Pretend

*

The next few months passed in a blur, as Remus and Hermione tried to stay true to their word and be just friends.

And it was torture for both of them.

Remus insisted it was still okay for Hermione to use his classroom to study, though she couldn't help but notice he wasn't around as much anymore. Sometimes he used his office to work, other times the office and classroom where empty, Hermione assuming he was using the staffroom or Shack to work. But still, on occasion, Remus worked at his classroom desk, Hermione just a few metres away. Those afternoons were both amazing and terrible for the pair and they found they completed virtually no work, not being able to concentrate in each other's presence. But neither of them cared, they were both so happy to be alone together.

The casual observer would have noticed no difference in their relationship. They still talked, laughed, smiled. They only real difference was their lack of physical contact. Hermione and Remus were generally very tactile people but both of them now made a conscious effort to not touch the other in any way.

The only person who did notice anything amiss was Harry. He felt something had happened between his best friend and the man he considered to be family. He just guessed wrong.

"Did you and Remus have a fight or something?" Harry asked Hermione one night, as they sat together in the otherwise deserted common room.

"No," Hermione said, a little too quickly. She then added, in a more casual voice, "Why do you ask?"

Harry shrugged but Hermione gave him one of her patented looks. "I don't know. It's just, the last few months, things seem a bit ... strained between you, like you're being oddly formal or something. I was just wondering if something happened, or whether it was just a figment of my imagination."

Something did happen between us, Hermione thought, but not a fight. Knowing she couldn't say that out loud, she settled for the alternative. "Just a figment of your imagination."

"Good," Harry smiled. "I would hate to think you were fighting or didn't like each other anymore or something."

"Of course we still like each other," Hermione said without really thinking. But after a second, she realised exactly what it was she had said. She looked at Harry, who had gone back to his book, not noticing anything was wrong.

Hermione was suddenly hit by realisation. They still liked each other.

She cast her mind back over all the months since she and Remus had decided to be just friends. She had been using all her energy and concentration on hiding her feelings for Remus so she hadn't noticed him struggling to do the same. But now that she thought about it, she remembered him smiling at her and looking at her from the corner of his eyes when he thought no one was looking.

Hermione grinned to herself. They still liked each other.

*

"You are the smartest class I have, and I think it goes without saying, you are also my favourite class," Remus said with a smile, his eyes flicking briefly to Harry, Ron and Hermione. "And so I have a treat for you. No homework this weekend."

The class broke into applause. Remus laughed, and then tried to quiet them.

"I want you to have a good weekend. Relax, have fun. You have all been working extremely hard and I think you deserve a few days off. After all, we don't want you burning out. And so, on that note, class dismissed. Have a great weekend."

The students stood and exited the classroom, chatting excitedly about their reprieve. Remus watched them go, a smile on his face. His eyes automatically found a certain brown-haired girl, who was smiling and laughing with her best friends.

The classroom door closed behind the last student and Remus let out the breath he didn't realise he'd been holding in.

Only one month to go, he thought to himself. In one month, Hermione will graduate from Hogwarts, so I won't see her everyday. Maybe then I can get over her.

Remus suddenly remembered one the muggle sayings Lily used to tell him about. Out of sight, out of mind.

He smiled as he remembered the day Lily told him about all those cliché muggle phrases. She had laughed, because there were always two completely opposite sayings. For every 'many hands make light work' there was a 'too many cooks spoil the broth', meaning people could just choose whatever applied to their situation.

Remus wondered what it would be for the feelings he had for Hermione - 'out of sight, out of mind' or 'absence makes the heart grow fonder.' Remus sincerely hoped it would be the former.

"Only one month to go," Remus whispered to himself.

*

Only one month to go, Hermione thought to herself as she left her Defence Against the Dark Arts class and headed back to the Gryffindor common room with Harry and Ron. Then I won't have to see Remus every day and I can move on. I can get over him.

But do I really want to get over him?

Hermione stopped dead in her tracks, dropping the book she held in her hand. Harry and Ron whirled around at the sound of the book hitting the floor.

"Hermione, you okay?" Ron asked.

I don't want to get over Remus, Hermione realised. I want him, now and forever.

"Hermione?" Ron asked, concern clear in his voice.

"Huh?" Hermione asked lazily, slowly coming out of her reverie.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked, picking up the book she had dropped.

"Yeah," she said, shaking off their concern. "Sorry, guess I just got distracted."

"I think the thought of a homework free weekend was too much for her to handle," Ron joked with Harry.

Hermione swatted Ron with mock annoyance. Harry just laughed.

The trio continued their walk back to the common room. Hermione's mind was going at a million miles an hour. She never wanted to get over Remus. She loved him and wanted to be with him, consequences be damned.

They entered the common room and then went their separate ways, up to their dorms. Hermione dumped her book bag on her bed and began pacing, formulating a plan.

After a few minutes, she grabbed her bag and emptied its contents onto the bed. Throwing the empty bag over her shoulder, she left her bedroom and ran down the stairs to the common room, looking for Harry. He wasn't there, so she sprinted up to the boys' room.

The door was open but she knocked on it anyway. Harry and Ron were sitting on their respective beds, talking away. They smiled as they saw her standing in their doorway and told her to come in.

Hermione walked to Ron, took his hand and pulled him up from the bed. "Ron, I need to talk to Harry in private for a second. Thanks," she said as she escorted him from the room. Ron was so startled by her actions that he allowed himself to led away without protesting.

Hermione shut the door and joined Harry on his bed. "What's going on Hermione?" Harry asked, bewildered by her actions.

"I need to ask a favour. I need to borrow your invisibility cloak and the Marauders Map."

"Why?"

