HOW TO DISMANTLE AN ATOMIC BOMB
Disclaimer: Oh woe is me, my life is a misery! I do not own Harry Potter, U2 or the movie that I stole that line from.
Summary: Well, if you've come this far and haven't read the summary yet, go away. Now.
Rating: Seriously, can't you people read?
A/N: OMG! I just saw an old guy go past our house on a motorised scooter! How bloody cool is that? Quokkalicious, I must say.
And I used a lot of 'Sliding Doors'-nessness in this. Well, in the whole story, actually…
WARNING: This chapter contains a plotting Dumbledore. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
'Beneath the noise
Below the din
I hear a voice
It's whispering
In science and in medicine
"I was a stranger
You took me in"'
"Did you get the poison off, Miss Granger?" asked Duncan Sheed, the Hufflepuff boy who had accidentally gotten the poison on her in the first place.
"Yes, Mr Sheed. Professor Snape brewed the appropriate potion and we were manage to remove the rash." She said, smiling.
"Professor Snape? I know he"s a teacher and all, Miss, but… I wouldn't take anything he gave you." Said Sarah Leeson, one of Duncan"s friends in Gryffindor.
Hermione smiled. She remembered when she, Harry and Ron had this attitude towards Snape. "I have every trust in Professor Snape. He is a very accomplished potions master, and I'm sure he wouldn't myself or anyone else." She said sternly.
"Is that so, Professor?" the silken words came from the doorway. She looked up and saw Snape standing there, a piece or parchment in his hand.
"Good afternoon, Professor. What can I do for you?" she asked sweetly.
"Dumbledore wishes to see us both in his office after classes. He sent me this." He walked over and handed her the piece of parchment.
Severus,
I need to meet with yourself and Miss Granger to talk about a potion I need
and I would appreciate you both meeting me in my office after classes today.
Please inform her of this as have not sent her a letter.
Albus
She looked up from the letter and nodded. "Okay. Meet me here when you finish?" she asked.
He nodded curtly and turned to leave.
"Professor!" she called, and he stopped by the door.
She hurried over and said quietly "Do you know what potion it is?"
"No idea. The headmaster has not informed me." He said.
"Okay. Thanks." She said, and went back to her class.
- 'The songs are in your eyes… I see them when you smile' -
"So, what's the potion for?" asked Hermione. They were in Dumbledore's office, herself and Snape facing Dumbledore across his desk.
"It is a variation on the truth serum. But, as you both know, veritaserum only makes you tell what you know. If your memory is modified, then that covers it. With this potion, by theory and historical papers, we should be able to uncover lost memories via the serum. It's a bit confusing, I realise, but do you get the general idea?" Dumbledore asked.
She nodded.
"Where are these historical papers, Albus?" asked Snape.
"In several old dark magic books. They are in my personal study, and they will be open to both of you at any time. But I must ask that you do not talk about this with anyone but Order members. This could be the key to more intelligence within the dark side, and if it gets out, it could be disastrous."
They both nodded their agreement. "What are plans on when we are to work together?" asked Hermione.
"Well, I thought I'd leave that mostly to you. But I must ask that you work often on this- time is of the essence. The sooner the potion is produced, the better." Dumbledore said.
"Okay… Well, we both have our timetables the same, don't we, Severus?" she asked.
Snape flinched as she used his first name again and Dumbledore smiled.
"Yes. Our free periods and class periods are the same." He answered.
"Okay. Shall we use our free periods to work on it? And evenings after dinner?" she said.
He nodded his consent.
"Very good. Now, I don't wish to take any more of your time, as I know you, Miss Granger have a dance lesson." Dumbledore smiled.
"Yes. If that's all, I'll go and get changed. I'll be back in time for my hall patrol tonight." She said, getting up from her chair.
Dumbledore nodded and she opened the door.
Snape too stood up, nodded towards Dumbledore and left.
Dumbledore was left alone his office, smiling cheerily. He popped a sherbet lemon in his mouth and smiled wider, remembering how this project worked out.
- 'I've had enough I'm not giving up' -
"Dance lesson?" Hermione heard a voice behind her ask. She turned around and saw Severus standing there, smirking.
"Yes, dance lessons. I don't get out much, so I do it to keep in shape. And to relax." She said.
"Relax?" he asked, walking up to where she had stopped. "I hardly imagine throwing yourself around a dance floor is relaxing."
"It is." She insisted, and they continued their path. "You can just focus on dancing, and not think about what's happening in your life. You can throw yourself into the dance, and not think about anything else. It's really calming." She explained.
"I see. And what type of dancing do you do?" he asked.
