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~~~~~~CHAPTER TWO: GATHERING OF THE PACK~~~
Hermoine pushed back her only slightly bushy hair, and settled back at the table, she'd arranged to meet Remus here, in muggle area, before they went to go get Harry. Her parents, had let her go alone, a sign of their trust in her, they'd given her cab money, and even called the cab. They seemed excited at the prospect of having one of her friends coming to stay with them. She smiled and settled down, pushing her skirts, yes, she even wore skirts outside of Hogwartz, down around her legs more firmly as the wind ruffled them, and sat. She sipped the soda she'd gotten herself, and waited impatiently. She checked the silver watch her mum had gotten her, and sighed. He was late...her brow creased slightly with worry as she looked around, wondering just where Remus had gotten off too..
"Yes...Yes madam. No..no..no..Madam, please. I've got to..Yes madam..Look...I hate to be...NOW REALLY!" He ended exasperatedly, staring at the old woman who'd been pestering him with questions every since he'd offered to carry her bags across the road. The old dame had quickly went from friendly to nosey, to overly-critisizing. It was the full moon last night, and Remus Lupin was tired, tetchy, and in a hurry. Careful not to break anything, he sat the bags down beside her, and said. "I really am sorry, but I must go. Have a nice day. " With that, he tugged on the hem of the tweed jacket he'd managed to procur in a muggle second-hand shop and scanned the area. Sure enough, he soon spotted the young Miss Granger, and made his way over to her, plopping down in the seat and running his fingers through his now mostly grey hair, groaning in frustration before he gathered himself together and looked up at her. "Hello Hermione." He said softly. "You're looking well."
She smiled sweetly. "Your late" she murmered. She arched a brow, not so bushy eyebrow at Remus, her parents had treated her to a saloon, and she'd had them taken down a bit, it had hurt, but the effect was better, her hair, also was trimmed, and now laid in soft waves. She stood up. "Well, we should be going, I want to get Harry out of there as fast as possible.." She paused. "And you, Remus, look like hell rolled over and croaked on you." A hint of mischeif in her eyes, impudent she had always been. "Shall we? I want him out of that ..that..place..I still don't understand why Dumbledore insists that he stays there..."
The last Marauder smiled wearily as he got to his feet. "It was a full moon last night. " He said softly, in way of explanation, and then he offered his arm to her, every inch the gentleman. Lupin may have been unfortunate enough to be cursed with an inner beast, but he was in many ways more human than a good deal of today's males. "Dumbledore has his reasons. We must trust him. If we can't trust him....who can we trust?" He looked vaguely lost for a moment, sorrow glinting in his eyes as he remembered his recently lost best friend, and he quickly looked away, pinching at the bridge of his nose before drawing a deep breath and saying brightly. "I'm sure Harry will be quite surprised!"
She put her arm on Remus's. "I hope pleasantley suprised, he's used to being able to go to Ron's when he's allowed to leave. " She murmered. "You don't think they'll give us much problem do you? I know from stuff that's happened in the past that they may not like Harry..but they don't want him to leave either.." she tilted her head up at her former professors face. Glancing at him a little worriedly. "I hope he doesn't mind coming to stay with me either.." she whispered. Before starting to walk. "Should we call a cab to Privet Drive, or are we walking?" She asked. She looked at Lupin, some people wouldn't trust him, for what he was, she had no problems doing so. He had proven himself to all of them in the past, and the loss of his friend, someone close as a brother, showed.
Remus smiled down at her as they walked along. "We're walking a bit, only a few blocks or so, and then going to..erm..summon? no...call..yes..call a cab. As for the Durselys..." A bit of the wolf in him showed through in his eyes just then. "I am a Marauder, you know." That was the last he spoke until they reach the next street's corner, and standing beneath the sign "Briston Ave." Remus began the sometimes rather irrating process of flagging down a cab. As soon as one pulled over to the side of the curb, he opened the door for Hermione, wrinkled his nose at the smell of fish that emanated from the back seat, along with an undertone of vomit, and whipped out his wand. "Scourgify..." He whispered under his breath, before she could even sit down, and suddenly the air smelled ten times better. As soon as she was seated, he climbed in beside her, and shut the door. "Number 4, Privet Drive, Little Whinging" He murmured to the large african-american driver, and then turned to Hermione. "So, what plans do you have while Harry is staying with you?" He left off the fact that, as she well knew, he would be staying too. He figured the both of them would not want him around, and intended to make himself as "invisible" as possible. "Hopefully you'll have a good affect on his study habits."
