"Don't. Please don't leave. I need you." Hermione said with tears threatening to fall.

"I can't. I shouldn't have done any of this." Lupin paused, "I'm old enough to be your father."

"And I'm old enough to make my own choices," Hermione countered.

"I taught you. Hermione it just-" Lupin sighed, "It wouldn't be fair to you."

"Being left here alone after all of this wouldn't be fair." Hermione pleaded.

"I can't. I have to go." He said with an air of finality.

"But where will you go?" Hermione saw she was getting nowhere and a tear slipped down her cheek," Remus, please."

Lupin stood agape. The use of his first name shouldn't have affected him the way it did, but…he felt his resolution begin to crumble. When he glanced at the young witch across from him, he paused. His right hand lightly grasped the doorknob while his left hung at his side.

"Remus-" Hermione started.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing to me?" His words were not harsh, but strained as if he were trying to hold onto whatever self-control he had left. Hermione took a few steps forward, silently praying that he wouldn't take that as his cue to leave. She stood close enough to him that his labored breathing blew her hair ever so slightly. She held his hand on the doorknob, her thumb carelessly caressing it. Then while standing on her tiptoes she began to whisper something into his ears.

"I know you don't want to leave, so why don't you stay awhile." She said as her lips brushed his cheeks as she stepped back, waiting for his reaction. Lupin let out a breath that he had been holding and let go of the doorknob. He looked into her eyes and shook his head.

"You said you had extra sheets in the closet." Lupin tried to make his remark sound casual, but failed miserably. The disappointment in Hermione's eyes was patent, but she gave a small smile and walked away. The rational part of Lupin's mind told him to get out now while she wasn't looking, but he couldn't bear the thought of leaving.

"Are you coming or not?" Hermione called out from a hallway.

Remus couldn't find the words in his head to reply. He was so confused on how all of this happened. One moment he was a lonely werewolf drinking in a pub and the next he was preparing to sleep in a student's apartment. He scolded himself; she's not a student anymore, she's- He didn't get to think about what Hermione was because at that particular moment Hermione came back out from the hallway.

"What are you doing just standing there?" Hermione questioned impatiently, "Come on, help me make your bed." Hermione had moved to the kitchen/living room. It was a small apartment so there was no real divider between the two. Lupin watched her for a moment as she struggled to get the bottom sheet to fit.

"You know Hermione you are a witch," And with a flick of his wand the pullout couch looked like a rather comfy bed. He flashed her a smile before he continued, "Thank you."

Hermione found that she could only nod. She criticized herself for not thinking of using magic herself. The last time she had forgotten had been equally embarrassing-the Devil's Snare. She was lost in her musings when Lupin walked over to her.

"You should get some rest Hermione. It's already 4:30. If we're lucky we can get three hours of sleep before the next Order meeting" Lupin said gently. Hermione had forgotten entirely about the meeting and groaned in disappointment.

"Why does Dumbledore insist on calling these meetings when Voldemort is gone? And why so early?" Hermione pouted.

"I have no earthly clue." Lupin laughed a little at how much she was dreading the upcoming meeting, "Let's get to sleep though, I don't know about you but I could really use it." Hermione nodded and began walking towards Lupin and stopped only when she was inches away. He was about to object when Hermione gave him a simple hug.

"Good night, Remus," She said with a twinkle in her eye that rivaled Dumbledore. Lupin was nearly breathless. How could a hug affect him so?

"Good night, Hermione."

Lupin climbed into the makeshift bed, but did not find sleep. He could not stop the thoughts from popping up in his head. Thought about the night, Cy, Hermione, that truly horrid bar, how soft her lips were, the was his name just slipped so delicately from her tongue, how he never felt so comfortable as he did right now. He sighed. It was going to be a long day, perhaps tomorrow Hermione would let him Apparate back to his home so he could pick up a vial of Paracelsus' Hangover Potion, he had a hunch that they would need it if they were going to survive the meeting. After an undeterminable time Lupin fell into a dreamless sleep and began snoring softly.

Hermione didn't have the same luck as Lupin, however. Her thoughts dwelled on that painfully breathtaking kiss. She tried to remember each and every second of that beautiful moment. Unlike the object of her affection, she had no qualms about her infatuation, although they both had one thing in common…it was driving them both insane. Hermione with heavy eyelids tossed and turned, but could not, for all she was worth, fall asleep. She finally decided to get up and gab some warm milk- it usually helped anyway. On the way on her quest to find something to help her sleep, she got sidetracked. Her eyes fell upon Lupin's sleeping body. She watched as his chest went up and down with every breath he took. She listened as the rhythmic snores calmed her. And as if she had no control over her body she walked over towards the bed. She found herself sitting at the edge moving a bit of brown hair with flecks o gray from his face. An overwhelming wave of tiredness hit her and she soon found herself lying next to the man she so adored.

She sighed deeply and did not notice to small flutter of Lupin's eyelashes. "I love you Remus Lupin." The words escaped her lips and she fell asleep with her head burrowed into his chest. Lupin found himself putting his arm around Hermione; "And I you."

A/N: Please review. I really would love to hear your input. Feel free to email me or IM me (yahoo: BagPipes21 msn: EnglishSkittles21) Anyway, I'm a review whore so unless I get a few more, I can't make any promises posting soon…. Oh! And if you can name the Cute is What We Aim For song I used in chapter 1 I'll award 10 points to the house of your choice D