Title: "Half Caff on Ice"
Author/Artist: On FF, Romanticpuck. On LJ, Writingpuck.
Rating: G
Disclaimer/claimer:
If I owned Harry Potter, Fluer and Bill would have gotten much more book time. Since they didn't, I don't. Summary: Percy, Tonks and coffee. Who needs anything else?

Author's Note: I think I was really craving some Starbucks when I wrote this. Anywho, I know it's an unusual pairing, so bear with me please, and make sure to let me know what you think! Reviews are better than coffee, and flames will be used to incinerate my old computer (see note on my author's page about my other stories and the computer hub-bub). Enjoy!


I walked to the local coffee shop around the same time each day. Fighting evil wizards is tiring work, and a girl has to keep awake somehow. A little after noon was the time, sneaking out just after my lunch break since I wasn't right yet for heading back to work, and the walk always didmy mind somegood.

Usually I was the only one out, everyone else having been forced back to the office. But not today. Today, you were standing there, fire kept at bay by your dark expression.

Seeing you there was strange enough, considering how stiffly you always dressed, but stranger still because of the rain. Being soaked never bothered me much- a simple spell and I was dry again, no loss. But you weren't the type to get wet, or to get anything you're reading wet. Merlin, even the idea of you wetting your hands after using the lou without scowling seemed wonkers.

But there you were, reading something, and there I was, running for my necessary coffee. I don't remember why I cared, or why I was paying attention. As an auror, I suppose, I learned to pay attention. Or maybe it was the flames of your hair that drew my eyes. Your fire, fighting off the offending flood.

I got close; I'd thought of bothering you, but stopped and remembered our last chat instead. You'd scolded my hair, told me how unprofessional it was and insisted I change it. Since I was still sporting some bubble gum spikes, I swerved wide. My curiosity could wait. Ginny might know something. Might.

Last time I'd asked, she'd snarled something like, "Percy can blow chunks and swallow them for all I care." I'd nodded, but I knew the only reason she was snarking was because she did care.

An iced French roast with an extra shot of caffeine brought me back to my senses. So what if it was raining, and the assistant Minister was out in the rain, reading a piece of paper that had stopped being solid hours ago?

I'd grabbed a spare half caff for the office, thanked my barista, and headed back out. The rain seemed colder- or maybe that was the ice from the coffee settling in. Itwould explain why I was always cold after the morning dash out.

I'd walked past you, fear quenching my desire. I'd known that if I'd stopped, if I'd asked, you'd talk to me. You might even have turned out to be human; you might've really have had tears hanging from your eyes, instead of the rain; you might've let your defenses slip and me slide into their place.

I'd been frightened because stopping your shoulders from shaking and helping you through your pain might've been too much for either of us too handle. I'd been frightened because I loved Remus too much to risk it.

And so I'd watched you slowly break apart, and turned instead to head inside. Putting the half caff coffee on my desk, I'd smiled up at Remus, who'd been waiting for me to come back.


Author's Note: This was done for the LJ community 30 Romances, in response to the challenge "take it in stride/walk." If you want to see the rest of the stories for the community (I have the pairing of Percy/Nymphadora), feel free to swing ny my writing journal, Writingpuck.