Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the songs and the original wolfsbane potion idea belongs to Disneydoll0424. I'm just twisting it around to make it my own, but still giving Disneydoll0424 credit because her genius had the idea fist.

Lot's of reviews! Responses, as ever, are at the bottom.

Chapter 4

A Complex Potion

Lover, you love me like no one can

So if I'm crazy hope you understand

This love is serious (everybody knows I'm mad for you)

You get me seriously out of my mind

And I am so into us (let no one get hold of you)

Baby you're mine (you're seriously fine)- Gwen Stefani

Hermione's POV

Hermione followed Dumbledore to his office. They walked in silence. Hermione had never seen Dumbledore this serious except for when Voldemort had just come back.

Dumbledore gave the password and she followed him up the staircase. The few steps seemed like an hour. He opened the door to his office and led her inside.

"Sit," he said sharply. Hermione obeyed. His seriousness scared her and she did want another reason for him to be angry with her.

He sat down on the opposite side of the desk and looked at her. She bit her tongue and held her breathe. She knew exactly why he had taken her out of class and why her was looking at her so solemnly.

"You know why I have brought you here, don't you" he asked. Although it was clear that he knew, she nodded.

"Do understand the seriousness of the situation?" he asked. She nodded again.

"Then can you explain your actions?" he said seriously. "I believe I asked you to keep this information secret."

"I, at the time and under the circumstances felt it the right thing to do," she said, not looking Dumbledore in the eye.

"And what were the circumstances?"

"i-I was attacked sir," she said. "And to get away, I hid in a place only a longtime student would know about. Unfortunately I did it right in front of Remus. He told the others and they all wanted an explanation. An explanation I felt they deserved."

"You could have lied,' Dumbledore said simply.

"I know," she said, hanging her head.

"Fortunately for you the students you have chosen to tell are rather trustworthy and I will vouch for them that they will not spread your secret." Hermione looked up. There was a slight smile on the old man's face. "I trust that you haven't told them anything too harmful to time."

"No sir, I know that the consequences would be dire if I had done such a thing. I can predict some of them."

He sat in silence for a few minutes before looking back up at her. "Promise me Hermione that you will not tell anyone else. You are lucky in your choice, but you never know who could betray you."

"I won't sir. I know that no one besides Lily and the others can be trusted. They all know the value of a secret that needs to be kept. Especially the boys."

Dumbledore looked at her oddly. "You know about Remus?" he inquired.

"I do."

"Then you also clearly know the value of a well kept secret."

"I do sir. I can get arrested or questioned but I think taunting and persecution are harder punishments especially for something that is no one's fault.

Dumbledore nodded although he seemed to be lost in thought. She wondered if he had his pensive yet.

"Sir?"

He looked up. "You may return to class Hermione," he said.

"Thank you sir and I'm sorry." She stood and went to the door. "Professor" she said turning. "I was just wondering if you had any ideas on sending me home."

Dumbledore looked up and Hermione found that she didn't like the look in his face.

"Maybe you should sit back down Hermione."

Remus's POV

Remus couldn't concentrate on his homework. He hadn't seen Hermione since that morning when Dumbledore had taken her out of McGonagall's class. He knew that they'd probably be a while but Hermione had been gone for hours. Something had to be wrong if Hermione was skipping.

Lily had told him that she wasn't in the girl's dormitory. She hadn't been in the great hall during lunch or dinner and he doubted very much if that she was on the grounds at this hour.

Frustrated, he pulled the map out from his bag and unfolded. His eyes scanned the parchment looking for a dot labeled "Hermione Granger." She has to be somewhere, he thought. She couldn't have just left.

But maybe, said the annoying part of his brain, she went to Dumbledore's office to go back.

She wouldn't have done that without saying goodbye, he argued back momentarily forgetting his search of the map.

She probably didn't want to make it harder than it already was.

But she would have said something.

We don't know that.

I don't know that. There is no "we" when I'm talking about myself. he shook his head and went back to the map. His eyes fell on the room of requirement and in the corner was Hermione.

He rolled up the map and walked out of the portrait hole. As soon as it was shut however he bolted for the seventh floor.

The door was locked when he got to the room of requirement. He knocked but only got sniffling for an answer. "Hermione," he called. 'Hermione it's me, it's Remus. Please open the door." The locked clicked as a reply. He turned the knob and went inside.

Hermione was sitting against the wall. Her hair was slightly frizzier than usual and her eyes were red and puffy. It looked like the ends of her hair were wet. There was a fire in the grate and a stack of photo albums beside her. Evidently she had needed comfort but she had refused it.

"Hermione what's wrong?" he asked sitting down beside her. "I haven't seen you all day."

She sniffled. "Professor Dumbledore told me…he told me"

"Hermione, you don't need to be that upset that you told us. He was just warning you but you know that you can trust us."

She shook her head. "No, no it wasn't that." She conjured up a tissue and blew her nose. "He said…he said…"

Remus brushed a hand through her wild hair, hoping to calm her down. "Sh, sh what did he say?"

She turned to him. Her eyes were overly bright at this point and her bottom lip trembled.

"He said that he can't send me home," she rushed before a fresh wave of tears flooded out and she collapsed onto his chest. Remus instinctively put one arm around her and rocked her back and forth.

He felt sorry for her but he also couldn't stop his feeling of happiness at the fact that she was staying.

Hermione's POV

Remus managed to pull her out of the room of requirement. When she got back to the common room she immediately felt childish, but skipping classes and being alone had felt like the best thing to do. Not necessarily the right thing, but the best at the time. Now she felt stupid.

"It's alright," said Lily soothingly, giving her the assignments. "I'd have skipped if I were you. Of course not seeing my family again would mean no more Petunia so it's a win/lose situation."

"I've had the pleasure of meeting Petunia," said Hermione, remembering Harry's aunt. "She's definetly a flower but a petunia never seemed right. I thought a rose was more fitting."

"With nice big thorns" laughed Lily.

"And not really that many petals."

They talked for a while, doing their homework, and occasionally laughing when the boy's exploding snap castle collapsed, singing the ends of Sirius's hair. The common room emptied slowly but soon enough they were the last again. The boys picked up their cards and headed to their staircase, but Lily stopped them.

"Hold up there," she said. They all turned around. "I think that there is one more question that I need to have answered. The boys stopped and even Hermione paused. What was she doing?

"I've had a feeling that besides the information just given to me this morning, there is another secret, one that the rest of you have." The boy's all looked accusingly at Hermione.

"I didn't say anything to her this time," she said. "I had no idea about this."

"But why do I have feeling you know?" said Lily.

"Because I do," she said. "I believe I said earlier that Sirius told us, meaning me, Ron and Harry, about it."

"Hermione, go put silencing charms on the walls," said James. Hermione stifled a laugh. She knew he was being serious. She stood up and pulled out her wand.

"Aren't you going to back me up?" asked Lily incredulously.

Hermione shook her head. "I'm not aloud to yell at them for this."

Lily gave her a look of pure frustration and then turned back to the boys. Hermione went to silence the walls. Remus followed her.

"I'm going to be in trouble," he said.

"Why," she asked turning to him. "You didn't do anything illegal."

"But I could have stopped them, and I helped them," he said.

"I won't let her do anything too horrible to you." She kissed his cheek. "I don't think she'll be that mad. You and James are just a little worked up."

She was proven wrong a split second later when Lily's voice exploded behind them. Hermione whipped around. Lily was towering over the boys who were standing, but seemed to be shrinking in her wake. Lily looked livid.

"DO YOU KNOW HOW SERIOUS THIS IS?" she demanded. Hermione leaned to Remus.

"She knows she's talking to them doesn't she? I mean, does she know that they don't understand the meaning of serious?"

"I CAN'T BELEIVE THIS! ANY OF YOU! ALL THREE OF YOU ARE SEVENTEEN; YOU SHOULD KNOW THE DIFFERENTCE BETWEEN 'FUN' AND 'ILLEGAL'!"

Hermione screwed up her eyes at the noise. Lily rivaled Mrs. Weasly in yelling.