"I can't tell you."

Harry looked at his friend with a mixture of suspicion and concern.

"Harry, do you trust me?"

"You know I do."

"Then trust that I can't tell you what this is about."

Harry considered her for a moment before saying, "Okay."

Hermione threw her arms around him and thanked him profusely. When she released him, Harry took the map and cloak from his trunk and handed them to her. Hermione packed them into her bag.

"Thanks," she said once more, leaning over and kissing his cheek. "I'll see you later," she said as she walked out of the room.

Ron walked back into the bedroom a moment later. "What was that about?"

"No idea," Harry replied honestly.

Hermione rushed back to her bedroom. She climbed onto her bed, closed the hangings around her, and then took the map out of her bag. Taking her wand, she touched it to the map. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

When the map finished revealing itself, Hermione scanned the map for the dot labelled 'Remus Lupin.' She found it quickly. Remus was located, unsurprisingly, in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.

Hermione smiled as she watched the ink dot. Minutes passed into hours as she watched the map. She concentrated mainly on Remus's dot, though occasionally looked at other parts of the map, curious as to where other people were. Plus, given their history, it couldn't hurt to just make sure there were no names that shouldn't have been there.

Finally, the thing she had been waiting for happened. She saw Remus's dot move from his desk. Watching the map, she saw the dot seemingly go through the wall of the classroom before disappearing.

Hermione blinked, making sure she wasn't seeing things. She then turned to the part of the map with the Whomping Willow and sure enough, a few minutes later, the dot labelled 'Remus Lupin' reappeared in the tunnel, walking away from the castle.

I can't believe it, all this time the entrance to the tunnel has been in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, Hermione was incredulous. She checked her watch, realising it was time to head down to dinner.

"Mischief managed."

The map wiped itself blank and Hermione locked the cloak and map in her trunk, hidden under her bed, before heading downstairs to dinner.

Harry, Ron and Hermione ate dinner together as usual. Harry kept throwing curious looks at Hermione, which she simply ignored. After dinner, the boys invited Hermione to play some chess or Exploding Snap with them. She declined, saying she was really tired and heading up to bed.

When she got to her bedroom, Hermione locked the door and changed out of her robes into a more casual outfit of jeans, t-shirt and a jumper. She took the map and cloak from her trunk. Throwing her book bag over her shoulder, she looked around her, wondering if that was everything.

She looked at her bed and cast a quick charm on it. She then activated the map and threw the cloak over her body.

Hermione opened the door and carefully made her way downstairs to the common room. She passed Ron and Harry who were playing chess together and headed for the portrait hole. Glancing at the map she saw Dean Thomas heading to the common room. Sure enough, mere moments later, the painting swung open to admit Dean. Hermione quickly hurried through it before it closed again. She had no problems getting to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom undetected; it was much easier only having one person beneath the cloak, as opposed to their usual three.

She snuck into the classroom and removed the invisibility cloak. Checking the map, she positioned herself in the same spot she had seen Remus in before his dot disappeared. She was standing facing a painting of a dragon that up until now, she had taken no real notice of. She looked back at the map and saw her ink self tap the painting. Hermione smiled as she saw a little speech bubble giving away the password.

She tapped the painting with her wand and said, "Padfoot and Prongs."

The painting faded, as though all this time it was merely an illusion, and she stepped through the frame into the dark tunnel.

"Lumos," Hermione said, holding her wand out in front of her. She packed the cloak into her bag before slowly making her way through the tunnel.

At first, it was obvious she was walking between classrooms but the tunnel soon dipped and made its way under the grounds of the castle. Hermione walked for about an hour until she reached the familiar trap door leading into the Shrieking Shack.

She opened the flap slowly then peeked her head through it to look around. There was no one there. She climbed into the room and closed the trap door.

Hermione looked around her. Remus had been right. Had she not known this was the Shrieking Shack, she wouldn't have recognised her surroundings. The whole place was transformed. Though by no means grand or opulent, the room looked warm, comfortable and loved.

"Mischief managed," she whispered, tapping the map. "Nox."

The light on her wand went out and Hermione packed away her wand and Harry's map into her bag. She slowly headed upstairs and arrived at the room she knew to be the master bedroom. She could see a light coming through the crack beneath the door. Remus was in there.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione knocked on the door.

Remus looked up from his book in surprise when he heard a knock on his bedroom door. Who on earth would be knocking on my bedroom door at this hour, he wondered. He automatically reached for his wand but decided he really didn't need it - anyone who knocked and waited patiently for an answer was unlikely to be there to harm him. He bookmarked his page and stood, unconsciously pulling his dressing-gown tighter over his pyjamas as he walked to the door.

Opening it, he could not have been more surprised to see it was Hermione standing on the other side of the threshold.

"Hermione?" he said, moving aside for her to enter. She took a few steps into the room while Remus closed the door behind her before walking around to face Hermione. "What's wrong? Is it Harry? What happened?" Remus asked quickly, his voice thick with concern.

"Nothing. Everything's fine," Hermione reassured him, feeling slightly guilty for causing him to panic. It never occurred to her that he would assume she was coming to him because something was wrong.

Remus sighed with relief. "So, what are you doing here?" he asked, trying not to sound as nervous as he felt. He had been fighting his feelings for her for months and now here she was, standing in the middle of his bedroom.

Hermione looked at him for a moment. "I can't do it anymore," she said, dropping her bag and taking a step towards him.

"Do what?"

"Pretend," she breathed as she breached the gap between them and kissed him.

Remus responded instantly, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer to him. Hermione hooked her hands behind his neck and played with the hair at the base of his neck.

