LOVELIES!

Happy middle of the week! I know a lot of you were wondering what happened to James and when we'll find that out. I promise in the next chapter all shall be revealed. This chapter is kind of an indulgence on my part, lots of Remione goodness.

This is a bit unrelated but I listened to Cherry Wine by Hozier a lot whilst I was writing this, in case anyone was interested.

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Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, and only the story line and any OC's belong to me.

As always for Sable and Lais xxx


Tuesday, June 5th, 1979

Potter Manor

I wonder how much of the future will change? The witch wonders to herself as she strolls down the hallway, humming absently. Draco is meant to be born today in a year…but will he? Or will he never be born?

A frown twists her eyebrows together in an uncertain knot, the thought that Draco Malfoy may never exist is a strange one, and she really doesn't know how to feel about it. Perhaps he will be born, but he'll be drastically different this time around.

There was goodness in him too, Hermione thinks, recalling how despite everything that had transpired between them, he didn't give them away that day. How he'd fought alongside the other students in the battle of Hogwarts. How he'd tried to make amends after the war was over.

She really doesn't know how to feel about it all.

Thinking about Draco brings her to ponder the complex situation with Narcissa and Lucius. I need to talk to Dorea about some things.

Hermione reaches her destination and a soft smile flutters onto her face, she runs one hand over the rough wooden surface of the door and uses the other to twist the doorknob.

She gently pushes on the door and peeks inside, her smile only getting bigger when she sees her wizard sitting up in bed grinning crookedly in her direction.

Remus had kicked back the cream sheets, one knee bent and his other leg outstretched on the cream sheets.

"What happened to the chocolate cake?" Remus asks, his smile falling away into a pout as Hermione joins him in the bed, snuggling into him on the side with his uninjured arm—the other one is almost fully healed, but she doesn't want to put any unnecessary stress on it.

"Mipsy distracted me with a bit of errant chatter and then she shooed me away whilst she bakes it," Hermione says.

Remus makes a low noise in understanding and drops a kiss onto the crown of her head, "thank you, love."

"It was my pleasure," Hermione smiles, tilting her head up and puckering her lips slightly.

Remus grins toothily before ducking his head down to claim her mouth, languidly moving his lips against hers.

He mainly uses his good arm to tug her on top of him, his hands delving into her honey brown curls and a low growl rumbles in his throat when her teeth nip at his bottom lip.

Remus sits up, and she readjusts so that she's straddling him, moaning softly when she feels his erection pressing against her core, she pulls back just enough to look at him, their breath melding together.

"Hermione," Remus murmurs, kissing her softly once, his hands moving down to grip her arse; his eyes are flashing amber and gold, but she catches the tightness in his jaw.

"What? Baby, what's wrong?" Hermione asks, her hands cradling his face.

He winces, scrunching up his nose and squeezing his eyes shut, "headache."

She tries to climb off of him, but he hugs her to him, carefully falling backwards. She sighs softly, but doesn't try to move again, resting against him whilst trying to not to put too much weight on him.

A comfortable silence settles over them like a warm blanket.

"Tell me something," Remus requests softly.

Hermione swallows, mind whirring as she thinks of what to say, one of her unruly curls falling forward across her face—Remus releases her long enough to swipe it back over her shoulder, kissing the tip of her nose before wrapping his arms around her once more.

"My parents are...were alive...back in my dimension I mean," Hermione whispers. Remus doesn't say anything, the pad of his thumb stroking her upper arm soothingly.

Though it was almost as if they were dead, Hermione thinks. She hadn't been able to restore their memories, so she'd just left them in Australia to live blissfully in their new life. The thought had previously occurred to her that they are alive and well in this dimension, but she knows that that part of her life has been sealed off.

Hermione clears her throat, her tongue heavy in her mouth as she continues, "I erased their memories to protect them, and when I found them after the war...my charm work was highly effective, so effective that I couldn't undo what I'd done."

