A/N: Oh look...ANOTHER Remione... ;)

This one is for my lovely alpha, Mimifreed because we both needed a little DILF Remus.

Fade Into You

Remus sat there, hand tucked beneath his chin, staring at Lily. He blinked a few times as he waited for her to laugh and say she was joking. Or for the dream to be over so that he could find himself still in bed, meaning this never happened. But the seconds continued to tick by and neither happened, meaning this was real. It wasn't as if James or Sirius were of any help. The second his gaze darted their way, they looked elsewhere, not wanting to be dragged into the center of this.

"I just don't think-"

"Luckily for you, I'll plan the whole thing," she interrupted, that fire in her eyes blazing hot; a sign there was no use in fighting. Lily looked around at the three of them and sighed heavily. "We threw one for Harry last year and it was fun."

"Yes, but-"

"I'll start contacting the other parents tomorrow and get a headcount. I can make a cake and…"

She continued to list all the things she could do or would get in order to throw his six year old son a graduation party, but Remus tuned her out. Instead, he focused on how he had never heard of doing such a thing until the previous year. And even then, he hadn't figured Lily would want to do it again when she had hosted her own already. So instead, he sat there, smiled, and nodded along as she planned it all out in ten minutes flat.

"You know, I think this is a great idea."

All eyes turned towards Sirius.

"You do?" Remus asked, the skepticism clear in his voice.

The grin on Sirius' face still wasn't enough of a warning for the reasoning behind his support. "You can invite Teddy's teacher."

Remus closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose at the same time James cracked a grin and Lily sighed heavily.

"What? She won't be his teacher anymore and we all have eyes. She's hot."

Remus' eyes opened at that; just in time to see James go still and Lily narrow her eyes at him. "You're an idiot," Lily muttered as she got up from the table and strode into the kitchen.

James got up to follow her, but not before reaching over to smack the back of Sirius' head. "Now I'll be in trouble," he muttered as he walked away.

Sirius groaned and rubbed his head, but met Remus' gaze with a grin. "Oh come on, like you haven't been thinking about asking her out all year."

"I'm not-"

"And don't forget that I went with you to a few of Teddy's little show and tell shindigs. You're not the only one that's developed a little crush." Sirius pushed himself to his feet and gathered what was left of the dishes. "Just think about it, Remus. You shouldn't be alone forever."

Remus sighed and leaned back in his chair. Sirius was right, he knew that, but the thought of starting a relationship with anyone felt like an impossible task. Besides, it wasn't just himself he had to worry about. There was Teddy to consider. He knew being alone forever wasn't what Dora would have wanted for him, but even now, six years after losing her, he wasn't sure if he was ready. Fear played a large role in that. Losing Dora was the hardest thing he had ever gone through and he wasn't sure if he could do that again.

With lots to think about, he got up from the table and turned the opposite direction as the others. He leaned against the archway into the playroom and watched as Harry and Teddy shared their toys; their laughter bringing a smile to Remus' face.

In the month that followed, Sirius had done nothing but give tips and tricks on how to ask Miss Granger to Teddy's graduation party. It had gotten to the point where Remus was wishing he could just skip over the last week of school and forget this all happened. Especially when he went to pick Teddy up one day and had messed up the speech he practiced a dozen times and made a complete fool out of himself instead. But on the last Monday of the school year, contact was unavoidable. So Remus told himself now was a good a time as any.

He waited until the few other parents had finished speaking to Miss Granger before he approached. In that time, he second guessed himself more times than he could count. And just when he had begun to talk himself out of it entirely, he felt a hand on his arm and whirled around to see her standing there, a worried expression on her face.

"Are you alright, Professor Lupin?"

The panic gave way to a flutter of butterflies in his stomach as he swallowed hard and gave a slight nod. Not many people addressed him by his title, but he quite liked the sound of it when it came from her. "Just a lot going on," he said with a smile. "You know how the end of the year can dissolve into chaos rather quickly."

She hummed in response and Remus' smile widened as the chocolate of her gaze sparkled with bits of honey. "And I imagine planning a party on top of it only adds to the stress."

Remus' brows knit together as he tipped his head to the side. "P-party?"

"It's all Teddy's been able to talk about for the last few days," she said, moving to tidy and clean things the students had missed. "From what I understand, it's going to be a grand affair."

"Just how grand has he made it out to be?" he asked, his own curiosity piqued.

