A.N. Hey guys, I'm back. Don't really know what to say so, yeah, sit back and enjoy.
Disclaimer: I own nothing
'....'thoughts "...."speaking
Remus was no where to be seen when Hermione finally found her feet and followed him into the house. The house was sparsley decorated, the living room contained a couch and two rocking chairs, the kitchen was small and held only one sink and a two burner stove. Hermione, however, stopped her venture there. 'I am not going to go traipsing down his hallway, he could be changing or sleeping or...' Hermione grit her teeth. 'Get your mind out of the gutter.'
"Remus, are you in here?"
"I'll be out in a moment," came the quiet response. 'How can she act normal after that? It's just not right, here I am all flustered from one of the best kisses of my life and she just...' Remus sighed, steeling his nerves. 'Nothing happened, absolutely nothing happened outside.'
"Are you hungry?" Remus asked, appearing from the first door down. He brushed past Hermione, not making eye contact, heading straight for the stove.
"Famished," Hermione replied lamely, staring at his back. 'Well, that hurt.'
'What did you expect him to do? This is Remus! Perhaps you should have thought ahead before kissing your ex-proffesor. Did you expect him to fall at your feet?' Hermione's head lowered as she became extremely distracted with the collar of her shirt.
"Any prefrences?" Remus asked.
Hermione sighed, "Not really, is there a restroom anywhere. I need to...to freshen up."
"First door to your right."
Hermione quickly headed towards the bathroom. As the door snapped shut she quickly wiped the offending sparkles from her eyes. 'I will not cry in front of him. I will not. Why cry anyways? It's not like I've been dating him since Christmas. It was just one kiss, nothing special, nothing improtant, just a kiss.' Hermione's eyes quickly misted over again at that thought. 'To Remus it was just a kiss, that's all. Don't make it something it wasn't.'
Ten minutes later Hermione reappeared from the bathroom. After the amount of force she had used to close it, Remus feared she had broken it. He lightly set down the small snack he had prepared.
'If you could even say you prepared it,' he reprimanded himself. 'All you did was slice some apples.' He desperately tried to ignore how red her eyes were and the smile that no longer lit her face.
The meager meal was eaten in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. The tension in the room was tangible. Each time Remus inhaled he could feel it thickening. 'This is all my fault. If I could only keep my hands to myself.' Remus snorted at his subconcious response.
'Hands? You didn't kiss her with your fingers, it was more like your...'
"May I go outside and have a look around? I won't go far, I promise."
Remus met her eyes and felt disappoint flood his system. She hopefully met his eyes and answered his nod, when he nodded his permission. She rose from the table and moved towards the door.
'Was she so disgusted, she couldn't look him in the eyes? Or was she too angry? Or could she be ashamed? Or could she be disappointed?' Remus sighed, leaning back in the chair. 'Nothing to do, but hope she comes around.' He felt a blush creep up his face. 'To being my friend again, of course.'
The door closed with a quiet click.
'But is that what I want?'
'What was I thinking, its not like... Oh, I don't even want to think about it. What on earth possesed me to... Just don't think about, think about the birds, the really pretty birds.' Hermione sighed in frustration at herself and the situation she had gotten herself into.
Hermione sighed, again, sitting down on the ground straightnening her jeans. She drifted back into her thoughts and lost herself. She barely even heard the footsteps approaching her. When Remus settled himself next to her she jumped.
Hermione opened her mouth with a resigned look on her face. "Remus, I'd like to..."
Remus brought a finger to her lips. His whisper slid over her like warm water. "I don't know where I want this..." he gestured to Hermione and then himself. "...to go. I do, however, feel something that I don't wish to.....abandon."
Hermione smiled under his gently restraining finger.
"However," he said very seriously.
Hermione's smile instantly faded.
"We have to concentrate on tomorrow evening and our pending transformations. We'll see about...us...after that. Agreed?"
Hermione nodded her head, a large smile once again brightening her face. "That sounds wonderful," she said with a heartfelt enthusiasm. "That sounds much better than trying to dance around the subject. Definitely a better plan."