The kiss soon deepened and Hermione trailed her hands down his chest and pulled his dressing-gown off his shoulders. He allowed her to remove it, not being able to concentrate on anything other than the feel of her tongue against his own.

Hermione tossed the robe onto the foot of the bed, never breaking their kiss. They edged back towards the bed but as soon as Remus felt the bed against the back of his legs, he broke away.

"No," he said, collapsing onto the bed and inching away from her. "We can't do this."

Hermione stood silently for a moment before smiling and kicking off her shoes. She climbed onto his lap, straddling him. Remus's hands automatically went to her back to support her.

"Yes we can," she said as she kissed him again.

"I'm your teacher."

"No, you're my friend," she countered, placing kisses over his face.

"I'm too old for you."

"You understand me."

Remus tried to find another argument but it was difficult to form a coherent thought with Hermione placing feathery light kisses over his face. "You should be with someone your own age, like Ron or Harry."

Hermione stopped kissing him and pulled back so she could look into his eyes, though she remained dangerously close to him. "But you are the only one that I want. It's you that I love."

There was a stillness in her eyes he had never seen before and so what little resolve Remus had dissipated instantly. He leaned forward and kissed her with a passion he didn't know he possessed. Hermione matched it instantly.

As they kissed, Hermione found the bottom of Remus's t-shirt. Grasping the material, she broke away, then pulled his shirt over his head and threw it onto the floor. Remus repeated her action, pulling both her jumper and t-shirt over her head before throwing them on the ground.

Hermione and Remus tumbled back onto the bed. They rolled around together as they kissed, hands roaming over each other's bodies, breaths coming in shallow gasps.

As Hermione lay under him, Remus broke their kiss and pulled back slightly. He stared at her face but she didn't flinch under his gaze. "Are you sure?" he asked, staring intently into her eyes.

Hermione smiled as she ran her fingertips lightly down his chest to the waistband of his pyjama pants. "Yes."

* * * * *

Hermione opened her eyes, feeling slightly disorientated. When her eyes focused, she smiled as she saw Remus beside her. He was asleep, his head resting on the crook of his right arm while his left hand rested on her side.

He looks so young when he's asleep, she thought as she carefully lifted her hand and touched his greying hair. She then moved her hand across his face, her fingertips lightly tracing his forehead, nose, cheek and lips. She eventually rested her hand gently on his cheek and was a little surprised when Remus shifted his head and placed a kiss on the palm of her hand.

Opening his eyes, he turned back to face her. "Good morning."

"Morning."

Remus removed his hand from Hermione's waist and took her hand from his cheek, holding it against his lips.

They lay together in silence, Remus occasionally kissing her fingers. Hermione struggled to stop smiling. She had never felt more content in her life.

"Hermione," Remus said eventually.

"Yeah?"

"How did you find your way into the tunnel leading here?"

Hermione couldn't suppress a grin. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Remus chuckled. "I should have known."

"Yes, you should have," she replied playfully.

Remus couldn't help but smile at her cheek. "And I know you did something to cover your tracks, right? Or should I be thinking up a cover story as we speak?"

Hermione's eyes twinkled. "Before I left, I put an illusion charm on my bed. Anyone who looks at it will see me in bed asleep."

Remus was clearly impressed.

"Well, they don't call me the brightest witch of my age for nothing, you know."

Remus grinned. "Indeed they don't."

Hermione returned his smile before the pair settled into a comfortable silence. They stared into each other's eyes, both trying to ascertain the thoughts and feelings of the other.

"Remus, can I ask you something?" Hermione began hesitantly a short while later. She glanced at her hand and was momentarily mesmerised by his lips against her fingers.

"Anything."

She looked up to his eyes and asked, her voice shaking slightly, "Was this a mistake?"

Remus studied her face while he pondered her question. He knew from her expression and the emotion in her voice that she didn't consider what happened between them to be a mistake. But she was worried he would.

Remus knew from a logical or rational point of view that what happened between them should have been considered a mistake. But doesn't a mistake entail some sort of regret or remorse? And the one thing Remus knew was that he didn't regret what happened between them.

"I'm sure it should have been. But as hard as I try, I can't think of it that way."

Hermione smiled with relief, then inched forward and kissed him passionately. He responded instantly and pulled her into his arms. Feeling her soft, warm skin against his, Remus felt like he was on fire. Now that he finally had Hermione, he never wanted to let her go.

Breaking their kiss, Remus trailed light kisses along her cheek and whispered in her ear, "I am so in love with you Hermione."

She melted at his words. "Good," she replied with a smile. "Because I'm in love with you."

*

An hour later, Hermione and Remus finally dragged themselves out of bed and got dressed. As they stood in the middle of the room, Hermione asked, "So what happens now?"

"I don't know," Remus replied honestly.

Hermione paused for a moment before revealing her news. "I got into the training."

"Really?" he asked excitedly.

She nodded. Remus rushed to her, throwing his arms around her waist and lifting her from the ground. "Congratulations," he exclaimed, twirling her around. She laughed and he put her back down on the ground before kissing her. "I'm so proud of you," he beamed.

"Thanks. Ron and Harry got in too. It starts a month after we leave here. In London."

Remus suddenly sobered. He took Hermione's hand and led her to his bed and they both sat down on its edge.

"After school ends I'll be taking a more active role within the Order. With classes over, I will have more time to get out there and do some real work. But who knows where that will take me."

Hermione knew what he was trying to tell her. "You mean, we won't see each other any more."

"It's possible," he admitted. "You'll be so busy with your Auror training and me with my Order work..."

Hermione nodded, feeling numb. She couldn't believe after everything that had happened, it could be over so soon. The feel of Remus squeezing her hand bought her back to the present.

