AN: Hello again! Long time, no upload! I hope I can make it up to you with both the longest chapter update yet, and also the story's first bit of smut writing - though perhaps not what you're expecting! (M content warning!). If you like it, there will be more to come in later chapters as things start hotting up!

Enjoy, and don't forget to review :)

~ Quilara

Chapter 29 – Both – A Series of Detentions, Part 2

Monday 16th November – Waxing Crescent

Hermione

Hermione was struggling to keep her mind on anything other than her time with Professor Lupin. It probably wasn't healthy, but it was all she wanted to do. She had even kept the jumper she had found herself wearing in the hospital wing because it smelled faintly like him. She knew she should probably give it back soon, but he hadn't mentioned it.

Her infatuation was starting to interfere with her life. She struggled to focus and would often find her mind wandering during conversations. She was sure her friends must be starting to wonder what was up, but she couldn't help it. She even found herself absentmindedly doodling 'H+R' and little love hearts in the margins of her notes although, she realised, she didn't even know what the R stood for. Robert? Richard?

'Hermione?'

Rory? Roland?

'Hermione!'

Perhaps something foreign, like Renaud or Ruadh?

'For Merlin's sake Hermione, have you not been listening to anything I've been saying?!'

A disgruntled Ginny came into focus, waving her arms in Hermione's face.

'Sorry I uh… zoned out. What were you saying?'

Ginny huffed and made a pouty face.

'I was telling you about my love life, and you didn't even care enough to listen!'

'I'm sorry Ginny, I was just… distracted. I promise I'm listening now. Please tell me again?'

Ginny considered this for a moment, her lips clamped stubbornly shut. But she must have realised how much she wanted to talk about it because she was soon chattering away again.

'Well, I was saying how I don't know what to do and I wanted your advice?'

'About what?'

'About DEAN!' she exclaimed, exasperated.

'Right well… what's the latest? I thought he tried to stick his tongue down your throat, and you ran away?'

Ginny rolled her eyes, 'That was aaages ago. We've made out a lot of times since then.'

'Oh… wait, what?'

'And now he hits me with the question totally out of the blue and he just thinks that that's totally okay?!'

Hermione was baffled, and her brain was still short-circuiting on the part about Ginny making out with Dean. Had she really been so preoccupied with her own love-struck fantasy that she hadn't even noticed Ginny and Dean getting together?

'Does Ron know?'

'Know what?'

'About you and Dean?'

'I mean probably, it's not exactly a secret.' She narrowed her eyes, 'I don't see why that should matter though. I don't need Ron's approval to-'

'I know, I know. I just… wondered if he knew is all… wait, what is 'the question'?' Hermione asked, her brain catching up to the conversation. 'It's not about… you know… doing stuff is it?'

'By stuff do you mean sex?'

Hermione blushed. Ginny was always so blunt and open about things in a way that Hermione struggled to be – something she secretly admired about the younger girl.

'Yes – he's not pressuring you, is he?'

Ginny just laughed, 'No, no, nothing like that. He just asked me to be his girlfriend.'

She shuddered.

Hermione frowned.

'What's so bad about that? You surely must like him if you keep making out with him?'

'Yes, but I don't want to be his girlfriend,' she said indignantly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

It wasn't.

'Well… why not?'

'Because then I'll be tied down. I don't want to be tied down!

'Okay… so are there other people you want to get with then?'

'Not particularly.'

'Then… surely it doesn't matter if you're 'tied down'?'

'That's not the point Hermione, it's the principle. I'm a free horse.'

Hermione laughed as Ginny followed up her comment with a convincing horse impression.

'You really are a strange one Gin.'

'So what do I tell him?'

Hermione shrugged, 'Tell him no.'

'But then he'll think I'm not interested and stop making out with me.'

'Then… tell him, yes?' Hermione said, starting to get a little impatient with the circular conversation and wanting to get to lunch so she could head to her detention.

'But then I'll be his girlfriend.'

'Well… maybe that's not as bad as you think? Maybe you'll like it.' She shrugged, 'And if not, you can always break up with him?'

Hermione left Ginny mulling over her predicament as she headed to lunch.

-oOo-

Professor Lupin had taken to reading at his desk in preference to the comfort of his living room, whilst Hermione pottered around the office working on her second attempt at the wolfsbane potion – a fact which had not escaped her notice. Perhaps he enjoyed the companionable silence as much as she did.

