Written for draculard for the 2021 Rarepair Fic Exchange
An Unexpected Companion
An unexpected feeling of unease overcame Hermione. It caused her to shiver in the cool night air while one of her hands still paused on the fragile plant from which she had just gently harvested a few petals. She then shrugged and tried to force away the disquiet that had invaded her previously serene night before she bent industriously back down to her work. After all, she knew that the task before her was very important – especially since the rare Fireflower bloomed only once a year.
In fact, during that time, the almost mythical plant grew only in a section of the Forbidden Forest that was rumored to house several active mystic and leylined circles. It was why the area was usually avoided by all of the forest creatures...including the centaurs. That intriguing story just made it all the more important to Hermione to finish the harvest quickly and carefully, though. After all, the Fireflower was the most important ingredient in the restorative potions she had been contracted by St. Mungos to brew.
Not only that, but the delicate little flowering herb had always resisted transplantation. Even Neville, with his extremely gifted green thumb, had been unable to cultivate it in his greenhouses by either magical or muggle means. Accordingly, it was very difficult to find during the short time frame in which it bloomed and was ready to harvest. Thus, Hermione realized that she just could not miss such an opportunity and was determined to finish the job at hand no matter what.
Despite that resolution, however, she was also well aware, even through the thick tree canopy of the rapidly darkening forest, of the perfectly round moon at the peak of its cycle as it climbed high into the sky. After everything that had happened to her – especially those events from the end of her third year at Hogwarts, Hermione knew better than most that she was taking a gamble at being out during the Full Moon. Even with that firsthand knowledge, though, she had to deem the reward worth the slight risk of danger. After all, the amount of Fireflower that she could gather in one night to preserve for later use would supply her with enough of the valuable ingredient to stock her potions lab for the entire year.
For her peace of mind, it also helped that the actions of Remus Lupin and some of the others with the same condition...and the good they had done for the war effort...had come to light afterwards. Consequently, many previously stubborn and biased eyes had finally been opened. Therefore, sympathetic and talented Potion Masters and Mistresses...like herself...now had the necessary backing in order to provide easier and more affordable access to the danger-nulling Wolfsbane potion. That meant that the number of werewolf attacks...and subsequent infections...had plummeted to almost nothing in recent years.
Despite that reassuring knowledge...and the relative peace and quiet of her isolated location in the Fireflower patch...Hermione's nerves were soon on a sharp edge again. She knew her apprehension was due to the many years of being the best friend of a danger magnet, during which...if nothing else...she had learned to trust her gut feelings. Unfortunately, it was obvious that her instincts were definitely attempting to get her attention at the current moment, and Hermione glanced up at what she could see of the nighttime sky through the trees again. This time, however, the sight of the heavy Full Moon caused her heart to thud heavily inside her chest with dread. She soon realized exactly why – when the sound of a very distinctive kind of howl in the not-nearly-far-enough-away distance carried through the trees.
Werewolf! Hermione's memory acknowledged immediately and her body grew taut with recognition and fear.
Obviously, someone...somewhere...had not taken their potion for whatever reason...and the woman knew the truth about how dangerous her situation had suddenly become. Consequently, she hurriedly gathered up the last of her valuable harvesting materials, stored them in her bigger-on-the-inside beaded bag, shrunk it down even further in order to stash it away in the secret pocket that she had spelled into all of her clothes for emergency purposes, and prepared to apparate to safety. Before she could do so, however, a large and hairy body unexpectedly launched itself at her from the surrounding shadows.
Fortunately, she turned just in time and the result was a glancing blow to her side instead of the full body contact that it could have been. The creature plowed past her and hit the adjacent tree, instead, and it temporarily stunned itself in the process. Nevertheless, the force of the reduced impact still snapped Hermione's wrist with a sickening crunch and caused her to drop her wand.
Pain and panic bloomed within her - especially when she realized that she could not see where her wand had rolled off into the dark undergrowth of the surrounding forest. Accordingly, when the creature began to stir, she did the only thing she could possibly do at that moment – especially since she no longer had the means for escape or protection. Instead, she cradled her injured wrist to her chest as she turned and ran in the opposite direction. Her heartbeat and her feet then pounded along together in a symphony of speed and fear as she hoped against hope that she could move far enough away before the deadly creature regained its full capabilities and caught her scent again.
...
The plan did not work.
Hermione knew it as soon as she heard the frustrated and angry howl behind her as its owner finally regathered its senses and was able to follow its prey. Heavy footfalls pounded closer and closer to her, but she did not have the luxury of being able to check to see exactly how near it was because she was too busy running for her life. There appeared to be no end in sight of the infernal trees, however, and none of them seemed to have low enough branches for her to climb to safety – if she even could, as injured and wandless as she was. There were also no cabins or other structures around in which to barricade herself and gain some time to come up with a better plan. Consequently, Hermione knew that it was only a matter of time before the creature caught and killed her. All hope was gone, and she tried to resolve herself to that idea - even as she hoped it would be over and done with as quickly as possible.
Nevertheless, Hermione could not help but to remember how Greyback, always more monster than man, liked to play with his food before he dispatched it...if he did not decide to infect it, instead. The thought of the evil creature, and the clear plans that he had lined up for her at Malfoy Manor before she had been rescued by Dobby's noble sacrifice, caused another desperate burst of speed to escape from her. It was not quite enough, though. At the same moment, a heavily-soiled and sharp-clawed paw raked down through the air to snag on her robes as another impact between them caused both her and the beast to tumble to the ground together.
As they fell, however, Hermione could have sworn that she felt the tingle of magic in the air...and somehow it felt old...more ancient and stronger than anything she had ever experienced before. She was also certain that she felt her body pass through some sort of magical barrier on the way down. It may have been her fear and desperation, but the process also seemed to stretch itself out and take much longer than it should have – almost as if she and the werewolf had been caught in a slow motion spell of some sort.
She did not have any time to consider the phenomenon, however, since the strange feeling ended just as quickly as it had begun. The odd sense of time then returned back to normal as they both hit the ground hard. Fortunately, the impact caused the beast to roll away from Hermione and give the woman a few seconds to painfully haul herself to her feet and try to run away again. Unfortunately, she quickly realized her balance did not work as it should when an exposed root immediately caught her foot and made her fall again. As she hit the ground the second time, another crack came from her ankle and a hot pain shot up her leg.