"Different types. I started ballroom dancing, my mum put me through lessons before I came to Hogwarts. I do the tango, the rumba and I've just started Hip-hop lessons. I thought they'd be interesting." She laughed at his face. "That's what I've got now."
They started down the stairs, and she stopped at the sixth floor. "Want to come in? I wanted to talk about the potion." She said, indicating the door to her rooms a few meters away.
He shrugged his shoulders appropriately nonchalantly and followed her in.
She excused herself and went to her room to get changed, and Snape took this as a chance to have a look around her rooms.
He looked on her mantle, where photos of herself and her parents, and ones of Harry, Ron and the rest of the Wesley family smiled back at him.
He moved on to her bookshelves as her voice came from her room.
"So, do you have any idea about what sort of potion this is? Other than what Dumbledore said?" she asked.
"No, I have not heard of such a potion before." He called back, running his long fingers along the sines of the books as he read their titles. "Yourself?"
"No, I'm just as clueless." She answered. "Are those times I mentioned definitely okay with you?" she asked.
"Yes, they-" he stopped and his eyes widened as he spied a book on her shelf. The Karma Sutra. He coughed a second, before finishing "Are."
"Everything all right out there?" she asked, opening the door. He jumped away form the bookshelf and leant against the mantle.
He nodded.
She smiled, and he took a moment to look at her outfit. She wore dark denim short shorts, a red camouflage print singlet and a black fishnet glove. A small silver chain hung from her jeans and her hair was out and teased, so it was even messier than usual. She had also added red and black streaks to her hair.
He just stared at her in shock.
"Strange? I know. But Jesse chose my outfit." She laughed.
"You're going out into the halls like that?" he asked after a moment.
"No. I have a coat." She smiled, going back into her room and retrieving a long black coat.
He nodded. "So where do you take your lessons?"
"There's a community hall near Diagon Alley. I apparate there once I'm out of the school grounds and meet Jesse and the rest of the class." She said. "I should really be there now. Want to walk me to the Great Hall?" she teased.
"If it wasn't on my way down to the dungeons, then no. But it is, so I suppose I will have to." He sighed resignedly.
"Good." She said, pulling on the coat and grabbing her bag. "Just let me get my shoes on. She sat on the cough and pulled on some black dance shoes. They had black ribbons to tie around the ankle, and it took her a few minutes to get them to stay.
"Let's go." She said, pulling him to the door and out into the hall.
"You can let go of my arm, Miss Granger." He said once they got to the stairs.
"Oh, yes, Severus Snape can not be seen holding hands with a woman, now can he? Whatever will the students think?" she laughed. "You can act like the gentleman I know you can be and help me down the stairs." She said.
"Anyone else would say you're still attempting to pull me." He commented.
"Anyone else would need psychiatric help. If I was still attempting to pull you I'd be a lot more obvious." She grinned and grabbed his arm, placed it on her hip like she had the previous night, snuggling into the crook of his arm. "See? Now I'm attempting to pull you."
He just looked at her disdainfully.
They reached the Great Hall and he let go of her. "Now, see, I'm not sure if I'm still meant to be trying to pull you… This is difficult." She sighed.
"And what would the difference be?" he asked. "Either way, we're parting ways."
"Ah, yes, but there are many different ways to part ways. If that makes sense…" she smiled. "For example, I could just say goodbye and make my way out the door. But if I was trying to pull you I'd kiss you good bye, walk to the door, turn back and smile at you before leaving. See the difference?"
"Yes. Have you decided whether you're trying to pull me yet?" he asked.
"Severus! One would think you wanted to be pulled." She chided mockingly.
"No, no, I merely want to know what to expect." He smirked.
She reached up and kissed him softly just next to his mouth and left, heading to the door.
"What was that?" he called over to her.
"Somewhere in the middle." She answered mysteriously. Now it was her turn to smirk.
- 'On a miracle drug…' -
"Mya! How you goin'?" gushed Jesse as she entered the hall.
"Hey Jess. I'm great, you?" she gave him a hug before moving towards the seats at the side of the hall.
"I'm fine." He said. "We're just waitin' on Theresa before we begin. We're goin' from the top, our solo. Full dress and tech rehearsal ready for next week." He said.
Jesse was tall, lean and athletic looking. He was black, with dreadlocked hair and brown eyes.
A few minutes later Theresa came in panting. "Sorry guys! My floo wasn't working! I had to catch the tube and then walk the rest!" she said, throwing her bag on the bench and moving to the side of the stage where her partner, Jarred, was waiting.
"S'ok, Thes." Said Jesse, smiling and taking his place at the side. They were the only ones on stage, as they began this first dance. "Ready Mya?" he asked. She nodded and took her position in the middle of the stage, towards the front. "Ready y'all?" everyone called back and he grinned. "Okay, Sam, hit it!"