"Hey," he was saying, trying to get her attention. "I love you Hermione. And this is not the end. But given the circumstances, maybe it would be best if we just take things as they come."

Hermione nodded in agreement. Because really, what other choice did they have.

"It's getting late," Hermione said. "I should probably head back before people start wondering why I'm sleeping so late."

Remus smiled. He leaned over and kissed her slowly.

"I love you," Hermione said softly.

"Love you," he replied as he watched her pick up her bag and leave.

*

The month leading up to the seventh years graduation passed in a flash. Before they knew it, the N.E.W.T.'s were over and it was time for the annual Hogwarts Graduation Ball.

Hermione was escorted to the ball by her two best friends. They walked through the doors of the Great Hall, Hermione holding both their hands in hers.

The hall was beautifully decorated. The house tables were gone, replaced by smaller, round tables scattered around the edge of the hall, leaving enough room for a large dance floor. The teachers table had also been removed, leaving only a podium for the speeches that would inevitably take place.

The trio immediately spotted their fellow Gryffindors at a nearby table and headed straight for them. The group of friends talked and laughed together. They reminisced over their last seven years and talked excitedly of their future plans.

The Gryffindors soon dispersed, some heading for the dance floor while others went to see their friends from other houses. While Harry and Ron were talking with Hagrid, Hermione slipped away for a moment, finding a quiet spot in the garden.

Hermione was quite unprepared for the mixture of feelings she was experiencing. She was excited to be graduating, to be growing up and moving into the world. But she was also sad to be leaving Hogwarts, a place that was more than just her school, it was her home. She was excited about the Auror training she would soon be starting but she was also anxious about the war she knew was quickly approaching.

As these feelings whirled around her, a tear fell down her cheek. Hermione wiped at it, not sure if she was crying tears of joy or sadness.

She sat in silence, not ready to rejoin the mass of people in the Great Hall. She gazed lovingly at the scenery around her, admiring the fairy lights in the trees around her.

Hermione saw Draco and Pansy walking away from the party, hand in hand. She felt a sudden stab of envy; jealous she couldn't do something as simple as take a walk with the man she loved.

She heard someone approach her. She turned and saw Harry walking towards her, a goblet in his hand. He sat down beside her, handing her the drink.

"Thanks," she said.

"You're welcome."

Hermione drank some water before putting the goblet on the ground.

"You okay?" Harry asked.

"Fine," Hermione replied. "Just taking a moment to ... let everything sink in."

"I understand. It's a little overwhelming, isn't it?"

Hermione looked at Harry, as though she was seeing him in a new light. Of course Harry would understand - given his past, he was probably even more confused and emotional about their leaving Hogwarts than she was.

"Come on," Harry said, taking her hand and pulling Hermione to her feet. "Let's go dance."

Hermione smiled as she allowed Harry to lead her inside to the dance floor. They manoeuvred through the crowds and found a spot on the middle of the floor. A slow song was playing, so Hermione took his hand, placing her other hand on Harry's shoulder while he snaked his arm around her, resting his hand on the small of her back.

They began swaying to the music. Harry grinned mischievously as he twirled Hermione under his arm. She smiled as they stood at arms length, then Harry tugged her to him and dipped her. Hermione laughed as she lay sprawled over Harry's arm. He pulled her back up and they continued dancing cheek to cheek.

Hermione closed her eyes briefly, feeling completely safe in the arms of her dearest friend. When she opened them again, she saw Remus not too far from her, dancing with Professor McGonagall. She pulled back from Harry and nodded in their direction, so he could see what she was seeing. Harry chuckled, and danced slowly towards them. Soon enough, Harry and Hermione were dancing next to Remus and McGonagall. The quartet exchanged greetings as they danced beside each other.

Harry's face suddenly lit up and Hermione knew from their seven years of friendship that he had just had a wicked idea. He leaned in close to Hermione and whispered in her ear, "Hey, watch this." He released Hermione and tapped Remus on the shoulder. "Remus, may I cut in?"

McGonagall looked at Harry with a mixture of suspicion, surprise and humour.

"By all means," Remus said, releasing McGonagall and stepping back. Harry took Remus's place and they danced away into the crowd.

Remus and Hermione stood in the middle of the dance floor, staring at each other while everyone danced around them. Remus wordlessly stepped towards Hermione and took her hand. She placed her left hand on his upper arm as he positioned his hand on her waist. They silently began dancing, remembering to keep the appropriate 'teacher / student' distance between them.

Hermione had to concentrate, all she wanted to do was reach up and kiss him, but she knew that probably wouldn't go down too well. She looked into his eyes and tried not to laugh, she could tell he was having trouble holding back his true desires too.

"Shall I tell you a secret?" Remus asked. Hermione's eyes lit up with curiosity as she nodded. "Dumbledore just told me. During his speech tonight, he will, as per tradition, congratulate the student who has graduated at the top of the class. This year, that student has received the highest marks Hogwarts has seen in over a decade. Can you guess who that person is?"

Hermione just grinned. "Really?"

Remus nodded and leaned in closer to Hermione. "Congratulations sweetie," he whispered into her ear.

Hermione was elated. Everything she had worked for had paid off, far beyond anything she could have imagined.

They continued dancing in silence. Hermione couldn't really concentrate on anything other than the feel of Remus stroking her hand with his thumb.

"Hermione, there's something I should tell you."

"Yes?" she asked.

Remus took a deep breath but before he had a chance to speak, they were enveloped in a bright flash of light. They both turned to find Colin Creevey beside them, a camera in his hand. He grinned, but before anyone could say anything, Colin saw more people he wanted to photograph and so headed in their direction.

