Author's Note

Please forgive any spelling and/or grammar errors. I hope you enjoy it, please let me know what you think!

I hope everyone has a happy holiday and that you stay safe! Here is my present to you!

Any dialogue you recognize is from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

PS I'm not J. K. Rowling, so I don't own anything :(

Chapter 12: How to Really Save a Life... and Wreck a First Date

January-February 1996

Grimmauld Place

Hermione rolled to her side when the bed dipped under Remus's shifting weight.

"Where are you going? Come back to bed," she mused sleepily, reaching to catch his arm.

They'd stayed up late into the night talking about the offer he'd gotten for his book, and celebrating. Kingsley had come by not long after Severus left with the news. Remus was shocked that it had been accepted so quickly. Having expected rejections, he'd not allowed himself to get his hopes up. Kingsley was helping him publish under the name R. L. John.

The advance wasn't much, and he'd have to spend the next few months doing his edits around his Order schedule, but it was something. A hard earned victory. And they'd even seemed interested in turning it into a series if sales for the first book met the projections.

"If only I could," he said, bending to kiss her lightly. He lingered, the kiss lush and lazy, allowing Hermione to savor the intrinsically male heat of him. "Nymphadora and I are escorting the kids back to Hogwarts today," he explained regretfully.

"Hurry back to me," she requested, smiling bemusedly when he abandoned fastening his old, patched robes in favor of kneeling to kiss her again instead.

"I will," he promised, brushing the tip of his nose over hers.

"Why do you insist on calling her Nymphadora? You must know how she despises being called that," Hermione asked, blinking up at him.

"It feels entirely too inappropriate to refer to her by her surname," he said, clearly uncomfortable with the topic.

"What? Why in Merlin's name…"

"Tonks is too similar to Miss Tonks - the name I would have addressed her as, were she my student. I don't see how I could work with her and treat her as an equal when we're fighting if I'm thinking of her as a child in need of protection," Remus explained rationally.

"Hmm…" Hermione hummed, not really knowing what to do with that, particularly when it made sense. Tonks really did seem like a carefree, wild child more often than not. "What is it?" she asked when he hesitated at the door.

"Will you keep an eye on Sirius today? He'll take Harry leaving hard, I've a feeling," he stated quietly, his concern a stroke of velvet over her skin that left her shivering in its wake. "Especially after the encounter with Snape last night."

"Only if you let me know what you think is happening between Tonks and George," Hermione traded, hoping another set of eyes would tell her that confinement had made her paranoid. Not that she wanted Tonks alone, just not involved with someone before she figured out a way to break the news about Teddy.

"You don't say," Remus mused lightly, clearly intrigued by the idea, unaware of the gravity she viewed the matter with.

Not long after the group left to return to Hogwarts, Hermione entered the kitchen, having not found Sirius anywhere else. "Sirius?" Hermione asked darkly, her jaw falling open in disgust at the sight of him.

"Hey, Granger! Join me for a drink," he called merrily, waving her over, though the smile didn't reach his hollow eyes.

"You're sloshed," she accused.

"So what if I am pissed?" he said, a barely detectable slur accenting his insouciant words. "Pickled is a very good state to be in!"

She decided right then that she wasn't going to give him a choice about helping the twins. He'd do it if she had to stand over him hissing instructions the entire time. But perhaps she should wait until he'd had a chance to sober up to inform him.

When Sirius tried to pour a glass for her, she reached out to take the bottle from him, having no intention of drinking before the sun had even fully risen in the sky - not that either of them ever had the chance to witness sunlight for themselves. What with their imprisonment.

"You've always been such a judgy little thing," he announced bitterly, a sullen scowl eclipsing his face.

"I thought you wanted to see my memories of Harry. Albus is coming for the Pensieve later today and you've been busy entertaining since he brought it in the first place," Hermione said, trying to tempt him from the room.

"Memories of everything I'm missing out on. Great, just what I need," Sirius said, the words edged with the sharpest of knives. Depression had him spitting mean, determined to draw the blood of any that dared approach him when he was in this mood. "Another reason to hate everyone."

