Disclaimer: I do not own Harry, Ron, Hermi, or any other people in the JK Rowling Universe. I do appreciate her however for her support of fan fiction.
RR encouraged. Unfortunately, this was not beta read again. I'm just too friggon anxious. Please let me know if there are any problems.
-Reason
Chapter 4- A kiss is just a kiss
Dumbledore led the way, his blue and purple robes such a light-hearted contrast to those of Professor Snape's dreary black ones. Harry and Ron follow side by side a few feet behind exchanging words quietly with one another.
"I don't like this," Ron whispered, his eyes on the professors in front of them, "I mean, what if she does wake up? What then? 'Hey, 'Mione. Sorry I had to kiss you. I'm your destined soul-mate. Wanna go to the Weird Sister's concert tomorrow night?'"
Harry smirked and sighed, "She'll understand and whatever happens happens." The worry on his face didn't disappear though as they entered the infirmary.
They all stopped as Madam Pomfrey came out of her office. "May I help you gentlemen?" she asked, her hands clasped in front of her all business like.
"Yes, Poppy. We're here to see Hermione Granger." Dumbledore eyed her over his half-moon glasses. "There has been a development."
Pomfrey's eyes widened, "Oh?" She asked, leading the quad of men over to the curtain shrouded area, "What is it, Headmaster? Did you find the spell, a cure?"
"Yes and yes," He looked in on the bed and gently placed a hand on Madam Pomfrey's shoulder, "The Sleeping Beauty Curse," As he explained Harry and Ron shuffled back and forth on their feet a little, anxious to do this and either wake their friend or go look for other solutions.
"Oh, the poor dear," Poppy whispered and when she looked behind Dumbledore and saw Snape she blanched a little before glancing again at the Headmaster, "Albus, surely...?"
Dumbledore held up a hand and Harry was sure he saw a smile on the old wizard's lips before he pointed to Ron and Harry. Madam Pomfrey let out a sigh and Snape rolled his eyes before stepping around Dumbledore into the curtained area. "Headmaster, the sooner we know, the sooner we can seek other solutions."
Dumbledore nodded, "Yes. Poppy?" He opened the curtain further for the medi-witch as well as Harry and Ron. The five of them in the little space made it unbelievably crowded around Hermione's bed. Snape made sure he kept the most distance away while Ron and Harry were closest, Ron reaching for her hand and lacing her fingers in his.
Stepping close to the foot of the bed, Dumbledore nodded to Ron, "Whenever you're ready, Mister Weasley."
Ron swallowed and looked down at Hermione. He paled as he began to bend over and Harry shook his head, "No, no... Let me go first, Ron. If you kiss her, she's going to wake up to a dead fish with cold lips." Harry pulled Ron away who looked slightly abashed as Harry took his place. Sighing deeply, before he lost his nerve, Harry leaned down. Gently he placed both hands on the sides of Hermione's head and kissed her, his lip tenderly caressing hers before he stood once more.
Everyone except Dumbledore and Snape held their breath as they watched. Finally, after what seemed an eternity and no sign of life from her, Harry let go of Hermione and sighed, stepping back. "Well, mate, I'm sure you can do better than that."
Ron swallowed again, but was glad Harry had gone first now. His blue eyes wandered over Hermione's sleeping form and he smiled, the corners of his lips tugging as he took her hand again. When his lips came down on hers, he noticed that they were warm and inviting, his tongue tasting just a bit of those lips before drawing away. Everyone again waited patiently for a sign or stir from the girl, but again there was nothing. Ron swallowed and shrugged. "Well, it would have been too weird." He tried to smile. "She's more like a sister."
Dumbledore smiled, "And she's lucky to have two friends who care enough for her to try and help her like this." He stepped forward, "Now, do either one of you know of other people who are close to Hermione?"
Harry shrugged, "Viktor Krum maybe. They used to keep in touch pretty often."
With his hand still linked with Hermione's, Ron nodded, "And I think Fred or George may have been interested in her... but again... she's too much like family."
"Albus! I can't have boys here in an out trying to kiss one of my patients!" Pomfrey yelped.
"I think, Headmaster, that we may just have to look for other options," Snape stepped out from a shadow on the edge of the curtains.
"Options? What options?" Harry's face turned dark.
Slowly, Snape's dark eyes turned to Harry, "Potions, spell reversals, magical items. Surely, you don't intend to bring in every classmate you had to kiss her. You would agree that's too much like prostituting out your dear friend."
Harry's fists clenched before he nodded in agreement, "I would never do that to her."
Dumbledore nodded, "We must think more about this, yes. Until then, Ronald, will you tell Fred and George about this and invite them to Hogwarts? I'll write Viktor Krum personally." He turned and nodded to the boys.
Ron nodded and reluctantly let go of Hermione's hand. Harry reached over and ran a hand over her forehead as well before they both left.
