Author's Note: Thank you to my readers and reviewers. All questions, comments, and constructive criticism are welcome if you'd like to leave a review.
*******
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and the characters from the books in the series are copyright JK Rowling, and are not being used for profit, only for personal enjoyment.
*************
Chapter 1 ~ "You've got a friend in me"
(October)
The young woman hastily entered the Leaky Cauldron from the streets of Muggle London, hoping to successfully pass through the pub relatively unnoticed as she had done earlier that day, and several times before. Passing the bar, she stumbled into a man who, at that moment, was rising from his seat at a nearby table.
"Excuse me, miss," he apologized as he helped to steady her on her feet.
"That's quite alright, sir," she replied quietly, keeping her eyes averted as she turned to continue her way through the pub.
"Hermione?" the man asked quietly.
Recognizing the familiar voice, slowly she looked up into the gentle gaze of her former professor, mentor, and friend, Remus Lupin.
"Hello Professor Lupin," she greeted him with a shy smile, trying to avoid direct eye contact.
"Hello, indeed! Is that all you have to say to an old friend? After disappearing without a word to anyone last summer? Don't you know how worried we all have been?" Remus exclaimed as he reached out to welcome her with a warm embrace.
Hermione stiffened at the contact. Not that she wasn't glad to see him, or that his fatherly embrace was unwelcome, but she was afraid of him discovering her secret.
Too late.
Suddenly, Remus knew why she had hidden herself away, for though it was unnoticable at a glance, upon close contact it was obvious that she was concealing a slight bulge beneath her robes.
Holding on to her shoulders as he stepped back an armslength, he tried to make eye contact with the young woman.
"Hermione?" he asked gently, "Is there anything you would like to talk about?"
She once again averted her gaze, and her voice trembled as she implored with a sob, "Please, Professor..."
"It's Remus, Hermione," he corrected her gently, "I've just finished lunch, but please, won't you join me for tea?"
He pulled out a chair and held her arm gently as she eased herself into her seat. "Thank you, Profess... er, Remus."
"Now, what can I get for you?"
"Just tea, please, Remus," she replied as she nervously glanced around, hoping that she would not have to face any other old acquaintances that day.
They sat in silence for a while as they drank their tea, before Remus finally reached out and squeezed her hand in encouragement, "Hermione, you know that I've always loved Harry as I would a nephew, and by extension, you as a niece. If you need someone to talk to, you can confide in me. It can't be easy going through this alone."
She squeezed his hand in return, and her eyes misted over as she finally met his gaze. He was right. She couldn't continue this charade alone, and she knew that she could trust him.
"Thank you, Remus. But please, not now," she begged quietly as her eyes darted around the room, "not... here."
"I understand." he nodded, his eyes full of understanding, "Would you kindly allow me to escort you home? I'm sorry to have caused you distress, and I would worry, knowing that you are out there alone."
Hermione nodded as Remus stood, holding out a hand and and helping her to her feet. He offered her his arm, and she lightly held on and allowed him to escort her home.
******************
They disapparated out of Diagon Alley, to a quaint little cottage nestled in the woods not far from the outskirts of Hogsmeade. They entered into a modest, yet comfortable living room. With a sigh of relief, Hermione curled her feet up underneath her as she sat on the sofa, and invited Remus to take a seat in one of the armchairs in front of the fireplace, as she used her wand to light a fire.
"How have you been feeling, Hermione?"
"Incredible, actually. I've never felt better!" She smiled slightly before she continued, "I was in London today... I am seeing a doctor at a Muggle Clinic, as I didn't want anyone in the Wizarding world to know..."
He looked intently at her, as the silent tears began to roll down her cheeks.
"Why, Hermione? Why did you run? Why not tell anybody?"
At this, she quickly stood and began to pace, "Oh yes, I could just hear it now... 'Smart, sensible Hermione Granger, most brilliant student in Hogwarts' history, dumped after a one-night-stand... forgets to take her morning after potion'..."
"Please, Remus... understand that I do not need to hear the gossip about 'Hogwarts' Head Girl and her bastard child'. Especially when the father doesn't even remember..." she broke off suddenly, plopping heavily back onto the sofa before leaning forward and staring deep into the fire.
"Doesn't remember what?" Remus asked incredulously.
She sighed and whispered hoarsely, "He probably doesn't even remember my name."
Sensing that asking "Who?" would be too personal at this time, Remus simply stated, "Surely, you don't believe that."
He stared at Hermione intently, trying to see the truth in her eyes, but she continued to stare into the fire, and muttered, "No, I don't believe it... I know it."
Not wanting to push her too far, he tried to steer the subject in another direction.
"Hermione... what about your education?"
At this, she sobbed, "How am I supposed to continue with my education when I'll soon have a child to raise?"
As she slumped back into her seat, she broke down and cried, "My father is gone, my mother is not well, and I'm all alone!"
"Now I'm eighteen, I have access to the trust fund that my parents set up years ago, intended for my education, but at my disposal to do as I please. All those years of planning my future, and now here I am, using the money to rent a shabby cottage in the middle of nowhere, soon to raise a child on my own."
"I've come to terms with my... situation," she paused for a moment as her hands gently began to caress her swelling abdomen, "and I have grown to love this baby already. But I'm scared! What happens when the money runs out? I've got no family, I've got no job, and now I've got no future..."
Remus quickly moved to her side, gently taking her into a fatherly embrace, as she rested her head on his shoulder and sobbed into his robes.
"You're not alone, Hermione. You'll never be alone. You have a friend in me... please, let me help you."
At this, she embraced him tightly, the last embers of the fire dying as she finally cried herself to sleep. Remus lifted her into his arms, and carried her to her bedroom where he lay her on her bed, and tucked her in tightly under a faded patchwork quilt before leaving her alone for the night.
