Remus was in the kitchen, cleaning. Regulus's demand was steep, and it also caused a strain on his plan to out himself tonight. Sirius wasn't in the best of moods when he returned, but him heading into the shower immediately seemed promising. At least she was open to discuss what happened.

He hated it. Every bit of it. Remus would have been happier not to have known so she wouldn't have been uncomfortable or awkward with the fallout. It wasn't that he didn't find her beautiful or intelligent. No, he admitted that forthright. It was that he didn't need to know what she could do with it.

Fantasies were meant to be distant figures in the night. Especially now, when his life was in shambles. Remus just breathed and shook his head. It was always better to let himself down than to do it to anyone else.

The doorbell rang, and Teddy scurried toward the door with the barking dog. "Come on, Snuffles!"

He wouldn't leave the kitchen; maybe she would go make herself comfortable in the sitting room. Should he have made dinner before she got here? Probably not, but that was his way. He enjoyed making things easier.

"Well, how are you?" Hermione's voice carried from the hall.

"I'm well, thank you. How about you? Did you read that manga about the wizard school?" Teddy asked.

"I started it, it's really good."

Remus checked the timer. They had ten minutes.

"Hello, Remus," Hermione announced her presence.

Remus turned and smiled as he set down the towel. "Good evening, Hermione. How was your meeting?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and tossed her hair. "Surprising, to say the least. Are you feeling like some wine? I brought some," she offered before setting the bag down with a scowl. "You cooked. I brought food to make."

"I like to be hospitable," Remus smiled.

Hermione exhaled as she pulled out a wine bottle. "Well, we have that in common."

"Hermione, come, let me show you the library!" Teddy exclaimed as he came into the room. "Dad, did you know she brought me a giant book on Greek Mythology? It's so cool!"

"That's excellent, Teddy," Remus smirked and took the bottle. "Why don't you go see our little library while I get us the wine."

Hermione touched his arm and nodded before leaving the room with the boy. Remus exhaled as he went to retrieve glasses. Too intelligent, too beautiful, and too young. He kept reminding himself as he poured three glasses. Sirius appeared and was running a towel through his hair.

"Whatcha doing, Moony?"

"Hermione just got here. I'm pouring us some wine."

Sirius smirked and took up the glass. "She has good tastes. She's also twenty minutes early."

"Well, punctuality can be added to the list," Remus growled.

Sirius shook out his dark curls and straightened his tanktop. "Yeah, you keep making that list, Moony. One of these days, a woman isn't going to give two shits about your lists. Those walls you love so much, they'll come crashing down when she smiles. Give me a fucking break," Sirius teased and left the kitchen.

Remus just breathed and took the glasses off the counter, summoning up the courage to head to the sitting room. Hermione was lying on the floor in her skin tight leggings and pink t-shirt. She was swinging her feet back and forth as Teddy flipped through a book.

"See, and that's what happens when Batman breaks free," Teddy explained.

"I haven't read this one yet," Hermione murmured.

Teddy smiled over at her and placed his elbows on his knees as he pressed his face in his hands. "I like you, Hermione. You're smart."

She reached over and ruffled his hair. "You are too."

Remus breathed as he set their glasses on the table. "Dinner will be ready shortly. I'll come sit down and let it cool once it's out."

Hermione glanced back at him and beamed. "Thank you, Remus."

Snuffles wandered into the room and saw the woman on the floor. "No, I said no," she warned him as the dog barreled toward her. Hermione had just enough time to sit up before he tackled her to the ground, licking her face.

Remus groaned and snagged the dog's collar and yanked. "Get off, you stubborn dog."

Snuffles grumbled and twisted in Remus's grip, knocking the man to his back. Hermione gasped and crawled over to him on the ground. "Are you alright?" Hermione questioned as she checked his face.

Remus rubbed his head as he winced. "Damn dog is going to kill me."

Hermione snorted and covered her grin. "I'm sorry, that's not funny."