Remus squeezes her tighter and the rope attached to the heavy weight that she had been dragging around for month wears thin and snaps sharply. Salty tears somberly march down her cheeks, and she burrows into Remus, the wisp of flame in her chest roaring and growing into a steady fire.

"When my Mother died my Father didn't know what to do with himself," Remus says reticently, Hermione sniffs loudly and tilts her head back to look at him.

"He always blamed himself for things that weren't his fault. He drowned himself in Firewhisky all throughout my childhood since he blamed himself for Greyback targeting me. He wallowed a lot in self pity Mum used to say...and he only really stirred himself out of it in my second year of Hogwarts." Remus exhales deeply, and Hermione presses her ear against his chest, listening to his strong, steady heartbeat.

"He saw that I had friends, and my Mother's insistence that he was not at fault seemed to finally break through all the liquor. He drank less, he tried, he really did try to spend more time with me and to be more involved."

"Tell me more about your Mother, Hope," Hermione murmurs.

Remus's deep voice slides over her, "she was a Muggle and even though she didn't know a lot about our world she still tried, and when I—I got bitten, she...she handled everything with such grace. She baked the best chocolate chip cookies, she threw her head back when she laughed, she detested the colour fuschia, she hated peas...she was just the best...then she got sick."

Remus rakes in a shuddering breath, his fingers gripping her just an oomph tighter. "She had leukemia, and Dad and I grew closer when we had to take care of the person who'd spent so long taking care of us…"

Hermione shifts so that she can place a quick kiss to Remus's skin, her tears flowing freely once more. Remus's pain is rocking her wildly, raging against her tiny boat in his all consuming sea of emotions—she is clinging to the mast with everything she has.

"Dad...he moved back to Wales not too long after she passed, he said that everything here reminded him too much of her, and that he needed to get away. He begged that I go with him, but I refused...I wanted to stay."

The following moments are tense and thick, neither quite sure what to say, but then soft syllables drop from Hermione's lips, "you were born in Wales right?"

"Yea, and we moved to England when I was three," Remus responds.

Trying to lighten the mood, Hermione teasingly asks, "is that why you talk funny?"

"Listen here, witch," Remus growls, staring at her in mock offense as his hands fly across her body, tickling her. Hermione's body instinctively tries to buck away, the laughter spilling out of her body uncontrollably.

"Remus Lupin!" She gasps.

His fingers still, "do I still talk funny?"

Hermione turns her head so she's looking into his amused hazel green eyes, "yes," she responds defiantly. Remus grins wickedly before he resumes his previous task, his good arm pinning her to him as his fingers dance across her skin.

Happy, joyous tears spring from the corner of her eyes, dissolving into a puddle of giggles.

Hermione twists and tries to tickle him back, but he just quirks an eyebrow, pausing in his assault and smiles victoriously, "sorry, love, not ticklish."

Hermione playfully smacks his stomach, hand moving to grasp his wrist sternly before it can attack once more.

Remus chuckles lightly, "I love you."

Hermione narrows her eyes at him, but the corners of her lips that are twitching upwards belie her irritation. Finally, a smile cracks her annoyed facade, happiness bursts onto her face like a ruptured dam. "I love you too," Hermione says, leaning up to claim his lips.

Hermione drinks him in, one hand moving up to dive into his hair, her nails lightly scratching across his scalp—a low groan purred out of his throat and she greedily swallows it.

With a soft sigh, Hermione reluctantly pulls away, pecking his lips once more before laying her head down on his shoulder as her limbs wrapped more securely around him.

Remus let out an exasperated sigh, and Hermione began to trace patterns across his skin. She knows he's irked by the proximity of the Full Moon. She feels her eyelids start to droop and before she knows it Remus's heartbeat lulls her to sleep. Her mate drops a kiss onto her curls, the smell of caramel and vanilla filling his nostrils as he follows his witch into a deep sleep.

Mipsy apparates into the room twenty minutes later with a decadent chocolate cake on a glass cake stand floating beside her, only to find both wix fast asleep, limbs entwined as they slumber, she shakes her head fondly and snaps her fingers—both her and the cake disappearing with a small pop.