A/N: I'm so glad to see people are still around and still enjoying the story even after the really long break! Sorry again about that. It means a lot to me that people liked the last chapter, I felt like it was a bit different from the others so it's so nice that you all seemed to like it!

Chapter 18 - Heart to Heart

Hermione sat cross-legged in front of the fireplace in the Room of Requirement. The heat from the fire burned hot on her skin as she flipped through pages of books that were sprawled out around her.

She had gone through all of these books countless times since the summer, but there had to be something she must have missed. There had to be something that would help her find a way back to 1996.

Every day she had been stuck in the past she had tried so hard to be strong, but she felt weaker than she ever had in that moment. Everything inside her just wanted it all to end. She wanted to go home or to go away forever, away from the people she could potentially hurt. It would be in everyone's best interest for her to be gone and to be back where she belonged, especially after she dropped knowing Remus's secret on him and the internal torture it must be causing him.

The thought of Remus made the lump in her throat grow bigger. Remus had been the most amazing friend to her, and one of the people she cared the most about, not just in this timeline, but in her life. How could she do this to him?

She shook the thought from her head. Concentrate Hermione! You're smarter than this, pay attention! She thought to herself as she continued to read from one of the books on time travel that Dumbledore had given her when she first arrived. This particular section was about Eloise Mintumble and her unfortunate stumble through time and her ultimate death.

"Her excursion to the past provoked a great disturbance to the life paths of all those she met, changing the present so dramatically that no fewer than twenty-five of their descendants vanished in the present, having been "un-born"."

Hermione swallowed deeply and then snapped the book shut in frustration and pushed it aside. This whole idea of her staying in the past until Dumbledore found a way for her to return home was not only seeming more and more ridiculous each day, but it was seemingly becoming increasingly more dangerous, and she could not fathom how Dumbledore did not seem to share her concerns. What was it he had said to her when she first arrived?

"I believe that the things you do most likely will not have any real effect on the future and things will happen as they should. Think of it as a stream. One ripple in the water might change things temporarily but eventually things return to how they should be."

It was a ridiculous notion. Eloise Mintumble had only been stuck in the past for five days and the damage she did was irreversible. Of course, she had gone back in time hundreds of years, so a domino effect would have more weight than Hermione's twenty years, but Hermione no longer trusted herself to be able to keep the timeline intact. She had already been there for months! What had she already changed without knowing? She was going to have to leave. She was going to have to run.

Heaving herself off the carpeted floor, Hermione brushed off her robes and gave a look around the room she had created with a sad fondness. It had been her biggest comfort for months. A part of her wished the room had the capability to make food so she could be able to live there for the next nineteen years, but even if it could, she couldn't risk the chance of someone trying to get into the room. It would be safer if she were to gather the few belongings she had and left the castle.

She had been hiding out in the Room of Requirement all weekend pouring over book after book, begging herself to find more information but to no avail. But now that it was Monday afternoon and everyone was in class, she'd be able to get in and out of her dormitory without anyone noticing.

The castle was quiet as she walked down the corridor towards the Grand Staircase. Rarely was she able to wander the halls during class time. There was an eeriness to how still everything was around her, especially knowing how the classrooms around the castle were bursting with life while she was alone, making her way towards Gryffindor tower.

That same eerie quietness awaited her once she crawled through the portrait hole and into the deserted common room as she made her way up to the dormitory she shared with Lily and Mary.

She stood near the stove in the middle of the room, feeling the heat radiating off her skin. Hermione stared at the trunk at the end of her bed that Dumbledore had given her when she had first arrived. It would be easy, wouldn't in? To just pack up and leave? To become a vagabond for a little more than nineteen years until it was safe for her to appear to the people she knew in her own time?

Numbly, Hermione pulled her focus from the trunk and gazed around the room. She looked at Lily and Mary's four-poster beds with their belongings scattered around their trunks and bedside tables. It was like another punch to the gut as she realized that she would miss the two girls terribly. But she had to keep convincing herself this would be best for them.

A tear slowly made her way down her cheek as she walked towards her trunk and opened it. It didn't contain many things: a few items of everyday clothes, school robes, her new scarf, her journals, the pair of enchanted socks, and lying on top was her copy of Hogwarts: A History.

