Professor Lupin caught Hermione's eye from the moment she first laid her eyes on him.

They were on the train, and he was snoring right next to her. He was a sort of roguish handsome, she thought.

She only thought of him as another professor until the Dementors came. When their freezing presence entered their compartment, she felt like her soul was slipping, like all of her breath was getting sucked right out of her.

But then he jumped to his feet, very much awake, and she noticed the spark of determination in his eyes. He shouted a spell, and a blinding white light repelled the dark creatures.

Warmth returned to Hermione, and she swore to herself that she had just seen a miracle occur.

Remus Lupin would be the blazing fireplace for Hermione to warm herself at.

He was a wonderful professor, there was no doubt about it. However, Hermione's love for him was different than everybody else's.

Everybody else loved him for his exciting teaching habits. Hermione felt like there was something beyond that about him that she was reaching for, a star-sprinkled wisp slipping right out of her gasp.

She had to find out more about him.

It soon became somewhat of an obsession for her. No matter how much chaos was happening in her life (She was using a time-turner, for Merlin's sake!) she would always set aside at least a few minutes (a blatant lie; hours) to her quest on Remus Lupin.

He was more than a professor to her. She wasn't exactly sure what he was yet, but he was something else.

(Hermione was usually very sure of herself. Maybe the uncertainty of the man was what had interested her in the first place.)

You're my drug. And I'm addicted to you.

He was a werewolf. Remus Lupin was a werewolf. He's a werewolf.

Hermione had finally found out what that extra was. Her efforts hadn't gone in vain.

The addicted girl she was, it hadn't slipped from her attention that he was absent on the full moon every month. She was an intelligent witch, she knew that; the mystery was easy from there.

He was a werewolf. Hermione knew that was dangerous, and she didn't know what his motives were, trying to teach at Hogwarts. She wasn't sure if she should be the good girl she was and tell someone, or if he was dangerous.

She didn't know. And that thrilled her.

(So what, maybe she wanted to be a bad girl for once. Plus, werewolf was kind of...sexy.)

I'm high on you, darling. So give me another round.

Okay, so Lupin was hunting them down, and Hermione was fucking terrified.

She knew he was a werewolf already, and soon after, everybody found out in the showdown they had with Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew down in the Shrieking Shack.

He had called her smartest witch of the age for figuring it out, and looked at her with such admiration in his eyes that Hermione's heart soared just recalling it.

Maybe this was love.

But either way, he was uncontrollable as a werewolf, and though it may have been somewhat sexy (in an odd way) when he was transforming, he was downright scary now, trying to find them and eat them alive.

She sighed. She hated fighting against him like this. But, what could she do about it? He was her teacher. Her feelings were against the rules.

(But nobody could reprimand her if she kept them bottled up inside forever and ever and ever.)

I'm too long gone to be salvaged now. But this is what happens when you can't control yourself, right?

"No, Professor, you can't leave!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Sorry, Hermione," Lupin said, glancing at her as he packed his things. "My identity's gotten out, so I obviously can't remain here any longer."

Hermione grumbled. "Those people complaining are idiots. You're the best professor we'll ever have, and they're doing away with you just because you're a werewolf."

He laughed. "Well, Hermione, it's quite dangerous interacting with a werewolf. What if I accidentally bit someone?"

"You didn't bite us."

"You barely escaped from me."

Remus locked up his briefcase, the latch clicking into place. Hermione's breath hitched in her throat.

He's actually leaving. He'll be out of my life tomorrow. I'll never see him again.

She had to stop him. But how?

"Bye, Hermione." He stooped down to hug her, and Hermione returned the gesture, standing on her toes to reach her arms around the broad man.

Hermione reveled in his touch. It was so warm and comforting...she felt completely safe in his embrace.

It was cold when his arms left. Smiling one last time, he turned toward the door, about to leave his office, about to leave her for the last time.

"Lupin," she blurted, her hand reaching out for something that was already gone. If she couldn't make him stay, she might as well make sure he returned to her. "Come back to me."

He glanced over his shoulder, and she saw him raise an eyebrow, quirky. "Don't waste your life on me, Hermione."

And then he was gone, completely out of her life, for all she knew. He would probably go into hiding now, and she had no way of contacting him.

(She felt utterly stupid. Why didn't she ask about how she could find him?)

Remus would be forever off limits to her; she knew that. Even if he did come back, and she confessed for real, she knew he would refuse her. He only wanted the best for her, and for some reason, he seemed to think that was a young boy with a life ahead of him.

He didn't know, (and probably wouldn't ever know now) that he was all that she wanted. He was the best for her; all that she asked for.

Hermione supposed this was the price she had to pay for falling in love with a werewolf.

A/N: This was honestly kind of hard for me to write. It was totally worth it though. I hope that you love this little one-shot, Lydia! (I also know that you'll find it funny how many other challenges/competitions this is entered into. Sorry!)

Done for:

Pairing Hermione Granger Competition

Girl Scouts Cookie Competition-Mango Cremes

Fantastic Beasts Challenge-Werewolf

Greenhouses Competition-Garlic

Hogwarts Classes Category Competition-Care of Magical Creatures