"Bouncy castles, clowns who make balloon animals, face painting booths, and…" she tipped her head to the side as if thinking to herself for a moment. "And something about pony rides and a petting zoo."

Remus chuckled under his breath as he turned to look at Teddy who was still playing with some of the toys at the back of the classroom. "I suppose he's in for a world of disappointment this weekend," he mumbled.

Her laugh was melodic and Remus couldn't take his eyes off of her. It was strange to think that the last person to captivate his attention this way had been Dora. It made him ache for his late wife, but not in such a way he resorted to his previous coping mechanisms.

"I think he'll be perfectly pleased with whatever his party entails. I'm sure it will be great even without the petting zoo," she said, flashing him a smile before tucking a cluster of curls behind her ear and moving on to the next desk.

"You don't think it's weird I'm throwing a graduation party for a six year old?"

"Not at all," she replied without looking up. "More often than not, kids don't remember stuff from when they were his age. I believe things like this, things that bring pure joy, gives them a reason to remember." She paused for a moment and then turned to look at him. "I wish more parents would celebrate the small things."

Remus felt his eyes widen and as she turned away again, he swore he saw a rosy tint rise to her cheeks. If there was ever an opportunity to ask her to the party, he felt that it was now. So he summoned what was left of his courage and asked, "Would you like to come by?"

She paused for a second and it made Remus regret it instantly.

"Sorry, I just-"

"I'd love to," she interrupted, reaching up to lay her hand over his forearm again.

He took a deep breath and nodded. "I'll bring an official invitation with me tomorrow," he said, making a mental note to only talk to Lily when neither Sirius or James were present.

"I can't wait," she said as Teddy ran up to throw his arms around Remus' waist. With that, they said goodbye to Miss Granger and took their leave of the classroom for the day.

By the time Saturday rolled around, Remus was a mess. It had been ages since he had used his house to host anyone other than his core group of friends. And if the dozens of parents and children under the age of ten wasn't enough, there was also the added pressure of trying to impress Miss Granger- Hermione as she had insisted from the moment he opened the door to greet her that morning. She had arrived well before the other guests and launched herself into helping Lily do the final bit of set up.

It was just after the cake had been cut and dished up for everyone that Remus stole away to his bedroom. Mostly it had been to use the bathroom, but afterwards he took a moment to himself, enjoying the silence. It was there that Lily found him; sitting on the bed near the pillows and staring at the picture of himself, Dora, and Teddy on his first day home from the hospital. It was one of the last photos they had taken together.

"How long do you plan on hiding out in here?" Lily asked, taking his hand in hers and drawing it over her lap as she sat next to him.

"Not much longer."

"I hope not," she said, leaning over to rest her head on his shoulder. "You're letting Sirius take up most of Hermione's time. You and I both know he's either telling her embarrassing stories about you or hitting on her."

Remus snorted and shook his head. "You know it's both."

"She's putting up with it though," she replied, squeezing his hand. "Which is a good sign because she clearly likes you."

"Lily-"

"You don't have to do anything about it right now, Remus, but I'm telling you, no one talks to Sirius that long without running for the hills or dragging him into the nearest corner for a quick-"

"Thanks for that image," he groused, letting go of her hand to get to his feet.

"Anytime," she quipped before smirking at him and patting his shoulder. "Come on, all we have left to do is cut the cake and once people tear into that, they'll start clearing out."

With another glance at the photo and a small sigh, he gave a nod and followed Lily back to the party. Sure enough, Hermione was laughing at something Sirius said, but he had seen girls fawn over his friend before and Hermione's laughter lacked any sort of flirtation. And when she glanced his way, her smile brightened which in turn brought on one of his own. With a wink from Sirius and a nudge from Lily, Remus made his way over to her and threw himself into the conversation.

Sure enough, just as Lily predicted, shortly after the cake was consumed, parents started rounding up their children and saying goodbye. Remus, so tied up in thanking everyone for coming out doing that bit of small talk where they promised to get their kids together over the summer, didn't notice that Hermione had jumped in and started helping Lily clean up. He only noticed when it was just down to his friends, Teddy, and Harry that she was the last one left.

"You don't have to stay," he said as she brought in a stack of paper plates and plastic utensils that needed to go in the bin.

"I don't mind," she said, flashing him yet another one of his dazzling smiles.

Remus' lips parted with the intention of protesting, but James came in to grab the two bags of trash that had already been tied off and ready to go. "Lily said that was the last of the trash," he said, pointing to the stack in Hermione's hands. "And that all the leftover food has been put away so the rest we can do tomorrow."