The music came to an end. Everyone around them applauded the band but Remus and Hermione stood unmoving, still in each others arms.

Quickly glancing around her to make sure no one was looking, Hermione leaned across and whispered into Remus's ear. "After the ball, I'll see you in the Shack." She pulled back from him, smiling.

Remus removed his hand from her waist and brought the hand he held to his lips. He kissed the back of her hand before releasing it. "Thanks for the dance," he said, before giving her a subtle wink and leaving the dance floor.

*

As the sun rose, Remus and Hermione lay in bed together. Hermione was lying in Remus's arms, her fingertips lightly tracing the scars he carried from his early transformations.

"Hermione."

"Hmm?"

"There's something that I have to tell you."

"What is it?"

Remus paused for a moment. "I'm leaving."

Hermione inclined her head so she could see Remus's face. "What are you talking about?"

"Remember I told you I'm increasing my work for the Order. Well, it starts today."

Hermione sat up and instantly noticed a packed suitcase on the floor beside the bed, partially covered by the shirt Remus was wearing last night. Remus sat and took Hermione's small hand in his.

"When do you leave?"

"In less than an hour."

Hermione nodded reluctantly. She turned to him and saw sadness in his eyes. He didn't want to leave her anymore than she wanted him to go.

She kissed him desperately. They wrapped their arms around each other, getting lost in their passionate embrace. Though neither would admit it, they both knew he was embarking on a dangerous assignment and there was every possibility he wouldn't come back.

They fell back onto the bed, desperate to be close to each other. Then they made love, as though they were the only two people in the world.

When it was time, Remus silently slipped out of his bed and dressed. Hermione watched him, trying not to cry.

When he was fully dressed, Remus sat on the edge of the bed. Hermione reached across and took his hand. He instantly lifted it to his lips, kissing the back of her hand.

"Where exactly are you headed?" Hermione asked.

"London to begin with. But from there..." he shrugged.

"Be careful."

"I will. Good luck with your training. I'm sure you'll be great."

Hermione shut her eyes, trying to stop the flow of tears she knew was coming. When she felt Remus caress her cheek, she opened her eyes. He leant down and kissed her slowly, trying to savour this moment.

"I love you," Remus said, his voice shaking with emotion. "So much."

"I love you too," Hermione replied with equal emotion.

"I'll owl you as soon as I can, okay?"

Hermione nodded. They kissed once more before Remus stood and picked up his bag. As he looked back at Hermione, all he wanted was to get back into that bed with her and never leave. But before he lost his strength and surrendered to that desire, he gave her one last smile and walked out of the bedroom.

"Come back to me," Hermione whispered to the empty room.

*

After Harry, Ron and Hermione left Hogwarts, they moved into a house together, just outside of London. There was really no question of them not living together - none of them could imagine their day-to-day lives without the other two.

They found a house with surprising ease. They had fallen in love with it instantly and knew it was somewhere they could each call home. It was a double-storey house with four bedrooms and a large study. The solitary downstairs bedroom was quickly turned into a guest room and in the six months since the trio had moved in it had been occupied by the likes of Neville Longbottom, Bill Weasley, Seamus Finnegan and Hermione's parents.

Auror training was nothing like they expected. Given the impending war and the central role the trio would inevitably play in it, their training had been intense. But the three friends rose to the challenge, surprising even their trainers with their abilities and dedication.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were now officially part of the Order of the Phoenix but due to their training program, they didn't have what they considered to be an 'active' role. They went to the meetings, shared information, and helped to plan the next course of action, but couldn't actually go out there and fight.

Like Remus was doing right now.

It had been seven months since Hermione had seen Remus. He had sent her a few owls, letting her know he was okay, but she couldn't reply as he was always on the move and couldn't risk being tracked.

Hermione missed him more than she would have thought possible. Sometimes all she wanted to do was scream she missed him that much. But the hardest part was keeping her love secret from Harry and Ron. She had never had any secrets from her two best friends before, the time turner incident aside, and it killed her that she couldn't share her happiness when she received an owl or seek comfort when she missed him. But there was no other option.

One night, Ron and Hermione were sitting together in the study, quizzing each other on reconnaissance procedures. Hermione rubbed her temples as she answered Ron's questions - it had been a long week.

When Ron asked her a particularly difficult question, Hermione paused to ponder the answer and during that silence, they heard someone make their way up the stairs. Harry must have arrived home.

Sure enough, moments later, Harry opened the door to the study.

"Hey, you're back," Hermione greeted him.

"I'm back," he replied, a grin on his face. "How's it going?"

Ron snapped the book shut. "I think we are done for the night. I don't know how much more my brain can take tonight."

Harry laughed. "Well, it's time for dinner anyway. Come downstairs, I have a surprise for you."

Ron and Hermione exchanged curious looks before standing and following Harry downstairs. When they reached the lower floor, Harry casually remarked, "You'll never guess who I ran into today."

"Yeah? Who?" Ron asked.

Harry didn't answer, but there was really no need to, as they had reached the not unoccupied lounge room.

"Remus?" Ron said in surprise.

Remus got up from the couch, a smile on his face. Ron grinned, moving forward to embrace his old friend.

"Remus and I literally bumped into each other in Diagon Alley," Harry explained.

Ron and Remus released each other and the three men collectively turned their attention to Hermione.

Hermione had frozen in her spot the moment her eyes fell upon Remus. She could scarcely believe she was finally seeing him after all this time. Remus walked towards Hermione and greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. "Hello, Hermione."

Hermione came out of her haze, remembering Ron and Harry were looking at her. She smiled. "Hello, Remus."

"Remus was going to stay in the Leaky Cauldron tonight but I insisted he come home and have dinner with us and crash here."

