XXVIII
Closer
Hermione made her way through the hallway and towards the staircase quietly, taking care to avoid any creaking floorboards. It was nearly ten o'clock now, and she knew she was being a bit risky by trying to sneak to Remus' room this early in the night, but she couldn't wait any longer.
This was why Hermione was thoroughly shocked to come across Lavender Brown sitting on the floor just outside Harry and Ron's room, weeping quietly.
"L-Lavender?" Hermione stuttered out, stopping dead in her tracks and staring down at the girl.
Lavender gasped, quickly wiping tears from her eyes and looking at the ground. "Oh. Hello, Hermione," she murmured.
"Is… is everything okay?" Hermione stepped closer as she said this, inspecting the hallway around them and seeing that everyone else's door was closed.
Lavender sniffled quietly. "Ron broke up with me."
Hermione stiffened. She'd expected that Ron would finally break it off with Lavender soon, but what she hadn't expected was that he would do it at a time like this. "I'm sorry," she said, with sincerity, "did he do it just now?"
Lavender nodded, finally looking up to Hermione with teary eyes. "W-we were in his room snogging and then suddenly he just-" she broke off, burying her head in her arms, shoulders shaking with her tears.
Hermione felt very uncomfortable with what she was about to do, but she plowed the discomfort out of mind. Taking a step closer to Lavender, she leaned down to sit on the floor beside her former housemate. Lavender continued crying. Hermione patted the girl's back awkwardly, casting a muffling charm around both of them with her wand in the other hand.
"I thought- I thought that we were better now, since I came to the Estate," Lavender sputtered out between sobs, "I thought he liked me."
For a moment, Hermione was surprisingly angry with Ron for doing this to the poor girl. It wasn't like Hermione had ever liked Lavender all that much, but that didn't mean she deserved to be this upset.
"You know," Hermione began, pausing to collect her thoughts, "Ron is just a man, Lavender. He's not the last man on earth, and he's not the only man for you. No one can hurt you this much unless you allow them to."
Lavender sniffled for a couple seconds before nodding. "I think he's in love with you, Hermione," she whispered.
Hermione blanched. "I really don't think so."
"You should hear how much he talks about you."
With firmly set frown, Hermione told Lavender that nothing had ever happened between Ron and herself, and nothing would ever happen.
"I guess you know better than I do," Lavender sighed after a moment. "Thanks for sitting here with me."
"You're welcome," Hermione replied, still eyeing the girl closely, wondering how such a strange situation had come about. She had gained one thing from this conversation: she now knew that she needed to have a conversation with Ron about how to properly treat a woman. "Now let's get you to bed, Lavender."
The blonde sniffled once more, nodding timidly in agreement.
"Lavender and Ron broke up."
Remus opened his eyes and looked at Hermione, a questioning expression on his face.
"She was crying in the hallway when I found her," Hermione continued, putting down the book she'd been reading after marking her page.
"How's Ron?" Remus inquired. He was stretched out on top of the bed beside her, long legs reaching nearly the end of the mattress.
"He's fine," she mused, folding and unfolding one of the pages of her book, "I had a conversation with him today about it. Told him that he needed to be more considerate. He didn't really understand what I was getting at."
Remus nodded slowly. "Keep in mind that Ron is still a teenager. He'll learn eventually."
"Hopefully," Hermione sighed, shifting so that she could press against Remus' side, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. She thought about Ron and Harry and their relationships. She thought about how Harry got so nervous when he first asked Ginny to go to Hogsmeade with him. It was funny now, thinking about how daunting the idea of going to Hogsmeade on a date used to be.
"What was your first date?" Hermione asked suddenly, looking up at Remus, her head resting on the pillow beside him.
He quirked a brow. "Where did that question come from?"
"Just wondering."
"Hmm," he closed his eyes, as if thinking back and sorting through his memories of the past. While he did this, one hand traced light circles around her bare shoulder. "My first date… must have been in fourth year. A Hufflepuff named Ana Portage. We went to Hogsmeade together. I was a nervous mess the whole time. Barely spoke a word to her."
Hermione grinned, imagining a young, awkward, and timid Remus. Most Hogwarts students had their first dates at Hogsmeade. It was basically a rite of passage.
"What about yours?"
Hermione sighed, resisting the urge to laugh in embarrassment. "Probably Viktor Krum, The Yule Ball. But you know all about that." She'd told Remus the story of her relationship with Viktor, and he'd certainly seen it in the papers before.
"Okay," he nodded, "aside from that, what was your first date?"
