Chapter 8
Love...is an ever blooming rose
"I wanna grow old with you
I wanna die lying in your arms
I wanna grow old with you
I wanna be looking in your eyes"
Hermione was grinning right from the ends of her toes to the tip of every busy hair, standing in the centre of the Christmas ball, feeling like the world has stopped turning. A loud uproar erupted in the great hall, some whoops and cheers, some laughter and a few evil cackles from the Slytherins, the whole school seemed to be watching them.
Remus bit his lip but refused to let go of Hermione. His grip stayed tight as if he needed her strength, his eyes glazed with an almost sad expression as his spoke, "It doesn't matter anymore," he whispered near her ear, "I can't go on without being able to keep you close, the job's not worth it," He stared intently at her, almost as if asking her forgiveness.
Feeling tears begin to well up in her eyes, how could she respond to that?, all she could do was smile back, "its ok, I'm sure it'll be ok." Possibly trying to convince herself more than him.
There was a small cough to their left, turning slowly, the smiles faded from their faces at the stern look on Professor Dumbledore's face, the twinkle gone from his eyes. "Can I see you both in my office, now?" They silently followed him out of the hall neither saying a word or daring a glance at the other. Both wondering what was coming next, Hermione's heart fell somewhere about her stomach as she heard the band continued with the next song, what had they just done?.
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"What did I say? I thought better of you; I thought I could trust you." Disappointment glazed his voice as he looked sadly over their guilty faces and then continued, not a trace of anger in his tone, "How long? How long has this been continuing behind my back?"
Remus' head snapped up, "No Albus, you've got it wrong, we haven't, it... it was just tonight, I'm sorry... I suppose it was the mood,"
Dumbledore surveyed him quietly, he blue eyes intensely boring into Remus' Hermione bowed her head, fear flooding through her. "I trust you Remus. If you say that was it, and you haven't broken your word, then I believe you," Hermione looked up, his eyes although still sad seemed to have a small twinkle coming back, and he almost smiled as he continued "after all it can always be put down to Hagrid's mulled wine." He was definitely starting to smile now.
Remus dropped his head once again, "No headmaster, I still broke my word, I swore, we swore, nothing would happen."
But Dumbledore cut him off, "While she was a student Remus. Hermione will be sitting her exams next month, in the earlier sitting. Therefore she will no longer be a student, and she will have no more lessons after Christmas, just what help she may need with her preparation." He looked over their unsure faces before smiling comfortingly at them, "And after all... she is having your child."
Remus stared at his old headmaster up unable to believe his ears, "You mean, you're saying... you approve, it's alright?" He dared not to hope. Hermione looked in silence and couldn't help herself from surveying Dumbledore's face searching for some clue as to whether or not he may have been speaking the truth. Hermione watched the exchange between the two men, it was ok, it's ok, we're ok, he's not going to do anything about it, we're going to be together.
"On the contrary Remus I would consider you a lesser man, if you did not attempt to pursue a relationship with the mother of your child, when all social barriers are destroyed."
"No they won't all be gone," A sudden fear flooded over him, as if regretting what he'd gotten himself into, for what he was considering putting Hermione through, "you're forgetting the fact that I'm a werewolf, and 20 years her elder."
Hermione stared at him unable to believe what she was hearing. She reached out her hand and rested it on his arm. "You know that doesn't matter," He looked at her scared and unsure, "We wouldn't have got this far if it did" He simply stared at her, comfort flowing through him, as Hermione's eyes burned with care.
"You see, you will face them together, and I know you'll get through, the upcoming year will be tough on both of you, you'll need to pull together to get by."
She tightened her grip on his arm and smiled at him, he tried to fight back a grin, but it showed through.
"Now go both of you and enjoy the rest of your night."
Remus stood up and shook the headmaster's hand saying thank-you, an unbelievable tone still evident in his voice "take good care of them Remus, make sure you do." Remus simply nodded in reply. Hermione also shook hands with Professor Dumbledore, her happiness and hope radiating out from her, her eyes warm with her joy. She took Remus outstretched hand as he led her from the office.
He looked down at her, an indescribable warmth filling his eyes, "I don't know about you but I don't really fancy going back to the dance after that, how about I show you a little somewhere special."