"I hope that's okay," Remus said, his eyes sparkling at Hermione.

"Yeah, it's fine," she replied, trying not to grin.

"Excellent," Harry exclaimed. "Remus, make yourself at home while we organise something for us to eat."

Harry and Ron headed for the kitchen. Hermione glanced briefly at Remus. They shared a quick, knowing smile before Hermione joined her friends in the kitchen.

Remus slowly strolled around the living room, finally able to get a look at the place Hermione called home. He smiled lovingly at the book filled shelves and couldn't help but chuckle at Hermione's concession to the boys, namely the Quidditch paraphernalia scattered across the room.

The wall behind the couch was almost completely covered in photographs, mainly magical but there were also a few muggle photos thrown in for good measure. Remus smiled as he looked at each one in turn; James and Lily on their wedding day with Sirius beaming beside them, the Weasley family on a holiday in Egypt, Harry, Ron and Hermione in their sixth year at Hogwarts, a young Hermione with her parents, Harry and Ron with their fellow male Gryffindors, Hermione and Ginny Weasley at the Burrow. Remus reached out and touched the photo of the trio that was housed in a silver frame and he knew this was Ron's Christmas gift to Hermione in their last year at Hogwarts.

Remus reached the last photo and was surprised to see it was the picture of himself and Hermione dancing at the ball. He stared at the photo, becoming hypnotised by the image. He wondered if anyone ever questioned why that photo was on the wall, or did they just assume it was there because he was a good friend of Hermione, Harry and Ron.

Looking at all these pictures that covered many years in the lives of these three wizards, Remus felt a sudden surge of joy at being part of their lives. He was so proud of all of them.

Hermione re-entered the lounge room and Remus turned to her. He pointed at the photo of the two of them. "It's a great picture."

Hermione nodded as she stepped closer to stand next to him. Looking at the picture, she whispered, "It means I can see you everyday."

Remus nodded, turning his attention back to the photo. They stood together in silence and Hermione's heart skipped a beat when she felt Remus's hand lightly touching her own. They turned to face each other but Harry chose that moment to return to the lounge room. Remus instantly moved his hand away from Hermione's.

"So it looks like we have no decent food in this house," Harry announced, oblivious to the moment he had just interrupted.

"Well, we would have had something had a certain someone gone grocery shopping," Hermione replied, purposely raising her voice for the latter half of the sentence.

"Hey!" came Ron's offended voice from the kitchen.

Harry rolled his eyes, clearly having been through this before. "Shall we go out somewhere?"

Hermione shrugged nonchalantly. Harry turned to Remus. "Sure, sounds good."

So Harry, Hermione, Ron and Remus went to a local restaurant that had quickly become a favourite with the trio when they left Hogwarts. Because they were out in public, surrounded by muggles, they couldn't discuss the war or Auror training or the Order without going into specifics. So they confined themselves to happier topics; how their families were, who they had seen from Hogwarts, all the good times they had at Hogwarts together. They spent a lot of time laughing and joking; all four of them glad to have a relaxing, fun night with their friends.

When they walked home, they were still chatting loudly. By the time they made it back, it was past one am.

"Thanks for dinner. I can't remember the last time I had that much fun," Remus said as they walked into the lounge room.

"Me neither," Ron readily concurred.

"We have to do it again some time," Hermione suggested. The three men nodded in agreement.

"Well, I hate to be a party pooper, almost as much as I hate to say 'party pooper', but I'm beat," Harry said, failing to stifle a yawn.

"What time do you leave Remus?" Ron asked.

"Early. Around dawn," he replied.

"Well, I think it's safe to say we won't be up that early," Ron said. Remus laughed before Ron embraced him. "It was good to see you again mate," Ron said sincerely, clapping Remus on the arm.

"You too," Remus replied. "But we'll see each other soon, probably at the next meeting."

Hermione leant across and kissed Remus on the cheek. "It was good to see you, Remus."

"You too, Hermione."

Ron and Hermione headed upstairs while Harry showed Remus to the guest room.

*

Hermione sneaked through the dark corridor and made her way quietly down the stairs. When she arrived at the door of the guest bedroom, she knocked softly.

"Come in."

Hermione entered the bedroom and closed the door carefully behind her before leaning against it.

Remus stood from his chair on the opposite side of the room, but made no move to go forward.

"Hey," he smiled.

"Hey," she replied.

"So how have you been? How is training going?"

"Good. Exhausting and demanding, but good. How about you? How have you been?"

"Not so good. It's getting bad out there."

"Where have you been all this time?"

"All over really. All around England, Dublin, Edinburgh, even to Amsterdam."

Hermione nodded vaguely. They stood in silence, just looking at each other from across the room.

Then, Remus and Hermione simultaneously rushed forward, meeting in the middle of the room and throwing their arms around each other as they kissed passionately.

Remus felt like he was flying. Over the last seven months, the only thought that kept him going was that one day he would be back in Hermione's arms, where he belonged. And now that he was here, he never wanted to leave.

Hermione sighed as Remus's lips left hers. He began trailing light kisses down her neck. She kept her eyes closed, enjoying the sensations he was creating.

"I've missed you," she whispered, running her hands through his hair.

Remus made his way back up to her mouth and kissed her. He leaned his forehead against hers for a moment. "Not as much as I've missed you," he replied softly.

Hermione hungrily captured his mouth again. They began tugging at each others clothes as they moved as one over to the bed.

*

Hermione watched Remus sleep. As much as she wanted to stay here with him, she knew she had to go back to her room before he woke. She couldn't bear to watch him walk out the door again.

She carefully moved Remus's arm from where it was laying across her stomach. She sat up, scanning the room for her clothes.

