A/N: Thank you so much to those who are reviewing, following, and fav'ing! I'm pleasantly surprised by your responses. Here's the second prompt!
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is copyrighted to and belongs to JK Rowling. I'm just playing in her sandbox and own none of her associated characters. New characters belong to me.
"You sound sick. Are you sick?"
(Prompt chosen by jensteed)
Hermione coveted her warm cup of tea between her lukewarm palms, happy to be cosied up next to her husband for added warmth. Her throat had felt scratchy much of the day, and the burning fireplace just wasn't providing enough heat. The warming charm they had placed on the small cottage was proving rather weak, but neither seemed particularly keen on fixing it, however, for their intertwined spot on the couch–and their engaging, separate books–was simply too pacifying to bother with fussing about for their wands.
The married couple had been looking forward to getting some use out of the new home-away-from-home they had purchased over the summer, and yet, this winter weekend was the first they had been able to properly get away and enjoy it.
An unanticipated snow storm had them getting even more out of it than they had bargained on. Luckily, they had brought plenty of work with them (and reading material, of course) to occupy themselves over the four-day stretch they had been cooped up indoors like a pair of trapped, confined muggles.
It was quite fun, to be perfectly honest–pretending that they had no way out and nowhere else to be–but their initial mini-weekend getaway couldn't last much longer. Hermione had to return to her pile of papers at the Ministry, and Severus likely had a handful of potion orders awaiting his signature back at their flat in London.
"One more day," they had agreed upon that morning, each privately mourning the end to their precious time off together.
Hermione was suddenly thrust out of her warming thoughts–and position–by a mighty sneeze to her left. Her tea nearly flew out of her hands in surprise.
"Sorry," Severus grumbled apologetically; or croaked, rather.
"Not at all. And bless you," she said, turning to her husband just as he stifled another sneeze into his fist and dug into his pockets to retrieve a handkerchief. He couldn't seem to find one and muttered irritably to himself. "Here, Severus." She elbowed him to take hers.
"Always prepared, you are," he mused, with a half-cocked smirk, as he accepted the dangling, pink-coloured handkerchief and proceeded to blow his nose.
"You're welcome," Hermione teased. She stuck out her tongue, though Severus missed the cheeky effect, and looked him over thoughtfully.
Severus nodded an appreciative 'thank you' and sniffed a few times before stowing the handkerchief away. The rims around his eyes, Hermione realised, were red and his long nose and pale cheeks were splotchy, indicative of a cold.
"You sound sick, love." She reached out and pressed the back of her hand to his forehead. He didn't feel warm, but he was looking rather worn down.
Severus blinked and returned her gaze with a certain worry of his own. "You're trembling, Hermione." He snatched her hand and safeguarded it within his in an attempt to warm her up.
Don't tell me... Both seemingly reflected at the same time as they stared into one another's eyes; but then Hermione was overtaken by a brief coughing fit.
"Are you sick, too?" Severus returned with a troubled snarl. He roped a protective arm around Hermione's shoulder and pulled her against him.
"Maybe," she hacked again. She paused to gingerly sip her tea. "Must be our pathetic warming charm. We really should've done a better job of that. Although..."
Not missing the obvious suggestion to her tone, Severus shot Hermione an inquisitive look over. "Did you have something in mind?"
"Well...if we were both sick...it would warrant us sticking around here–"
"For another day or two," he finished, reading Hermione's thought process.
"Precisely! Why should we venture out into the cold tomorrow, even to Apparate, if we aren't well? We might catch our deaths out there."
"Indeed." At the enticing grin that morphed across his wife's mouth, Severus snorted and shook his head, amused. "Clever, naughty witch." He directed a raised, provocative eyebrow at her. "Does this mean we'll cook each other hot meals?"
Hermione giggled, "Oh, yes, that can be arranged."
"Take a bath together?"
"You're reading my language, Mister."
"Snuggle underneath the covers?"
Hermione laughed harder–and regrettably had to clear her sore throat–at her snarky wizard's use of the mere word 'snuggle'. It was one of his confidential, favourite ways to pass the time with her (and, naturally, she loved it).
"Oh, most definitely!" she concurred once she had recovered.
"And you'll rub my feet, perhaps?"
At that, Hermione's expression soured. "Only if you'll make it up to me later."
Severus's dark irises glistened with mirth. "I'd be much obliged."
"You'd better!" Giving a broader smile, Hermione leaned in to kiss and nuzzle one of Severus's cheeks. "And I was only joking about making it up to me, love. Shall we?"
Some hot soup, Pepper Up, and bona fide snuggling in bed sounded like the perfect way to end their evening (and maybe the next day as well, if they were fortunate enough to still be under the weather).
A/N #2: Hope you enjoyed le fluff. Thank you to those who review! And with the elections tomorrow, I'll likely put off posting the last prompt 'till Wednesday.
