Just a Wizard

Chapter Eight

Hermione opened her eyes the next morning and stretched, wondering why she felt so relaxed, then she sat bolt upright in bed and covered her mouth with one hand as she remembered what had happened the night before.

"Sweet Merlin!" she whispered shakily, leaping out of bed and rushing into the bathroom so she could look at herself in the mirror. She saw faint marks on her body where he had touched her and she felt herself go red, then she smiled. He was still here.

It took her only ten minutes to shower and dress and appear in the kitchen, she was so excited about cooking him breakfast.

Remus was sitting at the table sipping a cup of coffee and reading the paper and he glanced up at her as she barrelled into the room. "Whoa, something up?" he asked, laughing at how animated she looked for a change.

"No...yes...oh, I have to cook breakfast," she gushed, opening the fridge to look for all the things he had said he wanted. "Oh," she muttered, realising that there were only eggs, bacon and sausages. "Don't we have any kippers?" she asked Remus, tapping her fingertips on the fridge door.

"If it isn't in there then we don't have it," Remus said, leaning back and studying her more closely. "Why would you want kippers?"

"I told Ron I'd cook him breakfast and he likes kippers," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Mmm-hmm. Well we don't have any, so he'll have to settle for what you've already got there...which looks like the entire contents of the fridge!"

"You don't mind do you? I can buy some more," she quickly offered, moving to put the things back. "I can go out right now and get the things I need..."

Remus' hand on her arm stopped her from talking. "Hey, this is your home, remember? Take what you like and don't worry about replacing it, okay?"

Hermione smiled and nodded, giving the older man a quick hug before starting to prepare breakfast. "Would you like some?" she asked him while she turned the bacon.

"It smells really good, but I've already eaten, unfortunately," he said on a groan, sniffing appreciatively at the food she was cooking. "Anyway, I have to get going, I've got a lot to do if we're going to leave in two days. Emma and Daffy have already left, there's just you and the slumbering giant!"

"Two days?" Hermione asked, spinning away from the cooker to stare at him. "We're going in two days? Oh, I...never mind."

Remus smiled, his eyes narrowing. "It's only for two weeks you know," he said.

"What is? I thought we were staying there for a month..."

"It's only two weeks before he'll be there," he clarified, ruffling her hair as though she were a child when she blushed. "See you later Ninny."

Hermione watched him walk out of the house and continued cooking, scooping the food onto a huge plate when she had finished and pouring a mug of coffee. She put it all on a tray and then added a glass of pumpkin juice. A feast fit for a king, she thought as she levitated it carefully up the stairs. Luckily there was a table along the wall near Ron's door and she placed the tray there before knocking on his door. She couldn't hear anything from the other side and so she knocked again, a bit harder. Still nothing. Should she just go in? She wondered and then shrugged, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Twisting the doorknob, she carefully pushed the door open and peeked around the edge of it. Ron was laying on his back in the bed with the covers tangled low on his waist and his chest bare, soft snores coming from his mouth and his feet dangling over the end of the mattress. Hermione caught her breath at the sight, he was a devastatingly handsome man and she found it hard to resist just rushing in and throwing herself on top of him.

She fetched the tray and pushed the door wider with her foot so she could levitate it into the room, kicking the door nearly closed behind her. Placing the tray on the chest of drawers, she sat on the edge of the bed with the mug of coffee and wafted it under his nose, calling his name softly.

Ron was having a lovely dream about Hermione when he suddenly caught the aroma of coffee. "How did you make coffee in bed?" he asked the dream Hermione, looking down at her naked body and wondering where the coffee was. He frowned. Okay, this wasn't right. Then he heard her call his name and the dream Hermione vanished, making Ron's eyes snap open.

As soon as they did he saw Hermione sitting on the bed holding out a cup of coffee and smiling. "Are you real?" he asked her, narrowing his eyes.

"Last time I checked," she said, nodding and holding the cup out for him to take. He struggled to sit up and untangle himself from the covers, smoothing them over his hips and leaning back against the headboard.

"Thanks Ninny," he said, taking the cup and sipping at it. He watched her as she got the tray and set it in front of him on his lap, hardly believing that she had actually kept her word and cooked him breakfast.

