Chapter 51: Thursday, October 9, 1980

"Fights that end in bed have their own singular excitement, remember that."

-Charlotte Lamb


Hermione was pissed off.

She sat with her arms crossed, her teeth clenched tightly as she shifted against the back of the chair, her legs crossed at the knee, and eyes narrowed in Remus' direction. Not even the sparkle in the corner of her eye from the ring on her finger, grabbing the light, could lighten her mood… and that almost always did the trick.

"Prague," Dumbledore said. "They are neutral but we are hoping to bring them abroad as allies."

Remus nodded, "I understand. Is there no one else?" He at least had the good sense to spare Hermione a look as he asked the question.

When her eyes caught his, they narrowed further. She was certain if her parents were here to witness this, she would be told she had to wear guards in her mouth for a week to ensure she didn't clench her teeth anymore. She could hear the lecture in the back of her mind from her mother, telling her that she would crack her molars if she didn't learn to loosen her jaw. The only problem right now being that if she loosened her jaw in present company, she may say something regrettable and she wasn't sure if Albus Dumbledore would let another explosion of her fury, aimed toward him, happen without being reprimanded.

Hermione was certain however, that the second Dumbledore left her home, her resolve would crumble completely and she doubted that Remus would want to be on the receiving end of that.

During the meeting that had taken place tonight, some information had come to light about advancements in Voldemort's ranks. Not only did he seem to have complete control over the Dementors, but he's secured every domestic Vampire coven, had convinced two settlements of Giants to join him and he was expanding into foreign Werewolf territories.

"You are the only one that is part of the Order who holds the ability to relate to these men and women on a personal level. He is gathering to fight, and we must be prepared. Having allies with the strength and agility that your lycanthropy grants you, would be beneficial to our resistance."

"And what are you promising them?" Hermione hissed, her tongue finally coming unglued from the roof of her mouth, frustration coursing through her. "What is it that Remus will be telling them they will have?"

"Freedoms that they are no longer given in the current state of things," Dumbledore answered. "I understand that it is not ideal to make promises before we have secured political advancement to ensure the follow through, but while our numbers remain stagnant, Lord Voldemort's rise. We need to be prepared."

Hermione sucked at her front teeth, breathing deeply through her nose as she tried to steady her frustration and keep her eyes from rolling into her head. Part of her, a very tiny part of her, could understand where Dumbledore came from. He wasn't wrong, the Death Eater's ranks were rising steadily and had been for weeks. It was clear Lord Voldemort and his army of blood purist bedlamites were only getting stronger with each passing day.

The air was changing in the Wizarding World, and it was seeping into the Muggle one as well, now. Just earlier this week there had been an attack on a random Muggle cafe that left three dead and two injured. Death Eaters were seen in the streets of Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade regularly-they're becoming confident, arrogant. And the Order was small, still struggling to retain the members that they could trust, while trying desperately to build numbers as quickly and quietly as possible.

Hermione understood, she really did. But, why did it have to be Remus? Obviously, it was because of his lycanthropy that he could go over the course of the full moon to gain trust. She knew that his amenable demeanor was ideal for the werewolves, it showed that he was not a threat-but he still got attacked! He still was badly injured the last time he went! He had promised.

Regardless of the promises made to her, she was fully aware that Remus had to help. He had to continue on and do the things he was supposed to do until his life was due to come to a close, regardless of how she felt about it. However the more she thought on it, and closed her eyes and saw his unmoving body, mouth slack, eyes closed, chest still of breath or heart beat, bloodied and broken on the floor at the age of 38, the angrier she got.

First at herself for ever thinking opening her mind up to her memories was a good idea, and secondly that Dumbledore was knowingly risking lives that would continue on, only to be lost for the same exact cause almost two decades later.

"When will I need to leave?" Remus asked.

"The full moon is the twenty-third, I believe?" Dumbledore asked.

Remus nodded, "Yeah."

"I think it best you should arrive on the nineteenth. A few days to understand the clan and the rules of the den? I shall owl you details before that day, I have contact with the Alpha and you will need to meet with him in order to introduce yourself to the den. He will also contact you by owl," Dumbledore stood from the chair in the kitchen, pushing it into place beneath the table and offering a small satisfactory smile. "Thank you, Remus. I will be in touch soon. Hermione, for your hospitality."

Hermione said nothing, remaining seated, while Remus walked the Headmaster out and stood with the door open until a faint pop was heard. He closed the door and walked back into the kitchen, glaring at Hermione.

"You're acting like a child."

"You promised you wouldn't take on any more missions with them!" Hermione said, anger flaring around the edges of her tone.