Hermione chewed her bottom lip. She wasn't the type of girl to go on that many dates in her Hogwarts years. There simply hadn't been that many boys showing interest. "There was only one other time," she murmured, "but it was awful… I went to Hogsmeade with Neville."
She could feel him smiling. "What happened?" he asked, failing to hide his amusement.
She buried her face in the pillow. "It was just so awkward. He was so uncomfortable and we had nothing to talk about. I'm not even quite sure why he decided to ask me in the first place." Their little trip to Hogsmeade together was something Hermione and Neville did not speak a word of nowadays. There was an unspoken agreement between them to never talk about it again.
"Maybe he just fancied you," Remus said, "plus, you can be quite intimidating sometimes."
"I'm not that intimidating," she retorted, a defensive edge in her tone.
Remus broke into a bit of a smile. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. Finally, he let out a deep, rumbling laugh. She couldn't resist the urge to laugh as well. "Am I really that bad?" she asked, between laughing breaths.
He reached out a hand and smoothed her hair down, smiling fondly. "It's not a bad thing. In fact, I'd say it's quite the advantage."
Hermione still crossed her arms stubbornly and let her head fall back into the pillow, staring up at the darkened ceiling of Remus' bedroom. She could feel his eyes on her for several silent moments. At last, he spoke again, "I'm going to take you on a date."
"What?" she whipped her head around to look at him.
He simply nodded. "It's about time I properly court you."
"Remus, you don't have to court me. How are we possibly going to go on a date? We're trapped in this house."
He just smiled, leaning in to kiss her lightly. "I'll figure something out," he said as he pulled back.
She was watching him closely, trying to decipher his plan here. Did he realize how risky and nearly impossible it would be to attempt to go on a date while trapped here? They definitely couldn't leave- both because Dumbledore wouldn't allow it and because Hermione knew it was far too dangerous. And there wasn't really anywhere on the Estate that she could imagine as fit for a date. Well… perhaps the gardens, but if they tried to do something romantic there nearly everyone in the house would be able to see it.
"Stop trying to figure it out," Remus interrupted her thoughts suddenly, his hand coming up to smooth down the crease between her brows.
"I just don't see how this can possibly work," she told him factually.
"Don't worry about it," he replied, "I'll take care of it."
Without leaving even a second for her to say anything else, he dipped in and kissed her once more. This kiss was deeper and more passionate than the first. When his fingers skimmed below her tank top, pulling the bit of fabric upwards, all thoughts were lost in the wonderful distraction.
Hermione made the mistake of forgetting about Remus' idea for a date. It was because of this that she was completely blindsided two days later when she stepped out of the shower and found Ginny waiting for her.
"Great!" Ginny clapped her hands together upon seeing Hermione leave the bathroom. "You're right on time. Come on, we have to get you dressed." With that, the redhead grabbed Hermione's hand and began pulling her towards their shared bedroom.
"Get me dressed for what?" Hermione asked, barely holding a towel around her torso with her free hand.
"Your date, of course!" Ginny nearly squealed with excitement.
"My… my what?"
"Date. D-A-T-E. Keep up, Hermione."
At this point Hermione was wholly flustered, unable to stop Ginny from pulling her into their bedroom, shutting the door, and pushing Hermione into the middle of the room. Hermione noticed that clothes were strewn across her bed, and her trunk was wide open.
"You're going to wear that, and then you're going to come with me downstairs," Ginny said, pointing towards the bed.
Hermione inspected the clothes laid out on her bed. Ginny had picked an old red sundress, one that Hermione had almost forgotten she owned. Beside it were a white cardigan and some red knickers. Ginny was still staring at Hermione, arms crossed, foot tapping impatiently on the ground, so she figured that she'd better comply and get dressed.
Hermione dropped her towel, put on the knickers, and then the dress. By the time she was done she turned to view her reflection in the small mirror by the door. She played with the fabric of the dress, unable to hold back a small smile. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this pretty, even if it was only a simple dress that she'd owned forever.
"Ready?" Ginny asked excitedly.
"Uh, yeah," Hermione replied, quickly casting a charm on her hair to dry and tame it, "I guess so. But… where are we going? Won't someone see us?"
Ginny shook her head. "Sirius made sure that everyone's in the drawing room. We're just going to walk out to the gardens, and then you'll see what we've got planned."
"Okay," Hermione breathed, allowing Ginny to lead the way.
The walk downstairs was eerily quiet, and once Ginny opened the door to the rear gardens, Hermione was affronted with the most divine view. Just outside, Remus stood on the gravel walkway, hands in his pockets, his back to her direction as he stared up at the night sky.
