AN: Another long absence from yours truly. on a happier note i only have like 20 days left of high school, so very soon i will have a lot more free time...well...hopefully. i have a job for the summer already, so that'll take a little time out, but it'll be cool. i'll try and post as often as possible. in fact, i have two chapters for you today! so read them and leave me lovely comments and reviews, because comments and reviews are good motivators. )

"Come on, Mione, its Christmas. Are you sure you don't want to come to the Burrow with us?" Ron asked for the third time.

"Yes, Ron. Honestly, I'll be fine. Besides, I have a lot of work to do for classes, I won't be any fun anyways."

"All work and no play make Mione a dull girl…" Harry remarked.

"Ha ha. Very Funny." She rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, it won't be all work." She winked at Ginny.

Harry smiled. "Ah, the secret crush. Don't do anything I wouldn't do.' He said, suggestively waggling his eyebrows.

Hermione laughed. "That leaves me wide open then, doesn't it? Besides, he isn't like that…" She trailed off, unaware to the three grins on her friends' faces.

She shook back to reality and smiled sheepishly, turning red.

Ron grabbed his duffle. "Well, have a good break with loverboy. We should board the train before it leaves without us and we have to take the flying car."

The group said their goodbyes and left out the front door of the castle. Hermione sighed, leaning against the rail of the front stairs, watching her friends slowly get smaller in the distance.

Remus, having just come down for dinner in the great hall, glimpsed a sight he wished he'd gotten a picture of so it would last forever.

He said softly, "Will you survive three weeks without them?"

She turned to him as he came down the stairs to stop and lean on the rail one step above her. "I don't know." She answered honestly. "They've been gone all of 30 seconds and the castle already seems quiet."

He nodded understandingly.

"Well, if you get bored, all three of my doors are always open. Quarters, classroom and office."

"Thanks. I might just take you up on that."

"Good. It will make my holidays much less boring, but for now, shall we go to dinner?" he finished, holding out his hand to her.

She smiled and took it, following him into the great hall where very few remained. So few, in fact, that there sat only one decent sized square table in the center of the room.

Dumbledore, having noticed them enter, waved them over, gesturing to 2 open seats between professor McGonnagol and a Ravenclaw first year. The two took the seats, Remus next to the professor and Hermione next to the first year. Minerva winked at Remus, nodding to the young woman next to him.

Remus rolled his eyes and ignored her, starting a conversation with professor Flitwick across the table.

Hermione listened in on the conversation, fascinated by the intellect of both professors, and surprising them with her own when she had quite a few things to add to the discussion.

Albus reached over and squeezed Minerva's hand.

"Reminds me of us back when we were young." He said quietly.

She smiled up at his twinkling eyes, squeezing his hand back.

"Yes, it does. Especially the part where you refused to admit that you liked me for all those months."

Albus chuckled, eyes twinkling.

"I came to my senses in the end. He will too."

Minerva looked to the pair next to her.

"I certainly hope so.'