Disclaimer: I keep telling you people that I own everything - I don't know why you don't believe me! Oh, wait, I'm not JK Rowling? Since when? Okay, fine...I admit that I am not the ever wonderful JKR. Nor am I the famous Bon Jovi...

Here we are with another chapter...this damn thing gave me the most trouble out of all the chapters and I have no clear idea why. But I finally got it rolling, even if it was a bit later than I intended - which means you get this on Wednesday instead of Tuesday, sorry.

Thank you, as always, for the delightful reviews!

One important bit of news - the awesome Evil Cat Hater was inspired to sketch a few scenes from last chapter...I checked them out and they are amazing - the things people can do with a marker! She posted them on her LJ, so definitely drop by, check them out, and be sure to leave a comment & let her know what you think! Here is the link: http / evilcathater (without the spaces, naturally) or www . livejournal . com / users / evilcaterhater (again, without spaces).

And now, onto the next installment...we're winding down folks, maybe two more chapters or so - running out of time and I am eager to get back to Man of the Night. Anyway, enjoy.

Oh, and the lyrics for this chapter are dedicated to Miss Amaya, just because I know how much you lurve Bon Jovi...

I'll be there for you

These five words I swear to you

When you breathe I want tobe the air for you

I'll be there for you

I'd live and I'd die for you

Steal the sun from the sky for you

Words can't say what a love can do...

-I'll be there for you by Bon Jovi

Chapter Nine

I'll be there for you...

Two weeks later, thecrowd in the Great Hall was noisy as Hermione and Ginny made their way to the Gryffindor table. They sat near the far end of the table so that they could converse without most of the table listening in. Hermione looked around and noticed that Harry and Ron were not there yet, not that it mattered since they still were not talking to her.

Hermione glanced at the Head Table to see if Remus was there – he wasn't – then she remembered him saying that he would not be there because he had to meet with a few students. She would be seeing him later, anyway, so she turned her attention back to Ginny.

"How is Draco?" Hermione asked with a teasing smile and she watched as her friend blushed.

"He is...perfect," Ginny replied with a glance to the Slytherin table. "He really is a sweet guy, not that most people...well, most Gryffindors...get to see it."

Hermione smiled at her friend. She was quite impressed that the younger girl was so successful at hiding her relationship withthe mortal enemy of her brother and his best friendfor so long. Ginny and Draco started talking to each other at the beginning of the year, but neither of them had the guts to try dating until several months later. As far as Hermione knew, she was the only one of Ginny's friends who was aware of the relationship.

She did not want to think about how Ron and Harry would react to the news of that relationship. Given their reaction to Hermione's relationship with Remus, she could only imagine that it would not be pleasant.

Hermione listened as Ginny regaled her with the redhead's latest snog-fest with Draco, trying in vain to keep her thoughts from straying to a certain handsome DADA professor - it was only when Ginny changed the subject that Hermione realized she was failing miserably.

"How about Remus?"

The question jarred Hermione from her thoughts and she looked at Ginny in confusion for a moment. Shedoesn't know, does she?

"What do you mean?"

Ginny laughed and shook her head. "You know exactly what I mean. How is Remus? I'm not daft, Mione. I know that there is something between you two," Ginny spoke quietly.

Hermione just stared at her friend for a few minutes. She's right, she's not stupid. I should have known that Ginny would have picked up on my relationship with Remus sooner or later. At least she has more tact than the boys!

"How long have you known?" Hermione could not help but ask.

"Since the day I told you I knew about your 'condition'. I caught the slip you made, but I did not want to say anything at the time. I figured one shocking thing at a time was enough for both of us."

Hermione laughed as she nodded in agreement.

"I should have known that you would figure it out," Hermione mumbled.

Ginny smiled at her friend and asked, "So, how are things going between you two?"

Hermione blushed through her answer. "Things are...wonderful."

Ginny watched as Hermione's eyes lost focus and she knew that her friend was thinking about Remus. Ginny gave Hermione a few minutes to daydream before she snapped her back to reality.

