Drabble: The Power of Conversation
May. 27th, 2013 05:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alisanneTitle: The Power of Conversation
Author:alisanne
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Severus Snape/Harry Potter
Challenge: Written for![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
harry100/![[insanejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/ij-community.gif)
harry100's prompt #219: Face.
Rating: PG
Length: 100 x 9
Warnings: None
Summary: Conversations have magic all their own.
Beta:sevfan
Notes: Posting a bit late. This prompt was pretty inspiring, though, so I wrote two drabble sets for it. ;)
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
~
The Power of Conversation
~
“He’ll see you now.” Madam Pomfrey smiled. “Try to be brief, however. He’s still healing and prolonged talking is painful for him, although he probably won’t admit that.”
Harry nodded. Turning to Hermione, he said, “Wish me luck.”
“You’ll be fine,” she said. “The war’s over, you got him acquitted of all charges, he’ll be grateful.”
Harry’s lips twisted. “It’s still difficult to face him, though. The last time I saw him--” His voice cracked and Hermione, smiling sympathetically, patted his arm.
“Go on,” she said. “I’ll wait here.”
Squaring his shoulders, Harry pushed open the door to the infirmary.
~
Snape looked pale. Well, paler than normal, Harry mentally amended. Although, oddly, younger.
“Potter,” Snape rasped. “I understand you insisted on this face-to-face meeting.”
Harry moved closer. “Not insisted, but I did want to talk with you, sir. To...thank you.”
“That’s...unnecessary.” Snape’s throat moved convulsively. “And I should be...thanking you. I hear you’re the reason I’m not in Azkaban.”
“That was a combined effort,” Harry said. “Neville and Ginny testified, too, after all.”
Snape raised an eyebrow. “Yet I imagine that without your testimony, it wouldn’t have worked.”
Harry blushed.
“So, sit and explain why you’re here.”
~
Finally face to face with Snape, Harry forgot his carefully rehearsed speech. “I was just...I thought--”
Snape’s mouth curved into a brief, wry smile. “At least some things haven’t changed. Just say it, Potter.”
“I didn’t trust you and I’m sorry!” Harry blurted. “Dumbledore told me to and--”
“Stop,” Snape said, voice oddly gentle despite its hoarseness. “You did exactly as you were meant to do. Voldemort had to look into my mind and see our...antagonism.”
Harry nodded. “I understand that now.” Tentatively, he smiled. “But there’s no need for antagonism now, right?”
Snape smiled back. “Indeed not.”
~
Minutes later, realising that Snape was tiring, Harry stood. “I should go.”
Snape’s eyes, which had been drooping, popped open. “As you wish.”
“I’d like to continue visiting, though.” Harry held his breath.
A look of surprise crossed Snape’s face. “Very well. Although I’m hardly scintillating company.”
“You needn’t be,” Harry said. “We’re friends now, right?” At Snape’s hesitant nod, his smile broadened. “Then don’t worry. I’ll do all the talking.”
Snape closed his eyes. “How...reassuring.” And as Harry watched, his breathing evened out.
Oddly touched that Snape was relaxed enough in his presence to sleep, Harry tiptoed out.
~
The next day, Harry tentatively entered the infirmary, approaching Snape’s cot. Upon seeing Harry’s face, he inclined his head. “Potter.”
“You look better, sir,” Harry said, pulling up a chair and sitting down. “How are you feeling?”
“Tolerable.” Snape gestured to the newspaper. “I’ve been reading about your life.”
Harry snorted. “What’re they saying today? Is it how I’m going to marry Hermione?”
“Ms Weasley, actually.” Snape raised an eyebrow as Harry rolled his eyes. “Untrue?”
Harry coughed. “Definitely.”
“Why’s that?”
Harry blushed. “She’s not my...type.”
“Not--?” Snape’s face shifted. “Ah.” He smiled. “It seems we’ve something in common.”
~
“You’re spending lots of time with Snape,” Hermione said one evening.
Harry, on his way back to the infirmary, paused. “Am I?”
She smiled. “Anything you’d like to tell us?”
Ron, sitting beside her, looked up, his face a study of contradictions. “Not Snape, Harry!”
Harry edged towards the door. “I dunno what you’re talking about.”
Ron rolled his eyes. “Do you think we’re thick? You’ve always been obsessed with the Prince. And now you have him.”
Harry blinked. “I don’t--”
“Yes you do.” Ron looked at Hermione. “Right, guess we’ll have to get used to it.”
Hermione chuckled. “Evidently.”
~
“You spend an inordinate amount of time here,” Snape said over dinner one evening.