She looked at him with a little unsure but thoroughly curios and nodded, 10 minutes later they found themselves walking past the whomping willow, he pulled her onwards towards the forest. "We can't go in there..." she trailed off... why? She asked herself, is there gonna be a werewolf in there! She giggled at there old fears of the forest, he raised an eyebrow at her a small smile playing about his lips, "never mind" she murmured.
He grinned wolfishly and pulled her into the darkness, they walked on for another 15 minutes before he stopped, pulled her close and planted a gentle kiss on her lips, "close your eyes" he whispered in her ear. She obeyed and allowed herself to be led on, feeling bushes being pushed out the way, the rustling of leaving in the breeze far above, an almost deadly silence filled the lower forest disturbed only by the hoot of an owl and the snap of twigs underfoot. She was tempted to open her eyes but at that moment his fingers held her lids down, "not yet" he said quietly and led her on further.
Suddenly a breeze whipped up from no where and she could feel her hair blowing gently around her face, "ok you can look now".
Her eyes flew open and she gasped, they were in a clearing deep in the forest, but about 8 metres in front of them the ground just slipped away the side of a steep cliff and a view out over the outskirts of Hogsmeade. In the clearing itself was a large old oak tree and a glistening silver pond.
He pulled her over to the tree and settled down on the grassy bank, now just inches away from the drop off, she smiled up at him, "It's beautiful, how? Where?" but he silenced her with a gentle finger on her lips.
"We found it when we were at Hogwarts together, turning he pointed to the tree they were sat against and she smiled at the inscription of four names carved into the bark 'moony, wormtail, padfoot and prongs' "It is the farthest reach of the Hogwarts grounds, and buried deep within the forbidden forest." As he spoke Hermione watched the light of the stars dance in his eyes.
They sat there in each others arms for several hours, just enjoying the views, before either of them spoke. "You can see you're house from here!" she said into the silence, he smiled at her and stood up. "Where are you going?"
"We're gonna take a leap of faith!" she looked at him blankly but stood up too. "Do you trust me?"
"Why?" she asked suspiciously
"Do you trust me?" he repeated even more firmly.
"Of course" she said. He pulled her towards him and held her hands tight.
"Jump" he said simply, she looked at him horrified, he silenced her with a kiss, "Jump, on three. One, Two...."
She closed her eyes as fear flooded over her, and jumped over the edge of the drop as she felt Remus' body do the same, the air hit her face and with a small pop, she landed on something soft, cuddled up in Remus' lap.
"You can open you're eyes now Hermione." Carefully she peered around and then looked at him in surprise, they were snuggled in his living room.
"But of course as soon as you're over the Hogwarts boundary you can apparate, I should have know!" He grinned and pulled her towards him for a kiss,
"Oh for goodness sake you two, get a room!" they jumped at the voice.
"Padfoot!" Remus exclaimed and then composing himself, "I believe that was what I was trying to do"
"Sorry wolf-boy, was I interrupting your love life, well excuse me for not knowing you were suddenly gonna appear in you front room with a lady friend at half past one on Christmas morning."
"Shaddup dog-breath, and merry Christmas." They both grinned at each other and Remus squeezed her hand.
Several hours and many cups of coca later, they were sat around the fire, Hermione snoring lightly on Remus' shoulder, while Sirius and his best friend talked about everything that had happened, about the ball, Dumbledore, Hermione's exams, Sirius obviously wanted filling in on all that had happened to Harry since he last saw him, Remus carefully left out the fact that his 'little lady' as Sirius put it was pregnant, he could already see his scorning face and comments about 'the wolf', perhaps leave that for another day he thought.
It was four o'clock when Remus finally sighed, "well we'd better get back, we'll all come and visit tomorrow, well, today really" he smiled and gave his friend a hug, turning to Hermione he gentle shook her shoulder, "Hermione!" she just mumbled in her sleep and rolled over, smiling slightly he gathered her up and with a nod at Sirius and a small pop they were stood at the winged boars and he made his way silently back to the castle.
"So here we stand, in our secret place
Where the sound of the crowd is so far away
And you take my hand, and it feels like home
We both understand, it's where we belong!"
A/N. Ok well, this one has been through the mill, I re-wrote it twice, but I'm happy with it, a HUUUUUUUUUGE thank-you to Becki for beta-ing for me, I would never have finished this without you!!!
