A series of unrelated oneshots, some cannon, some fannon

I dont own any of these characters, I make no money from them.

Postcards, Ron and Hermione, set post-Deathly Hallows

"Hey..." He'd spoken quietly, but she had heard him coming. He didnt approach, but she made no action to stop him. The tears dripped from her chin.
"I know..." She sniffed, turning to face him. "I shouldnt cry. But I'm worried..."
Ron made no reply, he just sat next to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, cradling her.
"it'll be alright." He whispered, after a while. "We'll find them. You'll sort outtheir memories and-"
"But what if i cant?" She cried, her voice a strangled choke. "What if it doesnt work... what if i've lost them forever?" She pulled away from his embrace and gazed over the horizon once more. "Why did I do this to them..."
"Hey, you only did what you thought was right."
Ron, tall and tanned from the week they'd spent searching australia, grabbed hermione by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes.
"You know it was the right thing to do. And deep down, you know it'll all be alright." He smiled, and they hugged once more. "Come on, Lets get going." He smiled, leading her back towards the small shop; a smudge of brown and grey on the inferno like landscape.

For a little over a week, Ron and Hermione had been searching australia for her parents. This scene had been repeated everywhere they went. Ron had never lost his temper, but had reminded her that she was intelligent and reliable. That she would succeed, and that he loved her. Smiling, she caught sight of her reflection in a small mirror on the counter. Her hair was scraped back into a tight pony tail, to stop it from frizzing even more due to the humid weather. She was tanned and had lost a little weight, be that from the walking they'd done or some of it being splinched during apparition. Also, she'd noticed that since she and ron had become a couple, she'd held her head a little higher.

Ron was tanned as well, and his hair was more flaming than ever, the heat having added some sort of pigment. As they waited in the shop to pay for their drinks, she noticed that he'd become a sort of rock for her. He noticed her smiling at him, and pulled a weird face, sticking his tongue out and crossing his eyes. She laughed, and felt so much lighter for it. He smiled back at her, and swept her into a hug. Still smiling, she went onto tiptoe and planted a small kiss on his lips.
"Hermione!" He gasped, mock incredulity on his face. "Not in public! You brazen harlot!"
He grinned as she playfully slapped his arm. "What are you so happy about anyway?"
"nothing." Hermione smiled, slipping her hand into his. "Just... I love you."
"Love you too." He grinned, blushing beneath his freckles, which had multiplied since they'd come to australia.

maybe he's right hermione thought, feeling more hopeful today.we're going to find my parents... I'm going to get them back.With his help. she smiled once more, paid for the drinks, and walked out the shop. They strolled down the road, away from prying eyes, and ron disapparated. Hermione smiled. we'll be alright she thought, as she followed suit. we'll be alright

Summer Daze- Dean and Luna

"So let me get this straight... The ancient egyptian heiroglyphs actually prove that crumpled horn snorcies exist?"
"Crumple horned snorcacks. And yes."
Luna smiled as she dangled her feet into the great lake, the sun shining over the Hogwarts grounds. Dean lay on the grass beside her, his feet also dangling in the water, his eyes on a copy of The Quibbler.
"you know, Luna.." He said, looking up at her. He laughed slightly, finding himself compelled to smile whenever he was near her. As he looked up at her face, the sunlight coming from behind her, she seemed almost angelic; her fair hair created a halo of light around her head. "You really are one of a kind."

Luna merely smiled, and looked out over the lake. She had began to talk to Dean after Ginny had left him for Harry. The poor boy had needed a friend, and she had been glad of the company. Something seemed to work when they were together... she couldnt explain it.
"Dean?"
"mm?" He was once again leafing through the quibbler, scanning the various articles. She was pleased that he was so interested in it.
"We are friends, arent we?"
Dean grinned widely and looked up at her.
"Of course we are, dopey." He realised there was a troubled expression lurking in her eyes. He sat up and watched her carefully, trying to understand this sudden change in emotion. Of course, he knew understanding Luna was hopeless... the girl was like a butterfly, flitting from one sunbeam to the next, seeming forgetful or unknowing, but with a strange sense of purpose. "Whats up?"