With an injured wrist on one side...and the ankle on the opposite side of her body out of commission, as well...Hermione was unable to do more than desperately scoot backwards across the forest floor a meter or so before she knew for certain that it would do no good. Instead, she swallowed hard and blinked away tears as she looked up and saw the creature that had chased her through the woods regain its footing and intently stalk towards her with a menacing growl.
At that moment, it was hard for even Hermione, a stalwart champion of fair and equal rights for all sentient creatures, to remember that a normal person – possibly someone like the kind and gentle Remus - someone who would be absolutely horrified by what was happening at the moment - resided for just one night a month in the twisted and deformed shape of the approaching werewolf. When she finally did, however, she felt a sharp stab of pity for the creature as it rose up above her...just a silhouette against the bright moonlight in front of her. However, with no wand, and not even a loose branch around with which to defend herself or drive off the creature, the witch knew that the end had finally come. Therefore, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and waited for the inevitable.
Over the sound of her pounding heart, Hermione listened to the approach of her doom and felt its hot, rancid breath close on her neck. She braced herself as much as she could for the further pain that she knew would follow as she waited for the attack. The creature's sounds grew louder in the agonizingly long meantime, but even though the snarls, snaps, and growls had doubled in size, the expected pain never came. In fact, after what felt like an eternity...but could only have been a moment or two at the most in real life...Hermione cracked her eyes. She then realized the terrifying truth. A second werewolf had appeared on the scene and was engaged in a fierce fight with the first one.
As the second wolf shape was also framed by the light of the moon, Hermione was filled with a strong sense of déjà vu at the unexpected sight. Nevertheless, she hurriedly shook off the deceptive feeling of familiarity as she realized that she was still in danger...more so than ever, in fact! After all, there were two creatures now...and her basic knowledge of animal behavior told her that they were probably fighting over their dinner...over her! Consequently, she had to try to get away while she still could.
Despite her realization, she knew that a swift exit...any kind of escape, actually...was virtually impossible. The fire in her ankle when she tried to move proved that immediately, as did her usually dominant, but currently injured, wrist when she tried to push herself up. Instead, she slowly and awkwardly shuffled into a standing position and then leaned against the nearest tree. All the while, though, she kept her eyes glued on the battle that continued to rage in front of her. Since she was obviously helpless at the moment without her wand, it was all that she could do.
It must have been a trick of the moonlight, however, because what she saw confused her. Oddly enough, it seemed as if the first werewolf kept trying to break free and head in her direction, but the second one kept knocking it back – sometimes even opening itself up to injury in the process. In fact, it looked almost as if it was trying to protect her from the first creature.
Not likely! Hermione had to bite back a bordering-on-hysteria laugh at the thought. It just doesn't want to share its meal. The ironic sound must have carried over to the sharp senses of the wolves, though, because the first one broke away from the fight in order to lunge at her again.
This is it! was all that Hermione had time to think before she involuntarily squeezed her eyes tightly shut one more time. However, once again, the final blow never came. Instead, there was a snarl and a loud cracking sound...which was followed by nothing else but a soft whimper.
The low and incongruous-for-the-situation sound caught her attention the most. Consequently, despite her terror, Hermione forced her eyes open only to see that the first creature lay motionless on the ground in front of her. Its body was contorted at an unnatural angle and Hermione could tell that its neck had been snapped. It was dead.
She quickly turned her head to find what she knew to be the cause of death and saw the second creature not far away from her. She braced herself again as it turned to look at her for she was certain that it would attack her immediately. However, to her extreme surprise, it made no move to do so. It just stood there and regarded her quietly with amber eyes that again stirred the strange feeling of familiarity within her. Hermione did not know what to think then – especially when the creature whimpered again and fell forward a little.
"You're hurt!" she exclaimed without thinking - before she realized how crazy it was that she was concerned about something that could kill her...or even infect her with lycanthropy...with just one snap of its jaws. However, at the same time, she also remembered that there was indeed a human intelligence inside of the misshapen body somewhere...and, as impossible as it seemed, the creature had apparently tried to protect her.
If that was true, what had caused it to be able to fight against the natural inclination of its wolf...for me? she wondered wildly – right before her injured ankle gave out and she tumbled back down to the ground. The creature in front of her whimpered again and drug itself forward a few more meters towards her. Hermione could do nothing but watch in confusion then as it came to a stop on the ground in front of her.
When it reached out with its long tongue to give a quick lick to her swollen ankle as her legs lay splayed out in front of her, Hermione's muscles jumped a bit at the unexpected sensation. Not only had the action surprised her, but so had the crazy thought that the creature now seemed very much like a devoted dog who was unsure of the welcome it could expect from its owner after having done something questionable.
Its uncertain behavior was quite incongruous with the dark deadly being that she knew it to be...at least during the full moon. Those confused thoughts of hers scattered, though, when the creature suddenly sprang back to its feet and the hair on its...his...back bristled as he growled.
Yes, it is most definitely a he, Hermione accidentally noted as the obviously well-endowed creature stood before her with all of its pertinent anatomy right at eye level. The woman wrestled with no small embarrassment at that discovery until she also finally heard what the keen lupine senses of her companion had already picked up. The faint and distant howl of another wolf on the prowl sounded across the forest and made her embarrassment disappear as quickly as it had arrived.
Not another one, Hermione cried silently with despair, instead, until her unexpected companion stopped growling and laid back down at her feet once again.
Even though his muscles remained tense, it was obvious that the other werewolf had not caught their scent...nor had it come any closer to the tree that Hermione leaned against in both pain and exhaustion. At that moment, it also became clear to Hermione that, for some inexplicable reason, the creature with her had actually chosen to stay and guard her from the distant danger...just as he had protected her from the dead one that still lay off to their side where it was now hidden by the darkness.
Why me? Hermione wondered in absolute bewilderment at the unheard of situation. What in Merlin's name is going on here?
The creature at her feet, however, just licked at the wounds that he had received in the fight before he whimpered again and looked straight at her with those almost eerily familiar amber-colored eyes. For some reason, the sight of the obvious intelligence in them, instead of the mindless killer instinct she had come to expect from his kind during a shift, comforted her and she could practically feel the fear drain from her body as they maintained eye contact. In fact, there was just something so almost-recognizable about him that Hermione quickly shed the rest of her terror and confusion, as her natural curiosity took over instead. She then tentatively reached out a hand out to her unexpected savior with wonder. He responded with another low whimper which was followed by a gentle lick on her extended fingers.
