AN Sorry this took a little while, real life is very busy for both me and my wonderful amazing beta, LoveHGSS, who I owe super thanks! The next two chapters are written and beta-d and will be posted at week intervals.

Remus smiled down at Hermione as they walked to the edge of the Burrow's wards. The afternoon sun was warm against their skin, the bright rays picking up the lighter streaks in Hermione's hair and making it shimmer. He reached down and entwined his fingers with hers. She looked at him and smiled, her eyes soft. She raised their clasped hands and kissed his fingers before leaning up to brush her lips against his. He slid his free hand around her waist and pulled her close as he deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding past her plump lips to tangle with her own.

She moaned softly into his mouth and pulled away, slightly breathless.

"Take me home, Remus," she said, her voice rough with desire. He grinned down at her and held her to him more firmly before Apparating them both back to his house, glad that they had slipped away from the Burrow after an hour or so.

Hermione squealed as she landed on her back on something soft, Remus on top of her. She began to giggle as she realised he had Apparated them directly onto his bed.

"Was that intentional?" she asked, "because it's the cheesiest thing ever if it was."

Remus blushed slightly as he moved a stray curl from her face.

"Not intentional as such; I was aiming for the bedroom but was far too distracted by you to remember specific locations of furniture."

Hermione laughed as she drew his head down for another kiss. "I suppose it saves time," she breathed and pressed her lips to his.

Remus responded eagerly, his hands dropping to the hem of her pale blue cotton t-shirt and tugging it up her body. He broke the kiss for a moment to pull the material over her head before tossing it to the floor and kissing her again. Hermione whimpered as he trailed his lips down her neck, his tongue dipping into the hollow at the base of her throat before tracing the edge of her collar bone. He took his time as he moved down her body his lips following the lacy edge of her bra as he kissed the tops of the plump mounds of flesh. Hermione squirmed beneath him as he continued his slow path down her body, kissing her flat tummy and nipping gently at her hip bones. Remus quickly unfastened her jeans and Hermione wriggled her hips obligingly to help discard them.

Remus moved so he was straddling her thighs and looked down at the woman beneath him, clad only in white satin and lace underwear, her cheeks flushed and her eyes sparkling as she looked up at him. He leant down and kissed her again.

Hermione ran her hands up his chest, loving the way his muscles felt under her palms. She undid the buttons on his shirt and tugged it down his arms until he pulled back from her mouth and took it off, laughing at her impatience as her hands went to the fastenings of his trousers. He slid off the bed and tugged his trousers off, laughing as he turned back to the bed to find that she had rid herself of her last items of clothing. He settled himself above her, kissing her deeply, loving the way it felt to have her soft body pressed against him. He pulled back slightly before pushing into her body, his forehead resting against hers as he buried himself in her warmth.

He paused for a moment, amazed at how good, how right, it felt to be with her, to make love to her. He rained kisses down on her face, making her giggle softly as he moved within her. Her laughter turned to sighs of pleasure as he thrust faster and harder into her, her hips lifting to meet him with every thrust.

Hermione screamed his name as she came hard, her muscles tightening around his cock, pulling him into his own climax, her name tumbling from his lips in response. He rolled onto his back, pulling Hermione with him so she was draped across him. They kissed languidly as their bodies cooled and their hearts slowed, both feeling a sense of peace and joy that they had longed for and never thought they would find.

"You're amazing, you know that?" Remus asked.

"Why yes, I do," she replied, laughing.

"I'm serious."

"No, you're Remus."

He growled playfully, his fingers dancing along her ribs making her squeal.

"I mean it. You're the most beautiful person I've ever known, both outside and in. You've made me hope again, and I'm falling for you."

Hermione kissed him again, more passionately. "Good. Because I'm falling for you too."

Remus smiled and kissed her, then laughed as her stomach rumbled loudly.

"Guess we worked off Molly's amazing cooking," he said. "How about I make dinner?"

Hermione pouted playfully, "I like the idea of dinner, but not getting out of bed."

"Minx. The quicker you get up and eat, the quicker I can get you back into bed and writhing underneath me." Remus said as he climbed out of the bed and pulled his trousers and shirt back on.

"Right, 'cause now I really don't want to get up." Hermione mumbled before following his lead and dragging her clothes on.

Remus laughed at her grumbling before grabbing her hand and guiding her down the stairs. Hermione sat on his kitchen table as he moved from cupboard to cupboard pulling things out.

"I could get used to this you know," Hermione said. "Sitting here, watching you cook."

Remus smiled at her over his shoulder. "I wouldn't call sandwiches cooking. And I wouldn't get used to it, since apart from this I can make cheese on toast and three types of pasta sauce."

"That's it?"

"Yup. Unless you like your steak very rare."

"Eugh." Hermione pulled a face. "I guess I'm going to be cooking then."

"Sounds like it," Remus laughed.

"Oh Merlin." Hermione said, all the laughter gone from her tone.

"What?" Remus asked, frowning.

"Tonks is here."

Remus didn't reply, he walked past Hermione and pulled his front door open. "What do you want?"

"I came to see if you had thought about what I said the other night," Tonks replied.

"Actually, there is something I need to tell you. You'd better come in and sit down."

Tonks smirked at Hermione as she walked into the house.

"Do I assume that this means you've reconsidered? I can be moved back in by the end of the day."

Remus stared at her with cold eyes, her assumption that he would cave so easily sickening him. He crossed to the desk where he had put his copy of the law and handed it to Tonks.

"This is what I wanted to talk about."

Tonks read the paper, her face contorting in anger as her eyes took in the meaning of the text. Unlike Remus and Hermione, she wasn't angry at the way werewolves were dismissed in the law, but that it gave Remus rights. She was clever enough to recognise that nothing she could say would change the fact that Remus had rights to the child, Veritaserum would soon prove that the relationship was consensual, and there were dozens of people who could say that Remus had been a Hogwarts teacher for a year.

"Your threats now don't work. I will see this child, and you can do nothing about it. We will not be resuming our relationship. If you don't want to be a single parent then I will be and I will raise the baby alone." Remus stated.

Tonks raised angry eyes to meet his.

"But you won't be alone will you? You'll have her." She sneered in Hermione's direction. "No, I don't think so. I don't want to raise it alone, that much is true. But that swot is not playing mummy to my child."

Remus and Hermione exchanged an anxious glance, concerned as to what Tonks would say next.

"So here's the deal. You can have the child, as long as you pay for it from today on, as long as you finish things with Hermione, right now. If you don't end this, I'll get rid of the baby."

Remus flinched as if she had physically struck him.

"What? Dora, no. You can't mean that," Remus said, the anguish thick in his voice.

"But I do. Choose. Will you give up Hermione for your child?"

Remus looked over at Hermione, his eyes clouded with tears.

"Yes."