AN: Thank you so much for all of the support! It is very deeply appreciated!
Even as a tin person, she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.
Severus observed the tin woman before him. In the movie, the tin man was as tall as the Scarecrow. Yet, this tin person was shorter than him, and not nearly as bulky as the tin man in the movie. The tin point atop the head was present, but behind hers was a ruffle, mimicking her wild mane. Severus had no idea one could mold tin to be so strikingly beautiful.
"Hey tin man," Scarecrow Harry called as he got within inches of her. "Why aren't you moving?"
"First of all, this is not a tin man," Severus began. "She is a tin woman."
The figure hummed, unable to move her jaw, or any part of her body.
"Oh yes, she needs oil," Severus glanced around. "I do not remember where the oil can was in the movie though."
"Maybe the wizard has one."
"No, it's around here somewhere," Severus searched for it. "At least according to the movie."
"Wow, that movie knows everything." Harry's eyes gleamed.
"It knows more than you anyway," Severus grumbled. "Now where it that oil can?"
Crookshanks meowed and strolled over to a stump. Then he pawed the top, pointing out the oil can.
"Thank you, Severus replied, wondering if Crookshanks had always been this intelligent, or if Oz's magic was more influential on animals than he'd given it credit for.
Severus took the oil can and began squirting oil onto her jaw. The tin person moved its mouth before looking at him and saying in the familiar, feminine voice which never ceased to brighten his day, "You came back."
"Came back?" He asked.
"Do you two know each other?" Harry asked.
"I do not know her as a tin person," Severus glanced at her again.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.
"I've seen someone like her before. She looked quite different when I last saw her at Hogwarts."
"Hogwarts?" Harry asked. "What's a Hogwarts?"
"No place you need to be concerned with," Severus began squirting the oil can into her left arm joints.
"So you don't know me?" She asked, her disappointment evident.
"I fear not," Severus answered. "Though if I had to guess, your name is Hermione."
"How did you know that?" She moved her left arm.
"Lucky guess," Severus began squirting her right arm.
"Severus is really good at guessing things," Harry replied. "I think it's because he has a brain."
"I take it you don't have a brain," Hermione replied.
"No," Harry frowned. "I don't."
"That's better than my predicament." Tin Woman Hermione flexed her right arm as Severus began oiling her leg joints.
"What's wrong with you?" Harry asked.
"I don't have a heart," she answered.
"You don't have a heart?" Severus met her eyes. He knew the story of the Tin Man, but something was off. Hermione had the biggest heart he'd ever had the pleasure of knowing. That's why she was able to tolerate him at his surliest, and be his friend amidst his various foul moods. How could she be a tin woman with no heart?
"Yes, my heart was destroyed during my last accident," Hermione continued.
"Last accident?" Severus asked as he worked on her feet joints.
"Yes," Hermione answered. "I've had several accidents over the last few years."
"Why did you have so many accidents?" Harry asked. "Were you being careless with your axe?"
"No, I got on the wrong side of the Wicked Witch of the West."
"Did she screech you to death?" Severus asked with a hint of humor.
"I wish she had left it at screeching, though when I was a woman she gave me quite the headache every time I saw her."
"I can relate. Just looking at her is enough to give me a migraine."
"Indeed."
"Why did you have so many accidents? You don't look like the kind of person to be so careless," Severus asked.
"It all began a few years ago. I was in love with a prince, but I caught the eye of one of the Wicked Witch's flying monkeys."
"Wait," Severus shook his head. "Flying monkeys are interested in people?"
"Yes, it's uh, weird, but it does happen," she admitted as she moved her leg joints.
"That's weird," Scarecrow Harry admitted.
"It isn't the most normal thing admittedly, but that's neither here nor there," she replied. "Anyway, I turned down the Wicked Witch of the West's flying monkey, and she became irate. She enchanted my axe so I would have various accidents. First I lost the left arm, then my right, then various other parts until I was made of pure tin with no heart."
"What happened to the prince and the flying monkey?" Severus asked.
"The flying monkey saw that I was tin and lost interest. As for the prince," a tear came to her eye. "I don't know what became of him. When I began turning into tin he no longer acknowledged me. He was convinced I was in love with the flying monkey, and never let me explain my side of the story."
"Dunderhead," Severus muttered before oiling her jaw once more to prevent it from freezing. Then, he brushed away her tear.
"I thought he would come back one day," she continued.
"But he never did."
