A Stroll in the Moonlight

A/N: You have my beta, RobisonRocket, to thank for getting this next chapter so quickly. She's the best. I been beaten up a bit for torturing Hermione. I promise I will lay off her -- Later, though. Right now, please sit back, relax, and enjoy a little Stroll...

A Stroll in the Moonlight

Chapter 17

Remus Lupin was trying to get through the hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley. It was exceptionally crowded on this particular day, and Lupin only assumed it had something to do with September 1st being right around the corner. Although Lupin was recognized as a defender of the Wizarding world, he was still uncomfortable with any kind of attention, even if it was positive attention.

After acquiring all he would need for his new job at the Ministry, he remembered he had promised Harry he'd pick up some owl treats for Hedwig. A smile played on the corner of Lupin's mouth. He knew Harry wouldn't leave Ginny and Abby for even a second, certainly not long enough to get owl treats for Hedwig. And since Harry wasn't leaving the comfort of his wife's arms, he was using Hedwig more often these days.

He felt another twinge of amusement at the thought of Hedwig. She was a mother herself now. She had four babies, which were all given to friends except for one. Harry kept the only snowy owl, and only female out of the bunch, for Ginny. Hedwig was a proud mother and seemed to mollycoddle her only daughter, much like Molly Weasley did with her children. When Ginny sent Cleo with a letter, Hedwig would stand at the window and watch until Cleo would disappear into the clouds.

However, if Harry tried to use Cleo, to give Hedwig a break, Hedwig would still regard him with indignation. After a few sharp nips on the finger, Harry had finally caught on, and Hedwig was back in business.

With thoughts of owl flying through his mind, Lupin shuffled into Eeylops with a grin. He walked down the aisle that held the best quality treats for the more regal class and the only treats Hedwig would indulge in. She was, after all, royalty.

He made his way to the counter and waited patiently for Mr. Cockburn. When it was his turn, he put his goods on the counter and smiled at the old shopkeeper. "Hello, Joe. How's business."

"Blooming, Remus, blooming. How about yourself? I heard tell that you are the new head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. I think it's brilliant, Remus. You are definitely qualified."

"Thank you, Joe. I appreciate the vote of confidence."

"Well, I see you're shopping for Hedwig again. I can always tell." Mr. Cockburn tapped his temple. "How is Mr. Potter these days? I imagine he's cooped up with that beautiful wife of his. It's like James and Lily all over again."

They became silent for a moment, both giving a moment to the memory of the young couple who died way too soon. Lupin gave a tiny smile, and Mr. Cockburn silently began to take care of the purchases. Just as Lupin was reaching into his pocket, Mr. Cockburn spoke to someone coming up the aisle.

"Did you find everything you were looking for, Madam?"

Lupin turned to see who the shopkeeper was addressing and was met with familiar, deep, brown eyes and a smile that would light the darkest cave. His heart leapt. "Hello, Susan. What brings you to Diagon Alley?"

Susan Granger was making her way to the counter with a hand basket full of owl treats. She smiled widely at Lupin and extended her hand. Lupin took her hand and placed a light kiss upon it in a very regal gesture.

"What brings you to Diagon Alley, Susan?" Lupin asked.

"Oh, I needed to get some treats for Jupiter. He is so spoiled – much like his mother." Susan laughed. "I'm just glad that Hermione was able to get me connected to the Floo network so that I could come here without traveling all over the world. What brings you here, Remus?"

"Hedwig and Cleo were running a bit low," Lupin replied. "How is Jupiter? Is he adjusting well to life as a Muggle?" Lupin teased.

Susan laughed again. "As well as I have adjusted to being the mother of 'the brightest witch of her time.'"

Lupin grinned. "Hermione told you about that, did she? Well, I meant it. She's an extraordinary witch."

"She's an extraordinary daughter as well. But, no, she would never tell of a compliment like that. Harry told me back in there third year when you were their teacher."

"That's our Harry. He'd much rather rave about the accomplishments of those he loves than talk about his own." Remus paid for his belongings and waited for Mr. Cockburn to add up Susan's.

"Harry is such a sweet boy. After John died, he and Ron accompanied Hermione to the house quite often. I knew he had more important things to worry about than helping us pack away my late husband's belongings, but he worked diligently and never complained. I wasn't very excited about my daughter's best friends being boys, but now I admit that I was very wrong. I finally realized that they would take care of her when I couldn't. She's very lucky to have them. And I'm very thankful that she has them."