Hermione gratefully accepted what she now knew to be an affectionate gesture...even if she still did not understand why. When her new friend whimpered again though, she realized that the sound was no longer just of uncertainty, but of pain, as well. Therefore, she looked as closely as she could at the bite and claw marks that covered his legs and torso as he bent down his elongated snout to lick at them. Hermione again felt pity for the man he would become when he transformed back in the morning – especially since he would have a slew of new wounds and scars because of her.
"Thank you for saving me," she heard herself say to the creature who paused in his ministrations to look back at her with those soul-penetrating eyes. She felt herself sink into them again.
Do werewolves have an allure the way that veela and vampires do? she wondered with interest as she shook her head to try and clear the spell that the eye contact had created. Everyone just assumes that they overpower their victims with speed and strength, but maybe an allure is a secondary weapon. I'll have to research that when I get home.
She nodded with the excitement of a true scholar at the thought of the project before she even realized what she had just thought. Home. Somehow...even after facing certain death, she was going to make it home, after all – thanks to the creature with her.
No! Hermione realized with a sudden clarity. He's not just a mindless creature! He is obviously a man...a man who is just temporarily-inconvenienced-with-a-furry-little-problem.
She let out a little involuntary giggle at the thought of what Remus would have thought of such an irreverent description of his condition. For some reason, though, she had a feeling that the former Marauder would have appreciated it. Unfortunately, she had not had the chance to get to spend as much time with her former professor as she would have liked to – not outside of Hogwarts and the time she had spent with the Order at Grimmauld Place, at any rate. Nevertheless, what she had known of the man, she had liked. She had always enjoyed their discussions and debates in their rare moments of downtime and she found that she admired his keen mind very much. She had even looked forward to a time when the war was finally over and they could get to know each other better and perhaps become better friends. Consequently, she had been heartbroken when he died before that could happen.
At the current moment, however, she suddenly found that she desperately wanted to speak to him about the strange new development in her life. After all, he had given them all sage advice time and time again and had proven that he could be trusted. Maybe he would have even understood exactly what had happened to her during her unusual interaction with the werewolf in front of her. Maybe something similar had even happened to him before during a shift.
Oh, how I wish I could ask him! she thought earnestly as that little giggle unexpectedly turned into a choked sob instead.
At the sound, her companion lifted his head from his wounds and regarded her quizzically before he whimpered in concern...for her, apparently. Hermione still did not understand the dynamic between them – especially if it was not going to be one of predator and prey. However, she resolved to treat him with the same amount of respect that he had shown for her as she explained.
"I'm sorry," she told him politely. "It's just that you remind me so very much of someone I used to know...someone I liked very much...someone I lost."
The unusual werewolf seemed to understand what she was saying...or her tone, at the very least...and proved it when he rubbed her foot comfortingly with his snout. The affectionate gesture touched her soul – even as it continued to confuse her. It still brought a small smile to her face, though.
"Why are you so different from the others?" she asked him directly, even though she knew that he could not answer...not in his current form, at least.
Therefore, she was not really surprised when he did not reply. Instead, he just regarded her with those warm kind eyes again that obviously did not belong in such a misshapen face. Hermione met them with her own, and as they maintained eye contact, she felt herself relax again as she wondered for the first time about how he might look after his transformation. After all, Moony had also sported amber eyes as a wolf, too (something that Hermione had found out the hard way during that one terrifying night out on the Hogwarts grounds). She had noticed later, though, that Remus himself always had greenish-blue ones that were only occasionally flecked with amber. Apparently, that only happened when Moony was close to the surface.
For some reason, though, the thought of seeing her protector...her guardian spirit...as a man sent a little shiver of what could only be called anticipation down her spine. The lovely feeling, however, was interrupted when he suddenly whimpered again and licked at one particularly nasty wound that was almost out of his reach on his torso before he looked up at her with a such a beseeching look in his eyes that she just could not ignore it.
"I'm so sorry," she replied with genuine feeling. "That looks so painful. I would heal you...and myself..." she paused to gesture at her wrist and ankle, "if I could. However, I lost my wand when the...well...other one...attacked me." Her companion growled and his eyes turned hard at the mention of the other werewolf. After a moment, however, his look turned thoughtful instead. Hermione watched the change in his countenance with wonder – even as she speculated how she could possibly understand what the werewolf was feeling or even possibly thinking. Whatever it was, though, allowed her to somehow know what he was going to do when he reached out to gently lick her swollen ankle again before he stood up stiffly on sore limbs himself.
He was gone for just a couple of moments before he returned. Sure enough, Hermione knew that she had been correct in her assumption when she saw that he carried a wand in his mouth – just like an ordinary dog would carry a stick during a game of Fetch. Apparently, he had created a nearby cache with his human belongings before he had transformed for the night. Then he had somehow retained the presence of mind...even as a wolf...to remember it in their moment of need. Hermione was duly impressed...as well as being extremely grateful for his foresight.
When the werewolf dropped the wand at her feet and then looked at her expectantly, she lost herself in the wonder of his intelligent eyes for another moment...as she wondered once again about a possible allure before she decided definitively against the idea. After all, of what use was that kind of biological trap if he was not trying to hunt her with it? She continued to ponder the idea, however, as she reached over with her unhurt hand to pick up the offered wand. She almost dropped it again, though, when the contact immediately caused a pleasant tingle to run up her arm before the sensation then spread throughout the rest of her body.
"Wow!" she exclaimed as she looked at the carved wooden stick in her hand right as she was hit by that same sense of familiarity at the sight as she had been earlier when she had seen both the wolf...and his lovely amber eyes. The dual-toned wood and the carved ball tip seemed especially familiar and Hermione had only a moment to wonder where she could have possibly seen it before when a gentle whimper from her companion reminded her that he was still in pain, as well. Hermione gave him an earnest apology for the delay as she immediately set about to remedy that situation.
The witch had to repair her wand hand first, though, so she awkwardly positioned the borrowed wand in her left hand and then pointed it toward the right one. "Episkey," she murmured and was more than a bit astonished when the wand worked both instantly and perfectly for her instead of hesitating the way that most wands did in the hands of someone other than to whom they were bonded. After all, she remembered exactly how much trouble she had experienced during the short period of time when she had to use Bellatrix's wand after the loss of her first bonded one during her capture and subsequent torture at Malfoy Manor.
