Much Ado About Hermione

Chapter 3: Rude Awakening

"Mr. Potter, so good of you to finally join us," said Snape.

Harry sat up in his chair and rubbed his eyes. Blinking wildly, he looked around the room, at all the faces staring at him.

Ron poked him on the side with his elbow. When they make eye contact, the redhead tapped the side of his mouth. Harry's hand quickly rose to his mouth and wiped the sliver of drool that was hardening near his lower lip.

Snape was standing over him. "Yes, Mr. Potter, do get rid of all the evidence of your slumber." His dark eyes narrowed on the boy. "I hope your little dream was a good one because you had a delighted smile on your face. Perhaps you were dreaming that I would have mercy on you and let you pass my class."

Draco sat in the corner of the room, his gray eyes dancing with sheer delight as they rested on Harry. The blond brought a dainty hand to his brow and pushed back several silvery strands of hair. "Since he had the audacity to fall asleep during your compelling lecture, you should make him tell us what he was dreaming about Professor."

"Yes. Excellent idea." Snape turned and gave Draco an approving glance. "Ten points to Slytherin for Mr. Malfoy's quick thinking." He then crossed his arms tightly against his chest as he sat on the edge of one of the tables. "Why don't you share your dream with us?"

The rest of the class stopped whispering amongst them and turned around in their chairs. An air of excitement circulated through the room, as everyone's eyes plastered on Harry, waiting and anticipating.

Harry slumped down into his chair; his head lowered so his chin almost touched his chest. He quickly glanced at Ron, his brilliant green eyes silently pleading for the redhead to help him. Ron could do nothing but stare back.

Ron leaned on his elbows, as he was also eager to hear the details of his friend's dream. The enchanted grin on Harry's face as he slumbered had him intrigued.

As time ticked by, Harry remained silent as he stared as his desk, lifting his head now and again to look at the curious eyes surrounding him.

"We have all the time in the world," said Snape, fixing an unblinking stare on the boy.

The gawking, silence and waiting continued longer than anyone had anticipated; it was apparent the boy and the professor were testing each other's wills.

Soon the other students grew tiresome of the wait and became restless. The classroom slowly became noisy again, as the pupils moved about in their chairs and banged their quills against their desks.

Snape was forced to give up his stance when he heard some of his Slytherins yawning loudly. He begrudgingly got up and resumed his spot in front of the class.

"Seems like our little Wonder Boy is feeling a little shy at the moment," he began. "Unlike a few moments ago when he was snoring loudly in my class. For that, you get fifty points taken off of Gryffindor. And I will surely be talking to Professor McGonagall about this."

"Fifty points?" shouted Ron. "That's not fair." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Goyle was sleeping during an entire class session last week and he didn't do a damn thing about it."

"Mr. Weasley," snapped Snape. "I suggest you silence yourself before I take more points from your house. And since I am the teacher in this class, I make up the rules on what is and isn't fair."

Ron leaned close to Harry's ear. "I tried to wake you before he noticed you were sleeping, but I was too late." He turned and glared at Snape, who was puffing out his chest, as if declaring victory over the green-eyed boy. "It's just like him to do something like that," continued Ron. "Always showing off in front of his Slytherins."

Ron glanced at his friend. He waited until Harry's reddened cheeks had resumed their normal color before asking, "What were you dreaming about?"

"Huh?"

"Your dream. What was it? You kept making these weird noises."

"I'd also like to know what it was," said Hermione.

Harry scratched his head and looked from Ron to Hermione. "I don't even remember."

"That's too bad," muttered Ron. He leaned back in his chair and gazed past Harry, his eyes landing on Hermione. She had a toothy smile on her face, the same smile he had seen only a few times during that turbulent summer. His mood lifted to see her so happy; all thoughts of striking Snape disappeared as he concentrated on her. But that happy bubble was soon popped when he realized she wasn't looking at him, but at Harry.

Hermione scooted her chair closer to Harry and whispered something in his ear. Ron strained to hear what she was saying, but could hear nothing. His eyes narrowed on her mouth as her lips brushed against the other boy's earlobe.

He sat up in this chair and stiffened his spine when he saw her place a hand on Harry's knee. He stared at that hand as it leisurely moved up and down Harry's thigh. While focusing on Hermione's fingers, Ron's attention was quickly pulled to Harry, when the green-eyed boy jerked back in his seat.

Ron wrinkled his brows as he continued to watch Harry, whose responses to Hermione's touch was indeed peculiar. He eyed how the other boy's body tensed when Hermione grazed her fingers along his jaw line. A smile crept on Ron's face as he observed Harry's fidgety actions with some amusement. But as he continued watching the scene in front of him, his fascination with the other boy's bodily movements faded. Ron's once jovial face was beginning to tighten.

"Now everyone," yelled Snape, "get working on your assignment. And Mr. Potter, do make sure that you don't fall into the cauldron during another one of your narcoleptic fits. We wouldn't want you to ruin the potion." He turned to face the Slytherins, as if seeking their approval on his witty comment.

"I think we should get started on our project," Ron said to his two friends. He had hoped his words would arouse the two to separate; however, they did not move, nor did they acknowledge he had spoken.

He pushed off his chair and advanced to where their cauldron was situated. He lifted his eyes and saw how they had not budged; she was still leaning close to him, still whispering in hushed tones. Probably words of encouragement, he guessed. However, her hand had now traveled to his head; his eyes followed those fingers as they skipped along Harry's tousled locks of hair.

