"You're leaving?" Remus said, looking completely stunned by the news Hermione had just given him.

"I'm leaving," she regretfully confirmed.

"Tomorrow morning?"

"Yes."

Remus simply stared at her for several long moments before shaking his head in disbelief. He appeared to be at a loss, unable or unwilling to accept what she was telling him.

"But that's so soon," he said finally. "That's tomorrow."

"I know," Hermione said softly. She was painfully aware of that fact.

"Why so soon? Why now?"

"I have to, Remus."

After learning about the magic rose and the Time-Turner last night, Hermione had told Dumbledore the sooner she left the better. She knew the longer she stayed here the harder it would be to say goodbye. It was already difficult enough.

"Are you in some kind of danger?" Remus asked, worry crossing his features.

"No, of course not. What makes you think that?"

"I sort of have a theory. You know, about what you promised Dumbledore to keep secret."

"You do?" Hermione said, a bit apprehensive that her astute boyfriend had speculated about this enough to have come up with a theory.

"Yeah. You told me when you first transferred here that last year was tough for you because you were always on the move and worrying about everyone's well-being. I think maybe you were on the run, and the witch you told me about, the one who attacked you for being Muggle-born, was a Death Eater. I think they might have targeted you for some reason, and you're staying here now at Hogwarts to be under Dumbledore's protection."

Impressed by Remus's guess work, but more greatly relieved that he hadn't mentioned anything about time travel, she told him, "I promise you, Remus, I'm not in any danger. I just have to go."

"Because of the thing you can't tell me about?"

"Yes."

"But you'll be safe?"

His concern for her touched her deeply. Feeling the threat of tears sting her eyes and not trusting her voice anymore, Hermione nodded and then she hugged him, holding him tightly. She couldn't help but feel like this was a permanent goodbye, an irrevocable farewell to the opportunity of being happy with him. Although she trusted Dumbledore and therefore his theory about the rose, she strongly doubted the possibility of the older Remus returning her affections in her proper time. The way he'd pulled away from their kiss in her dream and walked off without a backward glance kept haunting her. She knew this could very well be her final day with Remus.

Much to Hermione's dismay, this potential last day was passing by much too quickly. Before she knew it, morning was gone. Then the afternoon seemed to whirl by in a flash. Hermione wondered why whenever a person wished time to stand still it seemed to pass by at lightning speed instead. She and Remus tried to act normal and keep things lighthearted so they could make the most of the little time they had left, but the knowledge of Hermione's imminent departure loomed over them like a Dementor. They kept the soul-sucking creature at bay the best they could, but it became much harder to do so once dusk fell.

After dinner, the couple curled up together by the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room and remained there for hours, long after all the other Gryffindors spending their holiday at Hogwarts had retired to bed, when little more than embers were left burning before them. Time was ticking away, surely and steadily, but neither Hermione nor Remus wanted to leave each other's side.

During the intermittent silences in their conversation, Hermione kept thinking how this might be the last time she'd ever be sitting like this with Remus. Would she ever be able to hold his hand again in the future? Would she ever again be able to talk and laugh with him so openly and freely? Would she even be able to see him if he didn't take the teaching position at Hogwarts? She knew she should count her lucky stars for having been able to experience all that she had with Remus, but her mind started to dwell on what they hadn't yet had a chance to do.

"We never got to dance," she said quietly.

"What?"

Hermione lifted her head from Remus's shoulder.

"You still owe me a dance from Halloween," she told him, and a slow smile crossed his face.

"You're right." He got to his feet before her. "I will honor my debt," he said, offering her his hand, "if you will honor me."

"But there's no music," Hermione said, taking his hand nonetheless.

"We can make our own. Or better yet," he said, his eyes lighting up as an idea struck him, "we can borrow James's radio. It's in our dorm. I'll be right back."

Remus kissed the back of her hand before letting her go. Hermione watched him disappear through the door leading to the boys' dormitories. A few seconds later, she impulsively followed.

She climbed up to the top of the staircase where she knew the seventh-year boys' dormitory to be. The door was open, but she paused at the threshold. She could see Remus inside, kneeling by the trunk at the end of one of the beds, presumably James's, rummaging for the radio.

"Any luck?" she asked.

Remus looked over at her in surprise. He obviously hadn't expected her to follow him up there.

"Not yet, but I'm sure it's here somewhere," he said and continued his search.

