Disclaimer: I own nothing. J.K. Rowling owns all characters, places, etc. etc. etc.

A/N: I know, I know. I haven't updated Hidden in the Past yet (writer's block is the devil!) But I found this in my computer files and decided to post it. Enjoy!

"Hermione, you study too much," Harry observed one evening as they sat in the Common Room.

"And you don't study enough," came the reply behind a mound of parchment, quills, and schoolbooks. He stifled a laugh.

"Let's go outside," he said, walking over to where she sat. He actually hadn't seen her in hours.

"Harry, I can't. N.E.W.T.s are only a few months away, and I have so much studying to do and…"

"Hermione, you need a break. Come outside with me,"

"Harry, it's snowing outside,"

"Exactly," Harry gave her a playful grin. "Come on."

"No,"

"Okay then," he said, still with that smile. "I guess I'll just have to carry you." And with that, he picked her up easily around the waist.

"Harry! Harry, put me down!" she laughed.

"Not until you agree to come outside with me," he said.

"Fine! Now put me down!"

"Okay," he said, setting her back down on her feet. "Go grab your coat."

Outside, the air was chilly. It had snowed all day, covering the Hogwarts ground in a white blanket. The snow banks looked big and threatening in the darkness.

Harry suddenly had an idea, and grinned evilly.

"Uh-oh," she said, looking mildly alarmed. "I know that smile. What are you planning?"

"Me? Plan something? When have I ever been that clever, Hermione? Really!"

"You've always been that clever. All the time,"

"Ah," he said, "then you wouldn't be surprised if I do this!" he tackled her into a snow bank. Hermione squealed.

"Harry!" she said, "That was not funny!"

"I thought it was," Harry said, still half buried by the snow. She mock-glared at him and turned around. That was the opportune moment for Harry to throw a snowball at her.

"Hey!" she said. "You're going to get it now, Potter!"

"Ooooh, using last names, are we?"

"Shut it!" she said, her face flushed.

"What are you going to do?" he teased her. "Read at me?"

"Oh, you're really going to get it now," she said, picking up a wad of snow between her mittens and forming it into a ball. Harry got up and started to run. Hermione got up and ran after him, chucking the snowball at him. It missed by about ten feet.

"Wow, Hermione," Harry called. "You've got horrible aim!" He ducked as another snowball came flying at him, this one narrowly missing his head.

"Hah! That'll show you, Potter!" Hermione stood about five feet away, smiling cheekily as Harry picked himself up out of the snow.

"Your aim may have improved, but my reflexes are better," Harry said, smiling. "Must be all those years of being the best player on the Quidditch team!"

"Oh, yeah," Hermione said sarcastically. "That must be it. All those times you fell off your broom really qualifies you."

"Most times, that wasn't my fault," Harry said, walking towards her.

'No, not those times," she smiled. "I mean the time you fell off your broom from fifty feet up in the air because you thought Lavender was batting her eyelashes at you." Harry reddened.

"That was a long time ago!" he insisted. "Besides, even if I'm not the best on the Quidditch team, I can still do this!" With that, he swung Hermione up on his shoulder.

"Hey!" she laughed. "That was unfair!" She pounded on his back, but Harry seemed unfazed.

"Hey all's fair in love and war," Harry said, putting her down, the pounding on her back was starting to get really painful. She looked at him, smiling.

"And which would this qualify as, Mr. Potter?" she asked. "Love or war?" Harry thought for a moment. Then, he leaned down and kissed her gently.

"I think it qualifies as love," he whispered. Hermione just stared at him for a moment.

"I love you, Hermione," he said. She looked up at him.

"I love you, too," she said.

An old wizened man smiled as he gazed out upon the two teenagers with a nostalgic look in his eye. He folded his hands in front of him, then turned back to his desk.

"I know you see them just as I do, Minerva," he whispered, scratching the ears of a large tabby cat. The cat meowed and hopped off the desk, transforming and standing to look at Dumbledore.

"I feel quite old tonight, Albus," she remarked, glancing at the frosted window.

"As do I," Dumbledore said. "It puts me in mind of two other teenagers that were partial to nightly strolls."

"Many students have been partial to walking late at night," she said. "But I see what you mean. I often watched Mr. Potter and Ms. Evans sneaking out under his Invisibility Cloak after hours. It took all I had not to turn them in. As it is, I should dock House points from both Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger for this."

"They'll come in soon enough," he said, a small smile playing on his wrinkled features. "I had often speculated on the closeness of their relationship. For now, it's best we let them work it out for themselves." He took a small piece of parchment out of the top drawer of the desk and picked up the nearest quill. He hastily wrote on the paper, making horrible scratching sounds as he went.

"Minerva," he said, handing her the parchment, now folded into fifths. "I'd like for you to pay a visit to Severus tonight. If you could, deliver this message to him on your way to bed?"

"Certainly, Albus," she said, her robes swishing behind her as she left. She carefully unfolded the note, and read what was on it.

Severus—

I win. You owe me ten galleons.

Albus