Ch 10

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"I don't understand Hermione. You're in love with him. Why can't it be that simple?" Harry had tried valiantly to understand Hermione's reservations about Remus, but was failing. She was in love with the man. And he, unknown to Hermione, was in love with her. For many nights Harry had watched the older man seemingly mope around. In his 6th year, Harry had started with extra DADA lessons and they continued into 7th with Lupin. Ever since Remus Lupin had returned to teaching, there had been a depressed sense around the older man. Apprehension could easily be read in his every feature. Eventually Harry had needled the secret from his Professor. Remus Lupin had fallen in love with Hermione and coming back to teach her was tearing him apart.

The very night Harry had finally found out, Lupin was planning on resigning his defense position and taking an extended leave of absence from the order. Fortunately it had not happened and he was still here. Surprisingly for Lupin, Harry had already seen his attraction to Hermione. Neither angry or disgusted, the boy merely rolled his eyes and had said 'oh that' like it was common knowledge.

Now Harry sat with his best friend and things were going in much the same way as they had with Lupin. She had not told him the entire story, he knew that much. Still, he would be a kind friend and not press her. If anything it would only make her more reclusive.

Since her night with Remus in the astronomy tower and the incident with 'Jon', Hermione had done her best to get over everything. Throwing herself into studying for the approaching exams, she had done quite well. Except of course when she had double defense against the dark arts. Those days, which happened every other on, were trouble but slowly becoming more bearable. The awkward looks and pauses between Professor Lupin and herself were slowly easing back into the friendship they had maintained since her fourth year.

Her private lessons with the younger Remus had gone a different path. After a week of trying desperately to regain some semblance or normality, they had both agreed to call it off.

"It's just not that simple Harry. It just isn't."

"But why? Everything you've told me makes it seem.."

"I haven't told you everything." It comes as a whisper, but he still hears it. When she finally meets his eyes, he nods and waits for her to continue. "Do you remember at the start of term when I was called to Professor Dumbledore's office?"

"The week we arrived right? After dinner?"

"Yes,. He and Remus were waiting for me with a boy I'd never seen. They said he was a family member of Remus' and asked me to tutor him for the time being. I agreed and we started lessons. It..didn't work out well." The girl dropped her head with a soft sigh. Gently, Harry reached foreword and tilted her head up again. She was not crying but the tears were evident and threatening to fall. He offered a small smile a nodded gently.

"Why not Hermione?"

"Because he loved me and I couldn't love him."

"Who is the boy?"

"I'm not supposed to say."

"Come on Hermione. Who is he? You have to know him somehow."

"He's..he's Remus. His younger self. There was an accident and he was brought here from his time. Dumbledore and Professor Lupin don't know how long he's here for." The look on Harry's face almost made Hermione laugh. His jaw had dropped slightly and he looked speechless.

"You mean..wow." Harry couldn't understand why it seemed to make sense. From his own experience with time turners, he knew time could be meddled with. But he had never read about people jumping decades in direction. "How did he get here?"

"Professor Lupin and his younger self were attempting to use a time turner at the exact same time. Since Lupin's was the stronger of the two, it pulled his younger self foreword. I think."

"Did they even have time turners back then?"

"Well no. 'Jon', that's what we've been calling him, was trying to find away to make short travels in time for his classes. He had no idea what would happen."

"I see. And he's in love with you."

"Yes."

"I see." Harry was quiet. All of this was too much for him. No wonder it wasn't as simple as he had originally thought. Both old and young Remus were in love with the same girl. That had to be hard on them.

"Please don't tell Ron." Her voice was pleading, quiet in the dead common room.

"Hermione, of course I wont. If Dumbledore asked you not to tell, then I wont say a word."

"No, I mean about how I feel for Remus."

"Ah. Well believe it or not, I think Ron is going to notice the looks you two keep giving each other sooner or later."

"What do you mean 'you two'?"

"Oh please. Did Remus actually tell you he didn't love you?"

"Harry." Hermione said in a warning tone.

"Hermione did you ever think that it's hard on him as well? He's old enough to be your father and a werewolf. What do you think people would say about that? Plus the fact that his younger self is in love with you. And from what you've told me this 'Jon' is disgusted by the way the older Remus feels. Don't you think that Remus is feeling a lot of guilt and stress."

"No. He doesn't love me. I'm only a friend and a student."

"He's doing what he thinks is the best for you." Hermione was growing angry as Harry spoke. The best for her? Ha! Remus just didn't love her. She had been foolish. Another crush on another teacher.

"The best for me? How would he know what's the best for me?"

"Because he's in love with you!"

The silence that had settled was threatening to explode. Hermione sat there, shocked and silent while Harry was trying hard not to kick himself. He had promised Remus he would never say a word, that he would leave it to the older man. Now, who knew what was going to happen. And there was an unseen problem. 'Jon', if he was anything like his older self, would not easily give up on Hermione. Harry knew that and it worried him slightly. Lupin and Hermione both deserved happiness and after years of watching his best friend suffer through one unkind lover after another, he felt she could only get it from one man. That man was Remus Lupin. With a soft sigh, he reached out to her and intertwined his fingers with hers. The touch sparked her back to life.

"He loves me?"

"Yea. Yea he does Hermione. He has for a long time."

"Then why..?"

"Because even though he loves you, he wont hurt you by allowing you to love him."

"How do you know this?"

"He told me, a while ago." The look on the girl's face was the last straw for Harry. He would speak to Lupin in the morning about this and about Jon. Until then he would stay with Hermione. Tugging gently at her hand, Harry pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. She shivered slightly, but relaxed. Together they fell asleep in front of a blazing fire. When the rest of their housemates came through, no one but a single red haired boy noticed them. With a smile, he settled a blanket over them before retreating up the stairs, into his dormitory. With a soft 'Goodnight Mates', he dove under the covers of his four-poster and was asleep in minutes.

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