"THIS IS RIDICULOUS! JAMES POTTER I EXPECTED BETTER OF YOU! DON'T YOU THINK THAT THIS IS THE KIND OF THING THAT MAY ENDANGER YOUR QUIDDITCH DREAMS IF IT WAS FOUND OUT? DO YOU EVER THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES? DON'T YOU THINK THAT THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN SHARED WITH YOUR FUTURE WIFE?"

James's mouth opened. Lily clapped a hand over her own.

"Future wife?" said Sirius. "When were you planning on telling us that's little detail James?" James ignored him and looked at Hermione instead. She turned and pretended to be in a deep conversation with Remus. He didn't help. His own mouth was open.

"Have I mentioned that Harry has the brightest green eyes?" she said loudly. The boys continued to stare, but their gaze moved from her to Lily and James. Lily still had her hand on her mouth.

"I guess um, them I can't hide it," said James, fiddling with something in his pocket. "I was waiting for a better time, but this seems to be as good as any." He pulled something out of his pocket and kneeled down. Hermione hid a smile.

James held a small velvet box up and said "Lily Amy Evans, will you marry me?"

Lily appeared speechless. Her hand flew to her throat and the green eyes that Harry had inherited shone brighter every second with tears of happiness as a smile blossomed on her face.

"Yes," she said excitedly, nodding. She sounded like she could hardly contain her excitement.

"Really?" asked James, as if he couldn't believe her.

"Yes," she shouted, and flung her arms around her neck. "Yes I will marry you James Potter!" James spun her around in a circle. Hermione smiled to herself.

"Okay, sorry to spoil this, but boys, let's leave the lovebirds to savor the moment," said Sirius sarcastically.

Lily turned her gaze away from James for a split second. "Could you hurry?"

"We are so gone," said Peter and he and Sirius climbed up the staircase to the boy's dormitories. Hermione kissed Remus deeply on the lips and then he followed the boys up the stairs. She went up the girl's staircase, passing Lily and James. She gave slight smile that only Lily saw before heading up to bed.

Remus POV

He should have guessed it. He should have known that Lily and James would get married someday. It was so obvious. Lily had hated James up until this year but when they started going out, he had seen how clear their love was. James adored Lily, he didn't want anything but her, and Lily had loved the attention he paid her.

It should not have surprised him so much. But somehow it did. Sometime in the future they would get married. Hermione hadn't said anything else.

Hermione, he thought. He didn't know how he got along without her. Half the reason he got up in the morning was her. Was this what James called love? He had only know Hermione a few weeks, could you love someone that fast? He loved everything about her, but was he in love? Or did he just have a strong crush? How would he know? He'd never really ever liked someone like that. He'd never felt this way toward anyone.

He turned over on his bed in an attempt to make himself more comfortable, but his thoughts prevented that. They were taking over his mind like they so often did at night.

Did Hermione feel the same way? Did she ever lie awake at night, thinking about him? She must, she showered him with affection. But was that just to make up for the lack of it that he would receive outside of school? She would probably know the kind of things he would fave at the end of this year.

But would a person kiss him the way Hermione did because they felt sorry for him? Hermione didn't seem like that kind of person.

He rolled over again and closed his eyes. These thoughts would haunt his dreams tonight, but he found sleep eventually.

Hermione's POV

When Hermione woke up Lily was in the other bed looking like she had just got there. Hermione smiled to herself and went out of the dormitory. Luck for Lily and James, it was Saturday.

The common room was completely empty when she went down. According to the clock, it was still early, and she didn't feel like going down to breakfast yet. She grabbed a book, sat on the coach and started reading. She had grabbed Peter's herbology book.

Looking at Peter always hurt her. He was sweet person but she was supposed to hate him. Or at least strongly dislike him. She knew Harry would be furious with her if he found out, but he wouldn't know. She wasn't going back. Another tear rolled down her face She would have loved to go back.

But, she thought, at least you aren't in a time you know almost nothing about. You know Harry's parents and they can be your friends before they die.

