"Have you put any thought into where you're going to live come September?" Severus asked, his head in Remus's lap.
"Yes," Remus nodded. "But I'm afraid you won't like my answer, Severus."
Severus sat up and turned to the scrawny, pallid man before him. How Remus's face could look so relaxed after saying something like that, he had no clue. "Before resorting to the indignity of roaming with nothing more than your cloak, might I suggest moving in with me?"
Remus's pale green eyes widened at the suggestion and his mouth hung slightly open. "I-erm–I thought you were worried about how it would affect Hermione?"
"I was worried about her handling of our relationship," Severus explained. "Of which she is handling remarkably well. And once she is in classes again she won't be living with us. And for some incredible reason she appears to be quite fond of you."
Remus rolled his eyes and gave Severus a playful shove. "You're quite fond of me, you git!"
Despite himself. Severus's lips broke into a smile. "I sincerely hope that she likes you for different reasons than I do."
Both laughed until they grew uncomfortable with the concept. They moved on without allowing a thought to linger in that direction.
"I think with Sirius under house arrest until Peter's trial, it might be good for him to have someone live with him."
Sirius fucking Black, his childhood best friend, and a man dedicated to making my life miserable. How could Remus choose him over me? No, it's just wanting to comfort a friend, a horrible, horrible man who ruined my life. What's worse, he hurt Hermione! Your fucking goddaughter!
Rage filled his chest, he clenched his fists and jaw automatically. He wondered how he could have ever trusted the man before him? Remus had slithered his way into his—to his trust. Now he was leaving to aid some despicable specimen's self-imposed loneliness? Black didn't have to hunt down Pettigrew. Why should either of them be responsible for it?
"Do you think that is terribly wise? The man is, for lack of a better word, unhinged."
"Sirius has been imprisoned and psychologically tortured for twelve years, Severus," he sighed. "Anyone would be, and I think he could use the company. To keep him tethered." Remus reached out for his hand. "Please tell me you understand."
Severus ripped his hand back before Remus could make contact with him and glowered. "And why should I? Sirius Black means nothing to me."
Remus's face fell and he looked away from Severus. "He's my best friend, Severus. Be reasonable."
Why must everyone I care for have such horrific taste in friends? Lily, Hermione, you? He ventured in going further mentally, but his childhood best friend, his daughter and his partner were the only people he cared for…And I suppose Dumbledore, he's the closest thing to—fuck, stay focused you prat.
"I am being reasonable!" he snapped. "Mark my words, Remus Lupin, that man will make you regret that decision."
Remus stood and glared, the serene orange sunset glistening off the lake in a bitter juxtaposition with his grim, stony expression. "I want this to work. Us, I mean. But I will not be talked down to, and I won't sacrifice other parts of my life because you're insecure."
"Insecure!" Severus spat leaping to his own feet, his heart pounding in his throat, his vision red. "I'm preventing you from the harm your own stupidity will cause you!"
Remus's calm tone dissipated, his grey face flushed and he uncharacteristically snapped. "What the hell is wrong with you! Is this really how you talk to people you care about? One minute everything's great, I'm on the bloody moon and then y-you—-I see why—forget it!"
"Oh?" he spat. "Don't stop on my account!"
Remus ran a hand through his greying hair and sighed. "What am I to you, Severus?"
Severus leaned against the tree and folded his arms over his chest, surveying Remus's face. "That should be obvious to you."
In reality, how could it be? Severus himself wasn't sure. Something about those pale green eyes staring into his made him want to lower his defences, but he still loved Lily. More than that, he didn't trust him, he didn't want to leave himself open to simply be left in the lurch was Remus to him? He liked him, but he didn't think he loved him.
Severus in that moment realised he had no clue what he was to Remus as well.
"It's not," Remus said. "Why can't you just say it?"
Severus turned his eyes to the tree's roots wondering what the hell he was supposed to say. "You're my partner, Remus. I want you around." I'm thirty-fucking-four, why is this so hard?
"Partner? I'm so far from your equal," Remus didn't break eye contact. "You want me to move in, but for a month we were sneaking around, we met at my chambers for you to leave without even waking me up afterwards. You named me Hermione's godfather, but you only told her about me after she found out. You can do as you please, but I can't help my friend. Severus, you've never even asked me to stay the night."
All of this was true. Severus dove head first into unknown territory, and acted in accordance with what he assumed was best. Remus never said he wasn't happy. The stolen moments between them, it seemed he was very much happy. Save for a row every so often, which seemed seldom enough, and what couple didn't fight?
"If I'm asking you to move in it can be assumed I want you around, can it not?" Severus tried to tame the edge on his voice.
"Stop doing that!" Remus cried, throwing his hands in the air. "If you want me to stay, ask me! Not because 'you're protecting me from my own stupidity' or because I'm 'resorting to the indignity of roaming' but because you want me to!"
Severus stared at Remus, his jaw clenched. He'd never seen Remus like this before, not in his youth and certainly not in the past year. Flames danced in his eyes while tears visibly pooled and he bared his teeth while his fists were in tight balls at his sides. Even at his cruellest, he'd never seen him angry. At least not in his human form…
And he's completely unaware that this is his fault. How dare he—but he has a point. Severus inhaled deeply more terrified than all those years ago when he infiltrated the Death Eaters. He swallowed and spoke. "Please, stay, at least for the night."
Remus stood in the doorway to their living quarters clutching his trunk in a white knuckled grip. His other hand held Hermione's. The small terrified girl stared up at Severus with large eyes.
"Remus, what are you doing?" he asked.
"I'm leaving and I'm taking Hermione," Remus said plainly.
"What are you talking about?" he choked. "Why?"
