Don't die of shock! Yes I have done another chapter! After the sixth book I must admit I lost my track a little, but I thought after all the emails I've been having I would finish what I started. You have to be on the side that thinks thatDumbledore didn't die after all and that this is just a possiblity of what could have happened if he was just pretending in the last book, or just enjoy it for what it is - a completely seperate story using Harry Potter characters. Whatever - enjoy
Slowly, she descended again, her stomach churning and her eyes downcast. She'd knew she'd been found out and it felt very bad; she couldn't know what his reaction would be or the consequences.
When she at last reached the bottom of the staircase, she stood in front of the man, who once was merely her teacher, but whom she now considered to be a good friend.She waited expectantly for him to say something, but he didn't, he just looked at her with a penetrating gaze.
As she continued waiting for him to speak the tension became unbearable, but in the end he only shook his head slightly. It was as if he didn't know what to say to express his feelings, not yet.
Remus stepped back, then stood to one side of his doorway with his arm outstretched and beckoned her into his room with a nod - she meekly obeyed.
After closing the door behind them, Remus walked over towards the fireplace and spent some moments thoughtfully playing with the tie that he still had in his hands.
Hermione spoke first, she couldn't take any more of this silent treatment, as her belly was still uncomfortable with nerves.
"How did you know?" she asked rather apprehensively
"You forget Hermione, I'm a werewolf and my sense of hearing and smell are much superior to that of a normal person, even when I'm in my human form. I heard you come back down the stairs last night, even though you were very quietand I thought you were just coming back for this... but then to my complete surprise, I heard you go next door. You can imagine that I was curious, so I listened to your voices for a while and it wasn't long before I realised what was going on between the two of you. It was a bit of a shock that's for sure, something I'd never have suspected of you." He paused, looking into the empty fireplace
"Oh, and don't worry - I blocked out the rest of your 'meeting' with a silencing spell." He added, while Hermione bowed her head as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I felt like hammering that door down, to ask you what you thought you were playing at, to tell him to stop and leave you alone, but then..I thought, no..no I can't do that. After all... you are a woman now and old enough to make your own choices, even if they are bad ones...and what right do I have to tell you how to run your life anyway!"
He sighed
After this rather impassioned speech, his shoulders slumped slightly and he looked at Hermione with a more than a hint of disappointment
Hermione her head still bowed, sighed deeply before looking up and answering
"I know you knew him before... you know, when he was a..a deatheater, but I only know him as he is now and the man he is now is the man I love. I know it's crazy.. but I do." She explained, shaking her head and smiling to her self.
Remus merely raised his eyebrows incredulously
"He just ticks all the right boxes for me. I know there is an age difference, but that really doesn't bother me.." She explained, then she paused before looking up and adding, "I mean I see people as people, it doesn't matter what age they are..." she trailed off, shrugging
"I know Hermione, it's not the age gap, Merlin knows I can't say anything about that.." he replied awkwardly. "It's...you don't know.. you just don't know what those deatheaters did to people - innocent people - and he was in league with them.I don't know exactly what he did, but nevertheless..." he broke off sighing and shaking his head before continuing. "Hermione, he's bitter and twisted - he only cares for him self and he probably used foul means to seduce you! He was your teacher for Merlin's sake! Hermione ... for this man merely to want to be with you now - his only just ex-pupil - just goes to show how unscrupulous and morally deplete he is! And I know Dumbledore trusts him, but I don't - not completely anyway – and you shouldn't either! I warn you Hermione.. being with him could put you in great danger!" Remus entreated, looking at her earnestly
Hermione snorted disdainfully
"You make him sound like some sort of pervert!" Hermione retorted angrily, incensed by Remus's accusations. She shook her head as she stood up. Her sense of injustice had been invoked and Remus was about to feel the full heat of her wrath
"He is trustworthy and moral! You obviously don't know what he's been through or what's he's done for the order, or you would never dream of accusing him! He takes the most unbelievable risks every day for us all! And.. if you must know - I went after him! He kept trying to end it.. but I just kept going back, even when Dumbledore told us to stop seeing each other! I haven't come this far to give up now - I love him and I know he feels the same way about me!" she snapped, pouting and folding her arms across her chest defensively. Then feeling a little churlish on seeing his shocked expression, she calmed down and thought for moment before finishing with ".. as for being in danger, I can look after myself pretty well and so can he!"
Remus was shaking his head with a look of disbelief, "This started when you were still in school then?"