"Are you guys headed out?" Remus asked, noticing the way Hermione slowed down as if listening, but trying not to.

James nodded and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Harry's crashing from all the sugar so we want to get him home before he does." He reached for the bag Hermione had just tied off, but she waved him off and offered to help before going outside with him to the larger bins at the side of the house.

"Daddy?" Teddy called out as he turned the corner, rubbing at his eyes.

"What is it, Kiddo?" Remus asked as he bent down on one knee so as to not look down at his son. The corners of his lips twitched at the sight of all the areas that were stained blue and green from the frosting. He was certain the dye would linger for a few days, but he didn't mind.

"I'm tired."

"I know," he said, ruffling Teddy's sandy blonde hair. "Just a few more minutes and I'll tuck you in, okay? We just have to say goodbye to everyone first."

"Okay," Teddy replied, turning around and taking off in the direction he had come from.

Remus shook his head and got back up before following him into the living room where, sure enough, Teddy was bidding farewell to Harry. Lily and Sirius were there as well, talking among themselves in hushed voices. He knew that meant it was about him, but he was too tired himself to even bother inserting himself into that conversation. No sooner had he got there did James and Hermione come through the front door as well, completing the group.

"Lovely to meet you, Kitten," Sirius said, pulling Hermione in for a sideways hug.

She laughed and shrugged him off, holding up her hands in the process. "There was something leaking from that last bag, but it was fun to see you all again," she said, smiling at James and Lily. "Excuse me," she added and took off towards the bathroom down the hall.

"First one here and last one to leave," Lily mumbled, a smirk on her face.

"You can all go now," Remus said, biting back a smirk of his own.

The goodbyes after that were rather fast and no sooner had he shut the door, did Teddy announce he was going to brush his teeth and change his clothes. Stunned at the way he volunteered rather than fighting Remus every step of the way on both tasks, he simply stared after him. A moment later, Hermione resurfaced from the hall, meeting him in the living room.

He cleared his throat at the same time she looked away. "Let me check on Teddy and I'll walk you out."

She nodded and he made his way down the hall. Teddy was in his bedroom. He was sitting awkwardly on the bed with his shirt half removed, already fast asleep. Remus shook his head and laughed as he carefully finished taking off Teddy's shirt and then maneuvered him under the covers. After a light kiss to his son's forehead, he shut off the main light and stepped into the hall, leaving the door open just a crack like he always did.

"Well, if I had any doubts the party was a success, my child passed out from a sugar high tells me it was," he said, rejoining Hermione in the living room. "The joys of being a child."

Hermione laughed as she moved closer to him, stopping only when there was less than an arm's length between them. From that close, he could feel the heat of her skin and smell the traces of her floral perfume. "Thank you," she said, coming to stand beside him. "For inviting me. I thought it was perfect."

"Even without the petting zoo?"

"Especially without the petting zoo," she replied with a smile. "I imagine the smell would have lasted longer than the dye in the frosting."

The laugh that sounded from him surprised Remus greatly. "I'm sure you're right," he said, shaking his head. "And thank you as well. Not only for coming, but for helping with the last minute set up and cleaning up afterwards."

"My pleasure," she murmured, looking up at him through her lashes. "You know what I love about the end of the school year?" she questioned, shifting even closer. "This year in particular?"

Not trusting his voice and finding it difficult to so much as draw his next breath, Remus just gave a slight shake of his head as a response.

"Well, now I'm no longer Teddy's teacher and," she closed the gap between them and began to stretch up on the tips of her toes. "I'm free to do this," she whispered before pressing her lips to his cheek.

They lingered there for a moment before she began to move towards his lips. He went still as her hands rose to cup his face; her lips slanting over his. A small part of him wanted to push her away; that it was still too soon to be moving on like this. But another part, a larger part, in a voice much like his late wife, told him to hold her tight and never let go.

For the first time in six years, he listened to the voice.

A startled gasp parted Hermione's lips as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her flush against him. He took advantage of the moment and slipped his tongue into her mouth. The sickly sweet taste of the frosting flavored their kiss as she sank her fingers back through his hair until she could cup the back of his head. His mind started to race with the possibility that he was taking things too far, but the bit of rationality that lingered reminded him that she was a grown woman. That if she wanted to stop, she would.