His laughter floated on the evening air and the sound deeply affected Hermione, making her feel like there was a chance. In fact, after his little proclamation, the entire evening seemed to be much more enjoyable.
She laughed along with him, picking at the grass by her side, hoping silently in the quiet recesses of her heart that he 'really' meant that.
Hermione almost jumped when Remus took her hand in his.
Remus paused at her sudden start, afraid he had hurt her. After Hermione had settled back down, and squeezed his hand, Remus gently interlaced their fingers.
"I'm sorry if I caused you any..."
Hermione quickly squeezed his hand, meeting his eyes with her most honest expression, "I'm not mad, Remus, really. I've forgiven you, besides it wasn't just you." She gently kissed his hand, rubbing her cheek against it.
Remus smiled, despite the blush he felt warming his cheeks.
Hermione's luggage picked this opertune time to show up.
"I'll get it," Hermione said, leaping to her feet, not wanting Remus to wait on her hand and foot.
"I can show you your room." Remus said. "Let me get it, Hermione."
"No, really, I need a moment. Which room?" Hermione stuttered, heading towards the cabin.
Remus did his best not to stare at her curved backside as she walked off, carrying the lighter pieces of her luggage.
'That certainly went better than I thought.' Remus thought. He had been expecting tears, pleading and numerous other things being thrown at him, verbally and physically, not to mention magically. However, he reminded himself, Hermione was not your standard run of the mill female.
He walked over to the carriage and opened the door. Noting the trunk inside he placed a feather light charm on it. He mentally sent his thanks to Hermione and slowly followed her into the cabin, desperately hoping the rest of the day went so well.
As Hermione blinked against the bright light in her room, she stretched, with her eyes tightly shut, grabbed her pillow and snuggled up with it. Then remembering what today was, she quite dutifully sat up, looked around her room taking in the height of the sun. Then with a flip of her hair over her shoulders, Hermione got up and dressed not wanting to waste much time.
'Today should be rather interesting,' she thought, just before scrubbing her face.
Remus greeted her with a smile, as he came in the door. "Good morning."
"Morning," she replied somewhat primly.
"I have to disappear for a while and Dumbledore has agreed to come and stay with you until I return. But, first,..." Remus said, trying to gauge her mood as he handed her a glass.
Hermione strongly suspected that the glass held botuber pus. She slowly took the glass, not looking forward to even getting close to it.
"What is it?" she said, considering setting it down on the nearest flat surface and backing away from it as if it were a Basilisk.
Remus smiled, understanding her reaction completely. It would take something very serious to make him drink that stuff, like his own transformation every month.
"It's your Wolfsbane potion," he said with a quiet laugh. "C'mon, Hermione, you know you need it. Bottoms up."
His humor was not lost on her, however, her response said it all. "Yuck."
Remus laughed at her childish behavior, until she joined him in his light hearted attitude. He was pleased to see her lift the glass, and at least consider drinking it.
Hermione's face faintly reminded Remus of a dried out prune as she swallowed the loathsome liquid. When she finished the glass was practically thrown in his hands as Hermione fought to keep the potion down. The look on her face made him smile, although he imagined his wasn't any better when he had to drink the vile concoction.
Hermione breathed heavily through her nose, swallowing convulsively. 'I have to drink 'this' every month?!' she thought as her stomached threatened to eject the liquid taken in. The rumbling and sudden desire to find a trashcan, because the bathroom was much too far away.
"It'll pass in a moment, Hermione," Remus said, gently rubbing her shoulder and back.
"It's not nice to lie," Hermione gasped between the urges to hurl. "and it's especially bad to lie to me, unless of course, you fancy hurling slugs for the rest of your life."
Remus laughed as the punch of her threat was offset by the green tinge to her cheeks and the definitive sounds of gastrointestinal distress.
A.N. So hoped ya liked and if you didn't too bad. I'd like to thank my wonderful Betas KasKarAce and JJ. As always R&R! And I'm sleepy so till next time I update. TTFN