She shook her head. "Well, I know Harry doesn't get to enjoy the muggle side of life often, and I think we'll probably punctuate studying with outings, small ones, nothing that could be guessed at or figured out before hand. I thought maybe a trip to the mall, I figured he might really enjoy that, we can stop by the bookstore there, and an ice creame shop, and I thought one day we might go out to the movies, I've told mum and dad a good bit about harry, and I think they plan on spoiling both of us rotten.." she smiled, it wasn't often that she mentioned that she was spoiled, but she was, and she knew it. Her parents doted on her. "Of course, we'll work in time to study, and I think it'll do Harry a lot of good, but he needs to get out of the house occasionally too, I don't want him griping that all we did over the summer was study" she looks at Remus. "Part of me thinks he won't want to come to my house with my parents and me..to be honest...The Weasley's are like his family, he hasn't known much kindness at the hands of muggles."
Remus fell silent for a long moment, looking out the window as he thought about the young man that he'd been an honourary uncle to for so long. He reviewed everything he knew that Harry had gone through in his mind, and when he turned back to Hermione and spoke, his voice rang with the utmost seriousness. "I think that Harry needs to see that not all muggles are bad. He's not all powerful, but he is powerful, and the way his relatives treat him..with all that he's gone through besides...its a near thing I believe that he, if he wasn't as strong willed as he was, and well..as Harry..could turn dark. Or could begin to hate muggles. And we know where that leads. Do you understand? I dont mean that Harry would ever be evil..I just think that he needs to have his faith in muggles..too have his humanity restored."
She nods her head. "Well, I can't promise anything, but I can gurantee you that my parents won't hurt him, and I'll try to make sure he enjoys himself." She looks at Remus, still a bit unsure. "I know Harry is powerful, but he's not the type to turn to the dark, I know that, and Ron knows that, more than you could ever guess. But your right, he does need to have his faith in everday people restored." she looks at Remus as the car headed towards Privet Drive. "Remus, can I ask you something, it's kind of serious?" she bit her bottom lip. Giving her a very uncertain, very young look.
The former professor nodded at his one time student, who'm he held affection for. He was the scholarly type himself. It was nor would never be anything romantic, but sometimes, he almost ...saw Hermione as a friend. Not that she'd ever think of herself as such to him. He didnt realise he'd murmured the thoughts outloud, and went on to say. "Of course Hermione. Even if I'm no longer a professor, I still do care about you, Harry, and of course Ron. Any time you need to talk..."
She ducked her head. "I know this is a strange question, but..it's something I'm curious about..I haven't been able to figure it out for all my reading, everyone says..that well..you know who, that he's evil..but what i want to know, is what is evil?" She looked at her former professor, it was obviously something that had her stumped for a good time, to the point that she had taken it to Remus.
Remus blinked. The question momentarily stumped him. It was one that he'd never really thought to ask himself, and no one else had certainly asked him. He knew what dark was, but what truly was evil? Almost automatically though, the words came. "Evil is the lack of love. Evil is ..pleasure in others pain. Its when there is no awareness of others feelings, to the point you care in a positive way. Its corrupt, foul, malignant. Its like cancer. Evil is...the lack of everything good." He blinked again at his own explanation, and smiled at her. "Does that an-" Just then the car stopped, and he looked around. "Oh! We're..here."
She nodded her head, and looked at him. "I do hope they don't give us a hard time" she opened the door and slid out of her side. "Thanks Remus, that..that helps..I had kind of been thinking it was like an ultimate greed, a greed so intense that it cannot see anything pure, and good, and nice in anyway without being able to want it for itself alone, or wanting to destroy it.." she blinked at herself. "okay..that's way too deep. " she looks at Lupin. "Shall we?" She felt like Daniel, facing the lions den. "I think, this might just..be interesting.." she mumbled under her breath.
With his enhanced hearing, Lupin easily heard her, and grinned. "I think you might just be right." He said almost cheerily as he climbed out of the cab, sorted out the correct money, and coerced the driver into waiting for them to retrieve Harry. "No time like the present!" He said, looking around at the perfectly normal, perfectly...boring place. With that, he strode to the door, and knocked three times firmly. From the reports, he knew that just Harry and Petunia Dursely were home. Well, it was possible Dudly might be, but overall, he didnt expect it to be that bad. She moved up to stand next to Lupin. "Well, here goes nothing" she murmered. She settled herself at Remus's side. "I do hope he's not upset" she whispered, waiting for someone to approach the door. After long moments she heard footsteps starting to approach the door. She straightened her skirt and stuck a peice of hair behind her ear. "I almost hope they act out, I'd like to curse them"
Hermoine pushed back her only slightly bushy hair, and settled back at the table, she'd arranged to meet Remus here, in muggle area, before they went to go get Harry. Her parents, had let her go alone, a sign of their trust in her, they'd given her cab money, and even called the cab. They seemed excited at the prospect of having one of her friends coming to stay with them. She smiled and settled down, pushing her skirts, yes, she even wore skirts outside of Hogwartz, down around her legs more firmly as the wind ruffled them, and sat. She sipped the soda she'd gotten herself, and waited impatiently. She checked the silver watch her mum had gotten her, and sighed. He was late...her brow creased slightly with worry as she looked around, wondering just where Remus had gotten off too..