Harry would be mad at her for that too. Just letting his parents die. Would the future Remus and Sirius be mad at her for this? The future Sirius would probably be mad at her because of Peter. But she wasn't going back and Sirius was dead in her old. So even if she did find a way, he wouldn't be able to be mad because he died before she could go back in time. She rubbed her head. Time travel hurt her brain.

She stared into the embers of the fire. There weren't any flames just glowing pieces of wood left over from last night's fire. So like her life. Her past was the future of almost everyone here. She had to forget her past. It was now her future to have it happen again. The life she had had before was merely a glowing memory, like the embers.

She closed her eyes. She didn't want to have to let Lily and James die and let Harry grow up with the Dursleys. She didn't want to let Sirius spend twelve long years in Azkaban and then die three years later. She didn't want sweet Remus to have to spend all those years alone.

But you'll be there, said a voice in her mind. You'll be there.

How do I know that? She thought back angrily. How do I know I won't end up dying working for the Order?

She shook her head, trying to get those thoughts out of her mind. She shouldn't be thinking about this. It was too early in the morning for these thoughts.

She heard something behind her but before she could turn around a pair of hands covered her eyes.

"Guess who?" said voice she immediately recognized.

"Hello Remus," she said, pulling his hands off her eyes.

"Hey," he said, coming around the couch and sitting down next to her. "What are you doing up this early?"

"What are you doing up this early," she teased. He smiled.

"Did James make it up there?" she asked.

"About half an hour ago. He woke me up."

"Lils looks pretty wiped too."

Remus smiled. God, she loved the way he looked when he smiled. "So, what are you doing?"

"I was just reading," she said motioning to the book. "I couldn't go back to bed, so I came down here."

"You're always reading," he said.

"Well so are you," she said, leaning forward to kiss his cheek. "Professor Lupin always has his head in a book."

His smile widened and he moved his head and kissed her on the mouth. She felt her own face slide into a smile.

"Did I say good morning?" he asked.

"I think I missed it," she said.

"Good morning," he said, pulling away from her face for a moment. His eyes were so blue.

"So what were you reading?" he said in a would-be-casual voice.

"Peter's herbology book. Not really sure why, but it was the only thing I could find."

Remus slid the book out from under her hands and looked at her page. "The Wolfsbane plant," he read. "Used to prevent or lesson symptoms of ailments, in many cases can cure them. Well I can think of one thing it doesn't cure." He looked back up. "What?"

Hermione had felt her face freeze. She grabbed the book back out of his hands and stared at what he had just read. A detailed picture of the Wolfsbane plant was in the corner. She looked back up at him with smiled spreading rapidly across her face.

"Hermione," said Remus uncertainly. "Are you okay?"

"Perfect," she said, barely able to contain the happiness in her voice. An idea was blossoming in her head, the most brilliant idea she had ever had.

"What's going on?"

"You'll see."

"Come on, tell me."

"No, I'm just going to need help. I've only done this one other time." She rushed to the table and grabbed a piece of parchment. She quickly wrote what she'd need.

"Hermione, what are you doing?" asked Remus coming behind her and reading over her shoulder.

"Helping you," she said scribbling down another ingredient.

"What do you mean?"

"Boomslang skin," she muttered and continued her list. She had never been this excited or nervous.

"Hermione, what is it?"

Hermione ignored him, but picked up the list and looked it over. It looked as though everything was there.

"What do you mean?" Remus repeated. She turned around, her smile still plastered on her face.

"Hermione what are you doing?" he asked.

"I already told you."

"But that wasn't really an answer."

"As long as I'm around, you'll never have to face a full moon the same way," she said.

"Hermione, what?"

"Nothing, just, do you think you and the boys can get me these ingredients by next week."

"Hermione, just tell me what this is."

"Can you get the ingredients?"

"Yes but only if you explain why we need them."

"It's for something called the Wolfsbane potion. I don't think it's created for another few years, but I think you could use it."

"What does it do?" Hermione could sense his own growing excitement.

"Well, on a full moon you'll still transform, but you'll keep your mind."

"What!"

"You won't, how did they describe it, you'll still be yourself. You won't try to attack anyone or anything. You'll just be Remus," she said. His face was in shock. "Well, say something?"