"Am I going to get any details?"

Hermione looked at Ginny for a second before she laughed and shook her head. "Unlike some people I know, I don't kiss and tell, Ginerva."

"Well, you should," Ginny shrugged and laughed.

The two girls ate their food in silence as the Hall seemed to become even louder than it was when they first walked in. After her last bite, Ginny noticed Harry and Ron walking into the Great Hall. She did not want to draw Hermione's attention to them, but she wanted to find out if they were talking to their other best friend yet.

"Are the boys still avoiding you?"

Hermione looked up from her food and nodded as she finished chewing what was in her mouth. "Yes, they only talk to me when it is absolutely necessary to in class. They won't even look at Remus," Hermione said sadly as she looked down the Gryffindor table to see if the boys were there yet, and she saw that they were. She felt a pang of sadness but she was mostly mad at them for behaving like children and giving her the silent treatment.

Ginny gave her a curious look and Hermione realized that Ginny did not know that the boys were more upset about her relationship with Remus than they were about her lycanthropy. "Oh, I never told you because I wasn't sure what was going on with us yet, but the boys discovered my 'relationship' with Remus by checking out where I was on the Marauder's Map."

"They didn't!" Ginny exclaimed. When Hermione nodded, Ginny added, "Those sneaky devils! You would think that after seven years of friendship, they would respect your privacy a bit more!"

Hermione agreed and went on to explain how the boys confronted her that day when they were standing outside the portrait to her rooms.

"Oh, I'm sorry Mione! I thought that they finally figured out the clues and were going to tell you that they knew you were a werewolf. I had no idea that they were going to get all huffy over Remus!" Ginny was thoroughly surprised at the boys' behavior. What right did they have to judge Hermione's relationships?

"That's what I thought at first, too, so imagine my surprise when Harry starts flipping out saying that he is going to kill Remus. It was not a fun time, that's for sure. The funny thing is, they took the news about me being a werewolf better than they did the news about Remus!"

"That's boys for you," Ginny said as she glared down the table toward her brother and Harry. Harry caught her eye and withered under her glare, leaving the redhead to feel satisfied for the moment. She was definitely going to have a little chat with those two later.

The Great Hall was fairly empty now and both girls realized that it was time to get to class. They parted ways in the hallway – Ginny heading to Potions and Hermione to DADA. Neither one was looking forward to their classes, but at least Hermionewasfortunate enoughto be seeing her...er, boyfriend...in her class. Granted, he was the professor, but really, what difference did that make?

DADA class went by fairly quickly since Remus – er, Professor Lupin – made it a practical lesson after only a few minutes of note-taking. Hermione paired up with Neville and stayed on the other side of the room from Harry and Ron for most of the class.

Hermione did not mind, though, since Neville had become much more confident in DADA since Professor Lupin returned to teaching. They were practicingmore complex defensecounter-curses and Neville turned out to be fairly proficient after only a few tries. Hermione was impressed with his performance and made a mental note to mention it to Remus later, if he did not notice it himself, that is.

She was less impressed with Harry and Ron, as it seemed the two of them were unable to master any of the curses and resorted to flinging hexes at each other that had nothing to do with the lesson. Part of her wanted to say something to them about paying attention in class since they seemed to bepaying less and less attentionin DADA class since that day in her rooms, but she knew that they would just ignore her, so she left the disciplining to the professor.

Remus chose not to say anything to the boys until the end of class because he wanted to give them the opportunity to behave witha modicumof maturity during at least part of his lesson. Just like he tried to avoid reprimanding them in the previous two weeks, but it was reaching a point where somethinghad tobe done to set these two straight.. He was sorely disappointed in them when they reached the end of the lesson without accomplishing anything other than disrupting the other students' progress with the practical demonstration.

He knew that they were doing this because they were furiousabout him and Hermione, but they were going to have to learn that this was not the way to deal with their feelings. Even if they hated him for falling in love with their best friend, it really was not their business, and theyhad no right to bring personal feelings into the classroom. He had tohavea talk with them after class. Today.

"Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, see me after class," Remus nearly snarled as he watched them ignore Hermione as she tried to ask them to behave.

The two boys stopped mid-hex and gaped at him. Perhaps they realized that they took the whole'being unreasonably immature' acta little too far? Nah. Remus would never give them detention, or so they thought.

Once all of the students left the classroom - except for Hermione, who went into his office to prepare for her lesson with the second years - Remus stood in front of his desk waiting for Harry and Ron to approach him. His face was set in a very disapproving frown and he crossed his arms in front of his chest as he leaned back against the desk.

When Harry and Ron stood in front of him, their faces a mix of righteous indignation and sheepish indifference, Remus cleared his throat. "I am very disappointed in you two. I expected more of you, both in this classroom and in your treatment of your best friend, and you have let me down in both aspects. What do you have to say for yourselves?"

He watched as various emotions flashed across Harry's face while Ron's ears merely turned red. Remus raised an eyebrow when Harry direct a glare at him and he made sure to closethe classroom door and cast an imperturbablecharm on itwhile he waited for the boy to speak his mind.

"You are disappointed in us? In us? What about you? You are sleeping with a student! What do you have to say for yourself?" Harry snarled, his glare worthy of the old muggle saying 'if looks could kill'.

Remus shook his head at the boy...yes, boy, because that was how Harry was behaving right now...and leveled a serious and understanding look on the boy. "I understand that you were surprised, even upset at the knowledge of what you saw on the map, but I must say Harry, that it really is none of your business...We did not intend for things to work out as they did, but I don't regret that they did either."

Harry opened his mouth to speak, but Remus held up a hand and bowed his head before he continued. "Hermione is entitled to have a relationship with whomever she deems worthy, without needing either your permission or approval. She is also entitled to her privacy, and you boys spying on her with the Marauder's Map is a direct invasion of that privacy. Therefore, I am going to have to ask you to give me the map, Harry." Remus held out his hand for the map, knowing that the boy would have it with him, most likely in his bag.

"Now," he growled as Harry just stood there gaping at him. When the boy finally dug the map out of his bag and reluctantly handed it over, Remus inclined his head and held the map up to look at it.

"Thank you, Harry. You will get this back when you prove that you possess the maturity to not invade in other people's private lives," Remus said as Harry narrowed his eyes at him. He noticed that Ron was being exceedingly quiet during this whole ordeal and wondered, briefly, what the deal was with that. "Ron, do you have anything that you would like to say?"

The redhead looked up at him, his face seemingly clear of emotion. "Do you love her?"

Remus did not hesitate in answering, "Yes."

"Does she love you?"

"Yes." Again, he did not hesitate.

The redhead seemed to consider this information for a moment before giving the professor a half smile. "Then I guess it's okay with me," Ron said. "Oh, I'm sorry for our behavior in class lately, I think we got a little carried away. It won't happen again."

Remus could not help but smile at Ron – for saying that he was okay with his relationship with Hermione and for apologizing. That was not what he was expecting from the boy, considering that previous experience proved Ron was not the reasonable one.. Now, if only he could get Harry tosay the same as Ron.

Harry looked very reluctant to admit that he was okay with the relationship between his best friend and his father's best friend, because, well, he really was not okay with it. Frankly, it creeped him out. But if it would make everyone else happy, he would just have to suck it up and say that it was okay.

"I am sorry too, Remus. I did not mean to be so spiteful and immature. I just did not like the idea of you two being together, I still don't, but I will get over it," Harry said as Remus patted him on the back.

"Thank you, Harry," Remus smiled at the bespectacled boy before looking at the redhead as well and pointing to his office door. "Now I think you two owe someone else an apology."

The two boys turned towards Remus' office and saw Hermione standing in the doorway. She looked like she had been crying as she was wiping her eyes and sniffling a little. The boys flashed her their crooked smiles and said they were sorry for treating her the way they did. She stopped them halfway through their apologies by flinging herself at them.

"Oh, you boys are so stupid!" Hermioneexclaimed through happy tears.Finally, her two best friends were talking to her again, even if her parents no longer wanted to.