"Yes...Yes madam. No..no..no..Madam, please. I've got to..Yes madam..Look...I hate to be...NOW REALLY!" He ended exasperatedly, staring at the old woman who'd been pestering him with questions every since he'd offered to carry her bags across the road. The old dame had quickly went from friendly to nosey, to overly-critisizing. It was the full moon last night, and Remus Lupin was tired, tetchy, and in a hurry. Careful not to break anything, he sat the bags down beside her, and said. "I really am sorry, but I must go. Have a nice day. " With that, he tugged on the hem of the tweed jacket he'd managed to procur in a muggle second-hand shop and scanned the area. Sure enough, he soon spotted the young Miss Granger, and made his way over to her, plopping down in the seat and running his fingers through his now mostly grey hair, groaning in frustration before he gathered himself together and looked up at her. "Hello Hermione." He said softly. "You're looking well."
She smiled sweetly. "Your late" she murmered. She arched a brow, not so bushy eyebrow at Remus, her parents had treated her to a saloon, and she'd had them taken down a bit, it had hurt, but the effect was better, her hair, also was trimmed, and now laid in soft waves. She stood up. "Well, we should be going, I want to get Harry out of there as fast as possible.." She paused. "And you, Remus, look like hell rolled over and croaked on you." A hint of mischeif in her eyes, impudent she had always been. "Shall we? I want him out of that ..that..place..I still don't understand why Dumbledore insists that he stays there..."
The last Marauder smiled wearily as he got to his feet. "It was a full moon last night. " He said softly, in way of explanation, and then he offered his arm to her, every inch the gentleman. Lupin may have been unfortunate enough to be cursed with an inner beast, but he was in many ways more human than a good deal of today's males. "Dumbledore has his reasons. We must trust him. If we can't trust him....who can we trust?" He looked vaguely lost for a moment, sorrow glinting in his eyes as he remembered his recently lost best friend, and he quickly looked away, pinching at the bridge of his nose before drawing a deep breath and saying brightly. "I'm sure Harry will be quite surprised!"
She put her arm on Remus's. "I hope pleasantley suprised, he's used to being able to go to Ron's when he's allowed to leave. " She murmered. "You don't think they'll give us much problem do you? I know from stuff that's happened in the past that they may not like Harry..but they don't want him to leave either.." she tilted her head up at her former professors face. Glancing at him a little worriedly. "I hope he doesn't mind coming to stay with me either.." she whispered. Before starting to walk. "Should we call a cab to Privet Drive, or are we walking?" She asked. She looked at Lupin, some people wouldn't trust him, for what he was, she had no problems doing so. He had proven himself to all of them in the past, and the loss of his friend, someone close as a brother, showed.
Remus smiled down at her as they walked along. "We're walking a bit, only a few blocks or so, and then going to..erm..summon? no...call..yes..call a cab. As for the Durselys..." A bit of the wolf in him showed through in his eyes just then. "I am a Marauder, you know." That was the last he spoke until they reach the next street's corner, and standing beneath the sign "Briston Ave." Remus began the sometimes rather irrating process of flagging down a cab. As soon as one pulled over to the side of the curb, he opened the door for Hermione, wrinkled his nose at the smell of fish that emanated from the back seat, along with an undertone of vomit, and whipped out his wand. "Scourgify..." He whispered under his breath, before she could even sit down, and suddenly the air smelled ten times better. As soon as she was seated, he climbed in beside her, and shut the door. "Number 4, Privet Drive, Little Whinging" He murmured to the large african-american driver, and then turned to Hermione. "So, what plans do you have while Harry is staying with you?" He left off the fact that, as she well knew, he would be staying too. He figured the both of them would not want him around, and intended to make himself as "invisible" as possible. "Hopefully you'll have a good affect on his study habits."
