Disclaimer: Not Rowling, although the Dream Team is becoming quite persistant about wanting their POV told, and I'm sure they annoy her too. I wonder if she has to repeatedly tell her imaginary Harry- no, you can't have the story all to yourself...lol.


Chapter 23- Points of View

Assessing her image in the mirror, Hermione frowned. Her hair refused to behave no matter how many styling charms or enchanted hair products she used- and that elfin herbal essence had been the biggest disappointment. Her hair remained as bouncy and fluffy as ever. She looked enviously at one of her sleek-haired roommates. They might not be stellar students, but those girls had great hair...and steady boyfriends. While she had to be content with superior intelligence and friend that she wanted to be her boyfriend...how did those add up to fairness in any Arithmancy equation?

Perhaps if she used that brown eyeliner Ginny made her buy last trip into Hogsmeade and wore the V necked jumper that matched her eyes...would that be encouraging? Deciding that she would try anything, the Gryffindor Prefect crossed over to her trunk. Reciting lists of potions ingredients helped steady her hand while she tried not to poke her eye out applying liner. Deciding in for a knut, in for a galleon, the brunette fastened a locket around her neck and slicked some strawberry flavored gloss across her lips before tying her trainers, taking a deep breath, and walking downstairs.

Sitting on a sofa talking to Neville, who was going to Hogsmeade with some Ravenclaw named Bindy Brocklehurst, Ron half listened to Neville go on and on about all the things the couple had in common- love of Herbology, Greek food and Greek Mythology- and wished heartily that his mate would shut up. The Red-haired Prefect had a lot in common with a girl too, but he wasn't going to into the village with her on a date. No, they were friends.

Every few moments, the youngest Weasley boy would allow his gaze to drift casually over to see if a certain girl was descending the girls' staircase. When he finally caught sight of her, Ron stared. 'Mione was wearing a jumper that made her eyes glow and showed off her figure. Hermione said hello to Neville before she sat down between them. Ron hurriedly closed his eyes before he did something stupid, like kiss her...ahh, he refused to think about it. Depriving his body of sight heightened the other senses, and Ron could acutely smell her clean hair and skin. Afraid that feeling was worse than seeing; the Gryffindor cautiously opened his eyes.

Staring into Ron's eyes was not the most prudent thing for a girl whose breathing was already perilously accelerated to do, but Hermione decided that she'd had enough of prudence- she wanted to live dangerously. So instead of turning back to Neville, she smiled,

"This was my grandmother's. The clasp is tricky, but if you'd like to see her picture, I could undo it if you'll hold the locket for me." His gaze stayed intensely focused even while his lips curved slightly. Long, slightly calloused fingers reached out. Unconsciously, she swayed forward, longing for him to touch her.

"Hermione? Ron? Are you ready to go?"

Harry thought his friends must really be eager to get to Hogsmeade, the way they shot up from the sofa so fast. Hermione was looking...different. Gathering their cloaks, the trio headed downstairs to the Hall for breakfast before making their way to the village.

Inside Honeydukes, his friends seemed intent on trying to find the best sweets to buy. They kept asking each other to smell this, or taste that. The sight of the two feeding each other bits of chocolate made Harry lose his appetite for some reason. When Ginny arrived and said she'd rather go get a butterbeer, he readily agreed to escort her to The Three Broomsticks. Sitting at a table with his best mate's little sister, Harry felt his world settle down comfortably, until he looked over and saw Zabini and Boot making out in a dark corner.

Discovering that Ginny and the Slytherin girl had attitude in common was upsetting. He didn't like to think that the girl who'd looked up to him for so long was now a girl who could tell him where to go and make a rude gesture to help give him directions. That bloke Roberts stopping by the table looking for Luna didn't improve his mood any either. Why he had been so nasty to the guy, he didn't know. Harry just didn't like him. Ginny let him off rather easily about it, and he was grateful. He appreciated her even more when she let the conversation drift to subjects that were easy and uncomplicated.

Entering the pub, another couple leaving at the same time caused Hermione to back into Ron's chest to let them pass. Ever since the last time they'd been pressed together under the Invisibility Cloak, she'd become incredibly aware of how tall her friend had become and how leaning over her made his breath brush past her ear in a way that was very stimulating. She got the same effect now as Ron leaned down to say,

"Sorry, 'Mione, didn't see those two...in a hurry, weren't they?"

