Remus awoke with a start, his arms wrapped firmly around his…no, not his wife, he thought with a grin. He remembered last night and knew that when he opened his eyes, it would be to search through the mass of brown hair and find her chocolate eyes staring back at him. Fitting, he mused, seeing as chocolate was one of his favorite things. Her gentle breathing tickled his chest as he lazily began stroking her flannel clad hip. A completeness such as he'd never known before surrounded him and he sighed happily before pulling her tighter to him and willing the day to never start.
Last night had been amazing and, while completely innocent, he was left with the realization that he connected with this witch like none before. She rolled onto her back and he propped his head up on his hand to watch her, chill bumps dotting his arm as her hair tickled the elbow holding him close to her.
"It's not polite to stare," she mumbled, barely peeking through her heavy eyelids at him.
He smiled as he continued to watch, his free hand now resting in the curve of her waist and his thumb gently rubbing her exposed skin. Ideas of how to earn her forgiveness, 'preferably naked', the wolf had been adding to the end of every idea, had been plaguing him since he had awoken those short moments ago.
"Am I forgiven now?" he asked queitly, his smile slowly fading when he watched her features turn more serious.
Brown eyes met blue and he held his breath as he waited for her to answer; all the while wondering why it felt like his own life was hanging in the balance. Gentle caresses of her barely exposed midriff never ceased, and she didn't act as though she wanted him to move, but he feared her response nonetheless.
"I can't stay mad at you," she sighed in resignation, "but that doesn't mean things are alright between us. However," she added, bringing her hand up to entwine her fingers with his own, "I understand this has been difficult for you as well and I suppose I can try to understand your position and the reasons why you used me the way you did. I just don't know what that means for us."
She looked so sad, so completely lost that his heart went out to her. Nothing that had happened between them this last week could serve to extinguish the fire she had lit within him, or the wolf, but nothing gave him the right to do what he did either.
"I was trying to protect you," he said softly, trying to pull away from her and secretly smiling when she held on to his hand. "I thought he, the wolf, hated you. How was I supposed to know what had been going on? You've used me as well, Hermione, maybe not purposely," he added, holding up his hand to stop her imminent interruption, "but it was my body you and he were using while I was left completely unaware of the entire affair."
"You're right," she said, her voice coated in shame. "I just…I didn't…hell, I don't know."
He couldn't help the laughter that bubbled out of his mouth, but quickly tried to stifle it. "This is new territory for me as well," he said finally, his voice growing serious again. "I'm married to someone else and then find out that, without my knowledge or consent, I've been having an affair with someone half my age."
Hermione looked away, and Remus could swear he saw sadness creeping into her eyes. "I'm sorry, Remus, I truly am," she said, her voice breaking with emotion. "It's just so hard knowing that I'm good enough for the wolf, but for the man, I'm not even close."
"Hermione that's not…" A noise from the door brought them from their conversation and back to what had awoken them in the first place. Hermione, however, rolled over to face him and snuggled her tight body in closer to his, hiding from what they both knew was coming as he lay his head on the pillow and held her close; neither knowing how many stolen moments like this one that they would have.
"Harry, you really shouldn't."
"If he's in there, Sirius, I want to know!" He heard Harry's harsh whisper and, despite the impending blow up, smiled slightly to himself. Like father like son.
"It doesn't really matter, does it? If he's in there, then obviously they're both happy and we should leave them alone. There's more to them than you realize, Harry, more than even I know."
"Sure they're happy, until Tonks comes home, then what? Hermione is better than this. Hell, Remus is better than this, so what are they playing at?"
The door creaked open and, even with his back to the two men, Remus heard Harry's angry gasp of surprise. Sirius chuckled softly and walked quietly closer to them.
"Better get up, Moony, the bitch…I mean your wife, will be home soon."
"G'way," Hermione mumbled sleepily against his chest and Remus grinned down at her, his heart growing when she wound herself deeper into his embrace.
"You heard the lady," he said without looking back, "go away."
