Disclaimer – I own nothing but my untalented brain, and a pair of black panties. Hermione, Ginny, and Draco belong to J.K. I'm paying off my purchase of Remus by washing cars on the weekends wearing nothing but a raincoat - Super!
Author's Note – I'm really delighted (not to mention surprised) by the response this story has gotten. I usually write these poetic, rather sad little stories, and my poor attempt at a light-hearted, and somewhat funny story seems to be going quite well. So thankyou to all those who reviewed, and an apology. Sorry it's taken so long for an update, but my RL (that's Real Life, not Remus Lupin) spun out of control…and I was totally inspirationless (tell me that that's a word). But I'm back, and worse than ever! #That's your queue to applaud (loudly)#
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Hermione felt as if she were floating in honey…no, it was thicker than honey, treacle perhaps. Her eyes, her ears, her mouth, were filled with thick stifling liquid. She thought, that perhaps she was dead, and then thought that that Michael Finch must have killed her, and then thought that if that were the case, she'd do a Moaning Myrtle, and make him remember her for the rest of his life. She must've been hearing things, because she was sure she just heard…wait a minute, there it was again. Somebody was calling her name. Hermione. That's it, she thought, it's Gabriel, I am dead. And then she thought nothing at all.
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"Hermione! Hermione!" Draco called down the dark alleyway. "She's not down there Gin!"
"Well where could she be then?"
"Maybe she apparated somewhere. Or ran. I mean, she was Muggleborn, I'm sure running does have it's purposes, although I must say it's not nearly as efficient as a broomstick or apparating or even a portkey for that matter."
"Draco, shut up!"
"Oh yeah…babbling. Sorry"
"Well anyway, I guess you're right, if we haven't found them by now, we won't find them" Ginny turned to look to the east, where a thin line of lighter blue lined the sky. "So, now what we have to do is think. Where would she have apparated to if she had her wand, which, she did, because Hermione never goes anywhere without her wand. And she doesn't run." Ginny added spying the look on Draco's face.
"Well, she'd go somewhere safe obviously, whether consciously or not." Draco replied.
"Malfoy, you're a genius!" Ginny squeezed him in a tight hug, "Absolutely brilliant!"
"Tell me something I don't know" he replied smugly, but Ginny had already started apparating.
"Hogsmeade!" She called out to him.
"Hogsmeade? Oh well." He disappeared.
Remus Lupin, after being suitably startled from a night of rest, relaxation and reading, found himself staring at the prostrate and seemingly lifeless form of Hermione Granger on his bed. How she got there, and why she was there, were matters that could wait until she was at least semi-conscious before being thought of. If she could be woken…
"Hermione. Hermione. Wake up." He crooned, dabbing at her face with a wet cloth. He could smell alcohol on her breath, and worried harder. What if she got into trouble, or got knocked over the head. She could have a concussion. He had to wake her up…and there was only one way to do it. He exited the room, walked 10 paces north and 3 paces west, opened a door, another 3 paces west, and turned a tap. Cold…no, icy cold water spurted from the faux-gold faucet. He walked back to his bedroom, picked up the little body, carried her back to the bathroom, and plonked her down in the water (he knew this technique to work from the years of practice with Sirius' drunken behaviour, but that's another story altogether). She immediately spluttered to life. He caught up her body again, and carried her back to the relative comfort of his bed. He placed her gently on the mattress, thinking that there would be an awful lot of apologising imminent, but instead she half opened her eyes, and asked groggily, "Are you an angel?". Remus couldn't help but laugh.
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#Tap#Tap#Tap#
Remus opened the door, to be greeted by Ginny's face, and the question "Did she come here?"
"Yes, she's upstairs…How?…Why?…Ginny Weasley, what's going on!?"
"Talk to Malfoy. I'm going to check on her ok? Remus, where's the closet? I'm sure Hermione knows where the bathroom is, what, after last time and everything." Ginny called as she walked purposefully up the stairs.
"Second door on the right." Remus said, face going red at Ginny's knowledge of what happened 'last time'.
A low whistle dragged him out of his internal thoughts. He turned to face Draco, who's face was alight with what could only be described as a devilish grin.