Shivering happily, she nodded and smiled. Scientifically, she wondered if it were humanly possible to give a kiss for each freckle in one makeout session. The little over-achiever in her brain stuck her hand into the air and waved it about wildly, screeching, 'Try it now, try it now...I demand to know or my reputation is ruined!' The know-all inside had to go off and pout because Harry and Ginny were waving them over to the table and the opportunity was lost.

Smiling at an unusually mellow Ginevra, she listened to the conversation with part of her mind while the other part watched Ron drink. The play of muscles in his arms alone as he raised the tankard would have been enough to hold her attention, but her inner list queen was happy to note every other way Ron Weasley drove her wild- the way he swallowed, licked foam off his lips, lounged back in his chair with his longs legs sprawled, smiled at her with his eyes as much as his mouth...

Ronald was becoming increasingly nervous. 'Mione was watching him with a look on her face that he'd seen before. In fact, he saw it now when he looked over at the corner where Zabini was currently attempting to snog Boot's lips off. The thought of the brainy, beautiful girl beside him getting ideas like that excited and frightened him at the same time. Jumping up, he made an excuse and walked swiftly into the men's room, where it sounded like some poor bloke needed to eat more fiber. Giving a word of advice to try again later, Ron did his business and left.

Refusing to sit at the table and be subjected to the dual torture of Blaise and Hermione, he asked the girl whose hair always looked so soft and...touchable... "Want to go walk around?" Mentally ramming his head into the wall over his non-existent skill with women- really, could he have sounded more stupid...the tall boy waited for the rejection his blunt words invited. He smiled when she smiled and said yes. Harry and Ginny decided to come too, which was okay. They talked quietly and didn't try and get some group conversation going, which was good because Ron didn't want to chat. He was too busy noticing how smooth 'Mione's skin was.


In a section of London, the houses were tall and narrow and the thought of not having a neighbor on either side of the wall was as foreign a concept as Muggle magic. Tonks watched the sun creep into the attic bedroom and shine in bright bands across her lover's face. Remus always looked so much younger and happier asleep. The premature care lines on his face were smoothed away. In the dim room, his hair looked brown, not streaked with gray. Trying to decide whether to slip out of bed and draw the blinds and let her partner sleep, or wake him up, brown eyes opened and took the decision out of her hands.

Remus had been aware of his sweetheart's gaze, but he had enjoyed lying beside her and wondering if she was going to 'wake' him up too much to move. The prolonged silence made him worry Tonks would choose to let him sleep, so he opened his eyes and smiled,

"Good morning, beautiful."

His love frowned,

"Is it?"

Seeing the amusement behind her pretense of grouchiness, the lean man who was pleased to be working part-time for both The Order and the Siren Cosmetics Research department rolled over and pinned the now smiling metamorphmagus to the bed. Propping himself on his elbows, Remus smiled down into the topaz colored eyes staring up at him and grinned wolfishly before promising,

"When I get done with you, it will be."

The sun was streaming through the windows at eleven when Tonks and Remus sat down at the small table in his small living quarters. His landlord had converted the third floor and attic into a three room flat to provide income when the Goblin and his band were between gigs. Lupin had to enter from the narrow back alley and walk through the small garden to climb the stairs to his rooms, but he didn't mind. The neighborhood was working class and peaceful, and the Goblin wasn't perturbed by having a lycanthrope for a tenant. Gazing at the woman who was scraping the burnt layer off a rack of toast, the quiet man sipped his tea and wondered how life could get any better.

Deciding if she scraped off one more bit of black there would be no toast to eat; Tonks covered the overly toasted bread with a thick layer of butter and jam and brought it over to the table. Remus' calm acceptance of the less than delightful repast made her snort,

"This morning was great until I decided to become domestic. What kind of woman burns toast?"

"My kind."

Grinning, the blushing woman grabbed a piece of toast and took a large bite. It wasn't the worst thing she'd ever made. Reaching for her mug after the carbon remains caused her to cough; she drank half the coffee down in one large gulp. Slamming the mug down like a beer tankard, she told the smiling man,

"You won't be so amused when you hear what I've done."

