled her cheek against his large open palm, blinking her eyes open. "Am I dreaming?" she asked.
"No, why?"
"It just seems that whenever I see you, I am either dreaming or someone ends up interrupting us."
"Yes," he said with a sigh. "That does seem to be the case more often than not, doesn't it?" He peered down at her, holding her gaze, gently stroking her cheek. Licking his lower lip and exhaling deeply, he squeezed his eyes shut. "Maybe," he sighed again, "maybe it's better—that we don't have any real time alone together."
She stared at him with those big brown eyes of hers. "Yeah," she breathed, "Maybe."
The room began to feel smaller the longer they stared at each other. She needed to leave before she did anything—stupid—that may jeopardize their friendship or his marriage.
"I should go," she whispered, pulling his large hand away from her small face. She sat up, swinging her legs around to the front of the sofa.
"Forgive me?" his voice cracked as he spoke the question.
"For what?"
"For having these kinds of thoughts," he confessed.
She swallowed hard trying to pretend that his words didn't affect her.
Standing almost immediately, combing a hand through his hair, he looked down at the girl sitting on his couch.
Nodding quickly, she cleared her throat, stating the exact opposite of how she felt. "Well, if it's getting too hard, maybe we shouldn't write each other anymore."
He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it just as quickly, unsure how to respond to her statement. He shook his head, looking at the floor.
"It's what you want, isn't it?" she asked.
"It would certainly make things easier," and it would.
She knew that by not speaking to him on a day-to-day basis would help her to move on with her life—not that she wanted to move on from him—but she had to. Not just for her sake, but for his son, for his wife, for him. She would not be selfish any longer.
"Yes," she agreed. "I imagine it would." Her eyes stung as small tears prickled the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill over.
After a beat, he repeated her question. "Is it what you want?"
The words hung thick in the air, neither wanting to meet the other's eyes.
It took all the strength she had to look him straight in the eye and lie. She was doing this for him. "Yes," she gulped. "It's what I want."
Pop!
x x x
Hermione cried herself to sleep that night—and the next. The next few weeks that followed their awful goodbye were simply miserable. She'd never had to handle something quite as large as this before.
When she and Viktor Krum had decided to stop dating, she had felt relieved. When Ron finally stopped asking her out, she felt less annoyed. But ever since Remus stopped talking to her, she felt like a piece of her life was missing. Her heart ached; she had a giant hole where her feelings for him used to be.
She often picked up her journal. She'd thought about destroying it so that she no longer had the temptation, but could never bring herself to do it.
A month or so passed by when Hermione Granger awoke with a need for a fresh start. She somehow managed to snap herself out of the wretched funk she had gotten into; just decided that she no longer was going to feel sorry for herself.
She needed to move on and that was exactly what she was going to do.
Her new assignment at The Daily Profit could not have come at a better time. She dove headfirst into her research for the article and put Remus Lupin as far out of her mind as she possibly could.
x x x
"Hey 'Mione," the voice that stood at her desk shook slightly.
She was mesmerized, looking only at the parchment she had mostly illegible scribbles all over. Welcoming the break from her current paper, she looked up at the recognizable voice that was Ronald Weasley.
"Ron!" she greeted happily. She pushed back her chair and popped up to give her friend a hug. "It feels like it's been ages since I've seen you."
"Um, yeah," Ron mumbled into her bushy hair. Once they parted, he looked at her. He wrung his hands nervously. "Mum wanted me to invite you for Easter at the Burrow."
Her brow furrowed at the mention of a get-together. "Who's all going?" she asked trying to keep an even tone.
"Mum and Dad, of course," he said, counting with his thumb and index finger together. Adding his middle and ring fingers, "Fred and George," his pinky and next hand, "Harry, Ginny, Bill, Fleur, Percy, Remus, Tonks, and Teddy, Sirius and his date, Hagrid's said he'd come too—."
The only name that Hermione heard was Remus.
"—Luna, Neville, Dumbledore,—"
"Are you inviting anyone?" she interrupted, not waiting for him to finish the guest list that appeared to be never ending.
"You mean as my date?"
Hermione blushed at that, "Um, yeah."
"Haven't really thought about it," he shrugged his shoulders. "Mum keeps trying to set me up. Maybe I should bring someone so she'd stop trying." He sounded so sad, defeated almost, like he'd given up on women.
"I could be your date," she said shyly.
His eyes lit up, a smile playing upon his lips. "Thanks, 'Mione. That would help loads. She just won't get off my back about finding someone to settle down with. Ever since Harry and Ginny announced their engagement at Christmas, she's been dropping hints about my dating life. Mum loves you—you'll be the perfect distraction."
"Great," she smiled. "It's a date then."
So…what'd ya think? I'm so sorry this chapter is so short and that it's taken me so long to update. I had a bit of writer's block. I was trying to add a different scene entirely to this and just decided that for time's sake that I would save it for later.
Hope that you all continue to enjoy this fic as I am still very much so enjoying writing it. There is more Ron/Hermione to come and DEFINITELY more Remus/Hermione to come in the future. ;)
R&R pleeeease? And thank you!
