Warning: This is about REMUS and HERMIONE, in case you're just a stray dog who happened to 'stray' here. If you don't like what you see, what you read, or just in case you don't like it for no reason, you're free to hit that Back button and depart to other fan fics. It will clearly be my pleasure to see you leave. YOUR OWN FLAMES WILL BURN YOU IN HELL. See you there mate.
Next chapter finally up. Sorry it takes quite sometime for me to update, I'm still pretty busy. Anyway, I hope you won't find this chapter boring, though some things here would reveal an important thing later, that's why I made this chapter. Suggestions that will go with the plot are welcome; so don't hesitate to put them in the Review section. Cheers to you, rock on reviewers! I love you all!
Chapter Nine: Have Faith In Me
Hermione couldn't speak. She couldn't move a muscle. The sight before her—it wasn't possible. No. It couldn't be. "Re—Remus?" her voice came out stuttering, she didn't know why.
"You—why are you—human?" she added. Indeed, Remus wasn't a werewolf as he was supposed to be, and apart from that, he was very human. He was seated on the bed, lying down with his hands behind his head. When he heard Hermione speaking, he bolted upright.
"I thought you promised you wouldn't go here?" he said at once, standing up and walking in her direction. She stepped back, eyes still wide and confusion evident on her face. "How?" was all she could speak.
"No. It's hard to explain." He reasoned, turning around and looking out at the window, towards the full moon. It was so beautiful as its moonbeams hit the pale and glimmering snow. The thing he once feared remained only a figment of his imagination. A remnant of a past long gone.
"I've got all night," she pointed out. There was a tense silence between them, and Remus could almost feel that holes would appear at the back of his head because of Hermione's very intense staring, or, if he thought right, glaring.
He sighed heavily. How does he even start with this? He couldn't explain it. Not right now. Not here. Not during Christmas most especially. Four people knew and that was enough. He didn't want Hermione knowing just yet.
"I can't." he said softly. But in the silence of the Shack, his voice came out in the normal volume, loud enough for her to hear. Another tenser silence followed this statement. "I can't believe you lied to me." She said, making Remus turn around.
"There's a reason. I can't tell you. Not just yet anyway." He said, trying to reason with her. Losing her right now would drive his world in a haze. He couldn't keep sane without her. He didn't want to lose her right now.
"Then why don't you tell me?" she demanded, her voice accusing, making Remus feel guilty though he knew what he was doing was for both their good. "Just have faith in me." He said simply, his eyes peering intently on hers, trying to reach her soul with his words.
Hermione sighed and sat down on the bed, covering her face with her hands. "I do have faith in you. I just wish you could tell me." She said quietly. He followed her on the bed, removing her hands from her face and wrapping her in his arms.
"Soon you'll understand."
Hermione woke up to the sound of a few birds singing. The air was cold and chilling to the bone, but with Remus' arms around her tightly, she hardly noticed. She looked up to see he was awake.
"Morning. Happy Christmas." He mumbled and kissed her. She smiled through his lips and caressed his face—it was smooth and scar free, she pointed out again, as if he was a re born Remus Lupin that she was getting to know all over again.
"Same to you." She greeted cheerfully, the events last night still bothering her, though she tried her best to hide it. Both of them sat up from the bed and stood up, arms linked. "Go back to Hogwarts, meet for breakfast and a stroll in Hogsmeade with Harry, Ron and the Weasleys?" he asked.
Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Was this planned?" she asked. He laughed, his eyes sparkling in a way it had just days ago when he and Hermione professed their love and felt completeness.
He nodded and placed an arm around her shoulder. "It was. There are some other old friends to accompany us too." He added. She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "I agree to that then."
Silently making their way out of the hole, which proved a little hard, they finally reached the Hogwarts grounds and went their separate rooms to shower and change. "I won't allow you to kiss me again. I bet I have bad breath." Remus joked.
Hermione smiled. "You don't, don't worry." She reassured and they both laughed. "See you in a bit." He called out and they separated.
At last, now that Hermione was alone, her thoughts strayed to last night. How could he not turn into a werewolf? Surely, the moon was full—she wasn't blind, and the calendar said so. Just to make sure, upon entering her room, she looked at her lunar calendar. Positive.
So how could it be?
A million possibilities erupted inside her mind. What if... he wasn't Remus Lupin at all? What if he was taking Polyjuice Potion, and was faking he was actually Moony to spy on the order? It could be possible...
Yet as Hermione stood in front of her mirror after taking a bath, somehow she felt that familiar trace of recognition that she only felt around those she had shared a bond with. And there was no doubt that in whatever way she knew Remus then, it was the same now.
'Except last night's events.' She told herself as she got dressed in Muggle clothing, drawing a jacket around her since the snow was still present. What she couldn't understand was why Remus didn't want to tell her.
