AN: This was written for Healer Pomfrey's writing contest and in honor of the snow that arrived on New Year's!
When everyone woke up on Saturday morning, the grounds of Hogwarts were covered in a crystal blanket of pure white snow. Fred and George went around the Common Room, trying to organize a huge snowball fight, while a lot of the first years were asking the prefects if they could transfigure something into a sled, so that they can go sledding down one of the hills.
Harry and Ron kept pestering Hermione to go outside with them.
"C'mon, 'Mione, let's go build a snowman," whined Ron.
"Ronald, how many times have I told you? I need to finish the Transfiguration essay and then start reviewing for Ancient Runes. I do not have time to go outside," Hermione lectured, while the truth was that she had no desire to go outside when she was already cold sitting inside. The wind had been howling all day, and it sent shivers through her.
"Aw, but Hermione, that essay isn't due until Thursday. We have plenty of time to write that essay. We just want to you to go play in the snow with us for about an hour or so. Please, Hermione?" Harry said from her other side.
"Please, Hermione?" Ron and Harry said together, in a very well practiced whine that usually persuaded their female friend to do just about anything.
"Alright, fine, but only if we get to drink hot cocoa, after we go outside. Plus, this afternoon you two are going to work on the Transfiguration Essay with me," she said, continuing in her teacher mode.
The three got into a major snowball fight with not only Fred and George, but even their Head of House joined them in enjoying the freshly fallen snow. They were soon all soaked through their winter cloaks, but they all continued to fight. Eventually, they switched over to helping some of the younger students build a snowman. The rest of the morning passed quickly, and eventually, everyone trooped inside to go get changed and then go down to lunch.
Ron, the forever hungry one of the trio, was done changing first. He sat down in front of the raging fire in the Common Room. Harry shortly followed and the two were hungrily waiting for Hermione to come down so that they could all go to lunch. Ginny arrived soon after Harry.
"Hey, Ginny, do you think you could go upstairs and see what Hermione is up to?" Ron asked his sister, in his sweetest voice.
"It is unlike her to take this long to change into robes," Harry commented as Ginny scowled at her brother, but got up and went to check on her friend anyway.
Ginny sprinted up the spiral staircase, eager to find out what Hermione was up to, and for lunch.
"Hey, Hermione, are you up here?" Ginny called as she reached the floor that the fifth years lived on.
"Ginny?" a hoarse voiced called from the other side of the door.
"Can I come in?"
"Sure," the same hoarse voice called.
When Ginny entered the dormitory, Hermione was just finishing pulling on her robes.
"Ron and Harry are being impatient as usual –" Ginny started but Hermione cut her off.
"You can tell them to go ahead to lunch without me. I am going to go look some things up for the DA meeting that we have later on in the library," the other girl said seriously, as she picked up her book bag and began walking towards the door.
"Are you sure you aren't hungry? We skipped breakfast and ran around all morning," Ginny said, slightly concerned for her friend, who wasn't one for skipping two meals in a row.
"Ginny, I'm fine!" Hermione snapped, before she stomped out of the dormitory, down the stairs, and past her two friends, without so much as a "Hello."
"Oi! What's with her?" Ron asked, his mouth half full of a chocolate frog.
"Dunno mate," Harry responded as he looked up from the Quidditch magazine he had been flipping through.
"Ginny, what'd you do?" Ron questioned his sister, as she too came down the stairs after Hermione.
"Honestly, Ronald, I didn't do anything. She was in a foul mood when I went up there and then said that she was going to go to the library and skip lunch," Ginny growled at her brother, unsure about why everyone was snapping at her today.
"C'mon, mate, let's just go to lunch. We can check on her after we are done eating, but I don't want to miss the pudding," Harry said reasonably.
"Pudding sounds good," Ron said, always ready for more food.
"Ronald, how can you always be hungry?" Ginny growled once more.
Lunch passed by quickly and the two boys filled themselves food easily. Today they were serving chocolate pudding, Harry's favorite and he took two helpings.
The two now-full boys, slowly walked up towards the library, barely avoiding Umbridge along the way. They knew that had she known about their snowball fight that morning, she probably would have banned any fun activity.
"Hey, 'Mione," Ron said in his best cheerful voice, as he sat down next to her in the library.
"Hi, Ron. Did you bring your Transfiguration essay so that I can look over it?" she replied, without looking up from her work.
"Well, since I haven't started it, no, but I didn't come to see you just for help with my essay," Ron said, spooked by the prospect of working on an essay days before its due.
"Actually, 'Mione, we just came to see how you are," Harry said, sitting beside her.
"I'm fine, guys. Now either leave, or work!" Hermione growled, annoyed at them for some unknown reason.
"How hard have you been working, 'Mione, you are sweating a lot," Harry exclaimed.
"Harry—" Hermione began but Ron started talking before she could finish that thought.
"Your cheeks are all flushed, and your eyes are kind of glassy," Ron commented.
