Chocolate Frog Card: (Bonus) Evangeline Orpington: Challenge: Write about a wizard or witch involvement in any muggle war.

Gringotts: Hermione/Piers [Hermione - Pairings]

Ultimate Hermione Pairing Challenge: Hermione/Piers Polkiss

February Event: 15. restaurant (location) [5 points]

Word Count: 498


"This isn't where I imagined spending our anniversary," Piers commented, dunking his fries in the pot of ketchup that had come with the take-away meal. "Macdonalds," he said, eyeing the fast food restaurant. "A classy place."

"As long as I'm with you, I don't care," Hermione commented, taking a bite out of her burger.

"Couldn't you have, you know, apparated us to a better place?"

Hermione shot Piers a look. He raised his hands in surrender.

"I'm just saying." He winked at her. "Couldn't it have been a hotel instead? I'd have loved to have you in between some clean sheets."

"You're disgusting," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. He waggled his eyebrows, causing her to erupt into giggles. "No, seriously, you're all filthy and sweaty. You are literally disgusting."

"It's not like we have automatic showers and air conditioning," he grumbled, glaring at the outside of the restaurant and looking at the army base. "Which makes me wonder, for the hundredth time, why are you here?"

"I'm not allowed to tell you," she repeated, as she'd done every other time.

"Bullshit," he snapped. "We've been dating for three months, and yes, I haven't exactly taken you to any place that's luxurious and so what if we haven't had sex yet, we're together and I know all about you. If you're breaking some kind of law, then you probably shouldn't have let me know what you are."

She blinked at him with watery eyes, filling him with guilt immediately.

"Dammit, 'Mione, I didn't mean to upset you."

"No, it's okay," she protested. "You have every right to know." She took a deep breath. "There are a select group of us that help," she admitted, looking down at the greasy food wrappers. "We'd just survived a war, ya'know, and some of us, mostly muggleborns, thought that it was crazy on how we could just sit back and watch the world burn when we could help so I spoke to the Minister and he's allowed us to help within reason."

"Within reason? So there is a limitation on how much you can help? That's preposterous!"

"I know," Hermione agreed, nodding her head. "But our worlds aren't ready to mingle yet. We help with healing, mainly. Some of us help out in the thick of things, making sure everyone comes home, but we can't save everyone."

Piers could see the devastation and nightmares on her face and he reached across the table to grab her hand.

"You're doing enough," he told her sincerely. "You saved me and my leg. Who knows where I'd be if it wasn't for you."

"Probably in a wheelchair," she commented, smiling dryly. He grimaced but nodded his head, agreeing with her.

"I thank God every day for giving me the greatest gift. You. You're a hero, whether you think so or not. Thank you."

She smiled through her tears, expressing her love and gratitude for him through her eyes. He nodded, sending the look back to her.