Title: Hermione Figures it Out
Author: LadyBelinda
Pairing: Harry/Snape
Rating: PG
Summary: Hermione is given a clue.
Size: 1274 words, 9kb
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters or ideas. JK Rowling, publishers, and film companies own everything. I'm not making anything from this piece of work.
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Hermione frowned, trying to figure out what was… off about the scene before her.
Professor Snape was talking to Harry, pointing out something in the book they were both hunched over at the dinning room table, Snape with his back to her, Harry sitting sideways on the chair facing Snape. She couldn't hear what they were saying, not from where she was sitting in a chair by the window reading. Occasionally a word or two would make its way over to her, but she couldn't tell what they were discussing. Every now and then, they would turn their attention away from the book and look at each other.
Whatever they were talking about, they seemed to getting along. Professor Dumbledore had finally had enough of their constant bickering and ordered them into a closed door meeting after a big yelling match in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place which had been several months ago now. Both Hermione and Ron, had tried to get Harry to tell them about the meeting, but all Harry had told them with a shrug was that Professor Dumbledore had laid down the law and said they were to get along with each other or else he would ban them both from attending future meetings.
Since then, they appeared to be making an effort to control themselves and everyone had noted that so far Professor Dumbledore threat had worked. Grimmauld Place was a lot quieter without the shouting matches that happened whenever Professor Snape and Harry came together. But looking at them now, Hermione couldn't help feeling something was different. More than just an agreement to civil towards one another.
There! A smile. A strange occurrence on Professors Snape's face which seemed foreign to Hermione. She tried to remember when she had seen a smile on the face of the most hated teacher in Hogwarts, but besides the small smirk he gave when he took points off Gryffindor students, she had never seen him smile. And, this smile was directed towards Harry!
Determined to figure out what was happening before her, she turned her attention towards their body language. Pulling information from a documentary she had watched with her parents one school holiday on body language, she started putting together clues as to what had drew her attention to them in the first place.
They were sitting closer than needed, their hands constantly brushing against one another as they read and discussed the book before them. The way Harry would tilt his head and look up at Professor Snape in an almost shy manner. The way Professor Snape would arch an eyebrow, and smirk at Harry. And Harry would grin back.
With all the information before her, Hermione still couldn't put it all together. It all added up to something, but what? What wasn't she getting? What clue was she missing?
Harry pushed back his chair, and stood up. He said something more to Professor Snape, and then started to walk away, towards the doorway which led to the stairway. He hadn't seen her yet, but he would soon. Tilting her head down so that it appeared as if she was reading, she caught sight of Professor Snape standing as well, and take a step towards Harry.
"Potter."
Harry paused, and then turned around.
"Take this book and finish reading it tonight. I will discuss it with you tomorrow morning at 9. Don't be late."
Harry walked until he stood in front of Professor Snape, and held out his hand for the book. They stared at each other for a moment, before Professor Snape held the book out for Harry to take. Harry took the book, their fingers brushing as he did. "As you wish," Harry murmured as he slowly turned towards the door again.
Professor Snape spoke softly, "I do." Then he turned and headed towards the kitchen.
Hermione saw the small grin on Harry's face as he too turned to leave the room. She sat there stunned for a moment, finally realising what she had witnessed. They cared for one another, possibly even loved one another. How could she not have seen it?
"Harry?" Hermione called, dying to know if what she thought was correct. If she was correct, then she would have to do all that she could to help.
Almost out the door, Harry was startled. "Hermione? How long have you been there? I thought you were out with Ron."
"Er, no. Ron – Ron was going to see the twins, and I wanted to finish my book." Licking her lips, she thought of how to ask the question she was dying to blurt out. "How long have to been getting along with Professor Snape?"
Harry shrugged. "Ever since Professor Dumbledore forced us to stop arguing, I suppose. We met afterwards, and realised that what we felt wasn't really hate any more. Hadn't been for a while, now that I think about it. I still think he's a git sometimes, but at least he isn't insulting me anymore. I suppose we are friends. Not best friends, like you and me, and Ron. But defiantly more understanding where the other is coming from and what guides us. Why?"
Twirling her ribbon bookmark around her finger she looked for the right words. "Well, I have just noticed that before you both hated each other with a passion. Now it seems almost the opposite. What do you feel for each other now?"
Harry frowned and looked down at his book for a moment. "I suppose you could say that we have an understanding as to what we each want for the future and how to get it. I always knew that I would be alone when it came to the final fight with Voldemort. Now I know that I won't be. Professor Snape will be there helping me."
"Oh." Hermione thought for a moment. "I'm just having trouble reconciling the fact that you both put so much effort and emotion into fighting with each other. And it has suddenly seemed to stop. Where has all the emotion gone?"
A small smirk lit Harry's face. "We just turned that passion for fighting into something else. After all, they do say love is the opposite of hate and it's a very fine line between the two."
Realising that Harry was saying that he loved Professor Snape confirmed what she had thought. Almost a whisper, she ask "What kind of love?"
Harry just winked and left the room, only to pop his head back around the door way. "Oh, and Hermione?"
"Yes?" she asked weakly.
"Next time you're at your parents, watch the Princess Bride, or read the book. Then you will know the answer to your question." And with that he disappeared, leaving Hermione sitting alone in the room, thinking over what Harry had said.
Standing, she rushed into the kitchen, where she told Mrs Weasley that she had to go and visit her parents for a few hours.
Two hours later, Hermione watched the end credit's of the video roll across the screen. She now knew that whenever Harry said "As you wish" he was saying "I love you" to Professor Snape, and mostly likely when Professor Snape answered back with his own saying, he was saying "I love you too".
She knew that the path before Harry could end with his death at the hands of Voldemort, but maybe with Professor Snape at his side, he would survive. And Hermione was going to help make that a reality.
Now, how to work on Ron so that he would accept Professor Snape and Harry loving one another, was another story.
End