Ginny pushed Hermione forward over the threshold, a smug and self-satisfactory grin on her face. As Hermione stumbled into the open night air, Remus turned around.
"You look lovely, Hermione," he said, a warm smile spreading across his face. He stepped forward and offered his arm to her.
"Thank you," Hermione blushed, looking back at Ginny once more before taking Remus' arm. She still wanted to know what exactly was planned here, but she managed to push that to the back of her mind momentarily. The door to the house shut softly behind them while Ginny retreated. Remus stepped just a hint closer as the door slid shut.
"You look very handsome yourself," Hermione murmured, inspecting his attire. He wore an old jacket that must have been repaired with magic several times over, along with some plain old slacks. His hair was combed and there was a subtle hint of aftershave lingering on his body.
He brought his head down a few centimeters and gave Hermione a light kiss on the cheek. "Thank you," he whispered before pulling away.
Hermione shivered. "Are you going to explain what's going on, then? Or is it all meant to be a surprise?"
"Mmm," he turned and looked out at the gardens, "a little of both. First off, there's something I want you to see over here." He began to lead her in a slow stroll through the gardens, heading for the far end of the property, near the greenhouse and the murky pond. Suddenly, as they were walking, something materialized before them.
It took Hermione several seconds before she realized that they had just passed through the barrier of an obscuring charm. It was protecting something from sight, allowing only those within the barrier to see the setup before them. There was a small, old table standing in one of the grassy clearings, along with two chairs on either side, and what looked like food and wine set up on the table.
"You didn't have to do this," Hermione whispered.
"You deserve it," he replied, bringing her closer to the table and pulling out a chair for her to sit in.
"Thank you," she murmured, watching from her seat as he sat down, her eyes glancing down at the food before them every few seconds. It looked positively delicious. "This is wonderful, Remus."
He sat down opposite her, removing his napkin from the table and placing it on his lap. Hermione watched as he proceeded to sip his glass of water and smile at her. She took a moment to look down at the food next. It was a delicious smelling roasted chicken breast with a small salad on the side. She looked up at Remus. "Did you cook this?"
He nodded. "I do have some talents."
"We'll see about that," she murmured, picking up her fork and taking a bite. There was a warming charm over the meal, so it was perfectly cooked and heated. She couldn't resist a small moan of delight— it tasted delicious.
"I take it you approve?"
She nodded. "Well done, Remus. You have my blessing to cook for me from now on for every meal."
He narrowed his eyes, picking up the bottle of red wine and pouring her a glass. She grinned and sipped, the taste bringing her back to memories of having a glass of wine on special occasions at dinner with her parents.
"This really is wonderful," she smiled, looking around at the gardens and then back at Remus.
"I'm glad," he replied, watching her with a happy light in his eyes.
Soon Remus and Hermione were well into their dinner, enjoying each other's company and taking their time with the meal. Eventually, however, as darkness crept over the gardens, Hermione began to worry. "Are you sure Sirius and Ginny have us covered? No one will notice we're gone?"
"Don't worry," he implored, leaning over and grasping her hand across the table, "if there's anything I trust Sirius with, it's keeping people distracted and out of the way. He used to always come up with the most wonderful distraction plans whenever James and Peter wanted to pull a prank."
She crinkled her nose at the mention of the Marauders' antics. "I suppose Ginny would be fairly good at that sort of thing as well," she added after a moment.
It remained a bit worrying being out here having a romantic dinner while everyone else was just inside the house. Still, she convinced herself to relax and enjoy what a wonderful evening Remus had planned for her.
They stayed outside for a long time, just talking. Finally Hermione was shivering and Remus decided it was time they retire. He vanished their dishes and the scraps of food, and then transfigured the table and chairs into a harmless patch of rocks. Then he offered her his hand, leading them at a slow stroll back into the house.
The hallway leading to his bedroom was empty. They quickly made their way inside, falling onto his bed beside each other, still holding hands. Hermione found that she couldn't stop grinning. "That was wonderful. Thank you," she murmured.
He brought her hand up to his lips, kissing her knuckles. "You're welcome. You deserve it, you know." His tone was quickly becoming serious, "I wish I could give you something more than this. You deserve more than just sneaking around and meeting in my bedroom at night."
"It's not that bad," she said, turning her head to look at him, "at least we aren't getting yelled at or ostracized." Hermione could only imagine what Mrs. Weasley would say if she found out… or Harry and Ron… especially Ron…
Remus must have seen her deepening thoughts and decided to stop them, because a second later he was leaning in to close the space between them. They kissed for a long moment. His hands came up to cup her face. She shifted onto her side, scooting forward and aligning her body next to his.