"This looks great. Have you eaten yet?"

Hermione shook her head and stood next to the bed, not knowing whether to sit down or not. "I'm not really a breakfast person," she said.

Ron arched an eyebrow and stared at her. "Well, you are now, you could do with a little more meat on those bones, especially if you're taking me on. Sit down," he ordered her and grabbed her arm so she had no choice but to obey. She watched as he started eating, closing his eyes and savouring the food as he chewed. "This is really good, you didn't lie when you said you could cook. Here," he said, holding some bacon out for her. Hermione went to take it out of his hand. "No, no, no. Open up," he said, giving her a stern look until she did as he said and opened her mouth, letting him feed her the morsel. "There, now isn't that good?"

She had to agree, it tasted good. She hadn't eaten a big breakfast for years.

Ron continued to feed himself and her alternately until all the food was gone and he looked despairingly at his plate. "It's all gone," he moaned, stating the obvious.

Hermione laughed. "You can't still be hungry, there was enough there for ten wizards!"

"My stomach is the same size as ten wizards!" he grumbled, trying to give her a pleading look.

"It's no good, you know, there isn't anything left to cook, even if I felt like making you some more. Which I don't, by the way," she added, smirking at him.

"Really? You wouldn't cook me more if you had it? You sure about that?" He held the tray out for her, grabbing the pumpkin juice off it.

"Well, I might, I guess," she sighed, putting the tray back on the dressing table and turning back to him, catching his smug look before he could wipe it off his face. "On second thought, no, I wouldn't. After all, all that muscle could so easily turn to fat you know!"

He raised his eyebrows and set the juice on the bedside table, folding his arms over his impressive chest. "Getting brave aren't we? Want to come over here and say that?"

"Er...not really, no," she said, shaking her head and smiling.

"Want me to come over there then?" he asked, smirking.

She realised he was probably naked under the covers and blushed. "No."

"Then you better get your cute little bum over here, hadn't you?" he said, narrowing his eyes and waiting.

"I don't think I should," she said, biting her lip. "I think that you should get a shower and get dressed."

"Oh you do, huh? Right now?" He watched as she nodded and then he flipped the covers back and slid out of bed, walking slowly over to her while her eyes tried not to stare and failed.

"Now, you keep staring at me like that and I will have to do something about it," he drawled, trapping her against the wall and putting his hands either side of her head.

"You should really get dressed," she said breathlessly, having problems keeping her eyes on his face.

"I guess I should. But if I did that I wouldn't get to see this beautiful colour on your face, now would I?" he pointed out, bending down so he could capture her lips in a tender kiss that instantly made her melt. He moved his arms down and pulled her up against him and Hermione felt her feet leave the floor as his powerful arms enfolded her.

He kissed her until she was hanging limply against him and then he carried her over to the bathroom. "You showered yet?" he asked her huskily. She nodded and he slowly put her down next to the shower cubicle.

"Damn."

"What?" she asked, wondering why he looked so pissed all of a sudden.

"I was going to drag you in the shower with me. I guess I could take a bath instead," he mused, staring at the bathtub and nodding. "Yep, that's what I'll do. That way you can wash my back for me can't you?"

He didn't give her a chance to answer, he simply starting filling the tub and then started rifling through the small cabinet on the wall. "Well, Remus sure knows how to kit out a guest room," he said, pulling out a brand new toothbrush and a razor. "Now I can make myself look even more devastatingly handsome than normal!"

"You'll be getting a big head, talking like that," Hermione said, glancing at his firm backside as he faced the sink.

"Ninny, I already have a big head, and if I remember correctly, you were treating it like a sugar quill last night," he said, his eyes glinting at hers in the mirror.

"A sugar quill?" she asked, frowning in confusion. "I don't...oh!" she choked still so easily shocked at the way he talked.

"What?" he asked innocently, his grin ruining the look.

"Will you stop being rude!" she ordered, wondering whether to stay in the room with him or not. She didn't know how to handle such blunt speaking, although she knew that she would probably get used to it eventually.

Ron could see she was on the edge of leaving the room and he chuckled, loading his toothbrush up with toothpaste and starting to clean his teeth. When he had finished he filled the sink and unwrapped the razor.

