Chapter One- The First Suspicion

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Hermione sighed deeply as she frowned in concentration at the paper in front of her.

At the top of the class, Remus Lupin glanced up away from the files on his desk to look at her .

Surely,in the name of Merlin , Miss Hermione Granger was not stuck in a test?

This thought was quickly erased as he saw her lips curve into a smile and her pen set into a frenzy on the page. Top marks again , he supposed.

Harry , next to hermione , heard her sigh , looked up at professor Lupin , saw him looking at hermione with amusement , and brought his eyes back to his own paper as Hermione's received a good battering.

Ron was lost in a daydream .

The bell rang out and the class gratefully packed their books away .

"please leave your papers up here...including you miss Brown.."

Lavender giggled nervously and pranced up to Professor Lupin

"Would i cheat , sir?" she asked , with a giggle.

Lupin frowned . "thank you,miss Brown" .

Lupin was in no way suprised to find hermione ,last in the room,still sitting gazing at her paper,

looking so lost and desolate it made him want to laugh out loud.

"miss Granger . The bell rang five minutes ago , are you okay?"

Hermione jumped and looked into her professors eyes.

He had a slight smile on his face , a glint in his eyes .

"Yes professor , i mean no , no , yes im fine "

Remus chuckled inwardly , amazing how flustered she was over a test ,

little did he know thats not entirely what was bothering her , though she didnt know what it was either , but something about his gaze did make her uncomfortable .

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Hermione sat alone by the lake , it was nearing dusk , and she allowed her thoughts to wander as they so often did . She was in her seventh year now , still as close to Ron and Harry , and GInny too. She had spent most of her summer in Griammauld Place , though unable to work for the order as of yet , she knew the help herself harry and ron gave was appreciated . Sirius and Remus kept them amused too.

Professor Lupin , not remus she reminded herself, with his subtle charm and bright eyes-

"So. This is where you hide "

Hermione was startled to find Lupin gazing at her from a nearby beech tree.

It was an odd coincidence , the kind you read of in novels.

"Professsor , hi! how long have you been there?"

"Oh , all of twenty minutes , i didnt want to bother you , you looked so engrossed in your thoughts " He grinned expectantly at her

" Oh , um , yeh i tend to do that , though i would need time

to make up for lost thoughts , seeing as its near impossible to think with Harry and Ron around "

They laughed and Remus sat next to her.

" I often come out here at night , just to clear my head ,"

Hermione looked at him sideways , something was bothering him.

"everything okay ?"

Lupin glanced at the moon above them , and Hermione understood.

She placed her hand on his , and watched as various emotions flitted past his eyes ...what were they?

He stood up sharply and declared he must be off , Hermione bid him goodnight and made her way up to the common room

As she walked she tried to figure out just what it was that made him leave so fast.

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Harry looked in the common room mirror at his messy mop of a head ,

and tried in vain to tame it , in the mirror over his shoulder he saw his best riend Ron leap down the stairs

"harry ! Old buddy old pal . Wheres Hermione?"

"Not a clue , Ronald , My old cronie. Why?"

Ron looked hesitant, his bushy red eyebroes accentuating a frown " Shes goes missing every night , i want to know where she goes...i mean for her own good of course...not nosing...i mean safety first and all that "

"Ron stop blabbering , do you want the map?"

"yeh" Ron laughed loudly , making Some timid looking first years jump , ever the discrete one , our ronald.

The two boys bounded up the stairs , and proceeded to scan the gem of a map until-"there she is , by the lake , alone!"-"not any more , theres Lupin..."

"Hey Harry , you dont think they arranged that?"

"Don't be silly , you know hermione 'i need to clear my head ' and all that , cant be easy knowing everything , pure coincidence"

Though as harry said this ,his mind flicked back to dada class earlier when Lupin was looking at Hermione in silence , smiling . He said nothing and put the map away and the two went down to the common room to wait for Hermione. Harry noticed her puzzled expression as she walked through the portrait hole

he wanted to ask her something but ron got there first, standing up as Hermione shuffled in.