Hermione watched him wearily for a moment, trying to determine the best approach to reach him. He was so mercurial these days, and it was only getting worse. At least he'd kept himself in check while Harry had been around. Too bad the timeout had come to an end. She watched as he summoned a new bottle of firewhiskey, Hermione still clutching his former source of comfort.

Possibly, he'd respond better to insults. It always worked for Severus. 'Course this was probably brought on by the man's barbs the night before, as Remus had suggested, but that was a different matter entirely.

"Clean yourself up and try being useful. I -"

"Can't. Not allowed to leave, am I? Not much use to anyone," he said morosely, shifting to give her his back, apparently done with their conversation.

"Damn it, Sirius," she breathed, sadness at the state of him bringing her close to tears.

"Get out unless you're willing to join me," he barked, bristling in the face of her pity. "Go!" he bellowed, never turning to face her.

Retreating to the library, Hermione lost herself in scanning the latest pile of newspapers for any hint of giants. So far there'd been nothing. Not a single sign, and if they were on the move, there'd be some sort of evidence left behind. Giants were simply too big and violent not to.

A commotion sounded below, drifting up to her a couple hours later. Remus joined her shortly after.

"Sirius is in a fine mood," Remus said dryly.

"I didn't have much luck with him," Hermione admitted, wincing a touch.

"Thanks for trying," he said, and making it clear that he didn't wish to discuss it further by saying, "I think there might be something to your suggestion of George and Nymphadora."

"I wasn't suggesting they get together," Hermione quickly denied.

"You don't think they suit?" Remus inquired.

"My opinion really doesn't matter," Hermione denied, not knowing how to explain.

"There's more going on here than I know," Remus guessed, smiling as he realized she knew something about them.

"Yes," she admitted, and wondered if this was the right time to tell him more about Teddy. He'd not asked, and the two times she'd tried to bring up the subject, he'd told her not to say anymore, referencing the dangers. "Do -"

Remus shook his head, cutting her off, "Don't share more than you absolutely must," then went on informing, "well, as to those two, she sent George with me today, but he migrated over to talk to her soon enough, and their whispered conversation looked fairly intense. Do you know why, considering you did ask after them?"

"I found them snogging a while back under some leftover mistletoe," she admitted.

He watched her, taking in her troubled expression, and teased, "I could do with a bit of snogging. If you're interested."

Hermione moved to his chair, leaning over to steal his lips. When his arms went around her, tugging to pull her on his lap, she resisted, breaking the kiss and dropping to her knees before him, the fire warming her back pleasantly.

"Hermione," he said, her name a guttural plea.

Grinning, she undid his robes, slipping her hands over his thighs, dancing her fingers over his skin with the barest pressure. He was hard and hot by the time she freed him. "Aghh." The sound of his hiss of pleasure when her tongue traced the length of him, deliberately tracing the bulbous head, was the most satisfying thing she'd ever heard in her life.

Her tongue licked and swirled, circling around his cock as she sucked him deep, working him in and out of her mouth. He was too big to fit entirely inside, the tip brushing the back of her throat as she swallowed him, but she used her fist to pump the base of his shaft as she worked him over. Lightly, she scraped her nails over his inner thigh, and was rewarded by a wild jerk of his hips.

One of his hands found its way into her hair, his fingers weaving into the strands to lightly cup her head. All the while, the other gripped the arm of his chair, expelling all of his excess strength as he fought to remain in control and not lose his head too soon.

"Take your pants off," Remus ordered, gripping her under the arms and hauling her up.

As soon as they were off, he pulled her atop him, her legs nestling into the chair on either side of his hips to straddle him. Their lips met in a feverish kiss as she sank onto him, impaling herself on his rigid length, the thickness filling her exquisitely.

Lips duelled and hands stroked as she set a leisurely pace, riding him slowly. It wasn't long before passion demanded more. Her muscles flexed and trembled, clenching deliciously around him.