"Okay, Hermione, I'll try not to be so rude, okay?"

"Okay," she mumbled, watching him helplessly as he shaved off the nights' growth of beard, carefully moving the razor around his goatee. When he had finished he dried his face and patted it with a towel, turning to face her, which immediately made her go red. It was one thing staring at his backside, it was quite another when he turned around, she decided.

"There, do I look better?" he asked her, checking the bath water and turning off the faucet when he found it was the right temperature.

"Mmm-hmm," she mumbled, trying not to look as embarrassed as she felt.

He stood looking at her for a second, his lips twisted thoughtfully. "Want me to get in the bath?" he asked, smiling when she hurriedly nodded, her eyes averted the whole time he climbed into the tub. She only looked back at him when he was safely submerged under the water, although there were no bubbles to cover him up.

She frowned when he groaned, stretching his arms over his head and trying to work out the kinks in his muscles. He often woke up sore and needed time to straighten himself out, and this morning was no exception. He had managed to hide his discomfort from her so far, but the warm water was making his tense muscles suddenly relax and he couldn't help shifting about to get in a more comfortable position. His eyes were closed and he was frowning, but they flew open when he heard her voice coming from right next to him.

"Are you okay?" she asked him, worried by the fact that he looked like he was in pain. She had moved and sat next to the tub, wondering what she could do for him to get that look off his face.

He managed a small smile and sighed. "I'm okay, I just get a few muscle problems in the mornings when I've been working out. It's nothing," he said, relaxing his head back against the tub.

"It's not nothing. Does it hurt a lot?"

He stared at her face, surprised to find concern there and not pity. "Quite a bit I guess, I'm sort of used to it now. My hips are the worst though." He smiled ruefully at her shocked expression. "It isn't just old folk who have to have that problem, you know. I've been thrown and landed hard a few times too many, and my body is starting to show it."

"But you seem so fine, you don't move stiffly or anything," she said, confused.

"I am fine, most of the time. Mornings are worse, and any place cold can be murder," he explained, shrugging like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Hermione bit her lip and tried not to look too worried. "Will you be okay? Can I do anything to make you feel better?"

Ron frowned. Now there was the pity that had been missing, he thought, irritated. "I'm not sick, you know, there's no cause to treat me like a bloody invalid!" he snapped, his eyes sparking.

Hermione's mouth shut with an audible click and she stared at him, feeling her temper start to flare, something it hadn't done for years. "Well, excuse me for caring! Don't worry about it happening again! And don't you swear at me!" she said tightly and stood up, preparing to leave the room and let him drown himself in the bath, before she did it for him.

Ron watched her go in amazement. Wow. He had encouraged her to be like her old self again, he knew she had a temper in there somewhere, but she was usually so meek that he didn't think he'd ever see it. He sighed and quickly washed himself. The long soak he needed would have to wait, it was more important that he found her and apologized for snapping at her. She had only been concerned about him, after all.

He walked into the bedroom a few minutes later with only a towel wrapped around his hips, but she wasn't in there and he hurriedly pulled his clothes on and went in search of her. He noticed that the breakfast things weren't there and that she had made the bed for him, something that brought a smile to his mouth. Even though he had made her mad, she had still cleared up after him.

He eventually found her in the kitchen washing dishes with magic, and he walked up behind her, fully intending to wrap his arms around her. But she heard him coming and she swung around, glaring at him and then lowering her eyes and wiping her hands on the dishcloth, obviously intent on ignoring him. He raised his eyebrows and wondered if he could get a rise out of her. "Is there any coffee going?" he asked her, leaning back on the counter and folding his arms, looking impossibly arrogant.

Hermione stared at him aghast. He snapped at her and now he expected her to make him coffee? She held up her wand and shook it. "You have a wand. Surely such a talented wizard can conjure it himself. I'm going to work," she said stiffly, marching out of the room.

"And how are you planning to get there?" he called after her, his eyes crinkling with amusement.

She could hear the laughter in his voice and it made her even madder. "I'll get a cab, or apparate." she said, stopping by the telephone in the hallway and picking up the telephone directory.