Pomfrey, as soon as the boys had departed huffed, "Albus, my wing is not a brothel."
Dumbledore couldn't help but smile, "No, it's not, Poppy and I promise I will not treat it as such. Miss Granger deserves the highest of respect for her efforts against Voldemort and I would never ever allow her disrespected." He looked down at the girl and sighed, "If you will leave us, Poppy, I have other matters to discuss with Severus."
Pomfrey nodded and Dumbledore turned to sit in the chair near the girl's bed.
"Headmaster..." Snape began, but was cut off as Dumbledore raised his hand, making a soft shushing sound.
"Now, Severus," He looked down at Hermione with a wistful look in his blue eyes, "Ai, if I were only a hundred and twenty years younger." He chuckled and, to Snape's surprise, leaned over and kissed Hermione's lips. Again, with no affect.
Snape appeared mildly disgusted, "May I ask, why?"
"Why not?" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Love knows no age, Severus. I doubted it, for I believe my soul mate passed on long ago, but what if I had been the one and never tried?" Dumbledore's hand brushed Hermione's and he smiled, "I won't have this girl lying asleep for the rest of her life because of my own misconceptions." He chuckled softly as he stood, "I'll see you at dinner." He waved as he brushed through the curtain barrier.
Snape, mostly stunned by what he witnessed, frowned and looked back at the sleeping Hermione. He then narrowed his eyes and snarled softly before a realization hit him. He whipped around to where Dumbledore had just exited, his eyes wide in astonishment and then back to Hermione on the bed. That old man had really got it in his head that Snape would try to kiss her!? He shivered a little in disgust. Not he, not a Slytherin, would ever kiss a mud-blood Gryffindor! Snape again wrinkled his nose. The thought made him clench in...
He stopped- thinking about what Dumbledore just said, 'I won't have this girl lying in asleep for the rest of her life because of my own misconceptions.' Snape's eyes narrowed in thought. That's why Dumbledore had left. He at least had the sense that if Snape were going to try to kiss her it wouldn't be with anyone else around. Tilting his head, Snape took a step toward the bed. He watched her breath in and out slowly, comfortably, serenely. It was as if she'd taken a drought of peaceful sleep.
The potions master in Snape jarred him. There could be a way... WITHOUT kissing the bloody Gryffindor. He backed away slowly, still facing the bed, and tried to push away the thoughts of kissing this sleeping beauty. Because, if there was one thing he had learned, it was never to show his feelings to anyone, especially to those who could use it against him later.
RR encouraged. Unfortunately, this was not beta read again. I'm just too friggon anxious. Please let me know if there are any problems.
-Reason
Chapter 4- A kiss is just a kiss
Dumbledore led the way, his blue and purple robes such a light-hearted contrast to those of Professor Snape's dreary black ones. Harry and Ron follow side by side a few feet behind exchanging words quietly with one another.
"I don't like this," Ron whispered, his eyes on the professors in front of them, "I mean, what if she does wake up? What then? 'Hey, 'Mione. Sorry I had to kiss you. I'm your destined soul-mate. Wanna go to the Weird Sister's concert tomorrow night?'"
Harry smirked and sighed, "She'll understand and whatever happens happens." The worry on his face didn't disappear though as they entered the infirmary.
They all stopped as Madam Pomfrey came out of her office. "May I help you gentlemen?" she asked, her hands clasped in front of her all business like.
"Yes, Poppy. We're here to see Hermione Granger." Dumbledore eyed her over his half-moon glasses. "There has been a development."
Pomfrey's eyes widened, "Oh?" She asked, leading the quad of men over to the curtain shrouded area, "What is it, Headmaster? Did you find the spell, a cure?"
"Yes and yes," He looked in on the bed and gently placed a hand on Madam Pomfrey's shoulder, "The Sleeping Beauty Curse," As he explained Harry and Ron shuffled back and forth on their feet a little, anxious to do this and either wake their friend or go look for other solutions.
"Oh, the poor dear," Poppy whispered and when she looked behind Dumbledore and saw Snape she blanched a little before glancing again at the Headmaster, "Albus, surely...?"
Dumbledore held up a hand and Harry was sure he saw a smile on the old wizard's lips before he pointed to Ron and Harry. Madam Pomfrey let out a sigh and Snape rolled his eyes before stepping around Dumbledore into the curtained area. "Headmaster, the sooner we know, the sooner we can seek other solutions."
Dumbledore nodded, "Yes. Poppy?" He opened the curtain further for the medi-witch as well as Harry and Ron. The five of them in the little space made it unbelievably crowded around Hermione's bed. Snape made sure he kept the most distance away while Ron and Harry were closest, Ron reaching for her hand and lacing her fingers in his.
Stepping close to the foot of the bed, Dumbledore nodded to Ron, "Whenever you're ready, Mister Weasley."
