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Dizzy In The Heat	By : DivineAngel Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Remus/Hermione Views: 16130 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
- 5
Chapter
4: Feel For You

The following morning
Hermione dressed and locked up her packed trunk and sat waiting for
Ron to wake. She was nervous about this conversation but had come to
the conclusion while worrying about it overnight, that she must put
those feelings aside and get on with it, remain dispassionate and hope
that he would feel the same.

Eventually Ron rubbed his
eyes and felt for her in the bed, on finding it empty he opened his
eyes slowly, blinking fiercely against the bright sun shining in
through the window.

'Hermione?' He croaked,
groggily. 'You alright?' He sat up and looked at her, sitting on her
trunk looking very businesslike and stern.

'Ron. I'm moving into
Grimmauld Place for the rest of the summer. I think we both need some
space.' She looked around the small room to emphasise her point. He
frowned and scratched his head.

'Alright.' He said
slowly, confused. 'Did you just decide this yesterday?'

'Yes. But let's face it,
we both know things have been stifling here these last three weeks.'
She was well aware that their problems went back further than three
weeks, but she felt that a gradual withdrawal was her best option at
this point. First she would move out, then she would see how she
felt.

'Yeah, I guess. But are
you sure it's the best plan?' He was becoming more obviously alert
now, but still seemed puzzled. She nodded firmly. 'OK.' He got up and
started getting dressed, a serious expression on his face.

Hermione was relieved
that he had taken it so well and wary that he may have misunderstood,
hence his easy agreement.

'I'm going to go down and
get breakfast. I'll see you down there.' She stood and left the room,
pausing on the landing for a moment, a deep frown furrowing her brow.
Now she just had to make her apologies to Molly and Arthur.

~#~#~#~

Just after ten o'clock
Hermione, Molly and Ron apparated to a secluded spot around the
corner from Grimmauld Place and made their way with Hermione's trunk
to the front door.

'I'll just pop in with
you and say hello to Harry.' Molly smiled. She had been a little
disappointed when Hermione broke the news at breakfast, Hermione had
reassured her that she had been made to feel very welcome, but that
she just needed a bit of room to herself. Molly had insisted on
coming with her to get her settled and made Hermione promise to come
for dinner often. Now that Grimmauld Place was all sorted out Molly
was expecting to be at home much more and had promised to cook lots
of lovely meals to make up for being so preoccupied for the first
part of the holidays.

They entered the old
house and made their way upstairs, Molly calling out to Harry to
announce their arrival. Footsteps came bounding down the top flight
of stairs and along the landing, Harry appearing with a grin in front
of them.

'Hi!' He cheered,
evidently glad to see people. 'This place is eerie without anyone
else here.' He gave the women quick hugs and insisted on taking
Hermione's trunk himself, levitating in front of himself as they
climbed the stairs. Hermione glanced back at Ron following her and
gave him a quick smile, but his eyes were fixed on the floor and a
sombre look fixed on his face. She sighed with resignation and
followed the others into her new room where Molly went about fussing
over how lovely it was and Harry and Ron shifted awkwardly with each
other. Hermione could see how this was difficult for them, it was a
little like Harry had stolen Hermione away from Ron in a sense and
she wondered if there was anything she could do to make it easier.

'Well.' Molly's cheerful
voice cut into the uncomfortable silence between the three friends.
'I suppose I'd better be off again. Leave you three to your day.' She
gave a very pained smile and gave each of them a hug. 'Ron? What time
will you be home, dear?'

'Um, I'm not sure. Not
long I don't think.' He said looking glumly at Hermione.

'OK then. Bye you three.'
She disapparated away with a loud pop, leaving the three of them
looking from one to another.

'So...' Hermione clapped
her hands in an effort to break the silence. 'I should unpack.' Her
voice was a little louder than it needed to be and she went about
opening her trunk and working out where things were going to live.
She caught sight of Ron scowling and Harry looking very worried. 'Why
don't you two go downstairs, you must still have loads of catching up
to do.' She urged. They both nodded and Ron made to leave the room,
Harry followed slowly, giving her an odd smile on his way out.

Finally alone for the
first time in a few days, Hermione sat down on her new bed and took a
few deep breaths. She was so relieved to be out of the Burrow and she
allowed her mind to wander to her conversation with Remus the
previous night. There was definitely something new and exciting there
and she wanted to explore it, she wanted to end it with Ron, she knew
that for certain after just a few minutes away from the Burrow and
she sighed heavily with the weight of the task.