"You old wolf you! I didn't think anyone would ever be able to do it you know. Of course, I myself would have tried, but she's not quite right for me, and I have too much respect for her for it to be a one shot, you know?"
"Draco, I assure you that I, we that is, did not 'do it' as you so eloquently put it."
"Yeah, but I'm sure you wanted to right…Right?"
"So what happened?"
Draco took this diversion of an answer to be a positive, and decided to store that piece of information away for later. He quickly filled Remus in on the events of the night before, over a cup of tea and several biscuits.
"I knew Michael Finch. He was incompetent, even more so than Longbottom, if that's possible." At this, Remus shot a warning look at Draco (who still seemed to think that certain Gryffindors were beneath him). "Anyway," Draco continued "It's no surprise to me that Hermione got away, even in the state she was in. I doubt that he could keep a flobberworm under control. He was the leader of 'The Young Deatheaters' and is one of those loyal prats who will go out of their way for 'honour', and revenge of course. Hmph. Some honour."
At this junction Ginny came downstairs, looking mildly relieved, and somewhat pleased, though Remus nor Draco could see any reason why she would be pleased.
"Remus, she'll have to stay here for the day. Is that all right? She's awake. In the shower. She'll need a little TLC I suppose, but you know she's fairly easy to look after…just hurl a book in her direction and she'll be good for hours. Make her a cup of tea, and tell her I'll be at home whenever she wants to apparate…but keep her for a few hours, just to make sure she's alright." Ginny instructed, sounding spookily similar to her mother.
"No problem Ginny."
"Well, we'll get going then." Ginny said, a pointed look in Draco's direction.
"Right then…yep, best be off. Can't do without my beauty sleep you know."
Ginny rolled her eyes.
They both disappeared.
Remus stared at the empty room, still somewhat confused about what had just happened.
Two hours later, after he had cooked a rather silent Hermione breakfast, he led her into the small room off the sitting room that acted as his library. Hermione's eyes lit up immediately at the sight of the leather-bound volumes lining the walls, and moved over to inspect the shelves.
"Ginny said you'd be alright if you had a book to read…" Remus said, trying to start a conversation.
"Oh yes. Sometimes I think that Gin knows me too well for my own good. If you know what I mean. And she is just so remarkably like her mother, fussy you know. You wouldn't think it to look at her…You have a wonderful collection Professor." Hermione replied, hoping to distance herself from him by the use of the old formality.
"Hermione…You have no idea how old that makes me feel" Remus grimaced. "We've been through too much together to revert to titles…Miss Granger. And I haven't been your professor for ten years…God, has it been that long?"
"I'm afraid so. I can still remember that night…you know the one, so vividly…I guess that's when everything started."
"I remember it too…You kept my secret Hermione. I never have asked you why you did."
"It wasn't my secret to tell Remus. You weren't an imminent danger…I knew you were taking Wolfsbane, after Harry told us about the smoking goblet that Snape handed you. And plus…you were the best DADA teacher we'd had. I did rather a lot of research on werewolves back then you know. And Dumbledore trusted you, which is more important than my character appraisals any day." She said with a small smile.
"Thankyou. I. Thankyou."
"It isn't a problem at all. Wow! A first edition 'Hunter's Guide to Practical Magic'. You know, after 'Hogwarts a History' this is my favourite book."
"Really? Well then, make sure you read these couple." Remus said, pulling blue, green and red books from the shelves above him. "They've got complimentary essays as well as some more practical demonstrations…They're fantastic!"
Both of them then sat down in the sofa by the window, and lapsed into discussion of the things that they liked the best, books, interspersed with silence, broken only by the turning of pages.
The sun was fading to the west when Hermione apparated to her apartment, thinking that she had never met anyone that she understood quite as well as she did Remus. She entered the apartment calling out to Ginny, who appeared, looking slightly dishevelled, from her bedroom followed by Draco Malfoy. Hermione raised her brows to Ginny, and gave her a little smile but said nothing, in the hope that Ginny would follow suit and not ask her any questions…yeah, as if that was going to happen.
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Next Chapter – Draco and Ginny sing…no, I'm deadly Sirius. Hermione figures out that she enjoys a certain ex-professor/werewolf's company, and Remus asks Hermione what exactly she washes her hair with. Stay tuned darlings…B.A.C will be back…with bells on!