"I... i have this strange feeling in my stomach. Its like a growing feeling of warmth... It spreads through my body and i feel really happy, but at the same time sort of... empty... what is it?"
Dean smiled with a mischeivious glint in his eye.
"sounds to me like love. Is little Luna in love?" He teased, nudging her with his shoulder.

Luna sat, deep in thought, watching the giant squid wave its tentacles lazily across the surface of the lake.
"I think so..."
Suddenly she felt a lump come to her throat and a hot flush spread across her face. She looked over at dean but found herself unable to look him in the eye. "Either that or the brackish coomquat mists gotten into my system..."
Dean smiled, but seeing Luna's eyes flit away from his made him feel the same nervous tingle. He knew he had to ask; somethign deep inside him was making him ask her...
"With who?"
She looked at him, and he returned her gaze. Suddenly, both felt incredibly aware of every body movement and ever hair that was a millimetre out of place. She took a deep breath, holding his gaze as though it could fill that strange hollow in her heart. the moment seemed to last for eternity..

Her voice was a whisper, and she was suprized it escaped her lips at all.
"dean... i think i'm in love with you..."
His hand found hers in the grass, and their fingers locked together. His other hand scraped back a stray strand of her briilliantly blonde hair. His tongue darted over his lips, and he broke into a smile, still looking deep into her eyes.
"Me too..." he whispered, and leant forward, kissing her on the lips. She kissed back, and both of them felt something that they'd missed for so long. Acceptance, kindness and care. They felt loved.

Killing Loneliness- Snape and Bellatrix, book 5/6

Severus could hear her sobs, quietly resonating down the desolate hallway. Curiosity getting the better of him, he looked round the door. There she sat, black hair hanging in a mess around her head, skin paler than ever, and eyes blurred by tears. He didnt know what to say, or how to react. She had never been like this before.
"Bellatrix?" he whispered, amazed to see her lookign so weak, so fragile.
She leapt round when she heard her name, glaring resentfully as she hurried to clear away the evidence of emotion.
"Leave me." she hissed at him. Almost her old, heartless self... but she knew he'd seen her crying.
"What were you-"
"Leave. Me. Severus." She said again, pointedly stressing each syllable. She wiped her eyes once more and looked at her forearm. "The dark lord calls..." she muttered, more to herself than Snape. She pushed past him, pausing only to draw her wand to his throat. "Tell no one." She glared, before running off to answer the call of her only master.

Severus would have thought nothing of it, but during his stay at the Malfoy's manor, he found Bellatrix twice more like this, and twice more she acted as though nothing had happened. Eventually, his frustration got the better of him.
"For heaven's sake, Bellatrix, tell me whats wrong."
"No." She turned her back to him, and clenched her fists. "Just stay out of it, severus."
He sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"It's about your affections for the Dark Lord, isnt it?"
"How-" She looked at him, shocked for a second, but hastily bringing back her facade. "What affections?"
"Oh, please!" He laughed bitterly, looking her up and down. "The way you pine for him, its sickening. Theres not a person who's ever met you who can't see the way you lust for his power... or.." suddenly, he looked more interested, as if stumbling across a hidden treasure. "Or is it for him you lust? Not his power, or his skills... but you genuinely love him?"

Bellatrix snapped her head away, praying he did not see the gentle tears that formed in her eyes.
"You'd never understand, severus."
"Is that so?" He looked at her, as if deciding what to do. But his temper got the better of him. "You selfish brat!" He yelled sending a curse at her, to which she retaliated. They began to send curses at each other,neither aiming but both caught in the fury of the moment. Severus' words spilled from his mouth, without realising what he said.
"I have worked for years under the dark lord's orders, years of faithfulness to him, and yet the first person I helped him to kill was-" He caught himself. She mustnt know. It only took the moment for him to stop and think for Bellatrix to be victorius. He lay, writhing on the floor gasping for breath.
"What is it, severus?" She hissed, kneeling next to him, her trademark sadistic smile dancing across her face. "You feel unloved, is that it? You dont have a clue." She spat, and turned to leave, but he had caught her by the arm.
"bellatrix, you cannot keep up this act. You shall destroy only yourself. Please... just admit that he lusts only for power. He has no interest for emotions. you need-"
"Need what, severus?" She pulled her arm away, glaring up into his dark eyes. "Someone else? Like who? Someone sensitive, intelligent? Someone like me?" She laughed, as sarcasm crept into her voice. "And who do you suggest? Wormtail? Oh yes a fine catch there..."
Snape sneered and turned away, annoyed by her childishness. Fighting back tears, she carried on. She wasnt sure why, but she couldnt stop. She followed him as he tried to walk away, wanting her words to find some sort of mark.
"Or what about Goyle... Or maybe i could steal lucius away from narcissa, that would be good."