"Your wife, Remus," Harry said coolly, "will be home soon and I would prefer it if she didn't find you in Hermione's bed, again."
"I would prefer it, Harry, if you let me fight my own battles. Remus is warm and I am comfortable. Not to mention we both have our clothes on, so obviously nothing happened." Hermione buried even deeper into his arms while he pulled her tighter and nuzzled her hair again.
Harry stormed out of the room with a very giddy, and quite sober, Sirius in tow. Halfway to the kitchen, they heard someone in the library and went to investigate. Tonks, looking worse for the wear after her long night at work, stood over the table, but looked up quickly when they walked in.
"Harry, Sirius," she smirked knowingly, "there's something I think you both should know."
Sirius strolled in, throwing his arm around his cousin and asking, "What is it, dearest cousin of mine, that you know and we don't?"
Harry, however, kept looking to the door and then down the hall. The discomfort of knowing that her husband was in bed with his best friend was completely evident on his face. He hesitated until Sirius threw him a pointed look, then he walked anxiously into the room.
"What is it, Tonks? Did something happen last night?"
"Yes and no," she said seriously. "Nothing happened at work, but I found out some things I think you should both know about." She looked almost nervous and they all sat down around the table. "You both know that Remus and Hermione," she said the name like a disgusting disease and Harry feared the worst, "have been keeping things from us. Last night I found out what it was. Now, I personally believe that because of their connection to us, they should have confided their research and their results, but they chose not to do so. I've been going back and forth with whether or not to tell you what I know and have decided that you deserve the truth…from someone at least."
Sirius looked intrigued, but also irritated at the way she was talking about them and Harry was flat out curious. "Go on," he encouraged like a child being told what they were getting for Christmas from Santa Clause himself.
"Well," she began haughtily, making Sirius cringe in disgust, "when I was searching for something completely unrelated, I came across their research by mistake. They have found a way to bring back those that are stuck in the veil."
Her proud remark left the two men dumbfounded and only Hermione and Remus glaring evilly from the doorway brought their attention back to the matter at hand.
"Is it true?" Sirius asked cautiously.
Hermione's response was honest. "No, it's not." She shot an angrily look at Tonks, with whom Remus was already storming over to, before saying more. "We think we might have found a way to do something with the lost souls, but whether or not it will bring them back is still uncertain."
"But you think you can do something with them, right. Somehow let them come back or move on or…something?" Sirius asked hopefully, a light shining in his usually guilt-dimmed eyes.
Hermione hesitated for a moment, but it was Remus who answered his long-time friend. "Yes, Sirius, in all honesty I think we've found a way to do something, we just don't know what that something is yet, nor do we know what effects it will have. We have a meeting with Kingsley in a couple hours and then we'll know more."
A contemplative look fell over Sirius' features before he grinned. "I'm going with you."
"So am I," Harry added.
Three hours later found them still sitting in the Minister's office. Remus could tell that Hermione was getting more and more nervous the longer they continued and it didn't help that the wolf kept smelling Tonks and growling. Funny, that in just a short week he had started referring to her as 'Tonks' again and wondering why he ever married her to begin with. It seemed he had lied to himself for almost a year and it took the wolf to show him what she was really like; that and her incredible manipulative streak that he knew nothing about previously.
He walked up behind her and started massaging her tense shoulders as they finally began walking down the hall of the Department of Mysteries, allowing his warmth to seep into her as he softly whispered into her ear, "You'll do fine, Hermione, I have no doubt."
"You know this should never have been allowed, Minister," the old Auror said snidely. The man had contradicted them with baseless accusations for the last three hours and Remus was growing more and more tired of him.
His friend smirked and replied, "What could this slip of a girl and her," he paused, looking Remus up and down with obvious disdain, "wolf, possibly have found that the Unspeakables have not?"
Hermione stopped in her tracks, addressing the two Aurors and bringing everyone to a halt behind her. "You are more than welcome to stay behind. Keeping with your stupidity will only get you left where you stand and I won't allow you the entrance you so secretly covet."
