It Happened One Night

CHAPTER 6: No One’s Business







Hermione was livid as she paced back and forth in front of the large picture window in the sitting room. Why in the world had she let him get to her? Was she really so unattractive that the idea of her snagging a new lover was so far fetched?





“Are you alright?” Ginny asked from the doorway. Hermione turned to look at her friend and smiled slightly.







“Is it really so unlikely that another man might want me?” Hermione asked, hating the vulnerable feelings coursing through her.







“Maybe to my idiot brother, but then again he likes to think that you will waste away pining for him.” Ginny took her by the hand and pulled her onto the sofa with her. “So you shagged Lupin. How was it?” Ginny asked, not surprisingly.







“Do I really need to tell you?” Hermione asked with a soft smile on her face.







“I suppose not, you do look absolutely amazing.” Ginny said.







“Thank you, I feel absolutely amazing. I can’t believe I just stood in your dining room and announced that I spent the night with a man.” Hermione closed her eyes and rested her head on the back of the sofa.







“I don’t think anyone believed you, hon. Except Harry who I think figured out that the mark on Remus’s neck wasn’t a result of the transformation.” Ginny said.







“You don’t think he’s going to get all big brother do you? I sort of instigated the whole thing.” Hermione said.





“I still can’t quite get my mind around you and Remus…..doing it….together….” Ginny started laughing. “I really didn’t think you would take me seriously.”







“I can’t quite get my mind around it and I was there, participating, rather enthusiastically.” Hermione couldn’t stop the sly smile as memories flooded back.







“So what do you think will happen now?” Ginny asked.





“I was taking the advice of this particularly oversexed friend of mine who told me I should just find someone to bounce around on a little bit.” Hermione said looking at Ginny askance. “Neither one of us is interested in a relationship. We were just filling the loneliness you know.”







“Are you sure you are alright with that? I mean you have only ever been with Ron, and you made him wait almost two years……are you sure you can handle something so casual?” Ginny loved Hermione, and she adored Remus. Truth was they were probably a perfect couple if they weren’t both so stubborn.







“I didn’t approach him with anything other than sex in my head. I just wanted to be wanted. You have no idea what I mean, Harry worships you.”







“Everyone wants to be wanted, Mione. I just got lucky with Harry, but you know yourself that our road wasn’t exactly smooth.” Ginny said. “I wish things had been better for you with Ron. You deserved better.”







“Bygones. It’s time for me to move on and I fully intend to.” Hermione said, squeezing Ginny’s hand.







“I still can’t believe you shagged Remus.” Ginny burst into a fit of laughter.







“Neither can I, but oh Gods Ginny…..” Hermione rolled her eyes and fanned her face.







“Excuse me.” Remus said from the doorway, interrupting the two women conversing on the sofa.







“Speak of the devil.” Ginny said with a laugh as she stood.







“Could I perhaps have a word with Hermione?” He asked a little nervously as he stepped into the room.







“I don’t think you need to ask permission.” Ginny winked at Hermione. “I’ll make certain you aren’t disturbed.” She said, grinning at Remus when she walked by. “If you aren’t back in an hour I’ll assume the best.” She was laughing as she left the room.







“Sorry about all this, Remus. I wasn’t expecting such interest in my activities.” Hermione said from the sofa. Remus walked slowly across the room and sat down beside her.





“I’m not quite sure what to think to be quite honest. There is a part of me that is thrilled that spending the night with me could bring about such a positive result that everyone noticed. Then there is that part of me that feels like a dirty old man for spending the night with a woman half my age and then running out on her like a coward before the sun came up.” He was leaning forward, his hands clasped and his elbows resting on his knees.





Hermione laid her hand gently on his shoulder and smiled. She knew he would feel guilty.





“You needn’t feel guilty. After all, I am the one who started it.” She said.







“I’m older, I know better but somehow I just couldn’t leave.” He looked at her hand resting on his shoulder and turned his head to kiss her fingers.







“I’m glad you stayed, but I think you already know that don’t you?” She laughed.







“You aren’t exactly a quiet lover.” He chuckled. “So what is this? What do you want…..”







“Nothing. I’m not looking for love, Remus. Let’s not make it complicated alright? It was two people who care for one another easing the loneliness. It doesn’t have to be more than that.” She said, smiling softly.