Snape, his anger getting the better of him once more, wheeled round and pinned her against the wall with his wand arm. Anger flew from their eyes, as they stood in silence, face to face. That moment, angry and heated, seemed to pull them together till they were kissing, each holding the other, feeling all the anger and hatred and fear that they'd been forbidding themselves to show colliding together into one passionate, yearning moment.

After what seemed like eternity, they pulled away. Bellatrix raised a hand to her lips, as if unsure of what had happened. Snape just turned away. leaning against the door frame. He looked at the floor, his mind reeling with thoughts of what had happened. Slowly, Bellatrix' eyes began to fill with tears once more.
"What about you, severus?" she whispered, her lip shaking. "What about you?"
"You don't want me, Bella." He croaked, his voice catching in his throat. He dragged his eyes up off the floor, looking over his shoulder at her and eventually gazing into hers. "You know that." He stood up straight and walked down the hall, closing the door behind him. Bellatrix just stood there, staring at the spot where he'd stood, her hand on her lips.

Midnight whispers- Fred and Hermione, After the Yule ball, book four

Hermione sniffed, and pulled her dressing gown tighter round herself. Carefully, she eased the door to her dorm shut and tiptoed down into the gryffindor common room. Sighing, she pulled a few strands of hair behind her ear and slipped into one of the armchairs by the dwindling fire, her back to the portrait hole.

It had been a half hour since she'd stormed off to her dormitory after yelling at Ron, and had completely failed to go to sleep. So, she had waited till sighns of movement had stopped, and decided she needed to be alone with her thoughts. She sighed, tucking her feet underneath her, and pulling the dressing gown tighter still. Just thinking about Ron made her want to cry. She was about to, as well, but just then the portrait creaked open and the sounds of laughter and noise filled the room. Hermione tucked herself up smaller, hoping to melt into her surroundings.

Fred and George, rowdy as ever, fell around the common room laughing. Hermione knew for a fact that their dates had returned ten minutes ago, and dreaded to think what they'd been left to do. She watched, as they straightened up, contrlled their laughter, then looked at the clock above the fireplace. They didnt seem to see hermione, which suited her fine. Geroge yawned widley, and began to head up the steps to the boys dorm.
"You coming?"
"Nah..." Fred shrugged. "I'm not that tired. I'll be up in a minute."
George shrugged a response and plodded up the stairs.

Fred rubbed his eyes a little, and stood looking out of the window. Hermione tried to breathe very quietly, hoping he would hurry up and leave.
"You know, you were a stunner tonight."
"Thank- oh..." Hermione smiled akwardly. "You saw me then?"
"yes..." Fred trned round and slumped into the chair next to her. "I'll admit, im the more observant of the brothers weasley. So.." He took out his wand and held it up in the air. A brick came loose by the window, and a large pack of chocolate frogs zoomed towards them. Hermione raised an eyebrow, but Fred just winked and handed her one. "So whats wrong with you?"

She shook her head and went to get up, but Fred held a hand out.
"Come on Hermione. I may be male, but i can tell somethings wrong. You've just had an evening of dancing and fun with an international quidditch star, who's absolutely mad about you by the way, you looked fantastic while doing it and you certainly made many girls rather jealous. You should be evil and egotistic, not all sad..." He smiled, and Hermione's lips twitched grudgingly into a smile. "That's more like it. Now, what's the problem?"
Hermione nibbled at her chocolate frog, watching Fred carefully.
"Promise me you'll never tell another soul, living or dead, human or not."
"Ah, give me some credit, hermione." Fred grinned again. "I may be a scheming trickster, but even I have some standards."

