February 21st 2008

She hadn't been able to do it. Not that she hadn't tried. She hadn't been actively avoiding Remus and life had returned pretty much back to normal, but every time they were alone she froze and they fell back into safe conversations about Teddy or their work. The problem was, she had almost tricked herself into thinking she had misheard what he had said. She could have, after all. She was fairly emotional and perhaps she had heard only what she wanted to hear. That happened, right?

So life was back to its normal rhythm and tonight found Hermione over with Remus and Teddy, having eaten dinner and now settled in the living room. Teddy had already had his bath and was about to go up for bed and he had, for some reason, asked Hermione to come to his bedroom for a minute. She had frowned but agreed and now sat on the edge of his bed as he watched her with sad eyes.

"Why can't you be my mum?" Teddy whispered suddenly and Hermione's heart almost broke. She pulled him into a hug and stroked his back, picking her words carefully.

"Just because I'm not your mum, sweetheart, doesn't mean I don't love you." She said as he laid back down and he nodded.

"I know, I love you too." Teddy shrugged, "But dad says you'll be an amazing mum one day and I wish you could be mine."

"He said that?" She asked with a sad smile and he nodded.

"Hermione?" He asked shyly

"Hmmm?" She hummed.

"Do you love my dad?" He asked and Hermione nodded as a tear escaped from her eye. Teddy sighed.

"You're both so silly!" He said loudly and Hermione shh-ed him before responding.

"Why do you say that, Teddy?" She sighed and he glared at her.

"Because he loves you and you love him and I love you both and you both love me, so why can't you just be my mum!" Teddy shouted and Hermione closed her eyes at the sound of a throat clearing in the hallway.

"Teddy, we talked about this." Remus said sternly and Teddy glared at him.

"But noones listening to me!" Teddy argued and Remus sighed.

"Hermione does not love me, Ted-"

"Yes I do!" She shouted suddenly before realising that she had said it out loud and covering her face, with her hands in embarrassment.

"See!" Teddy said, sounding far too smug. "And you told me you love her!"

"Teddy…" Hermione sighed, uncovering her face and turning to him.

"I think Hermione and I need to talk about this," Remus said over her and she turned shyly to him and nodded slightly, "Will you go to sleep now, Teddy?"

"Yes." Teddy said, smiling as he closed his eyes.

She turned to Remus and he gestured with his head towards the door before walking out. She followed him down the stairs and into the kitchen where they both stood very stiffly. Hermione dropped her head into her hands and groaned, before looking back at him and frowning.

"What… What just happened?" She asked and Remus snorted.

"I'm a little confused myself, to be honest," he said as he shrugged, "Um… Did you uh… Did you mean it?"

"Yup," She sighed, not seeing any point in lying to him any more.

"I uh… What now?" He asked and she shrugged, "This is ridiculous."

Suddenly he had crossed the room and his lips were against hers. Quite how he had gotten from where he had been to where he was now so quickly she had no idea, nor did she care as she felt his tongue brush her lip and a whimper escaped her as she wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed him into her mouth. His tongue brushed hers and a growl escaped him as he suddenly pushed her whole body backwards and she found herself pinned to the wall. His stubble was brushing against her skin and he tasted delicious as their tongues pushed against one another. Just as it was becoming hard to breathe, he pulled back slightly and gently nibbled her bottom lip, earning a moan from her, before pulling back completely, though not releasing her from the wall.

"Wow." She muttered and he chuckled, nodding. "We need to talk, right?"

"Not yet." He growled and his mouth was on hers again.

xxxxxxxxxx

It was almost three hours later when they were able to talk. Somehow they'd gone from snogging against the kitchen wall to being in his bed, naked and gasping for breath and Hermione couldn't even remember the journey from there to here. She would never forget what had happened once they got here though. It was magical.

"So..." She grinned, rolling onto her side and facing him.

"Indeed." Remus chuckled, mirroring her position. "I have loved you for a long time, you know that?"

"Since when?" She whispered and he smiled.

"Since the day that you bandaged up my son and held him like a mother would." He whispered and she felt tears well in her eyes as she looked at him. "I fell in love with you that day and then bonfire night…"

"It was you!" She gasped, "You whispered in my ear!"

"I did," he nodded, pushing some hair gently from her shoulder and trailing his fingers up and down her arm, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you to your face."

"I knew it was you." She smiled, intertwining their fingers when his hand reached hers. "So is this… Us, are we, you know?"

"If you would like to be my… Girlfriend?" She snorted and nodded, "Then I would be glad to be your boyfriend, no matter how utterly ridiculous that sounds."

Hermione laughed loudly as he tackled her into a hug and rolled onto her, looming over her and smiling softly before leaning in for a gentle kiss that rapidly got out of hand. Hermione couldn't believe the turn that the day had taken. It was like the craziest of romantic comedies. Somehow they had gone from her tucking in her friends son to being a couple in love in the space of a few hours and Hermione couldn't be happier. All thought left her mind as his lips descended down her naked body and he made love to her all over again, before falling asleep tangled around each other.