Okay, short chapter, my apologies. Spent three days in Sharm el-Sheikh on the Red Sea and am thoroughly tanned and somewhat bruised from climbing Mount Sinai. Moses was in some kind of shape, lemme tell ya.

Lily was Chapter 10's super-quick reviewer. I can't make cookies but if you want oomali, I just learned how to make it! Death in a bowl but good lord it's a joyful demise.

Hand3, I'm glad you liked last chapter. I tried to paint more of a picture of the physical surroundings in this story than I have in my other fics. Hippiechick, nice to see you again (or read your review or whatever). I'm beginning to go all superstitious about not updating without your review. Joots: you're back! Yay! Glad you're enjoying it.

Great big welcome to Terilicious! This story's a bit different from what I usually do; I'm happy it's working well.

Ooookay, here's the cheesy bedroom scene. I say that because (and I'm sorry!) I got a bit bored and tried to go all Harlequin Romance. It was kind of fun—how low can you go with the cheesy smut factor. I have a new respect for romance writers…smut's easy, but cheesy smut? That's a whole different kind of turkey. So the lead up's serious enough but…well, you'll see.

Anyways, enjoy or skip, your choice. I'll update sooner than usual to make up for it.

--Aimes

New A/N: Typo fixed. This is what happens when you originally write the story with different characters.

They returned to the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. Hermione let Remus lead her into the house as though she were a child and guide her, one hand resting gently on her back, upstairs. They reached her bedroom and he opened it and directed her inside. She kicked off her heels and stood, vacant.

Tired.

It was as though all the years of careful solitude and intensive training had hit her at once, leaving her drained. Everything comes at a price. Too bad it's never listed.

Remus was yet again at a loss. He respected Hermione more with every passing moment, but he didn't know how to help her. He suspected she was quite like him…hollow words would only make her more cynical, if it were possible. With a soft mental sigh, he turned to go and Hermione caught his wrist.

I want…

Coherent thoughts abandoned her as she pulled Remus close and felt him wrap his arms around her moving his hands down her back in long, firm, caressing strokes.

I need…

Hermione pulled back and locked eyes with him briefly before pulling his head down to her and locking him in a searing kiss. Remus automatically responded, his body taking over and rejecting higher cognitive functions. He made one desperate attempt: "Hermione—" Fighting the waves of desire that were washing over him.

"Shut up, Lupin. You think too much." Hermione commented ironically. Her hands lingered around his neck and she pressed her body against him.

Remus groaned and slid his hands down to trace the shape of her rear. One hand slid into the slit in her dress and caressed the backs of her muscular thighs. Hermione's hands found their way under his shirt and trailed down bare skin and he shuddered. She smiled ferally and kissed along his face to the crook of his neck, pausing to nibble on his pulse point, feeling his heartbeat race against her lips.

"Remus…" she hissed as arousal overwhelmed her.

Lupin responded by pulling back and unzipping her dress, letting it pool on the floor at her feet. She was left in the corset, underwear and stockings that had left him breathless earlier and he smiled slightly as he began exploring her bare skin with his slightly callused hands and fingering the edge of her black satin bra. Remus drank in the sight of her for a moment, flushed and beautiful.

Hermione pulled him to the bed and began to unbutton his shirt then thought the better of it and murmured a spell to divest him of his garments. Senior thunked to the floor somewhere across the room.

A soft moan escaped her lips as he stood before her, bared. Remus unfastened her stockings, knelt and began to unroll them slowly down her legs one by one, pausing to kiss her thighs and knees. His hands skimmed back up her body as he rose then caught her by the hips and lifted her onto the bed.

Hermione felt him push her backwards and pulled him with her. Remus unhooked her corset painfully slowly, trailing a finger down the revealed skin before finally peeling it off and discarding it, then lavished his attention on her breasts, teasing, sucking, and nibbling till she gasped. Her legs parted instinctively and he settled between them, his engorged cock pressing against her black satin panties. Hermione began to rock her hips, blindly craving the delicious friction.

Remus reached down and held her hips still, then kissed down her chest, between her breasts and trailing down her stomach. He smiled, feeling muscles jump at his touch.

His fingers slipped under the satin of her panties and tugged them down in a swift motion, gently forcing her hips up to ease them off. The tip of his cock teased her inflamed centre and she let out a ragged breath.

"Please, Remus," she groaned.

"As you wish, my lady," came the husky reply.

His fingers teased her clit for a moment, making her hips buck. Hermione instinctively knew she wanted more and reached down to pull him up into an aggressive kiss. She wrapped her legs around him and positioned him at her entrance. Before she could pull him in, he thrust into her. The world exploded into light and color for Hermione, and Remus felt the sharp intake of her breath. He felt her tight and wet around him and waited for her to adjust. Hermione allowed her muscles to relax, then began a slow, rhythmic rocking of her hips.

Lupin matched her pace, slowly increasing the speed and reaching down to shift her legs up. Hermione arched as his pelvis began rubbing against her clit.

He reached down and caught her in a kiss: gentle, slow, exploratory, even as their bodies began moving ever more rapidly towards climax. He pulled away and looked into her eyes as she came, intensifying the connection.

"Remus," she cried as she released, staring into the depths of his silvery, clouded eyes.

"Hermione," came the impassioned response as he followed her, eyes sparking.

Remus collapsed gently to the side of her, breaking their physical contact. Hermione shivered from the sudden cold and Remus gathered her to him and pulled up the sheets and blankets to cover them.

I need…I want…

They both drifted to sleep, wrapped in one another's arms.