Disclaimer: Still not mine.
A/N: To those of you who don't want S/H, don't worry I won't allow them to be together in this story. Hermione is far too young and Sev is still too wrapped up in himself. If I ever get around to a sequel, you shouldn't read it unless you want to see how they get together. Chapter 20 should be up shortly.
Chapter 19-Last Trip to Hogsmeade
Saturday morning there was the usual excitement in the air at breakfast among the older students anxiously awaiting their trip to Hogsmeade. It was even more special because it was the last full moon before the Halloween Ball the following week. Everyone was excited to shop for dress robes and to hang out at the Three Broomsticks. The professors noticed the usual change in student behavior before the full moon. The students were driving them mad. Thank Merlin for Hogsmeade weekends!
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were more excited than usual because the trip meant the three of them finally would have a few hours together. Harry and Hermione had been so busy between their extra activities and schoolwork they had barely seen Ron except in class since school started. Hermione was especially bugging out since her deadline to choose her specialized classes was soon and because she was so far behind in her schoolwork, she had no idea which classes would benefit her the most for the war. To be honest, she thought her extra work more practical and her time spent studying with Harry and Professor Snape was beginning to mean the world to her.
So the Golden Trio left following Professor Flitwick and McGonagall, the two chaperones for the day. There would also be Ministry aurors in Hogsmeade because an attack was expected any day now. Dumbledore also had asked the Order members staying at Xanadu to keep an eye out in the village. All except Remus, of course, because of the full moon coming out that night. It disappointed Harry that he wouldn't see his friend and guardian, but he still felt as good as he had in a long while. Besides, Tonks might be around.
It wasn't long before the three Gryffindors were catching up on each other's lives, butterbeer in hand at the Three Broomsticks. Ron flirted with Rosmeda a bit and finally awarded with the usual wispy laugh he took his seat with Harry and Hermione in their usual corner booth.
"So, what's it been two, three years now. How have you been?" Ron said whimsically, light-heartedly teasing his two best friends. He smiled as the two took up the banter.
"Oh, hell Ron you know how it is, vanquishing dark lords, reading potions master's minds, and getting hitched. All in a day's work."
"Not to mention I already had my first child and her name is Molly after your mum. Talk about experience. My husband was paler than I had ever seen him, and that's saying quite a lot."
"So who did you two finally settle down with after all these years?" Ron asked playing along.
"Oh, Harry hit it off with Pansy Parkinson and well, I always did like tall, dark and mysterious."
"Oh, so you married the master of sarcasm after all this time. I didn't think you'd ever finally get hitched. I mean my God the way you two look at each other is scandal in the making. How is old Snape anyway?" Hermione blushed and stammered,
"Ron, what do you mean the way we look at each other? Oh . . . it was just part of the joke, right?"
"Look at this, Harry. It seems our Mia has something of a secret. Well, you know how he looks at you." Hermione bit her lower lip and frowned seriously.
"No, Ron. I don't. You'll have to let me in on it."
"He looks at you like you are the newest broom in the window, or rather the only broom in the window. Or in his mind maybe the newest Als Alchemia or potions text." He looked to the table in front of him and took a deep swig of his butterbeer. "But then again, you look at him like I had once hoped you'd look at me." He looked at a very distracted Hermione. Finally, he smacked his hands together in front of her.
"Oh, Ron. You can't mean that. It's not possible, and besides . . . like you had once hoped . . . What are you saying, Ron?" Ron's face turned red as his hair. Harry noticed the color change first and spoke on instinct,
"Looks like our dear Ronny, has his own secrets. Who is she?"
"Luna Lovegood."
"Luna? Really? Can't say I would have pictured that coming." A ruffled Hermione looked to Harry for help. Harry looked at both friends in disbelief and held his hands up as if in defense.
"I'm staying out of this," Harry said. "I can't say I'm surprised though. Luna has always liked Ron. She's the one that came up with the improved "Weasley is Our King" lyrics. And without us around," he motioned his head toward Hermione, "even as shy as she seems sometimes . . . well, I'm just not surprised."
"How did it happen?" a curious Hermione asked.