Hermione gasped as she felt Remus place his arm around her. He pulled her back down to the bed, snuggling close to her.

"Stay," he whispered in her ear.

She turned to him. "Sure. And then in a couple of hours, you can explain to Harry and Ron why you didn't leave and why I slept in here and not in my room."

"Okay," he replied sleepily.

Hermione laughed before kissing him. "I have to go."

Remus released his grip on her and she got up and found her clothes before dressing in silence. When she was dressed, Remus sat up as she crawled onto the bed. They kissed slowly.

"Do you think there will ever come a time when we don't have to pretend?" Hermione asked sadly.

Remus ran his fingertips lightly down her cheek. "You see that coat over there. Will you pass it to me," he said, indicating a shabby brown coat lying on the back of the armchair.

Hermione looked at him in confusion before getting off the bed and getting the coat for him. Climbing back onto the bed, she handed him the coat and he immediately began scrambling through its pockets.

Pulling a small box out of the pocket, he tossed the coat aside and handed the velvet box to Hermione. "This is for you."

She looked from the box to Remus and back again. She slowly opened the box and gasped audibly at the diamond ring that lay within. Hermione looked up at Remus, her eyes wide.

"This isn't a marriage proposal," he explained. "It's a promise. I promise you, a time will come when we don't have to pretend."

Hermione smiled as she took the ring from the box and placed it on her right ring finger. "Thankyou," she said, leaning forward and kissing him tenderly.

"I love you," he told her.

"I love you more," she grinned.

They kissed again, Remus pulling Hermione close to him as he deepened the kiss. She succumbed for a moment before she pulled away and in one fluid motion, got off the bed and walked out of the room without looking back.

*

True to his word, Remus saw Harry, Ron and Hermione at the next meeting of the Order of the Phoenix.

The Order meetings became more frequent over the months, eventually occurring up to three times a week. Remus was able to attend most meetings, except for when he was out on an assignment or if it was the full moon.

Hermione smiled to herself every time she entered Grimmauld Place and saw Remus for the first time. They would greet each other with a hug or kiss on the cheek, then go their separate ways.

For Hermione, in some ways it was worse seeing Remus every week than when she didn't hear from him for months. It was so difficult to be in the same room as him but have to keep her distance.

Due to the nature of the meetings and the time constraints both Remus and Hermione had, they barely had any time together. Sometimes they could manage a couple of minutes alone together in one of the many rooms of Grimmauld Place but they didn't want to make a habit of it, for fear of getting caught.

Early on however, they were quite bold; Remus resting his hand on Hermione's knee under the table while everyone around them talked or sneaking a few kisses while they were alone together in the kitchen. But a close call with Arthur Weasley one day put a swift end to their boldness.

Months went by. Voldemort was upping his attacks and the Order knew the final fight was coming. So a meeting was called to make a battle plan. When they finished talking tactics, their plan complete, Hermione and Ron began cleaning up while everyone lingered in the dining room.

As they stacked the dishes up, Remus entered the kitchen. "Hermione, can I have a quick word?" he asked.

"Sure," she said. Turning to Ron, she added, "Feel free to keep cleaning without me."

Ron grabbed a tea towel and swatted her playfully with it.

Remus led Hermione to a nearby, unoccupied parlour room. He closed the door behind him, quickly casting a locking charm on the door.

"What is it?" Hermione asked. He was looking far too serious to be dragging her in here just so they could have a few minutes alone together.

Remus took her hand and led her to the couch. "I'm not happy about the role you have to play in the fight against Voldemort," he confessed.

"Well, I'm not too thrilled with what you have to do either. But we have to do this. There is no other way."

Remus sighed. "I just wish you didn't have to fight at all."

Hermione smiled at his concern. "Remus, ever since I was twelve years old, I've known that one day I would have to fight in a war. I've spent my life studying and training for that day."

"Am I a terrible person if I say I don't want you anywhere near that battle?"

Hermione kissed him tenderly. "No. And I don't want you at that battle either. But this is what we do. We fight. We fight for Harry. We fight to avenge Sirius and Harry's parents. We fight to save the world."

"We might not make it out alive," he said seriously.

"I know," she replied honestly.

"I couldn't bear to loose you."

"Me neither."

Remus leant across to kiss Hermione, but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Remus? You in there?" came Tonk's voice through the door.

"Just a second," he answered loudly.

Remus and Hermione shared a smile before standing and walking to the door. Remus pointed his wand at the door to unlock it but hesitated. He turned to Hermione and quickly put his hand on the back of her neck, pulling her to him and kissing her urgently. Hermione made a small noise of surprise before quickly responding to Remus's kiss. But the pair broke apart when there was another knock on the door.

Hermione couldn't help but laugh at the situation. Remus rolled his eyes at her, not finding these constant interruptions at all amusing.

Taking a deep breath, Remus unlocked the door and watched Hermione walk through it.

*

Hermione had never felt more scared in her life. She tried not to shake, not wanting to display any weakness to her enemies.

She was standing in the middle of what was soon to become a battlefield. She stood facing literally thousands of Death Eaters, quite a few of whom she recognised, including Peter Pettigrew, Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange. And right at the centre was Voldemort.

Hermione inched a bit to her left and took Harry's hand. He instantly gripped it tightly, hanging on for dear life. Ron stood on the other side of Harry. He looked pale but strong, betraying no fear.

Hermione glanced around her, looking at all the people fighting on their side. She was surrounded by Hogwarts teachers and ministry officials, as well as her fellow Aurors, Order members, DA members, and Hogwarts students. But there were also thousands of people she didn't recognise, people who were willing to die, fighting for what they believed in.