"Uh-uh, I don't think so. Remus would be real mad if you took a cab, remember what he said about it being dangerous? And I happen to agree with him. As far as apparating goes, the wards are up today." He said, joining her in the hall.

She narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Then I'll call Remus and have him pick me up, or get the floo address," she said sulkily, not looking at him.

"Why waste his time? Why not just take his car? It's sitting there in the driveway."

"I can't drive, that's why not," she explained and watched as his eyebrows shot up.

"You can't drive? All muggle-borns can drive," he said.

"No they can't, I can't." She stared at him as he chuckled. "It isn't funny!" she snapped, her hands itching to hit him. "Fine, I'll walk!" she said roughly, throwing the dishcloth she was still holding at his chest.

She went to walk out of the house and Ron grabbed her shoulders, spinning her back towards him, his eyes laughing down at her. "You're not walking anywhere, you're coming with me," he said, trying not to laugh at her furious expression.

"I don't want to go anywhere with you! Let go of me," she said, trying to twist out of his hold.

"Merlin, Remus wasn't wrong when he said you still had a temper in there somewhere! Keep still," he said, trying to stop her squirming. He eventually gave a sigh and just picked her up with his hands on her waist, holding her up in front of him until she stopped moving and glared at him.

"Typical...arrogant..." she muttered, earning a laugh from the huge man holding her. She acted without even thinking and the sharp sound of a slap echoed around the hallway as her hand connected with his cheek.

He put her down instantly and Hermione stared at him, her mouth hanging open in shock. She couldn't believe she had hit him, couldn't believe that she would ever have the guts to hit a man of any size, let alone one as big as him. Sure she'd punched plenty during the final battle, then when she was in training, and of course there was the time she'd hit Draco Malfoy back in their third year at Hogwarts, but that was before... The fleeting courage deserted her as her face went white when he looked at her and she backed up a couple of steps, trying to avoid his angry glare.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly, her voice shaking, and Ron frowned down at her.

"You think I'm going to hit you back don't you?" he asked her, cocking his head to one side as he studied her.

He didn't wait for her to answer him, he simply moved away from her and stalked out of the door, slamming it so hard behind him that it rattled in it's frame. Hermione was so relieved that he hadn't retaliated that she burst into tears, sitting on the bottom step of the staircase and giving vent to her feelings. With some effort she managed to pull herself together a few minutes later, and she hauled herself upstairs to clean her face up so she could get to work.

Hermione paid the cab driver as he pulled up in front of the Arena and quickly made her way into the building and through to the wardrobe department. Tabitha was busy sorting through a mass of surveillance equipment around the large room and she glanced up as Hermione walked in and sat down.

"Good morning!" she said cheerfully, putting the finishing touches on one of the devices she was tinkering with and admiring it. "How are you on this fine and sunny day?" She turned and looked at Hermione for the first time and her face fell. "What's in the name of Dumbledore is the matter?" she asked, taking in the pale face and slightly red eyes.

Hermione shook her head and sighed. "Nothing. It doesn't matter. Can we...can we just get on with some work?"

Tabitha stared at her for a few minutes and then shrugged. "Okay, but if you want to talk about anything, then I'm here, okay?"

"Thanks," Hermione said, and followed Tabitha over to a large box of equipment that she was going to use for several of the devices. After getting some instructions on what to do, she settled down to work and used the complicated charms to take her mind off her own worries.

She didn't realise how much time was going past until Tabitha tapped her on the shoulder and told her it was time for lunch.

"Oh, I'm not really hungry, I'll just stay here. But thanks," she added quickly.

Tabitha looked at her with concern. "Please tell me what the matter is. You were so happy last night, what happened?"

"I told you, it's..."

"Nothing, right? I know. It doesn't look like nothing to me. Did Ron...Hermione, did Ron hurt you in some way?" she asked carefully.

"No! No, he hasn't hurt me," Hermione said and her shoulders slumped. "I just...oh, I don't know. He made me mad and then I hit him...I can't believe I hit him."

"You hit him? You hit him? Merlin," Tabitha said, staring at her with big eyes. "What did he do?"

"That's just it, he didn't do anything. He just left. I thought he was going to hit me," she said softly.

"Did he look like he was going to hit you?"