She added the last of the dried fluxweed and brought the potion to a simmer. Once it was bubbling away she tidied up the desk of remaining ingredients and perched herself on a stool and waited.

She gazed around the now familiar walls of his tidy office at the random assortment of muggle and magical items that he possessed, but couldn't stop her gaze from sliding back to the man sitting at the desk, his frame slightly stooped over the book which held his attention. She enjoyed watching him read. He seemed so relaxed, almost trancelike. She noticed the way his fingers gently and deftly turned each page, and the way his eyes were trained intently on the engaging text before him. Oh how she wished she could trade places with that book.

She desperately wanted to talk to him about his lycanthropy, her curiosity having only heightened since the night in the shrieking shack, but it never felt like something appropriate to just drop into conversation. He seemed a very private man and wouldn't take too kindly to her shining a spotlight on the one thing he avoided talking about most. But, at the same time, the fascination was irresistible. She had, of course, scoured all the books she could find on the topic, but they had very little to offer a reader with no interest in hunting and killing werewolves. Hermione was interested in something else entirely.

'Sir?' she heard herself enquire, before realising she had consciously decided to do so. But when he murmured an expectant 'mmm-hmm?' in response her confidence evaporated as quickly as it had arrived, and so she lamely asked,

'Can we use this time to practice spells?'

He raised an eyebrow at this request, but didn't look up from the book before him, 'You're supposed to be in detention.' A faint smile played on his lips.

'And you're supposed to be the fun teacher,' she rebutted.

He laughed and very deliberately placed his bookmark carefully between the pages before closing it and setting it on the table. He then laced his fingers together and, finally, looked up at her with his captivating eyes.

'What do you want to practice?'

'Patronuses. Mine is still terrible.'

'Ah.'

'Well I can get it sometimes, but not consistently, even when I'm using the same memory. And it's not even beginning to take an animal form.'

He shrugged.

'Well I'm not sure what more instruction I can give to you. If you've got a good memory, incantation and wand control, it's really just about practice and conviction. The fact you're managing to conjure anything at all is really impressive. It took me years to master a full bodied patronus, not months.'

She frowned, 'I thought you said you couldn't cast a corporeal patronus?'

'I lied.'

'Why?'

He picked up his wand and muttered 'Expecto patronum,'.

A silver light burst forth, swirling and shifting until it formed the shape of a wolf, which leapt around the room before he extinguished it.

'As much as I try to deny it, I guess I truly am a vicious beast both inside and out,' he said darkly, but with a hint of humour, and she could have sworn she saw a flash of yellow dance across his eyes.

'But that was a regular wolf, not a werewolf. You can tell by the longer snout, and the shape of the ears. I say it's symbolises loyalty, family, bravery, intelligence. A wolf is a great spirit guardian to have.'

He cocked his head to the side, and regarded her with a hard-to-read expression.

'Sorry,' she apologised quickly, shifting under his gaze. 'I've just gotten very interested in the topic. I'm sure you don't need me to lecture you on the differences between wolves and werewolves.'

His lips curled into a knowing smile, and then he simply said, 'Shall we practice then?'

Tuesday 17th November – Half Moon

Remus

Remus has taken to reading in his office, in truth, because it was nice to not be alone. Even though he was surrounded by hundreds of babbling students each day he still felt quite lonely, yet to really feel settled amongst the teaching staff, many of whom he still regarded as his superiors or, in the case of Snape, openly disliked him. Hermione's companionship was different, and although they usually worked in relative silence Remus enjoyed her presence, and he had found himself increasingly looking forward to his lunchtimes.

He realised with an abrupt clarity that she was probably the closest thing he had to a friend at Hogwarts. He pondered this revelation for a moment, anticipating an accompaniment of troubled feelings, but they did not arise. He just felt content.

Moony was less impressed, however. He had grown accustomed to her presence and had begrudgingly accepted it, but as the full moon crept closer Moony was making his dislike of the girl increasingly obvious. He whined and grumbled in protest which was making Remus feel irritable and giving him a headache.

Today was the day that the potion was finished, and it was time to start taking it. It was deep blue in colour and smoking faintly.

