Disclaimer: I don't own a thing. Lover had the idea for a challenge, and me? I just gave wings to my imagination.
I want to thanks everyone who reviewed. I want to thanks your words, and your support; you can't imagine how important this is to me. Thank you all!
Enjoy! ^_^
Potion Troubles III
Hermione
opened her eyes when she heard sounds coming from the window. When
she blinked, she saw Harry facing her, still with his eyes close and
his cheeks had a small shade of pink. 'He looks so cute.'
Hermione thought. However, her
trails of thoughts were interrupted when she heard the sounds from
the window again. Hermione looked over and saw a brown owl perched
on the window seal, tapping his beak on the glass, eager to get in.
Raising her eyebrow, Hermione got up slowly from the bed and opened the window before letting the owl enter. When she took the message from the owl's leg, the animal fled through the window.
Still without understanding what was happening, Hermione opened the letter and started to read:
"Miss Granger,
As you may know, it's crucial for you to go to classes and, due to the fact Harry is too young to be alone, I ask for you to bring him to my office. I believe there is someone who's more than prepared to look after him, while you're in classes.
The password is 'lemon drop'.
Albus Dumbledore"
Hermione put the letter on her desk and sighed. "Ok, now comes the hard part.... I think." slowly, she approached Harry and put a hand on his small arm. "Harry..." she whispered "Harry, wake up."
"Sleep...," mumbled Harry, trying to put the sheet over his head.
"Harry, it's time to wake up..." said Hermione, softly "Please Harry, I have to go to classes."
"Minnie?" Harry asked, taking the sheet off his head.
Hermione made a
small smile, when Harry's sleepy eyes looked at hers.
"C'mon, we have
to go," she said to him.
"Where?" the small boy asked, sitting on the bed, before rubbing his eyes.
Hermione
couldn't help but think he looked very cute with his hair
falling on his eyes, while he was rubbing them. His cheeks were still
a bit pink, and that added more sweetness to him. Still looking at
him, Hermione couldn't help but ask herself what Harry was
doing single, since he was...for lack of words, the hottest guy in
school. He had at least 90% of the girls after him, but still, he was
single. Hermione knew that, in the right time, Harry would find the
girl he deserved and, in a way, she couldn't help to feel sad
and...heartbroken? 'Why should I be heartbroken?' Hermione
asked, as she shook her head 'This is Harry! I'm not
suppose to be heartbroken, I should be happy!'
As she tried to stop her thoughts Hermione looked at Harry, who was
now looking at her sleepy and a bit confused 'But, what if
Ron was right? What if...deep inside, I like Harry?'
"Minnie?"
Harry asked and Hermione snapped from her thoughts.
"Yes, Harry?" she asked, smiling
"I'm awake."
Hermione couldn't help to giggle.
"I know,"
she answered, before clapping her hands. "Now we go wash our
faces, brush our teeth, get dressed and go."
"Where?" Harry asked, raising his arms.
"We have to find someone to look out for you," Hermione said, picking him up.
"What?" Harry asked looking at her, with his eyes open wide.
"I can't take you to my classes," Hermione replied and, suddenly, Harry hugged her with the same strength he had used on the previous night.
"No!" he exclaimed, shaking his head against Hermione's hair. "Me alone!"
"You're not going to be alone, Harry," Hermione said, still a bit surprised by the way he had reacted.
Slowly, she put
Harry on the floor and, after a few seconds, looked at his eyes. "I
would never leave you."
"But...you
said..."
"Harry..."
Hermione interrupted softly, trying not to look at his hurt eyes. "I
can't take you to classes, but it's for a short time."
"Don't
like me?" Harry asked, and Hermione felt her heart squeezing
until she was almost incapable of breath 'Oh Harry...'
"Harry, don't
you ever say that!" Hermione exclaimed, softly enough not to
scare him but strong enough for him to understand she would always be
by his side. "I like you very much. Never, ever think otherwise,
ok?"
"Ok..." Harry mumbled, looking at the floor.
Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath before putting a hand over Harry's small chin and making him looked at her.
"Harry...
