Remus was having a difficult time sleeping. There was so much buzzing through his mind as he attempted to toss and turn in his sheets. Finally succumbing to his anxiety, he climbed from the bed, sliding on his pajama pants.

Sirius was holding onto her secrets, which was fair but still taxing. Hermione was distant; she would come around eventually, right? Oh, everything was so confusing! His natural reaction to soothe and comfort the witch was undesired. Why couldn't she just tell him why?

The werewolf groaned as he turned the corner to the dining room. A bit of chocolate might cure his distortion enough to sleep. Well, he thought so until he happened across the witch that was the captivator of his thoughts.

"Oh, Remus," she puffed while pulling her robe closer to her form. "I didn't realize I wasn't the only one up."

Remus paused at the doorway and ran his fingers over his chest. "Me either, I can come back later," he grumbled.

Hermione scowled as she watched him turn. "No, don't leave," she said.

"Oh," Remus hemmed. "What are you making?" He questioned while taking a step toward her at the stove.

She smirked and waved him over. "Hot chocolate. Would you like some?"

"I won't decline an offer to that," he chuckled.

Hermione tapped the pot, and it divided into two mugs that floated from the cupboard. Remus moved next to her, and she offered him a cup with a smile. "It's your recipe, so I hope it's good."

Remus sipped the chocolate and licked his lip with a moan. "Yes, I have to say that it hits the spot."

"Can I ask you a question?" She pondered before sipping her cup.

"Of course," he responded.

Hermione exhaled and moved to sit on the island, setting down her hot chocolate. When she was adjusted, and her robes covered her properly, she nodded. "Alright," she voiced before sipping her cup. "Do you really believe that you would have died before Sirius came back?"

Remus blinked and twitched his nose. "The likelihood was high. Why do you ask?"

"I've been evaluating my decisions."

"Would you have stayed had I returned your affections?" Remus inquired.

Hermione grimaced while drinking her hot chocolate. "I wouldn't have had a reason to leave. However, that doesn't matter. The only thing that does is I made a logical decision to find a way to bring him back."

"At what cost?" Remus huffed. "All I had to do was grab the courage to let you help me. To be my companion in more than just the care for my son. If I wouldn't have been weak or spineless, I could have saved you from this mess," He finished with a twisted expression.

"I don't blame you," Hermione pouted.

"No, I blame me. I have for years," He murmured.

Hermione chewed her lower lips and gripped her mug tightly. "I want nothing more than to console you right now, Remus. I want to hold you and assure you that it wasn't your fault. None of it was. It was torture to watch you for years hold onto that sheet of paper I wrote you. I had to observe you walk into my room and open my wardrobe to smell it, just to snap it shut and reserve my scent. I agonized over your loss for me and your guilt. I can't touch you, but I can promise you, I harbor no sadness for my journey."

Remus walked up to her, and she attempted to move from his space. "Why? Why go through this alone? Why can't I help you with whatever you're battling?"

She whimpered as he grew closer to her. "Remus, I can't. Until I fix this, I can't."

"What do you need to fix? I can help. I'm not afraid of him," he insisted.

Hermione met his eyes, and her eyebrows skewed unnaturally. "Because he would kill you. His jealousy would strike you down in front of me. He knew I never loved him because I loved you."

"So explain this to me in a concept that I can understand," he said while setting his mug down. "Tell me why it's imperative that I don't assist."

His hand on her clothed shoulder made her exhale and press into it. "My love for you was the reason he found me. My intention to save Sirius stemmed from my profound love for you, Remus. If you assist me, I'm bound to succumb to my weakness."

"What weakness, Hermione?" Remus questioned as he rubbed her shoulder.

"You, Moony. You're my greatest weakness," she sighed.

Remus, though enveloped in relief and sadness, stepped from her. Pragmatic and keen even in his worse human moments, knew he had to reduce temptation. "You're concerned you won't be strong enough to halt yourself from what?"

Hermione smiled and breathed. "From taking a bit of you with me, Remus. The vexation of my current situation is simple. If I were to give into my heart's desire, I would become a werewolf."

"How?" Remus scowled.

