Two Short Fics for Valentine's Day
One bitter, one sweet...
(Obligatory disclaimer: No part of the original Harry Potter universe belongs to me!)
The first was written for the "Make The World Brand New Valentine's Day Flist-A-Fest."
Title: Understanding
Author: shield_wolf
Pairing: Remus/Tonks
Rating: PG
Warning: Angst
Word Count: 345
Prompt: Heart
“Remus-“
“Don’t.”
He continued to stare straight ahead as they walked, but when she dared a glance at his profile, she could see that his jaw was clenching, despite his otherwise expressionless face.
The rapid clip of a familiar pair of high heels approached from behind them. “Profess - Mr. Lupin?”
He stopped, then turned to face Madam Rosmerta with a neutral smile. “Yes, Rosmerta?”
“I thought you might like ...” She proffered a paper sack that obviously held the contents of their unfinished meal.
He took it from her. “Thank you.”
“It’s yours, think nothing of it. I, ah... I’m truly sorry for what just happened in there. It’s just ... They’re my clientele. I can’t have them thinking I don’t care about... Well, I’m sure you understand.”
‘And we don’t count as clientele?’ she thought caustically but remained silent, because she knew that causing a row in the street would change nothing.
“Yes, of course.” He nodded.
“Well, then, ah, happy Valentine’s Day ... to the both of you.” Rosmerta looked distractedly at her as though noticing her presence for the first time. She abruptly clasped his hand for an instant. “I really mean that.”
“Thank you again.”
She hesitated, her hand now wiping against her apron. “Well, goodbye then.” Not waiting for his reply, she turned and very nearly fled back to the entrance of the Three Broomsticks.
He had resumed his measured stride again by the time Tonks looked round. She hurried to catch up to him, her fingers snatching at the crook of his elbow as her foot slipped on an icy patch.
His impassive demeanour remained unchanged.
“Remus-“
“Don’t.”
She knew how utterly humiliated he felt, despite the inscrutability of those eyes that could show her so much more during rare unguarded moments. But he would never allow himself to give a voice to his pain, because to do so would be to let the world know that it had won.
And so, as always, it would fall to her own heart to rage for them both.
The second was written for the Ron/Hermione Valentine's Day Gift Fic Exchange at Checkmated.
Username: ManedWolf
Requested by: gingerale
Genre: Flangst
Prompt: Second Chances
Rating: PG
Word Count: 500
Author’s Note: Movie!canon for the purposes of slipping in a “missing
moment” that the frenetic pace and other elements of book!canon would
not have allowed
Hermione sighed. Bad enough that Ron’s leg had been injured by Sirius
Black in his Animagus form, but did he have to over-dramatize the
wound? It was after all only a bite, not a break. Honestly, he sounded
like Malfoy, playing on Pansy Parkinson’s sympathies months ago in the
Great Hall after he had goaded Buckbeak into attacking him and damaging
his arm.
Remembering the gruesome fate of the innocent Hippogriff that she
technically had not witnessed only hours ago, she winced reflexively,
then returned her attention to Ron, tentatively touching the swelling
around his bite mark.
His responding hiss of pain made her jump, and she gingerly pulled back
both hands, palms open in a gesture of apology.
Before she could speak, Ron blurted, “I’m sorry.”
She felt her brows knitting together. “Whatever for?”
“Well... you know ... Scabbers and ... Crookshanks and... You were
right, and I was wrong.”
She turned her head, fighting a sudden surge of tears that had risen to
prickle her eyes and struggling to ignore the way her heart had jolted
at his confession. She had felt so uncharacteristically out of control
during the past few days. She hated to concede such weakness, but she
also had to admit that she was rapidly reaching the end of her tether.
The hand she raised to touch the forming lump in her throat brushed
against an all-too-familiar chain. That stupid Time Turner... She would
be so glad to return it to Professor McGonagall. At least the term had
ended, and she would never need to use the bloody thing again....
“What’s that?”
Her hand automatically pushed down the telltale sign of the albatross
around her neck. “It’s nothing, I ... I’ll tell you later.”
The expression in his blue eyes was sceptical when she met them again,
but he let her vague dissembling pass without further comment.
“So,” she prompted, “I was right, and you were wrong?”
He smiled wryly. “Not like you aren’t almost always right about
everything.”
She drew a shaky breath. “Almost always?”
And suddenly they were both laughing as though she had just cracked the
funniest joke in the world.
A moan interrupted their shared hilarity. Peter Pettigrew, Wormtail,
the erstwhile rat in question, came lurching towards them from the
tunnel beneath the Whomping Willow, gibbering hysterically, a grimly
silent Professor Lupin on his heels.
The smaller man dropped to his knees in supplication. “Ron, wasn’t I a
good pet? You wouldn’t let them give me to the Dementors, would you? I
was your rat!”
The bulging eyes turned to her. “Sweet girl, clever girl, surely you
won’t -“
“Get away from her!” Lupin snapped, dragging him off them none too
gently.
Hermione heard Ron mutter, “I let him sleep in my bed.”
She sighed. “It’s all right. You didn’t know.”
She glanced at his rueful smile and found herself feeling warmer inside.
Despite what Harry claimed, some people were not worth a second chance.
