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Remus shook his head in confusion, re-reading the letter he now had clutched in his fists. He threw it down once more and turned on Hermione, "Explain. Now."
She swallowed hard, shaking with nerves. This wasn't right. How could Remus have done this to her? He sent these things knowing that his younger self would hate her simply because it was inevitable that he would read the poorly written note.
Her eyes focused down on the note, Remus' words replaying in her head. This was strange, "Remus. I'm not who you think I am."
"That's for damn sure," he growled, eyes in slits with anger.
"Let me finish," she was near tears now, "I didn't mean to end up here."
"I know. Remember we found you out in the snow?" Remus interjected yet again. Hermione silenced him with a finger to his lips.
"Listen. I was with my friends. It was about six or seven o'clock in the morning. We were headed to a portkey to go to the Quidditch Cup."
Remus cocked his head in confusion but didn't interrupt her.
"I was with my best friend Harry, and the two of us were trying to grab onto the portkey, but neither of us could get a good hold. He finally latched on but I only had a shoestring between my fingers," she paused, near tears, "then I fell. I can't remember anything much after I hit the snow. All that I know is I was confused and cold. Then I woke up in the hospital wing to you lot standing over me. That's when I knew something was wrong," she murmured.
Remus frowned, "What?"
"You are my professor! You are my third year Defense Against the Dark Arts professor!" She let out an angry sob, "You are thirty-five years old!"
"No, I'm fifteen-"
"In my time!"
"In your-..." He trailed off, blinking with understanding, "You were thrown into the past. Your friends, Harry and Ron..."
"Harry James Potter and Ronald Billius Weasley," she stated in a shaky voice.
Remus lit up with realization. It all made sense now, "So I must have fallen in love with you now, when I was young, and I never fell out of love," sadness laced his words, the thought of waiting that many years to find his true love once more made him ache. He wrapped his arms tightly around Hermione.
"I don't want you to go," he sobbed into her shoulder.
Hermione blinked, eyes wide as the young man clung to her as if she were a teddy bear. She patted and rubbed his back, her own tears now falling silently down her cheeks, "Remus... I'll be here until we graduate. Then I must leave. I have to return."
He nodded solemnly and pulled back from her before taking the diamond ring she had on her middle finger. After examining it for a few moments he pulled a chain from around his neck and linked the ring into it so it hung at his chest. He forced a smile before tucking it into his shirt.
Hermione let out a pained sob, "You'll always wear that."
"Yes, I will."
"No... You were wearing it the last time I saw you. When you were leaving the school. You resigned from your position as DADA professor and I complimented the diamond around your neck."
Remus let out a long, broken sigh, and enveloped her in his arms again.
BBBB
"So Remus knows now?" Lily inquired through a mouth full of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Hermione gave a curt nod and stretched out on her belly. Lily's bed somehow seemed much more inviting at the moment, and Hermione had been spending most every night cuddled in with her new best friend.
She shoved the letter the older Remus had written her into Lily's hands. After reading it twice or three times, Lily handed it back and snorted, "Wow."
"What?" Hermione turned to look at Lily who was perched at the foot of the bed on her knees.
"I can't believe Remus would have stayed in love for that long," she smiled a bit, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Well believe it, because apparently he did," Hermione let her face fall directly down into the pillow, muffling the tears that were once again threatening to fall. None of this was fair in the least. Why couldn't she have a happy ending? Then again she realized that Remus was the one who'd have to do all the waiting.
"It isn't like he'd cheat on you," Lily added in, pushing that horrible thought to the front of Hermione's already full-to-bursting mind. She groaned inaudibly considering she was half-smothering herself in Lily's lavender scented pillows. "Hermione! Snap out of it! This isn't bad."
Hermione snapped her head up, glaring at Lily, "How could you possibly say that this isn't bad? He's going to be miserable for the next twenty years. He'll hate me by the time I return from here."
"He did buy you a giant diamond ring, so I don't think I'd be so quick to say he hates you," Lily pointed out before shoving another handful of candy into her mouth.
Hermione shrugged, mulling over her words before she snuggled back down for a nap.
BBBB
"Remus!" James stormed into the boys' dorms, anger plastered on his features, "Remus! What are you all about? Get over this shit!" He flung himself down on top of Remus, earning a grunt and a hard punch in the side.
Sirius was next, diving on top of the two boys, "Padfoot at your service! Moony, ge' up!" He growled, giving Remus a particularly nasty noogie.
"Ge' offa meh!" Remus yelled, throwing the two boys off onto the floor. They landed with considerably heavy thuds before jumping up to nag Remus out of bed once more.