'Looks good to me.' Remus said with a shrug.

'And the smell?' Hermione asked, taking a sniff and wrinkling her nose. 'I think it smells like bad eggs.'

Remus leant forward to inhale the aroma, but immediately regretted it and recoiled from the awful scent. Moony's repulsed growl reverberated around his head, forcing him to squeeze his eyes shut and take a few steadying breaths.

'Well, it smells as foul as Snape's did,' he managed to choke out. 'Not sure if that's a good or bad sign.'

'Are you okay?'

He opened his eyes to see Hermione looking at him with concern, and realised he was gripping the desk very tightly. He released his grip.

'Yeah just… a headache,' he said lamely.

Her expression shifted to a knowing smile.

'It's alright Moony. It's not going to hurt you,' she said cheerfully and turned back to the cauldron to begin ladling some of the potion into a goblet.

Moony was so surprised by the direct address that he momentarily forgot his displeasure. Remus was also surprised at her perceptiveness and they both just stared at her for a moment. She turned back with the glass in hand and offered it to them, causing Moony to remember his distaste and resume sulking.

'Thanks,' Remus said flatly, not looking forward to drinking the offending liquid, and reached to take the offered glass. His fingers brushed against hers as he took the glass and he snatched his hand back as a shock shot all the way up his arm. Moony let out an anguished yelp and the glass tumbled from his grip and shattered on the stone floor.

He stared at the floor for a moment, then raised his head to look at her. Moony was still bristling angrily from the shock.

'You felt that too right?' he asked, but it was clear she had from the way her eyes searched his, seeking an explanation.

She nodded slowly.

'Right,' he said matter-of-factly, and pushed his fringe out of his face, 'I thought I was imagining it before, but that's three times that that has happened now. First when I taught you the Protego spell, then again in the tunnel below the Shrieking Shack.'

She was regarding him with an uncertain expression. Confusion? Perhaps fear? Something else?

'Sir?' she asked tentatively.

'Yes?'

'Do you think it could be… a wolf thing? I felt it all down my scar.'

'Really?' he said, surprised. 'I suppose that could have something to do with it.'

He considered the information for a moment. 'Perhaps when I… well when Moony…' he struggled to say the words, feeling the guilt and shame bubbling up again as the events of that fateful night resurged in his mind. 'You know…'

She nodded.

He sighed. 'Werewolves are dark creatures. Perhaps it's unsurprising that their scars may run deeper than what is on the surface.'

'Yes… maybe…' she said uncertainly and bit her lip. 'But, that time in the classroom was way before that night.'

She was right. And he was stumped. They regarded each other silently for a long moment.

Then he watched as Hermione slowly pointed her index finger and reached out towards his hand.

'May I?' she asked.

He nodded.

She tentatively poked the back of his hand, causing a tingling sensation which felt much less severe than the previous shock, perhaps because it hadn't taken him by surprise. Moony whined and he saw Hermione shudder.

'Weird,' he said.

'Super weird,' she agreed.

'I feel like…' he trailed off, still formulating his thoughts.

'What?'

'I don't know how to describe it but… Moony seems to have a bad reaction to you.'

'How so?'

'Well… I'm just thinking back to that Sunday night in my office when tried to attack you. Then again at the full - he was totally calm and under control until he saw you, and then he just went berserk. And now this,' he said, gesturing the space between them. 'It's just… odd.'

'And it's just me?' she asked with a frown.

'I think so?'

But in truth, he recalled at that moment that there had been another time that Moony had had a very strong reaction to being touched, so much so that Remus had lost control. But it had been very close to the full and Remus had been engaged in a much more… intimate situation…

Sirius had been teasing Remus all day, with little winks here and comments there, and Remus knew from the devilish grin on his stupid handsome face that his actions were far from accidental. Sirius knew exactly what he was doing, and he was putting Remus' self-control to the ultimate test. The full moon was only two days away, which was doing nothing to allay the intrusive and inappropriate thoughts Remus was having about the dark haired wizard.

Remus wasn't exactly sure what to call their situation, but whenever he brought that question up Sirius always avoided the subject, claiming that he wanted to 'do what felt right' and not 'put a label on it.'