"No. He was so angry, but he didn't shout or anything. So, I guess that's over before it's even begun, isn't it?" she asked sadly, trying not to cry again.

"Not necessarily, although I can imagine he wouldn't be too happy being hit like that," Tabitha said, sitting next to Hermione and hugging her. "You should find him and talk."

"I don't think it would do any good," she answered miserably.

"You'll never know if you don't try, but I'm not going to force you. I am going to force you to eat though. Come on, I happen to know that Carter and Ron have a meeting about now, so they won't be in the cafeteria," she said, crossing her fingers behind her back.

"Okay," Hermione said, standing up and making her way reluctantly to the cafeteria with Tabitha. There were a few agents dotted about when they got there, but not Ron, so Hermione relaxed a tiny bit, looking at the food on display without much enthusiasm.

"Excuse me?" a deep voice said behind her and she swung around to be confronted by the gigantic wizard who had carried her onto the stage a week before. Her eyes widened and she backed away from him warily. The man was just as large as Hagrid, and she wondered momentarily if he was half-giant too.

"No, no," he said, holding his hands out in a placating manner. "I just wanted to say I was sorry, you know, about what happened before? I never meant to scare you like that, it was just a mix up."

Hermione was speechless for a few seconds, just staring at him. He was so enormous and yet he looked genuinely contrite. "It's okay," she said, giving a small smile. "Ron explained it to me, it just shocked me a bit."

He looked relieved. "Well, thanks for being so understanding. I'm Isaac, by the way, Isaac Rawlson," he said and stuck out one enormous hand.

Hermione took it hesitantly and he shook her hand enthusiastically, nearly wrenching her shoulder from its' socket. "I'm Hermione Granger, pleased to meet you," she said, relaxing and really smiling for a change.

"You too. Hey, can I join you two for lunch?" he asked, looking eagerly from one of them to another.

"It's okay by me," Tabitha said, raising her eyebrows at Hermione. "You?"

"Sure," Hermione said, shrugging.

They all selected what they would be eating and then sat at one of the tables. Hermione had decided to have a small salad, it was all she really felt like anyway, but she almost laughed at what Isaac was eating. He literally had enough food on his tray for ten wizards, not like she had joked with Ron about just this morning and he was tucking in with gusto. He glanced up at her when he became aware she was staring at him. "What?" he asked.

"With most people I'd ask them where they were putting it all, but with you it's pretty obvious," she said, smiling. He smiled back at her and then gestured to her small plate of food.

"Well, at least I don't eat like a bird! That isn't enough to feed a mouse," he said, shaking his head.

"For once we agree on something," a deep voice said from behind Hermione and she turned her head to look up into deep blue eyes, not knowing what to say.

"Hey Ron," Isaac said, oblivious to the sudden tension at the table.

"Isaac," he nodded, "Tabitha."

He stared down at Hermione with a stern expression on his face, taking in all of the emotions in her eyes that she couldn't hide. He had been feeling some of them himself and he hadn't liked it one bit. He felt like a heel for the way he had acted and he was still angry that she had slapped him, even though he figured he deserved it. He rolled his shoulders and then his neck, rotating his sore muscles from his workout with Carter that morning, and then he sighed. It wasn't something he was used to, feeling guilty, but that's exactly how he felt at that moment. There was definitely guilt, and an acute sense of loss. At least he could do something about that, he thought, and grabbed hold of Hermione, pulling her right out of her chair and up against him, her feet dangling in mid-air.

"What..." she managed to get out, before his mouth came down on hers and he kissed her in front of the entire cafeteria, not caring who was watching. He kissed her for so long that he eventually heard small laughs and comments being thrown around and he broke it off, still holding her up off the floor.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, rubbing his nose against hers.

"Me too, I didn't mean to hit you," she whispered back and buried her head in his neck, her arms clinging to him. She felt him give a slight shudder and squeeze her a bit tighter, his breath deep and uneven.

"Come on, let's get out of here," he said, putting her down but keeping hold of her hand. She noticed that his ears had turned the infamous Weasley red and he looked uncomfortable with everyone staring at them.

He didn't say anything to anyone else before he dragged her out of the room and down the corridors towards his office, making her run to keep up with him as he was walking so fast. "Out," he ordered Carter as they walked in the room, earning himself a look of surprise from the other man.