She shuddered at the thought of that time and forced herself to think about something much more pleasant, instead. In fact, the spreading warmth of the general healing spell as it worked its way through her injured wrist bones, much like the earlier tingle had run through her body from her contact with the wand, served to distract her from the morose memories nicely. After only a moment, the wrist was healed...as good as new...and Hermione was then able to turn her healing attention towards her unusual companion. Now that she could use her dominant wand hand again, she could properly take care of his much more serious injuries first before she worried about her own ankle. After all, it was certainly was not going anywhere!
Consequently, Hermione stepped closer to the werewolf and hesitantly asked for his paw. She felt inexplicably pleased when he very willingly gave it to her and she was then able to quickly work her way up that leg with all of the healing spells that she knew. Then she moved on to the other front leg, as well, to give him some immediate relief from the minor injuries there before she turned her attention to the larger and more serious ones that were gouged into his torso. It was then that she finally remembered her personal healing potions that she always carried in her beaded bag. Amazingly enough, when she checked, the bag itself was still stored safely away in its secret pocket - even after she had been so thoroughly knocked around by the first angry werewolf!
Hermione pulled it out, enlarged it, and then eagerly dug around inside of it for a second to two before her hand triumphantly emerged with the exact item she had been searching for. As she unrolled the potions case on the ground, she found that her companion still watched her with those intelligent...and also strangely affectionate...eyes. She smiled reassuringly at him and then reached back into her bag for her muggle first aid kit, as well. She squealed with delight, however, when her hand closed over another wand, instead. Somehow, in the stress and terror of the night, she had completely forgotten that she always kept a spare in her bag for emergencies. After all, she had never had to use it before.
It's not like I had a chance to stop and check earlier, or anything, anyway, she reminded herself after she realized that she felt a little bit silly over the uncharacteristic forgetfulness. I was a bit preoccupied at the time with trying not to get eaten.
As she held a wand in each hand, though, she came to a decision and slowly slid her spare one back into the bag. After all, it was just an extra one that she had purchased simply for emergencies...and it had never fully bonded to her. Surprisingly, the other one she held, the one that belonged to the wolf... No, to the transformed man, she thought firmly...actually responded much better to her will and skill than her own spare wand did. Accordingly, she decided that it would probably be much more effective on his wounds than hers could ever be.
As the skin of the wounds knitted together beautifully right before her eyes with the help of a whispered incantation...as well as a little of her personally brewed Dittany from her bag...Hermione knew that she had made a good call to use the man's own wand for the job. Afterwards, she decided to use it on her ankle, as well, and the repair was instantaneous...as was the relief from the pain. She sighed happily and smiled when she heard her companion do the same.
She then looked down at the wand in her hand. Now that she had healed their wounds and found her spare, she could leave this one with its owner and apparate back home to the safety of her flat and forget all about the terror of this night. However, she wavered at the thought...and when she looked back up at the amber eyes of her companion, she felt an unexpected surge of affection for him. She knew then that she could not leave him alone in the woods – even though he was obviously capable of taking care of himself. Nor could she bring a werewolf back to London with her, either. Who could tell how he would respond in such a situation? Just because he acted tame (for lack of a better word) around her, did not mean that he would do so for everyone else. Yet, she felt strongly about staying with him...helping him after his transformation...and meeting him as a man. Therefore, even though she kept his wand at the ready...just in case they had anymore unwelcome visitors...she also cast a few cushioning charms underneath them and settled back down against the trunk of the tree behind her to wait for the dawn in relative comfort with her new friend.
When her companion crept closer to her side in order to lay his head in her lap, the wave of familiarity hit her again and she tried to piece together the clues as to his identity. The wand, the amber eyes, the werewolf silhouette...where had she seen them all before? She knew the answer should be obvious. After all, she had only seen one transformation as it was happening. However, Remus was dead, and therefore Moony was, too. As much as she wished it to be true, they could not be the ones who saved her. Nevertheless, she felt that she was forgetting something...something big...something important.
Unfortunately, in her exhaustion, the answer simply refused to come to even her normally analytical mind. Instead, she placed a hand on his canine-like head and, much to his delight, absentmindedly rubbed his ears as her body and mind decided that enough was enough. Hermione then slipped into a deep sleep next to her unusual companion...who despite the unexpected comfort of his situation...remained alert and ready for action. After all, if the need arose again, he had to be able to defend his mate!
When Hermione awoke, the forest was no longer dark. In fact, the early morning light drifted through the trees, and gave the surrounding area an almost mystical glow. Something tickled at the back of her memory at the sight...and at the thought of that particular word. However, the answer continued to elude her still sleep-fogged mind, so she let it go for the moment and stretched out her muscles instead. Even though they still felt tight and sore from all of the unexpected activity during the night before, she still felt much better than she would have ever thought possible after a night that started with being hunted by one werewolf and ended with falling asleep against a tree next to another one.
Werewolf! The thought reminded her forcefully that she was not alone and she quickly sat up and looked around eagerly for her unexpected companion from the night before. Her heart fell in disappointment when she did not see him, but her eyes widened in surprise when she discovered that she was no longer propped up against the tree that had served as her support when she first fell asleep. Instead, she found herself lying on a soft mattress, with a pillow under her head, and a warm blanket over her. Somebody had obviously transfigured items from the forest to keep her comfortable while she slept...something she had been too exhausted to do herself...and there was only one person that could have been.
"Good morning!" the man greeted her quietly as he reentered the clearing where Hermione's makeshift bed was located. He was fully clothed, so he must have visited his stash again. Hermione felt vaguely disappointed about that, too, although she did not allow herself a chance to consider why - especially when he continued to speak. "We didn't want to wake you after the night that you had, but we did try to make you a little more comfortable after we changed back and could use our wand again. We hope you don't mind."
Despite his unusual use of the plural pronouns, his voice was gentle and soft with a cadence and tone that made it extremely pleasant to the ear. It was also achingly familiar – especially since she had heard it almost everyday during her third year...and during many discussions later on in Grimmauld Place. Therefore, despite the supposed impossibility of the whole situation, Hermione knew who she would see even before he knelt down next to her. However, when she looked up into the pair of greenish-blue and amber-flecked eyes, a feeling of shock still ran through her body.
"Remus!" she exclaimed in extreme surprise – not only because the man in front of her was supposed to be dead, but also because he was so much younger...with far less scars on his face...than she remembered. In fact, he now appeared to be in his late twenties or so – around the same age as she was! Even with the obvious changes, though, there could be no doubt as to his identity. Thus, Hermione had the fleeting thought that maybe she had actually been killed by the first werewolf the night before, after all...and was currently in the afterlife. However, she was able to dismiss that idea completely when she finally remembered the oh-so-important detail about her location that had evaded her so thoroughly during her exhaustion of the night before.