"What am I supposed to do, Hermione?" Remus asked, his voice raising slightly in irritation. "They've sent Sirius back out, James can't leave and Peter's been on assignments for months! I'm the only one turning down assignments and they need me here! We're losing members left and right and-

"We're losing allies because they're getting killed Remus! This isn't just a go have a chat situation! You're drawing hard lines on where you stand with an already volatile group of people!"

"Already volatile?!" Remus hissed, folding his arms over his chest and arching an eyebrow at her.

Hermione rolled her eyes and stood up from her place at the table, walking closer to him and tossing her hip to the side, one hand planted firmly on her waist and the other waving between them as she argued her point, "I'm not saying all werewolves are volatile! I'm saying because of the political climate and the pressure to submit under a literal lunatic it's turning already terrified and marginalized mindsets even more capricious! You've said it yourself before, we're making them promises we are unable to keep in hopes of securing their help. What's to stop them from telling us all to fuck off the second they realize we've lied?"

"I am not going out there and lying to them!" Remus spat, "I'm simply going out to extend an olive branch and give them the option to meet with Dumbledore to discuss further advancing a treaty!"

"And look at where that olive branch landed you! You could have died-

"This is war Hermione! Did you think for one second when you tried to save all those kids, or went after Prongs with me and Pads, did you for one second think about your own life?"

"That's not the same-

"Yes it is!" Remus shouted, throwing his hands up in the air. "You knew there was a chance you could get hurt, and you did it anyway! You could have been fucking turned in that dungeon, and you went anyway! I can protect myself!"

"You almost died last time!" Hermione cried, swiping at her eyes, furious that her anger was manifesting in tears. "You almost died! And if you go to Prague, what happens if you can't get back? If you're too far to safely apparate this time? You splinched yourself last time and you weren't even out of Britain!"

"Did you listen to Dumbledore at all when he spoke?! Prague is a neutral territory! Their lycanthropic population included! They aren't going to attack me!"

"You don't know that!" Hermione shouted.

"Neither do you!" Remus hissed, "I was in enemy territory last time, and we knew that, Hermione! Frankly, it would have been bloody surprising had I come out unscathed!"

"If you're trying to make me feel better," Hermione shouted angrily into Remus' chest. "That's not the way to do it! You're breaking a promise to me!"

Remus scrubbed his face with both hands in obvious frustration, "You're being incredibly stubborn! This could help us! This could ensure we have allies! If we secure Prague's werewolf population, we may be able to talk to Bulgaria and Romania with promising results as well! If that means I get a few more scars, than so be it!"

"It's massively irritating how little you care about your own life!"

"It's not about my life! It's about the greater good!"

"The greater fucking good!" Hermione snapped, the words tasted like vinegar in her mouth as they brought forth painful memories of nights with Harry, alone and starved. And another of her best friend walking willingly to his death- all for the cause of the greater good. "The greater good has never done anything for anyone! It would do the Order some good to remember that!"

Hermione was properly furious and now her chest ached as memories pulled forth from her mind and she didn't want to talk about it anymore. She knew she looked like a petulant child as she stormed out of the room and into the guest room, slamming the door shut behind her. She casted a silencing charm and screamed into the air, yelling out her frustrations and throwing a tantrum just like the child Remus accused her of acting like.

He didn't understand! She wasn't only angry that he was breaking his promise to her and agreeing to help Dumbledore with the werewolves again, she was mad at herself for making him promise this in the first place! She had gone out of her way to try and change the course of things and while obviously fate had decided it wouldn't work out, which ultimately determined why she wasn't dead for breaking the vow, she supposed, she had tried to meddle.

The more memories that swam into her head and tried to drown her, the more she wanted to just spill everything. She wanted desperately to tell Remus, or anyone really, that she was cursed. That she had to go back, not only because of the vow, but because she would become a Dementor shortly after that. She wanted to tell them everything she knew about their lives and their children and she wanted to do whatever it took to ensure that Remus would live. That he wouldn't do whatever the hell he had done that had gotten him killed during the Battle of Hogwarts in 1998, so that she may never have to see that cold, unmoving face again.

She felt hot, sweat prickling her forehead and the back of her neck. The three cauldrons that were steeping double batches of different healing potions made the room humid, stifling and choking in the heat. She ripped her shirt off her shoulders, throwing it across the room to a heap on the floor and stood in the center of the room, taking heavy breaths as the sweat began to spread across her skin.

Hermione had once made fun of Ron for his lack of emotional range. She would give anything to have simple feelings right now.

She jumped at the thundering on the other side of the door. The quick silencing charm she had cast hadn't been very thorough and while she was certain he could not hear her, she could still hear him. Again, his fist pounded on the door.

"Hermione, did you set a silencing charm? I can't hear anything beyond the door, will you let me in? I'm sorry I yelled at you, but we should talk. Unlock the door, please?"