Samantha, one of the dancers, waved her wand at the music player on the wall and a strong beat filled the air. Hermione felt the music over come her and she focussed on the dance and forgot everything else.
She started the dance on her own, strong moves to match the beat, and after a minute or two Jesse slid a chair along the side of the stage to land at her feet. She sat on it back to front, so she was facing the audience with the back of the chair in front of her. She lifted her leg over one side, so that she was sitting sideways and leant back, letting her hands raise her off the floor slightly. Lifting her back leg so that it was on the chair, her front so that it was raised, she froze.
The other girls came on stage and did the same dance as her, their partners sliding a chair to them from the side of the stage (hidden by curtains) and the froze in the same position as Hermione. They all kicked their chairs to the side of the stage at the same time, and crouched, coming up slowly and rolling their hips.
They guys came on stage, and stood behind them as they danced, then grabbed their hips and spun them around.
They continued until the song reached its end, and they ended with the girls held up by the guys in their hips, faces close together. Hermione was panting at the end, and so were all the others. She leant her forehead against Jesse's and slowed her breathing.
"You did good, Mya. Real good." He said, smiling. Before she knew it, he was kissing her. He gripped her tighter to him and held her. Her instincts made her hold him tighter and kiss him back, before her higher brain centres fought for control.
He let her go gently. "Sorry…" he said softly.
"It's okay… I just- I-" she faltered.
"Is there someone else?" he asked.
"No, no, not really. It's just- I want to stay friends. And I really don't know you, and you don't know me, and-" she sighed. "I'm sorry, Jesse, I just don't like you in that way." She said carefully.
He sighed. "Sure. I don't really know what made me do that. It just- yeah…" he said. The he grinned. "So what's with this 'not really' business, Mya?" he asked. The awkwardness between them was instantly forgotten.
She laughed. "A colleague. We kind of muck around, nothing at all really." She said.
"Yup, suuure, Mya." Jesse grinned, shaking his head. She punched him in the side of the arm playfully and grinned along with him.
Jesse turned to the rest of his group. "Okay, guys, I think we've basically got it down pat. I just want to go over that part where…"
- 'Freedom has a scent, like the top of a new born baby's head' -
Hermione arrived back at Hogwarts at about ten o'clock that night, half an hour before she was to be on duty. She hoped to try and catch up with Snape that night and tease him more. It was always fun to be able to get back at him for seven years of torture in classes.
She thought it a little strange that she and him had the same patrol duties as well as class times, but didn't ponder on it.
She went up to her rooms and quickly changed into some jeans and a shirt, throwing her jacket back on top and making sure she had her wand slipped up the sleeve. She left a little bit before ten thirty, when she was meant to begin her shift, so she decided to go down to the kitchens to grab a coffee and something to eat, as she hadn't had dinner.
When she entered, the normal stampede of foot tall beings rushed at her, one seemed to be at the very front.
"Miss Hermione! Dobby is so glad to see Miss! Dobby has so much to tell!" he gushed, looking up at her. "Dobby has gotten a pay-rise Miss, because Dobby is being Headmasters care-taker! An extra galleon a month, Miss!"
She grinned down at Dobby. "That's great, Dobby! But I'm afraid our talk will have to wait, I've got to get back to patrol in a minute. I was just wondering if I could get some coffee and something small to eat…?" she asked.
The elves that had backed away solemnly when Dobby had talked about his pay rise immediately rushed back, this time laden with trays of coffee, biscuits and cakes. She took a mug of coffee and a croissant, said thank you and goodbye to the house elves and Dobby, and left the kitchens.
She headed up to the first floor to begin patrols, sipping her coffee and taking a bite out of her croissant every now and then. No students were out of bed, and with no one to talk to, she felt herself getting drowsy, no matter how much caffeine she consumed.
"Harassing the house elves again, are we?" a smooth voice came from behind her.
She smirked and turned around. "Well, better then than some other "lower beings". Say your Slytherins, for example." She retorted.
He raised his eyebrow, looking dangerously sexy. No, no, she had to stop thinking like this. Though, he did look rather nice tonight, in that black… Wait, he always wears black. Which means he always looks nice. Ahh! She needed help. But most of all she needed to stop having these arguments in her head. It wasn't healthy.
"Yes, I suppose they can be rather lowly." He commented, making her expression change from smug to questioning. He walked towards her. "But, have you noticed; they always seem to get what they want." He said smoothly. He was now standing just a foot away and her heartbeat was quickening.
"Yes, well, us Gryffindors seem to end up quite well, don't we?" she said.
"Some. Though, I must say you're a bit sad." She laughed and shook her head.
