Disclaimer:

Me: "I do not own Harry Potter."
Harry: "Yeah, you don't own me. I own me."
Ginny: "Harry's mine!"
JKR: "Harry, I own you. Don't listen to them."
Harry: "Why are all these women claiming they own me?"

I do NOT own anything Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling owns it all.
(Unfortunately for me!)

(A/N: VivienDevereaux, this is for you. What follows is Remus's reaction to finding Hermione gone, and what Dumbledore told everyone. It takes place on the day after Hermione returned to her own time, taking Vanessa with her.

To everyone else: VivienDevereaux reviewed saying she was interested in what happened in Remus's time after Hermione (and Vanessa) vanished. She also mentioned what Dumbledore told all the students and staff after two pupils just vanished. I had originally wanted to write that in, but found that it interrupted the story too much. So, here they are now! Enjoy!)

What happened to Remus?

What did Dumbledore tell everyone?

(Set between Chapters 16 and 17. It is the 24th February, 1987.)

"Lily, have you seen Hermione today?" Remus said quietly to the red-haired girl, seeing her walk out of the 7th year girls' dormitories. Lily looked at him quizzically. "Please say you've seen her."

"No, I haven't. Why?" She looked at him quizzically, smiling.

"I just haven't seen her, that's all." Remus lied, worry creasing his forehead.

"Nope, sorry. Come to think of it, I haven't seen her since early yesterday." Lily shrugged. "She didn't come back last night." Her light voice became slightly more serious. "I figured she was with you."

"Umm. No. I – er – haven't seen her – since -" Remus stuttered, a veil of sadness smothering his normally mischievous eyes.

"Here, sit." Lily gestured to the nearby couch in the otherwise deserted Common Room. Remus sunk into the sofa dejectedly, and Lily perched lightly beside him, her emerald eyes sparkling kindly. "I haven't seen her at all this morning either. She wasn't at breakfast, and she wasn't in the dormitory when I woke up this morning." Lily shook her head, brushing a strand of her ruby hair back behind one ear. She looked worriedly at Remus, smile fading. "Did you check the Map? Maybe she's just studying somewhere."

"Yeah. She wasn't on it. I was hoping you'd seen her this morning." Remus mumbled, twisting his hands in his lap.

"Remus," Lily began cautiously, leaning so she could see his face, "Did anything happen between the two of you yesterday?" Silence reigned.

"Yes." Remus finally whispered. "I was on my way to the Library when I ran into Hermione in a corridor. We walked to the Library together. I needed to finish the Defense essay, and she was going to keep me company and read." His wry voice was almost inaudible. "While we were there…" He trailed off, hands bunched into tight fists.

"Remus, don't tell me if you don't want to." Lily said softly, covering his hands with one of her own. "But I'm beginning to worry, since that means neither of us has seen her for over 24 hours. If it'll help, it'd be good to know."

"I - I told her I loved her." Remus blurted out, pain cracking his voice. Lily gasped, her hand covering her mouth. "She, she said she loved me." Lily's emerald eyes were wide with shock. "Then there was this… glitter." His eyes narrowed oddly. "It was silver, and just kept coming out of no-where, and thickening." Remus's mouth twisted into a miserable, wry smile. "When Hermione saw the glitter, she, well, freaked out. She started crying, and said she had to go, that it was nothing I did, or said, and that she loved me…" Remus's voice failed. Lily saw his grey eyes were unusually silver and bright.

"What happened then?" She said softly, staring into his pain-ridden eyes.

"The silver sparkles got really thick, I couldn't see properly, and she fled." Once more, almost total silence dominated the room. The only noise was the deep breathing of the two students who were curled up on the couch.

Suddenly there was a thud, and James, Sirius, and Angelica burst into the Common Room, talking loudly.

"Hey Lily, Remus. Why so glum?" James announced loudly. "And why are you holding hands?" He continued dangerously. Sirius and Angelica whipped around.

"James, drop it." Lily said firmly. "Have any of you seen Hermione? No one's seen her since yesterday-"

"Checked the Map?" Sirius interrupted.

"And she's not on the Map." They all looked mystified.

"Well I haven't." Angelica replied, looking curiously at Remus, who hadn't even looked up. "Haven't seen Vanessa either." Sirius raised a dark eyebrow.

"So. Two missing persons from Hogwarts. And not an ordinary two. I mean, Lily and James or me and Angelica going missing for a night, well," Angelica elbowed him hard in the ribs, and Lily looked scandalized, "But Hermione and Vanessa? I mean, they're hardly 'naughty student' material." There was another thud from the direction of the portrait hole, but all five of the students ignored it. Remus felt his mouth quiver, and attempted to ignore the sadness that was trying to break his composure.

"Excuse me." A roguish voice broke into the conversation. Recognizing it at once, everybody looked in the direction of the speaker.

"Professor Dumbledore?" Lily said inquiringly. "Is there a problem?"

"No. Well, not exactly." Dumbledore sunk into an armchair. "Ah, this chair was my favourite as a student. I couldn't tell you the number of times I curled up here, late at night, and read infront of the fire." Sirius and James exchanged looks, hiding smiles. Angelica hid a grin behind her hand.

"Professor, have you seen Hermione?" Remus said suddenly, finding his voice. A dark sense of foreboding stuck him as he uttered the words.

"Ah, see, that was what I came to see you about, you being her friends and all." Dumbledore's cheery composure faltered. "I'm sorry to have to inform you that you won't be seeing either Hermione or Vanessa anytime soon." Remus went deathly pale, his silvery-grey eyes standing out against his gaunt face.

"Why?" He said softly.

"Hermione's gone away. Miss Esprit has gone with her." Dumbledore surveyed his students, seeing the hope die in their faces.

"Why?" Remus repeated bleakly. Everyone could see unshed tears glimmering in his eyes.

"That I cannot tell you. You, Remus, will find out one day, of that I am certain." Bowing his head, he rose to his feet. "Try to enjoy your day. Be assured that both of them are in reasonable health, and that they will miss you, more than you know." With that cryptic remark, the Headmaster swept out of the Common Room. Remus rose to his feet.

"Remus," Lily began. Remus raised a thin hand, and she fell silent. Without a word he stumbled out of the Common Room.

As soon as the portrait of the Fat Lady had swung closed, Remus felt uncontrollable tears pouring down his face. Chocking back a howl, he pelted down the corridor, finally collapsing in his alcove in the library, sobbing.

(A/N: Well, there you have it. Remus is devastated, miserable, distraught, and heartbroken. Hermione and Vanessa have simply vanished of the face of the earth to everyone. Dumbledore didn't give a reason as to why Hermione and Vanessa vanished; he just left it at 'They're gone.' #Wipes a tear away.# Very sad.)