6.

Ginny's attempt at matchmaking

It was three days later before Hermione would dare leave her room. Even then, she was still wobbly. The swooning effect of George's candy had not yet entirely left, and she was still incredibly thirsty, but she no longer had lizard scales on her face and hands. Someday, when she was not still burning with shame, she would have to tell them that if you dropped a canary creme into a cauldron of wolfsbane potion, before adding the final two ingredients...it exploded. And since she was certain that her potion had nothing to do with lizards, then it must be their candy that had a defect.

As soon as her knees ceased trembing, she would investigate the curious event.

As for now though, she just had to focus in getting from the top of the stairs...to the bottom. She had apparated back to Grimmauld place, because it was more private than the Burrow, and she didn't quite believe that her Muggle flat was the best, or most private palce in the world, to convalesce with lizard scales about your face and hands. Might cause a fuss.

By the time she reached the landing, she wished that she had chosen a place with no stairs. Not that she could think of one.

She was safely on the ground floor when she was startled by a loud popping sound.

Ginny apparating into the room.

" Morning Hermione. Are you better?"

'' Yes. I believe so."

" Gods you look thin. I'll make breafast."

" No thank you..." but Ginny was already gone.

" She's right. You do look rather thin." said Remus, just exiting the study.

" Remus! You scared me! "

" I'm sorry. Should I shave?" he tried to joke.

" No! I mean, I didn't hear you...not because of how you look. You look fine. " She blushed. She knew she blushed, she could feel it. In fact the backs of her eyes seemed to turn red too. She felt very warm.

He looked awkward too.

" And I didn't mean you looked thin in a bad way. You... Hermione? Are you all right?"

" I think..." she tried, but the red behind her eyes took over completely and she silently cursed George and Fred Weasley as her knees buckled.

" Ginny! Come quickly! " he had caught the falling woman, and was now in position where he could not let go, and could not quite remember what one was supposed to do when one had their hands thus occupied.

'' Oh dear." said Ginny, not seeming very alarmed.

" I...we...were just talking and she fainted."

" Really? Do you always have that effect on women?" Ginny asked as she casually took out her wand and levitated Hermione to the sofa. Remus had to reluctantly release her from his grip. He was so absorbed, that he missed Ginny's bold comment.

" Is she all right? Should I floo anyone?"

Ginny resisted the impulse to tell him it was only the side effect of her brother's candy., deciding at the last mment to let him believe that perhaps...it was something more. It was dishonest, and a bit dramatic, but that just made it all the more fun. Besides if he thought she was ill maybe he would confess his love for her...or whatever he had for her...which would be marvelous because it was only two days from the date Ginny had marked on the calendar as her day, and she would win the pool.

Drawing up a concerned expression, she patted him on the shoulder. '' Best just to wait and see if she wakes. She wouldn't want anyone else knowing...that she fainted. Could you stay here with her? I have go home for a moment to get a few things."

" Yes...I'll stay. But wait! What do I do if she wakes back up?"

" Just...let her know you're there. It comforts her to know she isn't alone. " She said, her voice very serious. " Oh...and see that she has a glass of water. She has been unusually thirsty. I'll be right back."

In the empty and strangely silent house, the sound of her breathing seemed harsh and irregular. Even in the kitchen, where he was filling a pitcher with cold water, he could hear her breathing. All of his senses...heightened to the extreme by the lycanthropy, were on full alert. He could hear her breathing, and the steady pulse of her heart beat. And gods! He could smell her. She was allover lavender and musk this morning.

When he knelt beside her on the floor, he was surrounded by the fragrance.

He wondered if he should do something. Maybe call her name, or bathe her face? She looked like sleeping beauty...maybe a kiss?

No! That was ridiculous. He swatted himself for even thinking of something like that, when she was lying there, maybe gravely ill.

He decided to do nothing, and ended up sitting there, staring at her intently as though she were an art exhibit on display. Five minutes passed...then eight. What was Ginny doing? He must have made some noise of despair...becuase Hermione shifted a little on the sofa.