"Well, excuse the bloody hell out of me," Carter said amiably, winking at Hermione and grinning as he left them alone.

As soon as the door closed behind him, Ron picked her up and wrapped her in a hug again, nuzzling her neck, not saying a word. Hermione laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, linking her arms behind his neck and simply enjoying the closeness. After a few minutes he sat down with her on his lap, still cuddling her.

"You didn't hit me," she whispered.

"Ah, bloody hell Hermione, of course I didn't hit you. I don't have to hit a woman to prove what a big man I am, only a coward does that," he said, drawing back enough to look in her eyes. "I very nearly hit you with a spanking hex though, if you want the truth."

Hermione stared at him aghast. "Spanking hex?"

"Oh yeah, you very nearly got a damn good paddling. Good job I'm so even tempered isn't it?" he said, grinning.

"You were going to hex me with a parenting punishment charm?" she asked, still surprised. "That's...you can't do things like that!"

He raised an eyebrow. "No? But you can just go around slapping me?"

She smiled guiltily. "No, I'm sorry about that. I didn't even know I was going to do it, but you made me so mad!"

"I noticed. Well, you get this one for free, but you hit me again and I will throw a hex to paddle that cute little backside, so don't say I didn't warn you!"

Hermione sat looking at him seriously, wondering whether to be angry at his high handed attitude or not. She decided that she quite liked the fact that he was so dominant and she leaned forward and rested her head on his shoulder again, relaxing. "Okay, I won't do it again," she said obligingly.

"Mmm-hmm. Not even if I make you really mad?" he asked her, a smile tilting his firm lips up.

"Well...I guess not," she mumbled, wondering if she'd actually be able to refrain from hitting him again. After all, he had only irritated her a little bit today, and she was sure he could be a whole lot worse.

"I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens in the future then won't we? I think you could be a proper little hellion, given the chance," he said, shaking his head and wondering what he was getting himself into with her. "What are you doing this afternoon?"

"Working," she said, almost falling asleep against his shoulder.

"Well, yeah, I know that. Can you get an hour off?"

"Probably. Why?"

"Me and Carter have to do some more practice for tonight's training session, I thought you might like to come and watch?"

Hermione sat up and stared at him with excited eyes. "I can come and watch? There won't be any people there?"

He smiled slowly. "No, just me and Carter, maybe a few technicians walking around doing their stuff. How about it?"

"I'd love to! What time?"

"I'm not sure just yet. How about I come and get you when we're ready?" he asked, watching as she nodded. "Good. Now, I saw what you ordered for your lunch and you didn't even get to eat it, so let's get back to the cafeteria so I can feed you."

He stood up and lifted her with him, standing her on her feet and dropping a kiss on her lips before taking her hand. She was surprised when he walked all the way to the cafeteria still holding her small hand in his, and her face showed her feelings quite clearly. She stood quietly as he filled two plates for them and then carried the tray to the table, shoving her gently along in front of him. People were giving them covert glances, she noticed, and she felt herself blush, sitting down with relief and ducking her head.

"Hey," Ron said softly, hooking a finger underneath her chin and lifting it up so she had to look at him.

"What's the matter?"

"Everyone's staring," she said in a whisper, her eyes big.

Ron laughed and then looked around at the other occupants of the large room, noticing how they quickly averted their gazes. "Not any more they're not. Besides, why shouldn't they look? You're beautiful."

Her colour got deeper and she looked down. "They're looking at you, not me," she said.

"No. They're looking at both of us, but mostly you. They want to know who the woman is who's got me wrapped around her little finger," he said wryly, smiling. "Now they know."

"But I haven't..." she began, then stopped at his mock glare.

"Yes, you have," he said, putting her plate in front of her and handing her a fork. "But don't think you can use it to your advantage, because you can't. I won't be treated like someone's pet," he said, not looking particularly annoyed. He loaded her fork up with food and lifted it to her mouth. "Now come on, eat."

Hermione obediently opened her mouth and he carefully put the food inside, his eyes watching her mouth intently. She gave a playful smile when she had swallowed the food. "I wouldn't mind taking you for walks, although I doubt I could find a collar big enough to fit your thick neck," she said, grinning.