"Well, I'll admit I was a bit weary of her following me around the first month of school. That's why I was late to that DADA meeting that time. Luna had been chasing me, well spying really, and I was trying to lose her. Then I realized what time it was and ran to the dueling room. Anyway, you two haven't been around a lot and other than Quidditch I don't really have much going on. The whole house is gone whenever I'm free it seems, so I started going to the library. I figured I might try to read the books for classes. Well, and then it happened. An adoring Luna sat beside me, made me a bit nervous, really, and proceeded to win my heart with flattery. She really hit the spot and since then we've been studying Occulmency and Legilimency together and we've learned a great deal about each other."
"So Ron's snogging Luna Lovegood," Harry smiled. "So does she?"
"What?"
"Love good?" Harry's grin grew to his ears. Ron hit Harry's shoulder.
"A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell," Ron said sounding very much like Draco Malfoy. "Besides I think this is more than I ever expected. I think I love her guys. If this works out . . . I think I'll want to marry her." Ron stared at the wall above Hermione's head, dreamily vacating conscious thought. Hermione, who had been sulking as she listened, hearing the one boy who fawned after her tell her about getting over her, suddenly became very happy and she glowed as she genuinely told her friend,
"Wow, Ron. This is serious. I'm very happy for you."
"Thanks, Mia. You know it was really hard to understand why you and I wouldn't work out, but I get it now." His voice softened as he looked into her eyes, "You need someone who doesn't obsess over Quidditch, who can met you intellectually, and understand the desire to know more. I never will." He continued sincerely, "You have always been far too mature for any of us boys here at Hogwarts. I think you need someone older. Otherwise, you'll be playing Mom your whole life even if you never have children. That's even kind of your role in our trio." He smiled at the wall again, his eyes brightening, "But Luna . . . she's really smart, don't get me wrong, but she obsesses over the same things I do. And we can talk about the world and not disagree on what counts. She also wants to have a big family, and I kind of think that wasn't in your scheme, right?" Hermione nodded a bit sad. "Mia, I'm sorry I brought all this up, but it was really hard, you know."
"Yes, I do. The hardest thing I ever had to do was tell you we could only be friends. I'm sorry, Ron." She moved over to her friend and gave him a big hug. She sighed.
"Don't worry, Mia. I know there's someone perfect for you too. I know it. I can think of at least one man. And rumor has it, he may be around more often very soon."
"Who?" Harry and Hermione asked at once.
"Lupin." Ron grinned. "Well, he isn't our professor anymore, he's extremely intelligent, and Mia, you could make the Wolfsbane for him." Hermione blushed. She's never even thought of Professor Lupin like that. She didn't think she ever could.
"Ron, I kind of think he's in love with someone else."
"Who?" Harry rolled his eyes at his friend,
"Ron, do you remember the story Tonks's mom told us at Headquarters?"
"Oh, sure about Ande and Rolf."
"You didn't listen to the whole story did you?" Ron shook his head, as Hermione continued the thread Harry started. "It was about Meda and Remus. Their pet names for each other are Ande and Rolf. It was about how Remus became a werewolf and even though he loved Meda, he wouldn't put her in danger by staying with her." She looked at Ron, the memory having emotional impact on her face, "After seeing how they looked at each other that night, I don't think any woman could ever get Lupin's heart again. Meda still has it, and even though she married a muggle, I think Remus still has her's." Harry nodded and added,
"I definitely got that impression from Tonks. It doesn't sound like her parents were head over heals for each other. Wouldn't it be cool if Meda and Remus would get together now?"
"But I thought Meda was married, Harry?"
"You didn't hear, Mia?" Hermione shook her head as Ron continued, "Tonks is a really good auror, you know, and after she helped take care of the Fab Five there was a raid on her old home in muggle London. The Death Eaters killed her dad, and Meda escaped to the Hog's Head were her last blood family, other than Tonks, lived."
"Oh, my. No wonder Tonks was so jumpy. And Meda, poor Meda. To lose your husband and have to leave your home, and then come face to face with the man you love, who would never ask you to be with him because of the danger. Wow! And we think Gryffindor's have the courage. Seems to me Ravenclaws continue to have an equal amount." An astounded Ron responded,
"I never would have guessed that Remus and Meda . . . Wow!"
"Well, we never said you were the brightest when it came to girls, Ron. Sounds like you're doing well with Luna though, " Harry teased.
"Yeah. I invited her here at 3:00 so the three of us could have some time together before she comes."
"Ahh. How sweet. Gracious Ron, I'm so happy for you," Hermione glowed.
