Author's note: Just fluff, because you know what? Fluff. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns the canon, world, and characters portrayed below and you can tell I'm not J.K. Rowling because #transrights

Warnings: Fade to black-like ending.

Hogwarts: Assignment #3, Floral Design Task #4 Write about a romantic gesture.

Running an Errand

Filius was the one who tapped on his elbow halfway through dinner and directed Remus' attention away from his copy of The Prophet.

"I think there's somebody waiting for you at the doors," Filius said, mischief lighting up his tone. When Remus looked up to the open doors of the Great Hall, he saw a figure in purple robes topped with pink.

"I know who that is," Slughorn said pointedly, cutting into his pork chop with a pleased grin on his face.

"Yes, well, she doesn't exactly pride herself on subtlety," Remus said. He put down the utensils he'd been eating with and folded his copy of the paper. "I'll be back."

He smoothed down his robes and got up, hoping that the kitchen wouldn't whisk away his plate before he returned. He supposed it wouldn't matter if it did; Kreacher worked in the kitchen and could usually find Remus something to eat when he got peckish while grading late at night.

He made the mistake of trying to be discreet and walk along the wall of the Great Hall nearest to the Slytherins as he made his escape. His fifth year class that day had gotten a bit out of hand practising the mating call of the Yeti and apparently news of the hysterics had circulated—so his students immediately launched themselves into an uproarious cacophony of long shrieks along a roller coaster of pitches. Charming. Remus dignified them with one shriek of his own before waving them off and hurrying along his way. It was good that McGonagall was not around for this meal to question this. Remus liked his job.

Dora was waiting for him, leaning against the entrance of the Great Hall. He smiled when he saw her. He took her hands and tugged her away so that they were standing in the hall outside.

"And what are you doing here?" Remus asked, wrapping his arms around her as soon as they were out of the student body's sight. She was shorter than him today, which Remus secretly loved even if he never voiced any preferences about her many different appearances. She had to stand up on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck. Remus loved that more.

"McGonagall requested copies of the last decade of school safety evaluations from the Auror Department and I volunteered to deliver them so that I could come visit you," Dora said.

"Aren't you romantic," Remus said, kissing the top of her head.

"Oh, you want romance?"

Dora pulled away and reached into her pocket to remove what looked like a ring box, which she passed over to him. Remus was reasonably sure that this was a product from Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes and was pleasantly surprised when he opened the box only for an assortment of wildflowers to sprout upwards.

"I was going to bring you flowers, but the merchant said he had something even better when I told him how I couldn't surprise you often," Dora said. "Do I win at being a wife, or what?"

"You're wife of the year," Remus said, leaning down and kissing her. "Fifth year running, love."

"It didn't even take me that long to get your attention," Dora said.

"That's not especially surprising," Remus said. She frowned. "Your hair, Dora. The pink tends to give you away."

"Hmm," Dora mused. She ran a hand through her hair and the colour indigo spread from her fingertips across her spiky hair. "Better?"

"I could still spot you from a mile away," Remus said. "And now you're making me think of Teddy. How is he?"

"He is doing great," Dora said. "Sleeping over at Grandma's tonight, so he probably had ice cream for dinner and is doing even better than when I last saw him."

"Good for him," Remus said. He leaned forwards and kissed her. His eyes were closed and the smell of Dora's shea butter soap and her powdery fresh laundry detergent filled his nose and he felt like he was home again. Better yet, Dora slipped him some tongue.

"Professor Lupin?" he heard someone say.

And it was over then, because he stepped back to see some of his students staring at him. Well, at them. Yes, they were definitely starring at them, or at the phenomenon of he and Dora together.

"Hello," he said, greeting Mehar Patil, Tommy Ng and Samantha MacMillan who were getting to dinner late. Heaven knew what they'd been up to on their own.

They looked at Tonks and then back at Remus expectantly, grinning to themselves.

"Go on," Remus said, nudging his head towards the Great Hall. Come on, you're only steps away, he wanted to urge the girls. "The kitchens have outdone themselves tonight."

The students giggled.

"Professor Lupin, who's that?" Tommy asked, trying to play it innocently.

"This is my wife," Lupin said as straightforwardly as he could. "Dora, these are some of my students—they're in Hufflepuff."

"Wotcher," Dora said. "I was a Hufflepuff too."

She winked at them and they giggled.

"Professor Lupin, your wife was a Hufflepuff?" Mehar said mischievously.

"Yes," Remus said. "Yes, she… she was."

"I was," Dora repeated. The students lurked some more.

"Professor Lupin, your wife's, like, really pretty," Samantha said.

"Thank you," Remus said carefully.

"Picked the face myself, thanks," Dora mumbled. They laughed and then Remus arched an eyebrow.

"You know, if you spent this much time lurking in the hall, I might not be so generous when you all ask me for an extension on the Grindylow paper in class tomorrow," Remus said. "Yes, I know about that."

"Alright," Mehar said, grabbing her friends by the hands and dragging them forwards.

They really did need an extension. Remus had decided he'd give it to them a week ago anyways, but it did the trick.

"Such a stern teacher," Dora said, clucking her tongue.

"I suppose I didn't have to work so hard to get rid of them, the damage is done," Remus said.

"Damage?"

"Each of those children individually can gossip like nobody's business," Remus said. "When combined, they're just about a force of nature."

"You don't want students gossipping about your pretty wife?" Dora teased.

"No," Remus said. "I rather like you only being my pretty wife."

"Huh," Dora said. She tugged on the front of his robes again, now that they were alone. "Well… Why don't you come here and put that mouth to better use?"

"Dora, we are just outside the Great Hall," Remus said.

"There's nobody around," she said innocently. "Oh, Merlin! I forgot you had a whole office and rooms here. Bloody hell, what are we standing in the halls for?"

"You didn't come here just to run an errand, did you?" Remus said.

"I came here to run two errands," Dora said. "One is done. I need help with the other."

Remus rolled his eyes but couldn't help but smile. The kitchen would have to take his plate away after all, apparently.

Word Count: 1163