~#~#~#~

By the time Hermione had
sorted out a few bits and pieces and made her way down to the
kitchen, Ron had left and Harry was sat on his own, holding a mug of
tea, a pot steaming in the middle of the table. He looked up when she
entered and gave her a warm smile.

'Fancy a cuppa?' He asked
brightly. Hermione smiled in return and took a seat opposite him as
he poured her some tea. 'I think you should tell me your side,
'Mione. Ron's pretty upset.'

'Yeah. Well, things have
not exactly been going well since last time we saw you. Exams and
everything put a huge strain on us and living together at the Burrow
was only making it worse.' Hermione sighed as she sipped her tea.
Harry nodded.

'And is staying here
going to help fix things?' He asked, choosing his words carefully.

'Oh Harry, I don't know.
I don't think so.' He reached out and rested his hand on hers and
gave it a gentle squeeze.

'Well, whatever happens.
You know, I'm here for both of you.' Harry smiled, trying to reassure
her, but Hermione felt terrible, knowing that he was in the middle of
this horrible situation and when she and Ron finally broke up the
three of them would never have what they had before. She smiled back,
though, her worries would wait until another day.

~#~#~#~

A few days went by,
Hermione enjoyed Harry's company and they talked over his travels and
her own plans, they explored muggle London together, using the tube
and muggle money, the novelty exciting to both of them. Hermione also
got plenty of time to herself, she felt happier within hours away
from the Burrow. She actually enjoyed having a chance to sit and read
in Grimmauld Place's extensive library, some of the old tomes were
very disturbing, but many had interesting secrets to be gleaned.

On her fourth day at her
new address, Hermione met Harry in the kitchen for breakfast, coffee
brewed for her and a stack of toast on the table. With a grin at the
routine they had already fallen in to, Hermione sat down opposite
Harry as he poured over the Daily Prophet with a deep frown.

'Honestly, Hermione, I
know you think we need to keep abreast of the news, but this paper is
sickening.'

'I know.' She sighed,
buttering a slice of toast. 'Don't read it, if you don't want. I'll
tell you if there's anything worth knowing in it.' He folded it shut
and skimmed it over the table to her.

'There's a meeting here
tonight. That OK with you?'

'Why wouldn't it be?' She
scoffed.

'Well, all the Weasley's
will be here. You ready for that?' Harry looked at her over his
glasses as he took a sip of coffee.

'Harry. It's fine.
Honestly.' She laughed as she ate and her mind wandered to who else
would be attending the meeting, a smile forming on her lips as she
thought of Remus.

'What?' Harry asked on
seeing her odd smile. Hermione brought her brain back to the table
and shook her head.

'Nothing.' She stood and
picked up her coffee, tucking the paper under her arm. 'I'll be
upstairs, see you later.' She drifted from the room thinking of his
sweet, rugged face and his eyes that had seen so much in his life.
She found herself in the library once again, idly flicking through
the Prophet, not really reading it, but rather thinking of Remus and
the peculiar nature of their relationship these days. She wondered if
he was thinking of her and if he'd contemplated taking her up on her
offer to meet up some time.

After a highly
unproductive day, Hermione headed to her room to get changed, some
part of her felt incredibly bothered about what she ought to wear
around Remus. It was a side of herself that she had rarely indulged,
ignoring Lavender and Parvati as they cooed about their wardrobes and
gossiped about boys. But on occasion she would feel the desire to
look perfect; it happened for the Yule Ball, when she knew she would
be on Viktor Krum's arm; it happened again when she and Ron first
started going out, even though they didn't really get out of the
castle or go on anything one might call a date, she had spent a
little more time on her hair and clothing choices when they were out
of uniform. On those occasions she understood her room mates a little
better, she felt girly, which infuriated her. Why did it take the
interest of a boy to make her feel like a girl?

She scoffed as she looked
through her clothes, frustrated by herself and that here she was
again, acting like a teenager. She slammed the wardrobe door shut and
flopped down on the bed. So far, whatever this thing with Remus was,
she hadn't been preoccupied by trivial matters like her appearance.
Why start now?

Hermione stood up and
looked in the mirror on the wardrobe door, she was wearing wide leg
jeans with a chunky belt and a maroon vest top, her hair looked a
little wild, but she really didn't have to do anything except give it
a brush through. With resolve, Hermione decided to put away thoughts
of looking perfect, Remus surely wouldn't care about such things.