Love...is an ever blooming rose
"I wanna grow old with you
I wanna die lying in your arms
I wanna grow old with you
I wanna be looking in your eyes"
Hermione was grinning right from the ends of her toes to the tip of every busy hair, standing in the centre of the Christmas ball, feeling like the world has stopped turning. A loud uproar erupted in the great hall, some whoops and cheers, some laughter and a few evil cackles from the Slytherins, the whole school seemed to be watching them.
Remus bit his lip but refused to let go of Hermione. His grip stayed tight as if he needed her strength, his eyes glazed with an almost sad expression as his spoke, "It doesn't matter anymore," he whispered near her ear, "I can't go on without being able to keep you close, the job's not worth it," He stared intently at her, almost as if asking her forgiveness.
Feeling tears begin to well up in her eyes, how could she respond to that?, all she could do was smile back, "its ok, I'm sure it'll be ok." Possibly trying to convince herself more than him.
There was a small cough to their left, turning slowly, the smiles faded from their faces at the stern look on Professor Dumbledore's face, the twinkle gone from his eyes. "Can I see you both in my office, now?" They silently followed him out of the hall neither saying a word or daring a glance at the other. Both wondering what was coming next, Hermione's heart fell somewhere about her stomach as she heard the band continued with the next song, what had they just done?.
#####
"What did I say? I thought better of you; I thought I could trust you." Disappointment glazed his voice as he looked sadly over their guilty faces and then continued, not a trace of anger in his tone, "How long? How long has this been continuing behind my back?"
Remus' head snapped up, "No Albus, you've got it wrong, we haven't, it... it was just tonight, I'm sorry... I suppose it was the mood,"
Dumbledore surveyed him quietly, he blue eyes intensely boring into Remus' Hermione bowed her head, fear flooding through her. "I trust you Remus. If you say that was it, and you haven't broken your word, then I believe you," Hermione looked up, his eyes although still sad seemed to have a small twinkle coming back, and he almost smiled as he continued "after all it can always be put down to Hagrid's mulled wine." He was definitely starting to smile now.
Remus dropped his head once again, "No headmaster, I still broke my word, I swore, we swore, nothing would happen."
But Dumbledore cut him off, "While she was a student Remus. Hermione will be sitting her exams next month, in the earlier sitting. Therefore she will no longer be a student, and she will have no more lessons after Christmas, just what help she may need with her preparation." He looked over their unsure faces before smiling comfortingly at them, "And after all... she is having your child."
Remus stared at his old headmaster up unable to believe his ears, "You mean, you're saying... you approve, it's alright?" He dared not to hope. Hermione looked in silence and couldn't help herself from surveying Dumbledore's face searching for some clue as to whether or not he may have been speaking the truth. Hermione watched the exchange between the two men, it was ok, it's ok, we're ok, he's not going to do anything about it, we're going to be together.
"On the contrary Remus I would consider you a lesser man, if you did not attempt to pursue a relationship with the mother of your child, when all social barriers are destroyed."
"No they won't all be gone," A sudden fear flooded over him, as if regretting what he'd gotten himself into, for what he was considering putting Hermione through, "you're forgetting the fact that I'm a werewolf, and 20 years her elder."
Hermione stared at him unable to believe what she was hearing. She reached out her hand and rested it on his arm. "You know that doesn't matter," He looked at her scared and unsure, "We wouldn't have got this far if it did" He simply stared at her, comfort flowing through him, as Hermione's eyes burned with care.
"You see, you will face them together, and I know you'll get through, the upcoming year will be tough on both of you, you'll need to pull together to get by."
She tightened her grip on his arm and smiled at him, he tried to fight back a grin, but it showed through.
"Now go both of you and enjoy the rest of your night."
Remus stood up and shook the headmaster's hand saying thank-you, an unbelievable tone still evident in his voice "take good care of them Remus, make sure you do." Remus simply nodded in reply. Hermione also shook hands with Professor Dumbledore, her happiness and hope radiating out from her, her eyes warm with her joy. She took Remus outstretched hand as he led her from the office.
He looked down at her, an indescribable warmth filling his eyes, "I don't know about you but I don't really fancy going back to the dance after that, how about I show you a little somewhere special."
