"And where is it you want me to take her?" Poppy asked Severus, hesitant of his request.

She had run into Severus in the staff room while she went to fetch some magazines that she'd left in there the night before. He was propped up in an armchair, looking far too satisfied about something. "I know you two are going to lunch this afternoon. Can you bring her by here around seven tonight?"

Poppy crossed her arms. "Why couldn't you have asked her yourself this morning?"

"Didn't think of it," Severus shrugged. He lowered his eyes back to his book. Annoyed at his vague request, Poppy impatiently grabbed his book from his hands, forcing him to look at her. "Why are you so irritating?" he asked.

Poppy smirked. "Because you're acting more off putting than usual."

"I have a surprise for her tonight," Severus said, grabbing his book back like a child who had been scolded. He was certainly acting like one. "Can't you just do me this favor?"

Huffing a few curses under her breath, Poppy agreed and hurried off to meet her friend for lunch.

"What in Merlin's name was he asking you to bring me to the staff room for?" Minerva asked a little while later as they walked down the road to Hogsmeade.

"The hell if I know," Poppy shrugged.

Minerva rolled her eyes. "He's been acting odd the last few days." A silence fell between them until Minerva laughed. "I'm not worrying about that right now," she finally said, throwing an arm around Poppy. "You needed to get out of the castle for a while; I'm glad we're doing this."

Poppy smiled, a hint of guilt in the back of her mind for leaving the hospital wing. "I have to admit, it does feel to good to be out of my medic clothes for a bit." She stretched her arms in the loose-fitting robes she had put on. "Much roomier."

"Between you and Pomona, I have my hands full."

"You have your own worries with everything going on," Poppy pointed out. Minerva spent so much time looking after all of them, between her in the hospital wing and Pomona in the greenhouse. But, Poppy, Pomona, and Rolanda had all expressed concerns that Minerva had more on her plate than she was letting on. From what Pomona and Filius had said in the passing weeks, parents were growing restless with the increase in petrifications. If the heads of houses were getting a lot of owls, then Minerva was probably getting double, not only as a head of house, but as Deputy Headmistress.

"I'll be just fine," Minerva assured here as they approached the entrance to the Three Broomsticks.

A few hours later, after a well needed afternoon lunch and drink, the two women made their way through the castle's halls towards the staff room. Poppy was racking her brain trying to figure out what the hell she was leading Minerva into. "Oh, Merlin," Minerva muttered, coming to a halting stop.

"What?"

Minerva pointed to the floor, a look of horror on her face. Red rose petals were strewn down the hallway leading towards the staff room. "What is he doing?"

"Maybe I should go," Poppy suggested, hoping to Merlin she wasn't going to be caught up in anything intimidate between the two. She had grown to care for them as a couple, but the thought of Minerva bedding a former Death Eater still made her queasy. If that's what Severus was planning, Rolanda would have been the better option.

"Oh, no you don't," Minerva growled, grabbing her arm. "This isn't that," she explained, walking along the trail of petals. "I don't know what it is, but that is not how Severus does things."

They continued along the hall, Minerva looking more and more annoyed as they went. "You know," she said when they had reached a closed staff room door. "Gryffindor is ahead in points right now. I bet he did something with trophy that is rightfully sitting in my room, and he used the time we were out to get it in the staff room." She shook her head. "Remind me to change my password when this is done," she said to Poppy.

As Minerva pushed open the door to the staff room, Poppy felt her own jaw drop. Straight ahead on the wall that held the fireplace was a large, if large was a good enough description, portrait of Gilderoy. It was signed To Minerva in red ink with his signature plastered across the bottom. The room was dim, only small tealights flickering around the room. The normally cozy furniture had been transfigured into silk chaises and a fancy dinner table and chairs. Seated at one of the chairs with a glass of wine in his hand was Gilderoy, clad in pink dress robes, his hair slicked back. Poppy had to admit that the room smelled good- like chocolate and wine. "Hello, Minnie," Gilderoy smiled, placing his glass on the table and walking towards her. Poppy felt her jaw drop, and she could feel the discomfort oozing off Minerva. He reached out, took her hand, and kissed it. Poppy peeked around to see Minerva's face which was just a look of pure astonishment. Poppy poked her in the back to get her to say something.