With a little flinch, she
realised what she was thinking and guilt flared inside her as an
image of Ron appeared in her mind. With a sigh, Hermione brushed her
hair and set off downstairs to wait for the meeting to start.

At seven o'clock there
was a flurry of arrivals, McGonagall with several others came to the
door, followed by the Weasleys who let themselves in as had become
customary. Hermione greeted everyone cordially, her eyes scanning the
arrivals for a sign of him, an ache building inside when he did not
arrive with the Weasleys. Ron approached her with a cautious smile.
She suddenly realised that they hadn't even spoken since he had left
her in her new bedroom, she hadn't missed him and had barely
registered the four day long absence of conversation, and she
couldn't help wondering what he was feeling. She smiled back and
hoped he didn't try to kiss her, he didn't. He merely stood before
her, that odd smile on his face.

'Hi, Hermione. You OK?'
He sounded like he was trying very hard to be polite and friendly,
but his smile looked more like a grimace.

'I'm fine, Ron. How are
you doing?' She asked, her voice full of concern, she took his arm
and led him to a corner of the kitchen as the others took seats and
Molly whipped up drinks for people.

'I miss you.' He stated
simply, casting his eyes to the flagstone floor.

'I know.' She paused, she
couldn't lie, she hadn't missed him at all. She smiled and squeezed
his arm in a way she hoped was reassuring. Ron twisted out of her
grasp and wrapped his arms around her, drawing her into a tight hug.
Hermione's arms went limp at his sides and she frowned in discomfort
at the unwelcome intimacy. Over his shoulder she watched, almost in
horror as the kitchen door opened wider and Remus entered with Tonks,
they were smiling and laughing and the room greeted them warmly.
Hermione writhed in Ron's embrace and hoped to detach herself before
Remus saw them. She didn't get her wish this time, Remus scanned the
room, his face a little disjointed as he smiled broadly at everyone
while his eyes were intent upon locating something specific. They
fell on her, wrapped tightly in her boyfriend's arms and she felt her
stomach sink as his smile slipped from his face. He gave her a nod in
greeting and she looked at him, pleading for him to realise that she
was not a willing participant in this hug. Finally she wriggled free
and speedily moved to the table, taking a seat between Moody and
Fred, who gave her a warm greeting, seemingly unaware of any problem
between her and Ron. Remus took a seat opposite her and their eyes
connected amid the lively conversation around them. She tried to
smile, she hoped he could see her feelings in her eyes and longed to
see his feelings in his, he gave a small smile in return as
McGonagall stood and called the room to order.

Harry was asked to talk
after McGonagall had gone over a few things, he told everyone about
the Horcruxes and his hunt for the remaining ones. Hermione felt
herself drifting off as he talked, having already heard what he had
to say in the days they had spent together. She found herself gazing
across the table at Remus, who listened to Harry attentively, his
weathered hands resting on the wooden table, his thumbs lightly
rubbing one another. Hermione's eyes fixed on them, imagining them
caressing her own hands, her face, neck, shoulders, breasts. With a
start she looked up, shocked by her imagination. She cast her eyes
along to Ron, who was sat at the end of the table with George, the
pair of them apparently griping at each other almost silently.
Hermione shook her head a little at their childish behaviour and any
guilt she felt at her active imagination immediately evaporated, her
gaze falling on the object of her affection once again. She looked at
his warm eyes and a small smile formed on her lips, his eyes
flickered and moved directly to meet her own, as if he knew she was
watching him. A little embarrassed, she cast her eyes down into her
lap and drew her lower lip between her teeth, she felt her cheeks
redden and slowly looked up, curious to see if he was still looking
her way, he was and he smiled at her with a sparkle in his eyes to
rival Dumbledore's from years ago. Feeling warm and flushed, she
smiled back, excitement at this intriguing development in their
friendship rising in her chest.