What would be the best way for her to do this? She could shrink the trunk down into a small size and pocket it and then take off with her school bag. She could probably make it to the One-Eyed Witch Statue on the third floor before anyone noticed she was gone and escape into Hogsmeade through Honeydukes. Then she could get on a train at the station and just… go... She had half a mind to tell Dumbledore she was leaving, to thank him for his attempts at helping her, but quickly decided against it.

Of course Dumbledore would continue to talk her out of it and tell her it was safer for her to stay. He had done just that on Friday night at the mere mention of her maybe distancing herself. But the more he claimed it would be better for her to stay, the less Hermione believed him. How could it possibly be safer for anyone for her to stay? He didn't seem to be making any progress and the longer she was there, the more likely she was to ruin the timeline. She had already let dangerous information slip, information that could change the future and get herself and the people around her killed. Not to mention the emotional damage she was doing to the people around her, people she cared about. It would be best and safer for everyone if she were gone.

The thought of Dumbledore brought back the memory from the previous Friday night:

"Leaving would only cause more harm than good," he said to her. "What would you expect to happen when I find a way for you to return to your time and you are not around for me to relay the news?"

Hermione stared at him, silent, tears in her eyes.

"There is no safer place for you to be than where I can ensure that you are safe and that the Ministry does not discover who you truly are and where you've come from, Miss Granger." Hermione did not miss the emphasis he added to her surname. "Some contacts I have inside the Ministry and I have carefully worked to create a false life for you right beneath their noses so we can make certain your past, and the future, remain a secret while we work on a way for you to return home."

This was all news to Hermione. Dumbledore rarely spoke about the length he was going to for her, and as appreciative for it as she was, she still did not fully believe that it was the right decision.

"But I've told you, tonight I accidently let Remus know something that I know. Something about him which is information I only ever learned because I'm from the future," she said anxiously. "It's clearly not safe for me to be here. I can't trust myself anymore."

"Did you tell Mr. Lupin how you acquired this knowledge?" he asked, peering over his half-moon spectacles.

"No."

"Then there is no harm done!" he said as he clasped his hands together and leaned back in his chair.

Hermione gaped at him. "But what if I give away more information accidentally? It's not safe! There has to be a way for me to limit my interactions…"

"No," he said with an air of finality in his tone. "This is a risk we must be willing to take to keep you here and to keep you safe. The very moment I have more information about how to return you home, I will let you know. And I will get you home, Miss Granger. For now… continue to live your life and blend in. Make things right with Mr. Lupin and draw suspicion away from yourself."

His words replayed over and over in her head. Hermione had spent most of her time since that talk going through those books again to find anything that could help either find her a way home or convince her that there could be a way she could stay that was safe. Could patching things up with Remus and avoiding suspicion really keep them all safe? Would time really work like a stream if she did not intentionally try to change anything? Dumbledore was one of the greatest wizards of all time so he must have some idea of what he was talking about. And she had to admit, the idea of making up with Remus was more than tempting. Guilt had been eating her alive ever since he had run out of the classroom.

Frustrated and confused, Hermione picked up her copy of Hogwarts: A History, one of the few consistent objects of comfort she had in both of her lifetimes. She slowly ran her thumb across the leather cover of it and felt her lower lip begin to tremble before slowly sinking to the floor. She lay the book gently on top of everything in her trunk again and buried her face in her hands and cried.

.:~*~*~*~*~:.

Remus was only somewhat aware of his surroundings as he floated between consciousness and unconsciousness. There were moments of dreamless sleep that just seemed black and empty, with a sort of almost peaceful quietness to it. Then there were other moments where he was still far enough gone with sleep but still acutely aware of the night winds brushing up against the panes of glass, the ever-so faint cackle of the low burning fireplace, and the occasion tick of the clock that hung on the common room wall. But mostly, it was the constant shift between the calm of his light and occasional moments of sleep and the hollowness of his intrusive thoughts returning to torment his mind.

Suddenly, There was the ever so slight sensation of something upon his shoulder as he continued to sleep, gently pulling his consciousness to the surface but not enough to fully wake him.

"Remus..." said a gentle voice, that sounded like it was far off in the distance. It sounded soft, like a lullaby, almost like the way his mother would comfort him each night when he was scared to sleep after his attack. He welcomed the touch and the warmth of the voice, feeling more at peace.

"Remus?" said the voice again, louder this time.

It was loud enough this time to pull him completely out of his sleep. His body jerked up at the sound and his eyes flashed open. Standing in front of him with their hand on his shoulder was Hermione. Only after rapidly blinking his sleep away, he noticed the look on her face.