Well, clearly in Sirius' mind, 'doing what felt right' translated into sex. They had been sleeping together for a few months now, and although Sirius had always been patient with Remus' inexperience and respectful of his wishes to take it slow, it was becoming increasingly apparent that Sirius was keen to progress their… well, whatever this was.

At Remus' request they had never been intimate near to the full moon, as he was afraid of what might happen if Moony took over. That didn't stop Sirius from testing the limits, though, and he seemed to revel in trying to excite Moony as though it was some kind of game.

Today was no exception.

Perhaps it was the impending full moon, or the dull delivery of Professor Binns lecture on the 1752 Goblin Rebellion, but Remus was already having a difficult time concentrating on the lesson.

Moony's ears pricked up at the sound of something clattering to the floor beside him and he felt something brush against his thigh, causing Moony to whine at the touch. He looked to his left and saw Sirius rummaging for something under the desk, before reappearing with a quill in his hand. He flipped his long dark hair from his face and looked at Remus.

'What?' he said innocently, 'I just dropped my quill.'

There was no hint of deceit in his eyes – his gorgeous, storm grey eyes – and Remus tore his own eyes away and tried to focus on Professor Binns' words once more.

Calm down Moony, he told himself as he picked up his own quill and attempted to take some notes.

A few minutes later Remus heard another clatter, and turned again. This time Sirius was looking right at him.

'Oops… How clumsy of me,' he murmured, then, without breaking eye contact, caressed his hand all the way down Remus' leg to retrieve the offending quill from the stone floor. Remus' breath hitched and he felt a tingling sensation left behind where Sirius' hand had been. Moony let out a low rumble of excitement, and Remus struggled to push it down.

Sirius straightened back up and smirked, clearly pleased with the effect he was having on the younger wizard. His hand was still placed firmly on Remus' thigh and Remus sat rooted in place, powerless to protest as Sirius leaned in, his lips brushing gently against Remus' ear, and whispered, 'Bite me, wolf boy.'

'Pads… don't,' he managed to hiss through gritted teeth, afraid that people might notice. Remus wanted to rip the boy's clothes off right now, and sink his teeth into the soft flesh of his neck, and Moony agreed hungrily. Or was it the other way around? It was taking every ounce of self-control he had to stay in his seat, and Remus was struggling to determine which thoughts were his own and which were the wolf's. Or perhaps they were the same. Or perhaps it didn't matter, he thought, as the smell of Sirius filled his sensitive nose. Moony let out an impatient whine.

'Don't' what?' the faux innocence returned, 'This?'

The hand began to move again, but this time it travelled upwards towards his…

Remus stood up abruptly, breaking the contact and causing his chair to clatter to the floor behind him as Moony let out a frustrated howl of undisguised longing. Thirty heads swivelled around to look at Remus as he felt the heat rising in his face. He quickly stammered something incoherent and bolted from the room.

Remus' mind was jolted back from the memory when, to his surprise, Hermione boldly reached out and grabbed hold of his hand, squeezing it tightly.

Remus screwed up his eyes and gritted his teeth as Moony let out an anguished howl and wrestled and writhed, trying to pull away from her touch. But Remus' was much better at staying in control these days and held firm. The sharp electric shocks gradually began to fade to a warm tingling sensation and Moony slowly quieted to a soft whimper.

Only then did Remus realise he had been holding his breath. He exhaled shakily and opened his eyes.

Hermione was giving him an inquiring look.

'He's calmed down now,' Remus explained.

'I can feel it in my scar,' she said quietly. 'It tingles.'

'Wolf stuff?'

'Yeah, I think so.'

They fell silent and he dropped his gaze to their clasped hands. It felt as if a surge of energy was flowing between them, and he felt like he couldn't let go. Or perhaps he didn't want to.

The silence stretched on a little too long, before she suddenly let go and turned back to the cauldron, the moment evaporating into the air.

'Well, magic sure is strange and unpredictable,' she said, filling another goblet.

'Yeah…' he murmured.

'Right. Drink up.' She said matter-of-factly, placing the goblet down on the edge of the table.

Remus did as he was told, and pinched his nose with one hand as he knocked back the potion as quickly as possible. It burned his throat and made his eyes water, and threatened to come back up the way it went, but he managed to keep it down and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

'How was that?' she enquired.

'Horrible,' he grimaced.

'Sorry.'