Hermione stepped into the room and glanced around. It was significantly tidier than when she had been in there last. Probably because Remus was the only one currently sleeping there. All the others had gone home for Christmas.

"Accio James's radio."

They both waited expectantly, but nothing came of Remus's Summoning Charm.

"I guess it's not here," he said disappointedly. He flicked his wand to return his friend's possessions to their place. "James must have taken it home with him."

He closed the lid of the trunk and looked over at Hermione in time to see the smile quirk her lips.

"What's so amusing?" he asked her.

"I was just remembering how we first met."

"In the corridor when you were new and lost and asked me for directions?" he said, his eyes twinkling at the story she'd made up in order to ease the awkwardness between them from their actual first encounter.

"I mean the way we really met. In here. You fell so gracefully to the floor when you first saw me."

Remus laughed.

"Well, it's not every day you wake up next to a complete stranger," he justified. "Except…"

Hermione watched as his smile faded away.

"Except what?" she asked.

"Except I didn't feel like we were strangers. For a moment, when our eyes first met, I had this inexplicable feeling that you knew me."

Hermione felt a flutter of nervousness under his gaze. Carefully, she asked him, "You think we could have met before?"

Remus frowned at her slightly as he studied her face, then shook his head.

"No, I would have remembered. Even if I had just caught a glimpse of you in passing, I would have remembered you. You'd be impossible to forget."

But he would forget her. Dumbledore would make sure of that. Remus would forget her completely. He wouldn't remember any of the moments he'd spent with her in this time. He wouldn't remember any of the kisses they'd shared. He would forget all of his feelings for her. It would be as if he'd never had them, as if none of this had ever happened. She alone would remember how amazing it had been between them, and it would be torture.

"I wish I didn't have to go," she said, her voice breaking as she moved toward him, seeking his comforting embrace.

"Me too," Remus said, holding her close. "But we'll write to each other like we promised, and we can see each other again when school is out."

Hermione remained silent. Remus wouldn't see her again for fifteen years…

"Jean," he said, pulling back slightly to better look at her. "We'll see each other again, won't we?"

"We will," she told him softly, but her somberness was mirrored in his expression.

She reached up to caress his kind and handsome face. Would this be the last time she'd ever get to touch him like this? Tears fell from her eyes before she could blink them back. Remus looked helpless as he gently wiped them way. He pressed his lips to her forehead, and then his mouth found hers. Knowing this might be one of the last kisses he'd ever give her, Hermione clutched his shirt when he pulled away again, not wanting to let him go.

"Remus," she whispered almost pleadingly, gazing intently into his green-gray eyes. He searched her brown ones and she wondered if he could read in them just how much she wished she could stay, how much she yearned to be with him, because his expression suddenly revealed a distress similar to her own, a similar yearning, and after a breathless moment his lips recaptured hers.

But this time his kiss was different. He kissed her with more urgency, with deeper feeling than he'd ever kissed her with before, and Hermione was overcome with emotion. She became utterly consumed with a feeling she had never felt so strongly, a feeling more profound than she'd ever imagined it could be. There was an urgency behind her kiss as well, a sort of desperation pouring from her soul.

That desperation quickly became tinged with desire, a desire which strengthened with each passing second. Hermione was electrified by the growing passion between them, and when Remus's fingers slipped beneath her sweater and stripped it off, she made no attempt to stop him. Instead, she slid her hands into his open coat and pushed it off his shoulders. She was no longer thinking. She was completely losing control, losing herself, but in the most magnificent way. She was giving in to the glorious feeling, surrendering herself entirely to the magic, and to Remus — the man she loved.

Not consciously realizing that they'd been slowly backing up towards his bed, Hermione unexpectedly bumped into the mattress. She fell back upon it, instinctively grabbing hold of Remus's shirt and pulling him so that he stooped down towards her. She took advantage of her stumble and their position by swiftly removing his shirt. Her fingers then sought to caress every inch she could reach of his newly exposed skin, and she relished in the feel of his lean body, his toned arms, his back, his chest—

Suddenly, Hermione's hands went still. She broke apart from their kiss to view the various scars beneath her fingertips. Remus stepped away from her.

"I know they're not a pleasant sight," he said. "If they bother you—"

"They don't."

Hermione stood up and cautiously reached out to him. When Remus didn't move away, she lightly traced a scar that ran from his neck, over his collarbone, and down across his chest.

