A Gift

Tonks quietly sits near Snape as they watch the people pass by them. He had led her through the city for hours, only stopping once in a while at certain shops of interest. Although used to his usual snarkiness, she had always been comfortable in is presence. The cafe they finally settle in to drink coffe offers her a chance to study this new quietness about him.
"The girl got to you, didn't she." She murmurs softly, nearly smiling at the startled away he glances at her.
"Whatever would give you that idea?" His voice purrs dangerously low as he lifts his cup to his lips to hide his words.
She laughs softly. "Severus, in all the years I have known you, you've never backed down from an argument. Not even when it was Albus you were arguing with."
His eyes narrow at her. "Your point?"
Her grin widens. "You didn't want me here but once she told you why I should, you backed down like a meek little lamb." She holds up a hand to stop him from saying a word. "And you have been quite generous to me all evening. Thank you."
He sighs softly, looking down into his cup so he does not have to meet her eyes. "I am getting weak in my old age."
Her grin softens to a warm smile as she reaches out and lightly touches his sleeve. "Never weak, Severus. Finding peace and happiness in your life is not a weakness. It's a strength."
He places his cup back on the table and stands. "It's time we head back." He pulls her chair out for her, offering her a hand. "After you."

Hermione snuggles into her blankets, the cool morning air blowing in from her window. Burrowing into one of the warm bodies lying next to her, she smiles contentedly in her sleep. Her eyes open slowly as her sleeping minds realizes she is no longer in bed alone. A shock of red hair meets her tired gaze as a strong arm tightens around her waist. She blinks, slowly sitting up to look at the two boys next to her.
"Harry! Ron! When did you get here!?!" She nearly shouts with joy.
"Mione, can you keep it down?" Ron mumbles, burying his head in his pillow. "Some of us are trying to sleep."
Hair tosseled from sleep, Harry squints up at her. "We didn't get here til late. Dumbledore let us in but you were sleeping."
Smilemiles down at them. "And you couldn't sleep in your own rooms like good boys?"
Harry grins back, his face slightly reddening in embarassment. "Ron was the one who said he was hoping you'd be wearing a thin nighty to bed."
"RONALD WEASLEY!" She shouts at him in shock.
Ron peers out from under the pillow, blinking in the light. "Hey! You agreed to sleeping in the bed next to her saying it would be the closest you'd get to a naked woman anytime soon!"
She turns and stares at Harry open mouthed. "HARRY!"
Harry holds his hup tup to fend her off, grinning wickedly. "You can't blame a guy for trying, can you?"
She grabs a pillow and smacks him hard with it. "I most certainly can! You two should know better!" she laughs as she trounces them with the pillow. "I can see spending time with Remus has done neither of you some good!"
"Better Remus than Snape!" Ron laughs, finally pulling the pillow away and sitting up. "By the way, how did it go? I see you are still alive and not a vampire yet."
"It went...well." She nearly stammers as she stands up and steps away from the bed.
"Hary puts on his glasses and frowns at her. "What the devil are you wearing? I've never seen you in more than jeans or school uniforms before."
She smoothes her hands along the skirt, her face barely showing the blush that's heating her face. "It's a riding dress. It was a gift."
Ron stares at her as if she is a person he had never seen before. "Well it definately loks good on you."
"Yeah. Too good." Hary grins, pushing the mop of hair from his eyes in embarassment. "Maybe you should change clothes before start to wonder who this woman is standing in your room."
Ron laughs, getting up from the bed as well. "We'll see you at breakfast." He pulls Harry to his feet. "Come on, harry. Let's not keep the Princess from turning back into a pumpkin."
"RON!" She tosses a pillow at him as they run out the door.
As soon as the door shuts and their footsteps fade, she turns towards the bedroom mirror and gazes at herself. She quickly realizes they are right. The young woman in the mirror looks nothing like her usual mouseiness. A wicked smile spreads across her face. "Time to change opnions about me." She steps over to a trunk full of clothes and begins to rummage in it.