{9-I Can't Wait to Tell This Story to My Grandchildren}

For the third time that week, Hermione caught herself staring at Remus. 

Now, she knew very good and well that nothing could happen between them, but that didn't mean that the prospect wasn't nice. How long had it been since she had been with someone so kind and humble? It wasn't like he didn't marry Tonks in the future, anyways, what could be the harm in going out with him just once? Alone. 

Well, nothing was the problem, except for the fact that he would certainly remember such a thing in the future, and then would he continue to simply go out with men, or did he fancy both genders? Hermione scowled, and felt a sharp elbow in her bicep, interrupting her conflicting thoughts? 

"Pay attention," Mary whispered, then turned back to DeLancey who Hermione realized was staring at her suspiciously. 

Hermione finally got her mind in order and decided that she was going to do what she wanted to do for now, and if she had to Obliviate her whole friend group... well, then that's what it would come to. She was going to live her last year at Hogwarts as normally as possible, and she could only imagine how happy it would make Dumbledore. Then again, that wasn't exactly on the "pro" side of her list. 

When class got let out, Hermione was stopped before she could even get her notebooks away. 

"Mr. Granger, if you could please stay after class." 

She looked at Mary who only had an "I told you so" look on her face, then gathered up her things and headed up front towards his desk. 

"Is everything alright, Professor?" 

"Yes, of course," he said, leaning back into his chair and looking at her with trained eyes. 

"Then why did I have to stay after, sir?" 

"Your sister, I was just curious if you went to Beauxbatons like she did?"

Hermione stilled. Was he trying to investigate for Dumbledore? Surely the old wizard wasn't that shifty?

"No, I was with my dad and she was with my mum, so I was tutored at home. Until he... died," she made it all up on the spot, which was completely unhelpful to her because there was a good chance she was going to forget these things unless she wrote them down. 

"Ah, well that is most unfortunate. Why did your sister take you to Hogwarts, then?"

"She didn't like her school, wanted me here," Hermione was really pulling things out of the air now. 

"What about your mother? Shouldn't she be making these decisions for you?" DeLancey wondered, his eyebrows scrunched and a smirk at the edge of his lips like he'd caught her in some lie. 

"She died too. It's been a rough couple years for my sister and I." Hermione wanted to pitch herself from the Astronomy tower, really. 

"Oh," the professor seemed to quell his doubt, "I'm sorry to hear that, lad. How has the year been going? I feel as though you are doing quite well? It was a shame to see you not quite listening today."

Oh, so he was just angry with her not paying attention. Well, she had a bit of a crush, and she certainly wasn't telling him that. 

"Yeah, sorry. I'm not in my right mind lately." 

"Okay, well, be careful before you burn a hole in Mr. Lupin's head," he said with a wink and then waved her off, "Have a good night, Mr. Granger." 

"Thanks, Sir." 

Hermione shot out of the room like lightening, and went towards her next class, horrified that she'd been caught so off guard. 

"You look like hell," Severus assessed of her as she sat next to him for potions, "Any reason?" 

"No," she said quickly, "Stressed."

"Impossible."

Hermione looked up from her homework and glared at him, "Really?"

"You have all of your assignments done days before they're due and I don't think I've sen you get one letter all year, why do you look like you've seen hell?" Severus persisted, looking at her like he expected her to just spill all of her secrets. 

In reality, there were lots of things that could be stressing her out, like the fragile bend of time and the curse that was constantly set on her shoulders, or the fact that there were various amounts of that information out there for the world to use, or the fact that she liked someone she really shouldn't. Hermione couldn't tell him any of these things, however, which meant she was down to many more lies... or hopefully a deflection. 

"I mean it, I'm stressed."

"Is it because you've been eyeing Remus Lupin?"

Snape did not seem fond of him, and well, Hermione couldn't exactly say she blamed him. Still, it wasn't Remus' fault Sirius had been an arsehole and a half. Besides, who was the better option, Severus or Remus? Now that was a question she couldn't ask him. For now, though, her bets were on Remus being the better option. At least he enjoyed his muggle heritage to some extent, unlike the Half-Blood Prince right in front of her.

 "Does everyone know? Professor DeLancey called me out on it just last class."

Slughorn started talking, but Severus didn't seem to care as he whispered, "You're very obvious about it, that's for sure. Not that I've much experience with the romance dribble, but watching you stare at him is quite disgusting."

Hermione laughed, but she did it as quietly as possible while still attempting to watch Slughorn. 

"He's just... well, he's got those friends, you know?" 

"Zel... they're your friends, too."

Hermione caught the assignment being written on the board and flipped to the page, showing Severus as he awaited an answer. 

He was right, the bastard. The only thing that bothered Hermione was that he was acting so... normal about the whole thing. Were they sure he wasn't the one having problems? She had a brief query that maybe time was changing, but surely something drastic would have happened if it did, right? 

Well, she hoped to never find out. 

"Yeah, I reckon they are."

They did their potion and handed it in first, though there was no surprise that Lily and Remus were right behind them, to which she earned a very happy smile from the latter. 

In fact, Lily seemed to split off and head towards Gryffindor Tower while Remus stuck to Hermione's side. She looked at Severus who was also walking with her and seemed reluctant to give up the position. Eventually, however, he huffed and started walking the other way, mumbling about how he had to use the loo. 

"I just finished The Scarlet Letter," Remus said, and boy was she glad he'd spoken first. 

"Really? I thought you didn't want to read it because it is what Hawthorne is most known for?" 

"Well," he smiled at her with a challenge, "I thought I'd give it a chance because I trust you." 

Against slightly better judgement, Hermione was excited. "And?" 

"Well, it was wonderful, as I am sure you get a great amount of satisfaction out of hearing."

"Only a little," she lied, smiling all the while. 

"So, what did DeLancey call you back for? You don't have to tell me, obviously, I'm just making sure everything's right-side up," Remus explained poorly, and Hermione felt a rush of excitement thrum through her. 

"Prefect obligations?" Hermione teased, elbowing him slightly, hoping it was the more boyish thing to do. 

"We'll go with that," he said, though obviously it wasn't true. 

They were heading towards the Great Hall for lunch, and Hermione realized she would have to tell him something. 

"Well, I was a little spaced out, so he was curious as to what was going on in my life since I usually pay rapt attention."

"Ah, what's had you all spaced out?" He asked suspiciously, and if Hermione Granger was interpreting this right, he was being coy about it. 

"A lot... I think it's a combination of things that I suddenly realized all at once." 

Hermione hated to get Remus' hopes up, and her own, but she decided that nothing was the harm if she kept everything under control and didn't reveal herself. Right? If she was making these decisions without catastrophic repercussions, then was there any harm at all? She'd ask herself a million times as long as it kept her sane. 

"I suppose that's fair."

Wondering briefly what stage he was at in his fancying her, Hermione decided she was going to find out with just a brief inquiry. 

"Yeah, can I ask you something, too?" She looked over at him expectantly and watched him turn curious. 

"Of course, yeah."

"You said you get sick a lot and that you won't get any better, why is that?"

His cheeks grew red, and Hermione thought it was quite cute on him. She really had a thing for her Professors, didn't she? 

"I have a really weak immune system."

"Right," Hermione confirmed, she imagined that was his go-to excuse, "But wouldn't it be more sporadic, then?" 

"I don't like to talk about it, Florizel." 

He seemed to shut down after that, so unfortunately lunch was quiet and awkward. 

Maybe it was best Hermione stopped trying to test her friends... and time. 

A/N

Things are heating up! And Hermione does have a thing for Professors at this point, doesn't she?