Ron's eyebrows shot up towards his hairline. "You think that's funny?"

She nodded, grabbing the fork from him and continuing to eat, suddenly realising how hungry she was. "I could just picture you on a leash," she murmured, glancing up at him and noting he had started eating his own food, although he didn't say another word.

By the time they had finished their meal she was wondering whether she had really insulted him, he seemed very quiet. "Finished?" he asked pleasantly.

"Yes, and it was lovely, thank you," she said, equally politely, her eyes holding a worried look as she studied him.

He sat back in his chair and stared back at her, his eyes narrowing and the corners of his mouth tilting upwards. "You know I'm adding these little insults up don't you?"

"Adding them up? I didn't know pets were that intelligent...although they do say that dogs...oh!" she gasped when he pulled her up out of her seat. She hadn't even seen him get up he had been so quick.

"And there's another one to add to my list. Oh, you will pay for this, you know," he said, taking her hand and marching back down the corridor.

"Pay for it?" she asked breathlessly, rushing to keep up with him.

"Mmm-hmm, and I know just how to make you pay, too." He continued down the maze of corridors until they were standing outside the surveillance department door.

"How?"

"Hmm? Oh, how am I going to make you pay? Well, that's for me to know, and you to find out. And you will find out real soon!" he said, bending to give her a quick kiss before smiling wickedly and stalking away. "I'll come for you later," he called.

Hermione let herself into the workroom and found Carter standing with his back to her and two very feminine arms wrapped around his neck. They didn't seem to have heard her come in the room and she cleared her throat loudly, watching as they broke apart and turned to look at her, both of them looking dazed.

Carter smiled a bit sheepishly and then shrugged, putting Tabitha down and dropping another soft kiss on her lips before he turned and left the room, promising he'd come and get her later.

"What's he coming to get you for?" Hermione asked her.

"He asked me to come watch him practice. I can't wait! I've seen him before, of course, but I usually stayed hidden so he wouldn't catch me ogling him. Now I can do it openly!"

"Ron asked me to come and watch too, he said he'd come and get me later," Hermione said, smiling, happy that the other girl would be there.

"Well, then, we'd better get some work done hadn't we? I'll go and ask Remus if it'll be okay us taking a break later," Tabitha said, starting to organize some work they had to get done.

"I can go and ask him, it's okay," Hermione said. "I'll go now, then we can get on with some of this."

Tabitha nodded and Hermione left the room, making her way carefully to Remus' office, wondering if she'd ever get used to the layout of the place. Not that it mattered, she mused, because as soon as she did they'd be going somewhere else. She knocked on Remus' door, hearing voices in the room beyond, and waited until he called out to come in before she opened the door.

Remus was sitting behind his desk as usual and a big dark-haired wizard was sitting across from him, his back to Hermione. She smiled at the older man as he held his hand out to her.

"Hi Ninny, what you been doing?"

"Just working," she turned and glanced quickly at the other man in the room, her eyes widening when she saw it was the man who had caught her when Isaac Rawlson had thrown her over the drum set. He looked at her curiously, smiling in a friendly way and not looking remotely intimidating like he had before.

Remus watched to see what her reaction would be to seeing Yvgeny again, and was pleased that she looked only a little nervous, not downright scared as she would have been only a few days before. Being here with them was doing her good, he thought. "You remember Yvgeny don't you, Hermione? The big lug who threatened you the other night?"

Hermione nodded and Yvgeny gave a grin, standing up to tower over her, extending his hand. "Pleased to meet you, I'm Yvgeny Makarov, aka Benny Hip-hop, nice to meet you properly at last. I've heard a damn lot about you."

She let him take her hand and he shook it gently. When she didn't speak he cocked one eyebrow. "And you are?" he prompted.

"Oh! Oh sorry, I'm Hermione Granger," she said hesitantly.

"Well, like I said, nice to meet you Hermione Granger. So are the rumours I hear true?" he asked her, giving her a devilish smile.

"What rumours?" Remus cut in, frowning.

"Oh, you know, standard stuff. Like how Ron is completely besotted with this tiny little brown-haired beauty," he said, widening his eyes dramatically at her.