"No, it's true," he gruffed and sneered.

She choked on a giggle and sat on her calves. "My God, I thought you were going to break your arm!"

Remus rose and winced at the pain radiating from his ass. "Laugh now, but he's a monster." There was slurping, and both adults looked over to see him drinking from one of the glasses. "Snuffles, get the fuck out!" Remus snapped and waved his hand.

The dog ran off with a tucked tail.

Hermione laughed and pressed her hand to Remus's chest. "He reminds me of Sirius."

Remus smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "A bit." The timer on the stove went off, and Remus inhaled before pulling away. He climbed off the ground and snatched up the dog slobber wine glass. "I'll be back," he announced and walked from the room.

"My dad thinks you're pretty and likes your butt," Teddy mused.

Hermione glanced over and scowled. "What do you mean, Teddy?"

Teddy bounced his shoulders. "I heard Uncle Sirius and dad talking about the bookstore. Dad said you're very pretty, and you have a nice butt. He also says you're wicked smart, and he thinks you're probably the smart girl he knows. I don't see the point in looking at someone's butt. It farts."

Hermione's cheeks were tinted. "Well, I don't have anything to say to that."

Sirius was sneaking into the room and held his finger up to his lips when Teddy spotted him. The man soon got close enough to yank the woman off the ground. "Damnit, Sirius!" Hermione shouted.

He put her down and chuckled. "What are you doing sitting on the floor?"

"Your dog knocked me over," She huffed and pushed him.

Sirius patted her hand and sighed. "I'm sorry, he's a bit brutish."

"How was your afternoon after the meeting?" Hermione asked as she shuffled her feet.

Sirius tilted his head from side to side. "Well, I don't think I've had so many girls threaten me."

Hermione blinked. "What?"

"When you left, your flatmate came down and told me not to lie to you again. She also added that if I upset you again, each girl is going to put a heel to my arse," he explained and smiled.

Hermione groaned and scrubbed her face. "I'm sorry, they're quite loyal."

"I didn't know it was such a big deal that I took you home last weekend," he murmured while skating a hand through his hair.

Hermione's cheeks were flaming as she cleared her throat. "I don't, well, I don't usually go out," she confessed.

Sirius laughed and tugged her to the couch. "Well, I imagine you've been quite busy," he noted while sitting.

Hermione plopped down and picked up her wine glass. "Yes, pretty much. I don't usually do much but study and work. It was the first time in years that I actually went to a bar."

Teddy pulled over his smaller chair and sat down at the table. "Uncle Sirius, can we play monopoly? There's four of us now."

"It depends on what your dad says," Sirius declared.

Teddy hummed and stood up. "I'm gonna go ask him," he declared and skipped out of the room.

Sirius exhaled and took her hand. "I truly am sorry that we couldn't tell you right away."

"When did you know it was me? That night? The next? When?" Hermione questioned.

Sirius ran a hand over his neck and breathed. "The following night. I saw your tattoo while we were in the room."

Hermione chewed her lower lip and bowed her head. "Alright, that's fair."

Sirius smirked and took his hand to her cheek. "You really are a funny creature, love."

"I'm just me," she laughed while looking up at him.

"I'll be right back, I'm gonna go get my wine."

Hermione beamed and sipped hers before speaking. "It's really good."

Sirius pulled away and breathed as he left the room. He had to get out of there. She was sexy, smart, and kind. It was too much, and he much preferred his friend to take it on. He deserved the kindness if Hermione was as interested as he felt she might be. This feeling when a woman is debating whether she's going to shag you or let you linger on edge… she was there.

He wandered into the kitchen to see the man was sipping a new glass of wine. "Go sit with her, I'll finish dinner."

Remus startled and scowled. "Now, why would I do that?"

"Because I can't," Sirius huffed and waved. "Please, go sit with her."

"I told you this was a bad idea, Pads," Remus growled as he pushed by Sirius.