Ron swallowed and looked down at Hermione. He paled as he began to bend over and Harry shook his head, "No, no... Let me go first, Ron. If you kiss her, she's going to wake up to a dead fish with cold lips." Harry pulled Ron away who looked slightly abashed as Harry took his place. Sighing deeply, before he lost his nerve, Harry leaned down. Gently he placed both hands on the sides of Hermione's head and kissed her, his lip tenderly caressing hers before he stood once more.
Everyone except Dumbledore and Snape held their breath as they watched. Finally, after what seemed an eternity and no sign of life from her, Harry let go of Hermione and sighed, stepping back. "Well, mate, I'm sure you can do better than that."
Ron swallowed again, but was glad Harry had gone first now. His blue eyes wandered over Hermione's sleeping form and he smiled, the corners of his lips tugging as he took her hand again. When his lips came down on hers, he noticed that they were warm and inviting, his tongue tasting just a bit of those lips before drawing away. Everyone again waited patiently for a sign or stir from the girl, but again there was nothing. Ron swallowed and shrugged. "Well, it would have been too weird." He tried to smile. "She's more like a sister."
Dumbledore smiled, "And she's lucky to have two friends who care enough for her to try and help her like this." He stepped forward, "Now, do either one of you know of other people who are close to Hermione?"
Harry shrugged, "Viktor Krum maybe. They used to keep in touch pretty often."
With his hand still linked with Hermione's, Ron nodded, "And I think Fred or George may have been interested in her... but again... she's too much like family."
"Albus! I can't have boys here in an out trying to kiss one of my patients!" Pomfrey yelped.
"I think, Headmaster, that we may just have to look for other options," Snape stepped out from a shadow on the edge of the curtains.
"Options? What options?" Harry's face turned dark.
Slowly, Snape's dark eyes turned to Harry, "Potions, spell reversals, magical items. Surely, you don't intend to bring in every classmate you had to kiss her. You would agree that's too much like prostituting out your dear friend."
Harry's fists clenched before he nodded in agreement, "I would never do that to her."
Dumbledore nodded, "We must think more about this, yes. Until then, Ronald, will you tell Fred and George about this and invite them to Hogwarts? I'll write Viktor Krum personally." He turned and nodded to the boys.
Ron nodded and reluctantly let go of Hermione's hand. Harry reached over and ran a hand over her forehead as well before they both left.
Pomfrey, as soon as the boys had departed huffed, "Albus, my wing is not a brothel."
Dumbledore couldn't help but smile, "No, it's not, Poppy and I promise I will not treat it as such. Miss Granger deserves the highest of respect for her efforts against Voldemort and I would never ever allow her disrespected." He looked down at the girl and sighed, "If you will leave us, Poppy, I have other matters to discuss with Severus."
Pomfrey nodded and Dumbledore turned to sit in the chair near the girl's bed.
"Headmaster..." Snape began, but was cut off as Dumbledore raised his hand, making a soft shushing sound.
"Now, Severus," He looked down at Hermione with a wistful look in his blue eyes, "Ai, if I were only a hundred and twenty years younger." He chuckled and, to Snape's surprise, leaned over and kissed Hermione's lips. Again, with no affect.
Snape appeared mildly disgusted, "May I ask, why?"
"Why not?" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Love knows no age, Severus. I doubted it, for I believe my soul mate passed on long ago, but what if I had been the one and never tried?" Dumbledore's hand brushed Hermione's and he smiled, "I won't have this girl lying asleep for the rest of her life because of my own misconceptions." He chuckled softly as he stood, "I'll see you at dinner." He waved as he brushed through the curtain barrier.
Snape, mostly stunned by what he witnessed, frowned and looked back at the sleeping Hermione. He then narrowed his eyes and snarled softly before a realization hit him. He whipped around to where Dumbledore had just exited, his eyes wide in astonishment and then back to Hermione on the bed. That old man had really got it in his head that Snape would try to kiss her!? He shivered a little in disgust. Not he, not a Slytherin, would ever kiss a mud-blood Gryffindor! Snape again wrinkled his nose. The thought made him clench in...
He stopped- thinking about what Dumbledore just said, 'I won't have this girl lying in asleep for the rest of her life because of my own misconceptions.' Snape's eyes narrowed in thought. That's why Dumbledore had left. He at least had the sense that if Snape were going to try to kiss her it wouldn't be with anyone else around. Tilting his head, Snape took a step toward the bed. He watched her breath in and out slowly, comfortably, serenely. It was as if she'd taken a drought of peaceful sleep.
The potions master in Snape jarred him. There could be a way... WITHOUT kissing the bloody Gryffindor. He backed away slowly, still facing the bed, and tried to push away the thoughts of kissing this sleeping beauty. Because, if there was one thing he had learned, it was never to show his feelings to anyone, especially to those who could use it against him later.