Minnie likes you too much to leave you alone, but I can't take you
with me. You're too young and you would get bored."
"Why?"
"It's like I
said, Harry, you're too young, but I promise I will pick you up after
school."
"Promise?" Harry asked, and Hermione understood that, even after her words, he was still scared of being alone.
"I promise," she answered, with a small smile. Then, Harry raised his arms and hugged Hermione tightly.
After some seconds, Harry released Hermione and looked at her, smiling. Despite everything, Hermione couldn't help but smile back
"Ok, now let's go prepare ourselves," she said and Harry nodded in agreement.
~*~
"Lemon drop!"
Hermione exclaimed with Harry at her side, grabbing her hand. When
the gargoyle moved, Harry gave a small scream and hugged Hermione's
leg. "It's ok." Hermione said, looking down at him "It's
not going to hurt you."
Harry looked at her and when Hermione smiled at him, he nodded and grabbed her hand again.
"Come in," a voice said and Hermione looked at Harry and said softly,
"C'mon."
Opening the door,
Hermione entered Dumbledore's office with Harry grabbing her hand
slightly tighter than before. However she couldn't blame him for
being scared. She hadn't been in Dumbledore's office more than one or
two times:
"Good morning, Miss Granger!" Dumbledore exclaimed, looking at the young woman and the child behind her. "And good morning for you too, Harry," he added, and Harry's head appeared from behind Hermione's robes.
"Morning," he said, in a very scary and shy way.
"Want
a candy?" the Headmaster asked and Hermione raised her eyebrow.
Even in the morning, he ate candy? Incredible.
Harry looked at Hermione, as if asking her if he could and Hermione put a hand on his head.
"Do you want one?" Harry nodded, with a finger touching his lip like saying 'very' "Then go and get one. But say thank you."
Very slowly, Harry approached Dumbledore, who smiled and handed him a lemon drop.
"Thank you." Harry said, before running to Hermione again.
"Professor, with all due respect, I would like to ask something," Hermione started.
"Yes, Miss Granger?" Dumbledore asked, after eating a candy.
"Who will take care of Harry?"
"I will."
Dumbledore answered, and Hermione couldn't help but feel shocked.
"You?" she asked, before she could stop herself. "But...you must have many things to do!"
"Nonsense,." Dumbledore answered, waving his hand "Besides, Fawkes really needs to have some fun and I believe Harry will be of a great help."
"Are you
certain, professor?" Hermione asked, unsure. "If you
prefer, I can take him to classes."
"No, you can go
without worrying. Harry's in good hands."
Hermione blushed ashamed.
"I know professor. If you're certain..."
"You can come
and pick him up after classes," said Dumbledore as winked at
her, and Hermione smiled.
"Ok," she
said, before looking at Harry. "Harry, you'll stay here with the
professor."
"Why?"
Harry asked and Hermione tried not to giggle.
"Because I have
classes," she answered "I'll pick you up after my
classes."
"Ok,"
Harry answered and Hermione kissed his forehead.
"Be a good boy
for me, ok?" she asked and Harry nodded. Hermione looked at
Dumbledore, while grabbing her bag. "I'll be here after classes,
professor," she said and Dumbledore nodded.
"We'll be
here."
Smiling, Hermione kissed Harry's forehead one more time and, after a quick hug from Harry, Hermione stepped out of the office.
Harry stayed looking
at the door, after it had been close, until Dumbledore cleared his
throat and Harry looked at him.
"Hello Harry."
"Hello," Harry replied.
~*~
"So, where's Harry?" Ron asked, while he and Hermione were walking down the hall.
"With Dumbledore," Hermione answered.
"Dumbledore?!"
Ron repeated, and his jaw dropped. "He's with the Headmaster?"
"Yes," Hermione answered, as she stopped in front of the gargoyle.
"Why did you leave him, with the Headmaster?" Ron asked, confused.
"Because Dumbledore wanted to. Lemon drop."
"What do
you mean, 'Dumbledore wanted to'?" Ron repeated, at the same
time Hermione knocked at the door.
"Honestly, Ron, I don't know everything!"