She grew into a very attractive woman, he thought. One of those women who are never termed as 'sexy', but who age so gracefully that they are in their prime when other women are feeling the effects of age and mileage start to drag them down.

Hermione opened her eyes, and he felt guilty, as though the thought he had last been thinking might be readable in his eyes.

" Hermione?" he asked, almost in a whisper. He flexed his fingers, as though tempted to take her hand. He wasn't certain if tht would be comforting or not.

" Uh...everything is okay."

Now didn't that sound incredibly lame?

" Where is Ginny?"

" She left. She said she had to get something."

Hermione tried to sit up, and he reflexively pushed her back down. For a moment, he was pinning her to the sofa, by her shoulders and she went very still underneath him.

Only sheer will power helped him to let go.

" You should just lay back and rest...until Ginny returns."

" I'm fine. Just a little dizzy is all. "

" I insist, Miss Granger." he found his best professor voice.

It did not go unnoticed on Hermione.

" Might I have a glass of that water then, Professor?"

" Yes of course. Would you like some chocolate. I believe I have a bar in here somewhere..." he began rummaging his pockets.

She stopped him, laying a hand on his arm. " No thank you. I don't believe I will ever eat candy again." she said.

He was so busy noticing how small her hand looked as it touched his wrist that he did not think to ask why she might have a sudden aversion to candy.

She noticed what she was doing and jerked her hand back, tucking it safely beside her.

He handed her a glass of water, and she drained it immediately. " Mmm, good and cold. Another, please?"

She drank two more glasses, and gave herself a great case of the hiccups. When he offered to get rid of them, fervently refused.

''No...no spells, please. '

She took in a great breath and held it. She was holding it quite well, until she opened her eyes and saw the perplexed expression on his face. She couldn't help but laugh, and the air burst out, followed by a very loud hiccup.

" You have never seen anyone hold their breath to cure hiccups?" she asked.

" No...it seems a rather odd way to go about it." he laughed.

She took in another exaggerated breath, but couldn't hold that one either. " You keep making me laugh!" she said accusatorially.

" Sorry. Should I leave?"

" No. I think they are gone. Laughing cures them sometimes.'' A small hiccup escaped. " Nope, not completely gone." she said.

" They aren't really a disease so you aren't curing them." he said.

" No, but they are an affliction. " she grinned. " There are lot's of folk cures for them you know. Holding your breath, breathing into a paper bag, putting your fingers in your ears and swallowing. Eating sugar cubes..." she hiccuped again.

'' Laughing."

" Theoretically yes, but I believe it has to be extreme laughter, like when someone tickles you..."

They both stopped suddenly and he got a look on his face that was..well, wolfish.

" Don't you dare! " she warned, trying to be serious, even though she was laughing.

" What if I did dare?" he asked...raising his hands and flexing his fingers menacingly.

" I swear I will hex you until you haven't a piece of identifiable anatomy left on your body!" her voice went up an entire octave in her panic.

" Well really , couldn't you two get along for just ten minutes?" asked Ginny, walking out of the kitchen, shaking her head and giving thema reprimanding look. She had procrastinated as long as was safely possible, without giving it way that she was matchmaking, instead of gathering her texts on ''How to Cure those who Have Suffered a Weasley Curse.'' ( One of Fred's better ideas.)

She had the sneaking suspicion though that she could be almost painfully obvious about matchmaking, if she wanted too, and they would never notice...

" I was just trying to tickle her. Help her. She has hiccups..." there was a distinctively hiccup free silence.'' She did have them. " Remus was scarlet.

" I did. I swallowed to fast, and then held my breath but it didn't work." Hermione was more of a fuschia hue.

" What are you tallking about?" Ginny asked, genuinely confused for a moment.

Remus and Hermione looked at each other, and broke out into laughter.

" Nothing ..." choked Herrmione." and I haven't a clue as to why anything is funny!"

It was just funny! In that embarrassing way that inside jokes were often funny...for no reason, and you could never share it with anyone else and make them understand.

" Don't worry, Hermione, I have always known you were clueless."