AN: sorry its taken so long to upload this but I was working on IRB for research. Now that I've submitted that, I should be able to update more frequently. :)

I see Remus slowly rise from his seat

"Here let me help with that".

I can't help but smile at him. He is always so helpful and never wants to just let me do things for him. He is the only man I know who is like this, all the others love it when I do things for them.

"You just can't let me take care of you can you?" I say with amusement in her voice.

He suddenly looks intently in my eyes and says "You do so much for me already. Without you, I wouldn't have the wolfsbane potion and I wouldn't have such a wonderful friend. I remember when you yelled at me about how I was taking care of Teddy…".

I don't understand him now, he is usually so meek and gentle and his intensity is so unnerving. I can't help but blush and laugh nervously as he reminds me of the time I yelled at him.

"I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have been so harsh with you particularly because you were still dealing with your wife's death. I really regret doing that to you now. I should have been more understanding".

He looks slightly annoyed with me. Hmmm, I never have gotten that response to an apology before.

"Hermione, listen to me. You did nothing wrong".

I feel his hand gently clasping my own.

"You were the only one who cared enough for Teddy's welfare to tell me the truth. I wasn't being a good father to him. My grief was all encompassing and had distanced myself from almost everyone by that time, but you wouldn't let me even when I was horrible I was to you or when you were dealing with other things. I remember you came in and you stood in front of me with your hands on your hips and yelled at me about my responsibilities to my son, that I was his protector and caretaker and I needed to be there for him. I can't thank you enough for that".

There is that damn smirk again. Doesn't he understand that it is making my knees weak? I place my other hand on the table to hold myself up. I'm speechless as he slowly brings my hand up to his mouth. Is he seriously going to kiss my hand? This feels like I have been transported to another time, where men were gentlemen. Why does it feel so hot in here all of a sudden. Just when he is about to kiss my hand I notice him taking in the bruises on my knuckles. Suddenly his face darkens and I can literally feel the waves of anger coming off him.

"Hermione? What happened? Who did this to you?"

His voice sounds so angry, I can't help but flinch and my hand starts shaking. I never have seen him quite so angry before and it thrills me (that he would care so much about my welfare) but also scares me because he usually is so controlled.

He slowly brings his hand up to my face but I can't help but look at it warily because I'm not quite sure what he is going to do with it.

"Hermione"

He sounds like he is trying to control his voice and that calms me, there's the Remus I know.

"I'm not angry at you and you know I would never hurt you right?".

I can't help but nod. I know he wouldn't hurt me intentionally, and then his hand is on my cheek, cupping it with his fingers. And I can't help but feel overwhelmed by the realization that Remus is capable of this much emotion.

"What's wrong sweetheart?"

His voice sounds so soothing now, like he is talking to a scared child and I suddenly find myself exhausted and filled with the desire to snuggle into him and rest.

"Well, its just… I think I may have overreacted a bit and I'm feeling slightly embarrassed".

I can't help but blush and look down at my feet. I don't want to tell Remus what happened because I'm afraid of his reaction and my feet don't stare at me intensely like Remus does, as though he is trying to read my mind.

I feel the fingers on my cheek guiding my face up and I can't help but look back in his eyes.

"Hermione, I'm sure its not nearly as bad as your making it out to be.

My eyebrows raise. How is he able to read me so well? How does he know exactly what to say?

"Perhaps… your right".

I can't take this intensity anymore, not when its directed at me. I sigh and close my eyes.

"Come, tell old Remus what happened?"

My eyes fly open. How can he think he's old when he's only in his forties?

"You're not old Remus."

Then he laughs loudly and it surprises me. Hmmm. I wonder why that elicited that response?

I pull away from him and take a seat. I have a feeling this is going to take awhile. I motion for him to take one as well and he immediately sits.

I can't help but smile at his quickness to obey.

"Okay, I was set up on a date by Ginny…"

Hmmm… why does he look angry and confused all of a sudden?

"Well I went to the bar to wait and I got myself a drink and a man at the bar started chatting with me. He seemed nice and he was flirting with me. Then my date showed up. It was Benjy Williams, the seeker from Puddlemere United…"

His voice suddenly interrupts my tale.

"I thought you didn't like quidditch?"

I can't help but laugh. Yes, I dislike quidditch and I also found Ginny's choice rather funny.

"I don't, but Ginny went through all that trouble and I didn't want to hurt her feelings so I went".

"Ah, so your date shows up and I remember you saying that you left before you even got a chance to look at a menu".

"Yes well. I went to pay my bill and the man I had been talking to apparently paid it. When I told him that wasn't necessary he mentioned something about me saving the wizarding world but then…"

I can't help but blush and look away. Ugh, why do I always let my temper determine how I behave.

"Well, what did he say Hermione?".

"He said that 'imagining me pressed up against the wall with my dress pushed up to my hips while my legs were wrapped around his waist as he fucked me was going to fill his fantasies tonight' so I punched him in the face and then my date got mad because I made a scene"

I can't believe I just said that to Remus. I can feel my face get hot, this is so embarrassing to tell him. I can't even look at Remus right now.

Then I hear his laughter while he exclaims "That's my girl!"

It seems like this same thing happens on all my dates. Maybe I can ask him what I'm doing wrong.

"What's so wrong with me Remus?"

"What do you mean?"

He sounds confused. Doesn't he understand that I can't seem to ever attract a man?

"Why can't I attract a man and keep him? Why do all my dates go horribly wrong?"

I look into his eyes to make sure he understands me.

"There's nothing wrong with you Hermione. Trust me, if I was a younger man I'd show you how gorgeous you are. Would you have punched me, if I was the man at the bar who said those things to you?"

He thinks I'm gorgeous and he would apparently do something about it if he felt he was younger. Doesn't he realize how I feel about him? That last question though, I would never expect Remus to ask me something like that and I try to imagine what I would have done if Remus said that to me. I would pull him to me roughly and snog him senseless. That actually doesn't seem to be a bad idea, when clearly he finds me attractive.

I lean in quickly and kiss him fervently. His lips are so soft and utterly kissable. Ummm. Why isn't he doing anything? Isn't he supposed to kiss me back? Shit… maybe kissing him was the wrong thing to do.

I pull away and turn my face from him. I wish I could disappear… I've never been so humiliated.

"I'm sorry… I"

Then his hand is on my face and he is turning it toward his and then he is leaning in and his lips are on mine and it feels like heaven.

I can't help but wrap my arms around his neck to pull him closer and I let my tongue touch the seam of his lips because it seems that in order to kiss him the way I want, I'm going to have to make the first move. Then suddenly his mouth opens and I feel his tongue on mine and it feels like fireworks are going off in my body and I can feel wetness between my legs as our tongues duel for dominance. If I don't pull away I am going to climb in his lap and grind against him like a wanton slag.

"You're not old Remus and yes, if you had said that to me in public I would have punched you and then I would have taken us to my bedroom and had my way with you"