Phases of the Moon

Chapter Six: Tangled Webs

"He wakes up to the sound, so scared that she's leaving. He wishes she were still asleep next to him...Hoping she will change,"

-- "Something to Sleep To", Michelle Branch

*

Remus's arms snaked around Hermione's waist, not breaking the kiss at all. He set her down on the sofa she had bought without breaking stride, and she moaned into his mouth. "No," she mumbled; trying to push him off after the shock and ecstasy wore off. "You can't. Maybe a long time ago, but no," He stared at her, visibly disappointed.

"I thought I knew you," Remus said, his voice a stew of disappointment and irony. He had grown more grey streaks in his hair, she had noticed. The wrinkles around his eyelids were become more prominent.

Hermione hugged a pillow to her chest. "You thought," she said, so quietly Remus almost didn't hear her, even though she was standing only a couple of centimeters away from him. He wanted to say something but he couldn't think of what to say.

Remus wanted to say so many things. "Will you help me fight Azkaban?" was the thing that first popped out of his mouth. Hermione blinked awkwardly and hastily wiped a few tears that streamed from the corner of her eyes.

"Yes," she finally choked. Something suddenly beeped. It was the watch Draco had given her as a graduation present. It beeped whenever he was coming home, or staying late at the office. Green for arriving, red for staying. A bright lime glared over her palm.

She hastily took it off and set it on the coffee table. "Draco's coming home," she mumbled, "you better go. Come back tomorrow, I'll let you know when Draco leaves for work," She picked the lint off of his black sweater.

Remus grabbed her hand. "I love you," he whispered in her ear as he gave her another kiss. He still had her hand in his grasp as he osculated her. He gave her waist a gentle squeeze.

Hermione returned the kiss, but didn't reply. The pop that was Remus Disapparating was immediately replaced by the pop of Draco Apparating. Hermione nervously fixed the cushions on the couch. "Hi," she mumbled.

Draco took both of her hands in his. "Went shopping I see," he noticed, pointing to the bags that were piled high on the table. She tried to giggle, but didn't think she pulled it off. She let go of his hands and sat down on the couch as Draco poured himself some scotch into his favorite goblet.

"I came home early tonight," he started, "because, I want to, uh..." At this, he involuntarily patted the ring box in his back pocket. "I want to take you out for dinner, and you can buy anything you want,"

Hermione cocked an eyebrow. "But you saw I already went shopping today." Draco nodded but then took her off of the couch.

"Come on, get dressed up. I'll take you to anywhere you want on Diagon Alley."

*

Remus had a good mind to go down to the Ministry with her and right there --in front of her, no less!-- tell them that the "rehabilitated" Draco Malfoy who fought with the goblins at Gringotts was really one of Lord Voldemort's most loyal servants. Then he would watch the masks of shock that ensued from their faces, their shrieks of horror, and then Hermione sitting there, quivering, and breaking down crying.

He couldn't do it.

Walking down Diagon Alley, he needed a good, long swig of anything alcohol. He hadn't drank in years, since Hermione left. He was quite the lush in his prime of sorrow, that even Hagrid seemed worried about him.

Remus walked into the Unicorn Restaurant, sitting in a lone, solitary table by the kitchen, so that if you looked very quickly, you could barely see he was there.

*

Hermione wore her new dress robes that she had purchased that day, still wishing that they were white. But patience was a virtue. Besides, she was barely just twenty-one. Wasn't there plenty of time to wait and get married?

"Are you alright?" Draco asked her, taking a sip of wine. Hermione poked her ice in her water glass with a fork. She mumbled that yeah, she was just a little tired, when she noticed that Draco was still staring at her intently.

She cleared her throat. "Is something the matter with me?"

"Just staring to see how beautiful you are." Draco took her hands and slid out of the booth. His face was smiling, but it didn't extend to his pupils and irises. But as soon as he got down on one knee, he saw Hermione gasp, and then his whole face lit up.

By now, everyone was watching them. Hermione felt a sweat-bead trickle down her forehead. She hated being watched in public. Especially on moments that were supposed to be sweet, and intimate.

"Hermione Granger," Draco said, his voice shaking for once in his life, "I love you so much. You light up my life and make all my sadness run away. I'm proud to say that you're my girlfriend. But Hermione, I want you to be much more then that. So much more. Will you be my wife and marry me?"

Everyone broke out into applause; not even waiting for her answer. Hermione was grinning but shaking inside. Her eyes scanned the entire restaurant slowly. Her eyes stopped on a lone table by the kitchen, that was so hidden it was barely seen.

Remus Lupin was staring straight back at her, eyes wide, not blinking, and his goblet full of vodka and suspended in the air.