"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 Six – The Dance
Lupin pulled away. 'Hermione!' he cried, shocked. 'What are you doing?'
'I just want you to know that I'm in love with you,' she replied.
The professor stared at her. 'I thought you just have a crush on me.'
'Well,' Hermione started. 'I admit that the feeling I have is far beyond a crush, and into love.'
'Sorry, Hermione,' Lupin answered, shaking his head. 'I can't do this. This isn't right. I mean, I will still go to the dance with you, but I – I really can't develop our friendship into a love relationship…' Without another word, he patted her hand, and left the sofa, going back to sorting his books.
Hermione gazed blankly at Lupin. The man's heart apparently belonged to no one…which included her.
---
It was the date of the dance a few days later. The Gryffindor common room was filled with excitement, and all the girls were squealing in anxiety. Ginny was going to the dance with Harry, and Ron was with Lavender Brown. Everyone was eager for seven o' clock to come, save for one. Hermione Granger was perplexedly applying makeup to her face. As if all this makeup will change his mind, she thought.
Ginny, who was chatting with Parvati animatedly, looked over her friend's shoulder to see Hermione behaving oddly in front of the mirror. Shaking her head, Ginny strode over. 'Somebody's having a weird day,' she commented as she pulled up a chair beside Hermione.
The older girl sighed. 'What good is it to know that the person you're going to the dance with doesn't love you back? I mean, it's Valentine's Day, a day to celebrate with your beloved –
'Hey, don't start thinking so aimlessly, buddy! That's not the way the Hermione I know behaves! The "real" Granger thinks positively of all things.'
Hermione smiled for the first time in a week. 'Ginny, you just have to be the one to brighten my day up.'
Ginny beamed. 'What are best friends for?'
'Um, let's see,' Hermione pretended to think. 'Uh, maybe for teasing? Ginny and Harry…' she started to chant, as Ginny went red in the ears, and chased her around the common room with renewed spirit.
---
'Wow.'
'Gosh, Hermione, you are so lucky!'
'Girl, everyone wants to be with Lupin, and you get him!'
Whispers followed Hermione as they stepped into the Great Hall. There, sitting next to Snape (who was decked out in a purple tuxedo, causing muffled laughter around the Hall) on the staff table, was Lupin. He was dressed very finely this evening, despite how he was poor. Dumbledore must have helped him out with clothing finances, because the Lupin everyone saw this very evening was not the usual scruffy Lupin. Though he did not shave off the stubble on his face, nor did he slick back his short disheveled brown hair, he was still glowing with handsome features, clad in a creamy white tuxedo. Hermione could not keep her eyes off him, even as he nodded in her direction while rubbing his neck, possibly from embarrassment. The girls surrounding Hermione thought his neck-rubbing was rather cute, and squealed. Ginny chuckled, and her older friend looked at her. 'What?' Hermione perked up.
'Nothing,' Ginny said, with the mischievous grin still on her face. 'It's just that someone is definitely going to have an unforgettable night.'
'Oh shut up,' Hermione replied, blushing. She gazed back at Lupin. Yes, she thought to herself dreamily. I am definitely going to have an unforgettable evening.
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, guys! I really appreciate it! In case you want to know why I keep reminding everyone that Lupin is handsome, well, because, unless you don't already know, I am technically in love with David Thewlis, especially his appearance in Divorcing Jack, a film where he looks exactly like the description I have of him in this story: short brown hair with stubble on his face…sigh Please keep up the reviewing and no flames please!