I got this one up faster then i thought :P i have to keep you guys in suspense some how!

Young at Heart

Chapter 7- "For me"

It was late at night, around midnight when the two middle-aged men were still awake in the drawing room, both with a small whisky glass that they had been sipping from. Bother were still coherent and were talking quietly about Remus and Hermione. Everyone else had gone to bed, and the alcohol had loosened their tongues.

"Remus, I think you should just talk to her. It won't do any good to be sobbing here mate." Sirius suggested as he took another swig of the fire whisky.

"You bloody well know that I can't. It has to end here. Because I can't let it go any farther between her and I. It's wrong, legally and morally." Although Remus may have seemed as if he didn't care about Hermione, it took all of his self-control to keep the tears in as he said those words.

Sirius could see that even as Remus talked it hurt him. He reached over and patted his friends back. "You've gotten yourself into a load of trouble mate." He said, burping from the alcohol.

"My glass is empty mate I'm going to go refill. You want another?" Sirius got up and began to walk towards the door before Remus shook his head.

Hermoine couldn't sleep. It was near midnight as she tossed and turned in bed. Her eyes were still red and puffy from her latest crying fit. She sighed loudly and flipped her covers off, as she got out of bed.

She was headed for the kitchen to make some hot chocolate or something to nurse her back to sleep. As she quietly snuck down the stairs she passed the drawing room, and she stopped immediately when she saw Remus, his head still in his hands, sitting on the couch. She watched him for a moment, wanting so badly to run to him and kiss him. But she didn't she turned the other way and walked into the kitchen.

She pushed on the swinging door, and heard the shattering of glass. "Ouhf!" She heard a rough voice scream on the other side of the door. "Repairo" She heard Sirius say as she saw the glass fly into his hand, repaired, with a new shot of fire whisky.

"Oh, I didn't realize you were here." Hermoine said, "Sorry I ran into you." Sirius just eyed her down, thinking to himself. "Couldn't sleep?" He asked, as he watched her in her large Quidditch shirt, making hot coco.

Hermione shook her head and turned back to face Sirius. She could tell by his eyes he was about to give her the big speech, and she was in no mood to hear it.

He started in on her before she could even get around him. "I was talking to Remus tonight." That stopped Hermione in her tracks.

"He is a mess Hermione." Sirius turned to her and said simply, "He cares about you… You need to go and talk to him. For me? He's my best mate and I can't stand seeing him like this."

Hermione let out a sigh, not knowing what to say when Sirius stepped around her, "I'm going up to bed, and he's in the drawing room. Please go talk to him."

The bushy brunette listened to him leave, and then she waited a moment before turning around and going to the drawing room.

She stood looking at him through the glass door again, before turning the knob and pushing it open.

"It's about time Sirius I- Oh." Remus stopped as he noticed that it was Hermione who stood before him, not Sirius. He could easily tell that her eyes were blotchy from crying, and she seemed so nervous, but even then She looked as beautiful and angelic as anyone could possibly ever look, standing there in the firelight.

"Remus I-" She started, then stopped and went to go and sit next to the older man. As soon as she sat Remus exploded at her, "Hermione, I'm so sorry, please just let me explain. Earlier you left so quickly and you were so upset I had no time to-" He turned his head away, leaving Hermione biting her lip. Her next move surprised him; she reached over and gently placed her hand atop his. Her warm touch sent fire through his skin and it gave him the confidence needed to gather his thoughts.

"Hermione, I really care about you. This summer, you've slowly grown inside me, and I light up with I see you. But how could you care for someone with gray hair, and not just from old age."

Hermione ignored his illusion to his "condition" and continued, now holding both his hands with hers, "Remus I feel the same. I don't want you to think of me as a child I'm seventeen. I…I'm graduation next year and what does a year of difference mean? I just I find you so exciting and exhilarating. I hope you feel the same way…"

Her heart was pounding, and she was sure he could hear it through her chest. He just looked at her though, and neither moved for the longest time. Hermione was hanging on the moment, hoping he wouldn't reject her.

"Of course I do Hermione. I greatly care for you. I want you to let me in." He said slowly, hoping the weight of his words meant something to her.

Gently he placed his hand behind her head and pulled her lips to his, just barely kissing her at first, then slowly pressing harder and slipping his tongue between her pale soft lips.

All their confusion and unhappiness was taken far away when they were together. The spent an hour in silence, lying in one another's arms, late in the night, as the fire burned on and on.

Next chappie is coming soon!