"Won't allow?!" he spat hatefully.
"Who died and made you boss?" the other asked unintelligently.
Rolling her eyes, Hermione responded, "All those I hope to free soon. Now, what's it going to be, are you going to play nice or not at all?"
"Why you little…" he snarled, advancing on her quickly only to be stopped by Remus' grip on his forearm.
"I wouldn't," he said coldly, tightening his grip and making the man's face flush in anger.
"Don't touch me, wolf!"
"Enough! Hermione, please continue on. The Unspeakables are waiting for us and we don't have time for this. McDavis, Bobar, do as she says or stay where you are."
They reluctantly nodded their agreement to the Minister and Hermione glared at them for a moment before leading them to the Rotating Room.
"Death Chamber!" Kingsley called out and the doors suddenly stopped spinning around them. A door opened to their right and they filed through it and down the rickety and broken stone steps.
Hermione, Remus, Sirius, and Harry stood at the top, waiting on the others to descend and trying to get their emotions under control. Harry and Remus had lost Sirius in this very room all those years ago and the room itself held a terrifying secret that only Sirius fully understood. Although Hermione hadn't been in the room at the time when Sirius fell through the veil, she had seen others' memories repeatedly and felt their emotions now like they were her own.
Turning to face the others, she quietly said, "If you would rather stay outside, I understand." When they continued to stare at the veil instead of acknowledging her, she spoke a bit louder. "Listen, this is one of the reasons Remus and I didn't want you to know. Just being in this room is difficult enough and you shouldn't have to go through this."
Without looking at her, Sirius added softly, "And you didn't want us to get our hopes up." He turned towards her with a weak smile, "It's okay…I'm okay. I mean, no offense, but I don't honestly expect this to work. Sure, when Tonks told us this morning, we were both excited, but neither one of us expects anything. Just do what you can and we'll see what happens."
"Besides," Harry said jokingly, "it'll be nice to actually walk down these steps instead of falling the entire way."
Hermione looked at Remus, who nodded, and then down the steps. With a hand on the small of her back, he gently guided her down to the floor and towards the raised dais. She could feel him tense beside her and knew that he, too, was reliving the battle.
"You ready for this, kiddo?" Kingsley muttered in her ear when he walked over.
Down on the floor now, they could all see remnants of their battle with the Death Eaters. Burned areas were scattered throughout the aged room and the holes and cracks in the benches nicely fit most human body parts. Ignoring this, Hermione nodded her head and took a shaky breath before walking across the floor and toward her final goal.
She could hear the voices now, much the way Harry and Luna had claimed they could the first time. She no longer thought them crazy, but understood that a person had to have an intimate knowledge of death before it was possible to hear those that spoke from the realm of the nonliving.
A sharp gasp from her left drew her attention to Sirius and she saw, not for the first time, how affected he was by the entire ordeal…and how afraid.
"Alright there, Sirius?" she asked, so only he could hear.
"I will be," he replied through clenched teeth and she smiled at Kingsley when he patted Sirius's shoulder and began speaking to him, slowly drawing him away from the others.
No pressure, she thought to herself, before saying out loud, "Everyone stay back and, um, keep your fingers crossed." She muttered the last bit to herself and jumped slightly when she felt something brush against her back. No one was that close to her, so she shook off the feeling and turned toward the bane of her very existence at the moment when she heard his remark.
"Stay back?" McDavis hissed quietly. "Why would we stay away from the action?"
Remus had walked up to the man when he had turned sharply to face Hermione. "Because I told you to," she said calmly.
"Because you told me to? Who do you think you are? Do you really think you can ride the coattails of Harry Potter this far? You are fooling no one, little girl. This can't be done and our time is being wasted all because you get what you want by spreading your legs for the Min…"
Remus snarled angrily, "Finish that sentence and you will regret it."
"Oh really?" he asked, glancing to make sure the Minister was still busy. "What are you going to do? Tonks has told me all about you and I can assure you that I am far from scared."