The former Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor looked steadily at the current one and narrowed his brown eyes. So many alarming stories began with the fateful words 'when you hear what I've done.' His sharp gaze scrutinized the heart-shaped face staring at him with suspiciously wide eyes that didn't blink. He noticed that slender fingers were shredding a paper serviette and rolling the pieces into tiny balls. Lips twitching, Remus bet his love had been Ace at spitballs when attending Hogwarts. Not that the school used anything but linen, but he knew from his own personal experience that parchment worked quite nicely. He glanced down at the Sunday Prophet. More of the same...a small article caught his eye and he began to read it, patiently waiting for the explanation he wasn't sure he wanted to hear.

Grinding her teeth, Tonks impatiently waited for her man to look up and ask her what she'd done. Lupin was so forbearing that sometimes she wondered how an quiet, thoughtful, intellectual ever fell for a cheeky bint who liked to read...sometimes...if there was nothing better to do...and was known for the inability to behave herself. Her warm gaze traveled down the defined muscles of the runner's body and admired the bare chest above his trousers. Remus looked up. His glance lingered and heated. Oh yeah...animal attraction and friendship became love before the third date. Tonks remembered what she'd been about to confess and grimaced.

"Sweetie"

Whenever she called him 'sweetie', Remus knew that something bad was coming. Like the time she said, 'Sweetie, I tried to conjure dinner and now the kitchen curtains are on fire.' or 'Sweetie, Hagrid asked me to feed his flesh eating gollums this weekend and I said you'd help.' Sighing, he became resigned to whatever grisy fate she had in store and asked,

"What did you do, dear?"

Not so innocent eyes blinked rapidly before Tonks admitted,

"I accepted your landlord's invitation to dinner tonight."

Well, he knew dinner would be edible, then. He wouldn't have to wake up in the middle of the night to sneak baked beans on toast. Instead, he could wake up Tonks and...what had his little chameleon just said? She smiled feebly,

"Yes, you heard right. Piper's also invited his best mate Lorelei and her partner...Snape."

He could almost hear James snicker, 'Dinner with the greasy git- lucky you'. Sirius would bark, 'Keep your wand ready and your eye on Snivellus the entire time- I don't trust him'. Part of him agreed with his friends. The rest wanted to see Snivelly...er...Severus Snape with an actual girlfriend acting like an actual human being. If nothing else, watching his love's reaction to any act of affection between the two should be amusing. Wisely keeping his inner thoughts off his face, Remus said amicably,

"Sounds fine."

Tonks launched herself into Remus' arms. Straddling his lap, she wrapped her arms around his neck and snogged him enthusiastically.

"Thanks baby. I know Lorelei really wants us all to be friends and we can try, for her, can't we?"

She didn't know what touched her more; the gentle acceptance Remus gave everyone, including bats like Snape, or the hand he'd slipped down the half buttoned shirt of his that she was now wearing. As his fingers began to move, the changeable woman suggested they rest up for the evening ahead.

"What about lunch?"

She smiled wickedly, "We'll raid your stash of tinned beans later- you can make the toast."


Standing beside Lorelei outside a row house in a part of London he wouldn't leave a broom unwarded in, Severus shifted uneasily and looked down at the woman beside him. She was carrying an enormous basket and smiling so brightly it rivaled the stars that were beginning to shine. Curling a lip at his nauseating sentiment, Snape's mouth curved into an indulgent half smile. She'd cheerfully helped him catalogue his private stores of ingredients today, so the least he could do was be civil to her friends for a few short hours. The man dressed in black shirt, trousers, and a long leather coat Lorelei had coerced him into accepting looked up when the door opened. A Goblin bared his needle sharp teeth and cried,

"Lorelei, darlin', come in, come in, and your friend..."

"Severus Snape."

The saturnine professor coolly introduced himself and offered his hand. The Goblin's small dark eyes widened in surprise and shook it briefly before waving them in. Lorelei walked through the lounge and into the kitchen. Unpacking the basket of food, flowers, and wine, she handed the bottle to her friend Piper and told the Goblin who asked if they'd like a drink,

"I'll fix myself some water, but Severus needs a firewhiskey- Ogden's if you have it."

