A/N: I know some readers might not like the whole...bigger Remus. But it bothers me a little when all the stories have characters (and readers) are so accepting of Remus' scars and lycanthropy, and then flinch at the idea of him gaining weight. I think it's a more realistic form of hurt/comfort. I like the idea of total acceptance no matter what the issue. I guess it's a personal thing - I am sorry if it's not what you enjoy reading.

Hermione snuck back into the castle fuming. She stormed into Gryffindor tower, snappishly told Harry that she was taking the cloak for a while longer and asked that he and Ron tell her teachers she was ill.

"Sure. Hermione, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Make sure you get me the homework!" She slammed the portrait closed behind her.

"Bloody hell. What was that about?"

Harry just shook his head.

Remus was equally confused when Hermione barged into his room. He had been sitting next to his bed, at his desk grading papers – he always took the day after the full moon off from classes. Most days he wasn't well enough to stand never mind teach. Today was actually an improvement, his transformation had been much less painful.

"Hermione? You should be in class."

"I had something more important to deal with. You should be telling me what's going on rather then sulking and then vanishing!"

"I overreacted. I'm truly sorry. You were right. It was just a few pounds. Nothing to be self-conscious about. I suppose it's better that I look more "cute". I wouldn't want to scare away all my admirers."

"Remus, if you were over it, you wouldn't have left. And besides that, I know you're lying. Stand up."

"Hermione, what are you talking about?"

"I was so thick! How could I not figure it you? You ate three table's worth of cake and here I was thinking it was hardly noticeable. You've been sitting during class to hide from me, Remus."

"You just said, Hermione, it was only a few pounds…and I've always been thin, it didn't – "

Hermione tossed him the cloak he had left on top of her. " – the materials' been over stretched. One expanding charm is pushing it…but two or three? There's hardly any fabric left! Are all your clothes like this? Why haven't you bought more?"

"All my clothes are like that. I wear layers," he muttered, "it's more constricting that way."

"Oh for heaven's sake! Why haven't you mentioned anything? It's more then a few pounds if you've expanded all your clothes twice."

Remus went silent. Hermione sat down on the corner of his bed and waited patiently.

"Eighty-three."

"I'm sorry?"

"It wasn't a few. It was eighty-three pounds. Hermione, I'm so sorry. I didn't want to tell you, I couldn't tell you…I look…I look like a fat, old man. You're practically married to a werewolf Horace Slughorn!"

"Please do not put that image in my mind. You aren't even half his weight, never mind I can't see you having a Slug Club or just…." Hermione shuddered, "Besides, it isn't noticeable."

"You haven't noticed because I've been trying to make it unnoticeable. Severus noticed."

"And you're going to listen to Snape?"

Remus walked over and sat down next to her on the bed. Hermione looked at him, but the first thing that kept standing out to her was the dire shape his clothes were. In some places, the fabric was almost transparent. Remus seemed to be waiting for her to make a negative comment. She didn't have one. Sure, his stomach was bit inflated, protruding out into his lap, but if it had been someone else, she wouldn't have looked twice. It was just out of place on Remus, who had been so thin for as long as Hermione knew him.

"I don't fit into any of my clothes, I've been bumping into things…I'm huge, Hermione."

"Remus, you're making this far more than it is. Merlin, it's not like you're waddling through the halls. You just aren't used to having extra weight and you gained it all so quickly! Give it time!

"I'm not going to give it time, Hermione. I'm going to lose it as quickly as possible."

"Starving yourself isn't going to help."

"I never said – "

" – I know what you'll do, Remus. You don't need to kill yourself trying to lose the weight."

"No. I promise you, I'm going to lose the weight by Christmas break. I'm not going to embarrass you."

"Remus you could be three hundred pounds and you aren't going to embarrass me! Trust me, embarrassing was taking Ron to meet somebody with his mouth always full of food, his shirt un-tucked, and some rude comment coming out of his mouth. You could never embarrass me. You're far too much of a gentleman."