Harry smiled. “You sound just like Hermione.”
“Your friends have noticed?” Snape pursed his lips. “Perhaps it’s time you...stopped visiting.”
“Why?” Harry studied Snape’s face. “Do you want me to stop?”
“It’s doesn’t matter of what I want,” said Snape, tone bland. “It matters what’s best for you.”
“What’s best for me?” Holding his breath, Harry grasped Snape’s hand. “What’s best for me is that I stay with you.”
Snape didn’t pull away. “Says who?” he asked, eyes searching Harry’s face.
Harry smiled. “Says me.”
~
“You’re fine, Severus.” Madam Pomfrey lowered her wand, a smile on her face. “Healed. Well, as healed as you’re going to be.”
Severus inclined his head. “Thanks to your excellent care.”
Pomfrey coughed. “Oh, I suspect Mr Potter had a great deal to do with it as well.”
Harry, who had been sitting quietly to the side, blushed. “All I did was visit and talk to him.”
Pomfrey tutted. “Don’t underestimate the power of conversation, Mr Potter. It can be its own form of healing.”
Severus (Harry simply couldn’t think of him as Snape anymore) smiled faintly. “So I’ve discovered.”
~
Arriving at Grimmauld, Ron hesitated.
“What’s wrong?” asked Hermione. “Just knock.”
“I can’t believe Harry moved Snape in with him.”
Hermione sighed. “It makes sense. Harry has more than enough room here.”
“I didn’t mean--”
“I know what you meant, but you said we’d have to accept his choice.”
“Yeah.” Ron knocked. “I remember.”
Harry ushered them inside. “Go through to the sitting room. Severus is in the kitchen.”
“Are they happy together y’think?” Ron whispered once alone.
Looking up, Hermione saw the looks on Harry’s and Snape’s faces as they walked in. They were content, happy. She smiled. “Definitely.”
~
Author:
alisanneCharacter(s)/Pairing(s): Severus Snape/Harry Potter
Challenge: Written for
harry100/harry100's prompt #219: Face.Rating: PG
Length: 100 x 9
Warnings: None
Summary: Conversations have magic all their own.
Beta:
sevfanNotes: Posting a bit late. This prompt was pretty inspiring, though, so I wrote two drabble sets for it. ;)
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
~
The Power of Conversation
~
“He’ll see you now.” Madam Pomfrey smiled. “Try to be brief, however. He’s still healing and prolonged talking is painful for him, although he probably won’t admit that.”
Harry nodded. Turning to Hermione, he said, “Wish me luck.”
“You’ll be fine,” she said. “The war’s over, you got him acquitted of all charges, he’ll be grateful.”
Harry’s lips twisted. “It’s still difficult to face him, though. The last time I saw him--” His voice cracked and Hermione, smiling sympathetically, patted his arm.
“Go on,” she said. “I’ll wait here.”
Squaring his shoulders, Harry pushed open the door to the infirmary.
~
Snape looked pale. Well, paler than normal, Harry mentally amended. Although, oddly, younger.
“Potter,” Snape rasped. “I understand you insisted on this face-to-face meeting.”
Harry moved closer. “Not insisted, but I did want to talk with you, sir. To...thank you.”
“That’s...unnecessary.” Snape’s throat moved convulsively. “And I should be...thanking you. I hear you’re the reason I’m not in Azkaban.”
“That was a combined effort,” Harry said. “Neville and Ginny testified, too, after all.”
Snape raised an eyebrow. “Yet I imagine that without your testimony, it wouldn’t have worked.”
Harry blushed.
“So, sit and explain why you’re here.”
~
Finally face to face with Snape, Harry forgot his carefully rehearsed speech. “I was just...I thought--”
Snape’s mouth curved into a brief, wry smile. “At least some things haven’t changed. Just say it, Potter.”
“I didn’t trust you and I’m sorry!” Harry blurted. “Dumbledore told me to and--”
“Stop,” Snape said, voice oddly gentle despite its hoarseness. “You did exactly as you were meant to do. Voldemort had to look into my mind and see our...antagonism.”
Harry nodded. “I understand that now.” Tentatively, he smiled. “But there’s no need for antagonism now, right?”
Snape smiled back. “Indeed not.”
~
Minutes later, realising that Snape was tiring, Harry stood. “I should go.”
Snape’s eyes, which had been drooping, popped open. “As you wish.”
“I’d like to continue visiting, though.” Harry held his breath.
A look of surprise crossed Snape’s face. “Very well. Although I’m hardly scintillating company.”
