Time Boat

{11}

{11-And Here I Thought}

Hermione stared at one Remus Lupin with astonishment that was not befitting a woman like herself who'd seen many worse things than the boy before her. For example, the fact that she'd been cursed and put back around twenty years in time was one of those factors that should have made this situation one of the many normal every-day occurrences. 

Unfortunately, this situation dealt with matters of Hermione's ever-confused heart. And when the heart was involved, emotions seemed ten-fold as opposed to their normal capacity. 

"Hey, Remus," Mary spoke, looking back towards her pleadingly, but Hermione was just as speechless as she was. 

Besides the fact that Remus could make or break her staying at Hogwarts and not blowing up Time, there was also the question of how in hell had he gotten into the room? It was supposed to be a place where Hermione could be free and relaxed while Mary took her picture and she relaxed as herself for a while. Then again... the room could have taken into account the fact that she very much fancied Remus, which also meant if Severus had been looking for her then he could have just as easily stumbled into the room. 

Bloody hell with this castle, hadn't six years of screwing her over been enough? 

"Who is she?" 

"You know who I am," Hermione provided, stating it rather than asking because Remus was very smart, and she knew he could easily figure it out. 

"Florizel?" 

"Sort of, what's the map say?"

He was too flabbergasted to be worried over how Hermione knew what the map was, and she would hope that they kept it that way so that way no questions could be asked. 

"Hermione Granger," Remus said slowly, looking at the parchment as though it had been the reason for the sudden revelation.

"Right," she mumbled stepping to the middle of the couch, "Care to join? I can explain more if you're sitting..."

"You know... it's none of my business," he said suddenly, "If you didn't want to tell me you were  a girl, I'm sure you had your reasons... I shouldn't have come here, I've never even been to this part of the castle, but I couldn't find you anywhere on this bloody map.... and now I'm rambling."

The poor thing was flustered, and Hermione really wanted to just yank him onto the bloody sofa. 

"Just sit, will you? I want to explain."

"But you wouldn't have if I hadn't barged in and forced it out of you!" Remus protested, very much the boy who'd hidden a secret of his own for far too long. 

"Everything happens for a reason, why don't you just come sit down, and I'll give you all my reasons," Hermione offered. And while it was a half-lie, she wouldn't be leaving anything out that she hadn't already told Mary. 

Speaking of whom looked very uncomfortable. 

"If you're sure."

"I'm sure."

Remus still did not look fully convinced, but he shuffled over and plopped onto the sofa Mary soon occupied as well, and now they were both looking at her expectantly. One was being much more enthusiastic, however. 

"My real name is Hermione Granger, and this is what I actually look like. I used Florizel as a cover up because I didn't want to make any friends or anything and just wanted to keep to myself, and I thought the best way to do that was to change what I looked like that way when school was over I could be a girl again and no one would be the wiser as to who I was."