Hermione appeared as if she would tear up again.
"Please do not cry. I only have so much oil," Severus replied in a tender voice.
"Okay," her eyes dried.
"What did you do while you waited for him?" Harry asked.
"I busied myself with my working cutting wood. I would've gotten more enjoyment out of reading, but I needed to move my body. Romance stories were too depressing as well."
"I can relate," Severus mumbled.
"Isn't it a little reckless to continue using an axe if it's enchanted to cause accidents?" Harry asked.
Severus didn't dare indicate that he thought this was one of the few intelligent questions Harry had ever asked, scarecrow or not.
"I suppose it was, but what else was there to do? I needed to be busy, and I missed the prince," more tears trickled down her cheek. "I thought if I could busy myself it wouldn't hurt so much that he wasn't there. I thought…"
Her jaw rusted before she could finish speaking. Severus took the oil can and loosened it again.
"Thank you," she replied.
"Indeed, though I would suggest you cry as little as possible. I won't always be here with a can of oil." He dried her tears again
"Oh?"
"Yes, he's going on vacation to Emerald City," Harry replied.
"That may have been a bit of a stretch," Severus admitted. "In reality, I am not from here."
"You're from Hogwarts," Hermione replied.
"Yes." He was tempted to run his fingers through her tin hair, but he feared in the sunlight it would burn his hand.
"So why are you going to Emerald City?"
"Because if I remember this story right, the wizard is going to help me go home."
"He is?" She asked.
"Yes, or so I think," Severus answered. "I may be misremembering the movie."
"What's a movie?" Harry asked.
"Nothing you'd understand."
"See, that's why I need to see the wizard. I want to understand what a movie is."
"I'm sure you do," Severus muttered.
"Hey," Harry smiled and pointed to Hermione. "Maybe the wizard can give you a heart."
"Do you think so?" She asked as her eyes glistened.
Severus looked at Hermione. Even in tin form, she had that gentleness in her eyes. If anyone deserved a heart, it would be her. Severus cleared his throat. "I think if the wizard heard your story, he would do whatever he could to help."
"Oh thank you," Hermione leapt up and moved her body. "First you save my body, and then you give me hope for a heart. I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you."
"Don't date a dunderhead and we'll call it even."
"Trust me, when I have my heart I'll be able to love the right man with everything in me."
"And when I have my brain, I'll be able to tell you who is worth your time and who is not," Harry replied.
"And when I go home I'll be rid of you both," Severus said.
"Hey," Harry noted. "That's the first grumpy thing you've said since meeting Hermione."
"How can anyone be grumpy when they're about to see the wizard?" Hermione asked with a smile.
Severus' stomach sank. He was beginning to hear the background music again.
"When a girl's an empty kettle she should be on her mettle, and yet I'm torn apart…"
"No!"
The music once again stopped, Hermione glanced over at Severus, who was now scowling.
"I do not tolerate singing," he answered. "It gets on my last nerve."
"Why? You look like you'd have a lovely singing voice," she replied.
"Perhaps if I'm alone in the shower I sing somewhat adequately, but I am hopeless in public."
"Oh a shower," Hermione's eyes grew dreamy. "I used to love showers and walking in the rain. I do miss water sometimes, or at least I miss not being afraid of it."
"I suppose I can understand the sentiment," Severus answered. "The last time it rained I got swept up into a tornado."
"What's a tornado?" Harry asked.
"It's a funnel cloud of wind which apparently throws shacks on witches."
"Is the Wicked Witch of the West dead?" Hermione asked.
"No, but if I had my way she would be," Severus answered.
"You and half of Oz," she replied.
"I killed the Wicked Witch of the East, and have earned Molly's ire for it."
"You have my deepest sympathy."
"Mrow."
"Oh aren't you cute!" Hermione gushed as she held out her arms.
Crookshanks leapt into them and purred. Severus felt a pang in his chest. Did Hermione miss Crookshanks right now? How devastated was she that the half kneazle had chased him out into the shack? Was she despairing of ever seeing him again?
"Why are you standing there? Do you want to see the wizard or not?" Harry asked as he began wandering down the yellow brick road.
"Of course," Severus followed him, Hermione in tow. A few times she danced around, gleeful to be free of her rusty imprisonment. Severus kept the oil can close to him, just in case she needed it. Even if she was pining after a prince who didn't deserve her, it was gratifying to see her have a moment of joy. It was too bad he could not be the person giving it to her.