Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor
Hufflepuff
Drabble
Words: 736
Round 1, Year 8
Prompt: (Object) Corned-beef Sandwiches
A/N This is an AU in which there is no magic, Remus is a soldier, and Tonks is a businesswoman. Thank you so much to my wonderful team, without whom I would be extremely lost.
Remus was not looking forward to flying home that day. He had been on leave from the Army for the past week, but now it was time for him to go back to work. He loved what he did, but aside from his job, he had nothing waiting for him back on Post.
To make matters worse, Remus stuck out like a sore thumb in his Army uniform, but he couldn't find it in himself to care.
The flight was to be completely full, so he would have no room to stretch out his long legs. With that in mind, he sighed and got in line to board the plane, where he would be sitting in the uncomfortable coach section.
The flight attendants greeted him kindly. He smiled in return, then made his way down the aisle of the plane.
As he passed by first-class, he looked enviously at the comfortable seats. That's when the woman with vibrant pink hair caught his eye. She was giving him a funny look that instantly set him on edge, though he couldn't begin to explain why. He forced himself to look straight ahead, even as he saw her wave down a flight attendant in his peripheral vision.
Everyone on board the flight was frustrated when they were told they were delayed, but none more so than Remus. He was due for an early meeting the next morning that he had to finish preparing for.
Remus became even more disgruntled when he saw the flight attendants staring at him and quickly looking away and giggling when they noticed him looking at them. They whispered with each other as they continued to steal quick glances at him. He had learned how to ignore things like this in his training, but he found it increasingly difficult with each passing moment.
Finally, about fifteen minutes after they were supposed to depart, the woman with the pink hair started making her way down the aisle towards him. He held his breath, hoping she was only going to the restroom. She stopped just in front of him. Just his luck.
The woman leaned against the seat in front of him nonchalantly, a smirk tugging at her perfect lips. "I hate to break it to you, sir, but you're in my seat."
Remus's eyebrows furrowed. "I'm sorry?"
The woman gave a light, bubbly laugh. "You've been bumped to first-class."
Remus was uncomfortably aware of everyone watching their interaction. "I don't understand how that's possible, ma'am."
She rolled her eyes. "I'm giving you my seat, sir."
"Why?"
"As a thank you for your service."
"I can't accept it."
"Sure, you can."
"No, really. It's your seat that you paid for."
The woman shrugged. "Me giving you my seat hardly compares to the sacrifices you've made to protect our country. Take my seat. Please."
Remus decided it wasn't worth causing any more of a scene to decline her extremely generous offer, so he thanked her, grabbed his things, and made his way up to the front of the plane to take his new seat.
The plane was in the air twenty minutes later, and Remus was thinking about how he could repay the woman's kindness. He didn't have much cash on him. In fact, all he really had with him was two corned-beef sandwiches his mother had sent with him. He felt ashamed that a corned-beef sandwich was all that he had to offer her, but it was better than nothing. He wrote a note, then waved down one of the flight attendants.
"What can I do for you, sir?"
"I was wondering if you could bring these to the woman who gave me her seat?"
She took the note and sandwich from him with a smile. "It would be my pleasure, sir."
A few minutes later, the same flight attendant returned and handed him back the sandwich and a note from the woman. "She told me to give these to you."
"Thank you."
Remus placed the sandwich to the side with a sigh, then opened the note.
Dear Sir,
Thanks for offering to share your sandwich with me. However, I'm not much of a corned-beef gal. How about we go to dinner on my dime when we land? Somewhere that serves more than just corned-beef sandwiches.
-Tonks
P.S. I'm not taking no for an answer. And don't think you can talk me out of paying.