CHAPTER 23

The Flavus Moon, as Hermione had named her cottage and the Godric Hollow were no longer as secluded as they used to be. Hermione had granted Severus her permission to stay at her cottage for as long as he wanted. Remus was slightly uncomfortable with it. Neither man nor wolf wanted another wizard to live with her witch. So, he had taken to sleeping at her cottage.

"Remus, you know you have said good night to me for the fourth time." Hermione asked slightly amused at his behavior. It was almost like he didn't want to leave.

"Did I?" He said, wrapping his arms around her as he pulled him close and breathed in her hair.

"You must sleep. The full moon's day after tomorrow. Don't tire yourself, love." She said rubbing his arms in a comforting manner.

"I know I want to sleep too." He sighed. "I just don't want to leave you." He admitted.

Hermione chuckled and planted a quick kiss on his lips.

"Then come on." She pulled his hand and he stared at her bemused. She took him to her bedroom. "Stay here with me." The grin that broke into his face was like a child.

"You sure?" he asked, trying and failing in containing his amusement. Remus was cute. They were officially a couple now. It won't be the first time they would wake up together and still he was so shy in asking. She knew that he felt that she would consider it over stepping but Hermione didn't. Just like her presence seemed to help Remus during his PMS, his presence helped her calm down and kept her nightmares away. As Remus got ready for bed and lied down, his face broke into a smile and his eyes heavy with sleep, she snuggled close to his chest. He slid his hand around her waist.

"Remus." She said.

"hmm?" he asked , losing himself to sleep already.

"Doesn't it get crowded in Godric's Hollow with all you, Lily, James and Sirius?"

"sometimes." He mumbled.

"Why don't you come live here?" she asked , unsure if he would even want. Just like Remus Lupin always wondered if she would like him, Hermione Granger too had her doubts. She knew she was hopelessly in love with the werewolf. She also knew that he was close to her because he spent most time with her given the fact that his wolf needed her. But when he started the potion, will he still? The Remus Lupin of her future had never had the improved potion twice so she wouldn't know. Remus liked her, it was evident in his behavior, but did he love her? She knew it was too quick for her to ask him to move in. But he seemed so reluctant to leave and happy when she asked him to stay, she couldn't stop herself from asking.

Her disturbing thoughts when Remus kissed her passionately answering her question without saying anything.

"Do you know I wanted to ask that today?" he said happily.

"Now you form full sentences , idiot!" she laughed. Remus grinned and yawned. "My idiot." She corrected planting a soft kiss on his forehead and placed her hand on his chest, gently tracing shapes on his skin which she knew helped him relax. Very soon, Remus was asleep and so was Hermione.

Remus moved into the Flavus Moon next day. He even found that Severus wasn't a bad company once he moved past the old rivalry. It seemed that Severus had unknowingly tied his loyalty to Hermione and sometimes let his mask down when she was in company. Since Lily had mended her broken friendship with Severus and the boys have started tolerating his presence.

Two days later, a silver phoenix came and announced that Dumbledore wanted to meet Hermione. It was time for questions and answers for Hermione.

"Lemon drops?" Dumbledor asked when she entered his cabin.

"No thank you. What do you want to discuss Albus?"

"You must know, Hermione, magic isn't limited to what is written in textbooks or what is taught in schools. It is important to know what one is dealing with because many times what is unknown is feared. I wish to know what sent you back in this time. And I believe being a smart witch that you are you too will have many questions."

"I do." She admitted. "I had used a time turner before but when I travelled back it was different. I had no time turner and what Draco used on me was a spell. And I know , a spell can't send someone back. But then I remember the last words he said to me, 'make the world a better place' he knew what he was doing."

"And from what you have told me this Draco boy was a Malfoy?" he asked.

She nodded.

"He was entitled to a part in Black line since his mother belongs to the House of Black, am I correct so far?"

"You are right. He was the last living heir of Black, the only Black apart from him and his mother alive at the time was Andromeda Tonks but she has been removed from the family." She told him.

Dumbledor seemed to be in deep thought. He spoke after a while, "Are you aware of family magic , Hermione?"

She shook her head.

"There was a reason why the old families have sticked to the custom of purebloods. Even before Hogwarts was established, the families all had their own magic. Each one was different for different families." Hermione listened intrigued, the know it all within eager to gather everything she could. "They were initially against the idea of marrying with someone who was not a pureblood because the old magic within couldn't be passed if the blood isn't purely of the ancestral families. As time passed and magical families married amongst one another, their knowledge of magic increased. However, there weren't many pureblood families and muggle born had started being found out. The purebloods who didn't give much belief to the old customs started marrying outside their preferred That is one of the reason why such magic isn't heard of very much."