"I – I just…I don't want you to feel bad about being disgusted by it. I'll understand if you don't want to be as close to me until I've lost the weight."

Hermione started at him incredulously.

"If anything, I'm going to want to be closer to you so you can get over this delusion that I somehow find you repulsive!"

"You haven't seen…you don't understand."

"Then show me. Show me why I should be so horribly disgusted, Remus. Make me understand."

Remus stood up, took of his robe and then shyly started to unbutton his shirt, his back facing Hermione. He slid it off his shoulders and held it in front of him as he turned around to face Hermione. She stood up and gently took the shirt out of his hands and tossed it unto the bed. The sight was heartbreaking. Remus had been in uncomfortable situations with her before, discussing his lycanthropy and his many scars, but he hadn't looked as miserable as he did now. His scars and lycanthropy had been old issues that he found himself explaining over and over again. This was something new and deeply troubling for him. Hermione had never seen him look more brokenly lost.

Remus was just standing there, his belly hanging over the edge of his pants, his scars as prominent as ever, some stretched out, becoming more pale. Remus was unsure of where to put his hands, leaving them by his side, then moving then to rest on his stomach. He looked at a total loss. His eyes were flickering between fear and self-hatred and embarrassment. He looked so fragile and helpless, like anything that Hermione said would send him crashing to the ground.

"Remus. Oh, Remus. It's fine. You're fine." She stood up and gently took his hand off his stomach. He stiffed and pulled his hand away.

"Remus, it's okay. It's okay. Trust me." She reached for his hand again and pulled him back down so he was sitting on the bed next to her.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I'm so sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. None of this is your fault and none of it bothers me."

She moved next to him, wrapping her arm around his waist so it came to rest on his stomach. Remus look distinctly horrified. Hermione rested her head on his shoulder and didn't say anything further. Remus got over his fear and wrapped an arm around Hermione's waist as well. Hermione shifted slightly to get closer and Remus suddenly pulled his arm back.

"Something wrong?"

"I don't want to – to hurt you."

"You aren't going to hurt or crush me. Remus, you aren't that big and even if you were…it doesn't matter to me. If you're waiting for me to run away, you'll be waiting forever."

"I'm not worried about you running away. I just want you to be happy, Hermione. You deserve a husband who is everything you want."

"You are what I want, Remus. You don't look any different. You've gained weight. So what? Lose the weight, keep it, gain more, it doesn't make a difference to me. I love you. Every part of you. It's not: 'I love every part of you – but this and that'. I love you, your scars, the werewolf, how you look. I'm not afraid of you, Remus. I'm not worried that the wolf will attack me, or that you will crush me, or disappoint me. I know you won't believe me, but at least trust that I believe that."

"I love you so much, Hermione."

Remus wrapped both his arms around her, this time much more tightly. "If it's all the same to you, could I have my shirt back?"

Hermione started to absentmindedly trace the scars running across his stomach.

"No. You don't need it."

"You expect me to sit here without a shirt?"

"I'd appreciate it. You're only grading papers."

"Hermione…"

"If I give it back, will you promise me that over Christmas break you'll let me go with you to Diagon Alley and buy you new robes?"

"Hermione, I can buy my own clothes."

"Consider them a Christmas gift."

"You don't need to get me anything, Hermione. All I want is my shirt back."

"And seeing as we're in your room, you could get other clothes."

Remus muttered something about not having many others that fit.

"Then I guess you'd better get new clothes…."

"I'm paying for half."

"Fine." She handed it to him but didn't move her other arm from around his waist. Remus held the shirt, contemplating, then tossed it back to the bed and placed his arm back around Hermione, kissing her on the forehead.

"You are extraordinary, Hermione."

A/N: So this story is becoming much longer then I planned...I have a ideas for at least two or three more chapters. Thank you so much for all the reviews!