Chapter 11

Tessa lay awake until the first hint of dawn appeared below the horizon. She turned to the sleeping form next to her and softy kissed him. Remus' steady breathing paused as he opened his eyes to look into Tessa's smiling face. "It's time for me to go, love," she whispered.

He nodded and together they sat up, got out of bed and gathered their clothes to dress in silence. Remus finished before Tessa and came to help her. He picked up her shirt and helped her into it. When her head poked through its opening, he kissed her then enveloped her in a long embrace as he pulled the shirt down her body.

The top of her head brushed against his chin since she was still in her stocking feet so she rested her head against his chest and listened to the rhythmic beating of his heart. Her eyes were heavy with lack of sleep and her lids began to close as she leaned her body against him feeling his warmth and the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.

He felt her relaxing against him. He cocked his head to the side to see her head drooping and her eyes closing. "Tessa," he whispered. Her eyes opened and she straightened slightly in his arms. "Didn't you sleep, love?'

She yawned her answer to his question, "No." She brought one hand to cover her mouth and then continued, "too happy to sleep."

She looked up at him and smiled. He chuckled and kissed her nose. "Won't that make you a bit useless for the rest of the day?"

"It's Sunday. Nobody needs me today so I can sleep all day if I want." She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him once more and then continued getting ready to leave. He retrieved her cloak as she laced her boots. He gallantly fastened her cape and admired the clasp as he did so.

He traced his fingers over the Celtic scrollwork of the silver brooch. "This is very nice. What is it?" he asked.

"It's sort of a family crest. It was my grandmother's. She gave it to me before I left to come here."

"And the animal in the knot work is…"

"A wolf," she finished for him. He looked into her eyes with his brow furrowed, trying to understand a connection and not succeeding.

"Phalen or Faolan means little wolf in Gaelic," she smiled at his confused look. She leaned to kiss him and teased, "You never had a chance, you realize. It was all fate." She shrugged her cloak close about her and moved to the door. She turned when she got there and looked at his bemused form. "You coming?" she asked.

He shook himself and followed her quietly out the door, down the hallway, into the linen closet and down the passageway to the tunnel. At the base of the ladder he grabbed her suddenly and pulled her into a rough embrace kissing her fiercely. He released her lips and breathed heavily in her ear, "I love you, Tessa. You're right. It was fate. I've been waiting to find you since I was fifteen."

He held her so tightly she could barely breathe. Tessa felt him breathing raggedly and knew that he was fighting back tears. She held him and stroked his hair and whispered soft comforting words into his ear.

He relaxed in her arms and leaned his head on her should for a moment then stood straight, touched her face gently traced her lips with his fingers then replaced them with his lips in a tender kiss. He reached down and laced his fingers in hers and led her deftly through the darkened tunnel to the exit.

The light of dawn nearly blinded them as they emerged from the passage but in a few moments they were making their way up the road from Hogsmeade toward Hogwart's imposing gates. Tessa sighed as the gate came into view realizing in a few moments she would have to take her leave of Remus not knowing when they would be together again. Almost imperceptibly she slowed her pace.

Remus squeezed her hand reassuringly demonstrating again how well he could read her feelings. They paused in front of the gates for a moment looking up at the Boar statuettes atop the gate. She noted that they looked down at her appraisingly.

She turned to Remus and he pulled her to him quickly and kissed her lightly at first and then deepened the kiss into a long leisurely exploration. It wasn't until they heard a soft snorting from above them that they broke apart to see the Boars looking down at them disapprovingly.

Laughing Remus said, "Well, I suppose we have been duly chided for our public display."

Tessa laughed as well and said to the statues, "They are just jealous." The Boars snorted derisively which made them laugh even harder.

Tessa held Remus' hand and said, "When can we..." but he put a finger up to her lips.

"I don't know, Tessa. Let's wait and see. If we meet too often, it will be difficult to keep our relationship a secret."

Her first instinct was to bristle at this. She hated the fact that they couldn't be open about themselves. But she knew that it wasn't only the fact that he was a werewolf that necessitated secrecy. She couldn't be exposed as a member of the Order or having ties to any of its members either. So she simply nodded and kept her thoughts to herself. She looked at him under lowered eyebrows and knew that he understood her feelings without having to voice them.

She walked to the gates, which began to open for her, still clutching Remus' hand in hers. He raised her hand and brushed her palm with his lips causing a shiver to run from her toes to the top of her head.

"Until later, my love," he said and released her hand.

"Be safe, Remus," she returned as she stepped backward through the gate. She stood there watching him as the gate closed between them. After a few moments, he smiled at her and turned to leave. It took all of her resolve not to run back through gate and follow him to Hogsmeade. She took a deep breath and turned up the path toward the school.