As if to prove her case, it was Hermione that pushed forward, moving them closer to the couch. Remus stopped only when his calves hit the cushions. And when he started to sink down onto them, he drew her over his lap and held his breath, waiting for her to pull back or break the kiss. Instead, she settled in with her knees on either side of his hips and smiled as she deepened the kiss even more. He hissed into her mouth as every forbidden late night fantasies over the past year came to the forefront of his mind.

Hermione did pull away, but not with the intention of stopping. Instead, she grinned down at him as she reached for the hem of his shirt and began to tug it up over his head. She wet her lips and he copied her action and soon, her shirt joined his somewhere behind the couch. His breathing came in rapid, shallow bursts as he watched her arms reach behind her to undo the clasp of her bra. Slowly, she brought the straps down her arms. He continued to hold her gaze, even as she tossed the garment aside, her breasts exposed before him.

His hands lifted automatically; the need to touch her too great to ignore. She leaned into his touch, moaning softly as he cupped her breast. He caught her nipple between his thumb and forefinger and as it pebbled from his touch, he leaned forward to press his lips against her sternum. He kissed his way up her chest until she arched her back, getting out of reach. He changed course then, moving to the side, towards his hand. The noises she made as he lifted her skin so the flat of his tongue could drag across her nipple stirred something deep within him and spurred him to take it between his teeth. She reached up to place her hand over his as he sucked hard and her hips rolled over his, making them both groan.

Remus let his other hand stray from her hip. It slid down the top of her thigh until it reached the hem of her skirt. Slowly, he pushed it up further than it had already ridden up from straddling him. Her breath hitched as his finger trailed over the gusset of her underwear. He hummed around her nipple at the feel of her already wet for him. She rolled her hips again and her hand slid up from his to his face, bringing him away from her chest in order to capture his lips once more. As his tongue clashed with hers, his fingers curled around the edge of her underwear and pulled it to the side.

"Remus…"

The sound of his name in her breathy moans had him shaking in anticipation. It had been far too long since he'd been intimate with someone. He had known he was good at it before; Dora had never complained, but he felt out of his element regardless. At least, he thought he was. But the moment his fingers brushed between her folds, finding her drenched with need, he felt his confidence boost considerably. And when his fingers found her entrance and slipped inside of her tight, wet heat, the sounds she made chased away the rest of his doubt.

Remus closed his eyes as he rested his forehead against hers. He groaned as his fingers moved within her, curling slightly as he learned what worked best for her. She clenched at his fingers, determined to draw him in deeper and keep him there. As if he planned on ever removing them. As her moans grew more frequent, she slid her hands into his hair again and tugged his head back so she could kiss him once more. And when she broke the kiss next, it was to cry his name as softly possible, along with a series of other noises that signaled he had brought her to oblivion and back.

A smirk touched his lips at the way she whimpered when he pulled his hand away; his fingers pulling free of her body. But he didn't let her disappointment linger for long before he banded one arm around her back, the other gripping her thigh to steady her as he carefully rose to his feet. She pressed her thighs tighter to his waist as he carried her down the hall towards his bedroom. When he set her down next, it was on her back atop the bedding.

He knelt one knee beside her, but pulled back enough so he could remove the rest of her clothes. He shed his own rather quickly before crawling over top of her to join her on the bed once more. Hermione wrapped one arm around his shoulders, her fingers burying themselves in his hair at the same time she bent her knees to cradle him to her body between her thighs. Once he was settled, her other hand wandered between them to wrap around the shaft of his cock.

Remus hissed at her touch and his breath faltered for a moment as she gave a few pumps before guiding it towards her core. He dove in to capture her lips again; both of them swallowing each other's groans of pleasure as she lined him up and angled her hips so that he could slide into her with ease. As he did, her body bowed upwards, her breasts pressing flat against his chest.

It wasn't long before they found a rhythm that worked for both of them; one that they could easily maintain as he picked up the pace of his thrusts. He broke the kiss, moving his lips to her neck to shower her skin with kisses and nips. Her fingers flexed in his hair, tugging slightly as she met his thrusts with well timed rolls of her hips. Pleas and cries escaped her lips along with his name in a broken mantra as she neared her end. And when she finally reached her peak, she squeezed him; the sensation causing him to follow suit, filling her with his release.