"Now what was that blushing about earlier, Mia. You're not getting out of it that easy." Hermione looked away for a moment and sighed. She was very serious when she faced the two boys again,
"It's nothing, really. I like someone a whole lot, but nothing can happen now or probably ever. I feel . . . I don't know what I feel. The whole situation is very confusing." Harry nodded at her, knowingly. It had not gone past The-Boy-Who-Had-Occulmency-Lessons-With-Mia that she and the professor got along quite well. The amount of time the three of them spent with each other, even allowed Harry to look past the snarky two-dimensional persona of their potions master. Seeing someone's memories as frequently as they did each others allowed a chance to see things from their perspective, and Harry didn't think Snape's perspective was as off as he thought before. He even realized why someone like Snape would hate Sirius as much as he did, even without being able to see all of Snape's memories.
As much time as Harry had to spend with him, he knew Hermione was tutoring with him more often involving the research on the song in the clearing. He had seen in Hermione's mind some of the moments the two of them shared. The professor wasn't the only one looking longingly at a beautiful woman. Mia had the same look on her face while the professor played any instrument. And if the past life theory was true, they were meant for each other, even if it seemed strange. Before Ron could pry further into Mia's secret, Harry changed the subject,
"Oh, Ron. I almost forgot to tell you. Mia and I were supposed to ask you if you'd want to start extra defense training with us starting Monday. It won't interfere with Quidditch at all and it sounds like it will be beneficial, maybe not fun given the teacher, but beneficial."
"Who's the teacher?"
"The one and only Professor Snape," Harry said as if introducing the latest band on a night show. Harry laughed as Ron's jaw dropped. "He really isn't so bad, Ron. He's very intelligent and has a vast number of talents. Who better to teach us how to defend ourselves from Death Eaters than the very man who used to be one himself?" Ron nodded taking in his shock.
"This is true." Ron breathed in deep and took it all in. "So in a way he gets the position he's always wanted between DADA club and this extra tutoring."
"Yes, I think he's really enjoying it actually. He has more to do with all the time he can't sleep," Hermione added, knowing she was right for some reason. Ron raised an eyebrow at her,
"So he enjoys spending time with you, huh? I wonder . . ." Ron smiled devilishly as he stroked his chin mischievously. Hermione smacked him. "I knew it! You have a thing for Snape!" Ron shouted at her protecting his head from her jabs. Then, realizing the truth, he looked up from his protective bubble with a slightly disturbed look on his face, "Wow, what's up with that?" Instead of Hermione yelling at him, Harry responded,
"Now listen, Ron. Snape is not that bad, and there is much more to it than you know. Believe me. If Mia and Professor Snape would ever in the future get together, it would be right. I know it would be. They suit each other," Harry looked to Mia with a determined face, "and I would support them no matter what others would think." Ron shifted in his seat uncomfortably.
"Well, it is an interesting match, but if you say so, Harry." He looked at Hermione, "If what Harry says is true . . . You know I love you, Mia. Anything you want I want you to have." He paused as if considering the situation. "If this is what you want, than I will be supportive." Ron's eyes narrowed as he smirked, "But if he hurts one hair on your head, I'll use what he teaches me to get him, Azkaban or not!" Hermione laughed and responded to the boys' steadfast loyalty,
"I love you both. As I said before, I don't know how I feel, and I don't think anything will ever happen. On the off chance he wants me too, I'm glad I have your support." She smiled warmly, "Thanks guys." They hugged each other and Hermione felt at peace.
"So. What does Snape have planned for our Golden Trio to learn?"
"Too much I'm afraid. It will be grueling and hard, but we will be prepared for what we have to do when the time comes," Harry said with an exhausted sigh. "Just thinking about it makes me tired."
Hours later, after the trio had done their rounds through Hogsmeade and met up with Luna in the Three Broomsticks, they thought maybe they could find Lupin before he transformed at the shrieking shack. Luna was with them, but they knew she would keep their secrets and trusted she could handle what she saw with great ease and the intelligence she possessed. She had made an easy addition to the trio and they wouldn't mind being the quartet Malfoy had tauntingly talked of weeks before.
As they made their way to the outskirts of Hogsmeade where the shrieking shack was located, Harry began to feel the all too familiar depressing, coldness of the darkest of creatures, dementors.
"Do you feel that?" The other three nodded standing still where there were and looking about them.