Hermione nodded, feeling like she had said too much
"And you say that Dumbledore knows about you two?" Remus spluttered "...and he did nothing! By rights Snape should have been thrown out on his ear! He was having an affair with a pupil for Merlins sake! I can't believe Dumbledore sometimes! He just won't hear a bad word against the man and he seems able to forgive him anything!" He continued, looking down sadly for a moment, then quickly regaining his composure.
"I have often wondered what keeps those two so loyal to each other," he mused,but added quietly "though I have often suspected..." then he broke off with a shake of his head. He stood up straighter and looked at Hermione more directly "and talking of loyalty what about Harry - and Ron? Did you end your relationship with Ron to be with Severus?"
Hermione looked down and answered "yes" a little sullenly, the guilt about that still lingering
"What on earth do you see in him Hermione?" Remus asked
Hermione smiled thoughtfully "He's clever, sexy, sharp, witty and oh I don't know so many things... all I know is - he's what I want - he makes me feel like a woman, instead of an awkward, silly teenager" she shrugged
"But you are a silly teenager, you're supposed to be silly, that's part of the fun of being your age. When you're my age you look back on those carefree times with regret.." then he looked down again and quietly added, "that they didn't continue for a little longer..."
Hermione, her brow furrowed with understanding, walked over to put her hand on his arm sympathetically.
Remus looked up then. "He won't make you happy Hermione, he'll just break your heart, or drag you down to his level. I bet he's already split you away from your friends and your family"
Hermione set her lips in a firm line, snatching her hand away from his arm.
"Actually - no, he doesn't interfere with that part of my life at all, all he wants is to be with me -whenever possible! He doesn't want to ruin my life or control it in any way and I believe he can make me happy!"
Remus looked at her defiant expression and gave her a strange little wistful smile as he shook his head, rolled his eyes and raised up his hands in defeat
"Okay, I give in! I won't say another thing - but at least you can't say I didn't try! I'll just have to hope you come to your senses on your own eventually"
Hermione felt then, that all that needed to be said - had been said and that their conversation was over, so she turned and walked towards the door.
"Hermione?" Remus suddenly called, as her hand reached for the doorknob. She looked back, sighing and rolling her eyes, expecting another lecture
"Here.." he said proffering the tie, as he walked towards her, "you forgot this"
Hermione took it with a nod and a fleeting smile of gratitude, then quickly wrapped it around herself, tying it tightly.
Just as she was about to dissapear through the door, he added
"Just be careful Hermione, never let your guard down. He hangs out with some very dangerous people and even if he does love you, I don't know if he could protect you from them!"
"Don't worry, I'll be fine, like I said I can look after my self" Hermione answered soothingly. Then she added with a smile "By the way - give my love to Tonks"
Remus nodded with a wry smile, then shut the door.
Hermione managed by some miracle to successfully sneak upstairs without being seen and first headed straight for the bathroom. She showered and dried quickly, then headed for her room.
Once there, she noticed that Ginny's bed hadn't been slept in either and her conscience was eased a little.
"So I wasn't the only one sneaking around last night then?" she thought smugly to herself and smiled.
Lost in thought momentarily, she nearly jumped through the ceiling, when a very red faced Ginny suddenly burst in through the door, slamming it quickly behind her.
She took one look at Hermione's surprised face and blurted
"You won't tell Mum will you?" then on seeing Hermione's knowing smile added, "I swear - we were just talking and then we must have fallen asleep!" Ginny explained imploringly, her face going even redder
Hermione shook her head, trying hard to suppress a giggle.
"Ginny ..even if you did do something else, good on you! You have nothing to feel guilty about..you're old enough to do as you please now!"
Ginny relaxed a little and smiled
"You're right! I just forget sometimes!" she admitted, shaking her head and going over to sit on her bed, "It's just that I have this natural defence mechanism - if I think I've done something I know my Mum wouldn't approve of! I always think she's going to find out.. 'cause she usually does! She's kind of instilled this guilt thing in me from a young age and it's really annoying - it's stopped me doing a lot of things I'd quite liked to have done believe me!"
Hermione giggled
"But we really didn't do anything though..." Ginny added quickly, thenbit her lip,as if trying to supress asmile as she revealed "...well at least, not last night anyway!"
Then they both collapsed into laughter.
It was such a relief from all the tension. Hermione began to feel more relaxed and much more certain of her self and her feelings again, shaking off the doubts that Remus had previously tried to instill in her.
After dressing, the two friends walked down to breakfast, each girl lost in her own thoughts.