"Come in," a voice said and Hermione opened the door.
"Professor,
I came to pick Harry," she said as she walked in, with Ron
trailing behind her.
"Oh, hello Miss Granger and Mr Weasley," Dumbledore complimented while the two students walked closer to him.
Hermione looked around, before looking at the headmaster, with a eyebrow raised.
"Excuse me
professor, but where's Harry?"
Dumbledore smiled.
"Oh, he's having fun," the older answered.
"Where?" asks Ron curiously.
"You know," Dumbledore continued, as if he hadn't heard Ron. "Fawkes needed to relax a bit, and Harry helped her a lot. I mean, they played the whole time."
"Really?" Hermione asked "What did they do?"
"Oh, the
usual," Dumbledore answered "But there was one thing, both
preferred to do."
"What was
it?" Hermione asked, but she suddenly heard a laugh coming from
behind her; a laugh Hermione knew so well, and that made her smile
despite the problems and the confusion that were around her.
Automatically both Hermione and Ron looked up and Hermione put a hand
over her mouth. Harry was on Fawkes' back, with his arms raised.
"Harry!" she exclaimed 'Merlin, what is he doing up there?'
"Calm down Miss Granger, he's all right," Dumbledore said, before looking up. "Fawkes, bring him down."
In a magnificence way, Fawkes flew towards Hermione and stopped in front of the girl.
"Minnie!"
Harry exclaimed, extending his arms towards her. "Fly!"
"Hello
Harry," Hermione said, picking him up. "Did you like
flying?" 'And almost giving me a heart-attack?'
Harry
nodded, enthusiastically, and looked at Fawkes, as she started flying
towards Dumbledore.
"Bye birdy!" he exclaimed, waving.
Hermione started to
giggle, as Ron smiled.
"Hey Harry," he complimented and the boy looked at him. "Had a good day?"
"Yes, Uncle
Ron," the child answered, before looking at Hermione. "Gandpa
Dumbles funny!"
"Yes, he is," agreed Ron, smiling wider and Hermione noticed the twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes.
"Thanks for
looking after him, professor," she said and Dumbledore waved his
hand.
"It was a pleasure. Harry is a wonderful...child."
Hermione smiled,
before looking at Harry, whose eyes were shinning and looking more
green than usual.
"Say
goodbye to...er...grandpa," she said and Harry turned to
Dumbledore, before waving and smiling.
"Bye Gandpa
Dumbles!" he said, in a very energetic way and Dumbledore also
waved.
"Bye Harry,
be careful and don't do anything I wouldn't."
"Ok,"
Harry answered, before looking at Hermione like asking 'what did he
mean by that?'
Hermione giggled, before kissing him on the forehead.
"Lets go, we have work to do."
"Sorry, no can do," Ron said, as the three friends went out of the office.
"What do you mean, with that?" Hermione inquired.
"I have Quidditch practice. Harry can't go to practices, but that doesn't mean I can't," Ron said, in his obvious tone of voice.
"What's kiddich?" Harry asked, looking confused.
"It's the best sport there is," Ron answered automatically.
"It has to do, with that ball you drew earlier," Hermione said to Harry. "But that isn't important, now," she continued, when she saw Ron opening his mouth. "You're going to take a bath."
"Not
important?" Ron asked, with his mouth wide open. "He has
the right to know, if he wants to."
"Ron, he's a 3 year old child. Of course he wants to know everything." Hermione answered, before looking at the Fat Lady "Cirdog."
"What a sweet child," the Fat Lady said while swinging open.
"I know," Hermione answered, in a whisper.
"See ya, at dinner time," Ron said called, stopping at the entrance.
"Bye Ron," Hermione answered, before looking at Harry. "Well, lets g..." she stopped talking when she noticed Harry had feel asleep in her arms. Shaking her head, Hermione climbed the stairs and entered on her room, before laying Harry on his
bed and going to take a bath.
A/N: Small chapter, I know, but this fic is kind of short so I can't post long chapters. Sorry. But, while the next chapter isn't post, will you please review? Please? Thanks!