But some people most definitely were.
(Obligatory disclaimer: No part of the original Harry Potter universe belongs to me!)
The first was written for the "Make The World Brand New Valentine's Day Flist-A-Fest."
Title: Understanding
Author: shield_wolf
Pairing: Remus/Tonks
Rating: PG
Warning: Angst
Word Count: 345
Prompt: Heart
“Remus-“
“Don’t.”
He continued to stare straight ahead as they walked, but when she dared a glance at his profile, she could see that his jaw was clenching, despite his otherwise expressionless face.
The rapid clip of a familiar pair of high heels approached from behind them. “Profess - Mr. Lupin?”
He stopped, then turned to face Madam Rosmerta with a neutral smile. “Yes, Rosmerta?”
“I thought you might like ...” She proffered a paper sack that obviously held the contents of their unfinished meal.
He took it from her. “Thank you.”
“It’s yours, think nothing of it. I, ah... I’m truly sorry for what just happened in there. It’s just ... They’re my clientele. I can’t have them thinking I don’t care about... Well, I’m sure you understand.”
‘And we don’t count as clientele?’ she thought caustically but remained silent, because she knew that causing a row in the street would change nothing.
“Yes, of course.” He nodded.
“Well, then, ah, happy Valentine’s Day ... to the both of you.” Rosmerta looked distractedly at her as though noticing her presence for the first time. She abruptly clasped his hand for an instant. “I really mean that.”
“Thank you again.”
She hesitated, her hand now wiping against her apron. “Well, goodbye then.” Not waiting for his reply, she turned and very nearly fled back to the entrance of the Three Broomsticks.
He had resumed his measured stride again by the time Tonks looked round. She hurried to catch up to him, her fingers snatching at the crook of his elbow as her foot slipped on an icy patch.
His impassive demeanour remained unchanged.
“Remus-“
“Don’t.”
She knew how utterly humiliated he felt, despite the inscrutability of those eyes that could show her so much more during rare unguarded moments. But he would never allow himself to give a voice to his pain, because to do so would be to let the world know that it had won.
And so, as always, it would fall to her own heart to rage for them both.
The second was written for the Ron/Hermione Valentine's Day Gift Fic Exchange at Checkmated.
Username: ManedWolf
Requested by: gingerale
Genre: Flangst
Prompt: Second Chances
Rating: PG
Word Count: 500
Author’s Note: Movie!canon for the purposes of slipping in a “missing
moment” that the frenetic pace and other elements of book!canon would
not have allowed
Hermione sighed. Bad enough that Ron’s leg had been injured by Sirius
Black in his Animagus form, but did he have to over-dramatize the
wound? It was after all only a bite, not a break. Honestly, he sounded
like Malfoy, playing on Pansy Parkinson’s sympathies months ago in the
Great Hall after he had goaded Buckbeak into attacking him and damaging
his arm.
Remembering the gruesome fate of the innocent Hippogriff that she
technically had not witnessed only hours ago, she winced reflexively,
then returned her attention to Ron, tentatively touching the swelling
around his bite mark.
His responding hiss of pain made her jump, and she gingerly pulled back
both hands, palms open in a gesture of apology.
Before she could speak, Ron blurted, “I’m sorry.”
She felt her brows knitting together. “Whatever for?”
“Well... you know ... Scabbers and ... Crookshanks and... You were
right, and I was wrong.”
She turned her head, fighting a sudden surge of tears that had risen to
prickle her eyes and struggling to ignore the way her heart had jolted
at his confession. She had felt so uncharacteristically out of control
during the past few days. She hated to concede such weakness, but she
also had to admit that she was rapidly reaching the end of her tether.
The hand she raised to touch the forming lump in her throat brushed
against an all-too-familiar chain. That stupid Time Turner... She would
be so glad to return it to Professor McGonagall. At least the term had
ended, and she would never need to use the bloody thing again....
“What’s that?”
Her hand automatically pushed down the telltale sign of the albatross
around her neck. “It’s nothing, I ... I’ll tell you later.”
The expression in his blue eyes was sceptical when she met them again,
but he let her vague dissembling pass without further comment.
“So,” she prompted, “I was right, and you were wrong?”
He smiled wryly. “Not like you aren’t almost always right about
everything.”
She drew a shaky breath. “Almost always?”
And suddenly they were both laughing as though she had just cracked the
funniest joke in the world.
A moan interrupted their shared hilarity. Peter Pettigrew, Wormtail,
the erstwhile rat in question, came lurching towards them from the
tunnel beneath the Whomping Willow, gibbering hysterically, a grimly
silent Professor Lupin on his heels.
The smaller man dropped to his knees in supplication. “Ron, wasn’t I a
good pet? You wouldn’t let them give me to the Dementors, would you? I
was your rat!”
The bulging eyes turned to her. “Sweet girl, clever girl, surely you
won’t -“
“Get away from her!” Lupin snapped, dragging him off them none too
gently.
Hermione heard Ron mutter, “I let him sleep in my bed.”
She sighed. “It’s all right. You didn’t know.”
She glanced at his rueful smile and found herself feeling warmer inside.
Despite what Harry claimed, some people were not worth a second chance.
But some people most definitely were.