It was obvious the Auror was bluffing about his lack of fear as beads of sweat dotted his forehead and his eyes darted around the room. It also appeared he had absolutely no sense of self-preservation. Remus stepped closer to the man and snapped in a low tone right in the man's ear, "Speak to her again and I will…bite you."
With a terrified look on his very pale face, McDavis stumbled to the bench and sat with the others, his wide eyes never leaving Remus as though he feared an attack the second he turned his back. Remus, however, winked at Hermione and she thought for a moment she could see amber flash in his blue eyes.
Nerves began to overwhelm her when she looked back at the dais and noticed everyone watching her with looks of excitement and skepticism. Remus turned her to face him and, with his hands firmly gripping her shoulders, she felt encouraged and uplifted by his words.
"You can do this," he said, willing her to believe him. "I'm right here. Forget about everything and concentrate on the veil and the souls trapped inside. We've only been at this for days, Hermione, and you can't expect it to work on the first try."
She nodded her head and he smiled that warm smile which never failed to go straight to her heart. "Show me the girl whose biggest fear was failing a few exams and I'll show you the woman who can conquer anything. I'm right here," he reassured her again.
Turning back to the dais, she smiled as she walked slowly closer. She was concentrating on her task so completely that she missed Sirius telling Harry not to worry about how close she and Remus had become; she missed the gazes that bored into her back and also the loving look on Remus' face as he watched the woman he was truly falling in love with work a miracle.
When she approached the dais, she touched it gently with one hand and then began murmuring words she hoped would bring them back. Assuming only so many souls would be found in the veil, she jumped right into the memorized spell that Remus had prepared and began chanting over and over.
For several long, agonizing moments, nothing happened; there were no changes to the dais itself, nor to the people around her. Worry and self-doubt began to creep inside her mind, but she continued on. When the amount of magical energy she was using began to fatigue her body, she pushed onward still and willed herself to manage more. Reassurance began to flood her when she felt Remus' warm hand slide into hers. She looked down at their joined hands briefly before looking back up to his supportive face. Sirius stood beside them and, with their support, she began chanting again, only louder and with more force.
It was just as she was ready to give in to the inevitable, just as her body was screaming in protest that it could take no more, she felt the strength surge from Remus into herself and the air begin to hum and buzz around her. She glanced to the high ceiling for only a second and saw the foggy forms of lost souls stream from the veil and swirl into the air around them. Several people squealed in surprise and, had she had the opportunity, Hermione would have laughed at McDavis' reaction. Instead, however, she continued to chant as the fogs began to shift between air and corporeal shapes. She had to hold back her gasp of surprise at what she saw before her.
When she heard Sirius' strangled cry from beside her, she chanced a glance in his direction. His body was changing, the outlines blurring as his feet began to lift from the ground. She quickly released Remus' hand and grabbed Sirius' shoulder as she continued her chant. His body wavered back and forth and the shocked expression, mixed with outright fear, on his face scared her more than anything she had ever seen in her life.
Tears began sliding down her cheeks when she suddenly realized that if they continued to save the souls from the veil, in the way in which they were doing at the moment, they would lose Sirius, perhaps lose them all. But, it was too late to stop and she knew she had no choice other than to continue. Sirius seemed to know that as well, and he solemnly nodded his head to her while pulling her hand away from his shoulder, keeping his eyes locked on hers as his body faded further and further into the fogginess that matched those around him.
"NO!" Remus and Harry shouted together, both grabbing Sirius and trying desperately to ground him before he became lost to them once more-this time forever.
In all of the confusion--the screams from startled mortals, the buzzing from the lost souls that were half there and half not, and Harry and Remus trying to hold on to Sirius--no one noticed the hands that suddenly materialized from behind her until it was too late, until Hermione screamed in surprise and panic only seconds before her tired body was pushed forward and engulfed by the veil itself. They all stopped to watch, stunned, as the lost souls screeched with ungodly sounds and Hermione floated away from them like a leaf on a gentle breeze.