She batted her hair from her shoulder and crossed her knee over the other. "It's simple, really. It wouldn't cure you, but it would give you pieces of me, and in return, I would share your plight. My youth, my swift recovery, even my very heart, would be yours. In return, I would bear your condition with you. It's a very tempting offer, but the small print involved is I would no longer be elusive."

"And he would find us," he added.

Hermione rocked her head. "Yes, he would. There isn't any saving us from that then. He would chain me up on that wretched mountain to live among his pets. He threatened before, so I know it was a warning."

"What brings you to reveal this now?"

"Sirius," Hermione sighed. "He told me I wasn't fair, and I know it. I can't shelter you from this, no matter how difficult it is for me to explain it. That's why I needed him, just as you do. I need him to shoulder this burden with me, so I don't crumble and do what I want to most," she finished in a whisper as her eyes met his.

"Which is to share your gifts with me because of your love?" Remus asked.

Hermione's lips curled to a contorted smile. "Yes, my greatest weakness," she sighed through her devastating expression.

"Then what is your next step?"

"Draco is looking into some things for me, and Sirius will help me when needed. He promised," Hermione hummed. "I suppose it's all about finding an answer."

Remus snatched up his glass and glanced away from her. "I suppose."

Hermione reached for him and ran her fingers over his chest. "Remus," she breathed.

He sipped his hot chocolate and turned to her. It was a quick movement as he pressed to her and kissed her lips. Hermione whimpered and ran her hands over his neck. Remus groaned and set the mug down, caressing her cheeks.

"Moony," Hermione whimpered as he moved down her neck.

"I know," he breathed. "I just needed to taste you."

She pressed her hands to the counter to resist temptation. "Remus, I can't."

"No, but can I?" He asked while trailing down her clothed body.

Hermione moaned and squirmed. "It's too much," she paused as his hands traced her waistband. "It could be difficult to stop."

Remus growled and pulled away. "What is that? Why does touching you drive me to the brink of insanity?" He huffed while running a hand through his hair.

She squirmed and whimpered as she tightened her legs together. Her arousal was evident even as he stood a distance from her. Every bit of her displayed the instinctual bait to his senses, but Remus knew he couldn't succumb.

"It's part of the curse," Hermione sighed while picking up her mug. "She made it positive that if we remained close, it would be consuming. Sirius helps due to the fact that I'm able to remove some of my drives. Emotions are a different texture the more," she paused and scrunched her nose. "The more we spend time together."

Remus chewed his lips and changed, reaching for his hot chocolate. "Yes, I can understand that."

Hermione ran her fingers through her hair and grimaced. "Remus, this isn't easy. I know that, and it's the last thing you'd want to take on," she stopped when he waved his hand.

"If Sirius is the one to save you from some of this burden, I won't complain. I trust him with my life monthly," Remus sighed.

"I know, but there's just more to this," Hermione grumbled as she shifted. "He's not only safe, but he's my gift. He will always have a piece of me because of design. Am I making sense?"

Remus scowled and twitched his nose. "He's bound to you?"

Hermione bounced her head. "Just as we would be. It's part of this," she murmured and climbed off the counter.

She dropped her robe and peeled up her shirt, revealing the tattoo entirely on her back. Remus stepped toward her and traced his fingers over the lines. Hermione shuddered, and the ink below his fingers glinted in the light as he touched her flesh.

"This is a binding. It was here before it was manipulated?" Remus questioned.

Hermione bounced her hair. "Yes."

Remus bent closer and reviewed the tiny runes. "This is beyond ancient. Why did he place a binding spell on you?"

"So that I never could leave so long as the sun rising and moon phases renewed me. It was done after he found out I was pregnant," Hermione whispered.

Remus winced and traced the lightning bolt. "You had," he halted.

"I had two boys. Twins. I named them Romulus and Remus," Hermione breathed.

Remus groaned as he pressed his forehead to her clothed shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Hermione."

"They were born during a full moon, and I felt it was fitting," Hermione smiled as she glanced back at him. "He was you at the time of their conception. When he realized I could never love him, he would remain as I imagined you."

