I don't own Harry Potter or Shakespeare's sonnet 'Shall I compare thee to a summer's day.'
Please R&R
This was fun to write so I hope you enjoy it!
…
All of the other seventh years gaped at him with looks of shock and horror on their faces.
The only one not wearing a shocked or horrified look was Draco; he was smirking at Harry with a very pleased expression on his face.
Harry shuddered, he had a feeling that he wouldn't be able to get out of this one.
Ron looked disgusted as he shook his head, mumbling something under his breath.
Hermione was wide eyed before she turned to look at Draco "What about the impossible challenge rule? This challenge isn't possible, it could get Harry expelled!"
Draco shook his head but it was Terry who objected Hermione's reasoning. "It's not impossible," Terry said and he gestured towards his house "Luna could have gotten expelled for kissing Lupin on the cheek but she made it work."
Most of the students in the room nodded their agreement.
"But this is Snape!" Hermione almost yelled "He's been trying to have Harry expelled since his first year here and kissing someone on the cheek is a whole different scenario than kissing someone on the lips."
"Yeah well I haven't seen Snape try to get Potter expelled for a while and all the times he did before, Potter had deserved it." Draco said arrogantly "Besides you can't just blame it on the teacher. If Lovegood had gotten kiss Snape on the cheek we all would have expected her to do it."
"But…" Hermione began again before Harry waved her off.
"They're right Hermione, it's a fair challenge" Harry said.
"You can't honestly believe that!" Hermione said outraged.
"Leave it Granger," Draco sneered "Potter has already agreed."
Hermione was shaking her head "Harry please think about your future, you can't go through with this. You can't throw your education away just to win some stupid challenge."
Harry frowned at Hermione; he didn't know what his friend expected him to do. He couldn't just let his house down and show weakness in front of Malfoy. Then Harry remembered one of the other rules and quickly glanced over at Seamus.
Seamus caught the look Harry was giving him and realized what the other boy wanted, he quickly started shaking his head "No way Harry, I know I agreed to be the team captain but there are some things I just won't do."
Draco laughed from across the room "Man I never thought I would see the day Potter realized he can't do everything, and especially over some silly little challenge."
Harry glared at Draco.
"Oh don't worry Potter I'm sure your house won't think badly of you," Draco goaded "even if the rest of us know you're just a coward when it comes down to it."
Neville placed his hand on Harry's shoulder and Harry whipped around to stare at him. Neville gulped and patted his shoulder "You don't have to do this Harry, no one will think badly of you, Malfoy is just being a jerk."
Harry shook his head "I have to," he said quietly and then more loudly "I accept the challenge, I'll do it."
Malfoy grinned and the others around the room looked shocked.
Hermione scowled.
…
The next day found the trio making their way to the Three Broomsticks where they said they would meet Sirius and Remus.
Hermione was going on and on about how stupid it was of Harry to agree to that challenge. Harry and Ron were left following along grumpily behind her.
"I mean of all the stupid things you could have chosen to do…I knew this challenge thing was a bad idea from the moment Malfoy thought of it. I can just see Professor Snape after you k…he'll be so angry. I'm not even sure he'll wait to go to Dumbledore to get you expelled, he might just tear you a new one right where you're standing…"
"Hermione enough!" Ron growled "You're not making this any easier on Harry; we understand that you don't like this but you're just going to have to trust Harry on this one."
Hermione glared, she had been doing that since Harry had agreed the night before "Don't encourage him Ronald Weasley. If he knows what's good for him he will not attempt to do this silly challenge this week and just tell everyone else that the opportunity never came up. There's no reason to be expelled for something you could have prevented…"
Ron fell back beside Harry and gave him an apologetic look.
"It's okay Ron, Hermione's just worried about me and even though I wished she would stop going on about it, I know it's just her way of trying to protect me" Harry said, shaking his head as he watched Hermione; the girl was basically ranting to herself now.
Ron nodded "I know…it's just getting really tiresome…"
Harry gave Ron a look to say he agreed.
When they reached The Three Broomsticks Hermione stopped and turned around "So you see the notion of this is just stupid. You must agree not to go through with it before it's too late."
"Fine," Harry said, mentally crossing his fingers "I won't go through with it."
Hermione beamed at him "I knew you'd come to your senses" she then turned and walked into the pub.
Ron looked over at him with a questioningly look. "I thought it would be better for everyone to tell her what she wanted to hear, even if I don't plan to go along with it" Harry explained.
"Hermione's not going to be happy" Ron said.
"I know," Harry sighed "but what can I do?"
Ron shook his head "There's not much else you can do."
Before Harry could reply a hand landed on his shoulder and Harry look over to see Sirius grinning at him.
"Glad to see you didn't forget about today" Sirius beamed and Harry tried to smile back.
Remus was standing beside Sirius and he caught Harry's eye, he gave the boy a worried look and Harry quickly looked away.
"Well what are we waiting for?" Sirius asked as he gestured that they should move inside.
