Chapter 13: Back to reality

Harry and Hermione both fell to the floor. Hermione fell on her back, with her arms down her body. Harry fell on top of her, leaning on his elbows.

He started to grin "You never expected to end in this position, did you?"

Hermione started to struggle, but Harry was too heavy to push away.

"Get off me!" she yelled at him, but Harry stayed where he was. Suddenly he heard someone sniffing.

Snape! He was still in the same room!

"Potter! She is possesed, you need to show her how much you care,..." he said slowly.

"CARE? About WHAT?" Harry asked confused.

Snape couldn't bare, but he still smiled a bit "You have to give her the kiss of life, Potter"

Harry felt his heart skip a beat. "WHAT?!' His eyes grew large 'I can't just kiss her!"

"You have to, if you want GRANGER to survive. You could also use cruciatus or another heavy spell on her, that works too, but it'll leave some damage,..." Snape explained.

Harry got himself together. Was he actually going to do this? He didn't know. He wasn't sure yet. He looked down at Hermione. She was still struggling to push him of her.

He couldn't, could he?

He snapped himself out of the moment by kissing her quickly and pressing himself off her.

Hermione was still on the floor, but she began to tremble a bit. "W-w-what just happened?" she got up and looked confused at Harry.

Harry was relieved to see that she couldn't remember him kissing her.

She rubbed her head and looked at Snape, who had a look of disgust on his face. Confused she turned towards Harry again "What did I do?"

Harry sighed and tried to make a sentence that wouldn't explain that he kissed her.

"Uhm.... well,... you sort of attacked me because you were under controle of Voldemort" he started.

"Oh,... my ... god! And how did you stop me?"

Harry wanted to run away. "Uhm...."

"He kissed you." Snape said simply.

Hermione's eyes grew big in disbelief "He WHAT?"

Harry went red and tried to focus on something else. But Snape's face was on the left, a big hole in the wall was on the right and Hermione stood in front of him. He chose to focus on the big hole in the wall.

"I don't see what's so interesting about that" Hermione said while dragging him along with her.

She just talked as if nothing had ever happened. Harry was relieved, but he was also a bit confused.

"We still have to find Ron!" Hermione said as they walked passed Snape.

"Could you two get me off this wall? Or I'll get you EXPELLED" Snape said brisk.

Hermione shivered at the word Expelled but walked on. "I think you'll get expelled, after using illegal curses on students" Harry said as they disappeared through the door.

"You don't think Snape's really gonna get us expelled, now do you?" Hermione asked with slight fear in her voice. Harry looked at her if she just went crazy. "You are kidding, right? You aren't fearing that at the moment, are you?" Harry threw her a warning look. Hermione smiled, but she wasn't actually kidding.

They wandered through the castle.

"Any idea where we're heading to?" Harry asked and Hermione shrugged.

"I thought you'd know" Hermione said.

"Hermione, that must be the dumbest thing you've ever thought" He said and he looked around a corner.

"I don't think Ron's in the castle anymore." said Hermione, after they had searched the same corridor for a second time.

"Do you think Voldemort is still in this castle?" Harry asked.

"I don't think so. I think he's gone,..." Hermione trailed off. "Is that the exit?" she pointed at a big door with two huge statues next to it.

"Yeah, that's the exit,... do you want to go?" he asked a bit unsure.

"Don't you?" Hermione said with a rather confused expression.

"I don't know, I have the feeling we're forgetting something,..." Harry trailed off and shrugged. "Oh well, we'll deal with that later" and they walked out of the castle.

After they had left the castle, they didn't say any word to eachother. Hermione just glared at the sky and Harry tried to keep the memory of the kiss out of his head.

"Do you know,... the sky is always very clear around Hogwarts?" Hermione tried to start.

Harry didn't really answer, he just gazed at the sky as well.

".......You don't want to talk about it, do you?" Hermione asked, while throwing her hair over her shoulder.

"... rather not." Harry answered and he stared towards Hogwarts "And Ron might still be with Voldemort,..."

Hermione nodded. "He wasn't in the castle anymore,... or else we'd find him"

Harry sighed "I still don't get it, why didn't Voldemort just attack me at school or something? I mean, I was in the same room as you and Snape when you got kidnapped"

"You were pertrified" Hermione laughed a bit. "I don't think he saw you"

Harry raised his eyebrows "What would he think? Oh look, there's a statue of Harry Potter? Let's not look if it's actually Harry who's pertrified?"

"Well,... that could've,..." Hermione started but she trailed off "LOOK! It's RON!!" She pointed in front of them and Ron, Luna and Ginny came running their way.

"Harry! O Harry! Are you alright?" Ginny came sprinting towards a rather bemused Harry.

Hermione's eyes lightened at the sight of Ron "My god Ron! You're still alive!"

Ginny jumped into Harry's arms. Harry really didn't want to do all that close, but he was too tired to back off.

Luna frowned "You know, you guys are all so close?"

Hermione embraced Ron, who's ears became red.

"Uhm,... you can let me go now,..." Ron stumbled and Hermione did.

Harry, Hermione and Ron sat down in the chairs in front of Dumbledore's desk.

"Well, I'm glad to see you alive,... Ms. Granger, Mr. Potter,..." Dumbledore peeked over his glasses. "However, the Order mentioned to me that you left professor Snape in the castle, chained to a wall?" Dumbledore raised his eyebrows and gave them a questioning look.

Hermione became pale "We don't want to get expelled!"

Harry tried to come up with a good excuse 'Well, you see,... uhm,... HE USED CRUCIO ON HERMIONE!"

"I know mr. Potter,... I will have a word with him about that,..." Dumbledore's eyes switched towards Hermione. "Ms. Granger,... You've had your punishment and I think it's time to tell Harry what you know"

"You mean-? I can't,... I mean,... Snape,.. he said he,..." Hermione tried to make a point out of the words she had lined up in her head. "I can't because Snape told me not to!"

Dumbledore gave her a unpleasant look of calmness. Hermione let out a deep sigh and Ron and Harry looked at her as if she just did something very weird.

"What? I really needed to sigh!" She said annoyed, "Very well then,... Harry,... Snape is your uncle"