Summersmut Mod (summersmutmod) wrote in hp_summersmut, @ 2009-08-30 00:00:00 |
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Entry tags: | 2009, fic |
[FIC] Kindred Sprits :: Hermione/Remus | gift for midnight_birth
Title: Kindred Spirits
Author:
Recipient: midnight_birth
Pairing: Hermione/Remus
Rating: NC-17
Wordcount 3410
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: The war is over, loved ones have been lost and Remus feels like he can't go on without Tonks. How does Hermione get him out of his funk?
Author's Notes: I'd love to thank my lovely beta and thank midnight_birth for providing such a wonderfully fun prompt.
Hermione's heart called out to Remus. She had been surprised to learn that Tonks had come to the final battle rather than staying at home with Teddy, but in hindsight Hermione wasn't that surprised. She and Tonks weren't all that different – they both wanted to do something important for wizarding society. And for Tonks that had been coming to Hogwarts.
She walked over beside him and placed her hand on his shoulder as he held Tonks' hand, just letting him know that she was there.
"I didn't want her to come, but she insisted. I should have been more forceful," he said hoarsely, the pain evident in his voice.
She closed her eyes to fight back the tears and reassuringly squeezed his shoulder, trying to decide what to say. "She would have resented you had you forced her to stay home."
"But she'd be alive and Teddy would have a mother." He brushed Tonks' hair back and cleaned a smudge of dirt off her face. As he did so, a lone teardrop fell from his cheek to hers.
"None of us can tell the future. What if something had happened to you because she wasn't here?" Hermione had heard that Tonks had died protecting Remus.
"Better me than her," he said bitterly.
She had known that his affliction as a werewolf had led to a degree of self-loathing, but she had never realized it was this bad. Kneeling beside him, she took hold of his hand and looked into his eyes, noticing his tear stained cheeks. "You are a valuable and wonderful person. Teddy is lucky to have you as a father."
"Is he? An outcast, a pariah. I never should have agreed to marry her." He tried to pull away, but she held tight.
"Listen to me," she interrupted. "Don't you ever say that about yourself. This is exactly what this war was about. You are proof that being a werewolf does not mean that you have no value to society. Harry and I have a lot of fame and influence now, and I intend to make a difference."
He looked at her sadly. "That's very nice for you to say, but if Dumbledore couldn't change the minds of the wizarding world, what hope do you have?"
"I'm not just going to be the daft old headmaster of Hogwarts manipulating people to fit my vision of the future. I am going to force the wizarding world to stand up and take notice. Not just for you, but for the house-elves, the goblins, the Centaurs and the merpeople as well. You have no idea what I'm capable of," she declared forcefully.
He chuckled softly, but it was not with mirth. "You really do believe that, don't you?" He placed his hand on her cheek. "I had hoped you would have grown out of your naïveté after all your time on the run."
She pulled away and crossed her arms defensively. "I refuse to give up on my dreams and life. Now is the time to celebrate being alive. Yes, we must mourn the dead, but there is so much to live for."
"That's what they thought last time and look what happened? I was a hero of that war and it did me no good."
Obviously being compassionate was not going to work with him. "And maybe you had something to do with that," she said sternly. "You just faded into the background once James and Sirius weren't around to stick up for you anymore. I would have thought that Tonks would have made more of a mark on you. Stand up for who you are. If you won't do it for her, do it for Teddy."
"You don't understand," he mumbled before looking away from her.
Unable to control her frustration anymore, she slapped him. "I understand that you are a lot more cowardly than I used to think. You want to drown in your sorrow, fine." She stood up and stormed away, looking for others who might be more appreciative of the assistance she could provide.