"Of Crushes and Valentines'

By: wizardhp23

Genre: General, Romance

Rating: PG (just in case)

Brief Summary: It's nearing Valentine's Day at Hogwarts, and Professor Dumbledore has decided to make a rule that all teachers must have a date for the Valentine's Day banquet – a student date. What do you get when you have Hermione Granger and her secret crush on Professor Lupin? Set in Hogwarts, in the kids' seventh and final year. Lupin is back to teach lycanthropy!

DISCLAIMER: I wish I own Lupin and Hermione, but then JK Rowling would kill me!

Chapter Three – Discovery

Lupin glanced at the clock on his office wall. It's nearly three in the morning, he noticed. He stretched his arms. Blinking his eyes, Lupin loosened his tie and stood up from his chair. He picked up the jacket that had been thrown on the back of the chair, and scratching his head, he turned off the lamp on his desk. Then he walked slowly to the door of his office and pulled it open.

He nearly jumped. Standing behind the door was Hermione Granger. Lupin sighed in relief. 'Ms Granger, what are you doing out of bed at this hour?'

It was lucky for Hermione that the room was dark, and the professor could not see her face, which flamed in at least 75 different shades of red. 'Uh, I was…sleepwalking,' she mumbled.

Lupin raised his eyebrows. 'Sleepwalking?' he said with a chuckle. 'All right,' he said uncertainly. 'Go back to your dormitory now, please, Ms Granger. I will make sure no other teachers will know of this tomorrow,' he added with a wink.

Hermione nodded. Oh my god, she thought happily as she walked quietly away. He is so sweet!

She had been spying on Lupin working since lights-out, and thank god nobody discovered her. Otherwise, besides facing detention, she would also endure embarrassment.

---

'Harry!' Hermione's voice woke Harry from his deep sleep. He had been dreaming about Ginny, and now it was over. Courtesy of Hermione, he thought.

'What is it?' he asked blearily.

Hermione was grinning like mad. 'Guess what, Harry? Guess what?'

Harry rubbed his eyes. 'What,' he asked, rubbing his eyes, 'did Professor Lupin ask you out on a date?'

'Nope.'

'He kissed you?'

'I wish.'

Harry rolled his eyes open. 'Okay, then what? Bloody hell, you woke me up from my sleep, and you're asking me to guess what on earth has happened to you. I'd expect it to be something good.'

Hermione shrugged. 'Actually, it wasn't too good, but Remus –

'Oi, are you on first-name-terms now?'

'Okay, fine, Professor Lupin was so sweet to me! He ignored how I was out of bed at like three in the morning and just told me to go back to my dorm.'

Her friend rolled his eyes. 'Blimey, Hermione! You woke me up just to tell me this? Frankly speaking,' he added, 'you're not supposed to be in the boys' dorm. AND, for goodness sake, you're the Head Girl. You have an excuse to be out of bed. Now let me sleep.' He slammed his head back onto his pillow and raised his blanket over his head. Unfortunately for him, Hermione pulled him right back up.

'What do you want?!' Harry asked groggily.

Hermione gulped. 'Uh, Harry? I want you to do me a favour.'

'And what would that be? Make it quick, I want to go back to sleep. Heck, I have a Quidditch game tomorrow.'

'Since you are so close to Lupin,' she said, 'can you please help me ask him if he'd like to go with me to the Valentine's Day banquet?'

Harry snapped his eyes open. 'WHAT?!'

'I know you would say yes, Harry, I know you would, for the sake of your rest.'

He groaned. He laid down again. 'Okay,' he promised. 'Please keep in mind I'm only doing this because I want to sleep,' Harry added.

Hermione grinned. 'Thanks a million, 'arry!' she shouted in joy.

'Hermione, can you please keep the volume down? We're trying to sleep you know.' It was Neville Longbottom.

The excited Hermione Granger has forgotten that it was barely morning. 'Sorry,' she whispered.

Quietly yet happily, she crept out of the room, bouncing up and down like a seven-year-old in joy.

A/N: I'll try to update soon, but there's a lot of homework for me recently…by the way, the next chapter will have lots of Lupin in it. I can guarantee it since Harry will be asking Lupin to go out with Hermione on the day of the Valentine's Day banquet…cheers!