As they walked inside Hermione waved them over to a booth at the back. She gave Harry and Ron a suspicious look as the two sat down but didn't get a chance to question them when a waiter came by to take their orders.
Sirius patted Harry on the back once they all had their orders placed "So how was the rest of your week after Wednesday?"
Harry shrugged "It was fine I guess."
"You guess?" Sirius asked with a frown.
"Yeah nothing really…uh special happened…" Harry said looking away.
Sirius looked at him in confusion but didn't continue to question him.
"How's the house unity going?" Remus asked.
Harry bit his lip and looked to Hermione and Ron, they both looked rather nervous.
"It's okay…" Hermione offered "not the greatest considering…"
"Slytherins" Ron finished for her.
Sirius shuddered "I know, I couldn't believe Dumbledore when he announced his plans to us. I think the old man has finally lost it."
"Sirius" Remus began in a warning tone.
"What?" Sirius asked "It's true! Putting the Slytherins and Gryffindors together, that's just mental."
"I think it's good" Remus said and they all stared blankly at him "It's about time the Houses started getting along."
Sirius shook his head "Forget about Dumbledore…now you're acting mental!"
Remus rolled his eyes "It's true, if the Houses had gotten along back in Voldemort's time maybe he never would have become who he was."
"Nah," Harry disagreed "Voldemort was doomed from the start; it didn't have much to so with the Houses, I mean look at Pettigrew."
Sirius and Remus looked uncomfortable at that and Harry felt embarrassed he had said anything.
Finally Sirius broke the silence "So do you three know anything about why the seventh years are acting so strange?"
Harry tensed and tried to keep his face blank "The seventh years? What about us?"
"It's your classmates, they've been acting rather weird lately" Sirius said.
"Really?" Hermione asked "How so?"
"Well…" Sirius said giving them a questioning look "That Hufflepuff boy licked my boot the other day and Remus told me that Luna kissed him."
"On the cheek!" Remus hissed, embarrassed.
"That is a bit weird but nothing's going on that I know of," Hermione stated "You two?" she looked at Ron and Harry.
"Nope" Harry said.
"Haven't heard anything" Ron said.
Sirius and Remus shared a look but didn't comment.
Harry looked away from the two adults, worried that his face would give something away. He looked around the room and his eyes caught on a familiar face sitting at the bar.
Professor Snape was drinking a glass of what Harry could only assume was firewhiskey as he sat with his back to the bar looking out at the crowded room full of students…he was undoubtedly looking for troublemakers.
Before Harry could look away the Professor turned and caught his eye. Harry shivered.
"Harry are you alright?" Sirius asked "You're looking a little pale."
"What?" Harry asked snapping his gaze back to Sirius "Uh yeah…I'm fine."
Sirius gave him a searching look and then turned his attention to where Harry had been staring. Sirius clenched his fists at the sight of Snape "Snivellus that git, out of all the people that we could have gotten stuck sharing chaperoning duties with…I have a feeling Dumbledore trying to spread that house unity bullshit on to us teachers too."
"Sirius calm down" Remus said, laying a hand on Sirius shoulder "It's not worth getting upset over."
Harry looked back at Snape and the older man glared at him before putting down his glass and heading for the door.
"Right…he better leave," Sirius growled "should know when he's not wanted."
Harry gulped when he saw the look of pure hatred on Sirius' face, he wondered what his godfather would do if it got back to him that he was going to kiss Snape.
Harry felt uncomfortable and his hands started to sweat "You know…" he began and Sirius stopped his growling to look over at Harry "I'm not feeling very well, I think I'm going to head back up to the castle."
"Harry…what?" Sirius began but Harry shook his head.
"I just have a bit of a headache, it's a little loud in here," Harry said looking at the door "but you guys should stay, I'll see you later."
Sirius looked disappointed but then he stood up and followed Harry "Nah, we'll walk you back, don't worry about it."
Harry barely acknowledged Sirius' offer, then he was walking out of the pub with a confused Sirius following behind him.
…
Harry stared moodily down at his Charms text, he, Hermione and Ron were sitting at a table at the back of the Library trying to get their homework done. It was already Wednesday and Harry still hadn't figured out how to go about kissing Snape.
Hermione was scowling at him again. Soon after their afternoon at The Three Broomsticks Hermione had figured out that Harry was still planning to go through with the challenge and they had gotten into a big fight.
Ron was sitting uncomfortably between them has he tried to defuse the tension.
Hermione opened her mouth and both boys groaned knowing that she was about to go into another rant.
Harry didn't understand why Hermione couldn't just accept it.
However she never got the chance to begin because at that moment, from a few tables away, Blaise stood up with flair, his cloak sweeping around him. He stood in the middle of the Library and received a few curious glances.