Hermione sighed and dropped the silencing spell, "I don't want to talk about it anymore. You're right, I'm being stubborn when I have no right to be." She realized her voice was hoarse too late and she could practically hear the way Remus shifted from irritated to concerned on the other side of the door.

"Let me in, love."

"I'm fine, Remus. Go tell James, Sirius, and Lily about the assignment."

"No."

"Remus I'm-

"Alohomora."

Hermione huffed out a breath and looked at Remus, her hands hanging limp at her sides. "I'm fine," she said.

"You're half naked in a sweltering room and you've screamed yourself raw," he replied, giving her a pointed look.

"I haven't-

"I'm not stupid. I know your voice doesn't get all raspy like that when you've been crying."

"I was frustrated," she admitted. "Not just with you. But I'm fine."

"Hermione, the last thing I want to do is upset you. If you… If it's that pertinent that I not go-

"No," Hermione said, giving a sad shake of her head. "No, you should go. You're right, we need the reinforcements."

Remus stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her into his chest as he pressed his chin atop her head. She stepped closer to him, circling her own arms around his large frame, her hands resting below his shoulder blades.

"I'll be careful," he promised. "I'll be gone a week tops."

Hermione nodded against him. Despite the reassurance, she felt no better, still tense and frustrated that he would be leaving in the first place, and now even more annoyed with herself for getting upset. But, she had a right to be angry and worried, didn't she? Remus dropped his arms from around her and his hands shot to her face, one large, warm hand cupping her jaw, pulling her up to her tip-toes as his face moved down to hover over hers. One arm banded around her waist, pulling her closer to him and he slanted his lips over hers, kissing her like his life depended on it.

The shade of stubble on his chin scratched against her face as his lips moved against hers, pulling at her bottom lip and pushing past her teeth to dip his tongue into her mouth. She sighed against the kiss, the taste of chocolate, tea, and cinnamon never getting old. She wanted to be angry, to steep in her fury for just a while longer but when her knees went weak when he broke the kiss to gasp for air before pressing his lips to her throat, she knew it would be a lost cause.

Nipping and sucking his way to that glorious spot where her neck and shoulder met, she whined when she felt the pinch of his teeth, followed by a massage of his tongue. Hermione felt her anger subside, having been absolutely brassed not even ten minutes ago, but the sinful way Remus dragged his teeth against her skin had her frustrated in a totally different capacity now. If she took the time to guess, she would assume Remus was doing this on purpose. But right now, this seemed like a hell of a better way to work out her anger than destroying her pseudo potions lab.

"I'm still mad at you," Hermione mumbled as her head lolled to the side, her hair falling over her shoulder as he moved up her neck and pulled her earlobe between his teeth.

"Are you?" Remus said, "Let's rectify that, then."

"Oh?"

"Mhm. I think I may have a solution…"

Hermione rolled her eyes and squeaked in surprise when he pulled her to him, shoving her against the wall. She felt the stiff evidence of his 'solution' against her belly before he hunched over to kiss her again. This time, she pulled away first, dropping down to her knees and pulling at the button on his trousers. She yanked the zipper down and within seconds, she had his cock freed from his trousers and pants. Before Remus could say anything, Hermione pressed the head to her lips, kissing it softly before trailing wet kisses down the shaft and back up again. Remus made the low growling sound in his chest and it shot straight to her core, making her feel even more uncomfortably warm than she already was, her knickers dampening.

She leaned forward, taking him into her mouth and wrapping her fingers around the remaining length, her tongue tracing up the vein on the underside and her cheeks hollowing as she took all of him that she could, the soft tip prodding the back of her throat. She began bobbing her head and pumping her hand in tandem, smiling around him when she felt his hands sink into her hair, his hips pressing forward slightly as his head fell backward. She hummed in approval and felt his hands tightened in her curls. She continued the rhythm for several minutes, quickening her pace when she felt his hips stutter, his breath coming in ragged form at the end of deep groans.

"Fuck, Her-Hermione…. I'm close, I'm so fucking close. Shit," Remus' growling whines of pleasure caused her to moan in delight and she pressed the tip of her tongue up massaging the small ridge on the underside of his head and was rewarded with an almost howling moan as Remus bucked forward, the grip on her hair so tight her scalp tingled. She swallowed his release as it hit the back of her throat and she pumped her fist through until the twitching of his cock slowed to a stop.

Remus pulled Hermione to her feet the second her mouth left him and his lips crashed over hers, bruising and fierce as his tongue searched her mouth for the traces of him that were left over.

"My turn," he growled in her ear, yanking her jeans and knickers down and nearly causing her to trip as he pulled them completely off her legs. He bent low and gently shoved her knees apart, his hands gripping her waist. "Put your legs on my shoulders."