With the moonlight pouring in through the windows, her normal pale face seemed ghostly white. Remus had to blink again a few times to really process what he was seeing, and to make sure she wasn't actually a ghost or a nightmare vision there to haunt him. No… she seemed opaque; she must have been real.

He didn't know what to say, so he just scanned her face. Her glossed over eyes were somewhat guarded. There was a redness around them and a slight swollenness, which amplified the dark circles that had formed. He was almost certain she had been crying.

"Hermione…?" he croaked; his throat thick from sleep.

It took him a moment to realize he was still on couch in the common room, his book lay closed on the floor, as if it had fallen in his sleep. The fire in the fireplace was almost completely out at this point, only embers remained, glowing faintly beside him. He looked over at the clock on the wall and saw it was a quarter after four, and Remus immediately straightened up and looked back at Hermione's ghostly face.

"Why are you sleeping in the common room and not upstairs in your bed?" she asked after a moment of silence, raising her eyebrow ever so slightly.

Remus had to fight back a laugh at the absurdity of that being her first question.

"Hermione… where have you been?" he asked her, ignoring her question. "I've b- we've been so worried."

Hermione's eyebrows pulled together as she took this in. She hesitated before she spoke but didn't seem to be able to. "I-"

She stared tearfully at him, and took a deep breath, and Remus felt the urge to reach for her.

"I'm so sorry."

"It's my fault."

They had spoken at the same time and then Hermione fully burst into tears.

Alarmed, Remus gave into his urge and reached out for her arm and gently pulled her onto the couch beside him as she trembled slightly. He shifted over slightly to give her more room while resting his hand softly on her back.

"I shouldn't have run out like that," said Remus, slowly rubbing her back in small circles, rethinking that moment regretfully as she sobbed beside him. Had his running out of the room really caused her that much pain?

"I understand why you did," said Hermione, between choking sobs.

"What I should have said then is what I'm going to say now," he said, looking down at her, and Hermione seemed to be holding her breath as silent tears streamed down her cheeks in anticipation. "I trust you."

She looked up at him hopefully, rapidly blinking away tears.

"I won't say I'm glad you know, or that I was planning on telling you…" Remus continued truthfully. He suddenly remembered they were sitting in public in the common room, so he lowered his voice to a soft whisper and moved closer to her on the couch, keeping his hand on her back. "But there is a slight relief having you here now, knowing you know. And knowing that I know I can trust you."

Hermione let out a breath and Remus could visibly see her shoulders go down before speaking in an urgent but hushed tone. "You can trust me, Remus. I swear to you, I would never tell anyone!"

And he believed her, he really did.

"If anything, I'm only a bit worried at how quickly you worked it out," he said in a whisper, scratching the back of his neck nervously with his free hand as his eyes quickly darted to and from the stairs leading to the dormitories. "Did you really figure it out from the first… full moon?" he said the last words at a barely audible level.

Hermione nodded. She gave one final sniff and wiped her remaining tears away and Remus took his hand off her back. "Nearly. Like I had said about when we learned about them… our professor was very… adamant… that we know how to spot one. He was extremely strict about it and made it his mission that we'd be able to see all of the signs. He was full of prejudice about the whole thing, but I guess he did properly prepare us," she said. There was a slight anger in her voice that Remus could detect even at her low volume. Her disgust for the way her professor had taught them normally would have moved him if he hadn't been so nervous about how she had put everything together. "I had only been suspicious the first time—it could have been a coincidence—but the signs just kept adding up and… well…"

Remus nodded grimly as she trailed off. "It's funny how it's my biggest secret and yet I've never actually been the one to tell anyone on my own terms."

"James, Sirius, and Peter?" she whispered tentatively.

"They also figured it out on their own, during our second year," he said, and he couldn't help the small smile that formed as he remembered that feeling of relief after they had accepted him. A similar feeling was starting to grow as he stared at Hermione, suddenly becoming aware at how close she was to him, their knees almost touching as they leaned towards each other.

"Are they the only ones who know?" she asked, and the happy feeling vanished.

"Outside of my parents and the staff, only one other person knows besides them," said Remus, with a frown and his stomach tightened. "Snape… but it's not really something I'm supposed to talk about…"

Hermione gave an understanding nod, but Remus could see the curiosity burning in her wide eyes. But Remus was curious about something himself, as well as hoping to change the subject from Snape as quickly as possible.