Pressure built. Higher. Winds raged as a tempest roared. When it broke, Hermione felt the supernova of stars colliding. A blasting rush of ecstasy.

Hermione's head fell back as Remus clutched her shoulders, arching his hips up to push impossibly deeper inside her as the heat of his release filled her.

She crumpled against his chest afterwards, his shirt raked up where her hands had searched out the skin of his chest hidden beneath, and Remus wrapped her tightly in his arms to keep her there.

"I've always fantasized about having sex in a library," Hermione admitted, wondering why she'd not thought to drag him in there sooner.

He laughed, delighted by the revelation so much so that tiny laugh lines framed the brilliant blue depths of his eyes. Somehow they still managed to make new ones about each other every day.

"I'd be more than happy to assist in making your every fantasy come true," Remus offered, running his hand down the length of her spine, leaving tingles in its wake. The words were light, softly teasing, but hidden beneath was a note of complete seriousness, and a desperate longing to fulfill them.

"Only if I can do the same," Hermione countered, smiling into his neck at the thought. He really did know how to make her have fun.

"Hermione, you are my fantasy," Remus saw, voice raw and rough with undisguised honesty. "One I never dreamed I could have."

Remus dipped his head a fraction to catch her eye, a seriousness entering the shattered aquamarine of his eyes. They were so open, naked to her scrutiny. Hermione found herself falling into their depths. Down, down, losing herself in him. But it wasn't terrifying. At all. It was liberating. And safe and comforting. Overwhelming too. In the best way possible.

And with it came a knowing so profound it was nearly tangible.

"I love you, Remus," Hermione whispered, baring herself to him in a new intimacy.

His answering kiss expressed his emotions far more clearly than words.

A little later, once they'd dressed and Remus had gone to check on Sirius before leaving to spend the night in his house for the full moon and Albus had dropped in to collect his Pensieve, Kreaher wandered into the room. "Hello, Kreacher. How was your Christmas?" Hermione asked kindly.

"It talks to Kreacher like it cares," Kreacher grumbled, shuffling about the room aimlessly.

He had a dirty rag clutched tightly in his fist, but he didn't actually use it to dust any of the surfaces in the room. Not that he needed to anyways. Since Hermione spent much of her time there, she frequently charmed it clean, herself. Why have servants when a person was more than capable of doing the task themselves? And with magical assistance, it only took a second.

"I do care," Hermione promised sincerely, wishing he wasn't so unhappy. Neglect was an oft overlooked, yet crippling form of abuse.

"No. Missy Cissa cares for Kreacher. Mistress Malfoy will ask for Missy Bella for Kreacher," Kreacher said low under his breath, quieter than Hermione had ever heard him talk.

"What did you say?" Hermione gasped, shocked as she sat up straighter even as her soul shrank back in horror.

"Mudblood talks to Kreacher, oh why? Why won't she stop?" Kreacher moaned, scratching at the top of his filthy, greying loincloth. The fabric was so frayed it looked close to disintegrating.

"Bellatrix Lestrange is in Azkaban, Kreacher," Hermione said softly, though far more steely than she'd meant to.

Something about her tone caught Kreacher's attention, and he finally turned his damp, beady eyes in her direction. He seemed to delight in revealing, "Not for long. The Dark Lord will get her for us. Kreacher reminds them that the information the Order keeps from them is in Azkaban."

Hermione stared at him in horror, the connection forming like so many electrical wires touching to form a complete circuit. Rookwood was an Unspeakable. Hadn't Harry said he'd seen Voldemort talking to him through their connection?

The breakout.

"Kreacher, what have you done? This is important - please!" Hermione demanded, trying to keep her voice even and her tone gentle.

Hermione had been so busy telling Harry off for seeing at all when they'd been in school, that she'd not realized the significance of what he saw before now. Of course, Harry wasn't supposed to understand the true magnitude. He was a student. The Order was supposed to be handling things. Oh, she wished she still had Albus's Pensieve! What she wouldn't do to be able to study her memories and try to sort out what was happening, and what was about to happen!

