Penguins

Hermione paid, though in reality that was nothing new. She had grown up in this world, living with purses and traffic and paper money for most of her life. It made sense for her to deal with the financial aspects of their excursions into Muggle Britain, though Severus looked firmly in the other direction as the money changed hands.

Their first real row had been after another such occasion. She had tipped a waiter, something unheard of in wizarding establishments, and Severus had taken offense. They bickered fiercely over the subject of funds, and propriety, and the unspoken but omnipresent topic of pride. Hermione had screamed, frustrating Severus and sending herself into surprised and embarrassed tears. He was stony long after they resolved the issue, and Hermione didn't hear from him for nearly a week.

The next time they went out, he merely asked if she was bringing her purse. She had paid, and he had tried not to think about it.

The tickets were small, two bright pieces of paper that fit easily within Hermione's palm. She fingered the edges as they walked, her gloves dulling the sensation.

"You've really never been to the zoo?" Hermione pulled her scarf tighter around her neck against an especially nasty gust of wind. She glanced curiously over at Severus, who was, predictably, stalking along. His hands were jammed deep into his pockets, and he was studiously expressionless.

"Never." His coat, while not overly long, still managed to billow in the wind. He looked surprising at home in Muggle clothing. "You forget, Ms Granger, that we were raised in very different circumstances."

"I didn't forget." Hermione paused, allowing a group of frozen school children to pass before them. Severus glared at the lot of them and was roundly ignored. He struck a much less imposing figure out of his robes, and out of his dungeons. If he noticed that Hermione took him places where they were both out of their element, he did not mention it. "I thought you might have gone as an adult. I wouldn't have been surprised if you'd perhaps visited out of curiosity, for the educational aspects."

Severus shook his head tersely. "I see no purpose in learning about creatures I am never exposed to."

"I never said there would be a practical purpose." Hermione cut her way smoothly through the crowd, aiming for the relative warmth of the aquarium. "I meant learning solely for the sake of learning, for the experience of it. I came here as a child, and discovering the new animals was almost more fun than watching them." She avoided most of the people as she walked, but was occasionally jostled nonetheless. Severus placed a steadying hand at the small of her back, and she didn't bother hiding her smile.

"So." It was dim inside. The tanks glowed in the darkness, and their inhabitants cast strange shadows upon the floors and walls. Severus glowered at the children's exhibits, at the families gathered around shallow pools and expansive tanks. Hermione rolled her eyes impatiently at him, though obviously she was accustomed to such behaviour. "What is it, specifically, that you felt you needed to show me?"

"You'll see." Hermione walked off, slipping once more through the people as she headed for the back of the building. Severus followed, eventually standing next to her in front of a large tank. Chunks of false ice floated above an expanse of water, its surface at eye level. Even through the thick glass, he could feel the chill of the obviously frigid water. It was unpleasantly like being exposed to the elements again.

"Penguins," she stated simply, pointing to -- well, to something black and white. The creatures stood huddled in a group on the ice, their markings making them appear stiff and formal. Severus wasn't quite sure if he was looking at a flock of birds or at a school of fish. One dove smoothly into the water, its body streamlined as it swam away. "Look how gracefully they move."

Severus made an indistinct noise, turning to watch Hermione instead.