He stopped kissing her suddenly, pulling his head back so that his face was only inches from hers. His hands were still cupping her face, his fingers sifting through her hair. Hermione wanted to lean in again and kiss him, but the deep look in his eyes made her stop.
His green eyes were set on hers, only slightly darkened by what she could assume to be desire. He took a deep, labored breath, searching her face before he spoke. "Hermione," he murmured her name, the word rolling off his tongue, "you're the best thing that's happened to me in so many years."
Hermione had never before understood the expression 'heart skipping a beat,' but she could almost feel, in this moment, that very same sensation. Her chest tightened and her throat constricted at the sight of the emotion in Remus' eyes and the rasping honesty of his voice.
The only reaction she could muster up was a small smile. She feared opening her mouth and saying something, because she didn't know what words would come out. Would she admit that she thought she loved him? It was very possible, and she did truly think that she loved him. Luckily, Remus stopped this worrying train of thought by leaning in and kissing her again. He understood that she was struggling with what to say, and she was so grateful to not feel the weight of the responsibility over whether to admit how she felt or not.
Instead she just focused on Remus. She returned his reverent kisses, letting her hands trail down to his chest and start to unbutton his shirt. It was one of the nicer shirts he had- no holes or tears in it. She felt another swell of emotion at the thought that he'd dressed up for her.
He pulled her even closer, his kisses becoming more needy when her hands found their way through to the bare skin of his chest and abdomen. His hands fingered the material of her dress, and she could tell that he was looking for a way to take it off. Hermione stood up from the bed, undoing the zipper on the back of her dress and letting it fall to the floor. Remus' eyes watched her hungrily the whole time.
Almost giddily, she jumped back beside him on the bed, smiling as he kissed her. His hands roamed over her body, fingering at the red knickers and bra she wore.
It only took minutes before they had both divested each other of their remaining clothing. They became more and more heated as the moment progressed. Soon he was pushing his erection into her lower stomach, shifting himself so that he was on top of her, his tongue laving at the sensitive spot on her neck.
"Remus," she moaned, his name only a whisper on her lips.
He detached his lips from her neck, trailing down to one sensitive nipple for a moment before moving to the other. "Tell me what you want," he rumbled.
She moaned at the deep, uninhibited tone of his voice. "I want…" She found that her head was a bit fuzzy from lust and she couldn't quite find the right words. Finally, she arched her back and pushed her hips up against his, "I want you Remus, please."
He obliged with a low growl, pushing into her quickly and eliciting another low moan at the sudden intrusion. He filled her perfectly, his body matching hers, thrust for thrust, like they'd been doing this for years.
As he continued to move in this wonderful rhythm, Hermione remembered the words he'd spoken only moments ago, along with the devotion and adoration in his eyes. She tipped her head upwards and captured his lips, slipping her tongue along his lower lip and simultaneously tangling her fingers through his hair. He groaned, increasing his pace.
It didn't hurt as much as it did the first time anymore. Hermione was becoming more comfortable with sex, and she was starting to learn what she liked and what Remus liked. He was the same way, and he knew exactly what he was doing when he hiked her legs up to wrap around his waist, reaching a new spot inside her. She cried out, feeling her climax quickly approaching.
"So close," she murmured between ragged breaths, her hands finding their way to his shoulders.
He kissed her once more quickly on the lips before bringing his head down just next to her ear. He kissed her neck just under her ear before he whispered, with a carefully controlled voice, "let go, Hermione. Come with me."
That did it. She was helpless to resist the orgasm that overtook her. She cried out, arching her back once more and closing her eyes. Remus kept at his reverent pace throughout, only faltering when her nails dug into his shoulders and her legs clenched around his waist. He let go as well, groaning and losing himself in her, moving hastily and desperately.
They both fell onto the bed beside each other, regaining their breath and cooling off. Hermione found his hand sitting on top of the duvet and carefully wound her fingers through his, smiling when he squeezed her hand.
"Thank you for everything tonight," she said, "it really was wonderful."
He smiled, the rapid rise and fall of his chest still slowing down. "You're welcome. I'm glad," he said simply.
In a few moments Hermione found the strength to sit up and pull back the sheets of the bed, sliding herself under as Remus did the same. His arm immediately moved to wind around hers once they were lying down. Hermione thought that, in that moment, she couldn't have possibly been happier.
Author's Note: Thanks so much to apriljunemay for giving me the idea for the date night! I hope you all enjoyed! I have to warn you guys: things don't stay this happy and lighthearted forever. Hermione and Remus will both get a dose of reality very soon… any predictions?