'It's alright. Thanks for making it… I think.' He smiled, 'I guess now only time will tell.'

'Indeed.' She glanced at the clock, 'And speaking of time, I'm late to Herbology.'

And with that she picked up her bag and swiftly exited the room.

He stood staring at the door for a moment, still trying to process everything that had just happened, before finally shaking his head in bewilderment and retiring to his quarters. He collapsed wearily into his armchair and closed his eyes, allowing the rest of the painful memory that had been triggered earlier to play out in his mind.

Remus walked briskly down the corridor away from Professor Binns' classroom, and tried to calm himself down. Sirius knew exactly what he was doing, dammit. He shook his head and slapped his cheeks, trying to clear his mind of those racing thoughts and bring Moony back under control. It was then that he heard a voice behind him.

'Hey Rem! Remus, wait up!'

Remus ignored him and quickened his pace, but he heard Sirius break into a jog behind him before feeling a hand grab his shoulder.

Remus whirled around to face the shorter boy.

'You're walking a dangerous line, Black,' Remus snarled angrily, feeling Moony's consciousness right alongside his own. 'The full is only two nights away…'

'I can handle it,' said Sirius coolly, his chin tilted up to hold the taller boys gaze. His face was so close, Remus could just lean down and…

With a frustrated grunt he pulled himself away again from the magnetic boy, and continued down the corridor.

'What about Moony?' Sirius called after him. 'Isn't it time he got what he wanted for once?'

Remus stopped again, but he hadn't decided to this time. He willed his body to take another step forward, but Moony was standing firm. Remus felt his control slipping away as Moony's excitement grew.

He then felt Sirius' arms wrap around his waist and his hot breath in his ear.

'Mmm that's it. Let's show Remus what he's been miss-.'

Remus was powerless to stop Moony as he whirled around and grabbed Sirius' face, crashing their lips together and silencing his hypnotic voice. Lips and teeth met in a frenzied fight for dominance - a fight which didn't last long as Moony forced his tongue into Sirius' mouth, which he was only too happy to oblige. Moony let out a growl, but this one made its way out through his vocal chords. Sirius' eyes flashed with excitement. 'My, my,' he teased, 'I didn't know History of Magic got you so horny.'

'Silence,' Moony growled, shoving Sirius roughly into the wall and resuming his attack on his mouth, so hard he was sure it would leave bruises. Moony grabbed the front of Sirius' shirt and tore it open, ripping the buttons from their holes and exposing the heaving chest beneath. He broke off the kiss to begin his assault on his exposed torso. Sirius tilted his head back in pleasure and closed his eyes.

'Yeeesss Moony,' he moaned, 'Use me.'

The sound of his mate's moans was too much for Moony. He needed to have him right now.

He flipped the boy around with ease and pinned him against the wall. His hand found its way around to the hard bulge in the front of Sirius' trousers, his own pressed firmly against Sirius' delicious arse. He felt the dark-haired boy turn to putty beneath his deft hands.

'Rem…' he panted, but Moony ignored his mewling. Moony's hand slid inside Sirius' trousers and his fingers wrapped firmly around his penis. Sirius let out an involuntary moan.

'Rem…' Sirius said again with a hint of agitation, 'Don't you think we should go somewhere a little more priva-ouch!' He was cut off by Moony slamming him into the wall once more, hard, the right side of his face colliding with the hard stone wall of the corridor.

Sirius' hands flailed as he fought back, trying to get himself out of his pinned position, but he was no match for Moony's strength. In a slight desperation he reached behind himself and grabbed a firm hold of Moony's crotch, taking the young werewolf by surprise and giving Sirius just enough time to wriggle free. Moony growled and lunged after Sirius, grabbing a hold of his arm to stop him from escaping. Thinking quickly Sirius tugged him towards the broom cupboard on the opposite side of the corridor and the two boys stumbled clumsily inside in a tangle of legs and teeth, before Sirius kicked the door shut behind them.

It didn't take long for Moony to have his mate completely undressed, before burying himself inside over and over as Sirius moaned his name in ecstasy.

Could it be? Remus thought as the memory ebbed away, a feeling of dread settling in the pit of his stomach. Maybe Moony's visceral reaction wasn't anger. Maybe it was lust.

Uh uh, no way Moony, be berated the wolf, You leave her the fuck alone.