the_debt_of_time

had seen a Grim in his tea leaves while in her class, Remus began wondering if there was
not a little more to the supposed Seer.
Just in case, he began avoiding her at all costs.
After a quick meal in the kitchens, he thanked the house-elves for all of their hard
work and headed back to his quarters. Just as he turned the corner, he heard someone
crying. Remus furrowed his brow and turned to investigate, hoping that it was nothing
serious, but considering the dangers present around the castle, he knew he could not be
too careful.
As he walked around another corner, he spotted her.
Hermione sat in the shadows of a small alcove, her knees brought to her chest as
she sobbed into her folded arms. Bushy brown hair covered her face.
Much to Remus's relief, she looked unharmed, at least physically, but the sound of
her weeping was painful. With it being this close to the full moon, the wolf inside of him
was louder than ever, and the voice he'd come to identify as Moony's was growling in his
head, yelling at him for not properly taking care of his pack.
She's not Pack, yet, Remus silently argued.
Moony fought back. Marked or not, bonded or not, she belongs to us just like the rest of them.
"Hermione?" Remus whispered, kneeling down in front of her in concern.
The little witch jumped, startled by his sudden presence. She immediately began
wiping away at her tear-stained cheeks. "Professor Lupin... I... I'm sorry.. ."
"What are you sorry for? Have you done something wrong?" he asked with a smirk
on his face, hoping to get a smile out of the girl.
His failed attempt at a joke triggered something, and suddenly the girl was sobbing
once again.
Remus sat back on his heels, incredibly uncomfortable, not knowing how to
proceed. "I'm sorry, Hermione, I... It was supposed to be a joke. I know you'd never
actually do anything wrong," he assured her, reaching out and patting her on the back.
"But I did!" she cried and turned to look up at him, her chocolate brown eyes wet
with tears. "And now they hate me!"
"My boggart would have been the two of you telling me how much you hated me."
Remus winced at the memory, noticing quickly that the sting Dumbledore told him
would fade upon removing the memories was still just as strong as before. He blamed his