All the Stories Are True / Dramione

Chapter 4

Hearing the bell ding overhead as we walk into Moonlight Diner has so many memories and feelings flooding back to me that I quickly push to the back of my mind.

The smell of greasy breakfast food hits me in the face just as I hear a barking laugh come from behind the bar. Before I can even take a look around to see who else is at the diner, I see Remus, looking more run down and tired than the last time I saw him, quickly approaching me with his arms open wide.

"I almost didn't believe my eyes for a second. Hermione. It is so good to see you my dear." Remus says, giving me a hug that has me fighting the sting in the back of my eyes.

I will not cry in this diner right now.

I give myself another second in Remus' embrace, that smells comfortingly of chocolate and smoke, before taking a step back to look at him.

"It's good to be back, Old Moony. How have you been? You and Sirius still well?" I ask, grinning as I take in his hair that has a bit more gray than I would have expected at his age.

"Oh, not the old man jokes from you too. I normally only have to fend those jokes off from-" He pauses quickly, looking around at the group before looking back to me. "Well, can I get you your usual orders then? Or are you interested in trying something new?"

"Oh Remus, when have I ever changed what I like? Especially when it comes to chocolate chip pancakes?"

"Fair enough," Remus says, chuckling softly, looking at me with what I can only describe as poorly disguised pity. He shakes it off as he calls out over his shoulder, "Sit wherever you like, your booth is open if you want to head to the back."

We file into the booth, Pansy and I on one side, Luna and Theo on the other.

"Oh 'Mione, I need to bring you by the shop to show you around. I have a couple of girls who fill in on the extra shifts that I think you'll love. They'll be able to take care of the day to day things in the shop while you and I manage everything else." Pansy says to me, waving her hands around as if that will help me understand everything she's asking of me.

It doesn't.

"I still don't exactly know what you're wanting me to do there, Pans. I have zero experience running a business." I say, still not sure what scheme she has in place for me. The only work I've done for the past five years has been research. My customer service skills are severely lacking lately and she has to know that.

"Listen, if I'm being honest I just wanted to give you an out. You needed an escape from Ron and I had an extra room and an extra office in the back of the shop." She at least has the decency to avoid eye contact with me as she word vomits what I had already suspected. "Plus, I really missed you and wanted you to feel like you could come back home, no strings attached."

Luna and Theo snicker to themselves across the table, watching as Pansy reveals her latest secret to me.

"Alright, fine. I'll admit that it was effective in getting me away from Ron-" I'm interrupted by Theo before I can finish my thought.

"Ugh, don't even speak his name. Let's just refer to him as "He Who Shall Not Be Named", yeah?" Theo practically sneers across the table.

Odd, I knew my friends weren't all huge Ron fans but this reaction seems a bit extreme, even for Theo's dramatics.

Before I can question Theo's response, Remus is bringing over mugs for coffee and tea and setting the table for us.

"Food should be out in just a second guys, let me know if you need anything. Or, you know, get it yourself." Remus leaves us to talk to a table across the diner.