Ch 17 Falling With You

Hermione landed hard falling to the floor on top of the book that brought her back. She groaned as she felt the beginnings of a bruise on her knees. She stood up and glanced around Dumbledore's empty office.

"Grandpa? Professor Dumbledore?" Hermione called out before deciding to just go looking for him. She left his office and ventured out to the Great Hall. It was lunch time from the looks of it. The corridors were empty. She opened the doors to the great hall and every eye turned on to her.

"Hermione!" she heard someone scream and suddenly there were people running at her. Her best friends. She allowed them to scoop her up into a bone crushing hug. She suddenly felt herself crying and she only cried harder when she seen the tears in Harry's eyes, Lily's eyes.

"God Hermione we thought we lost you. We were going crazy here and all Dumbledore said was that you would come back. Its been so agonizing having to go day after day without you. I don't know how much more of it I would have been able to take." Harry said not releasing her.

"Lets take this to my office, shall we children" Hermione looked up to see Dumbledore ushering them out of the Great Hall. They followed but Harry and Ron still didn't remove their hands from her. They reached his office soon enough and they all sat around his fire place.

"I'm so glad you made it back alright Hermione. I was so worried" Dumbledore said and Hermione could see the sincerity in his eyes.

"Oh Grandpa!" she said leaping up and wrapping her arms around the older man. When she sat back down she didn't miss the exchanged looks between Harry and Ron.

"Care to tell us what's going on?" Ron asked, Hermione bit her lip and glanced at Dumbledore.

"Go ahead Hermione dear, they are ready for the truth." he said, Hermione nodded and turned to her friends.

"Well the way I disappeared was because of the book I was reading that day on the Quidditch pitch it was actually a book on the Dark Arts, a time travel book. It somehow sent me back in time when I fell off the Quidditch stands. I went back to when the Marauders were in school." she said glancing at Harry.

"I met your parents" she said and she seen a look of pain and possibly jealousy flash through his green eyes.

"You went back in time?" Ron asked almost disbelieving.

"Yes. I made friends after a while. I was close with Lily. We told each other everything. We became best friends. And Sirius was so sweet even though he was such a flirt" she said smiling as the tears and memories flooded her face and mind.

"And James he was such a smart ass sometimes, but he was so caring and he loved Lily so much! He was always pursuing her. She danced with him all night once and I know she really loved him too. She just hated his cocky arrogance. It was something him and Sirius shared. They were both aware of their looks and talents. And Remus…" She stopped her voice breaking as she remembered the look on his face when she fled the common room.

"What happened with Remus Hermione?" Harry asked quietly. Hermione stared into his emerald orbs. They had grown so much closer over the summer and the start of the year. It was he who taught her to pleasure a man and he respected the fact that she wanted to save her virginity for when she fell in love. She did love him with all of her heart but it wasn't the kind of love that she dreamed of having when married. It wasn't like Remus.

"I fell in love" she said quietly. She saw a flash of hurt run through his eyes before she looked down into her lap.

"I didn't want to leave him, them, but I knew I had to come back. Not only because I couldn't stay there but because of you guys. My friends, my family. I want to see him again. I know he probably hates me for leaving him without even a single explanation but I have to try" she wiped her tears and looked back up at her friends.

"I really missed you guys" she said and the tears began to fall again.

"We missed you to Hermione" Ron said and he hugged her. Hermione glanced at Harry.

"Harry?" she asked questionably.

"He's on patrol of Hogsmeade right now" he said. Hermione didn't understand for a second then she realized what he was telling her.

"Thank you Harry" Hermione said she gave him a long hug and a small kiss before leaving the office.

She sprinted out of the office and down flights of stairs. By the time she reached the entrance hall she was all out of breath. She walked outside breathing heavily. She then slapped her forehead and quickly glanced around before transforming into her cat form. She ran much faster with less exertion, she reached the gates quicker and transformed back walking quickly and slightly out of breath toward Hogsmeade. She glanced up and down the empty streets before heading in the direction of the old cave Sirius used to stay in. she searched the village until it grew dark, and giving up she went back to the castle.

She fetched her bag from Dumbledore's office before heading up to the owlery. Once there she pulled out a bit of parchment and stared out the owlery window before starting her letter.

Dearest Remus

I hope that I am not too late. I betrayed you all those years ago and I know that you may never forgive me but I wanted you to know the truth about me and where I came from, actually it would be more like when I came from. I wanted to tell you in person but I'm not sure if you ever want to see me again. In the past you knew me as Hermione Dumbledore, in the present you know me as Hermione Granger. I was sent to the past through the means of a book. A book that has become in my eyes both a blessing and a curse. If I would have never been sent back I would have never gotten to know you, to love you. It is a curse because if I would have never known you I would have never hurt you. Our love was unique and special and it was everything and I would never trade any of our memories or experiences. I know that you are a different man now. You have over twenty years more of experience and memories. I also realize that I am still the same girl you knew but I think that if we try at it we could learn to grow close again. That is if you want too. I will not force you Remus and I know that I deserve nothing less then you leaving me just like I have left you, but I am really wishing that you can over look my selfishness and give me a second chance. If you don't I will take your decision with out a fuss and wish you the best in life. Until then Remus I await your reply.

