Alone?
Disclaimer: I don't own HP
As third year student Hermione Granger looked around the Great Hall during dinner, she observed the various interactions of the students and staff. She saw couples holding hands on the table, occasionally sharing a special look; best friends laughing and joking, or just conversing; fifth and seventh year students missing their mouths as they read textbooks and attempted to eat at the same time; Ron stuffing his face; and the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, looking around at his students with a smile on his face and an extra-special twinkle in his eyes.
Hermione could tell how much Dumbledore loved people, and as her gaze swept over the different relationships between the students, she wondered if he had any of that. He seemed friendly with the staff, even Snape, but did he have true friends? Did he have a family? What did he do when he wasn't working? He couldn't possibly just sit around and think up new, brilliant ideas all day, like the twelve uses of dragon's blood. As she watched a girl sneak fish to her cat, Hermione wondered if he had any pets besides Fawkes. Had he ever loved a woman, or did he even now? Hermione was curious by nature and was not embarrassed to ponder these things.
She, like the rest of the wizarding world, thought that Dumbledore was unwed. There was no mention of a Mrs. Dumbledore anywhere in any book, so everyone perceived him as a figurehead of peace and power, nothing more. Not a husband, a father, or any type of a family member. No one ever contemplated Albus Dumbledore, the person, just Albus Dumbledore, the hero and educator. So Hermione couldn't help but wonder.
Hermione knew from watching her parents that love was special, something to be treasured. She couldn't imagine her parents without each other, so she wondered if Dumbledore ever got lonely when he just had time to be a person, not a Headmaster or awe-inspiring wizarding leader. She watched as he smiled at his students and ate, successfully making food actually enter his mouth despite that fact that he wasn't paying attention, unlike some unfortunate students. With the image of her parents still clear in her mind, Hermione wondered how Dumbledore, a person who enjoyed the presence of people, could not have a wife to love when he had time for a personal moment.
As she watched, he glanced down at his plate and set down his fork. She had noticed that he ate with his left hand, and rarely used his right during meals. He reached with his left hand for the pepper between him and Professor McGonagall at the same time she did. Hermione observed as their hands touched and they glanced at each other, Dumbledore pulling his hand away so his Deputy could have the pepper. They shared a smile that Hermione realized she had seen on the faces of her parents and smiled herself. It occurred to her that she had rarely seen Professor McGonagall use anything but her right hand during meals. Maybe Dumbledore wasn't so alone after all…