She shook her head. "Well, I know Harry doesn't get to enjoy the muggle side of life often, and I think we'll probably punctuate studying with outings, small ones, nothing that could be guessed at or figured out before hand. I thought maybe a trip to the mall, I figured he might really enjoy that, we can stop by the bookstore there, and an ice creame shop, and I thought one day we might go out to the movies, I've told mum and dad a good bit about harry, and I think they plan on spoiling both of us rotten.." she smiled, it wasn't often that she mentioned that she was spoiled, but she was, and she knew it. Her parents doted on her. "Of course, we'll work in time to study, and I think it'll do Harry a lot of good, but he needs to get out of the house occasionally too, I don't want him griping that all we did over the summer was study" she looks at Remus. "Part of me thinks he won't want to come to my house with my parents and me..to be honest...The Weasley's are like his family, he hasn't known much kindness at the hands of muggles."
Remus fell silent for a long moment, looking out the window as he thought about the young man that he'd been an honourary uncle to for so long. He reviewed everything he knew that Harry had gone through in his mind, and when he turned back to Hermione and spoke, his voice rang with the utmost seriousness. "I think that Harry needs to see that not all muggles are bad. He's not all powerful, but he is powerful, and the way his relatives treat him..with all that he's gone through besides...its a near thing I believe that he, if he wasn't as strong willed as he was, and well..as Harry..could turn dark. Or could begin to hate muggles. And we know where that leads. Do you understand? I dont mean that Harry would ever be evil..I just think that he needs to have his faith in muggles..too have his humanity restored."
She nods her head. "Well, I can't promise anything, but I can gurantee you that my parents won't hurt him, and I'll try to make sure he enjoys himself." She looks at Remus, still a bit unsure. "I know Harry is powerful, but he's not the type to turn to the dark, I know that, and Ron knows that, more than you could ever guess. But your right, he does need to have his faith in everday people restored." she looks at Remus as the car headed towards Privet Drive. "Remus, can I ask you something, it's kind of serious?" she bit her bottom lip. Giving her a very uncertain, very young look.
The former professor nodded at his one time student, who'm he held affection for. He was the scholarly type himself. It was nor would never be anything romantic, but sometimes, he almost ...saw Hermione as a friend. Not that she'd ever think of herself as such to him. He didnt realise he'd murmured the thoughts outloud, and went on to say. "Of course Hermione. Even if I'm no longer a professor, I still do care about you, Harry, and of course Ron. Any time you need to talk..."
She ducked her head. "I know this is a strange question, but..it's something I'm curious about..I haven't been able to figure it out for all my reading, everyone says..that well..you know who, that he's evil..but what i want to know, is what is evil?" She looked at her former professor, it was obviously something that had her stumped for a good time, to the point that she had taken it to Remus.
Remus blinked. The question momentarily stumped him. It was one that he'd never really thought to ask himself, and no one else had certainly asked him. He knew what dark was, but what truly was evil? Almost automatically though, the words came. "Evil is the lack of love. Evil is ..pleasure in others pain. Its when there is no awareness of others feelings, to the point you care in a positive way. Its corrupt, foul, malignant. Its like cancer. Evil is...the lack of everything good." He blinked again at his own explanation, and smiled at her. "Does that an-" Just then the car stopped, and he looked around. "Oh! We're..here."
She nodded her head, and looked at him. "I do hope they don't give us a hard time" she opened the door and slid out of her side. "Thanks Remus, that..that helps..I had kind of been thinking it was like an ultimate greed, a greed so intense that it cannot see anything pure, and good, and nice in anyway without being able to want it for itself alone, or wanting to destroy it.." she blinked at herself. "okay..that's way too deep. " she looks at Lupin. "Shall we?" She felt like Daniel, facing the lions den. "I think, this might just..be interesting.." she mumbled under her breath.
With his enhanced hearing, Lupin easily heard her, and grinned. "I think you might just be right." He said almost cheerily as he climbed out of the cab, sorted out the correct money, and coerced the driver into waiting for them to retrieve Harry. "No time like the present!" He said, looking around at the perfectly normal, perfectly...boring place. With that, he strode to the door, and knocked three times firmly. From the reports, he knew that just Harry and Petunia Dursely were home. Well, it was possible Dudly might be, but overall, he didnt expect it to be that bad. She moved up to stand next to Lupin. "Well, here goes nothing" she murmered. She settled herself at Remus's side. "I do hope he's not upset" she whispered, waiting for someone to approach the door. After long moments she heard footsteps starting to approach the door. She straightened her skirt and stuck a peice of hair behind her ear. "I almost hope they act out, I'd like to curse them"