Lupin felt a tinge of guilt. He didn't realize that Susan didn't know about Hermione's recent attack. He couldn't tell her; it wasn't his place.

Deciding to change the subject, he thought for a moment. Hoping he wasn't overstepping his boundary, he asked, "Where are you going from here?"

"Oh, I don't know," Susan replied. "I'll probably go into the city for lunch and then do some cleaning at the house. I'm off today, and I'm not on call or anything, so I'm free for the day."

"Would you care to have lunch with me? There is a new café that opened down the street. I haven't tried it yet, but Ive been meaning to." Lupin held his breath.

"I'd love to, Remus. I can put my cleaning off for a while." Susan chuckled and added, "Perhaps I'll have Hermione come over with her wand and do it."

Lupin held the door for her, and they walked out into the bright sunlight. It was a warm August day, but there was a nice breeze, so the walk was refreshing. They talked about the freedom that the Wizarding world had now that the war was over. They talked about Lupin's new job at the Ministry. And they talked about Susan's life as a widow.

"It's gotten easier," Susan stated. "I guess one never actually gets used to being alone when they lose a spouse. It's been two years now since I lost him. Hermione said that I need to get back out there and find a man. She said that I am too young to mourn her father for the rest of my life."

They had reached the café by now. They were seated by a pleasant young witch who recognized Lupin immediately. "Hello, Mr. Lupin. It's an honor to have you here in my café. Dessert is on the house for your and your friend today."

"Thank you so much, Miss, but that's not necessary." Lupin couldn't keep himself from flushing slightly.

"Nonsense! You are a member of the Order. I probably wouldn't have this little café if it weren't for you and your friends. We owe you all so much." Not waiting for another protest, the young woman walked away. Lupin caught Susan's eye and felt another flush when he caught her smirking at him.

After they placed their order, Susan finally said, "Hermione's not the only one who has issues about taking a compliment."

"Hermione deserves the compliments she gets," Lupin said quietly.

Susan knitted her eyebrows together. "And you don't? From the way I understand it, you played a pretty big part in the war. Hermione told me what you had to do, Remus. It can't have been easy for you to spend so much time amidst vicious werewolves."

Remus looked stonily at her. "You know what I am, Susan."

"Let's see," Susan started counting off with her fingers. "You were the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher that Hogwarts has ever had. You have been a father figure to my daughter in this world. From what I heard, you melt into nothingness every time you see Abigail. And you are an honest and caring friend. These are just the things people say about you, Remus. However, from my own experience since I've known you, I can say that you are curiously brilliant. You have never had anything but kind things to say to me, even though I'm a Muggle. And when John died, you touched me by your sincerity."

Lupin was on the verge of retort when their food was brought out to them. Susan took the opportunity of his silence to continue. She placed her hand on top of his, a gesture that startled Lupin, and she looked intently at him. "Remus, lycanthropy is something that happened to you. It does not define the man that I see in front of me. You should be proud of your accomplishments, Remus. Do not dwell on something that can't be changed. You are not a vicious monster."

Lupin was quiet for a stretch. Susan had started on her meal and didn't notice him watching her. Nobody had ever said those things to him before, and he realized how nice it was coming from her. He returned to his own meal and before long, they were finished.

After finishing their dessert of cinnamon ice cream, they left the café. They walked in companionable silence toward the Leaky Cauldron. When they entered, Lupin realized he didn't want his time with Susan to come to an end. As they reached the Floo, Lupin hesitated slightly. Before he had a chance to say what was on his mind, Susan beat him to it.

"Remus, would you like to go into the city with me? I need to stop by my office for a moment, and then I need to do some shopping for Hermione's birthday."

"I'd love to, Susan. I've never been to a dentist office before, and it's been a long time since I've been to Muggle London."

A few hours later, it was starting to get dark out. They had a good day together, talking about everything from dentistry to the Ministry. They decided to have dinner together and then take a taxi to Susan's neighborhood. Instead of having the driver drop them off at the house, she had them drop them off at a nearby park.

"This is where John and I used to bring Hermione when she was little. We always thought we'd have more children, but Hermione was it."

"Why didn't you have more?" Lupin asked.