Remus collapsed on top of her; both of them a shaking mess of limbs in the aftermath. He continued to ghost his lips across her skin, enjoying the way her nails raked across his. But if he thought she needed a break, Hermione surprised him by reversing their positions and straddling him yet again. She smirked down at him as she leaned forward, her hands pressing down across his chest.

"Thanks for the invite," she murmured as she sank down on top of him.

"Anytime," he replied, his voice gruff as she began to ride him.

All he could do was stare up at her, wondering how many rounds she planned on initiating and hoping he could keep up with each and every one of them.

The first thing Remus noticed upon waking up was the floral scent that clung to his pillow. His body reacted strongly; growing hard as the memories of the night before sprang to the surface of his mind. He shifted beneath the sheets, reveling in the way they felt across his bare skin. But the luxurious haze of waking up after a night like the one he'd had went away as he groped the bed only to find it empty. With a sigh, he opened his eyes to confirm that Hermione was truly gone.

The disappointment coursed through him in a way that made his heart ache nearly the same as it did when he thought about Dora. To counteract it, he reached for the pillow and hugged it to him so he could bury his nose into it. He inhaled deep, wanting to commit the scent of her to his memory. But as he pulled the pillow away, the scent of pancakes overrode the florals. He recalled James saying he and Lily would be over to help finish cleaning, so the initial confusion went away rather quickly. So he took another deep breath with his nose against the pillow and got up to dress.

The moment he opened the door, the sound of Teddy's laughter reached his ears and brought a smile to his face. His stomach rumbled as he crossed the threshold, making him realize the last thing he had eaten yesterday was cake. But even the promise of food couldn't make him continue as he rounded the corner and discovered it wasn't his friends at the stove making pancakes. It was Hermione.

He watched as Hermione flipped a few of them onto Teddy's plate and helped him with the syrup bottle. He nearly forgot how to breathe as she lifted the bottle of whipped cream from the counter and showed it to Teddy. He heard her tell him how it was her special ingredient and as she added it to the stack, Teddy's audible delight seemed to repair whatever bit of Remus' heart that was still broken.

As she went to turn back to the stove to make more, she did a double take at the sight of Remus. She smiled widely and said, "Well good morning, sleepy-head."

Remus swallowed hard and smiled back as Teddy turned to him, forkful of whipped cream, and shouted, "Look, Daddy! She made Mickey Mouse!"

He stepped forward, stopping only when he reached the bar and sat on the chair next to Teddy. He glanced down at the plate and his grin widened significantly. "It appears someone has a hidden talent," he said, lifting his gaze to Hermione once more.

"More like an unhealthy obsession," she returned as she added more batter to the pan.

"With pancakes or Disney?"

She scoffed, as if he had asked something ridiculous. "Both, really."

Remus couldn't help but laugh at that and reached over the counter for one of the forks Hermione had laid out. As he went to take a bite of Teddy's plate, Teddy moved it out of the way and glared up at Remus. "I don't think so."

"I gave you life, little man, the least you can do is give me a bite of your breakfast."

"If you ask Miss Granger nicely, she'll make you some," he said, keeping his plate out of reach, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Already on it," Hermione said with a laugh to her voice.

It was only a few moments later that she was setting a plate before him. He cocked a brow at the sight of three Mickey shaped pancakes on his plate, topped with syrup and whipped cream, just like Teddy's. "Even for the adults, huh?"

"Especially for the adults," she quipped.

But before she could turn again to make her own, Remus and Hermione both went completely still as Teddy asked, "Are you going to be my new mom?"

Hermione's warm, chocolate eyes turned to find Remus' gaze; both equally wide. Whereas he felt frozen, not sure how to proceed, Hermione offered Teddy a warm smile and gave a light shrug. "Who knows what the future holds," she said, turning back around to start her own pancakes. "For now, I'm just making breakfast."

Teddy turned to look at Remus a moment later, his eyes wide as he asked, "Can she make us breakfast every morning?"

Remus relaxed at that, watching as Teddy shoved another forkful of food into his mouth. He felt his own lips turning up into a smile as he ruffled his son's hair and looked over at Hermione. "That's up to Hermione, but she's welcome to share as many meals with us as she likes."

He saw her smile as she half turned towards him after flipping the pancakes. "Well, with an offer like that, how could I say no?" she teased.

And when she sat next to him at the bar, digging into her own plate, Remus felt as though the final missing piece of the puzzle had not only been found, but had been fit perfectly in its place.

A/N: The standard plug for my FB group: madrose_writing Come on over and join to stay in the know of what's coming!