The four of them spent a few more minutes talking about Hermione being a werewolf and how things were working out between she and Remus before he released the imperturbable charm and sent the boys on their way to their next class with a note for being late.

As the boys left the DADA classroom, they heard a voice that had an uncanny resemblance to that of Mrs. Weasley screech out, "Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter, just what the bloody hell is wrong with you two?"

"Mum?" Ron said as he turned to Harry with a grimace on his face before he noticed his younger sister standing there scowling at them with her hands on her hips.

"Oh Merlin, here we go," Harry mumbled as the youngest Weasley started in on the boys about their behavior towards Hermione.

Hours later, when classes were complete for the day and dinner was over, Hermione made her way down to the DADA classroom, her mind running through the events of the past hour.

Dinner was back to the way things used to be, with Hermione sittingnear Harry and Ron with her nose in a book and the two boys talking about quidditch strategies. It was great to have things nearly back to normal...if only the full moon wasn't that night.

But, at least the boys were okay with her now - as long as she did not speak about Remus that much, they were fine. They could handle the werewolf thing just fine, they even talked about becoming animagi like Harry's father and Sirius did for Remus back when they were in school. Hermione was so touched that she let the tears run down her face until Ron told her "turn the waterworks off already, you're getting my robe all wet!"

So, it was with a little bounce in her step that Hermione walked into the DADA classroom. She owed Remus a big thank you for setting the boys straight and she could not wait to see him. The door to his office was open and she walked in without knocking. Remus was sitting at his desk marking some papers and sipping from a cup of tea. She could not stop herself from thinking how gorgeous he looked just then...not that she wanted to stop herself from thinking that, but she wouldn't have been able to even if she did.

He looked up and smiled when Hermione walked through the door. "Hello, love," he said as he dropped his quill and stood up to wrap his arms around her.

Hermione snuggled into his embrace and whispered into his neck. "Thank you for earlier. You really set the boys straight and I appreciate it so much, I can't even tell you!"

Remus had to fight the shudder he felt whenher hot breath and warm lips brushedagainst his neck. It was too close to sunset, he did not want to lose control of himself this close to transformation time.

He shook his head to clear the hazy beginnings of arousal - I am a sad old man, getting turned on just by having this beautiful creature whisper against my neck! It used to take a bit more than that to get me riled up! Ah, I can just blame it on the full moon...yes, that's it.

Once he was sure that his head...er, both of them...was clear, he leaned in to brush his lips against hers before he whispered against her cheek. "I would do anything to make sure you are happy, love. Besides, the boys were taking things a little too far by misbehaving in class and it was time for all the nonsense to end."

They held each other for a moment more before Hermione stepped back and pulled two vials from her pocket. "I have our Wolfsbane Potion, we better take it before itgets too late."

After they both swallowed their doses of the potion, Remus gently tugged Hermione toward the fire and settled her down on the blanket spread out in front of it. He sat next to her as she leant back to lay down on the soft fabric.

It was a tender moment between two lovers as he gently stroked her brown hair and she watched him with a soft smile brightening her features. "I love you so much, Mione," Remus murmured. "I am so glad that something so...perfect...came out of you being cursed with lycanthropy."

Hermione's heart jumped at the depth of feeling in her lover's voice and tears sprang to her eyes for the second time in as many hours. I really need to work on this crying thing! Three times in one day, twice in under two hours...I'm turning into such an emotional basketcase!

She reached up to pull his face down to meet hers and when their lips were just about touching, she whispered, "Me too." The kiss was soft and brief as the moon was about to make its appeareance.

As they removed their clothing to prepare for the transformation that would take place in mere minutes, Hermione looked her lover over and she knew that in the morning she wouldgive him a proper 'thank you'for being there for her.

And there you have it, folks. I finished this up at work just becauseI was too excited to get it posted now that I could not wait until I got home tonight to finish it.

I will try to get the next chapter up on Thursday or Friday and the final chapter on Sunday...wow, this will be my first finished product...how cool!