"Me, sad?" she asked.
"Yes. You're twenty two, working at the same place you spent seven years of you childhood at and have no boyfriend." He explained.
She smiled. "Yes, and you're no better. In fact, you're in much the same position as I am." When she said the word position his mind flickered back to the book he had seen in her rooms, and he struggled to keep his face impassive. "You're forty, have been working for over ten years at the place you spent seven years of your childhood at and have no girlfriend. I'd say you're even worse off than me." She raised her eyebrow in challenge, but got none in return. He simply sighed.
"Yes, I suppose you're right. My life is rather pointless. Even scaring the students has lost it's fun." He said sadly.
"Cheer up. Remember what the Monty Python boys said." She smiled.
He gave a snort of laughter. "Always look on the bright side of life?"
"No." she moved closer to him and explained. "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition." She was awfully close now and could feel his breath on her face.
He breathed in; he could smell the hint of perfume she always wore, the smell of jasmine. He could see each eyelash; he could count them if he wanted to. But he had other things he wanted to do. He let one hand drift to her cheek, moving around behind her neck. He pulled her in gently, and kissed her on the lips. She stood back, eyes wide.
"I'm sorry, I-" he began.
"No, no, it's okay. It's just… I know it's perfect for a kiss, and it would be the right thing to do under normal circumstances, but these aren't normal circumstances, and you're my colleague, and my ex-professor and we're friends, of a sort, and…" she drifted off. "I don't want this to happen because of a momentary lack of judgement." She sighed.
He nodded, and they stood in silence and minute before she realised she'd spilt her coffee on the floor. She bent down to clean it up with her wand, and he did the same to pick up the mug, and they bumped heads.
She laughed a second, before looking back at him.
Sod it, she thought, and kissed him, her hands moving to the back of his neck, his hands moving to sit on her hips to steady them. Finally they broke apart.
"Was that what you'd call a momentary lack of judgement?" he asked quietly. She grinned and kissed him again, this time pulling him up so they were both standing.
She leant against him, entwining her fingers in his thick black hair, his arms pulling her closers and looping around her waist. They stood like that for several minutes, before his higher brain functions kicked in and decided that he'd rather not get caught by a teacher, or god forbid, a student, so they stumbled off to his rooms, which were closer, and with less stairs.
They reached his rooms and stumbled in the door, miraculously managing not to fall. She suddenly realised what she was doing, as they began to make towards his bedroom.
She stopped kissing him and took a deep breath.
"Severus?" she asked quietly. "Um. I know it seems like I do, and I would, and it's not you, but… Um, I don't think I want to sleep with you tonight." She said.
His stomach dropped and he let go off her hips as if scolded.
"Oh." He said coldly.
"I like you, I really do, and I do want to… Eventually. But I just… I want to stay with you though. Is that okay?" she asked tentatively.
He smiled, one of the first true smiles she'd seen, and nodded. She grinned and leant up and kissed him, and they moved into his room. They both kicked off their shoes, and he took off his tie, but he really didn't know where to go from there. Did she want to sleep in their clothes? Completely nude? What did she expect?
She smiled at his hesitation and walked over to him, and looking a lot more confident than she looked, unbuttoned his shirt. She pulled it off, and he set to work on the small buttons on her own white dress shirt. He pulled it off they stripped down to their underwear.
He let himself be guided towards his bed and they both fell on it, kissing again. They lay down and he pulled the sheets over them, spooning her from behind.
He normally would've chided himself for showing his emotions so blatantly but sod it; he was with her.
- 'Miracle… Miracle drug…' -
Little did they know, as they had been kissing in the hall, a pair of pale blue eyes had been watching them. Albus Dumbledore's pale blue eyes, to be more exact. He stood in the shadows and grinned to himself, feeling very proud of himself for helping to bring these two together.
'I am you and you are mine
Love makes nonsense of space
And time… will disappear
Love and logic keep us clear
Reason is on our side, love…'
Well, this one was shorter, only eight pages, but it only took me a day, and the other took over a week.
And many thanks to the movie "Sliding Doors" for its inspiration. That will continue, though not as much in future chapters, so it must be noted that this is in fact a good movie. Great, movie actually. Fascinating concept, and well done. Though I'm not a particular fan of Gwyneth Paltrow, I do love John Hannah (sexy Pippinesque accent. Yummy), and this movie was very well done.
God, listen to me. I sound like someone of The Movie Show on SBS.
Once again, I encourage you all to buy U2's album/s.
Actually, screw encourage. I order you to.
Buy the album, my pretties, BUY IT!
Hehehe… Hahahaha! Bwahahaha! MWAHAHAHA!
cough sorry…
Taraa.