"I just don't like that you've been hurt." She placed soft kisses along his old wound, then looked him directly in the eyes. "And believe me, Remus, you are a pleasant sight."

He was gorgeous and she told him so.

Remus reclaimed her lips with new vigor. His hands trailed down her body before grasping the hem of her blouse and slipping it off. He backed her up onto his bed again and gently guided her down into a lying position. Tenderly, he began to explore her curves, his tantalizing touch on her bare skin making her shiver. Her longing for him was being fueled by his every caress, by the way his mouth moved down her neck, to her chest, to the tops of her breasts. He was expertly producing sensations of the most wonderful kind in her, warm and tingly and good.

He trailed kisses down to her navel, and Hermione gasped when he undid the button on her jeans. Remus paused, glancing up at her, seeking her permission. She gave him a small nod and bit her lip nervously as he tugged off her pants and shoes. She had never gone anywhere near this far with anybody else before. She'd only ever kissed her former boyfriends, and even those kisses had been on the chaste side. Now she was here in bed with Remus, half naked, and he was telling her she was beautiful as he admired her figure with blazing eyes. She felt warm under the intensity of his gaze, and even warmer when his own jeans came off, revealing more of his fit physique.

The feel of his body next to hers as they lay together, of the delicious tension building between them, was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. Anticipation swelled within her and she was filled with a powerful need to be even nearer to Remus. She pulled him closer, urging him for more contact, more friction, and he eagerly complied.

Hermione squirmed from the pleasurable discomfort of their proximity. This was all much more intense than she had expected. She was overwhelmed by the sensations that his kiss and touch were eliciting, overwhelmed by the feel of his erection against her thigh.

Her heart began beating wildly. She was finding it difficult to breathe. A surge of panic coursed through her, and her head began to buzz—

What was she doing?

They were heading toward the point of no return and part of Hermione wanted to throw caution to the wind and just go for it. This might be the only opportunity she'd ever have to be with Remus. She really wanted this, and in this moment so did he. He would never remember this in the future anyway, never know what they had done. But she would. The rest of Hermione knew that if she allowed this to go any further, she would never be able to look the older Remus in the eye again. If she didn't stop this now, she would be crossing a flagrant red line and would have to pay for it somehow when she returned to her time. She had already gone much too far.

"Remus," Hermione said breathily, halting his pursuit to remove the rest of her clothing. "Remus, wait."

Immediately, though she could tell it was reluctantly, he pulled away from her.

"I-I'm not sure I can do this," she said, sitting up and shifting back against the headboard. "I've never done this before. I — I'm not sure I'm ready."

The blazing look in his eyes gradually extinguished as he examined her face. After a few moments, he softly caressed her cheek, then his hand covered hers.

"If you're not sure, then we shouldn't."

"I'm sorry, Remus."

"You don't need to apologize. I'm sorry if I pushed you."

"You didn't. I really wanted to, but… I'm sorry," she said, wishing she could have gone through with this.

"It's okay, Jean. I understand. I've never either."

"You — you haven't?" she said, surprised. Judging by the confidence in his actions earlier, she had thought otherwise, but Remus shook his head.

Hermione took a deep breath. She couldn't believe what she had almost done. She was immensely grateful she'd stopped this when she had. If she had been the one he'd lost his virginity to, it would have made the situation infinitely more unforgivable.

"Remus, can I still stay here tonight?" she asked tentatively. "Can we — can you just hold me?"

"Of course," he said at once.

Hermione didn't know how she was going to get to sleep with all that was going on inside of her, but a short while later she was wearing one of Remus's jumpers and lying with him under the covers. He had his arm around her and was lightly stroking her hair as she rested her head against his chest. She felt so right there beside him. She felt so right whenever he held her, as though being in his arms was exactly where she was meant to be.

It didn't take long for Hermione's eyes to grow heavy under the calming effect of his rhythmic breathing and the comfort of his natural warmth. She drifted off to sleep listening to the soothing sound of his heartbeat.

Hermione didn't allow herself to sleep for long. She awoke at the crack of dawn, snuggled next to Remus and sorely tempted to continue lying there with him for a few more minutes, or maybe forever. She was incapable of quelling the fear that this might be the last time she'd ever be this close to him. But as much as she wanted to, she knew she couldn't stay. She had to get up now. She needed to go before Remus woke. She might not have the will to leave otherwise.

