Mr. Remus J. Lupin,

We regret to inform you that as of December 25th, you have been temporarily terminated from your current teaching position at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This has been a unanimous decision from the Board of Governors due to the recent allegations against you that have been brought to our attention. While your lycanthropy had been vouched for by current Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, certain behaviors are not excusable. The current conduct you have been displaying towards 8th year student Hermione Jane Granger is highly inappropriate. There will be a formal hearing at the Ministry of Magic to determine if the termination will be made permanent and if other charges of assault will be applied.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Board of Governors

Hermione carefully folded up the letter and then hesitated before opening the Daily Prophet. On the front page was a collage of pictures, all filled with Remus. Remus, wand out, standing menacingly a few feet in front of Tonks, shouting at her. A werewolf, the one picture that wasn't Remus, standing upright, howling at the moon. Tonks, pulling down the top of her shirt to reveal long, uneven claw marks on her chest and shoulder. Remus roughly grabbing Hermione's upper arm, his wand jabbed in her back, dragging her through the halls of Hogwarts. Hermione huddled in a corner of a classroom, her arms covering her head as Remus screamed at her, slamming his fists into any exposed areas he could find. In the final picture, the largest one, in the center of the page, under the caption "A Tame Werewolf? The Lies of Remus Lupin," was a picture of Remus. It was him, down to the last detail, but there was something wrong. His face was slightly too long, his pupils dilated and glowing a golden color. His upper lip was curled into a snarl, revealing almost vampire-sharp incisors.

Hermione started at the pictures for almost an hour. The people in the images were her and Remus down to the last detail. The clothes were here, the wands were theirs, the manner in which they were moving and walking were identical. But it wasn't them. She stared at it a few seconds longer before she read the rest of the article.

If there was anything wrong Remus had done in his life, it was in the article. He almost killed classmate Severus Snape, luring him into his place of transformation, waiting for a new victim…Remus Lupin, best friends with notorious mass murder Sirius Black, rumored to have helped Black in his quest to murder Harry Potter…neglecting to take his wolfsbane potion, knowing surrendering his human mind to the beast and unleashing himself on the student body…was seen around burned houses and slaughtered families with the likes of Fenir Greyback and other feral werewolves…messy relationship with Auror Nymphadora Tonks…abuse…violently beat her…prone to fits of rage the week preceding the full moon…attacked Auror Tonks after their break-up… stalked…threatned…possessive…dangerous…monstrous…coerced Harry Potter's best friend and war hero, Hermione Granger into marriage….more violent tendencies….abuse…

Hermione threw the newspaper to the ground. Rita Skeeter and her lies and someone was helping her with this scheme, impersonating Remus and Hermione. Gossip was one thing, but accusations costing Remus his job – the only job he was likely to get – especially after rumors like these. What a great start for the Christmas holiday.

Remus came back into the house, covered in snow, and looking miserable.

"What did Dumbledore say?"

"There's nothing he can do. He'll testify at – at the trial. The Board of Governors are within their right given – given the evidence. I will have to go to the trial and until – until a decision is made I…I am unemployed."

"I'll testify. Harry, Ron, Ginny…all of us are going to testify for you. They have no other proof! Tonks is the only one who – "

" – it's not just Tonks. They have the incident with Severus…the other incident your third year. Everyone who saw me working undercover with the Order. They will think I have brainwashed you. Made you fear going against me…" He was trembling. Hermione was his entire world. He would kill himself before he harmed her…and to have everyone else in the wizarding world think he was mistreating her…He could deal with them hating him because of his lycanthropy. He couldn't control that. But he could control how he treated Hermione.

Hermione was gently pulling off Remus' snow covered jacket. "You haven't brainwashed me. I know it. You know it. The Order knows it. We'll prove it to the Ministry."

"It doesn't matter. Even if they say I'm innocent after – after all this, whose going to believe it? I'm going to be the monster who beats Hermione Granger. You saw the Prophet! You know – you know what everyone is going to think! They look like us! Hell, Hermione, it might as well be us! Everyone is going to think – think that…this is what I feared, Hermione. This is what happens to a werewolf's wife."

"I am proud to be a werewolf's wife, Remus." She took his hand and led him into their bedroom. "You're freezing and soaking wet, you should warm up before you catch a cold." She pushed Remus into the bed, trying to cover him with as many blankets as possible, despite's Remus best efforts to push him away.

"Hermione…if there was ever – ever a time that you should – should leave me…even for a few months…this would be it. Once again, I have no job. I can't support you…everyone in the wizarding world thinks that I hit you and scream at you…You're married to a monster. A freak. Another dangerous creature that needs to be locked up in Azkaban."

Hermione crawled into the bed next to him. "Remus. You are not dangerous. You haven't hurt me. Or Harry or Ron or Tonks. You are the most gentle, caring, protective man I know. Your lycanthropy doesn't define you and it never has."

"Hermione…you have so much of your future ahead of you. I don't want these lies to destroy that."

"That's just what they are. Lies. And they can't take away my reputation. The only thing I care about is that I am Hermione Granger, proud daughter of two muggle dentists, best friend to Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, member of the Order of the Phoenix, and wife to Remus Lupin."

"Wife of a man who tried to kill Harry and Ron, went against the Order, and tries his best to beat you senseless."

Hermione moved herself up and placed both hands on Remus' chest so that she was leaning over him, her hair falling across his face.

"Would you ever hit me?"

"Of course not!"

"Would you ever hurt me – in wolf form or as a human?"

"I wouldn't. And Moony has taken an apparent liking to you."

"Then don't be so nervous. No matter what the Ministry says, no matter what anyone says, I love you. I trust you with my life."

Remus pushed Hermione gently so that his arms was wrapped around her back and her head was resting on his chest.

"I won't betray that trust. I promise."

"I know you won't."

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews!