Chapter Text
Remus Lupin noticed the moving van first. He had been outside, setting his bin along the curb, when he saw the van with a company advertised on the side. The house beside him had been unoccupied for a while, so it was nice to see that it would once again be inhabited by a family. Absently, Remus wondered if the new owners had a child Teddy’s age. Now that his son was older, he was desperate for a playmate and had outgrown his father.
Teddy was the first person Remus told when he stepped inside. “The neighbors are moving in,” he said. Teddy hopped up from the floor, toppling his toys. He could see that the same thought that had filled Remus’s mind had also occurred to Teddy.
“We’ll go over later to see how they’re settling, but first we have to bake them something. It would be rude to pop over empty-handed.”
Teddy ran into the kitchen and grabbed his diminutive apron off the hook, tying it around his waist. Then he headed for the sink and ran his hands under the faucet.
Remus chuckled and tousled Teddy’s hair. “Okay, but let’s try that again with soap.”
When the cake had finished baking and the kitchen had become quite the mess, Remus headed next door, Teddy in tow. The young boy’s excitement was palpable though Remus feared he was getting his hopes up. Not every family had children, nor were they guaranteed to be primary-school age.
Remus pressed the doorbell, listening as the chime echoed inside. Nervous, Teddy darted behind Remus’s leg. His shyness was certainly something they had to work on.
But following the sound of footsteps, Remus also was overcome with a thrum of nerves. Which was a bit ridiculous. Even if the new owners abhorred cake—criminal behavior, in his opinion—they were bound to be polite about it.
A smiling face appeared on the other side of the door—a woman with bright eyes and riotous curls. Recognition dawned swiftly.
“Hermione?”
“Oh, Professor Lupin, what a surprise!”
Remus’s mouth went dry. The woman before him was radiant. And she was his former student.
He closed his mouth, fearing he was being incredibly rude. Come to mention it, Hermione probably thought he was a creep for showing up unannounced bearing a cake.
“I swear I didn’t know you lived here,” he stammered. “I saw the van and—”
Hermione beamed, her smile so wide that her eyes disappeared. “Oh, no, not to worry. I assumed as much. Your face told me everything.”
He cleared his throat. “No, I was simply surprised to discover that a witch would use a moving van.”
“Oh!” She bent low and whispered behind her hand, as if she were sharing some deep secret. “I did that to keep up appearances for our Muggle neighbors.” Then Hermione looked down at the package in Remus’s hand. “Is that for me?”
“It is,” Remus said, sheepishly. “Homemade cake. Of course, if you don’t want any, I am happy to take it back to my house and eat it myself.”
“Are you kidding me?” Hermione asked. “As if I would turn down free cake?”
Remus felt a distinct tugging sensation on his trouser. He twisted his head to see Teddy still hiding behind him. “Is it just you moving in?”
Good one, Remus thought. You sound like you’re angling to find out if she’s single.
“Just me,” Hermione replied. “Oh, and of course, my ornery half-Kneazle. Speaking of which, where has Crookshanks gone off to?” She pursed her lips together. “I imagine he’s somewhere, off sulking.”
“What’s a Kuh-neazle?” Teddy asked from behind Remus.
A strange expression crossed Hermione’s features but understanding dawned shortly after. She clearly hadn’t known that Teddy was there with him.
“A Kneazle,” Hermione replied, in her best teaching voice, “is a cat-like creature, only exceptionally intelligent.” She added the next bit under his breath, “If only he used that intelligence to know I had moved partially for his sake. Now he has an entire house instead of my tiny flat.”
Remus hadn’t realized it, but apparently he’d been smiling like an idiot the entire time, which he was only aware of when Hermione returned his gaze to him. And suddenly he was incredibly self-conscious. Did he always smile like an idiot when he didn’t know what to say?
“Teddy,” Remus said, pressing a hand to his son’s back, gently coaxing forward. “This is Hermione. We met at Hogwarts.”
Hermione extended her hand which Teddy took with some apprehension. She shook it, treating him as she would any other new acquaintance. “Nice to mee you, Teddy. How old are you?” Teddy held up his hand, spreading his fingers. “Five!” she exclaimed. “That’s amazing. Are you starting school soon?”
Teddy nodded. He seemed to enjoy her undivided attention, but was still fearful of this strange individual.
“Is it the school I saw just around the corner?” This question was aimed at Remus.
“It is. One of the reasons I chose this neighborhood was the proximity to the primary school. Teddy won’t have to walk far at all.”
“That’s wonderful. How perfect!”
“Well, we won’t keep you long,” he said, absent-mindedly rubbing his son’s curls. “I am sure you have a lot of unpacking to do.”
It was Hermione’s turn to smile again, but the difference between him and her was that she looked radiant while she did it. “Thank you for stopping by.” She held up the package in her hand. “And thank you for this! Please don’t be a stranger.”
Walking hand-in-hand, Remus and Teddy headed back to their house. Remus still could hardly believe that in all the towns and cities in the UK that Hermione Granger had miraculously bought the house closest to his. And his heart was still racing following their encounter. Had he made an absolute fool of himself?
“She’s pretty,” Teddy said.
“She is,” Remus replied, without thinking. But then the weight of his words settled and he was overcome with a strange mixture of emotions: guilt for thinking that about anyone other than Dora and disgust for thinking that about a former student, even if she was now an adult.
“I want to pet her Kuh-neazle,” Teddy added. He had begun swinging his arm, which Remus matched.
“Maybe if you ask nicely, Hermione will let you.” Although, he thought, based on the way Hermione had described her cat, he hardly sounded like the type to allow pets from children.
Teddy jumped excitedly, which filled Remus with warmth. He loved his son so completely that it hurt. Before Teddy had been born, he hadn’t thought it was possible to love another human in such a way and certainly not as much as he loved his wife. But Remus had and while the love was certainly different, it was strong all the same.
Remus had not meant to seem like a creep. He had simply been in his kitchen, washing up from one of his many baking activities with Teddy—honestly, it seemed most times that more flour got on the cupboards than ended up in the biscuits—when he saw a familiar figure out the window. Hermione was in her back garden, a wide-brimmed hat perched on her head. She had a wheelbarrow and a variety of tools and she was attacking a rose bush with impunity. Remus smiled to himself. She clearly didn’t have much experience with garden shears but her tenacity was admirable.
He continued to watch her hack away at the bush, perhaps too vigorously. Remus knew that roses needed regular pruning to continually produce beautiful blooms but he feared that this plant may never recover.
“What are you looking at?”
Remus dropped the soapy utensils into the sink with a clatter. He turned to face his son with a guilty expression, but, honestly, what was there to be guilty about? Being a nosy neighbor was not a crime. If it was, Mrs. Copperbond would have charged many times over.
Nevertheless, Remus felt compelled to lie. A harmless sin for a father to commit to his child. “Nothing.”
Teddy, who was tall for his age but not quite tall enough to see out the kitchen window, stood on his tiptoes and peered over the sink. Remus covered his face. He was sunk.
“Is that Herminey outside?” Teddy asked. “Were you looking at Herminey?”
“Yes…” Remus began. He was about to launch into a lecture about the importance of minding your own business when Teddy interrupted him.
“Oh! And her kitty is outside! Can I pet her kitty?”
Remus’s shoulders sagged. Of course his son would only care about the Kneazle, not that his dad was looking at a woman out the window. Not that Remus was doing in a particularly creepy way.
Right?
“Yes. Put your shoes on and we can ask her. But remember what I told you?”
“Don’t approach a strange animal and respect an animal’s boundaries!” Teddy parroted. “I know! I know!”
Teddy ran from the kitchen to the foyer. He sat on the ground and stuffed his feet into his velcro shoes before standing up and reaching for the door knob.
“Hold on a minute, Teddy. Do you have the right shoes on?”
Teddy and Remus looked down at his feet. The toes were pointing outward, definitely the wrong direction. Teddy sighed dramatically and flopped down on the ground to remove his shoes and start again.
“I know you’re excited. But this is why we go slow. When we rush, we make mistakes.”
Teddy did not respond, instead his face was screwed in concentration as he reattached the velcro. When he had finished, he popped up again and reached for the handle. And before Remus could encourage him to slow down, he was dashing out the front door, calling, “Herminey! Herminey!” Apparently his usual shyness was all but forgotten when animals were involved.
A fence separated their gardens but it wasn’t a very tall one, so Hermione could see the little boy who was yelling for her. Remus worried this would have the opposite effect that Teddy wanted—a cat would not likely be inclined to approach a loud, strange human, but there was little he could now.
Hermione stood up from her position by the bush, monstrous shears still in her hands. She smiled sweetly at Teddy who was bouncing on his toes. “Hello! I must say, I’m not used to people being so excited to see me.”
“Can I pet your kitty?” Teddy asked. Remus gave him a single look, at which he added, “Please.” Teddy possessed that uncanny ability that kids perfected in which he made himself look incredibly cute, much to a parent’s detriment and (sometimes) flagging self-control.
“Of course!” Hermione looked around. “I swear he was just around here somewhere.”
Remus winced. He had a sneaking suspicion he knew where the Kneazle had snuck off to, probably somewhere without loud children.
“Here,” she continued. “Why don’t you come over and we can find him together?”
Teddy did not need to be told twice. He dashed through their garden gate and then Hermione’s, leaving his father in his wake. Remus could admit that it was convenient having a child, for whom social graces were eased. He would never have felt comfortable inviting himself into Hermione’s back garden but now he was thankful for the opportunity to talk to her again.
Because he liked her as a person. No other reason, of course.
As he could see her garden from his property, Remus was generally familiar with its layout, although the bushy rose was looking considerably denuded. But he had never seen the interior of the house, so he was curious to follow her inside.
In her kitchen, Hermione removed her hat and wiped her brow before pouring herself a glass of water. Evidently her battle with the rose bush had taken a lot out of her. “Teddy, could you open the cupboard and—” At the sound of the cupboard opening, an orange blur came streaking into the kitchen, though he paused when he saw who was now holding the green bag of treats. “Oh, you found them!”
Crookshanks and Teddy stared at each other, both daring the other to make the first move. Remus was not sure whose will was stronger, that of a rambunctious boy who loved animals or a wizened Kneazle.
“Shake the bag,” Hermione encouraged. “He can’t resist the sound.”
While Teddy and Hermione’s cat engaged in a battle of wills, Remus took this time to be nosy. He looked around Hermione’s kitchen. He couldn’t help but notice her floral design taste, with irises on her tea towels and a crocheted sunflower doily under a vase of fresh tulips. And, on the wall, a mosaic of wildflowers catching the afternoon sun.
Maybe Hermione knew more about flowers than he’d given her credit for. It certainly seemed a large part of her life.
“I made that. So, don’t look too closely. It’s full of mistakes.”
Remus had not realized she was so close and he nearly jumped at the sound of her voice. Perhaps this was his punishment for being so nosy.
“It’s lovely,” Remus said. There were no mistakes as far as he could see. “Is that columbine?” He pointed to the purple flower which seemed to bow its head in contemplation.
“It is!” Hermione said. “You know, I never would’ve taken you for a green thumb, but your garden has proven otherwise.”
Remus felt a slight blush creep into his cheeks at the compliment. It was nothing to brag about but he managed to keep his plants alive year after year.
“I might ask you for some tips. I’m absolutely terrible at gardening.”
“I would love to be of assistance.” Remus thought about the roses. It was probably too late to say something about those.
“The back garden was really the highlight of the house for me. I envisioned myself sitting back there with a book but I am afraid it will be overgrown before long.”
“Ask me anytime. I would love to help.”
They shared an easy smile. Remus was overcome with a strange feeling of warmth from his head to his toes.
“Herminey!” They turned at the sound of Teddy’s voice. “There’s no more treats!”
Remus buried his face in his hands when he saw the empty bag of treats. He should have realized that his young son would not understand that he only ought to give Crookshanks a handful, and not the entire thing. Crookshanks, for his part, looked very satisfied by this arrangement, licking his chops and lazily flicking his tail.
“Hermione, I am so sorry. I should have been watching him. It’s all my fault.”
“It’s alright,” Hermione replied with the wave of her hand. She took the empty bag from Teddy’s tiny hands and threw it in the bin. Hermione scratched under Crookshank’s chin. “You should know better.” Her words were scolding but her tone was that of an indulgent mother. Remus wondered how tightly the half-Kneazle had Hermione wrapped around his clawed finger.
“We should probably get going…” Remus said. He wanted to have a discussion with Teddy about the importance of treats in moderation.
“Okay. If you think so…” If Remus was not mistaken, he could’ve sworn that Hermione looked disappointed by this development. But he knew he must be imagining things, because the last thing she wanted was a former professor dawdling in her kitchen while his son overfed her cat.
Remus took Teddy’s hand and led him to the door, but not before he could turn to wave, “Bye, Crookshanks! See you later!”
Remus’s heart broke just a little upon hearing that. Hermione might not let them over a second time after the treats mishap, which was too bad because Teddy did love animals. He had been afraid of getting a pet for Teddy due to his condition. A cat or a dog would be just another kink in their already complicated life and Remus didn’t think it would be fair to the animal.
They were almost out the door when Hermione said, “Oh, um, Remus?” Remus was his name yet he was nevertheless surprised to hear it coming out of her mouth. For her part, Hermione seemed equally befuddled. “Can I call you Remus?”
“Of course,” Remus said. After all, what else would she call him? It was not as if he still retained his position as a teacher. And as adults, they were equals now. “I would prefer you do,” he added.
Hermione beamed and Remus got that strange light-headed feeling again. “I was wondering if you wanted to come over for game night. It’ll be me and a few other couples you know. Nothing too fancy.” She bit her lip and when Remus didn’t respond immediately, Hermione continued to talk. “That’s okay if you don’t want to come. I just thought—”
“No, I would love to.” Single fatherhood had not been kind on his social life. “Can you give me a date and time so I can arrange for someone to watch him?”
“Oh, if it’s too much trouble, then we can watch him while we play.”
Remus tried to convey with only his eyes just how bad of an idea this would be without Teddy feeling like a burden. Instead, he said, “Teddy loves spending time with his grandmother. Don’t you, Teddy?”
“She gives me sweets and we watch telly!”
Remus had been meaning to tell Andromeda that he didn’t think murder mysteries were appropriate fodder for young minds, but it was hard to tell a mother-in-law anything, even when one’s wife wasn’t dead. But, then again, Remus could never be thankful for her help enough, not when he turned into a wolf every month.
“That sounds like loads of fun,” Hermione said. “Your cake was delicious, by the way! Whoever placed the hundreds and thousands did a fantastic job.”
Teddy shot his arm in the air. “That was me!”
“Well, you did an excellent job. You will have to show me the recipe sometime.”
Teddy tugged on Remus’s sleeve and looked up at his father, all big, blue eyes. Dora’s eyes. At least, when she hadn’t been using her abilities. “Can I please do that?”
Remus looked up at Hermione, like, Are you sure about that?
“I would be happy to watch him whenever you need it. I think Crookshanks would enjoy it as well,” she added conspiratorially, speaking behind her hand.
Teddy inhaled sharply. “Yes!”
In a neighborhood of Muggles, Remus had never considered it safe enough to leave Teddy with a neighbor. There would always be the chance of something going awry. But now that he had Hermione… Well, perhaps he should take her up on her offer of help. She really seemed to like Teddy and he trusted her implicitly. So, what would be the harm?
“Okay, maybe we can arrange something after the dinner party.”
“You’re coming?” Hermione’s pleasure was evident. “That’s great! I can’t wait to tell everyone else. We were going to be down one person but now we’ll have an even number.”
“Should I bring anything?” Remus asked.
“Whatever you want. It doesn’t have to be too fancy.”
But Remus really wished she had been more specific.