"Hermione, where have you been? Lily, Mary, and I were ready to go to Professor McGonagall because we had no idea where you were."

Hermione paled. "I thought it would be best to give some space. I thought I had upset you enough."

Remus noticed she hadn't said who the space was for, but he didn't ask for clarification.

"I was just scared," said Remus before he knew what he was saying. He could feel his face grow warm. It shocked and slightly embarrassed him at how easily he had admitted that to her without realizing what he was saying.

"I was scared too!" she whispered eagerly. "I hadn't meant to scare you! Or hurt you!"

"I know," he reassured. "If anything, I've just been more worried ever since. You just… disappeared... Where did you go?"

Hermione looked at him curiously, as if debating whether to respond or not. He had grown quite familiar with her slightly panicked expression when she had to do quick thinking whenever someone asked her a question she wanted to avoid. But he was surprised when she sighed softly and actually answered him.

"I have a secret myself," she admitted softly, pulling her gaze away from him and looking at the floor.

Remus's heart was now speeding up. "You can tell me anything, Hermione."

She looked back at him after a moment's hesitation and then, to his bewilderment, she stood up.

"I think it would be better if I showed you."

She gestured towards the portrait hole and Remus tentatively stood up.

He followed her silently through the dark and sleeping castle, careful not to make noise since it was still after hours. Although she did not speak, she stayed directly next to him as they continued to walk. Occasionally she would steal ever-so-slight nervous glances towards him, almost if she were frightened that he would run away again. The silence between them continued until suddenly she stopped in the middle of a corridor on the seventh floor.

With a small sigh, she turned to look at him, examining his face curiously before she spoke.

"I thought it would be only fair since I know a secret of yours that I show you a secret of my own," she said, her mouth was a hard line as she tried to remain serious, but Remus could see the small crinkle forming between her eyebrows as she looked at him, a look she would only get when she was rarely unsure of something.

There wasn't any time to make a comment before she turned away from him and slowly walked a few paces down the hallway in an odd, almost dance-like fashion, which clued him in that he wasn't supposed to follow her but instead observe. He would have been frozen in place regardless, the movements she was making were so un-Hermione like. Was she… pacing?

After walking back and forth a few times, Remus was ready to ask what was going on or if this was some odd practical joke, but he knew it couldn't be, he couldn't imagine Hermione doing that. He had just opened his mouth when he noticed a shape beginning to slowly appear and spread across the wall Hermione was facing. Still frozen, Remus stayed glued to the stone floor in the middle of the corridor as Hermione walked towards what became a door.

"I think this is something you may find interesting," she said softly with a timid smile as she slowly pushed open the door.

A warm, amber light seemed to glow from the open door. As if in a dream, Remus felt himself begin to float forwards, unaware of his brain telling him to even begin to walk, but he followed her as she crossed over the threshold into the mystery room.

When he got to the door, he could feel the warmth of a fireplace and he was immediately greeted by the sweet scents of candles that reminded him of an autumn day. He could distinguish the smells of vanilla and cinnamon, it reminded him of the teas Hermione would drink in the mornings, and his body immediately relaxed.

"What is this place?" Remus breathed as he took in his surroundings. From the bookshelves lining the walls to the soft amber glow of the fire and torches, there was an enormous sense of serenity in the room and he couldn't help but feel calm.

"You've really never been to this room before?" Hermione asked with wide eyes. There was a slight proud tone in her voice that Remus found amusing.

"Never," he said, fighting back a laugh as Hermione's brown eyes flashed with excitement before she forced her express back into neutral.

"It's called the Room of Requirement, or sometimes referred to as the Come and Go Room," she said, looking back at him delicately now but with a hint of a smile. "I discovered it when I was here over the summer. I spent most of my free time just wandering the castle and then I came across this." Hermione gestured around them to the room.

"I've spent nearly six years now living in this castle and never once knew this was here…" Remus thought back to all the exploring he and done with his friends to mark places on the Marauder's Map. They had discovered so many secret passages but never managed to find this room. "How does it work?"

"From what I was told, it only appears when someone really truly needs it."

"And you needed this room?" asked Remus, still taking in the room around him, trying to notice every detail from the candles to the books to the pile of records in the corner that immediately grabbed his attention.