But from what she could recall, it made a sort of twisted sense. When Kreacher reminded Voldemort of Rookwood, likely after hearing him mentioned during one of the Order meetings, asking for Bellatrix too would surely only have alerted Voldemort of the fact he still had a number of loyal servants just waiting to do his bidding. And now it seemed it was too late to try and stop the dominos from tipping.

So many people would die in the next two years because of those that escaped. More than even she knew about. Innocent Muggles and Muggle-borns that didn't even fight in the war.

"Oh, if Mistress knew the loathsome type that be living in her most ancient home!" Kreacher wailed in response as he walked out, ignoring Hermione's plea for more information. Not that it mattered. She already understood perfectly what was to come.

Hermione looked around, finding Phineas Nigellus already staring at her. The former headmaster shook his head disapprovingly, his lips pursed, but he made no comment, and Hermione couldn't tell what he thought of the conversation that had just taken place.

Remus had been upset before he left to shift. He blamed himself for not being there when Severus and Sirius spoke to Harry, assuming he'd have been able to mediate and prevent his friend's current slump. Hermione realized she should have thought of it herself, having known better after watching Sirius's steady decline these last few months, but Remus had been at St. Mungo's giving the healers Arthur's cure.

Remus still wasn't back yet when she gave up on trying to sleep and made her way downstairs. It startled her how quickly she'd grown accustomed to having him in her bed each night during the last month. So much so, that she'd been unable to fall asleep without him.

Possibly, it had to do with how he'd hold her when her nightmares woke her, softly stroking her hair, and kissing her lightly until she'd relaxed enough to sleep again. His scent, warm chocolate and earthy sandalwood and the crisp bite of freshly fallen snow, was her haven. Necessary for her to let her guard down enough to the vulnerable state that sleeping left her in.

He never asked what horrors haunted her, and the one time she'd tried to tell him, he'd kissed her so passionately, that she'd lost herself in his arms, letting his touch chase the demons from her mind.

Sirius was fiddling with a mirror when she entered the kitchen. She watched him as she approached the table. He didn't seem to notice her as he set the mirror down with a disappointed sigh, and reached for the bottle of firewhiskey. It wasn't even seven in the morning yet.

"Don't even think of opening that bottle," Hermione commanded sternly, unwilling to let his behavior continue another moment. Flicking her wand, she sent the bottle teetering along the table, deliberately out of his reach. They all had their vices to cope, but this was beyond ridiculous!

"What else have I got to do?" he said, echoing his sentiments from the day before. Hermione vanished the bottle when Sirius made a grab for it, nearly laying across the table to get at it. "Hey! That was my last one until Dung gets here later tonight!"

Ignoring his outrage, she said, "Well, for starters, you can write to Gringotts and put an offer on this property." Watching him calculatingly, she produced the newspaper clipping she'd shown the twins and waving it in front of his face. Her actions distracted him enough that he actually took the paper and scanned it.

"Why am I renting a building in Diagon Alley?" he asked, brow furrowed so much his dark brows came together over his nose.

"For the twins' joke shop," she explained, giving him an expectant look. "They need a little help acquiring the premises."

"A worthy investment for my family's ill-gotten money," Sirius said, genuine pleasure lighting up his face at the idea of sticking it to his family in such a way.

"I figured you'd feel that way. Once you've sent the letter, I have more work for you to do as well," she added, wordlessly summoning parchment, ink, and quill for him to make use of.

"I'm not reading newspapers," he declared, not bothering to glance up as he began drafting his letter.

"You've already made that abundantly clear. I was referring to the shop. The joke products don't create themselves, and the twins are busy at Hogwarts. They left supplies and instructions with me for you to start stockpiling the merchandise for them," Hermione informed him quickly.

"I suppose I could help out a bit," he said magnanimously.

"Yes," she agreed, the word clipped as she fought to keep from rolling her eyes at him. Guess it really was just a matter of which carrot - or bone - to dangle.