Watching the woman brush back a lock of hair as she reached to get a glass out of a cupboard, the laconic Potions Master accepted the tumbler of firewhiskey with a 'Thank you' and took a sip. It was Ogden's and quite acceptable. The homey scene of the woman in a kitchen gave the professor a pang. He'd never thought about having a home, a wife and children, coming home to dinner like other wizards with normal lives did. Perhaps he should consider the possibility once the threat of a certain person who could not be named was eliminated. Lorelei was handing him a platter full of slabs of uncooked meat. He raised his brow while accepting it.

"We're going out to the back garden, Severus. Piper has a wizard grill and he'll cook the steaks and vegetables on it."

Giving the laughing wench a dubious look, he followed after the woman and her grinning Goblin friend. He didn't appreciate their humor at his expense. He'd always had house elves to prepare meals- how was he supposed to know about such things as grills? Outside, his night became perfect. Lupin and Tonks were sitting in chairs on the small expanse of grass in the walled area Lorelei had generously called a garden. The exuberant metamorphmagus jumped to her feet to hug her friend and greet him with a polite nod,

"Snape."

"Here, Severus, let me help you with that."

Giving the platter of steaks to the werewolf who'd probably prefer them raw, the Head of Slytherin House watched Lupin expertly place them on racks over magicked flames and take the portabella mushrooms and sliced zucchini and place them on a higher rack away from direct heat. Of course the other man would know how to do things like cook food over flames- he was a former Marauder...weren't that lot always the best at everything?

"Sit by me Severus."

Pivoting sharply, he strolled over to sit beside Lorelei on a two person seat that moved back and forth...how imaginative, it was termed a glider. Impassively, he pushed the ground with a toe to keep the contraption in motion as the woman beside him curled her legs up on the seat and leaned her head on his shoulder. The warming charms were adequate to keep the garden pleasant and the quiet conversation he listened to combined with the warmth of Lorelei's body caused his eyes to grow heavy.

Gradually, Snape became aware of a hand stroking his cheek and a soft voice saying,

"Baby, it's time to eat."

Midnight eyes snapped open. The former DA professor was grinning at his old enemy's uncharacteristically lowered guard. Ignoring the humor at his expense, Severus led Lorelei to a circular outdoor table. Fairy lights provided illumination. The Goblin...Piper...brought out wine, salad, and jacket potatoes while Lupin carried over the grilled meat and vegetables. Dinner conversation was minimal- just the way the Slytherin liked it. A combination of good food and alcohol mellowed Snape enough to add a comment or two to the group discussion of favorite music. For some odd reason, Lorelei appeared to be riveted by his admission that he used to listen to The Doors.

"Do you know 'Light My Fire'?"

Why Lupin appeared so amused by the discussion and Tonks so revolted, he had no clue. Their minds were as illogical as their attraction to each other. He nodded,

"Yes."

"Would you sing it for me later?"

He smirked. The thought of him singing the song sure seemed to light her fire. Tonks jumped up and started waving her wand to levitate plates to the kitchen. Lorelei reluctantly stood and helped the other woman clear the dinner things away. Standing to assist the women, Severus leaned toward the siren, whose lips were pursed in disappointment and whispered,

"Yes."

Immediately, the dark-eyed woman became a whirlwind of efficiency, tidying the place with a swiftness that made even the metamorphmagus smile reluctantly. Declining Piper's offer of dessert, Lorelei tugged Severus out the door with eagerness that not even Lupin's suppressed mirth could keep him from feeling flattered by. Not so thrilled by the affectionate kisses his lover placed on every cheek while she said her farewells, Snape merely uttered "Goodnight" which set the bloody werewolf to grinning...wolfishly.

Apparating outside the gates of Hogwarts, the woman couldn't even wait until they reached the dungeons. Instead, she pulled him into the first empty classroom they came to, pushed him against the closed door, and yanked off his jacket before demanding,

"Sing"

Watching her tear off her own coat, Severus smiled smugly before singing, "You know that it would be untrue..." It was hard to keep composed when Lorelei closed her eyes and moaned, but he managed, although a muscle in his jaw twitched. He finished the chorus before losing his tenuous hold on self-possession and returning her feverish kisses, lighting them both on fire.


A/N: How did you like the POV's? Hope Hermione fans aren't disgusted by her intense attraction to Ron- its the only thing I can think of to explain her and the boy I like to call Mr. Freckles...chemistry and friendship lead to love. Works for Tonks and Remus, right? lol. Did you like Snape singing 'The Doors'? Review and let me know!