Hermione glanced beside her, finding Remus's eyes. As they looked at each other, she mouthed, 'I love you.'

'I love you,' he mouthed back.

Hermione turned her attention back to the Death Eaters standing opposite her.

Their battle plan was simple. Harry and Voldemort would fight. Hermione and Ron were to remain by his side, in the hopes their love for him would help to protect him. A portion of the people surrounding them, including Dumbledore who was standing on the other side of Ron, were to protect the trio while they fought. Everyone else, including Remus, was to go on the offensive.

The thousands of people on the field were standing deathly still, each side trying to psyche the other side out.

Harry gave Hermione's hand one last squeeze before releasing it. He reached into his robes and pulled out his wand, pointing it straight at Lord Voldemort.

And so it began.

*

The fighting raged well into the night and through until the next morning. Until Harry, as weak and exhausted as he was, managed to deliver the final blow to Voldemort, killing him.

It was like an instant chain reaction through the Death Eaters. With their Dark Lord lying dead on the ground, they immediately began falling to the floor, gripping their arms in agony.

Harry collapsed onto the ground. Hermione and Ron were instantly by his side. They gave him a quick once over. They couldn't see any major injuries, despite the fact he had passed out.

Ron and Hermione grasped his cold hands. "Harry?" Hermione began tentatively. "Can you hear me?"

There was no response.

"Harry?" said Ron, his voice shaking.

There was no movement from Harry. Hermione and Ron looked at each other with worry.

Harry's eyes flew open and he began gasping for air. Ron instantly laid a hand on his shoulder, whispering, "Shh, it's okay mate. We're here."

Harry looked between his friends. "Is it over?" he gasped.

Hermione couldn't hold back a sob. "Yes, Harry. It's over. You did it."

Harry smiled weakly. "We did it."

Hermione began crying, unable to control her emotions. She couldn't believe it was finally over. The three of them had made it through the battle she had known was coming for as long as she could remember. It was almost too much to bear.

Ron reached over and took Hermione's hand in his, squeezing it reassuringly. She smiled at him through her tears. When she stopped crying she noticed she hadn't been the only one to let the tears flow. Harry had a tear streaking down his temple while Ron's eyes were shiny with unshed tears.

Dumbledore soon joined them, kneeling down beside Hermione. He instantly noticed how the three friends were holding each other's hands. He smiled, having no doubt in his mind that their love for each other helped to defeat Voldemort.

"Are any of you injured?" he asked kindly.

Harry, Hermione and Ron all shook their heads. Dumbledore looked sceptically at Harry.

"Harry was unconscious for a few minutes," Hermione explained.

Dumbledore immediately reached out, placing his hand on Harry's burning forehead.

"I'm fine," Harry insisted, trying to sit up. He immediately felt a wave of dizziness wash over him and he collapsed back onto the ground.

Hermione quickly looked around her. "I'm going to find Harry a mediwitch. You two stay here with him." Harry and Ron instantly gripped her hands. "I'll be right back," she reassured them.

Hermione leant across and kissed Ron on the cheek, whispering, "I love you," in his ear. She then leant down to Harry and whispered, "I love you. And I'm so proud of you." She kissed his forehead, and then released Ron and Harry's hands before standing and walking away.

There were bodies everywhere. Hermione made her way through the battleground. She soon spotted Professor Snape kneeling beside someone, a mediwitch by his side. She immediately made her way to him.

As she saw whom they were leaning over, Hermione fell to her knees beside Snape, a throaty "no" escaping her lips.

Snape and the mediwitch turned to her. "I'm sorry," said the witch as Hermione reached out and took the cold hand of Professor McGonagall.

Hermione sighed as she released the hand of her former professor. She then stood and indicated to Harry who was lying a few feet away, asking the mediwitch to go and have a look at him.

Snape and the witch immediately rushed to Harry's side. She watched for a moment as they tended to him before turning her attention away from them and back to the battlefield.

Hermione stood numbly, girt by chaos. Taking in the scene around her, nothing seemed quite real, not the patches of blood staining the grass nor the lifeless bodies sprawled on the ground.

She watched as medical wizards and witches were attending to the injured while Death Eaters were being led away by Aurors and Ministry Officials.

And then she saw him. Remus was walking slowly in her direction, limping slightly. He was cradling his arm, which was bleeding badly, and his face was also bruised.

Remus looked up and their eyes met. Everything faded; the people around them, the pain in his arm, everything. The only thing he knew was that Hermione was alive, standing not too far away.

Hermione wanted to cry out. She had never felt so relieved. She closed her eyes briefly, wanting to make sure she wasn't imagining what she was seeing. When she reopened her eyes, he was still there. She smiled at him as tears ran down her cheeks.

Remus began walking to her. Hermione ran to him. When they met, she jumped into his open arms and they held onto each other tightly. Remus felt no pain; he felt nothing other than relief and happiness at having Hermione in his arms.

Remus placed Hermione back down on the ground.

"I can't believe it," Hermione whispered, reaching up and caressing his face, wiping away the tear that was streaking down his cheek.

"I know."

"I thought-"

"Me too."

Remus leant forward and kissed Hermione, trying to convey all the love he felt. When they broke apart, he took her hands in his. Feeling the ring he had given her against his hand, Remus carefully slid the ring off her finger. He took Hermione's left hand, holding the ring at the top of her left ring finger.

He looked into her eyes and she nodded at his unspoken question. He slowly slid the ring onto her finger.

"I love you Hermione," Remus said, his voice shaking with emotion.

"And I love you Remus," she replied through her tears.

Remus and Hermione kissed passionately, not caring who saw them. They didn't want to pretend anymore. But more than that, now, they didn't have to.