He grabbed her in his arms tightly and spun her around like James had to Lily last night. She laughed before he silenced her in a kiss. He put her down and ran his hands through her hair and down her back., not at all breaking the kiss.

Finally it turned into a hug. Remus was holding her more tightly than he ever had. He was cutting off her air supply.

"I won't be able to make it if you suffocate me Remus," she gasped. He loosened his arms and brought his face down so that they were eye level. There were tears in his bright blue eyes.

"There is nothing else you can do for me Hermione," he said, his voice strangled with emotion. "You didn't have to ever do anything, but"

"But I want to," she said, raising her hand to his face. "I want to help you. You need this."

"I don't need anything but you right now," he said and their lips met again in a kiss.

Remus's POV (three days later)

"Are you sure that you need shredded cloak of a Lethifold?" asked James, looking at the paper.

"That's what Hermione wrote on the paper," said Remus

"What's so important about this potion anyway? Why is she making it?" asked Sirius.

"I told you, you'll find out when it's ready.

"Come on, you know about it tell us!"

"Sirius just get the piece of the cloak!"

"Okay, fine, will you just tell us why this wolfsbane potion is so important?"

"Sirius, let's just get it, he can tell us later," said James exasperatedly.

"Fine," said Sirius, grabbing the bottle that had several ripped up pieces of cloth in it. "Here you go Remus, anything else."

Remus consulted the list. "Are there any quintaped hairs in there?"

"Quintaped hairs, uh yeah, here," said Sirius, taking the bottle and giving to Remus, who put it in his bag.

"That's everything for now," said Remus. "We need to bring these to Hermione. She's in the room of requirement."

They snuck out of Professor Terwilliger's office and made their way upstairs. Hermione had started on the potion already and there were a few things she needed.

"Will you please tell us what is so important about this potion?" Sirius whined. "Aren't we supposed to be your friends Remus? Don't friends tell each other everything, Remus?"

"Shut up," said Remus.

"Somebody's in a bad mood," said Peter.

"Am I the only one who thinks that he's being annoying?"

"No, you're just the only one voicing that opinion," said James.

"Hey, does that mean you're annoyed?" demanded Sirius.

"Yes, I believe it does," said James

"If this is what happens when you have one 'steady' girlfriend, I might as just as well have one night stands forever," said Sirius sarcastically.

"That's ridiculous," said Remus.

"No it's not," said Sirius indignantly. "It's perfectly sensible. You two have lost your sense of fun."

"Now that is going too far," said James. "Just because I'm engaged it does not mean that I've lost my sense of fun. It is still perfectly intact but it wants to take a break. That's all."

"Well, Moony never really had a sense of fun," muttered Sirius. Remus chose not to retort. They had reached the door to the room of requirement. He grabbed the doorknob but paused as he heard Hermione's voice.

"…stop making fun of me Lils. I may have slept in the common room but I did it alone. Unlike the people who get engaged with four people watching."

"Hey," said Lily's voice. "I didn't plan for that to happen at all and anyway, if anyone had to be there I'd want it to be those four people."

"Can you pass the lacewings?"

"Here, anyway have you thought about Harry at all?"

"What about Harry?" asked Hermione. Remus could sense the fear in her voice.

"What happens in about twenty years," said Lily seriously.

"Lily, can we get off this topic?"

"No! I know you need to talk about it. What are you going to do in twenty years when you disappear?"

"Run away," said Hermione. Remus heard confidence in her voice but he could tell that it was a cover for fear and he found that he didn't like the conversation.

"You won't. I know you won't."

"Can't I worry about this in twenty years?"

"I want to know what you'll say to my son!"

"The truth I guess then. Unless you want to do it, you can be my guest."

"Oh yeah, that'd be a pleasant letter "Dear Harry, your girlfriend Hermione has disappeared into the past for reasons unknown and she's now your mum's beast friend and I forbid you date her anymore. Yeah, sure I'll do it," she finished sarcastically.

Remus's ear was frozen to the door. He could see James's face. He looked torn and was biting his lip.

"Lily, please, Harry isn't my boyfriend. Not anymore."