Hermione gave a small smile. "I'm afraid it's rather embarrassing to be quite honest… Here, come sit," she said as she grabbed Remus's hand and began to lead him towards the red couch in front of the fire. The warmth of her hand in his spread throughout his body and he immediately felt a sense of comfort at her touch.

As they reached the couch, Remus sat down on what was probably the most comfortable cushion he had even been on. Hermione joined him and sat, cross-legged, beside him with her body turned towards him and she released his hand.

"Embarrassing?" asked Remus, his hand felt oddly empty and cold now.

"Yes, well," continued Hermione, her gaze dropping slightly before looking him back in the eye with a sad sort of smile upon her face. "I'm afraid I wasn't as well adjusted to being here as I would have liked everyone to know… Over the summer, right before term began, I had grown so homesick and was wandering the halls not knowing what to do with myself and this door just appeared to me. When I opened it, I had walked into my childhood sitting room."

With a start, Remus gaped at her. "Is this—is this your childhood sitting room?" he asked as he took in his surroundings once again. It definitely did not look like any room he had seen in a house before. And why would the castle have a replica of her sitting room?

"Goodness, no!" said Hermione shaking her head with a small laugh that cracked in her throat. "It was actually the night that I first created this version of the room that Dumbledore had followed me here after I—well after I had broken down. When I asked how he found me he had said 'There aren't many things or places in this castle that I don't know about' and he explained what the room was."

"But what exactly is this room? You said it was your home one night but then you created another?" asked Remus in confusion.

"Dumbledore explained to me that the room only appears when the person needs it the most and that it's designed to fulfill your needs. So, when I felt homesick, it became a replica of home, and then when I needed comfort another time, it became this," she explained as she gestured around the room. Remus definitely would have described it as extremely comfortable. "It was a place to escape to. But I've made some adjustments over the times I've come here. I believe the room must have some sort of sentience because it transforms to the user's needs, almost as if it knows what you need before you yourself can even ask for it. Like for example if you really needed the toilets… it would show itself as a lavatory. It can create nearly anything you need, except food of course."

Remarkable, Remus thought. The room was truly one of the most incredible pieces of magic he had ever witnessed. It was unbelievable that a place like this had been sitting here right under their noses after all of these years and they had never stumbled across it. Remus guessed it must be because they had never truly needed it before, or at least they were never near it when they had needed something. At that thought, his wonder grew into sympathy as he thought about how Hermione had only found it because she needed to.

"You said Dumbledore found you in this room after a breakdown…" Remus started, and Hermione smiled sadly at him.

"Halloween night," was all she had to say and Remus simply nodded, feeling the knot in his stomach tighten again thinking back to that ghostly expression she had had on her face that night in the Great Hall before running off and disappearing. It made every ounce of sense that this room would appear for her after seeing the state she had become at that dinner.

"And you come here quite a bit?"

"I spent almost all of Christmas holiday here," she said matter-of-factly.

"And this where you've been since Friday night?" he asked.

She gave a small smile and nodded, and then realization struck Remus. It was why he hadn't been able to see her on the map.

"I can't believe it," he said shaking his head. "Well, obviously I can, but it's just so amazing… What have you been doing for food if the room can't make any? We never saw you at meals."

With that, she gave a small, almost guilty, smirk. "Sneaking into the kitchens."

Remus didn't try to hold this laugh back but instead let it bark out, and Hermione too began to laugh softly.

"You're full of surprises, aren't you," he said, staring at her fondly.

"Well, I knew where the kitchens were since I got food there over the summer," said Hermione, her tone that was a mix of playful but also slightly defensive, but it only made Remus laugh again.

"You're more of a rebel than I thought," laughed Remus, shaking his head slightly. "I'm actually impressed that the great Hermione Dawson would actually break into the kitchens and take food."

For a split second, Hermione's smile faltered at his comment, but Remus was quick enough to catch it.

"What?" he said quickly. "I was only kidding. Of course you'd have to eat! It's not as if the house elves mind visitors… we take food from there all the time…"

But Hermione was starting to shake her head quickly as she closed her eyes, forcing a smile on her face but the tremble in her lower lip betrayed her.

"No, no, it's not that," she said, looking back up at him, her eyes growing glassy again. She let out a quick and forced laugh. "I'm sorry! That just remined me of home—" she paused quickly before seemingly correcting herself. "Something that someone from home would say to me."