"Shall I compare thee to a summer's Day?" Blaise said loudly and everyone looked, including a surprised Madame Pince. Blaise took a step towards a group of Slytherin girls at another table "Thou art more lovely and more temperate. Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May." Blaise winked at the girls at the table and then turned around quickly; he stalked back to the table where he had been sitting and smirked at Draco, Pansy and a few other Slytherins there.
"And summer's lease hath all too short a date. Sometime to hot the eye of heaven shines." Blaise stalked around the table making his way to Pansy, now everyone was staring at him intently. "And often is his gold complexion dimm'd; and every fair from fair, by chance, or nature's changing course, untrimmed. But thy eternal summer shall not fade." At that point Blaise leaned down next to Pansy and brushed the hair from her neck, his hand sliding over her skin.
Then he withdrew his hand and leaped onto a chair at the next table. Apparently this movement finally snapped Madame Pince out of her shock and she walked swiftly to where Blaise was standing on the chair.
"Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;" Blaise continued and he stepped onto the table before him, "Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade."
"Now you get down from there young man!" Madame Pince practically screeched, "This is a Library not some fancy theater. I will not tolerate these shenanigans in here."
Blaise looked down at her "When in eternal lines to time thou growest."
"I mean it" Madame Pince said in a no nonsense tone "I will send you to the Headmaster's office."
Blaise jumped off the table and landed beside her "So long as men can breathe or eyes can see," he said as he reached out his hand a laid it upon Madame Pince's cheek. He caressed it as she stood there in shock and he finished the last line of the sonnet "So long lives this, and this gives life to thee."
Madame Pince pulled back in outrage and Blaise dropped his hand "A sonnet by William Shakespeare."
"I don't care who it's bloody by," Madame Pince practically growled and everyone gasped at her language "this is unacceptable, trying to embarrasses me in front of other students, I never. Bring your belongings Mr. Zambini; I believe a trip to the Headmaster is in order."
Blaise suppressed a groan but gave Draco a grin before he grabbed his things and quickly followed the Librarian.
Hermione was shaking her head "Did you see that…I cannot believe Zambini just did that to Madame Pince, this challenge was a very bad idea indeed. I urge you again to reconsider your decision Harry!" Hermione huffed and then got up and stomped away.
Harry groaned and rubbed his face with his hands.
When he looked back up at Ron the other boy had an amazed look on his face. "I hate to say this but Zambini has balls."
Harry groaned again, glared at Ron and walked away like Hermione.
"What?" Ron asked as he was left alone.
…
That night Harry was sitting in the common room next to the fire, he was trying to decide how to complete his challenge. If Blaise could pull off what he had today, Harry was sure he could figure out something.
Harry threw his head back against the back of the couch and let out a groan; he glared at the ceiling in frustration.
"Harry?"
Harry looked up to see Neville and Ron looking at him, they must have just come through the portrait hole.
"Yeah?" Harry asked in annoyance.
Neville looked away and Harry realized his tone had been kind of harsh.
"Sorry" he said "I'm just a bit stressed at the moment."
"Still haven't thought about what you're going to do?" Ron asked sitting down beside him.
"No," Harry grunted.
"That sucks mate," Ron said "but look on the bright side."
"What bright side?" Harry asked.
"If you don't end up kiss..ugh…well you know with Snape, at least Gryffindor won't be the only ones losing points this week" Ron supplied.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.
"Well on our way back here Neville and I saw Padma try to rub McGonagall's neck, since that was her challenge, but as soon as she got close enough to McGonagall to do it, McGonagall turned around and caught her. She snapped at Padma for following her and then took ten points from Ravenclaw. Though I guess it doesn't really matter if we won't be having a house cup anyways."
Harry shrugged "Well it will be ten times worse when…if I try to kiss Snape. I'm sure he won't just try to take points but he'll give me detention for the rest of the year or expel me…or even more likely, kill me. But if I don't do it I'll have to listen to Malfoy ridicule me for the rest of my life."
"Well really you've got to ask yourself what would be worse," Ron said.
Harry groaned again "I don't know what to do."
Neville looked at him seriously "Maybe it would be for the best if you just didn't go through with it. I'm sure everyone else would understand."
…
When Friday rolled around Harry was in a horrible mood. He still hadn't completed his challenge and Draco had been smirking at him every chance he got.
Dinner that night was a silent affair. None of the Seventh year Gryffindors were talking and the rest of the house seemed to take note. They seemed afraid to say anything, so they all ate quietly.
Harry groaned when they found out that Snape had been assigned to bring them up to the Room of Requirement that evening. Harry was one of the first in line and he could hear Draco whispering mockingly behind him.
When they got the door Snape stood there waiting for Harry to enter. He scowled at the boy when Harry just stared at him and made no attempt to move.
"Potter…" Snape snapped.
'Oh screw it!' Harry thought to himself, he couldn't go around being known as a coward so he leapt forward and pulled himself against Snape's body. He could hear the gasps behind him and felt Snape tense as he entwined a hand into the professor's hair and pulled the man forward. He meshed his lips against Snape's and kissed the older man soundly.