"As far as he knows you still are, unless you told him immediately after you left. If you can understand what I was saying."

"I know what you mean, but I'm sorry. I'm never going back so I'm not his girlfriend. I don't mean to hurt him, but may I point out that it was you who said I wouldn't be able to date him if I was stuck here. Lily can we drop it now."

"After one more question."

"What?" Hermione snapped.

"What are you going to say to Remus?"

"About what?"

"About Harry?"

"Nothing."

"Don't you think he'd want to know?"

"Yes but," she sighed. "My past is dead now. I have to pretend it never happened because my past is your future."

"But Remus is your boyfriend."

"Exactly."

"I don't see what you're getting at."

"I'm already hurting Harry, I don't want to hurt Remus too. And the scary part of it is I'm hurting both of them with the other one. So I just want to forget about it."

Remus tore his head away from the door. "Give them the ingredients," he said trying to keep his voice level. "I have some defense homework I have to do."

"Remus," said James, but Remus was already running towards Gryffindor tower, wiping his eyes on his sleeve."

Back with James and the others (nobody's POV)

"Shouldn't somebody go after him?" said Peter.

"No," said James, still looking where Remus had run. "No leave him alone."

Hermione's POV

There was knock at the door. "Come in," she called. Sirius, James, and Peter came in. She looked up. "Hey," she said then realized who was missing. "Where's Remus?"

"He had some defense he wanted to finish," said Sirius exchanging a glance with James. "We have the ingredients."

"Thanks," she said smiling. "I'd never get this done if I had to get everything myself."

James gave nervous laugh. She overlooked it. "Lily could you stir this a little?"

"Sure," she said.

"Hermione," said Sirius's voice in her ear.

"Yeah?" she said.

He looked around the room nervously then back at her. "Come with me." He led her out into the hall. James followed.

"What is it?" she asked as soon as they shut the door.

"Hermione we heard what you were saying just now: said Sirius.

Her breath caught in her chest. "About Harry?" she asked. James nodded. "I'm sorry. I know that must be horrible-"

"Hermione Remus was with us. He doesn't really have defense work. He's up in the tower."

Hermione felt blood drain out of her face. "He heard me?" she whispered. They both nodded.

"He just told us to give you the ingredients and then bolted," said Sirius.

"I'm going to go see him," she said, but James grabbed her arm.

"He may not want to see you right now," he said seriously.

"I won't blame him if he doesn't,' she said feeling tears forming in her eyes. "If he does I want to apologize."

And you should have told should have told me

when you met me

all these things I should know

And I should have asked

We should have talked about thins so long ago

It's not fair

It's not fair, and don't leave me here

How's this happening to me

It feels so lonely here

We are in a mess, a danger zone

What will happen next, you never know

We are in a mess, a danger zone

What will happen next, you never know-Gwen Stefani

I know I did it again. Sincerest apologies for the cliffie but if you want the next chapter to be just as long as this one you'll accept it. Since I'm back at school, updates will probably be once a week, but that's cause I write a little every day and then on the weekend I finish it up.

Replies

amrawo: thank you again

Genevieve: thank you, love that name

sporty12gd4u: Sorry about another cliffie

StarRegina: I love you! For all of you, the best way to praise me is by implying that I am a goddess (Greek Mythography freak)

Black-rose23: Isn't it sad, both of them.

Catchersoftballgirl: try as I might I can't find the part in the first chapter where he said to change her name. If I put that in there, I'm sorry because it shouldn't be.

You see why I like Hermione/Remus. They're weird but that's why they're fun.

A couple things that will happen in the next chapter, which will be titled "the First Full moon"

Hermione talks to Remus about what she said

As the chapter tile implies, there is a full moon

And the secret Hermione discovers about herself will very subtly come to light

I love you for reviewing. Keep it up!

Gwen worshipper

P.S. The paragraph were Hermione feeling sorry for Peter made me gag. I hate the little rat but it needed to be in there at some point.

P.P.S. I said it before but once again the wolfsbane idea belongs to Disneydoll0424, writer of This Time Around, which is one of the best Hermione/Remus stories I've ever read. Please don't sue me!