"You know us?" the man's voice brought her attention back to the present. He seemed surprised...but very pleased...at her recognition. "We didn't go to Hogwarts together, did we? We think we would have remembered someone like you! In fact, we're certain of it!"
The broad smile he sent her way... as well as the obvious compliment...made Hermione's heart flutter in a strange way. She was well aware that the Remus she had known before had never made her feel quite that way...which was a good thing when one considered the age difference and the fact that he was married to Tonks. Nevertheless, it did not matter. Even though it had suddenly become clear to Hermione exactly the kind of magic that must have happened to her on the previous night, she was still thrilled to see any version of her old friend. Therefore, she launched herself out of the bed that he had so thoughtfully created for her and into his arms instead...where she experienced the same full body tingle that she had felt when she held his wand for the first time on the night before.
"Not that we're complaining... neither of us are...not at all," the younger Remus replied after a moment of her joyous hugs that he apparently enjoyed, as well, if his half-hooded eyes were any indication. Hermione, suddenly self-conscious of her reaction to him, pulled away and looked more closely at the man, instead. There, she could see that the amber flecks in his eyes, the ones that signaled when his wolf was close to the surface, were even more prominent and obvious than they had been earlier - before he settled down more comfortably on the mattress beside her.
"You don't know us from Hogwarts, though, do you? That is not what is really happening here, is it?" he asked insightfully. "After all, Moony was having his standard full moon forest romp when we suddenly felt the presence of someone we had been searching for a very long time, our," here he paused and his thoughtful look turned into a shy smile for her before he reached for her hand. Hermione allowed him to take it and hold it in his larger one...even as she marveled at the pleasant tingling sensation that the contact produced again...before she heard him mutter, "our mate was in the forest with us." The word stunned Hermione, but before she had the chance to speak, the man had continued.
"We have been waiting forever to meet her, you know, and we certainly would have known years ago if she had been in the same castle with us for all of that time. After all, recognizing your mate...the one that the universe and magic created just for you...is an instinct of our kind. So, no, that is not what happened. The truth is that she appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the forest last night. Not only that, but she was also being attacked – by one who smelled of our kind, but who had also not been there just a moment before. Even though we were confused, we knew we had to protect her...you...by any means possible, of course. Even though we always hate to take a life...with the possible exception of an occasional rabbit during a particularly wild romp...last night it proved necessary to do so when our mate was in danger. In fact, we've just returned from burying the interloper. We didn't want you to have to see..."
His voice trailed off and he nodded towards the direction where they had left the body of the other werewolf on the previous night before he continued. "Even though he dared to attack our mate, he was obviously a mindless beast at the time, which also means that he was not really one of us. After all, here the wolf and the man learn very early to bond and to constantly work together...even during a transformation. That is why it is safe to allow Moony to spend his one free night a month running around in the forest alone - instead of always needing to be under the watch of our friends – good blokes though they may all be - as we did at Hogwarts when we were younger and newly bonded."
Young Remus continued to look at Hermione thoughtfully. The witch, despite being uneasy with some of the terminology as it pertained to herself...as well as some of the unexpected feelings that he was provoking from her so easily without even trying...hung on to his every word as the scholar in her eagerly digested the information that definitively proved her already half-formed theory – even as extra questions piled up in her mind, as well. She was especially intrigued by his relationship with his wolf and how they seemed to view themselves as one cohesive unit. Hence, the constant use of the plural terms.
"Imagine our happiness, then," Remus continued, unaware of Hermione's train of thought as he simply tried to explain his own, "when we realized that this beautiful woman...with the liveliest hair we have ever seen...hair that we absolutely adore, by the way," he added when Hermione automatically reached up to try and smooth down her wayward tresses which were even worse for wear then normal after a night in the wilderness, "had seen us in our Full Moon form, but was still not afraid of us. Instead, she healed us and..." here his smile turned into a huge grin as he continued mischievously, just like the Marauder he apparently was in this life as well, "accepted us into her bed...however primitive it may have been at the time."
Hermione was no innocent. Ron may have been her first, but she had also dated a couple of other blokes after him. Nevertheless, young Remus's obvious intelligence, surprisingly disarming smile, and subtle innuendo...caused her to blush like one before she reigned in her careening emotions. After all, she was in no position to think about such things at the moment...no matter how intriguing such a thought was...or how pleasant even the simplest of his touches had proven to be, either. In fact, she really had to get some answers for her own piece of mind, first. She could tell that this Remus...and apparently this Moony, too...despite their obvious interest in her...needed some, as well. At any rate, if what Remus had said was true...and her theory was correct...then she knew that she was not going anywhere anytime, soon.
Maybe then I could consider...she forced herself to cut off that particular thought, though, and shook her head to clear it. That situation was going to require a lot more thought...and probably a lot of research...before she could even process it. Accordingly, when she spoke again, she carefully avoided the topic of mates and focused on the major problem at hand, first.
"Do you also think it was the ley-lines, then?" she finally asked since he seemed to allude to the idea that her presence might have occured by mystical means. Remus nodded in affirmation...and both of their questions about her origins and current location, spoken or not, were suddenly answered in the moment of mutual understanding.
Remus let go of her hand briefly to point to the forest behind them. "Yes - especially since there is supposedly an ancient fairy circle, some distance that way. There have always been stories told about it...and the forest creatures give it wide berth. Now we know why. After all, it's where Moony first felt you arrive before you ran this way. His senses are a lot more sensitive in wolf-form than mine are, you know. That's also how we knew you were being chased and that you needed help. Did you..." He looked at her intently. "Did you fall through the circle when you were attacked in your forest?" Hermione nodded before he spoke to her gently again - even though the look in his eyes was hard. "Did he bite you?" was his next question, but amazingly enough, she was able to answer honestly in the negative. Somehow she had managed to escape that.
His face relaxed at her reply, but the look in his eyes was still unreadable as he subtly changed the subject to something he really wanted to know. "Where you are from...do you really know us there?" he asked. When she nodded, the look grew even more indecipherable. "Were we...together?"
"No," Hermione replied and the look on his face cleared immediately and she realized with some incredulity that, for a moment, he actually seemed to be jealous...of himself! As confused as she was about the whole situation, she still set about to reassure him, however.