"Gilderoy," she finally said, her Scottish accent more prominent than it usually was. "What in Merlin's name are you doing? I was told by Severus to-,"

"Ah, yes, my dear!" he exclaimed, wrapping an arm around her and leading her into the room. "Severus explained your little…dissatisfaction on Valentine's day and asked me to step in and…" He laughed, shoving a bouquet of flowers so eagerly into her hands, she looked like she was going to fall. "Make up for the romance you were missing!"

"Did he?" Minerva asked, her face turning red.

"Of course I thought he was insane for throwing away a good thing," he said. "But, alas, I was happy to indulge…especially for one of my biggest fans." He gestured to the massive portrait that covered the main wall of the staff room. He ran to it and stood next to it, modeling his pose in the photo, reminiscent of a Muggle statue Poppy remembered seeing in a museum years before.

"Your biggest fans?"

"Yes, I told Gilderoy how much you've been talking about him since he arrived." Poppy jumped at the deep voice that came from behind her. In the doorway stood Severus, the smuggest look Poppy could ever remember seeing plastered across his face. It was rare he ever looked happy, but he looked absolutely thrilled.

Minerva's fists were white as they gripped the flowers in her hands. She stomped towards Severus, pushing Poppy out of the way. "I could hex you right here, you know that," she growled, prodding a finger into his chest.

Gilderoy walked to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Minerva…please relax. There's no need to be embarrassed. I have so many closeted fans. At least it's out on the table now!" He smiled, and for a moment Poppy almost felt sorry for the buffoon. He was clearly convinced Minerva was a fan, and he had put a lot of work into the evening.

"That's not the only thing that's going to on the table," Minerva said, pulling her wand and pointing it to Severus.

In one quick motion, Severus grabbed the wand from her hand and placed it inside his robes. "I think Gilderoy is handling the magic this evening," he whispered with a hint of fake seduction. Smiling, Severus took Poppy's hand and led her out the door. She shot Minerva a sympathetic frown, and before Minerva could say another word, Severus shouted, "Have a nice dinner, you two!" and shut the door behind them.

Once they were alone and bit further down the hall, Poppy shook her hand out of Severus's. "Explain," she said firmly.

Severus was, for the first time since he had arrived years ago, keeled over with laughter, leaning against the walls of the hallway. Poppy realized she had never seen him laugh before, perhaps a chuckle or a smirk, but never a full bellied laugh. As much as she was trying to stick up for her friend and scold Severus, she couldn't help but break into laughter with him. The thought of Minerva enduring an entire meal alone with Gilderoy was a hysterical thought. When both she and Severus had composed themselves, Poppy wiped the tears that had formed under her eyes from the laughter. "I told her not to watch the dueling club," he said more like himself. "And she did. I am simply repaying the debt."

"You've evil," Poppy pointed out.

He shrugged. "Not the first time I've been called that, and I assure you it was for worse things."

As uncomfortable as the comment should have made her, Poppy found something endearing about the way he had grown comfortable as the years went by. His love for Minerva had been proven two-fold, and her distrust had faded as days went on. The happiness etched into his eyes when they were together had become too much to ignore. He was rarely outwardly affectionate, but something about him was always different when she was around. Poppy placed a hand on his arm. "As Minerva's friend, I have to hate you for this," she chided. "But, I never quite said it, Severus…I'm glad she has you." An odd sense of relief, like she had unburdened a guilt, washed over her at saying the words. For so long she had harbored so much hate for the man, maybe not hate, but severe distrust. After the first few years, it hadn't been justified. He had more than proved himself, but the thought of him with Minerva had always made her uncomfortable. In the last few years, however, he had really grown on her. It was hard to admit she'd been wrong about him.

Severus looked touched at her comment, his eyes sparkling with some sort of emotion. "Thank you," he said awkwardly.

Poppy squeezed his arm. "I was never, ah, quite fair with you."

"I couldn't stand you for a long time," he admitted with a raised eyebrow.

The comment hurt, but only for a moment. She understood. "I suppose this is a truce?" she asked. He nodded, and Poppy did something she hadn't expected of herself. She hugged him. It was short, but she'd felt a need to show him some sort of sign that they weren't just words. The Potion's Masters limbs were stiff, but he embraced her back for a moment. They stood in an awkward silence for a moment. "I better be getting back to the hospital wing," she said. Poppy began to walk away when Severus called her name.

"I guess it's good we finally came to a truce," he said. "I'm in some bloody deep shit after this evening."

Poppy smiled. "Was it worth it?"

"Her face was worth it all."