Only Time Will Tell

Chapter 4: Serious

Remus was sitting with his knees to his chest, leaning against the hard, jagged bark of an old tree. It was just before dawn and he was freezing. He watched the house at the bottom of the hill. There had been movement all night, but nothing they could pin point and no on one in particular they could identify. His partner drifted in and out of sleep, swearing as his head slipped sideways and he jerked back awake.

"Damn it's cold out here. See anything down there?"

Remus shook his head.

The sound of wings flapping from behind caught their attention. A large snowy owl swooped around in front of Remus, eyeing him thoughtfully. Remus smiled and nodded as the bird landed next to him and held out his leg. Carefully, Remus removed a scroll and a square packaged wrapped in plain brown paper. He lifted the scroll to his nose and, closing his eyes, inhaled the scent--her scent--a light citrus mingled with musky roses. Smiling, he slipped the parchment inside his robes and returned his gaze to the house at the bottom of the hill.

"What was that about?" Sirius asked, his curiosity peaked.

"Hmm... Oh, nothing. Just a letter," he said, avoiding Sirius's gaze.

"Just a letter? Well, I've never seen you have that reaction to just a letter." Sirius eyed him intently, waiting for an answer. But none was forthcoming.

"Who is she?"

"Who's who?"

"Come on, Moony, I know you better than that. You haven't been yourself lately. That wasn't just some ordinary letter."

Remus smiled at his best friend. "I can't tell you."

"What do you mean you can't tell me?!?"

"Sorry, man, I just can't," Remus said, avoiding Sirius's piercing stare. "But this," Remus said, holding up the package and eagerly ripping it open, "is chocolate. Here, have some. Honeydukes, it's the best."

Sirius sat back dumbfounded, putting the piece of chocolate in his mouth. Why couldn't Moony tell him? They never kept things like this from each other. Who better to commiserate with than your best friend? Unless... He savored the chocolate. Honeydukes chocolate. Honeydukes was in Hogsmeade. Now who would send Remus chocolate from there?

"Moony? Please tell me it isn't who I think it is."

Remus bowed his head.

"HERMIONE? Remus..." Sirius looked at Remus stunned as Remus looked away.

"Please don't judge me Sirius, I know I've been an idiot and I know how this looks..."

Sirius moved closer to Remus and patted him on the back. "Well, I wouldn't have expected this, Moony, but I am glad you're happy."

Remus looked over at him as if to speak but Sirius was one step ahead of him.

"So how bad is it?"

"Worse than you could possibly imagine." Remus's words dripped with wolfish delight.

Sirius eyes danced roguishly. "Do I want to know?"

"Oh, I'm sure you do, but I don't intend to tell you," Remus said as he felt the heat rising into his cheeks.

Sirius laughed. "Does anyone know?"

At that, Remus shot Sirius a pained look and Sirius felt a bolt of fear ripple through him as his eyes widened.

"Snape," Remus said almost in a whisper as he looked at the ground and shook his head.

"SNAPE! How the hell does he know?!?" Sirius could feel the anger rising in him. He'd love to pound the crap out of Snape and if Snape ruined this for Remus, he was sure he wouldn't hesitate.

"Shhhh...." Remus admonished. "He came to tell us that Dumbledore's plans were finalized and I was to bring Hermione back to Hogwarts."

"But why Snape?" Sirius asked and then realized that Snape must have been the Secret Keeper. "Of course." Sirius's words were thick with sarcasm. Sirius looked back at Remus who was looking a bit distraught. "So, what, did he catch you two in the act?"

"Not exactly, but when Hermione came downstairs, he took one look at her and put two and two together."

Sirius groaned at the thought. And then it hit him, "Dumbledore!" Looking over at Remus, Sirius saw the regret in his best friend's eyes. "Merlin's Beard, what did he say."

Remus sighed, shaking his head. "He didn't have to say much. You know how it is with him, he can put you in your place with that look of his. I felt like I was back in school and I'd just disappointed him beyond belief."

Sirius nodded, he had only seen Dumbledore angry a couple of times but he knew that he never wanted to be on the wrong side of that wizard.

They sat in silence for a long while, watching the house as the sun rose.

That night, Remus lay in his bed at Order headquarters and lit the lantern on the bedside table. Carefully, he flattened the letter. Tapping it with his wand he whispered, "Si ce soit un reve, donc cedez a mon ame, pour que mon amour et moi-meme soient unis dans un sommeil sans fin." Immediately, her beautiful handwriting spread extravagantly across the page. He closed his eyes for a moment, inhaling her sweet scent. Hermione. He read the letter carefully. Schoolwork, friends, and then, his favorite part. The part he always waited for. The part about the two of them together. The part that allowed his mind to wander, to stretch out over her luxurious skin, to feel her caresses. The part that made him yearn for her. The part that made him ache in her absence. He wondered if his letters brought her to the same feverish place that her letters brought him.