"It is rather hot in here," Hermione retorted, as she shuffled through the pile of parchment in front of her.
"Hermione, its obvious that you have a fever and you need to go to the Hospital Wing," Ginny responded sternly.
"Oi! Where did you come from?" Ron said, surprised.
"Honestly, Ronald!" Hermione and Ginny both exclaimed together, before they dissolved in giggles together.
"C'mon, Hermione. Hospital Wing, Now!" Harry scolded from the opposite side.
"Boys, I feel perfectly fine! I am not going to the Hospital Wing, I have so much work to do before the end of this weekend," Hermione complained loudly.
"Ms. Granger! Why are you being so loud? This is a library, you know?" Professor Snape sneered, as he came up alongside their table. She immediately picked her head up, and found that her Professor's expression changed from a sneering expression to one of shock and concern.
"Ms. Granger, are you quite alright?" he said, without any of his usual sneer or malice.
"Why is everyone fussing over me today?" she said, as she snapped the book she had been reading closed.
"Ms. Granger! Five points from Gryffindor for snapping at a teacher. Also, you will go to the Hospital Wing, this instant and you will not argue with me!" her Potions teacher responded, in his usual silky voice, without ever raising it.
Moodily but quickly, she gathered up all of her books.
"Do I dare trust that you two dunderheads to get her to the Hospital Wing, by yourselves?"
"Yes, sir" Harry and Ron replied, sincerely. For once, they agreed with Professor Snape.
Ron chivalrously offered his arm for Hermione to lean on, while Harry picked up the rest of her books and unceremoniously stuffed them into her book bag.
"Oh, my! Ms. Granger, how did you let yourself get this sick?" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed as she saw the trio slowly make their way towards one of the closest beds to the doors.
As hard as she tried, the Healer couldn't convince the two boys to leave Hermione. Eventually, she gave up and ran a bunch of diagnostic scans. Small, green letters appeared over the bed where Hermione had already succumbed to sleep. Harry, Ron and Madame Pomfrey all looked up to see what they read: Fever of 102 degrees (39.4 C), headache, nauseous , aches, chills, sore throat.
"Well, boys, you friend appears to have caught the flu. I want both of you, out, now. She is sick, and still very contagious. You can come visit her in the morning if you'd wish, but right now she needs rest, and I don't want you to catch this," she lectured.
"Isn't there a potion you can give us to make us immune?" Ron asked, he had heard his mom talk about an influenza immunity potion.
"Unfortunately, I am only authorized to give that to caregivers. It is a very expensive potion, and it is in short supply," she said, clearly regretful that she couldn't give it to the general student population.
Just then, Professor Snape strode into the room.
"Wow, you two actually brought her here without another reminder. Impressive," Snape drawled, "Poppy, you wanted to see me about some potions?"
"Ah, yes, Severus, I need some more Flu-be-gone potion as well as more fever-reducers," the Healer quietly responded, mindful of her sleeping patient.
The two of them went off in one corner to discuss the supply of Potions that the Hospital Wing needed. Meanwhile, Harry conjured a basin of water and a couple of washcloths and gently started bathing his friend's face.
"Where did you learn that spell?" Ron asked in amazement.
"Dunno" Harry responded. He handed a washcloth to Ron and they both carefully worked on removing the sweat from her face without waking her up.
The Medi-Witch gently nudged the Potions Master in the side and pointed over towards the bed where the two boys were helping their friend.
"See, Severus? Those boys aren't complete dunderheads, they honestly care of the well-being of their friend," she remarked, amazed that two teenage boys would rather spend an afternoon helping a sick friend then playing outside in the snow with their other friends.
"Yes, well, impressive. Although, if neither one as had the immunity potion, they are bound to get the same illness. Shall I brew some for them?" he said in a deadly quiet voice, which most of his students were afraid of but the Medi-Witch was far from being afraid of him.
"Why, Severus, you do have a heart," she smiled, as she walked back over the boys.
"Good news boys. It looks like we have managed to secure two doses of influenza immunity potion for you, but you have to promise to help me around the Hospital Wing in general, and not just sit next to your friend. Promise?" she chuckled softly when they both jumped at the sound of her voice.
"Yes, ma'am! We promise to help you out as much as possible!" Harry responded, and gave Madame Pomfrey a brilliant smile.
"First, we have to seek approval from the Headmaster," she scolded gently, but she was pleased to have two helpers around the Hospital Wing. She knew that the three friends were very close and she thought that it was touching that they wanted to stay and help their friend.
A quick floo call to the Headmaster and a delivery of immunity potion, and everything was all set. The two boys spent the rest of the weekend in the Hospital Wing, helping the Medi-Witch clean the large airy room, and sort her potions stock. Hermione was feeling much better by Sunday evening and convinced the Medi-Witch to release her in time for her classes on Monday. Professor McGonagall gave each boy 15 points for assisting the Medi-Witch and for caring for their friend.
AN: Thank you for reading! Please review!!