'It solved one of our social problem. That in the first place, they didn't accept him for me because he was a werewolf.' Her mind reeled. She tried her best to answer the questions that had been popping in her mind like mad, but she knew sooner or later that she wouldn't be able to anymore.
She sighed and headed to breakfast. Remus did ask her to have faith in him. She did have faith. She only wished she wasn't being deceived.
"For the sake of Merlin, why can't you just hurry up?" George was calling out to Ginny who was going down the huge staircases from going to the girl's lavatory. She had insisted that they give her a spare minute to freshen herself.
"Okay, okay, it's not like Hogsmeade's not just near Hogwarts anyway." She muttered, rolling her eyes and returning a smile given to her by Harry.
There were six Weasleys in attendance; Bill, Charlie, Fred and George, Ron and Ginny. And then there was Harry and Hermione. There was also Remus, Minerva and surprisingly, Tonks was present too.
Colin also paid a visit (working as a photographer for The Quibbler as he and Luna Lovegood were together) and so was Luna, and Seamus and Dean were present.
"Looks like we're set. Shall we go?" asked Remus, he and Hermione leading the way. Everyone nodded and started a gentle chatter, catching up on everyone else's lives. Ginny and Harry immediately fell into a secluded conversation, apart from everyone.
As for Hermione, she was content on walking silently beside the man she most loved, although questions still, and she presumed, will still be haunting her for a while. "What Christmas present would you like?" he asked softly, linking his arm on hers.
"Huh? You don't have to give me anything. It doesn't matter." She replied awkwardly, suddenly blushing. She didn't get him a present either; so she didn't want to demand for anything.
"But how about—"he was still saying but she shook her head. "No really. You don't have to give me anything. And..." she blushed yet again. "I didn't get you anything either." She admitted.
He laughed softly and kissed her on the forehead gently, not like anyone minded them. "That's fine. That will make us fair, isn't it?" he asked. She grinned at him and nodded. "Yeah."
They fell silent. "But you would allow me to treat you to eat, right?" he asked. She nodded and moved closer to him. "Certainly."
The day was spent eating, chattering, and drinking Butterbeer over at Three Broomsticks. However, when Ginny, Luna and Hermione decided to shop, Colin, Remus and Harry decided to come along. Hermione found it queer though—there were two pairs: she and Remus and Luna and Colin. Certainly, Ginny and Harry weren't an item yet?
"Where do we go?" asked Ginny. Luna spotted the "Jewel Weed" jewelry store. "Over there. It just opened a few weeks ago. They said that they make their jewelries genuine and fit for whoever it will belong." She said.
Hermione and Ginny agreed, and the boys weren't complaining. They themselves were hunched in talk about whatever men of their age, or rather whatever men actually conversed about.
"I wonder if they have the moonstone here," Luna said, looking around after seeing a sign at the door telling them of various, gemmed rings. A lady behind the counter heard her and shook her head.
"We only have one special and genuine ring of the moonstone as of the moment. It has been bought." She said. Luna shrugged and smiled. "Well I should look for other gems then." She said and moved further inside the shop.
Remus looked at where the ring used to lie, cushioned in a white pillow and radiating a light sheen of pearly-bluish light. An amethyst studded ring now replaced it in the shelf. He smiled to himself and his mind wandered to the deep red velvet box hidden on his desk drawer.
"Okay, everyone, let's have pair shots!" Colin called, as they got out of the store. Only Luna and Ginny bought some accessories, while Hermione, not too keen on those, just looked around nonchalantly.
"Ginny and Harry, you first!" Luna said, smiling brightly at them. Harry blushed a bit, which Hermione found odd and they took a shot where Ginny suddenly hugged Harry and they started laughing.
"Us next." Luna said, asking Harry or Ginny to take the picture. Harry entrusted the task to Ginny, as he had no photographing skills, and they too, had a shot of their own. "Remus and Hermione, you next!" said Ginny.
Somehow, though he didn't show it, Hermione felt a slight bit of hesitation on Remus' part. Why? Didn't he want to have a picture of them together? 'You are just getting paranoid.' She convinced herself after a while. This made her frown.
"Hermione, we're taking a picture. Why are you frowning?" he asked delicately, holding her arm slightly. "It's like you don't want to have a picture of us taken." She grumbled, turning her back on him. He chuckled. "Silly. Of course that's not true. If you don't smile, I'll make you."
Remus pulled her close and twirled her around in circles, making her laugh. He was laughing too, and all doubt and paranoia disappeared from Hermione's mind. "Remus!" she said, kicking her feet in protest but letting him twirl her nonetheless.
'Have faith Hermione. That's what you have to have. Faith in him. You love him and he loves you. That's all that matters.'
"Done! Let's head back to the others." Harry said and they backtracked towards Three Broomsticks. Had it been a Christmas. Hermione could say that so far, it was one of the best ones she had ever had.
A/N: A bit short. But I'll make this better. More things are bound to happen soon, so sit tight. Remember to review! And to those who did at the last chapter, rock on!