Not two days later a mass Azkaban breakout occurred. Ten of Voldemort's most loyal and dangerous supporters out in the world again. And all of them most likely insane after their stint with the Dementors.

Sirius was sitting numbly at the kitchen table as he read about it in the Prophet. He was paler than Hermione had ever seen him, and after a look from Remus, she excused herself and let her love handle his friend.

Hermione was rather impressed when Remus informed her later that afternoon that Sirius was in the Potion Room preparing products for the Weasley twins instead of getting drunk as he'd used any excuse to do the last several months. Apparently, having a job he enjoyed gave him the necessary motivation to remain sober, even in the face of this devastating news.

It was quite late when Albus joined them. Sirius had been picking at his supper, Remus and Hermione keeping him company rather than enjoying one of their last nights together as he prepared to leave again.

"Remus, I know I'd asked you to join another pack as you did before, but things have changed," Albus intoned wearily. He sunk into the seat at the head of the table and practically deflated. This year was taking a toll on him. One that he'd apparently given up trying to mask. At least for that night.

"What do you need me to do?" Remus asked, glancing at Hermione as he did. They both knew it wouldn't matter what was asked of him. He would step up. That was what it meant to belong to the Order. The mission came first. Everything else was second. Even their own hearts.

"Act as a look out in Hogsmeade. Dolores is watching my every move, so I cannot move about as freely as needed to protect the school," Albus requested.

He looked smaller as he admitted to needing help in this regard. Hermione couldn't imagine how difficult it must be for him to know he might fail those he was charged with caring for. Hogwarts had always been everything to him, and he was incredible at making sure the students had a safe place in which to flourish.

"Of course," Remus agreed at once.

"Let me go as well," Hermione requested, saying the words without thought, and knowing it was only partly because she was reluctant to part with Remus after getting used to being together these last weeks.

"Absolutely not," Albus refused at once, staring at Hermione as though she had the beginnings of a hippogriff head sprouting from her forehead for even suggesting such a ludicrous idea.

"This is partly my fault. I am responsible," Hermione admitted, wringing her hands as she forced herself to meet his eyes.

"You're what?" Sirius demanded harshly, anger radiating out of the man seated across the table from her. "How could you endanger Harry like this?"

"Indirectly," Hermione clarified, barely sparing him a glance as she directed her explanation primarily to Dumbledore. "A comment I made may have set this in motion."

"What comment? To whom?" Sirius demanded, immediately spotting the problem with her words. She, like him, never left the house. That meant her interactions were limited. Probably, he was assuming they had a spy again. And she could bet his thoughts had gone straight to Severus as the most likely culprit.

"All the more reason you should remain here. We can't afford to have anything else change from what you remember," Albus insisted, giving her a hard, disappointed look.

Refusing to cower in the face of his censure, Hermione quickly said, "But see, that's the thing, this did happen during my time." She exchanged a meaningful look with Dumbledore. His lips parted slightly, and she watched the calculating twinkle in his blue eyes sorting out the significance of what she was saying.

For several long minutes, no one spoke, each waiting for Dumbledore to process the implications of what this meant. Finally, he pushed his half-moon spectacles up from where they'd been resting on the tip of his nose, ready to fall off. With a sigh, he shook his head, saying, "I fear it's too great a risk should you be captured or seen."

Hermione pulled out her wand and set about transfiguring her appearance. Her wild amber curls straightened, becoming a sleek, straight curtain of shimmering, icy blonde hair. And her burnt-honey eyes lightened to a radiant, pale blue topaz. She'd used Fleur as inspiration, knowing red hair was too often associated with the Weasleys these days. And she knew all it would take was altering a few characteristics given her increased age to make her unrecognizable, especially after she gave herself dimples and made her nose a touch more pert, the end tipping up just a notch.

She looked about the table, waiting on the verdict, but had to smile when she saw Remus's nose wrinkle at the sight of her. It was gratifying to know he preferred her natural appearance to Fleur's flawless, unparalleled perfection.

