I own nothing! JK owns all!

It was a few days since Hermione asked Remus to marry her. He had stared at her with his mouth hanging open in shock, she had giggled and dipped her head under the water. When she had resurfaced Remus had gone. She had frowned but carried on bathing, figuring that she'd talk to him later on. However when she had finished and dressed in night clothes Remus was nowhere to be seen. Hermione had gone to bed upset that night, since they had lived together Remus hadn't gone out without telling her where to once.

Now it was three days later and Hermione was miserable. The law had come out in the papers and she was receiving letters from distant aquiantances asking for her hand in marriage. Remus was avoiding her and doing an amazing job of it, she hadn't seen him since that day in the bath. Hermione was between jobs at the minute, the job she took after the war made her steadily more miserable so she decided to take some time off. The money she received after the war from various interviews and awards had been put straight into Gringotts and she had barely touched it since. To be honest she hadn't even realised how much she had, the truth was Hermione Granger was a rich woman. Not rich enough to never work again, but rich enough to not work for the next decade at least.

Hermione was currently in the library reading an old muggle book from when she was a child and smiling wistfully at all the memories when she heard the door open quietly. She didn't move or call out, she stayed still and heard the door quietly close again and the cautious footsteps of Remus climb the stairs. As the library door opened Hermione pretended to be reading her book again, so Remus might actually come into the room.

"Oh, I didn't realise you were in here. Sorry."

"Remus, it's okay. Come in."

"No, it's fine. I need to um..."

"Please, I want to talk to you..."

Remus begrudgingly made his way into the room and sat on the couch furthest away from Hermione. He glanced at her then the floor and gestured for her to start.

"You've been avoiding me."

It wasn't a question, Remus looked up at her and frowned. Thinking over what to say that would best convey his feelings.

"I can understand why, but frankly I think it's a bit childish. If you don't want to marry me then all you do is say no. I assume you're going to try and prove you can't have children? Either way it makes no difference but it would have been nice to know rather than just walking out on me."

Remus stared at her speechless, she had angry tears in her eyes and the book she was reading lay discarded on the floor. She was sat up on the couch with her legs crossed staring intently at him.

"I... I didn't..."

"Frankly Remus after living with you for so long and spending so much time with you I thought you might have given me that bit of decency as to bloody tell me! You're one of my best friends, I thought you cared about me too."

"I do!" Remus said quickly, leaning forward in his seat in his earnestness.

Hermione laughed and shook her head as the tears fell from her pretty brown eyes. Remus hated seeing her upset and wanted nothing more than to hold her close and tell her he was sorry but he knew he had to explain himself.

"I thought you were joking." He said carefully, "When you asked me... You laughed and shook your head. I mean, to me... I've just had this massive shock and I'm already distraught over it and then you laugh at me after offering a way out of it."

Now it was Hermione's turn to look shocked as Remus poured his heart out to her, she saw something in Remus's face that scared her a little bit. It looked like genuine hurt but also the way he looked at her, the look in his eyes conveyed why he was so hurt. He couldn't love her, could he?

"Shit. Seems we both got out wires crossed here. Remus I laughed because of your face, you couldn't have looked more shocked if I'd slapped you with a fish! I was going to plead my case to you when I came up from dunking my head but you'd gone..."

"I had to go. I couldn't breath, you'd just offered me an amazing chance and then taken it away from me with a laugh!"

Hermione stood up and sat on the couch that Remus occupied, she scooted closer to him and tentatively put her hand on his leg. He turned and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer.

"I'm sorry Remus, I should have explained what I meant straight away. I thought that if we wed then we could carry on as we are, we won't have to change anything just that we'd be legally married and eventually have children. I'd rather have children with my best friend than someone the ministry picked for me."

"You don't have to plead your case as you put it Hermione. Of course I'll marry you."

"Really?"

"Really."

Hermione squeeked and leapt up onto Remus's knee and kissed his face all over. Remus laughed and held her at arms length as she calmed down. When she had he pulled her close and kissed her deeply as Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck. Breaking off the kiss Remus nuzzled into Hermione's neck before sighing.

"What are we going to tell the others?" He asked.

"How about we just tell them we're marrying because we're friends and don't want to marry anyone at all. A marriage of convenience?"

Remus smiled and murmured "I like the sound of that" as he softly kissed Hermione's bare throat. She softly sighed and let her head roll back, granting Remus more access.

"May I take you to the bedroom, future Mrs Lupin? It's been three days after all..."

"I though you'd never ask, husband to be!"

A/N - I am being a lazy bum and pretending that Remus hasn't had any children yet. Sorry, Teddy doesn't exist.