Hermione became vaguely
aware that Harry had finished speaking and someone was asking a
question, she tried to focus her attention, but found herself
uniquely distracted, frequently exchanging glances and flirtatious
smiles with Remus amid heated discussion and planning. As everyone
around her stood and left the table, mingling and chatting animatedly
while Hermione and Remus remained seated without notice, smiling and
almost breaking into light laughter. She felt an intense spark of
energy from him and they seemed to be communicating without words,
one smile leading to another, a glance at Moody as he eyed his drink
suspiciously would make one of them chuckle and the other follow
suit. She wet her lips and slid her foot across the stone floor, it
bumped into his tough boot under the table and she gave him a look
that she hoped was suggestive. His face froze for an instant before a
shy smile appeared and she felt his foot move against hers, rubbing
up alongside it and his toes nudged the heel of her trainer. She
reciprocated, lifting her toes up over his heel and rubbing against
his ankle over his trousers. She could feel her heart pounding in her
chest and her breath growing more shallow. This was, without doubt,
flirtation on both sides. The friend boundary had most definitely
been crossed with the game of footsie that continued hidden from the
two dozen eyes in the room.

Hermione's attention was
ripped from Remus with the hands she felt clamp down on her shoulders
and the loud laughter behind her, she wrenched her foot back and
looked up to see who had grabbed her, seeing one of the twins
grinning down at her, Harry over his shoulder, looking a little
puzzled and glancing between her and Remus. She scowled at the
laughing twin as he released her and bounded off, she looked back
across the table to see Remus standing up and adjusting his robes, an
odd, almost sad look on his face. Scanning the gradually emptying
room, she caught sight of Ron leaning against the sink, his arms
crossed over his chest and a deep frown on his brow as his eyes
roamed between her, Remus and Harry. She swallowed deeply and got up
slowly from the table. One last glance his way and Hermione saw Remus
saying his goodbyes to Molly and Arthur before heading out into the
hall and she knew he was leaving the house. A desperate pang hit her
stomach and she followed him out, not thinking of anything but the
game of footsie.

'Remus!' She called out
along the narrow corridor towards the front door, just before he
reached it. He stopped and turned towards her, smiling weakly as she
took a step towards him. She felt movement suddenly behind her, as
the kitchen door swung open immediately as it closed behind her and a
blast of noise rushed into the corridor with the warm air from the
homely room.

'Hermione?' Her face
dropped as she heard Ron call her name. 'Where are you going?' Remus
nodded slowly, his expression unreadable.

'Goodnight Hermione.
Ron.' He turned and left the house, a cool breeze blowing in as the
door opened and closed again with a heavy thunk. Hermione
turned to face Ron, exasperation coursing through her body.

'What?' She snapped at
him, her hands planted firmly on her hips. He ruffled a little, but
resolve stood out in his eyes as he gritted his teeth and mimicked
her body language.

'I just asked where you
were going. You left really suddenly. Apparently following Lupin.' He
spat, bitterly.

'I was just saying good
night.' Hermione huffed. Increasingly frustrated by the interference
of Ron.

'Yeah?' Ron yelled,
disbelieving. A little stunned by the volume of his voice, he looked
around with uncertainty. When confident that no one was about to
check on them from the kitchen he moved towards her and dragged her
up the first flight of stairs. Hermione didn't resist, but she
resented the confrontation and being prevented from speaking with
Remus, not that she knew what she would have said.

'For goodness sake,
Ronald. What is your problem?' She hissed at him as he turned to face
her on the landing.

'You!' He snapped. 'This
is getting ridiculous, Hermione. You've been all distant all summer
and then you go and leave the Burrow and don't think I haven't
noticed you always looking at him.'

'Wh-what?' She
stammered.'I don't know what you're talking about.' She said,
flustered and embarrassed and a knot of guilt winding its way through
her stomach.

'Yes. You do. Are you
sleeping with him?' Ron yelled, all effort to keep the argument
private ceased.

'No!' She yelled back,
truthfully. Astonished at this leap of a conclusion. 'Ron, no I am
not, nothing is going on. He is a friend.' He snorted and crossed his
arms, Hermione felt hot and flustered. She was furious with him, but
couldn't help the feeling of guilt tugging at her insides all the
while, angry with herself for letting this drag on for so long. 'Get
over yourself, Ron. This is stupid.' She raised her hands and stormed
past him, heading for her room. She slammed the door and locked it
with a flick of her wand, tears flowing freely down her face as her
shoulders shook uncontrollably and she sank to the floor, leaning
heavily against the door, only vaguely aware of Ron's slow footfalls
on the stairs.

AN: Sorry for the delay
on this chapter, I've been swamped with work and had no time. This
chapter was written in stages, so if it doesn't flow I do apologise,
I checked it through and am more or less happy with it! Please leave
a review to let me know if you're enjoying it :-p
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Dizzy In The Heat