"I don't think that any of this worked the same way there," she admitted. "We were friends, but that you was much older than I was at the time...one of my former professors, actually...and you were married to someone else, too. Plus, you and Moony did not seem to be nearly as...connected...as you are here."
"Married?" Remus asked increduously as he focused on that part of her answer. "To whom?" he suddenly had to know.
"I don't know if I should tell you," Hermione admitted. After all, she did not think that the strict rules of time travel applied to dimensional travel, as well...but one could not be too careful. That was her opinion, but Remus just scoffed at her caution.
"It certainly doesn't matter now that you are here," he told her quite seriously...and Hermione found to her dismay that she had blushed again in pleasure at his obvious meaning. Despite her increasing attraction to him, she did not quite understand his certainty that they were destined to have a relationship. Neverthless, she answered him anyway.
"Nymphadora Tonks," she replied and Remus just stared at her for a minute before he started laughing in recognition of the name.
"Sirius's little cousin?...No way!...The girl just started Hogwarts." He shook his head and looked a bit uncomfortable. "Nope, I don't think so." He looked at Hermione again and both his voice and his eyes softened. "In fact, I know it will not be so," he emphasized. However, much to her relief, after all the topic was coming uncomfortably close to the subject of mates again, he changed the focus of the conversation back to Hermione's unusual origins, instead.
"At any rate," he stated, "time probably works differently there...which would not only explain the age difference, but also about how you were still able to recognize me despite it." He paused. "A different reality...or different dimension...would also explain the sad state of that poor sod we had to put out of his misery last night. We're almost afraid to ask, but was that us the same way...the wolf and human so miserably unconnected...during the full moon?"
"Do I even want to know how you knew that?" he asked, bemused, when Hermione nodded to the sad truth.
"Probably not," she replied quietly. "But you could say that last night was not my first full moon encounter."
Remus's smile dropped immediately as he realized what she meant, and he reached down and grabbed her other hand, as well. "But it's so dangerous for an unbonded wolf to roam freely after his transformation!" he exclaimed. "We were obviously different there, but we didn't hurt you then, did we?" he asked desperately. Hermione was touched by his concern and was quick to reassure him again. She did not feel it was necessary to tell him just how close of a call they had experienced that night, though.
"Good!" he exclaimed in relief as he squeezed her hands tightly. "We had given up the idea of ever having a mate, you know, because we never could seem to find her. At least we now know exactly why that was, though. It was because she...you...weren't actually here, yet. Nevertheless, if we...any version of us...had hurt you, then we could never forgive our..." he trailed off, but his intention was clear.
Hermione was touched by his concern, even as her mind suddenly swam with everything she had learned. Apparently, her theory was correct. She and the unknown werewolf had stumbled into one of the fabled mystic circles during their first fight and the ancient magic there had somehow transported them into another dimension or reality or something similar. That strange slow motion feeling that she remembered experiencing at the time suddenly made a lot more sense in the given context. After all, she had also found herself in a reality where Remus Lupin was still alive, young, and completely attuned with his wolf, as well. Not only that, but apparently both Remus and Moony actually wanted her to be their mate!
That particular thought sent a shiver of excitement through her as she remembered how he had saved her on the previous night, how his wand had responded to her touch and how effectively it had worked for her – even though she was a complete stranger to both it and him, how he had stayed close by her side throughout the night, how he had kept her comfortable with the transfigured bed in the morning, how he had disposed of the other werewolf's body himself so she did not need to see the creature that had tried to kill her, and perhaps most importantly...how his eyes had felt warm, familiar, safe, and affectionate from the very beginning.
Nevertheless, even though she was eager to learn more about this Remus, she was not one to fall into bed with a not-quite-stranger in an alternate reality, no matter how sweet and kind he was or how much he made her body tingle just by simply holding her hands. After all, she had just been torn out of her old world and thrust into a new one. Therefore, obviously she had a lot to figure out, a lot of research to do, and she needed all of the help that she could get in the process. Consequently, she decided to stop avoiding the topic in order to be completely honest with him and put a stop to his assumption.
"Remus, about this mate business," she started hesitantly. "I just don't..."
He seemed to know what she planned to say and shook his head in the negative before he interrupted. "Don't say anything, yet," his tone was almost, but not quite pleading, as was the look in his eyes. "We realize that we came on kind of strong. We were just so excited to finally find you, but we honestly did not mean to act like a complete dog the way Sirius would have. We know that you have been through a lot in the last few hours and that you have even more to do now that you are here. Therefore, we won't rush you into anything. Just please know that we are here for you, no matter what...when...you decide."
Hermione nodded. She would let that argument go for the moment. She could do that much for him, at least - especially since he was being so thoughtful towards her, yet again. In fact, she smiled at him as she thought about the cute plural "we" that he continued to use that showed just how closely Remus and Moony coexisted in this new reality. Their bonded relationship obviously made all of the difference to this Remus and it made her so happy to see him so healthy and well-adjusted here. After all, her old Remus had been so heartbreakingly miserable and self-loathing so much of the time that she had known him!
Consequently, before she knew it, she gave into the impulse to lean in and kiss him on the cheek in gratitude for his understanding. She could not help but to wonder then if she had made the right decision to wait, however – especially when his eyes flashed amber and that now-familiar tingling feeling ran through her body, again. Just as she considered throwing caution to the wind, though, and leaning in to kiss him again - for real this time - she realized what else he had just said. In fact, he had actually mentioned the man's name a couple of times already.
"Sirius?" she asked excitedly. She had not considered the fact that since Remus was younger himself here that probably meant that Padfoot was also...her thoughts trailed off, however, when his eyes flashed again and he answered with an unexpected growl.
"Don't tell me that you and Sirius..."
"Oh no!" Her firm denial reassured him and he automatically relaxed. "Never like that," she continued placatingly with a little bit of laughter mixed in at the thought, as well. "I did know him, too, though. I even got into a bit of trouble with him on more than one occasion."
"That definitely sounds like our Sirius!" Remus exclaimed. He was back to his gently cheerful self now that she had set his mind at ease with her obvious lack of romantic interest in his friend. After all, he loved the man like a brother, but he also knew exactly what Sirius was like with women...and even a few men, too...and he did not want to have to warn him off of his and Moony's mate - even if they had reluctantly agreed to wait for her to make that decision for herself.
