prompts: pulling them closer when they're cold & kisses on the tip of their nose

(set somewhere between the two movies)

A gust of wind took Cora by surprise. The weather was merciless but it didn't impact Cora's mood. She chuckled silently when she ducked under the blow of the wind.

"Ugh, good God!" Robert muttered. Cora had to chuckle even more at his obvious dislike of the harsh autumn weather. His pointless and shallow grumpiness amused her more than it should. Robert turned his head to look at her. Her cheeky smirk and rather open amusement broke his mask of sulk.

Cora had insisted on this walk. She enjoyed this time of the day a lot, even if the weather wasn't ideal. She knew Robert also appreciated their habit of a daily walk across the grounds but she had observed a growing convenience in him over the last few years. He didn't want to leave the house when the tiniest drizzle was too consistent. He denied it but Cora saw that he became more comfortable with age. She knew, however, what she had to say and how she had to smile or pout to still get him out of the house if she wanted to.

"Granny!" A bright little voice sounded. The patter of tiny feet on the gravel echoed behind them. They halted in their steps and Cora let go of Robert's arm to turn around. Little Caroline was running towards them. The nanny and George were following less hectic behind her. Cora crouched down a little and opened her arms to welcome her little granddaughter. Robert chuckled behind her. Caroline slowed her steps slightly when she was right before Cora but she still threw herself into her grandmother's arms with a squeal of delight.

Cora shortly considered lifting her up but decided against it. Caroline grew faster than Cora could comprehend and she was getting a little too heavy for Cora. So, Cora only briefly breathed in the sweet scent of the little girl's hair before she let go of her.

"Hello, Caroline," she said in a soft voice and smiled down at the girl that peaked around her grandmother's legs to catch a glimpse of her grandfather.

"Hello, Donk," Caroline whispered. She was a little wary of him. Caroline was quite shy in general. She was nothing like her brother or cousins in this aspect, most likely though like her cousin Marigold. She preferred observing from a distance. Cora however had managed to earn the little girl's trust and nearly put a spell on her with her gentle and loving nature. She also had a lot more perseverance in cracking Caroline's shell. At the age of three now, Caroline had great trust in few adults, including her mother, her grandmother, the nanny, and her father. But she was beginning to warm to her grandfather too since she saw how fond her brother and cousins were of him.

"Good morning, Caroline," Robert answered with a smile.

By now, George and the nanny had reached them too. The cold air had tinged everyone's nose red. George's blue eyes shone brightly in contrast. The drizzling rain had put a watery coat on everyone's hats, and Cora saw that a few drops clung to George's long lashes, looking like tiny transparent pearls. It reminded her of Sybil when she had been that age. Her eyelashes had been just as long and full, and she had always enjoyed the gloomier weather. Her nose had to stick to the window when there was a storm outside and when it rained, she had insisted to go out. When the adults weren't watching for a moment, Sybil immediately sought the nearest puddle to jump into. And when Cora had fished her out of it or taken her from the nanny's angry grip, Sybil had beamed up at her with cheeks and nose a bright red and her lashes adorned with beautiful droplets of rain.

Cora shook herself slightly to come back to the present. George was chattering lively with Robert now.

"He can do it nearly as well as Teo," George said. Cora could only guess what this was about. George had taken a great interest in dogs lately. He adored Teo and often visited the other dogs of Downton Abbey at the stables where he usually found them running around, always by the feet of the stable master. It seemed George even tried to train the dogs like proper house dogs. Robert was very amused by that but didn't have the heart to tell George that these hounds would never be allowed inside the house. Cora had an inkling that it wouldn't take long until George would get his own Labrador as a present from his proud grandfather.

"You can take Teo on walks with you when she is not with me," Robert said. George's eyes beamed. Cora caught the vigilant expression on Nanny's face. After all, it wasn't the same to look after two children when there was a young turbulent dog with them. She was glad when Robert acknowledged it too. "Just ask Andy if he and Teo can accompany you."

"Oh, thank you, Donk!" George exclaimed happily.

