"Behind Closed Doors" By Meg
I don't own Harry Potter…I simply enjoy using the characters conjured up J.K. Rowling for my own sweet pleasure.
Pairing: Hermione/Ron and Hermione/Mystery man (okay, the cat's out of the bag. It's Remus.)
A/N: I usually write chapters to songs, and I feel that listening to the song helps to better feel the flow that the song has established, so...from now on, I will list the song below.
Song: "Dancing" by Elsa, "Forever" by Papa Roach
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"Remus..." Hermione tried to say, but her strained voice came out whiny and small. She pushed against him once more, but felt the non-familiar crush of his hand against her back.
"Lupin," Ron seemed to warn, but his voice was not at all intimidating. "Let Hermione go and we can talk about this."
"Talk about what?" Remus growled. "You have no idea what's been going on! None."
Ron reached for his wand, but found it nowhere near him. Internally, he regretted Hermione's immediate lustful passion at the door. She thrown his coat somewhere, and his wand was where ever it was. He quickly scanned the room, eyes darting over the sofa, the hearth, the table and looking hopelessly into the opening to the kitchen. Remus was no longer clutching Hermione so closely to himself, but now just holding her. His long arms were wrapped about her seemingly tiny frame. Somehow, she had never seemed so small in all of Ron's life. Normally, she stood so proudly and independently. Now, she was weak and submissive, giving in to Remus and his aggression.
"Its not going to do you any good anyway, Weasley." Remus said, voice low and calm, but his eyes reflected a fierceness Ron would not be able to handle. Ron backed away, still trying to find his wand.
"What are you going to do, Remus?" Hermione finally managed to say. She'd stopped her futile struggle and just looked up at her lover, eyes laced with tears. "Please don't do anything rash."
Remus looked down at her, and she felt like she didn't even know who he was. The compassion in his eyes had iced over, and all that was there was a possessive rage. Remus felt the need to break contact with Hermione's pleading brown irises. Instead, his brows furrowed and he gave her the strongest look she had ever seen. Without saying anything, he'd said so much.
"Don't, Hermione." He mumbled, lips barely separating. The anger was gone from his words, and replaced with mingled sadness and overwhelming hurt "Do not antagonize me."
"Rash! Hermione! What do you call all of this!" Ron called from across the room. Ron's fingers finally found a wand, Hermione's wand, and he threw his arm into the air proudly. The flaming redhead made a small victorious noise and brandished the wand like a small sword.
"Ron, put that away." Remus said to Ron without looking up. Hermione could feel Remus's once-beautiful amber eyes eating holes in her. He blinked once, a slow sad blink, and broke contact with her. Only a second after pulling his gaze away from her, Remus caught Hermione completely off guard. Swiftly removing his hands from her back, Remus let her go. She dropped to the ground, falling back onto her hands, surprised.
"Screw you, mate, if you think I'm going to drop the only thing protecting me!" Ron growled back, freckled face lit up in confusion and fear. He pointed the wand at Remus's face, motioning for him to step away. "Get away from her! Away!"
Remus smiled internally, knowing that if Ron decided to make any sort of move, the wand in his pocket would be out before Ron could utter a syllable. He backed away, a small smirk painted on his face. Remus slid his hand in his pockets, took a few steps back, and rested his shoulders against the mantlepiece. Hermione, looking astonished at the sudden change of pace, got to her feet and walked over to Ron but did not take his outstretched hand.
"Are you alright, 'Mione?" Ron asked, looking over at him sidelong, trying to keep one eye on Remus.
"I'm fine, Ronald. Remus wouldn't hurt me." She said, words confident.
"Hermione! The man's a werewolf!" Ron replied, tone suddenly aghast at Hermione's comfort with the situation. "Don't forget that. I know he can be...normal...but, clearly, he's not...normal...right now!"
Remus watched the exchange between Hermione and Ron in silence. They behaved just the way they had in their first year of Hogwarts. Ron always assumed Hermione was missing the big picture, too caught up in the details. She made up for his spastic nature and reminded him, sometimes none too gently, that she was capable of handling herself. The system seemed to work for them.
"Hermione, does Ron make you happy?" Remus heard the words come out of his mouth, but almost didn't believe they had. He was thinking them one second, and the next...they were floating in the space between the three bodies in Hermione's den.
"Excuse me?" Ron barked.
"Does he make you happy, 'Mione?" Remus repeated, feeling as though he'd already said the words and that no more harm could come from repeating them. He stood a little taller, and looked her right in the eye. "Is this want you want, Hermione? To be a little housewife with an okay husband who undermines you?"
Ron whipped around and stared at Hermione. His mouth was agape, wondering why she was not immediately interjecting. Hermione looked at Ron blankly and then turned to glare at Remus, eyes filled with mild hatred.
"Yes, Remus. He makes me happy." She said after a moment, words slow like honey.
"Do I make you happy?" He answered, nearly before she'd finished her sentence."Answer honestly, Hermione." Remus added when a hesitation hung in the air.
"No, Remus, I won't answer that!" She shouted, caution thrown out.
"Why not, Hermione?" Remus heard Ron say, voice confused. Hearing that had obviously surprised Hermione as well, she seemed to have expected Remus to speak next. "Hermione, tell him! How can he make you happy? He doesn't have anything to do with you!"
Ron stepped out from behind Hermione, and turned to face her. He let the wand drop to the floor and grabbed both of her arms with his inflexible grip. He fought off the urge to shake her. Hermione's gaze was set firmly on Remus, and Ron had to shake her lightly to get to look him in the eye. "Hermione. Hermione!" He repeated.
"Ron...you have to understand..." She looked at him sheepishly.
"No." He interrupted her. "Hermione...you've got to be joking me."
"Ron, it was just once!" She yelped, looking to Remus for help.
Instead of helping Hermione's case like she'd hoped he would, his anger boiled up. He was insulted that Hermione would cast off the love they shared. He wanted to scream at her. She was calling what had happened an innocent accident. Not the earth-moving love affair that it had been since the beginning.
"Don't lie to him, Hermione!" He growled. "If you love him, he deserves the truth!"
Hermione could feel the sting of Remus's own words. She knew that he wanted her for himself. She looked at him, wondering just how far this was going to go. A deep knot rose up in her stomach and Hermione fought to keep it down. She looked at Ron, whose face was already reflecting pain, and tears welled up in her eyes. She didn't want to hurt him. He loved her so much, but she knew that he deserved someone who would be faithful. Hermione hated that she hadn't been loyal to Ron. But, there was something about Remus...
"Hermione..." Ron pleaded, holding her arms tighter than he had.
"I've been having an affair with Remus for a very long time, Ron." Hermione held her eyes closed. She couldn't look at Ron once she said those words.
"How long?" He yelped. Hermione opened her eyes. "How long, Hermione? Tell me, God damnit."
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Please R&R.
The story is coming to an end...only two more chapters left.
Meagan