"well..." Hermione's smile dropped, and she looked at her fingers, fumbling with the chocolate frog wrapper. "Well... i was having a really nice time and I dont see why he has the right to sp-spoil it..." She began to break into tears. "J-just b-b-because... I... I..." She completely fell apart, and Fred hurried over to her, hugging her and comforting her. He sat on the arm of the chair, soothing as she composed herself.
"Shuuuush! Shhh, come on... dont cry... do you want to wake the whole house?"
She sniffed and laughed a little, patting his arm in thanks.
"Thats better!" He exclaimed, shuffling so he sat on the arm of her chair, facing her. "you've got such a nice smile, it's a shame when you're sad."
Hermione smiled, but shook her head.
"You need a jester!" Fred continued, taking her hands. "Someone who'll clown and sing, just to make you smile. Someone who'll do such stupid things you have to laugh. Then everyone around you will be happy."
"But Fred.." Hermione sniffed, grinning. "I have you."

Fred pulled a face and waited for her laughter to stop.
"Now who is it, eh? Who's made you all upset? Cos theres some new pranks we've been dying to test on someone..."
"its... Its nothing." She shook her head, a pink flush creeping into her cheeks.
"Ah, come on!" Fred poked her shoulder, resting his arm across the back of the chair to stable himself. "It's obviously someone. Come on, tell me. Please?" He looked at her with a comically cute expression, an attempt at puppy dog eyes that hermione couldnt help but laugh at.
"Its... Its ron." She whispered, looking away from him.
"Oh, for crying out-..." Fred stood up and put his head in his hands, playing the fool to make her smile. "What's the lanky git done now?"

And so, reluctantly, Hermione told him the whole tale. How she didnt know what Ron felt about her, and felt like he barely saw her as more than a walking library. How she didnt see why she should feel guilty for wanting to be special, just once, but he made her. How she wanted to scream and hit him, just to get some sort of attention from him. And, finally, how he had the cheek to expect her to wait for him. At this part, she began to cry again. Fred sat down on the table in front of her and produced some tissues, which she took thankfully.

"Look hermione." He took her hands again, and looked straight into her eyes. "Truth time. If you wait for Ron to grow up, I think you'll be waiting a long time." Hermione laughed a little, but Fred shook his head. "I'm serious. He's never known quite what he wanted, and entering the hormone crazed world of puberty is doing nothing to help that. My dorky little brother is, unfortunately, not as advanced as you or I. So dont give up on him just yet. But dont feel guilty for wanting to have a relationship or two in the meantime. Everyone deserves to feel special, especially you."
She blushed and tried to turn away, but he just kept his grip, smiling at her modesty.
"You do!" He insisted, getting to his feet and pulling her up. "I mean, even now, in a dressing gown and... black nightgown! you dark horse, you!" She smacked his hand away, embarrassed, but smiling all the same. "You are pretty and smart, and are the sole reason Ronald hasn't gotten murdered yet. And I saw you dancing..." Fred grinned wickedly, and Hermione shook her head. He spun her round and round, humming some sort of tuneless waltz. They were both laughing, spinning crazily until Fred tripped over the hem of her dressing gown and they both collapsed into a giggling heap on the sofa.

"Ah..." Fred managed to say, through giggles. "Krum did that better than me... But you get the idea. Graceful..." He grinned, and looked over to Hermione, who was giggling in short bursts, and trying to scrape the hair out of her face. "Here.." He muttered, pushing aside one of the stray locks and tucking it behind her ear. Their eyes met, and suddenly there was total silence. Fred licked his lips, taking a deep breath as his finger slowly followed her jawline, stopping at her chin. Her eyes closed as he slowly and gently lead her nearer to him, her face touching his, their lips softly touching...

They sat there for what seemed like eternity, holding each other close. But, Fred pulled away, and walked silently to the stairs to the boys dorms. Hermione sat in silence, shocked by what had happened. Fred stopped on the step, looking over his shoulder at her profle.
"I'm sorry, I drank too much butterbeer... But remember, everything I said was true, and i mean it from the depths of my heart. Hermione, you are someone special. And you deserve the best."
He climbed the stairs to his dorm, leaving Hermione to hug the dressing gown tight around her once more, and slowly walk back to her own bed.