A/N: Written for the "I'm Falling in Love... Again" competition and the Movie Quotes Drabble Challenge over at HPFC. These competitions, challenges, and boot camps are oh so much fun. :D

Strong as United prompts: Gentle

Movie Quote: "Cheap is cheap. That's what I always say."

Hermione Granger was particularly grumpy that day. It wasn't that her shoes were too tight, despite what Parvati may have suggested to Lavender when they saw her expression that morning in the elevator; it wasn't that she had recently been dumped, as the newspaper salesman suspected when he saw her stalk through the Ministry entrance; and it wasn't that her hair wasn't behaving- it always looked like that, thank you very much, and she damn well liked it that way.

No, Hermione Granger was particularly grumpy because, of all the days in the world for it to be, it was Valentine's Day. She knew, of course, that it had to be Valentine's Day sometimes; she just, you know, wished she could sleep through it or something. Ridiculous, sappy, consumerist holiday.

Imagine her surprise when she opened the door to her office and found a large vase of roses. Who the hell... Hermione approached the vase slowly, almost suspicious, her heels click clicking gently on the marble floor. She folded her arms and rolled her eyes when she read the inscription.

The pencil skirts are sexy. -SB

She strutted down the hall to where Sirius Black's corner office was nestled. His title was Section Head, but what he actually did, she had no idea- she vaguely suspected Kingsley had given him the position as an apology for the hell he went through and was simply too professional to admit it. Regardless of his alleged importance, she practically slammed his door open to find him sitting behind his desk, grinning, feet kicked up, arms folded behind his head.

"I see you got the flowers."

She rolled her eyes yet again. "How much did you spend on that floral arrangement?"

"Call them flowers," he insisted. "A floral arrangement sounds like something you'd send to a funeral. And I won't give you a number," Sirius continued, disregarding her expression, "but rest assured they're quality- cheap is cheap. That's what I always say," he added knowingly.

"You spend so much time seducing me, and then once you have me, you go and ruin it by saying things like that," she said, smiling lightly.

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "So, dinner? I'll pick you up at five?" Hermione threw her hands in the air. "Six?"

"Fine."

He winked. "Wear something nice."