Remus narrowed his eyes and spat. "Because you'll never learn, Severus! I can't keep up with the emotional whiplash." He then indicated the four-year-old clinging to his hand. "I just hope it's not too late for her!"
There it was. His fears finally came to pass. Remus saw him for the monster he was, and no denial could hide it now. Hermione would be ripped from his life and she would never look back on their lives pleasantly. With his daughter no longer in his care, he imagined she would never speak with him again.
"You can't just leave!" Severus roared. "And you're mad if you think I'm letting you take off with my daughter!"
Hermione buried her face into Remus's sleeve, and inched closer, all but melding into the fabric around his legs.
"Is she really, Snivellius?" Remus hissed.
Severus gave up on his lover. He could at least salvage his relationship with his daughter. He reached out to her. "Hermione, come on, love."
Hermione violently shook her head and shrieked. "I know you're not my daddy! "
Severus choked, staring at her.
A cold voice chuckled. "From the mouths of babes, eh, Snivellius?"
Sirius Black appeared from thin air with an eleven-year-old Harry Potter at his heels. He sauntered beside Remus, pecking him on the cheek. "Are we ready, Moony?"
"HOW FUCKING DARE YOU?!" Severus howled. "YOU CAN'T TAKE HER! I'LL KILL YOU!"
Hermione burst into tears and cuddled even closer into Remus's legs begging for a modicum of comfort. "Please don't leave me with the scary man, Remus! He's so mean!" After this, Hermione's words were incomprehensible between sobs.
"It's okay, Hermione," Potter left Black's side to pick her up. "You'll never have to see that nasty man again."
"P-promise?" she squeaked.
Black gave the girl a wolfish grin. "Promise."
With that they were all gone. His lover and his daughter slipped from his hands and he didn't know if he'd ever get them back.
"You did this to yourself, Sev," Lily sadly sighed in his ear.
"H-how?" his voice broke.
"Do you really have to ask that?" she knelt opposite him, her bright green eyes looking on him with pity.
No, I don't… "Remus was always going to leave me, but to take my baby? I love Hermione, I'd do anything for her."
"Except tell her the truth," Lily said.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" he snapped.
Lily rolled her eyes and leapt to her feet, glaring down at him. "Why the hell should I help you? You've as good as killed me."
"Lily!" he cried. "Please I didn't know!"
"So you were going to let some other family die?" she spat. "That's why everyone will leave you, Severus. Because you're selfish."
Severus clutched a purple stuffed cat to his chest wondering if Hermione would miss—what did she name it? No, he wondered if she'd miss him.
Severus bolted upright in bed with a terrified gasp. He breathed heavily trying to put the dream from his mind. It wasn't until a pair of arms reached around him that he remembered he wasn't alone.
"Are you alright, Severus?" Remus said softly.
"Yes," he nodded. "Just a–strange–dream."
"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Remus.
"I suppose I'm just worried about Hermione," he sighed.
"You've sent her away–mm–what–twelve hours ago?" Remus's soft tones gave way to grogginess. "It's probably breakfast time over there. She'll be fine."
"I do wonder what she's up to now."
Hermione stifled a sneeze with a handkerchief and cleaned it before tucking it back into her robes.
"Someone's talking about you," Saiyaka muttered in her ear.
"Or I just sneezed," Hermione rolled her eyes before continuing to recount what she'd learned about wandlore.
Saiyaka nodded enthusiastically, nearly losing her glasses as she fumbled to get out a wax stick and paper to take notes. Hermione steadied her taller friend with a grunt, as she was still week from the previous night, jetlag and the unwise decision to talk until three in the morning—or was it four?
Either way, Hermione did that and got up to watch the sunrise after traveling halfway across the planet, which left her unable to steady herself, or Saiyaka. Both girls came crashing down to the hardwood floor as others looked on, hiding their smirks and laughter with the baggy sleeves of their robes.
"My glasses!" Saiyaka immediately rolled to her knees to and started feeling around for them.
"Ow," Hermione squeaked before summoning the glasses. "Saiya-chan."
"Thanks, Neechan," Saiyaka nodded placing the glasses on her face.
"Yo, Mi-chan!" a voice called from the distance, with rushing footsteps echoing Hermione's heart beat.
Hermione turned to see Hiro stopped before her. Early morning light streamed through the window placing a golden halo around Hiro's untidy black hair, his hazel eyes glinted and a smile broke across his beautiful face, showing off a prominent canine tooth. He bent over offering his hand to her.
"Hiro-kun," Hermione felt herself blushing as she took his hand. "I-I've m-missed y-you."
"Me too," Hiro pulled her into a hug.
Everyone around them disappeared as she buried her head into Hiro's chest taking in his scent. He'd grown over ten centimetres since she'd last seen him, but his warmth was just the same, and the scent of cherry blossoms long after they fell out of season lingered. She looked up to meet his eyes once more, she swore she could count his eye lashes if she didn't get lost in their hazel depths, or that smile.
Hiro lowered his face and Hermione rose to her tiptoes, she closed her eyes and felt him growing ever closer when Kaori's voice broke through the magical moment.
"Hiro-tan, Mione-tan," Kaori reprimanded. "You crazy kids should remember where we are?"
Hermione and Hiro separated and both turned a violent pink. They were in the middle of a corridor and more than just their friends were staring. For all the snogging that happened in the corridors at Hogwarts, it seemed such displays weren't allowed in Mahoutokoro. For once, Hermione wasn't happy with Kaori's presence.
Did she just call me 'tan'?! I'm only three years younger than her!
Hiro laced his fingers between Hermione's and she immediately forgot about the insult, leaning her head against his arm. They walked hand-in-hand to breakfast, Hermione feeling as though she walked among the clouds.
As they walked together, Hermione was certain that this would be the best summer ever.