Remus nodded his head slowly, partly relieved. Somewhere inside him though he was hurt by her casual attitude about what they shared.

“So it was a one night stand so to speak?” He asked.







“I don’t know.” Hermione was looking into his eyes and she could see the remnants of passion glowing faintly in their chocolate depths. “I felt like a woman in your arms last night, Remus. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in feeling like that again.”







“But you don’t want a relationship with me?” Remus clarified.







“I don’t think I’m ready for that. Does that bother you?” She asked.







“No, I just want to be clear upfront….so that there are no misunderstandings later.”





“I don’t want to make any decisions or promises….” Hermione said. “Let’s just see, what will be will be regardless, right?” Remus smiled and leaned back into the sofa.







“So it didn’t take long for Ginny to figure it out did it?” Remus asked. Hermione blushed slightly.







“No and she tells me that Harry has caught on as well. Sorry about the mark on your neck….” She said, biting her lower lip slightly. Remus reached up and rubbed the tender spot.







“No need to be sorry. I do believe however that it is my first wound of passion.” He laughed.







“Somehow I doubt that, you certainly seemed to know what you were doing, unlike me.” She said.







“I read a lot, and you were perfect.” He reached up and pushed her hair out of her face. “I am sorry I left before you woke. I just didn’t know what to say to you.”







“I knew you would feel guilty, Remus. I wasn’t all that surprised to wake up and find you gone.” She smiled.







“Does it make a difference if I tell you how hard it was for me to leave that bed?” He asked.





Hermione’s smiled broadened and her stomach tightened a little with giddiness. She leaned over and kissed his lips softly.





“Yes, thank you for telling me that.” She said. Remus cupped the back of her head and pulled her down to kiss her again. His lips were so warm and soft, and his mustache tickled slightly. She parted her lips and their tongues met briefly. They pulled apart quickly when they heard voices coming from the hall.







“There you are!” Harry said walking into the room and staring between the two of them. Ginny was right behind him and immediately noticed that Hermione’s lips were a little redder than when she left. Of course Remus’s were a little shiny with what she suspected had been Hermione’s lip gloss. “What in the hell were the two of you thinking?”







“Harry, I don’t think this is any of your business….” Hermione said. She looked over at Remus and wiped her lip gloss from his mouth with her thumb.







“What was that? Were you two just….” Harry looked like he was going to rupture something. “I told you to ask her to dance and take her home, not shag her!”







“Harry, that’s enough.” Remus said, his eyes narrowed as he stood to tower over Harry. “It isn’t any of your business.”





“It is my business if she gets hurt again! I’ve already had one of my friends break her heart I can’t let her be hurt again!”







“I’m not going to hurt her, Harry. You are reading a lot into this and you just don’t understand.” Remus said, looking towards Hermione for help. She stood and wrapped her arms around Harry, hugging him tight.







“I love you, Harry, so much. You don’t know what it means to me that you look out for me like you do. But this is between Remus and me. We are adults and we will deal with it as such.” She pulled back and kissed his cheek.







“So are you guys going to start dating or something?” He asked.







“We hadn’t planned on it.” Hermione said, glancing over at Remus who just shrugged his shoulders.







“But you two….” Harry looked between them, staring at the mark on the side of Remus’s neck.







“None of your business, Harry.” Remus reminded him softly. Harry sighed heavily and frowned.





“Fine, I’m going on my honeymoon.” He hugged Hermione again and kissed her cheek then shook Remus’s hand, making sure to give him that look that told him to be careful with Hermione. “I will see the two of you at Molly’s party in a few weeks.”





Ginny was still smiling when Harry dragged her from the room. Remus and Hermione looked at one another and started to laugh.







“I felt a bit like a teenager getting scolded by someone’s father.” Remus said.







“Harry means well. It took him almost three months to even speak to Ron again after we split up.” Hermione sighed and looked up at the clock. “I suppose I should get going.”





“Me too, I have to get new chapters to my editor.” Remus said.





“I look forward to your new book.” She smiled. “Feel free to stop by sometime now that you know where I live.”





The moment was awkward. They weren’t a couple yet they had spent the night previously wrapped up in each other. What was the proper etiquette for saying goodbye? Hermione walked past him and their hands touched briefly.





“See you later.” She said softly. Remus’s eyes followed her out the door and he wondered just how long he would actually be able to stay away from her.