Hermione smiled a quiet, experimental smile at the form dozing next to her. It was a cold morning and too early for even the barest light. She was thinking. – am I more afraid of him or is he more afraid of me? And after all what's a prophecy? How can anything that was said so long ago mean anything now? We can't just do this—not without thinking. And now, she told herself grimly, is as good a time as any.
She put a hand on a surprisingly solid shoulder and gave it a shake.
"Remus, we need to talk"
"Frankly I'm surprised you haven't said as much sooner." He said with only a hint of sleep left in his voice, rising onto an elbow and fixing sharp eyes on her. "Where, would you like to begin?"
"Well, there are so many options aren't there? There's our marriage such as it is, how many impulse weddings at eighteen turn out as well as one wanted? Then there is the rather looming point that well I do trust you, I don't know you. And then there is this prophecy, part of me says that it is unlikely to be linked to Harry in the way that Dumbledore is always hinting. Oh yes and then there is the matter of this very uncertain war—I don't see even with help, how we can manage when I understand so little of what's going on."
Remus smiled a little sadly "and you think, Hermione, that I have better answers, fewer confusions than you do? You would be badly mistaken. ."
"Well no, I don't think that; but that doesn't get us very far does it? Babies are not conjured out of air, nor do they vanish so easily. And you are a mystery . . ."
"Mystery fades faster than you might imagine Hermione."
"So you believe the prophecy, that it will. . . that we . . . that she can."
"I believe it is worth the risk. We have seen it before."
"But why now," Hermione gulped, "Why can't it can't we. . . wait and see.. . wait out the attacks?" She looked away.
"We can. But waiting will make neither of us wiser Hermione. You know this."
She nodded; his words were not a surprise. "But you haven't really answered any of my questions, even the ones that might actually have answers. I can't take everything on trust or even," she swallowed hard and made her eyes meet his, "on instinct."
Remus sat up more fully "You think I can silence such doubts?"
"No," she was now getting a bit angry, " but you can acknowledge them can't you?"
He patted the space beside him, she sat grudgingly, "that," he said I can.
Sitting next to him, she could hear his quiet breathing. She put out a hand and traced one of the pale scars along his face. "It's just that, just that well . . ."