"That you're a rebel?" he asked in confusion.

"No," she said thickly, shaking her head. "The 'great Hermione Dawson' part. It's silly really…"

"It must not be silly if it's making you feel this way," said Remus softly, and she smiled wearily at him.

"It's just been so hard… I've wanted to put on a brave face. I wanted to be a true Gryffindor. I wanted to make my friends and family back home proud of how I've learned to cope and that I've been strong, but all I can think about is how I'm slowly losing the people I care about. I feel like I'm losing a part of myself," she said, tears now fully threatening to pour from her eyes once again. "Then there's the confusion from how much I've enjoyed being here the last few months, and I just feel guilty! There would be days where I would not even think about my old friends who meant everything to me because I was so caught up in my friends and life here. And then the thought that I had may have ruined everything by letting your secret slip… it just made me feel like I was losing everyone all over again like when I first came here, and I didn't want to lose you Remus."

It was like being stabbed in the gut with a knife. Hermione rarely brought up her past or voluntarily mentioned her old friends. A part of him knew it must bring her pain which is why she often avoided the topic so much, but to hear about how it truly had pained her, and to see her crying again like she had all those months ago in the library, broke a piece of his heart.

"You're much stronger than you give yourself credit for. And you aren't going to lose us, Hermione," he said, feeling his own throat grow thick. "Not possible."

She gave him a weak smile and rubbed an escaped tear from her cheek. "Thank you, Remus. Honestly, you're one of the things that have made being here much easier than I thought it would be."

"I'm really glad you're here, Hermione," he said earnestly. "I'm glad you shared all of this with me. And I believe that this is where you belong."

She gave him a tearful smile and then reached over and captured him in a hug.

"Remus, I am truly so sorry for everything. I never wanted you to know I knew, not until you ever felt I deserved to know. If you even ever wanted me to know. But I honestly mean it from the bottom of my heart that it does not matter in the slightest to me. You truly are my best friend here, and I want to do what I can to make this right."

A moment passed before she released him and they stared at each other.

"Even though I am a monster?" he whispered, so softly he wasn't sure if she would be able to even hear it over the crackle of the fire. But the sadness in her eyes quickly flashed into a look of determination and she grabbed a hold of his hand and clutched it tightly between her own, pulling herself closer to him.

"Oh Remus…" whispered Hermione.

Remus's heart seemed to skip a beat at the way she just simply said his name. There was a strong sense of affection in her eyes that brought a strange feeling to his stomach.

"But it's true," he whispered back, feeling his mouth go dry and eyes begin to sting.

"You are not a monster, Remus," she said fiercely, her brown eyes blazing as strongly as the fire in front of them. "You are the least monstrous person I know. You are kind, you are true, you are an unbelievable person. You are filled with compassion and one of the smartest people I know! You may think you are a monster, but all I see is how strong and brave you are. What you can't control doesn't define you, Remus, it's who you choose to be that defines you, and the person sitting in front of me chooses to be an incredible person even in the face of darkness!"

He stared at her brown eyes that bore into his own with such an intense gaze. There was a pleading in them, as if she were asking for forgiveness and acceptance all at the same time. But it was so backwards… it should be him pleading for her acceptance… He should have been the one ashamed. He was the one who was the monster, the one who should be begging for acceptance and to show he was not a danger as she may think.

Remus had never met anyone like her before. So unbelievable selfless and willing to take the hit so her friends did not have to suffer. She had known his secret nearly this entire time.. this entire time! And yet, it had never mattered to her, it had never made a difference. When she looked at him she didn't see a monster, or someone who needed to be hidden away to protect everyone around them. Instead, she saw him as intelligent, kind, compassionate… all adjectives that were never used to describe a werewolf. But to her, he wasn't just a werewolf, he was a person. A person she cared for… her friend… her best friend… She was almost unreal sitting there facing him on the couch.

Remus felt his stomach tighten again as he stared at her, amazed at how lucky he had been to find someone so supportive and accepting of him. And in that moment, staring at her face illuminated by the amber glow of the fire, her warm brown eyes large and twinkling with acceptance and her hands still clutching his tightly, refusing to let go, Remus felt the wild urge to lean over and kiss her.

The feeling came on so suddenly and it was so intense that it shocked him with how great the desire was. He had never felt as strongly towards someone in his life before that moment and his whole body felt like it may explode. As soon as he processed his own thoughts, he felt himself jerk back both mentally and physically.