"So you think what Draco used on me was an ancient magic?"

"I believe so. The Malfoys and Blacks are the oldest families and so far have managed to keep their family magic within their blood. It will not be surprising that what the young Malfoy did in your time was a display of the same family magic."

"Then why didn't Voldemort made Lucius send him back too?" It was one question pestering her for a while now. She would sometime wonder that somehow Voldemort would come back too and then the two Voldemort would become the death of everyone.

"If it really was family magic, then no one but the heir can perform it. Once a new generation is born the previous one loses the knowledge of the power. Besides as you said earlier that spell cannot send you back. It wasn't a spell that sent you. It was a ritual that was completed with the death of the caster. Magic like that need a price to be paid."

Hermione carefully stored all the information in her head for processing later.

"I would have reprimanded you for meddling with time but seeing that you have changed a lot already and it would be of no use. I hope in the end it would be worth it."

"The future wasn't a good place. Whatever will happen this time, I know it will definitely be better than the future I have come from."

Dumbledore nodded at her. Then he stood up.

"Where are you going professor?" she asked as Dumbledore started walking. She looked confused and Dumbledore chuckled.

"Since you are here, I thought it would be better if we cross the one horcrux from our lists."

When Hermione got back, the sun was setting behind the horizon. They had procured the diadem from the room of requirement. It was very easy. Actually, getting all the horcruxes will be easier this time. It wasn't like earlier when they had no idea what the horcruxes were. They knew where it was and what defense protected it and therefore could be prepared for it. Most importantly, this time there were many skilled and talented wizards who wanted to destroy them and not just three reckless teenagers. This time it was the right people involved in the work.

She shoved the thoughts out of her mind. No, she will have time for all of this later, right now she had something else to do. She just hoped that Remus would like what she had planned. The marauders had informed her that Remus didn't like anyone celebrating his birthday. So she had planned a quiet birthday with just the two of them.

She saw him lounging on the couch. He was clearly tired because of the full moon next day. James and Sirius were there sitting in front of him. One thing Hermione had learnt was that they treated every place like home. James and Sirius often treated her home like their own and it was she who sometimes felt like a guest.

"Tea, kitten?" Sirius asked seeing her.

"Thank you, Sirius." She said as she walked towards Remus who had propped himself on his elbow and was smiling at her. She planted a soft kiss on his forehead and sat down near his head. He shifted so that his head rested on her lap.

"Aw!" James said dramatically. "Look at them Paddy, Ickle Moonkins looks so happy."

"Shut up James." Hermione said though she was smiling at his antics, "Where is Sev, what have you two done to him?" She narrowed her eyes at them.

"Why do you think it was two and not three?" Sirius said handing her a keep of tea.

"Where is Severus, Remus?" she said looking down at her boyfriend as she combed his hair with her fingers.

"As usual, brewing." He answered.

"Oh," she said, "Are you tired?" she asked as Sirius challenged James to a chess match.

"Why do you ask?" he asked.

"I just wanted to take you somewhere." She said.

He took her hand that was in his hair and kissed the back of her palm. "I will never be tired to spend some time with you."

"Then get ready."

"Will it be our first date?" he asked teasingly.

"Don't you think we are too late now for a first date."

"The only thing left now would be for Mione to pop out some cubs for you." Sirius shouted from where he and James were playing. James laughed at the statement.

"Oh no. Sirius , I think we will just adopt you. You are just like a toddler aren't you." Hermione cooed, "You are so cute."

"Oye!" he barked. "I am handsome and sexy and hot, not cute. Tell her Prongs, Moony."

"Of course, Snuffles." Hermione teased and went inside her room before he could retort.

"Ready?" she asked as she saw Remus leave the cottage. He looked handsome in a black oxford shirt under olive colored jacket and black trousers. She looked at him enticed. Though Remus looked handsome all the time but when he put effort into it, he could make anyone weak at knees. She was dressed in a midnight blue wrap dress with full sleeve that fell above her knees.

He gave her a knowing smirk as she kept staring at him.

"You look ravishing, Remus." She said as he extended his arm to her. She linked her arm in his so that they could apparate.

"Never more than you." He said planting a chaste kiss on her hair. "The color becomes you."