Remus pulled down her shirt and embraced her, pressing his fingers over her abdomen. "I will never be able to convey how happy I have you here in any capacity, Hermione. I'm apologetic that it has to do with your discomfort. We'll fix this."

Her nose ran against Remus's cheek as she sighed. "We will."

This spark of electricity that enlivened his senses raced as it had every time her skin met his. It would send waves of potent need down to his more primal body parts. He ached to have her, and it didn't help that she spoke this natural language that Sirius only seemed to understand.

Remus reached over and traced her chin while nuzzling her jawline. It was madness.

"Love, before you get carried away, why don't you go relax? We have a long day tomorrow," Sirius's voice broke the spell on the pair.

Hermione pulled from Remus and snatched up her robe. "Good night, Moony," Hermione declared before blowing him a kiss.

Remus nodded dumbly as she walked away and ran her fingers over Sirius's arm before leaving the room. The animagus sauntered into the dining room and scratched his bare chest with a smile. The man had lost years on his face in a matter of days. "Did our little witch reveal her truths in whole, Moony?"

"Our?" Remus grumbled as he rolled his neck.

Sirius hopped on the counter and smiled. "Well, of course. In whatever way, she does need us."

"We have to mend this, Pads. She deserves not to have the hardship of what would come if we keep at this pace," Remus voiced as he scrubbed his face.

Sirius picked up Hermione's abandoned hot chocolate and shrugged. "We will. It's just a matter of finding answers. I think Draco Malfoy might help her find at least a way to abate some of the fallback."

"Is she alright?"

"Yeah, randier than a kneazle in heat, but yeah. Now that you know the truth, I'm sure she'll be less anxious," Sirius said after sipping the mug.

Remus reached for his drink and drained the cup before humming. "Alright, then we should start planning."

"I knew you would say that," Sirius chuckled and rocked his head. "So, I began to list possibilities with her after our shag tonight."

The werewolf's nose scrunched, and he waved. "Let's avoid the shag talk," he paused and hinted a smile. "I'm impressed that she's rubbing off on you, Padfoot."

Sirius winked and lounged on his free hand. "Well, it does come with perks."

Remus gestured to the animagus. "Are you going to keep getting younger, or is that in my mind?"

"Another perk. You see, we get to have a do-over in her opinion. Rewind the clock to the age she thinks I'm devilishly handsome," Sirius grinned and set down the mug. "A win-win if you ask me."

"And it doesn't phase you at all that this is wrong on several levels?"

Sirius snorted and rolled his eyes. "Obviously, Moony, she requested it, so it wasn't something I suggested. Something happened; it was as if I forgot all the reasons we shouldn't and just focused on the reason I should. She needed my help."

Remus rocked his head and frowned. "Anything else other than your perks?"

"Just a bit of connection. Similar to what we have, ya know? It's made things substantially easier."

"Big words, logical thought process, I even bet you're craving a good book," Remus teased as his grimace released a smile.

Sirius bobbed his head and shrugged. "Well, I have to be someone as witty as you both, or I'd be complete rubbish for help. It's been a relief actually, Moony. I feel," he paused and sighed. "I feel more whole with her here."

"Me too," Remus confessed. "Let's head up and rest. We need to review some books I have on ancient curses from Rome. There might be something similar in them."

"Moony," Sirius said as he slid from the counter. "She isn't kidding. He's a god. She's shared some memories, and I believe her. We have to be careful with this."

Remus focused his vision on Sirius's expression, and a chill ran down his spine. "You're afraid of him too?"

"Yes," Sirius mumbled. "I need you not to try to press her too hard, or this all goes to shit."

"I'll be careful, Pads."

"Alright then," Sirius nodded. "Then no shagging or trying to shag. She won't have a choice after too long, and I can't convince her otherwise."

"I promise," Remus agreed.

Sirius patted Remus's chest and paced toward the doorway. "Let's get some sleep, Moony. She's going to be twittering with vim."

The marauders left the dining room, and Remus followed up the staircase. He saw the witch waiting for Sirius and biting her nails. There would always be this tension so long as they resisted. How long could it last? That sent chills down the werewolf's spine… he needed to help solve this before it would be too late.