"Please, Albus. Let me do this," Hermione insisted, pleading with him to understand where she was coming from, and to trust her with this. "I can't recall anything happening, but I have to do something to make certain things remain the way I remember them."

"Why can she go when you never let me out - even disguised?" Sirius demanded, outraged at the unfairness of the situation. "And what comment? When could you possibly -" Sirius began again, seeming to realize his previous inquiry had been glossed over, and that he was the only one seeking answers about how this had happened in the first place.

"If this did happen before, and she believes she initiated it, perhaps she is supposed to be there," Remus said, talking over his friend. Remus, at least, seemed to understand Albus had no intention of pursuing that line of questioning. The information was too dangerous, with the potential to alter too much.

"I said -" Sirius tried once more, but Albus held up a hand to forestall him.

"Nevermind that now," Albus said airily, before focusing on Remus. "You think she was always here, pulling strings behind the curtain?"

"It makes sense," he replied, thinking of the few things she'd shared about things that had already happened this year. "She must have always been at your side."

"I'll have a better chance of keeping Harry safe," Hermione said, sensing he was close to caving. "The rest of the students as well."

"What if you're caught?" Sirius asked, rigid steel underlying his words. He'd not appreciated the way they'd ignored his concerns, but now that it seemed like her doing this was a real possibility, concern for Harry had taken over. Taking precedent even over his own disgruntlement over remaining locked up.

"I'll die before I give Voldemort anything - including a chance to see inside my head," Hermione vowed.

A muffled sound of distress escaped Remus at her words, and Albus looked between the pair, seeing more than he should, or perhaps just seeing confirmation of what he'd already suspected.

"Very well," Albus concluded, steepling his hands beneath his chin as he took in her and Remus. "Alberforth has agreed to lend a room above the pub for you to reside in for the time being. I trust you won't mind sharing? But when Alastor returns from his current task, he will take over for the pair of you."

Hogsmeade

It was Valentine's Day, and Hogsmeade was crawling with students out and about for the weekend trip. The dreary, rainy weather was in no way a deterrent to their desire to escape the confines of the castle, and Umbridge's reign of tyranny, for an afternoon. Remus and Hermione, each having transfigured their appearances so that they wouldn't be recognized, were currently tailing Harry while he was on his date with Cho Chang while Tonks and Hestia Jones patrolled the rest of the town.

The last month had been by-and-large uneventful. Not that Hermione minded. It was vastly better than the alternative. Mostly, she and Remus had simply spent their days wandering the streets or doing other work for the Order. Hermione was still making potions for the school and Remus was still editing his book in their spare time. Once a week, they took turns checking in on Sirius, but he was doing surprisingly well, having thrown himself into product development with gusto.

"Ah, just your sort of place," Remus teased, taking in the red and pink streamers, paper hearts, and frilly doilies decorating Madam Puddifoot's.

"Bite your tongue," Hermione hissed, not appreciating his idea of humor just then.

"Are you saying you don't want me to bring you here for our anniversary?" Remus asked, his mock disappointment ruined when his eyes crinkled with mirth.

He'd disguised himself as well for their chaperone duty, darkening his hair until it was nearly a stygian black and replacing the blue of his eyes with a green the shade of spring leaves newly budded. The coloring didn't go well with his complexion, making him look waxy and sickly, particularly in light of the full moon less than a week earlier. But with a few other tweaks, not one of the students had recognized him.

"I'm saying there's no way I will ever willingly step foot in there," Hermione stated, completely serious.

"Well, unfortunately, you're going to have to. Unless you're willing to stand out here getting drenched while we wait for Harry, and that might look a tad suspicious," Remus pointed out practically.

"Oh, very well," Hermione said, sighing in resignation.

They ended up seated two tables away from Harry, and were careful not to draw his notice as they took their seats. Remus muttered, "Repello Oculi," to make the eyes of anyone that tried to look their way slide right past.

"Muffliato," Hermione added, so that they wouldn't be overheard either.

"Am I just imagining it, or are things not going well for Harry?" Remus asked, frowning as he studied the pair.