"As you know, John was quite a bit older than me. As he got older, it became obvious that our chances were getting slim. I could probably still have them even now, but he couldn't, so we gave up trying."

Lupin was thoughtful for a moment. "So, do you think you'll start dating again?"

She gave him a smile, took a step toward him and answered, "That depends on whether or not the right man came along."

Lupin licked his dry lips and took a step toward her. "And do you know any right men, Susan?"

Taking another step toward Lupin, she said, "I believe I know one. I just don't know if he is interested. Do you know of any nice men, Remus?"

They were centimeters apart now. Lupin grinned and replied, "I know a nice werewolf."

"I like werewolves. Do you think he would want to take me dancing?" Susan whispered.

Lupin bent his head and whispered, "Absolutely." When their lips met, Lupin felt a shiver run down his spine. It was a tentative kiss at first, but when Susan put her arms around Lupin's neck, he deepened the kiss. After a few more moments, they pulled apart but didn't let go of one another.

Staring into her eyes, Lupin noticed they were shining. "Are you sorry that happened?"

"No, I'm not. I have had a wonderful day with you. It's just that since I was seventeen, I've only kissed one other man. I hope he's not angry with me."

Lupin sighed. "I didn't get to know him very well, but I believe John would want you to be happy, Susan. From what I could tell, he loved you very much. Hermione's right, you are still very young. You should enjoy life."

"Yes, Remus, I'm sure that's what he would have wanted. He was a good man, and I'll always miss him. But, I think it's time for me to live again." Susan paused. "Listen, it's getting late, and I have to be at the practice early. Would you mind walking me home? You can Floo from there."

"I'd love to. And on the way, I can tell you all about Abigail. I think she's next generation's brightest witch. I could be slightly biased, but what can I say? She is a remarkable baby. She has the most beautiful eyes, just like her father and her grandmother. And she has the cutest little dimple when she grins. Of course, I believe she saves her best grins for me because I'm obviously her favorite. You really need to see her before she's off to Hogwarts."

Susan laughed at that. "Remus! She's an infant. I'm sure I'll see her before she's off to Hogwarts. But, I do enjoy hearing you talk about her. You sound like a proud grandfather."

Lupin paused in his step. Susan giggled as she watched him swell with pride. She laughed out loud when he said, "I feel like a proud grandfather. I believe I'll start calling myself that, and when Abby's old enough, she'll have caught on. I'll be Grandfather Lupin."

"Oh, Remus, you are smitten, aren't you?" Susan started walking again.

Remus grabbed her around the waist and turned her to him. "Yes, I am smitten." She gave him a shy smile and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "So am I, Remus, so am I."

As they approached her street, they walked arm in arm. The moonlight glinted through the clouds, and Remus couldn't help but look toward it. He felt a bit guilty and cleared his throat. "Um, Susan, are you sure you want to pursue... oomph."

She cut him off by grabbing his head and kissing him hard on the mouth. "Yes, I'm sure. I'll just have to get use to not seeing you once a month. But, Remus, it's only a half moon tonight, so I don't think I have to worry about you attacking me."

Susan started walking again and didn't hear Remus say, "Don't be so sure."

He caught up with her, and she linked arms with him again. They walked in companionable silence, enjoying the cool night and each other's company.

As they approached the house, Susan said with a bit of reluctance, "This is me. Would you like some tea before you Floo away?"

"I believe so. Susan, would you like to have dinner with me Saturday evening?"

"I would love to, Remus."

"Wonderful, I'll make reservations at – " Remus stopped. "What on earth is that?"

Susan turned toward her house. "What, Remus?" Then she saw it. She started to rush over until he grabbed her arm. He pulled out his wand and held her back. He walked slowly over to the lifeless body that was lying upon the damp grass.

Feeling like ice was grabbing his heart, he gently rolled the body over. He felt the blood drain from his face as he looked down at Hermione Granger.

Susan fell to her knees next to her daughter. "Oh, dear God! Hermione! Remus, please, is she alive?"

He reached down to feel a pulse. Looking back at Susan with sadness, he said, "Barely."

A/N: Since we don't have actual names for Hermione's parents, I made them up. I can't have Lupin calling his new gal, "Mrs. Granger." And some of you might think this moved a little fast, but we need to assume that Lupin has known Hermione's parents for a while. And I know HBP has Lupin all up in Tonks' koolaide, but this story is AU, so there you have it.