"Lumos." The four chanted together lighting the trees around them. They made a circle with their backs to each other like they had practiced in DA the year before and DADA club only a week ago. Suddenly, it was as if all the dementors from their third year had suddenly showed up for a second romp. At least a hundred dementors were swerving above them, floating faster toward them. Three of the four stood in shock, unable to move. For Harry, this scene was old news. Harry thought of the past few hours with his friends,
"Expecto Patronum." Two golden stags protected the group from the dozens of dementors that were close to them. The other three came out of their shock and no surprise, Hermione cast her own Patronus. The small but strong weasel pounded through the dementors in their path heading for the shrieking shack. Harry yelled at them to run while he cast another Patronus to protect their heads. The four students made it to the shrieking shack just long enough to slam the door and see Lupin standing there waiting for them.
"I could feel them coming. Hurry go through to the whopping willow's path! I'll do my best to fend them off."
"You can't do it alone!" Harry yelled. The other three stood their ground prepared for a fight.
"You must go, Harry! It's the full moon!" Harry's eyes widened as his friend, godfather began to transform. With no one else to protect them from the werewolf Remus would become, Harry screamed, "Run!" The four students ran over the creaking floors and down the stairs that lead to the path of their freedom. Just before the opening to the willow, Luna's foot caught in a knotted floorboard. Luna struggled to get her foot loose from the board. Ron looked behind him for Luna and saw that she was stuck. He ran to her. They scrambled, trying to pry Luna's foot free. Finally, they were able to break the board and with only a slight limp, Luna followed after Ron through the tunnel to the willow.
Before Luna could get through the trap door, the werewolf grabbed at the same foot that had been stuck earlier. Ron pulled Luna from the other side, while the werewolf clawed at her. As Ron pulled Luna through, the werewolf took one last lurch at the girl with its teeth. The saliva from the werewolf soaked the bite of its teeth on Luna's left ankle. Ron and Harry pushed down on the trapdoor and reinforced the chains and locks with spells.
Hermione, in the mean time, held Luna's head in her lap. As she sat holding the unconscious Luna Lovegood she was terrified and her thoughts were for help. 'Please someone find us. Luna needs help. Remus must have forgotten his Wolfsbane again. Please, someone.' She cried. She had no idea how they would hold a full-bodied werewolf from them with one injured that might just transform soon herself. What then? Hermione tried to send images of what she was seeing to anyone who might just know where they were. She sobbed. They needed help. The boys were too busy with the trap door, and unless she used Mobilicorpus on Luna, she would never be able to carry her back to the infirmary. Mobilicorpus was far to slow if she ended up chased by dementors or a werewolf. Just as she was about to give into their plight, Professor Snape was there, in all his brooding glory ready to protect her yet again from the werewolf. He lifted Luna's unmoving body from Hermione's lap and yelled to the boys to get moving to the castle. The shock that he was there stunned Hermione for a moment, but she came to when she realized the dementors had found them again. She ran after the rest of the group casting her Patronus Charm behind her. Professor Snape noticed the dementors as well and cast his own charm. Stronger than she expected, a panther made of brilliant white light helped her weasel protect their backsides. Before the dementors could reach them from above, the boys put up their own Patronus' and soon two stags and a red fox were helping the weasel and panther. They moved quickly in the bright light to Hogwarts Castle, and made it within Dumbledore's wards before the dementors could break past the combined Patronuses. When the group made it inside the castle via a hidden door, they all leaned against the walls, relief filling them. Then, a scared Hermione realized what happened to Luna. She moved over to where the Professor held Luna and looked down to her left ankle.
"Oh, my God. She's been bitten. We have to get her to Poppy before she transforms." The professor nodded, the fear in his eyes visible only to Hermione, and the two of them ran to the infirmary with the boys right behind them. Bursting into the infirmary and first checking for occupants, Professor Snape billowed,
"Poppy! Hurry, bring some of Lupin's Wolfsbane! Miss Lovegood has been bitten!" He laid Luna's form onto one of the hospital cots and Ron came up to her side. He held her hand and looked down. His eyes glazed with tears. "Mr. Weasley, get out of the way! We need to give her this potion," Snape commanded the boy. Then, he heard some much needed advice,
'Leave him be you overgrown bat! Can't you seen he's in pain!'