"What about James and Pete, though?" he asked to change the subject to something more neutral. "Do you know them, too? How about Lily and little Harry? After all, if the other me was old enough to be your teacher, then you might have been near Harry's age."
Hermione did not immediately answer, though, because she had gone deathly still and pale at the names of both Harry's parents and the traitorous rat. She had just realized what a younger Remus might also mean for this place. After all, since time moved a little differently in this new reality, then it could still have been about the right time period for the first part of the war, the part where Harry's parents had been betrayed and killed.
"What about Voldemort?" she croaked in horror, instead, and her voice sounded strange - even to herself.
"Who...or what...is a Voldemort?" Remus asked, and the confusion in his voice and on his face was obvious. In fact, the desperation was so clear in her tone that he could tell that something had deeply upset her and his grip on her hands...which he still held...tightened even further.
"Tom Riddle?" she asked, as well, knowing that a different reality could mean easily mean a different name for that particular brand of evil. "Death Eaters?"
Hermione allowed herself to relax and breathe again only when there was absolutely no spark of recognition in the young werewolf's eyes at the name of the dark wizard or his organized band of thugs and blood supremacists. Hopefully, that meant she had been lucky enough to land in a reality that not only had a wonderfully young and unattached Remus, but also one that did not include any sort of Voldemort. In fact, she was almost giddy with relief when she realized that meant that she would not have to relive the war. She just did not think that she could go through all of that again!
"Never mind, I'll explain later," Hermione then promised the man who continued to look at her with affectionate concern...and confusion at her sudden change of tone again. Since she did not want to revisit those memories, yet, however, she answered his earlier questions, instead.
"I have never met James and Lily for many reasons," she replied with hesitation as she wondered how she could possibly explain that situation to Remus - especially if it was no longer a valid concern in the new reality. However, she just shook her head and continued, anyway, "and I don't want to talk about Peter right now...not until I can get some answers about this particular time and place, at least, but...Yes!...I do know Harry. In fact, he is my best friend and I consider him to be my brother in everything-but-blood. If the age gaps are the same here, I know that he is probably just a wee one right now, but my Harry and I have been through a lot together in my reality. Way too much, in fact!"
It was then, at the thought of never seeing her Harry again – especially after all that they had been through over the years - sometimes just the two of them against the world - that the truth of the situation she was in finally hit Hermione like a ton of bricks. Even after everything that had happened to her with the werewolf attack, and losing her whole reality, it was still not until that moment that she finally started to cry. Even though she was not normally one to give in to her emotions, she just could not hold it all in any longer. It was simply a case of too much, too soon, and she desperately needed an outlet for her excess emotions.
Remus's thoughts quickly moved away from the concern he felt about the way she mentioned James and Peter. They were two of his best friends, after all, and Lily was special to him, as well. Hence, he desperately wanted to know what their story was from Hermione's point of view. However, he also knew that it would have to wait. The obvious distress of the woman whom he already knew was going to become the most important person of his life took precedence at the moment and he could not bear to see her unhappy. He rushed to gather her up in his arms, to hold her tightly, and to comfort her.
After all, Remus was a very smart man and he realized that the trauma of the previous night...as well as the wider reaching consequences of being an involuntary ley line traveler...and perhaps even his probably-too-early claim that she was his destined mate, had finally taken its emotional toll on the woman. She could handle no more at the moment. Therefore, he just held her and let her cry herself out – even though he had to mentally restrain an agitated Moony who was upset by his chosen mate's unhappiness and wanted to punish whomever had hurt her.
After Hermione had cried for all that she had lost, she came back to herself to realize that she was safe and sound in Remus's arms. The contact felt so wonderful that she immediately felt the loss of it when he had moved away in order to transfigure a clean handkerchief for her and to give her a moment alone to compose herself and gather her thoughts. By that time, however, she had begun to realize that she maybe she might actually have gained as much as she had lost from her change in reality, as well. This awareness was reinforced even further by Remus's next suggestion when he returned and took her hand again and they both automatically relaxed, physically and emotionally, at the renewed contact between them.
"So what do you think about going back to Hogwarts with us?" he asked. "We should be getting back soon, anyway. They will all be wondering where we are since we are normally quite hungry...and therefore always present for at least a late breakfast after a good old-fashioned romp in the Forbidden Forest on a full moon night. However, due to some unforeseen...but extremely welcome...circumstances, time has slipped away from us on this occasion." He smiled at her affectionately and squeezed her hand as he glanced up into the sky to check for the sun.
"In fact, it has to be closer to noon by now." He added as he looked back down at her and his lips automatically stretched back into a wide grin when he met her eyes.
Once again Hermione felt thrilled with the truly communal partnership that this Remus obviously had with his Moony...and at the idea that he obviously wanted to extend that relationship to include her, as well! Not only all of that, but the mention of food did make her stomach growl hungrily, too. After all, she had not eaten anything since the previous afternoon, and apparently, dimension traveling and being hunted by a werewolf was quite the calorie burner!
Before she could say anything to that effect, however, he continued. "We know that you have a lot to work through," he continued once she had returned his smile with far less effort than she would ever have thought would be in such possible situation, "and we really believe that Headmistress McGonagall will help you. She has been in charge forever and is probably one of the most respected witches in Britain, as well as one of the most kind..." Remus paused when he saw Hermione's small smile widen automatically at the mention of her favorite professor...besides the one in front of her, of course - especially when she realized that McGonagall was obviously the one in charge of Hogwarts in this reality.
She knew that was definitely for the best. After all, Hermione had respected Dumbledore when she was younger, but she did not think that she could ever forgive him for everything that he put Harry through over the years with his secrecy and "For the Greater Good" plans. However, if this McGonagall was anything like her McGonagall, then Hermione knew the woman could be trusted completely. In fact, she looked forward to meeting her very much.
"You already know all of this, though, don't you?" Remus asked a bit sheepishly. He looked at the woman next to him closely and must have seen something in her eyes to convince him because he suddenly exclaimed, "By Merlin, you're a Gryffindor, too, aren't you? Minnie will be excited to hear that. She is extremely fair to all of her students, but those of us in the know can tell she has a soft spot for her lion cubs - even if we Marauders did end up in detention quite often, regardless." He paused to laugh at the memory.
