(What's that? A hat! Crazy, funky, junky hat!)

Chapter 7

Monday brought dragging feet and sleepy eyes all throughout the castle. Christmas was nearing and the students were starting to wish it had already arrived.

Madam Pomfrey had a brand new collection of "sick" students in the hospital wing, many of whom were just trying to get out of classes. Hermione noticed a lot of them exiting the hospital wing within five minutes of arriving, sour looks etched on their faces.

Over all, the weekend had been wonderful. Hermione was still giddy from her date with Remus and was now avoiding him in the corridors, worried that he'd think she was trying way too hard.

On the other side of things, Remus was terribly confused, wondering why Hermione would walk the other way when she saw him. He'd frequently do a body odor check, shrug his shoulders, and continue on his way.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday went by ever so slowly. Hermione had managed to avoid Remus nearly a week when he finally cornered her in the common room. There she'd been, homework spread out in front of the fireplace. She didn't have time to escape.

"What's the bloody deal?" Remus stopped a few feet from her, arms crossed sternly over his chest.

Hermione went white, extremely embarrassed that she'd been caught, "I didn't want to seem desperate."

"So you avoid me altogether?" Remus raised his voice, arms flying to his sides in frustration, "I like you. I like you a lot. I want you to be my girlfriend."

Hermione gawked at him, "Y-you what?"

He suddenly realized what he'd blurted out, eyes wide, stock still. He didn't speak for a few moments but when he did, his voice was shockingly quiet, "I want you to be my girlfriend."

She stood and closed the space between them, standing only inches away. She was about a head shorter than him and it made things awkward to stare up at him like she was currently doing, "I want to be your girlfriend."

Silence surrounded them for a matter of minutes before Remus leaned down and kissed her softly, his hand cupping her cheek. Their eyes closed gently, both breathing slowly as their lips met.

When they finally parted, Hermione let out a soft sigh. Remus stared lazily down at her, his hand dropping from her face to her hip.

"You're mine," Remus murmured before pulling her into a long hug.

BBBB

Hermione kept herself busy for the next two weeks as Christmas approached. She missed her family and friends desperately. She knew that the impending holidays would be miserable for her. It would be the first Christmas she hadn't spent with her mother and father.

The thought of her mother lying to her all these years about who she really was ate at Hermione. She couldn't believe that her mother made her go through all of this alone. Magic had been such an enigma. Everything about it confused Hermione so she'd surrounded herself with books, soaking up every ounce of information she could get her hands on. All the while her mother knew everything about magic and left her in the dark.

Remus had been wonderful. Many nights were spent cuddled on the couch, staring into the flickering embers in the hearth. Currently she was balled up in his lap, her face buried in his neck. It was Christmas Eve and the two were the only students left in Gryffindor Tower.

Lily and James had gone to his house for the holiday and Sirius was stuck at Grimmauld Place. Peter was.. Wherever Peter went. Hermione didn't really care. When Remus heard that Hermione was staying at the castle over the holidays he'd refused James' offer to come home with he and Lily. He wasn't going to leave her alone.

He stroked her curls back from her face, eyes closed, "This is really comfortable."

"Mhhm," Hermione nodded slightly.

"You going to sleep?" He smirked.

"Mm mm," she shook her head.

"Yeah right," he shifted a bit, running his fingers up and down her jaw line.

"I'm not!" She squeaked quietly, her arms lacing around his waist. The two hadn't moved for nearly an hour now and they didn't seem to care.

Remus wiggled again, "Okay, I believe you."

"Why do you keep moving?" Hermione scooted back to the spot she'd been in and immediately regretted it. She went bright red and pretended not to notice the hard lump she felt on her rear.

"I'm a guy," Remus cleared his throat, blushing a bit. He had been trying to avoid this issue but it was a growing difficulty. She was so attractive and the way she wiggled her bum in his lap made it all so much more difficult.

"Should I move?" Hermione looked up at him with wide eyes, her face still red.

"No," he shook his head quickly and held her closer, "Don't."

Things got awkward. The silence was killing the both of them. It seemed to go on forever.

"Hey," Hermione said suddenly.

"Yes?"

"Have you ever...?"

"Had sex? No," he tilted her face up so she could look at him properly.

"Never?" She shifted off his lap and earned a groan of protest from the young werewolf.

"Never," he sighed, turning toward her.

"I haven't either," she said quietly, eyes fighting to stay away from his lower region. She couldn't say she wasn't curious. She'd never seen a nude male before.

"Oh," Remus nodded, clearing his throat.

"I'm going to go on to bed," she left a gentle kiss on his lips before heading to her dorm.

The next morning she woke to a loud banging on the door. Hermione dragged herself out of the bed and down the stairs, thankful that Christmas was finally there so it could quickly be over.

She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and jerked her hair back in a ponytail. There in the corner of the room was a barely dressed Remus and a giant Christmas tree with a spread of presents underneath it.

Remus waved her over with a grin before sitting cross-legged in front of his bunch of presents. Hermione gaped at the slightly larger pile she had, "Who sent all these?" She asked in wonder, eyes grazing over them all.

"Your friends," Remus began tearing into presents, discarding candy somewhere behind him and clothes off to the right.

She shyly lifted the first she saw; a red wrapped box. After carefully unwrapping a sweater she began tearing into the others like Remus was.

"This one's from you," he grinned and quickly unwrapped the quill set she'd bought him. The quills looked vaguely familiar to her and somehow she knew she had to buy them. "I love it!"

Hermione smiled warmly and found Remus' gift for her. She tore off the paper and gasped loudly for two reasons: 1. There was a fairy shaped diamond attached to a gorgeous golden ring underneath the wrapping. 2. She recognized the piece of jewelry. The Remus from her time always wore it on a chain around his neck. She remembered complimenting him on it a day before she'd traveled back in time.

Now this left Hermione to wonder how difficult it must have been to face her; to speak to her without saying something about the past.

"Wow... I love this," Hermione slipped it on her right middle finger, admiring it a few moments before going on to her last present.

The box was very small but their was a letter attached to it. Her nimble fingers slipped the parchment out of its envelope with ease. She began reading.

"Hermione,

Please use caution. Enjoy yourself and enjoy me. You will return on your eighteenth birthday. Oh, and please do find me when you're back.

With love,

Remus"

Hermione swallowed hard, hiding the letter behind her. She opened the box in her lap, nearly crying when she saw a picture of herself, Harry, and Ron hugging on the Quidditch pitch. She ran her thumb over their faces, a single tear falling down her cheek.

"What's the matter?" Remus reached out, grabbing her free hand. He scooted over to look at the picture, "Those are your friends from home?"

Hermione nodded, tucking the picture away before he got a better look. Remus must have travelled back with a time turner to leave this for her. Her stomach turned as she thought back over the letter. She would be stuck here until she turned eighteen. Tears began to fall again, leaving her cheeks soaked and Remus very confused.

"Why are you crying, love?" He pulled her into a snug embrace.

"Just miss them, is all," Hermione half lied, tucking her face into his neck. Remus caught sight of the letter underneath her leg as she shifted positions. He snatched it up, eyes running over the words.

"What the bloody hell?" He tossed the letter down.

Hermione went white, knowing now that she'd have to explain herself. She'd have to tell him the truth, "Remus, we need to talk."

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