"Hey Hermione," Ron said, "this potion is not going to make itself."

"Okay, I'll be right there," she replied. But she did not move, her attention still focused on trying to style Harry's hair.

"Hermione!" He looked behind him to see if Snape had heard him; the professor was too busy berating Neville. He turned to face her once more. "We're gonna get low marks on this assignment if we don't start soon. Everyone has already begun."

He watched as she quickly bolted from her chair and ran to his side.

************

"Harry, are you cold?" Hermione asked.

"No."

"Then why do you have your robes bundled around you like that?"

"I don't know, I just do."

"Maybe you're coming down with the flu. One of the symptoms is feeling cold. You probably got it from Dean. I told him not to go sneezing all over the common room, spreading his germs everywhere."

Harry shook his head. "I'm not sick. I feel fine."

"Well, you don't look fine. Ron, doesn't Harry look sick?"

"Yeah Harry," Ron said, "you do look sick. And I have seen wads of tissue paper lying on the floor near your bed." He watched as Harry lowered his face, a deep color beginning to develop on his cheeks.

"Maybe you should go to the hospital wing," he continued. He looked down at Hermione; her hair shielded her face from his view. "Hermione and I," he paused until she glanced up at him, "can handle this on our own."

"I'm fine," said Harry. "I've just had a runny nose."

As he and Hermione worked on the potion, Ron watched the other boy, eyeing him as he rocked uncomfortably on his feet, always rearranging his robes. But Harry's activities were not enough to distract him from observing Hermione. He scanned her face from the corner of his eye, his glances focusing on her ample lips.

Without drawing attention to himself, he slowly closed the distance between them. They were soon standing side by side, her hips grazing against him as she worked. He dropped one hand to his side and touched her fingers. He closed his eyes, thinking of how long it had been since he'd felt that warm skin.

She stopped cutting the ingredients and glanced at him. He smiled down at her, expecting a warm return. But what greeted him was a look of bewilderment, which slowly turned into a glare. Her eyes traveled to Harry and then back to him.

Ron watched as she pulled her hand from his grasp and moved away from him. He raised his eyes and looked at the other boy, who had been watching their exchange. "Perhaps you should go to Madame Pomfrey," he said in a tight voice. "Your absence wouldn't affect our project since you're not doing much."

He was in the middle of watching Harry's face become grim, when he felt Hermione's elbow ram into his side. He turned to face her, but she quickly looked away from him and began to stare at the cauldron.

"What's wrong with the potion?" she asked. "Have you been stirring it?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Then why is it bubbling like that? Just keep stirring while I add some of these grubs." She stuck a dainty finger into the glass jar and pulled out a fat, white grub. The creature began to wriggle in her hand, before falling onto the ground. She leaned forward and tried to pick it up.

Ron stopped whisking the potion and stared at the wonderful sight in front of him. His eyes traced over the curves of her bottom, beautifully outlined by her form fitting robes. He took a step forward to get a better view, when he knocked into the cauldron, spilling their potion.

Several students moved away from them, trying not to get any of the smoking liquid on their shoes and robes.

"Professor Snape," shouted a Slytherin, "look what the Gryffindors have done."

With three long strides, Snape was standing over Ron. "Look at the mess you've made," he shouted into the redhead's ear. Ron moved away as Snape's sharp breath blew in his face.

"I would have all three of you come back here tonight to clean this up," Snape continued, "but I've had enough of you people for one day." He alternated from giving Hermione, Ron and Harry hard looks.

Snape raised his hand in the air, and with a whoosh of his wand, the mess was cleaned up. He began to walk away, all the while muttering under his breath. "Oh by the way," he said over his shoulder at the three students, "that will be fifty more points off Gryffindor."

**********

Ron's eyes were bright with intensity as he observed her face. She of course was not looking at him, as her gaze was fixed on the other boy in the far corner of the room. He noisily tapped his finger on his desk, hoping the sound would make her aware is his impatience; but nothing seemed to draw her attention away from Harry.

"You ready to go?" he finally asked. She didn't respond to him. He was finally able to catch her attention when he took her hand in his. His eyes then darted to Harry, who had his back to them. "He seems to be busy with something. I'm sure he can catch up with us."

"I'll fetch him," she replied. She tried to move away, but he still held onto her hand. "Ron," she pleaded, "I'll be right back."

Finally free, she made her way towards Harry. "We're going to be late for Hagrid's class."

Completely preoccupied with the front of his robes, he flinched in surprise when he heard her voice. "I'll be right there, you and Ron go ahead. I think I got some of that ooze on my robes."

"I have some napkins." She reached into her bag and pulled out several tissues. "Where's the mess, I'll help you clean it--"

"No."

"Um, okay."

"It's just that I can handle it on my own. Why don't you go and tell Hagrid that I'm running late."

Ron stood by the doorway, tapping his foot on the floor. His lips curled. "Hermione, he said he'll meet us in class later. Let's go."

Hermione's hand rose and grazed Harry's shoulder. "Are you sure you'll make it to class on time?"

"Yeah," said Harry. "It's no big deal really. I'll just clean myself off and meet you guys in a few minutes."

As he and Hermione were about to make their way down the hall, Ron halted at the entryway and took one last look at the other boy. Harry whipped his head around and caught his gaze.

A sly smile spread on Ron's lips as their eyes locked. He then turned and walked out of the room.