*******
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and the characters from the books in the series are copyright JK Rowling, and are not being used for profit, only for personal enjoyment.
*************
Chapter 1 ~ "You've got a friend in me"
(October)
The young woman hastily entered the Leaky Cauldron from the streets of Muggle London, hoping to successfully pass through the pub relatively unnoticed as she had done earlier that day, and several times before. Passing the bar, she stumbled into a man who, at that moment, was rising from his seat at a nearby table.
"Excuse me, miss," he apologized as he helped to steady her on her feet.
"That's quite alright, sir," she replied quietly, keeping her eyes averted as she turned to continue her way through the pub.
"Hermione?" the man asked quietly.
Recognizing the familiar voice, slowly she looked up into the gentle gaze of her former professor, mentor, and friend, Remus Lupin.
"Hello Professor Lupin," she greeted him with a shy smile, trying to avoid direct eye contact.
"Hello, indeed! Is that all you have to say to an old friend? After disappearing without a word to anyone last summer? Don't you know how worried we all have been?" Remus exclaimed as he reached out to welcome her with a warm embrace.
Hermione stiffened at the contact. Not that she wasn't glad to see him, or that his fatherly embrace was unwelcome, but she was afraid of him discovering her secret.
Too late.
Suddenly, Remus knew why she had hidden herself away, for though it was unnoticable at a glance, upon close contact it was obvious that she was concealing a slight bulge beneath her robes.
Holding on to her shoulders as he stepped back an armslength, he tried to make eye contact with the young woman.
"Hermione?" he asked gently, "Is there anything you would like to talk about?"
She once again averted her gaze, and her voice trembled as she implored with a sob, "Please, Professor..."
"It's Remus, Hermione," he corrected her gently, "I've just finished lunch, but please, won't you join me for tea?"
He pulled out a chair and held her arm gently as she eased herself into her seat. "Thank you, Profess... er, Remus."
"Now, what can I get for you?"
"Just tea, please, Remus," she replied as she nervously glanced around, hoping that she would not have to face any other old acquaintances that day.
They sat in silence for a while as they drank their tea, before Remus finally reached out and squeezed her hand in encouragement, "Hermione, you know that I've always loved Harry as I would a nephew, and by extension, you as a niece. If you need someone to talk to, you can confide in me. It can't be easy going through this alone."
She squeezed his hand in return, and her eyes misted over as she finally met his gaze. He was right. She couldn't continue this charade alone, and she knew that she could trust him.
"Thank you, Remus. But please, not now," she begged quietly as her eyes darted around the room, "not... here."
"I understand." he nodded, his eyes full of understanding, "Would you kindly allow me to escort you home? I'm sorry to have caused you distress, and I would worry, knowing that you are out there alone."
Hermione nodded as Remus stood, holding out a hand and and helping her to her feet. He offered her his arm, and she lightly held on and allowed him to escort her home.
******************
They disapparated out of Diagon Alley, to a quaint little cottage nestled in the woods not far from the outskirts of Hogsmeade. They entered into a modest, yet comfortable living room. With a sigh of relief, Hermione curled her feet up underneath her as she sat on the sofa, and invited Remus to take a seat in one of the armchairs in front of the fireplace, as she used her wand to light a fire.
"How have you been feeling, Hermione?"
"Incredible, actually. I've never felt better!" She smiled slightly before she continued, "I was in London today... I am seeing a doctor at a Muggle Clinic, as I didn't want anyone in the Wizarding world to know..."
He looked intently at her, as the silent tears began to roll down her cheeks.
"Why, Hermione? Why did you run? Why not tell anybody?"
At this, she quickly stood and began to pace, "Oh yes, I could just hear it now... 'Smart, sensible Hermione Granger, most brilliant student in Hogwarts' history, dumped after a one-night-stand... forgets to take her morning after potion'..."
"Please, Remus... understand that I do not need to hear the gossip about 'Hogwarts' Head Girl and her bastard child'. Especially when the father doesn't even remember..." she broke off suddenly, plopping heavily back onto the sofa before leaning forward and staring deep into the fire.
"Doesn't remember what?" Remus asked incredulously.
She sighed and whispered hoarsely, "He probably doesn't even remember my name."
Sensing that asking "Who?" would be too personal at this time, Remus simply stated, "Surely, you don't believe that."
He stared at Hermione intently, trying to see the truth in her eyes, but she continued to stare into the fire, and muttered, "No, I don't believe it... I know it."
Not wanting to push her too far, he tried to steer the subject in another direction.
"Hermione... what about your education?"
At this, she sobbed, "How am I supposed to continue with my education when I'll soon have a child to raise?"
As she slumped back into her seat, she broke down and cried, "My father is gone, my mother is not well, and I'm all alone!"
"Now I'm eighteen, I have access to the trust fund that my parents set up years ago, intended for my education, but at my disposal to do as I please. All those years of planning my future, and now here I am, using the money to rent a shabby cottage in the middle of nowhere, soon to raise a child on my own."
"I've come to terms with my... situation," she paused for a moment as her hands gently began to caress her swelling abdomen, "and I have grown to love this baby already. But I'm scared! What happens when the money runs out? I've got no family, I've got no job, and now I've got no future..."
Remus quickly moved to her side, gently taking her into a fatherly embrace, as she rested her head on his shoulder and sobbed into his robes.
"You're not alone, Hermione. You'll never be alone. You have a friend in me... please, let me help you."
At this, she embraced him tightly, the last embers of the fire dying as she finally cried herself to sleep. Remus lifted her into his arms, and carried her to her bedroom where he lay her on her bed, and tucked her in tightly under a faded patchwork quilt before leaving her alone for the night.