"I'm sorry, Mr. Weasley. Stay where you are. Poppy where's the potion!" Madame Pomfrey appeared with the potion in question and handed it to Professor Snape. After he was able to get the potion down the girl's throat he said, "I'm afraid we will need to move her to one of the private rooms to transform. I must tell the Headmaster everything immediately. So when I get back I need to hear the whole story." He looked to Hermione, "All of it." He lifted the blond girl from the cot and carried her out of the hospital ward toward Madame Pomfrey's office where the private quarantine rooms were. The Golden trio looked solemn and the shock that their friend and to Ron more than that, his love, was now a werewolf seemed to have a huge impact on them. Hermione walked over to Ron, who was still looking to the floor hand laying where it held Luna's minutes before, and she held the sitting figure from behind his chair. Ron leaned into her shoulder and cried. Harry came over to the two and patted Ron's leg. Harry cut the silence with truly comforting words,
"She'll be okay, Ron. Professor Snape makes the Wolfsbane and Luna's dad already has a job for her. She will be okay." Ron nodded his head,
"I know that, Harry. But now what happens. I love her. I know that for sure right now, in this moment." Ron sobbed uncontrollably. His fears came to his face as he realized what could happen, "Is she going to push me away when she's finds out what she is now? Will she do what Remus did to Andromeda?" Ron shook his head in pain, "I can't take it if she pushes me away. I won't survive it." Harry and Hermione hugged their friend, providing the comfort he needed in that moment. When Ron calmed down a bit, the always rational Hermione offered optimistic truths,
"Ron, Luna is a bright young woman. She didn't choose you on a whim, and she is not as stubborn as we Gryffindors can be. She can be reasoned with. If you still want to be with her after all this, I don't think she is the sort who could turn you away. Not that Remus meant to hurt Meda, but he sure in stubborn in the protection area. Look at how he forgot his Wolfsbane yet again trying to help us. I think Luna knows you can take care of yourself, Ron." Hermione smiled at him and in a teasing voice, "Besides, you hang out with The-Boy-Who-Lived. You face danger everyday and every hour." Harry smacked Hermione in the shoulder. When the potions professor stealthy made his way into the room, he was again jealous of the friendship between the three. He saw Hermione giving her love to both boys and the happiness between them even after the ordeal they made it though and he wished, 'Why couldn't that have been me?' Hermione hearing the thought knew he was standing in the dark corner.
"I hope the professor is okay. He saved us yet again. Merlin knows he has experience enough to make him terrified of werewolves. Saving us has to be annoying without any recognition. I'm truly grateful he was there." She looked to the shadows and saw thin lips turn upwards. Harry added to her praise,
"He was amazing. Did you see his panther? It was stunning. Beautiful. You know I really am starting to like having him around. Still a bit snarky, but we can't all be cheerful all the time. Especially with his job. Well, all jobs, really." Harry looked at Hermione and saw the gleam in her eyes and realized she was watching the man in question right behind him. "So Professor, whose story do you want first, the foxy chess master, mine, or the vibrant Mia's?"
"I think one vision will suffice. Miss Granger would you be so kind as to show me what you saw tonight?" Hermione nodded and looked into his eyes. The longing she felt for him seemed to reflect back in that moment before he entered her mind. After he saw the dementors chasing them to the shrieking shack, Lupin's transformation, the run to the willow, and an unconscious Miss Lovegood being held by a terrified Hermione, he asked Ron what happened while Harry and Hermione waited for them. Ron told him about Luna's foot getting stuck and the last plunge of teeth into skin. Snape sighed and thought,
'It's been a long six years. What will happen next?' Hermione laughed at his cynicism. The two boys looked at her strangely.
"Sorry. I just was thinking what will happen next. You know it has been a hell of six years. From the Sorcerer's Stone, dementors and dragons to broken train railings, trances, past lives, and werewolves. It's a good thing we learn quickly or the lot of us would be long gone by now." The boys nodded and laughed at the irony of their lives.
"Never a dull moment with you three is there?"
"Oh, once in a while in potions class," Harry smirked. To there never ending surprise, Professor Snape, snarky, dark, brooding bat, laughed and said,
"Where else would you get down time from your fight against the Dark Lord, Harry?" The four laughed together, liking the camaraderie the professor showed them after their exhausting past hour. The professor made his way to Ron and said,
"She will be fine, Mr. Weasley. I guarantee it." Few though they may have been, the professor's words noticeably eased the shoulders of the youngest Weasley boy, and they all sat in companionable silence until curfew came and went. Harry and Hermione were taken to Gryffindor tower, while Ron stayed in the infirmary anxious to see Luna when she woke up. He was now determined to become an animagus, so he could be with her always.