"I'm afraid you're right," Hermione muttered, wishing she could look away, but it was like watching a train wreck. The way a tragedy inevitably demanded attention even when it shouldn't.

"Is this his first date?" Remus asked when five minutes had passed without either of the students speaking. Harry seemed horrifyingly enthralled watching a nearby couple snogging, so much so he appeared to have forgotten Cho was even with him.

"Yes," Hermione said, shaking her head when Cho followed Harry's line of sight. She'd asked him a question, but he'd not even acknowledged her.

"Has Sirius told you about James and Lily's first date?"

"No!" Hermione gasped, eager to hear about it after all the other stories Sirius and Remus had shared over the last few months, and after reading Remus's stories. She felt almost as though she'd been friends with Prongs as well.

"He took her to the Astronomy Tower - that was all the rage back then - so while not original, at least it was romantic, and for James, not over the top," Remus paused, smirking mischievously. "That was part of why it went well."

"Only part of the reason?" Hermione prompted, curiosity mounting as she waited for more.

"They were interrupted by Filch. Since the Tower is out of bounds except for class, they ended up racing through the corridors until James created a distraction so Lily could get back to their dorm, and maintain her unblemished record. James got caught, and accepted all the punishment. After that -"

"Oh, you'll talk to Hermione Granger! But you won't talk to me! P-perhaps it would be best if we just… just p-paid and you went and met up with Hermione G-Granger, like you obviously want to!" Cho whined, tears beginning to stream down her face more earnestly with each word.

The sound of her name had startled both Hermione and Remus, who broke off immediately to stare dumbfounded at the commotion - as was everyone else in the shop.

"Cho?" Harry asked, glancing about at the people watching while Cho began wiping her face with a frilly napkin. Oh, Merlin! Harry was so out of his element with this one.

Hermione still remembered the first time Harry had made Gin cry. He'd Flooed Hermione asking what to do. After she'd gotten through gaping at him, and told him to try talking to the witch, she had to admit it was rather unusual for Ginny to cry, and therefore a bit more understandable for him to have been at such a loss.

"Go on, leave! I don't know why you asked me out in the first place if you're going to make arrangements to meet other girls right after me… How many are you meeting after Hermione?" Cho cried, pressing her napkin back to her face.

Remus raised a single eyebrow at that, a question plain on his face. As well as no shortage of amusement.

"It's not like that!" Harry announced, laughing even as Hermione groaned at his reaction, predicting that it wasn't likely to end well for him.

Cho got up, clearly haven taken offense to his laughter. Probably she thought he was making fun of her. The few tables not watching their spectacle before were all avidly taking it in now. It was better than most of the Quidditch matches, truthfully, though far more morbid.

"I'll see you around, Harry," Cho declared, turning and leaving him wreathed in stares.

"Cho!" Harry called weakly, but she was already gone.

They followed a muttering, brooding Harry all the way to the Three Broomsticks.

"Should I be jealous?" Remus asked, face carefully blank.

"Ugh! Harry's like my brother. Always has been - which you already know," Hermione said, catching sight of the smile he'd been concealing.

"Yes," he agreed. "Did you know it went so poorly?" Remus asked as they neared Harry's new destination.

"No," she admitted, adding, "he downplayed the disaster."

"You don't like her," he said, detecting a hint of her true feelings that stubbornly leaked through.

"Not particularly," Hermione said frankly, pursing her lips at the mere thought of Cho Chang.

"Can you tell me why?" Remus asked delicately. He was always so very careful still not to seek more of the future than she could safely reveal.

"She tried to get back with Harry after the war ended. She gave an interview that greatly exaggerated her significance to Harry and their time together," Hermione said carefully, painstakingly judging what was safe to say.

"She didn't," Remus said flatly, betrayal etched into his unfamiliar face. Hermione had momentarily forgotten that Remus would have known Cho from his stint teaching at Hogwarts.