She melted into his touch as he placed his arm on the small of her back before apparating both of them.

"Hogwarts?" Remus asked. "What are we doing here." He looked confused.

"I wanted to show you something." She entwined their fingers together and pulled him along with her.

Once they were on the seventh-floor corridor, Hermione commanded him to close his eyes. She paced in front of the tapestry of Barnbas the Barmy thrice thinking about what she wanted the room to be.

Remus waited impatiently. He wasn't patient. He was curious but still didn't want to spoil the fun for hermione because her excitement was clearly radiating from her.

"Okay! Now you can open your eyes."

They were still standing in the same corridor, only there was a door in front of him. "What is this?" he asked her.

"See for yourself." Her face held a huge grin which was contagious.

Remus had never expected the place to look like that. There he was, inside Hogwarts, but in a meadow. It was full of flowers. He doesn't remember If he had ever seen such a place. It was absolutely breathtaking. As far as he could see, there were colorful flowers.

He never felt Hermione stand in front of him until she blocked the view in front of him. "Do you like it?" she asked.

He nodded; he was at loss of words. It looked like a place where a prince would get down on one knee and propose his princess. Oh, if only he had a ring!

She raised her free hand and held his chin. He thought she was going to kiss him but was disappointed as she tilted his head up so that he could no longer see her. He didn't wish to take his eyes off the serene beauty of the place. He didn't want to take his eyes off his witch who looked so beautiful in that dress. But she made him look at the foolish sky and stars and the full moon instead. What was she thinking? He was about to remove her hand from his chin and pull her in for a passionate kiss when his eyes did a double take. The full moon.

"Hermione Run." He said. His voice full of panic as he backed away from her.

"Remus," she took a step towards him but Remus could not think. He would transform any moment now and then he would kill her. No.

"It is not real." She whispered softly as she cupped his chin in her hand.

"The moon is a fake Remus." She said. And pulled him in a hug.

He looked up at the sky. The moon was right above them. It didn't have any effect on him. Remus stared at the celestial body above him. It was the first time he was looking at the full moon. He might have seen one as a child but he didn't remember them. It held a different meaning now.

"I am so sorry Remus. I thought it would be nice to give you a nice evening to enjoy under the moon without having to fear it. I didn't think… I am so sorry." She said her voice full of sadness.

Remus looked at her in his arms and then took a step back so that he could look at her. Slowly he slanted his head so that he could kiss her. In that one kiss, he put in all the emotions he felt that he could not express in words. He wanted her to feel how he felt.

"Hermione," he said as he pulled away, "Don't be sorry. I.." he took a deep breathe, "I have no idea what to say." He shrugged.

"We can leave if it makes you uncomfortable." She said worried.

Remus shook his head, "No, I would rather stay here all night. I am just overwhelmed right now." Her face relaxed and she gave him a small smile.

"Can we lie down?" he asked as they kept standing there for a while in each other's arms.

She nodded and they walked to what seemed to be the middle of the meadow and Remus laid down. Hermione joined him at his side and he pulled her so that her head rested on his chest. It was quiet for a while, but it was a comfortable silence.

"You know," he said after a while, "I always wished if I could have one free full moon, when I don't have to change. When I could just sit and admire the beauty that poets often describe. I wanted to bathe in the moonlight once too." He gave a heavy sigh. "For me the moon have always been a curse and yet I could never help but wonder what is so romantic about it." He looked at her. His blue green orbs pouring out his soul to her chocolate brown one. "I know now."

Her heart swelled painfully. She couldn't stop the ache in her chest as so many emotions swirled inside of her.

"You have given me a very beautiful night, Hermione. Thank you."

"This is one of the many to come. From now on I promise, you can sit back and watch the full moon overhead and bathe in all its glory." She told him.

"Not like this. You won't be there in my arms. I won't have my body. We won't in such a beautiful place." he said. "Sweet Moon, I thank thee for thy sunny beams; I thank thee, Moon for shining so bright." He quoted. Hermione smiled at the man she was so irrevocably in love with.

They spent the rest of the night just lying in the ground, surrounded by the flowers and their sweet smell. The full moon above them which Remus was looking so fascinated at. At some point of time, the house elves had brought them dinner and a blanket which they thankfully accepted. After dinner they returned to their position on the ground. Hermione still on his chest as he had his hand wrapped around her.

It was midnight when Hermione softly whispered in his ear, "Happy Birthday Love."

Red2Ruby

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