"C'mon, mate! She's just a girl!" James poked Remus in the head.
"Yeah, there's bound to be tons more right downstairs! C'mon!" Sirius joined the poking.
"You two don't stop yapping no matter how hard I toss you, eh?" Remus grumbled and sat up, wacking their hands away from him.
James and Sirius joined him on either side, smiling like morons, "You'll be okay mate."
"Plenty more fish in the sea."
"Lots of birds in the sky."
"Ton of flowers to pollinate."
"Shut up!" Remus roared, "She didn't dump me!"
"Well then why're you all locked up in here?" James inquired with a confused expression.
"None of your business. Get out," Remus flicked his wand and the door swung open. Grumbling, James and Sirius exited, leaving Remus to sleep away the weekend alone.
Or so he thought.
Hermione tapped on the door lightly and walked in, settling herself easily beside Remus in bed. She snuggled under the covers and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, her face buried in his back. Remus, who'd been pretending to sleep, let out a fake snore and wiggled back against her.
The two stayed this way for the rest of Saturday, tangled up in each other. It wasn't until that evening that they were interrupted by a roar of whispers. Remus cracked an eye open and peered around the room. James, Sirius, and Peter were seated in their respective beds, Lily perched next to James.
"Are they shagging?" James murmured into Lily's ear.
"They have on clothes!" Lily hissed back angrily.
"So? Could've gotten dressed after," Sirius interjected.
"No, they aren't shagging, you prats," Lily spat.
Remus sat up slowly, leaving a sleeping Hermione next to him on the bed, "Will you all mind your own damn business?"
"It's alive!" Sirius snickered.
"Shut up," Hermione sat up next to Remus, rolling her eyes.
"Cranky bunch," James snorted, a wide grin plastered on his face.
"If you don't keep your mouth shut you'll see what cranky is," Hermione growled and stood from the bed, jerking her hoodie on.
She planted a kiss on Remus' forehead before shuffling out of the boys' dorms, door slamming behind her. The group all stared at Remus for a moment, questioning looks on their faces.
"No! We're not bloody shagging!" He jumped from the bed and chased after Hermione. He spotted her heading for the portrait hole. Jumping the railing, he landed with a thud about six feet below, running toward her, "Hermione, wait!"
She turned toward him with a bit of a frown, "I can't do this."
"Can't do what?" Remus' face went pale.
"I can't stand this shit with your friends. They're in my business, and I just can't afford for someone else to find out this secret," she closed her eyes in frustration.
"You can't hide forever, Hermione," Remus cupped her cheek, raising her eyes to meet his crystal blues. She nuzzled into him and sighed, eyes studying his features, "I think I love you."
Hermione gasped softly, backing away, "What?"
"I love you," he stated firmly.
"I... Don't know what to say," she murmured before vanishing through the portrait hole. Remus stood stock still, eyes focused on the spot she'd just been occupying.
The next two weeks went by slowly, every minute feeling like an hour. Remus had been falling asleep in all of his classes, unable to sleep at night. He couldn't keep his mind off of Hermione. He missed her.
Hermione was dealing with something quite similar. She wasn't quite sure how to handle the situation. She was in love with Remus but she didn't want to tell him this. If he found out how she really felt it would lock his fate. He'd never get over her. He'd always wait for her to return from the past, deeply in love with him.
Lily begged her daily to go and see Remus. He still wore that diamond around his neck as if it were some sort of motif signifying their love. She told Hermione every time Remus asked about her, hoping this would convice Hermione to talk to him.
Finally, after dinner one evening Hermione got the guts to see him. It was almost as if Remus had been expecting her. He sat in the common room, a book spread out in his lap, although he was staring absently into the licking flames in the hearth.
She approached him slowly, taking a seat beside him once she'd reached the couch. His gaze didn't waver, eyes still locked on the fire.
"What do you want from me?" Remus asked softly, not in and unkind manner.
"What do you mean?" Hermione replied, fiddling with the hem of her skirt.
"Do you want a relationship? Do you want my love?" He turned to face her. She could read the hurt and exasperation etched in his weary features. It was apparent he hadn't slept well.
"Remus.. You have to understand that I've never said those things before... You know... That I love someone," she mumbled 'love' as if it were a curse word.
Remus rolled his eyes, "Neither have I, although I had no trouble professing my love to you."
Hermione felt the sting of his quick words. She closed her eyes, gathering her strength, "I love you."
He turned his gaze back to the fire, "I love you too."
"What now?"
"I have no clue."
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