Hermione gave him a skeptical look at first, but used the wall to steady herself as she moved her legs so that the backs of her knees hooked over his shoulders, her ankles locking in place against his upper back. The grip on her waist tightened and he kissed the inside of her thigh before standing straight up, causing Hermione to lurch forward in surprise, grabbing fistfuls of his hair to steady herself. With her back against the wall, her thighs slipped forward a bit, bringing her center closer to Remus' mouth as she looked around the room from over eight feet in the air.

Before the vertigo of being up much higher than she was used to could settle in, Remus' mouth made contact against her clit as his arms banded around her thighs to hold her steady on his shoulder. One of Hermione's arms flew up, her fingers searching for the lip of the wood borders that lined the walls. Her nails scratched against the drywall as the back of her head smacked against it, her other hand still firmly twisted into the sandy waves on his head. Her mouth fell open in a silent plea, nothing but whimpers and whines coming forth. Remus' tongue swept through her folds, and sank into her center and her hips jerked forward.

Her thighs tightened against the side of his head, her hips rolling against his mouth as he lavished hot, sucking kisses to her cunt. Dragging the flat of his tongue over the sensitive bundle of nerves over and over before burying his face into her again, his nose pressed against her clit, his tongue diving into her entrance. Hermione screamed out as the coil in her belly tightened and snapped. Her vision swam and blurred as Remus continued to suck and lick and kiss her clit as she came undone from above him. When her hips had stopped rolling and her shoulders sagged slightly, she opened her eyes and looked down. Remus had pulled his face back from her core and looked up at her, a wolfishly mischievous smile on his face.

"Will you put me down now, please?" Hermione asked, still breathless.

"Not my fault you're so bloody short," Remus chuckled. He carefully moved to hold onto her waist, lowering down slowly, her back sliding against the wall.

He dropped his grip from her waist to pull her legs down from his shoulders, maneuvering them around his hips. Hermione arched her eyebrow at him and he shifted slightly, pulling his jumper over his shoulders and tossing it aside.

Hermione gripped the side of his face and pulled him to her lips, this time she sought dominance in the kiss, pressing past his lips to taste herself, their combined essence on their tongues. She moaned when his hand left her waist to sink between them, gripping his cock and rocking it through her folds, coating himself with her release.

"Do the spell," he demanded, his voice husky. "Please do the bloody spell!"

Hermione pressed her hand against her belly, whispered the words and waited for the warm pink glow to dissipate. The second it did, Remus pressed himself to her entrance and snapped his hips forward, a low groan meeting her breathy whine. He buried himself to the hilt, and within seconds he was setting an unforgiving pace. Pounding in and out of her, his lips latched onto her throat as she cried out with every rough growl or groan beneath her ear.

Not that she was complaining, but Remus generally wasn't this… confident this far from the full moon. He was an excellent lover, attentive and passionate always-but the unhinged, raw, neediness when they were together almost always had more to do with Moony being closer to the surface. Or so she thought.

Either way, Hermione was not complaining.

His hips snapped forward again and his fingers dug into the soft flesh of her hips so hard, she knew it would bruise. But with every hard stroke against that deliciously sensitive spot deep inside her she cried out his name, her nails cutting crescent shaped marks into his shoulders and her heels digging into his lower back. The sound of flesh slapping flesh filled her ears along with grunts and groans of pleasure from Remus and keening sighs and breathless moans from her own throat.

"Fuck, you always feel so good." Remus said, his voice breaking from his sharp breaths as his pace picked up yet again, "Shit! Hermione... "

"Just there!" Hermione whined as he praised her, his lips brushing against her neck. "Oh god! Fuck! Don't stop, Remus, please don't stop! I'm almost…."

A hand left her hip and dipped between them and she shrieked, her head slamming hard into the wall behind her, her thighs convulsing as her inner walls clamped down on him, holding him inside of her. As stars began bursting behind her eyes and galaxies swirled beyond that, she felt the jerk of Remus' hips and the way he shifted upward before he groaned her name, his thrusts slowing significantly as he emptied a second release inside of her.

They stood, their chests pressed together, Hermione's back against the wall. Slowly, she brought her shaking legs down so her toes could touch the floor, inhaling sharply when the action caused Remus to slip from her.

Remus carefully stepped away from her kicking his trousers off the rest of the way in the process. Hermione reached around her back and unhooked her bra, tossing it to the floor with the other piles of clothes. Remus stepped back toward her and scooped her up in a bridal style carry and she laughed.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking you to our bed," he grumbled, pressing a kiss to her temple. "If this is how we're gonna work out an argument, I'm gonna make sure we work it out thoroughly."

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a/n: Soo, let me know what you thought? We've been living in Remus and Hermione love each other so much paradise, but every couple argues from time to time, I thought it was high time to show that. But at least the makeup was spicy haha

xo