"She didn't start out to betray him," she acknowledged, trying not to let her bias for Harry cloud her more than it already did. "They'd had lunch together, where she thanked Harry for everything, and from his perspective seemed like they'd end up as friends, but Rita Skeeter cornered her afterwards, twisted it all around and referenced their former relationship at Hogwarts in her article. When Harry didn't make a statement correcting Skeeter's mistaken impression, Cho thought maybe it really was like that."

"I imagine that didn't go over too well with him," Remus mused knowingly.

"Caused a few problems between him and Ron too," Hermione said, wincing at the memory. Ron had immediately overreacted, assuming Harry had thrown his sister over. It hadn't taken long for logic and sense to kick in, reminding him precisely how trustworthy Rita Skeeter was, but that didn't erase their fight completely. "Considering he and Ginny were in the process of sorting things out at the time."

"Ron's the protective sort," Remus said graciously.

"He has his moments," Hermione agreed.

"Speaking of Rita Skeeter…" Remus began, trailing off with a nod at the table Harry had just joined where the reporter was sitting with Hermione's younger self and Luna.

"I'm about to convince Harry to give an interview about what happened with Voldemort last spring," Hermione explained.

"And he agrees?" Remus asked, thoroughly shocked.

"Reluctantly," Hermione said, watching how uncomfortable Harry looked. She felt a tad guilty for having been the one to push him into doing it. "It's the one and only interview he'll ever give. At least, it was before my accident, but it was important to get people to believe him. They needed to know the truth."

They'd been watching for a few minutes when Hermione noticed George and Tonks talking outside.

"Oh! There's George. I really need to have a word with him," Hermione gasped, turning to Remus.

"Go on, I'll watch Harry," he said, kissing her cheek and waving her away.

"Leave 'em be," Fred said, catching her arm as she made her way towards the laughing pair.

"So they -"

She didn't get a chance to say more before Fred shrugged, interrupting to say, "She'll succumb to his charms before too long. We Weasley men have a way about us. Except Ron, apparently."

The was a silent question in his words, compounded by his assessing look. "We didn't work out," Hermione said in answer.

"Obviously," Fred snorted, glancing back in the window of the Three Broomsticks where Remus could just barely be seen. "Though not really a surprise. This makes much more sense. I bet you and Ron were a ticking time bomb."

She'd once worried the same, even if it hadn't turned out that way in reality. She'd once hoped all that chemistry would translate into a sexual passion for one another. And when it hadn't, she'd feared they'd unleash their tempers on one another again. Luck had been on their side. None of that had happened, and honestly, Hermione was counting down the days until Ron met Val. It'd be exciting watching them fall in love all over again.

"Did you get the notice I owled?" Hermione asked, referencing the newspaper clipping saying the Diagon Alley property was off the market.

"Yeah, clever that," he said, grinning. She'd figured that would be the best way to let them know it was a go without tipping off Umbridge. With any luck, she'd have thought they lost out on something they wanted.

"Here are some of the ideas Sirius has come up with for you to take a look at," Hermione said, handing over a tightly rolled scroll that was at least four feet long when fully flattened.

"Excellent. We have some ideas that are currently stalled for him to look over too. Hopefully a fresh pair of eyes can help sort us out," Fred said, producing a folder stuffed full of torn bits of parchment, containing far more ideas than the number Sirius had provided for her to pass on. But then, the twins had been doing this longer. "Been looking for you all morning. Only just recognized you, or I'd have had Tonks deliver these later."

"I'll pass them along," Hermione promised.

"You still shacking up with Lupin at the Hog's Head?"

"I'm not even going to ask how you know that," Hermione mused, shaking her head at their antics. "Don't come looking for me. Remus is heading back to the packs, and I'm headed back to Grimmauld Place at the end of the month when Moody gets back."

Dumbledore was unsettled having her so close to people that could recognize her, and with the breakout, Voldemort was beginning to make headway with the packs, so Remus was needed to go back to his previous work. At least she'd gotten to feel useful for a while.

"Ah, well, I guess we can wait until the end of term," Fred sighed.

"The end of your Hogwarts days will be here sooner than you think," Hermione said, winking conspiratorially at him.