"where were you until now?"

"what are you , my mother?"

"cmon hermione stop being mysterious , where?"

"ok MOTHER , i went for a walk by the lake , sat down , saw Lupin , talked for a minute , came back up here to your redhead . OK?"

"What did you and lupin talk about"

"Oh , leaking cauldrons. School of course!"

Of course , thought Harry , letting out a breath he was holding .

Typical Hermione, schoolwork...

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Lupin strolled back to his quarters , mind going through the events of the day

..his rowdy first years..that hilarious three-eyed hex , dumbledores very

amusing dinner joke , if not slightly crude...Didnt know the man had it in him...

Snapes awful mood , hells bells,that man...Hermione looking so

lost out by the lake ...

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Hermione stormed up to room , she shouldnt have been so snappy

with the boys ,she knew that , but it was just her mood..
Actually , why am i in such a huff? She thought in concentrtaion,

ive been this way for a while...

its almost like she felt something was missing in her life , like a circuit that couldnt work until it was complete .. a gaping hole that got bigger with the more you took from it , and it was only today when she realised what was missing as she sat by the lake , and rather than the usual of having ginny come and sit with her , it was professor Lupin who came and pulled her up from drowning in her thoughts , it was whn she looked at him and realised he was looking at her with concern and care that it came to her : She was lonely . Ron had Lavender , Harry had Ginny , she never really thought of it until now. Trust Professor Lupin to make her realise something new , he really is a great teacher , she thought , drifting off to sleep ...

Until Lavender pranced in giggling about 'Ronnie' a little too loudly.

Hermione walked into The Great Hall the next morning feeling a little confused . She still had the dream she had

lastnight on her mind...she was by the lake..and fell in,and..remus-lupin-professor lupin- came and pulled her away from

the dark creature coming towars her...

It had felt so odd. She looked up at the teachers desks and supressed a blush when she saw him looking right at her

'he raised his hand and bowed his head a little in recognition, and she sat down , a slight smile on her lips,

and just the 'usual morning butterflies before class' so she told herself.

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Harry watched Hermione as she walked into the hall , purely because her troubled expression puzzled him.

Hermione was about to sit down when she glanced at the teachers table , Harry looked up too.

Lupin was looking right at her , and they shared ,what looked to harry , a little moment , before

Hermione sat down , a little happier , a little more pink in the face.

Harry frowned, then decided it was all nothing.

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Ron stared into his cornflakes , pondering the meaning of life.Lavender.

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Lupin watched the young lady hermione walk into the hall , jumped a little when she looked

right at him , and bowed his head to her Theres Hermione..there she is..nod..Your acting like dumbledore...just SMILE Remus!

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Last Class of the day , DADA , Saw a very cheery Hermione , not unnoticed by Harry , walk happily into Lupins Classroom.

He smiled wolfishly at hermione , while she tried so hard not to blush .

hes so polite and kind ...sigh ...page 56..page 56..sit down..dont go red...stop blushing...!AH!

The class was its usual standard , very high ...hes a great teacher thought hermione..

"i have your test results here "

His Voice...

Lupin moved between students handing out the said results.

Hermione was pondering why she was holding her breath

Your nervous about your results..thats all

At last ,professor lupin arrived at hermiones desk ...

why is she looking at me like that?

why is he looking at me like that?

"Miss Granger, Full marks"

She actually left out a few details , but...sure...

Hermione flushed and ron rolled his eyes.Harry watched,and frowned.

"thank you professor "

The bell sounded and soon Hermione was the last in the room ,with Lupin.

A cunning and provocative side she never knew existed within herself manifested itself.

Hermione 'dropped 'the book she was holding,bent down slowly,letting her golden curls cascade down,revealing the merest hint of

cleavage. She stood up , saw Lupin smiling at her and flicked her hair back.

'Good day professor Lupin ' , and with that Hermione swayed out of the room , wondering what the heck she was doing,

while a little , unbidden ,voice in her head said ' Well Miss Granger , you'll get him eventually , and you'll have fun along the way...'

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