Careful not to rouse him, Hermione extricated herself from him and quietly found a piece of parchment. She wrote a short note to Remus apologizing for not saying goodbye. It tore her heart imagining him waking up to find her already gone, and she hated to do this, but she had to.

She placed the note on the pillow next to him and allowed herself one last, longing look at Remus before forcing herself to turn away. She walked out of the room, biting her lip and trying to maintain her resolve, trying to hold herself together. But her vision blurred as she left Gryffindor Tower and she dabbed hopelessly at her eyes with her sleeve.

After making a quick detour to her dorm, she headed toward Dumbledore's office. The Headmaster gave her a sympathetic look when she entered.

"Are you ready, Miss Granger?" he asked, retrieving the Time-Turner from his desk.

Hermione nodded rather grudgingly.

"You have already given me a list of people whose memories I must Obliviate. I will wait until classes resume and word of your transfer to a new school spreads before I act. This will decrease the chance of classmates mentioning you to Remus and your other friends after they have already been made to forget you."

Dumbledore passed the Time-Turner to Hermione.

"All you must do is turn the hourglass once in your hands and you will be returned to your true time."

Hermione stared solemnly at the Time-Turner, then looked up at the Headmaster.

"Thank you so much for your help, Professor. Thank you for everything."

"It has been a pleasure, Miss Granger. Till next we meet."

Dumbledore smiled at her, but she had difficulty returning it. This would be the last time she'd ever see the greatest wizard of all time alive.

"Goodbye, Professor."

She turned the hourglass and the world dissolved dizzyingly around her.

Hermione opened her eyes to a familiar room. It was colorfully decorated with posters of the Weird Sisters and the Holyhead Harpies on the walls — she was definitely back at the Burrow.

She slowly sat up in bed. Her head feeling foggy, she started rubbing her temple and in that moment became aware of the absence of the Time-Turner in her hands. She looked all around her, but it was nowhere to be seen. It had disappeared.

Or maybe it had never existed…

Hermione began to question whether everything she'd experienced with Remus in the past had just been an extremely elaborate dream — it had been too good to be true — but then she glanced down at her clothing. She was wearing Remus's blue jumper. It had all been real.

Just then, the youngest Weasley came into her bedroom.

"I thought you were already up," the redhead yawned.

"Ginny!"

Feeling like she hadn't seen her in ages, Hermione jumped out of bed to embrace her good friend.

"Morning," a bemused Ginny greeted, patting Hermione on the back. "Mum says breakfast is ready, and if we're not down in five minutes we're not getting any. Jeez. We were up most of the night and she expects us to be fully functional this early in the morning?"

"Last night — it was Harry's birthday, right?"

"Er, yeah," Ginny answered, giving her a funny look. "You feeling all right?"

"I'm fine," Hermione lied.

"Are you sure, Hermione?" the redhead asked, looking at her more closely.

"Yeah. It was just a late night like you said."

"Okay. Well, since I'm up, I'm getting breakfast. Are you coming?"

"I'll be down in a minute."

Ginny left the room and Hermione glanced around. On the bedside table was the rose Remus had given her. Although it looked perfectly ordinary, she could sense its magic as soon as she picked it up. She felt a soft hum tickle her fingers, like an energy was emanating from the flower, a vitality. The rose was alive. She inhaled its scent. It still smelled like Remus.

Hermione reached under the neck of her jumper to pull out the necklace he'd given her for Christmas. She touched the words engraved on the heart-shaped pendant: Be Silently Drawn. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out the photograph of her and Remus sitting together by the fire. They appeared to be in love as Lily had once told her. They were gazing at each other so tenderly.

Hermione couldn't help the sob that escaped her as she stared at the picture in her hands. The necklace and photograph proved that everything with Remus had truly happened, but it may as well have been a dream. Now, she was back to reality and she feared Remus would never look at her that way again.

End of Part One

A/N: Thank you for reading part one of my story! I hope you enjoyed it even though the ending is sad.

Part two of this romance coming soon! Prepare to delve into Remus's mind. I'll be writing from his point of view too from now on.

Also, thank you as always to each of you wonderful reviewers. I love hearing your thoughts on the story (feedback is always much appreciated) and reading your comments just makes me that much more excited to continue writing this fanfic.

Edit to A/N: Just to be clear, I'll be posting the rest of the story right here. I will not be posting part two as a separate story. Part two will begin in the next chapter. Sorry if I confused anybody.