"Remus?" Hermione asked softly, tentatively removing her hands from his and folding her own politely in her lap as she stared at him, her right eyebrow slightly raised at his sudden movement.

A warm flush of shame quickly spread across his face as he broke eye contact and turned to face the blazing fire instead. "I'm sorry... I was just, overwhelmed I suppose," he said quickly, cursing himself in his head for behaving so stupidly. And to think she had just called him intelligent.

"No, I'm sorry," she quickly said, "I know this must be so overwhelming, I wish it all hadn't happened so fast and I wish I hadn't caused you so much pain. Maybe all of this has been too intense? I've never been good at… emotions or apologies or conversations at this level. I didn't mean to upset you further."

Remus turned back to look at her and there was a sadness in her eyes that made the guilt in his stomach even worse. They were both doing it again… him causing her pain while she took the blame for no reason. How many times had he already made her cry? A small sad pout rested on her lips and Remus's heart began to beat heavily in his chest as the urge to just lean over towards her returned, but he continued to fight against it.

But she was right there, one sudden movement away, and it felt so right and natural. Over the past few months he knew he was getting more and more drawn to her but in this moment, there was an intensity he didn't quite understand. His heart thundered in his chest as he looked into her big brown eyes, eyes that were full of acceptance.

Acceptance of him and the monster within.

"Hermione," he started softly but firmly, hoping the sound of his hammering heart wasn't loud enough for her to hear. "There is absolutely nothing to apologize for, I was the one who overreacted on Friday."

"There is no proper way for a person to react to something like that," said Hermione with a small, sad, smile. She took his hand back in hers and he stopped breathing again. "But I'm glad we could escape here now."

I'm glad we could escape here now she said, and it made him remember something she had said not much earlier.

"Hermione… I know you wanted to share a secret with me as well, but if this was your room to escape to when you needed to be alone, why did you bring me here?"

He couldn't tell if it was the glow from the fire or if she blushed slightly at his question. Or maybe it was wishful thinking. Either way the color that rose to her cheeks fascinated him as he took it in, not wanting to blink and miss a second of it.

"I don't want to keep running, Remus," she said softly. "Not from you. I wanted you to know that this is where I've been and where I come, and that I trust you and that I want to be able to share this with you if you so choose."

A feeling of lightness spread over him. She wanted to share this with him?

"I thought maybe instead of this just being my escape… it could be ours?" she continued, there was a sound of hope in her voice. "If we ever felt overwhelmed by something or needed to get away this could be where we come. Or the days following a full moon, this is where we can go over notes instead of that cold dark classroom. In here it's at least comfortable and warm. Not to mention we really wouldn't be followed. Patrolling prefects or professors wouldn't be able to get in if we were in here," she said with a mischievous smirk.

"Ours?" said Remus, his heart beating rapidly at the idea of it.

"Ours," she said with a smile and a nod. "A secret room where neither of us would have to feel like we have to hide. This way, no one can find us."

The slight teasing tone in her voice immediately made Remus's mind flood with the memory of last October when they had first stolen away to the abandoned classroom to study as to not be overheard.

"This way, no one can find us," said Remus.

"You know, that sounds slightly like something a serial killer would say," said Hermione airily. She crossed the room and sat on top of a desk in front of Remus and looked at him while sliding her schoolbag off of her shoulder. "The whole "no one can find us' bit."

"Or something forbidden lovers would say," said Remus casually with a shrug. "But neither of those things are true."

Remus swallowed the lump in his throat.

"I'd like that," he said, with a smile, and Hermione beamed back at him.

A part of him wanted to repeat the lovers line, to confirm if that's what she had been referring to, but he thought against it. As much as he had wanted to, he couldn't bring himself to finish the phrase "but neither of those things are true."

A/N: I hoped you enjoyed this addition of another chapter that was outlined to be much shorter than it ended up being. Also, I had way too many emotions when writing this chapter so I hope you all liked it!

**The section of the "textbook" in the first part of this chapter is actually an excerpt from the Harry Potter fandom wiki page on Eloise Mintumble, I take NO credit for that section, but the wiki page did make for a pretty good sounding textbook in my opinion.

So let me know what you thought! Is there anything in particular that you liked? Anything you want to happen? Anything you think should be different? What do you think will happen next? Any suggestions or concerns? Let me know!

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