"Plus, she does need some cheering up right now, too, because she has a lot on her plate – especially since Slughorn has decided to retire mid-term in order to have more time to enjoy his crytallized pineapple and collected favors. Unfortunately, however, she cannot seem to find a qualified Potion Masters anywhere who would be willing to take his place for a mere teacher's salary..." Here he paused again when he saw the sudden dazzling smile that crossed Hermione's face at the idea that the answer to some of her most pressing problems, mainly employment and housing, had just fallen right into her lap.
"Really?" he asked incredulously. "You have a Potions mastery?" His face then lit up with excitement to match hers. "Could the situation be more perfect? Could you be more perfect? Minnie will be thrilled! She has all kinds of contacts in the Ministry, so she will know exactly what to do about the fact that you are not exactly from around here. Then we can be colleagues, as well!"
When Hermione looked at him with puzzlement at the statement, he continued to explain in this Remus's usual cheerful tone that was so different from the one she was used to from her younger years. "Didn't you say that your Remus was a professor, too? In fact, I bet that he was the best History of Magic teacher you ever had! You took copious notes with lots of little doodled hearts around his name and quivered with excitement to see such a dashingly handsome man in front of the class, didn't you?"
Hermione smiled at his silliness, even as she exclaimed,"History?" with delight. After all, the thought of receiving that part of her education from such a knowledgeable man instead of Binns, the boring old ghost, was definitely appealing. She bet his classes were extremely interesting and she resolved right then and there to audit some if she possibly could.
"That is so perfect for you!" she added truthfully. "Remus was the DADA professor in my time, you know...only for a year, though, because there was actually a curse on the position until..." she paused, since she did not want to explain why he had really lost his job that year - especially since that did not seem to be an issue in a world where werewolves could control themselves without the need for Wolfsbane. Nor did she want to go into any further explanation of the war...not yet, anyway...even though she knew she would eventually have to tell him everything.
She knew that this Remus must have caught on to her continued reluctance to talk about that dark time, but she was extremely grateful for his patience and that he did not push her to explain. She just was not ready, yet. Plus, she had a feeling that he and Moony would not respond well to parts of the narrative that would eventually be necessary. After all, once he saw her scars... Much to her relief, though, those thoughts were interrupted when a brief hand squeeze from the werewolf in question seemed to indicate that he understood the path that her thoughts had taken, he continued their casual conversation, instead.
"Defense?" he commented with obvious disdain. "Having hormonally unstable teenagers constantly tossing hexes and their counter curses around at each other? No thank you. We'll leave that to Sev. He certainly seems to like it well enough."
"Sev?" Hermione asked with a great deal of surprise. "Severus Snape?"
Remus nodded with amusement. "Yeah. So you know him, too? He's another good friend of ours," he replied easily. "He and Harry's mom grew up together, you know, and he is actually one of Harry's godfathers." Hermione could only goggle in surprise at him at that unexpected bit of information...at the complete difference in circumstances than the ones she was used to...until she remembered that Harry had not been the only one constantly caught up in Dumbledore's machinations.
Without him to encourage the Gryffindor/Slytherin rivalry...for whatever reason...when they were younger, she could easily see how Remus and Professor Snape could have been friends at Hogwarts. They both had keen intellects, so she could definitely see them as academic rivals, but also as efficient study partners, as well. Plus, with neither Voldemort nor Dumbledore in the picture to spoil things, perhaps Snape had actually been able to live a happy life free from the two demanding masters, and therefore, had not become the miserable...despite his brilliance...man that she had known. At any rate, Hermione suddenly found herself looking forward to seeing the two men interact with each other in this reality...and found that she did not hate the idea of being in that picture herself...as she certainly would be if she also was lucky enough to be able to actually teach at Hogwarts with a certain handsome werewolf...
In fact, as she gazed at the young man next to her, she felt another unexpected surge of the affection that had been present ever since she had met him in wolf form. She had always liked and respected the Remus she knew before, but this one with her now was really something special. She realized just how lucky she had been that he...they...had been in the Forbidden Forest the night before. Not only had they saved her life, but they had offered her a completely new one to make up for the one she had lost in the process. In fact, they had even offered themselves to her! Even though she still was not sure about that situation, she really liked the idea of them being part of her new life.
In fact, it was obviously time to get started with that new existence. After all, she was not one to brood about her troubles - especially since she had already had a good cry about them. It was now time to fix them instead! Therefore, there was absolutely no reason to put off the inevitable for any longer. She had to begin somewhere, and going to Hogwarts with Remus was obviously a good place to start. Thus, she jumped up eagerly and held her hand out to him.
"Well...what are we waiting for?" she asked in a clear invitation. Remus latched on to her newly determined mood eagerly as he grasped her delicate hand in his larger one and let her pull him up next to her. In fact, his eyes flashed with amber at the exciting proximity of his mate as he went to wrap his arm around the witch in preparation to apparate away to the school gates. However, they both felt another extremely pleasant tingle...even stronger than any of the others had been...race through them at their first full body contact and Hermione felt herself simply melt into Remus's arms as she felt his body react to their closeness, as well.
Perhaps Remus really does have an allure here, after all - both as man and wolf, Hermione considered at that moment. After all, he had been able to calm her with just a glance as a wolf...and with just a touch as a human.
Therefore, it was either that, or else she really had found her way into a dimension...a parallel reality...where soulmates were the truth instead of just a romantic myth. Maybe fate had actually brought her here to be Remus's mate. Maybe this Remus really was the one who was always meant for her and that was why she had always liked that Remus so much. In fact, maybe she had always been meant to travel across realities and that was why she and Ron had not been able to make things work...or why none of the other blokes had ever worked out, either - because she was never meant to stay there. Maybe fate knew that she needed another great adventure...and this Remus was it. Why else would she find herself in such a position?
Whatever the case may be, Hermione could no longer scoff at the idea - despite her previous disgust with both Divination and prophecies. The mounting evidence was simply too overwhelming to do so. Instead, she decided to finally give in to the temptation to lean in and kiss both the man in front of her and the wolf who was always right beneath the surface. The moment their lips touched, however, and that touch-tingle spread like wildfire across her body, Hermione knew that she was lost...and it was clear from the possessive growl that emanated from them that both Remus and Moony felt the exact same way.
Then, as the hunger in their stomachs was completely forgotten in the face of a deeper and stronger appetite for each other as their fledgling bond begged to be fully consummated, they tumbled back down to the transfigured mattress together. Hermione finally realized then that, despite her earlier resolution not to rush things between them, she just could not argue with the kind of powerful magic that could bring her across time and space in order to gift her with such an extraordinary new existence and such a wonderfully unexpected companion.