Forever in love,

Hermione

Take a chance on me

She finished the letter adding those five words that he had once given her. She hoped with all of her heart that he would consider her even after all the horrible things she had done. She missed him already. She let the tears slip down her face quietly until there was nothing left and she went to the Gryffindor common room with a numb feeling in her chest. She sat cuddled up with Harry and Ron who had only questioned her slightly. She fell asleep in the common room tucked up into Harry's arms her feet sprawled across Ron. The next morning Hermione woke first to the streaming sunlight that blinded her most effectively. She groaned sitting up and stretching out her sore muscles. Her movements caused her best friends to wake up and they relaxed for a few minutes before they went to their respective dormitories to change for the day. Hermione managed to shower and dress before Lavender or Pavarti awoke so she went quickly and quietly back down to the common room. The boys were there already waiting for her by the fire. She smiled

"Good morning boys" she said feeling oddly content. She was back where she belonged, even if she didn't have the love of her life. The golden trio was reunited and Hermione felt good as she walked through the halls both her arms linked with her two boys. she felt confident even among the excited whispers. People kept approaching them in the great hall and telling Hermione how good it was to have her back. It made her happy to know that she was missed. They spent there day by the lake just enjoying each others company, which consisted of Hermione telling them stories about the Marauders mostly Lily and James. once night came again Hermione felt a deep saddening feeling deep in her chest. Remus hadn't written back. She went to sleep that night with a heavy heart. The next morning was nearly the same as the previous day except classes had begun again. The week came and went quickly and Hermione had given up all hope for a reconciliation by that Friday. She felt the tears welling up again as she returned to the empty dormitory after dinner. She was laying face down on her pillow when a tapping on her window made her get up she let the owl in and it dropped a letter on her head before leaving again. She opened the scroll with shaking hands.

Hermione

Meet me in the Astronomy tower at seven pm.

Remus

It was simple and short and made Hermione want to cry. So she got up checked her appearance and snuck out quietly to the astronomy tower. She reached it a little before seven so she went up. The tower was dark but she could make out a dark silhouette against the barrier of the tower. She walked closer until she could make out the worn lines of the older mans face.

"Remus" she said softly tears once again springing to her eyes. He turned facing her and stared at her taking in every detail of her. She bit her lips trying not to cry from his lack of reaction.

"Is it really you?" he asked finally and Hermione saw the tears building in his eyes.

"Yes its me" she said the tears running freely down her cheeks. She was surprised when they began to fall from his eyes and he came towards her scooping her into his arms.

"You left me Hermione. Why did you leave me. I went after you, to Dumbledore's office after you had left the common room. I was so worried that you would do something stupid. You were so shaky and distraught and I didn't know what was going on and I wanted to help you, to be there for you. When I went to his office he said that you had gone. That someday in the future I would meet you again. And we did. I met you again but I wasn't sure it was you. Our rose tree the white rose never died. I knew you were alive I just didn't know where. The smaller flowers all died out after a while, but when I came back to teach at Hogwarts they came back to life the lightest shade of pink and I wasn't sure, and now you're here and you look exactly how you were when you left and I don't know if you're real" he said his voice cracking at the end.

"I'm real Remus I'm here and I promise on my life that I won't ever leave you again, that I won't ever betray you again" she said through her tears as her and Remus stood there embracing. They were lost in each other. Hermione recognized his smell so vividly and she missed him even though she had only seen his younger self a week ago.

"I've changed Hermione I'm not the boy you used to know." he said softly pulling away and looking down at her.

"I know you aren't Remus. I always liked you before. I though it was a school girls crush but now I know its love. I will always love you and I know things will be different. I know that you have changed and I know that I haven't, but I would still like to give this a shot. If you want to." she said looking up at him, her eyes wide and hopeful.

"I spent over twenty years trying to get over you trying to forget and put it all behind me. I went through hell after you left me, I didn't know if I could ever love another woman. I wasn't able to. I knew that you were alive out there somewhere and that our love was still strong. I was angry at you at first when I got you letter. I thought it was a joke but then it made sense and I was angry because I spent all these years in the dark not knowing what happened to you and you had never even felt the pain of us being apart…" he was saying and Hermione felt her heart breaking, he was going to tell her he didn't want her. He was going to make her endure what he had gone through.

"but then I realized that I still love you and that this was my chance to be happy again to love again and be loved in return. I want to give you a choice first Hermione. If we choose to be together society will frown down upon us because of, one our massive age difference and, two because I'm a werewolf. You have to think of this carefully you may be shunned for the rest of your life." he finished not looking at her.

"Remus a long time ago you asked me to take a chance on you. I took a chance knowing how it would be. I would never abandon you because of what people think or what they think is right. I want to spend forever with you Remus and I want you now to take a chance on me. I want you to trust me again with your heart and I promise this time I won't do anything to intentionally hurt you. I love you Remus Lupin with my whole heart and soul. I want to give you everything I have to offer. I want it to be just me and you. I want to be yours again" Hermione said looking into his eyes and willing him to feel every ounce of her love, her passion, her desire, her everything. He smiled down on her.

"Okay" was all he said before Hermione jumped into his arms and pulled him into a passionate kiss. A kiss that he had been longing to receive for so many years a kiss that she was so desperate to give him. She didn't care anymore about what people would say as long as she had her love, her life line, her soul mate, her everything…

THE END

----------Please review and tell me what you thought. I would love that. Thank you all for reading my story and thank you to those who reviewed. Much love, Nicole-------------

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