She looked at him with a little unsure but thoroughly curios and nodded, 10 minutes later they found themselves walking past the whomping willow, he pulled her onwards towards the forest. "We can't go in there..." she trailed off... why? She asked herself, is there gonna be a werewolf in there! She giggled at there old fears of the forest, he raised an eyebrow at her a small smile playing about his lips, "never mind" she murmured.
He grinned wolfishly and pulled her into the darkness, they walked on for another 15 minutes before he stopped, pulled her close and planted a gentle kiss on her lips, "close your eyes" he whispered in her ear. She obeyed and allowed herself to be led on, feeling bushes being pushed out the way, the rustling of leaving in the breeze far above, an almost deadly silence filled the lower forest disturbed only by the hoot of an owl and the snap of twigs underfoot. She was tempted to open her eyes but at that moment his fingers held her lids down, "not yet" he said quietly and led her on further.
Suddenly a breeze whipped up from no where and she could feel her hair blowing gently around her face, "ok you can look now".
Her eyes flew open and she gasped, they were in a clearing deep in the forest, but about 8 metres in front of them the ground just slipped away the side of a steep cliff and a view out over the outskirts of Hogsmeade. In the clearing itself was a large old oak tree and a glistening silver pond.
He pulled her over to the tree and settled down on the grassy bank, now just inches away from the drop off, she smiled up at him, "It's beautiful, how? Where?" but he silenced her with a gentle finger on her lips.
"We found it when we were at Hogwarts together, turning he pointed to the tree they were sat against and she smiled at the inscription of four names carved into the bark 'moony, wormtail, padfoot and prongs' "It is the farthest reach of the Hogwarts grounds, and buried deep within the forbidden forest." As he spoke Hermione watched the light of the stars dance in his eyes.
They sat there in each others arms for several hours, just enjoying the views, before either of them spoke. "You can see you're house from here!" she said into the silence, he smiled at her and stood up. "Where are you going?"
"We're gonna take a leap of faith!" she looked at him blankly but stood up too. "Do you trust me?"
"Why?" she asked suspiciously
"Do you trust me?" he repeated even more firmly.
"Of course" she said. He pulled her towards him and held her hands tight.
"Jump" he said simply, she looked at him horrified, he silenced her with a kiss, "Jump, on three. One, Two...."
She closed her eyes as fear flooded over her, and jumped over the edge of the drop as she felt Remus' body do the same, the air hit her face and with a small pop, she landed on something soft, cuddled up in Remus' lap.
"You can open you're eyes now Hermione." Carefully she peered around and then looked at him in surprise, they were snuggled in his living room.
"But of course as soon as you're over the Hogwarts boundary you can apparate, I should have know!" He grinned and pulled her towards him for a kiss,
"Oh for goodness sake you two, get a room!" they jumped at the voice.
"Padfoot!" Remus exclaimed and then composing himself, "I believe that was what I was trying to do"
"Sorry wolf-boy, was I interrupting your love life, well excuse me for not knowing you were suddenly gonna appear in you front room with a lady friend at half past one on Christmas morning."
"Shaddup dog-breath, and merry Christmas." They both grinned at each other and Remus squeezed her hand.
Several hours and many cups of coca later, they were sat around the fire, Hermione snoring lightly on Remus' shoulder, while Sirius and his best friend talked about everything that had happened, about the ball, Dumbledore, Hermione's exams, Sirius obviously wanted filling in on all that had happened to Harry since he last saw him, Remus carefully left out the fact that his 'little lady' as Sirius put it was pregnant, he could already see his scorning face and comments about 'the wolf', perhaps leave that for another day he thought.
It was four o'clock when Remus finally sighed, "well we'd better get back, we'll all come and visit tomorrow, well, today really" he smiled and gave his friend a hug, turning to Hermione he gentle shook her shoulder, "Hermione!" she just mumbled in her sleep and rolled over, smiling slightly he gathered her up and with a nod at Sirius and a small pop they were stood at the winged boars and he made his way silently back to the castle.
"So here we stand, in our secret place
Where the sound of the crowd is so far away
And you take my hand, and it feels like home
We both understand, it's where we belong!"
A/N. Ok well, this one has been through the mill, I re-wrote it twice, but I'm happy with it, a HUUUUUUUUUGE thank-you to Becki for beta-ing for me, I would never have finished this without you!!!