"Thank you, Donk," Caroline copied in a more moderate tone. Cora could tell that she hadn't really followed the conversation but instinctively agreed with her brother's gratitude because she thought that was what she had to do.

"Well, we don't want to keep you any longer," Cora said in Nanny's direction. She saw how the woman was tucking her coat close around her body and assumed her feet were beginning to freeze to ice blocks in her shoes too. "I am sure you all want to get back into the warmth again."

When they resumed their walk, all five of them now, the children bounded back and forth between their nanny and their grandparents. Whenever they thought of something that they had to share with Granny and Donk, they turned around and began talking excitedly to Cora and Robert who walked a few steps behind the nanny who was guarding the children. Cora and Robert let Nanny go ahead with the children, as they stuck to their leisurely slow pace.

Soon, the nanny took another turn that parted ways with Cora's and Robert's usual walking route, and they watched how George and Caroline skipped down the gravel close to the house, totally unbothered by the whipping drizzle. Robert stirred Cora down their way out onto the grounds. He knew that this was the path she wanted to go, and Cora appreciated that he put this over his dislike of the weather.

She found she needed this ritual more than she had thought. Whenever their walk was cut short or completely skipped on some days, she felt unbalanced. Even if larger distances of their route were spent in silence, she relished so much in this time spent together. No one would bother them when they made their turn out onto the grounds. Everyone knew this was their walk and not to interrupt them.

Cora slid her arm down Robert's sleeve, pushing her body even closer to his side. Eventually, she slipped her hand into the pocket of his jacket. Her palm glided against his. Robert looked at her from the side with a smile of surprise. He interlaced his fingers with hers in his pocket. There was an intimacy between them that exceeded the ordinary closeness on a walk by far.

The wind was getting more intense on the unguarded flat grounds. It blew and piped around them, and tried to find cracks and gaps in the barriers of their wardrobes. Cora felt Robert tense up beside her from the shudders that ran through his body. The iciness of the weather intensified. The vision became slightly fogged, and it took Cora a moment to realise the cause.

Slushy snowflakes fell from the sky. "By Christ, it's not winter yet!" Robert grumbled. "Let them stay up there," he pointed his head to the sky. "We don't need them yet." He flicked a melting snowflake from the cufflink of his jacket.

"Oh, come on, Robert. It's quite nice. You have to agree," Cora said. He looked at her with scepticism. And she actually had to confess, it didn't feel as pleasant as the thought of snow was. Two snowflakes had already fallen onto the back of her neck, and Cora flinched at the feeling.

"You are really testing me with today's walk," Robert said. He returned to glaring straight forward and pressing his arms – and her arm with it – close to his body.

"Alright, alright. I know," Cora admitted. "I promise I will help you warm up when we're inside again."

Robert was instantly alert at these words. "Oh?"

Cora slowed her steps. When they came to a halt, she pulled at both his arms until he was standing right in front of her. She looped her arms around his waist, which wasn't as easy in their thick coats. "Of course. That is my job, remember? To take care of you." She wiggled a bit closer to him, hoping to spend at least a little bit of warmth.

"And you do it so well," Robert concluded in a warm tone. "So, what do you say? We take a hot bath together when we are back?" he suggested.

Cora laughed. "Oh, that sounds a bit too scandalous, Robert Crawley," she teased.

"You are probably right."

"And apart from that, there wouldn't be enough space for me once you are in the bathtub," she added with a grin.

"Oh, please! I'm sure I could make it work." He sounded a bit exasperated.

The snowflakes still fell and one landed right on the tip of Robert's nose. Cora rose to the tip of her toes and planted her lips on his nose. It was icy cold under her hot lips. A surprised hum came from Robert.

When she came back down onto the balls of her feet, she said, "I prefer to share the warmth of my blankets with you later. I think that it is more suitable."

"And who would I be to refuse this?"

Cora let go of him and set about to resume their walk. She took hold again of his upper arm and briefly rested her head against his shoulder. A sigh slipped from her lips. The weather really was nasty but Cora's contentment was complete.