Remus hated this. He hated that Sirius was pushing this on him. When he walked into the sitting room, Hermione was glancing at the pictures on the bookshelves. She was touching a photograph of Remus, Teddy, and Sirius.

"Teddy was two there," Remus told her.

Hermione pivoted and smiled. "He's fortunate to have you both."

"We're fortunate to have him. After Dora passed away, I was devastated. Sirius wouldn't have been able to pull me out of it without Teddy," Remus admitted as he walked into the room.

Hermione glanced away from him and exhaled. "I can understand that a bit. When I lost my parents, I was in my first year at uni. It was this darkness I wasn't used to feeling. Pansy caught me in a bar, drinking away my sorrows and dancing with frat boys. I was on a downward spiral. She suggested Blame when we got to talking about my lack of money. Lockhart was going to open up the club in a few months and needed dancers." She took a breath as he approached. "I took a year off of school, learned how to dance, and worked."

Remus pursed his lips and nodded. "That is rough, but I'm glad you found your way out of it."

"What do you think? You're an intelligent professor. Am I a horrible person for what I do?" Hermione asked with a frown.

He sipped his glass and hummed. "The true question isn't what you do, but how you do it. Are you satisfied with the work that you commit to doing? Does it matter how well you do it? Would you continue to do it regardless of others' approval?"

Hermione's cheeks were blooming with color. "Well, yes, but that doesn't mean I don't aspire to do greater things."

"Regardless of what you do," Remus paused and smiled. "You will achieve high marks. From what I know of you, I know that you don't do anything halfway."

Hermione stepped closer and smirked. "Were you impressed? Many people in my family were surprised when they found out."

Remus swallowed and nodded slowly. "Oh, yes. I was quite shocked when Sirius told me. When I saw you on Monday, I have to apologize. I was a bit struck that someone so witty and kind could exude such fierce nature as well."

Hermione's smile only grew as she touched his cheek. "You truly are Mr. Bashful. I wondered about that. Something familiar about him that made me," she stopped and cleared her throat as she stepped away.

"Made you what?" Now he was hanging on her words.

"It's rather silly," Hermione huffed and shook her head. "A confession for another time?"

"Another time? This is going to be regular?" Remus inquired.

Hermione knitted her brows as she tilted her head. "You don't want to become better friends?"

"Well, of course," Remus huffed. "I just assumed with the club; you wouldn't want to."

She bounced her shoulders while sipping her glass. "I doubt you both will keep it at that. Teddy already asked me when I was planning on visiting his grandmother with him."

Remus snorted and rolled his eyes. "He aims high, doesn't he?"

"Yes he does, but he's not the one who thinks my butt looks good," Hermione retorted with a grin.

Remus groaned as his cheeks tinted. "Alright, that's out of context."

"Let me quote, 'My dad thinks you're pretty, and you have a nice butt.' unquote," She teased.

"Tease me all you like, but I was just reporting my thoughts. Had I known my sleuth son was around, I wouldn't have said it," Remus grumbled as he ran a hand through his hair.

Hermione finished her glass and was beaming. "That's alright. I liked knowing it. I know you don't objectify me, Remus. I've seen you in the club and out of the club. I know when a man just sees what he wants to and when he sees what's real. I appreciate the compliment."

"You have to know, I wasn't trying to," he paused and swallowed his wine down. "Alright, I want you to know, this won't affect our friendship. You're a gorgeous and intelligent young woman, and I'm not going to prey on that."

"No more Big Bad Wolf?" She hemmed with her bottom lip jutted in the slightest. "Alright."

"Hermione," Remus started and exhaled; he lost his gumption. "I think dinner is ready," he mumbled.

Hermione nodded and strolled next to him. "Let me get you a refill," she responded and took his empty glass before leaving the room.

Remus winced at the internal backlash of their conversation's end. She couldn't be thinking of engaging with an older widower. That would be criminal. He shook his head and breathed as he went to get his son from his bedroom. He was shocked the boy didn't find the game he requested.