"Oh those rumours," Remus said, nodding. "Yeah, they're pretty much true."

Hermione stared at the two men with her mouth hanging open. "He isn't besotted with me," she said.

"No, of course he isn't. He always threatens to take my head off when I grab someone he isn't besotted with. I had to do some fast talking to get out of that one," Yvgeny said, grinning. "I'm sorry about that, by the way. I felt real bad having scared you like that, but Ron wouldn't allow me near enough to apologize before now. Well, I guess he probably doesn't know we're face to face right now, either, otherwise he'd be trying to kick my arse all over the room!"

Remus looked at Hermione, smiling when he saw how stunned she looked. "What did you want to talk to me about?" he asked her, distracting her attention away from Yvgeny.

"Oh, yeah, well, Tabitha and I wanted to know if it would be okay to have an hour off later on?"

Remus raised an eyebrow and then narrowed his eyes. "What for?"

"Just...er..." she risked a quick glance at the other man and found he was staring at her, obviously interested in what she was going to say. "Well, we were going to go down and watch some of the agents practice," she said quietly, not wanting to admit that she was going to see Ron, not with the way they were teasing her about him.

"Practice huh? Now, let me see, who's practising this afternoon?" Remus rubbed his chin thoughtfully and then looked at Yvgeny. "You got any idea who's going to be down there?"

"Oh, yeah, I've got a good idea who'll be there," Yvgeny said, his grin getting wider by the second.

Hermione found herself getting slightly irritated and wondered where all this temper was coming from all of a sudden. "Can we?" she prompted, looking only at Remus.

"Well, of course you can. Just as soon as you tell me who it is you're going to be watching," he said, leaning back in his chair and looking smug.

"Remus Lupin, you know who I'll be watching!" she said, getting even more irritated.

"And who might that be? Not some tall agent who just happens to have a bad attitude and red hair, by any chance?"

"It might be," she mumbled, feeling her cheeks burning as the two men smiled.

"What, the one who isn't besotted with you?" Yvgeny asked. "Did he ask you to come and watch him?"

"Yes," she answered tightly.

"That's pretty unusual," Yvgeny said to Remus.

"It sure is. Ron doesn't normally like anyone watching him practice. But then, there could be any number of reasons why he asked you to go see him," Remus said, raising his eyebrows. "But obviously not because he's besotted with you," he added, giving her a knowing look and then laughing at her embarrassment.

"He isn't!" she protested, not wanting to be in the room anymore.

"No? Next you'll be telling me you're not besotted with him either," Remus said. "I heard about the incident in the cafeteria earlier, by the way. Seems you two put on a pretty good show."

Hermione closed her eyes briefly and wondered how to get out of the room without anyone noticing. If only she could apparate out of the office. Remus watched her expressions carefully and relented. She would get used to being teased in time, just now she was still partially stuck in her memories of the Legion, but he could see that Ron was good for her.

"Ninny, you can have the entire afternoon if you like. I keep up with things, you know, and I happen to know that Tabitha has most of the equipment finished and the ones she's working on now aren't needed until we get to London. So tell her to take some time, and enjoy yourselves okay?"

Hermione tried not to show how relieved she was. "Thanks Remus," she said softly, giving a small smile to Yvgeny and hurriedly leaving the room.

"She's sweet," Yvgeny said to the older man when she had gone. "A little bit shy though, huh?"

"Yeah, well she has good reason to be. You really think Ron's fallen for her?"

"Head over heels!" Yvgeny confirmed. "He used to be bad enough when he was defending Lavender's 'good' name, but with this girl Hermione, he almost tore my head off for what me and Isaac did. I'm sure after I've said sorry to him another hundred times he'll let up!"

"He's really been that bad?"

"Bloody hell, yes, if anything he's been worse!" Yvgeny shook his head. "But I can see why. She's sweet and she wouldn't be able to cope with us lot on her own, she needs a protector. I'd feel the same if my wife was here."

"Yeah, but Ron and Hermione aren't married," Remus pointed out.

"True. But I wouldn't mind placing a bet that they will be," Yvgeny said with a grin and Remus laughed, nodding his head ruefully.