“You needn’t be,” Harry said. “We’re friends now, right?” At Snape’s hesitant nod, his smile broadened. “Then don’t worry. I’ll do all the talking.”
Snape closed his eyes. “How...reassuring.” And as Harry watched, his breathing evened out.
Oddly touched that Snape was relaxed enough in his presence to sleep, Harry tiptoed out.
~
The next day, Harry tentatively entered the infirmary, approaching Snape’s cot. Upon seeing Harry’s face, he inclined his head. “Potter.”
“You look better, sir,” Harry said, pulling up a chair and sitting down. “How are you feeling?”
“Tolerable.” Snape gestured to the newspaper. “I’ve been reading about your life.”
Harry snorted. “What’re they saying today? Is it how I’m going to marry Hermione?”
“Ms Weasley, actually.” Snape raised an eyebrow as Harry rolled his eyes. “Untrue?”
Harry coughed. “Definitely.”
“Why’s that?”
Harry blushed. “She’s not my...type.”
“Not--?” Snape’s face shifted. “Ah.” He smiled. “It seems we’ve something in common.”
~
“You’re spending lots of time with Snape,” Hermione said one evening.
Harry, on his way back to the infirmary, paused. “Am I?”
She smiled. “Anything you’d like to tell us?”
Ron, sitting beside her, looked up, his face a study of contradictions. “Not Snape, Harry!”
Harry edged towards the door. “I dunno what you’re talking about.”
Ron rolled his eyes. “Do you think we’re thick? You’ve always been obsessed with the Prince. And now you have him.”
Harry blinked. “I don’t--”
“Yes you do.” Ron looked at Hermione. “Right, guess we’ll have to get used to it.”
Hermione chuckled. “Evidently.”
~
“You spend an inordinate amount of time here,” Snape said over dinner one evening.
Harry smiled. “You sound just like Hermione.”
“Your friends have noticed?” Snape pursed his lips. “Perhaps it’s time you...stopped visiting.”
“Why?” Harry studied Snape’s face. “Do you want me to stop?”
“It’s doesn’t matter of what I want,” said Snape, tone bland. “It matters what’s best for you.”
“What’s best for me?” Holding his breath, Harry grasped Snape’s hand. “What’s best for me is that I stay with you.”
Snape didn’t pull away. “Says who?” he asked, eyes searching Harry’s face.
Harry smiled. “Says me.”
~
“You’re fine, Severus.” Madam Pomfrey lowered her wand, a smile on her face. “Healed. Well, as healed as you’re going to be.”
Severus inclined his head. “Thanks to your excellent care.”
Pomfrey coughed. “Oh, I suspect Mr Potter had a great deal to do with it as well.”
Harry, who had been sitting quietly to the side, blushed. “All I did was visit and talk to him.”
Pomfrey tutted. “Don’t underestimate the power of conversation, Mr Potter. It can be its own form of healing.”
Severus (Harry simply couldn’t think of him as Snape anymore) smiled faintly. “So I’ve discovered.”
~
Arriving at Grimmauld, Ron hesitated.
“What’s wrong?” asked Hermione. “Just knock.”
“I can’t believe Harry moved Snape in with him.”
Hermione sighed. “It makes sense. Harry has more than enough room here.”
“I didn’t mean--”
“I know what you meant, but you said we’d have to accept his choice.”
“Yeah.” Ron knocked. “I remember.”
Harry ushered them inside. “Go through to the sitting room. Severus is in the kitchen.”
“Are they happy together y’think?” Ron whispered once alone.
Looking up, Hermione saw the looks on Harry’s and Snape’s faces as they walked in. They were content, happy. She smiled. “Definitely.”
~
no subject
Date: 2013-05-27 11:03 pm (UTC)Ten points to Gryffindor, Mr Weasley ;-)
no subject
Date: 2013-06-01 03:23 am (UTC)Thank you, my dear!
no subject
Date: 2013-05-27 11:19 pm (UTC)And now Severus and Harry will spend even more time together.
Brilliant, my dear.
no subject
Date: 2013-06-01 03:25 am (UTC)And yes, I think it would be really difficult for Harry not to have his friends' support. Luckily, he has fabulous friends. :)
Thank you, sweetie! Glad you liked it!
no subject
Date: 2013-05-28 10:23 pm (UTC)yay!! beautifully, beautifully done.
i like this sweet coming together of them, the understanding and friendship just gently moving them along to...more.
no subject
Date: 2013-06-01 03:25 am (UTC)Thanks so much, hon!
And yes, as you say, it has to be about understanding and friendship as well as attraction. :)