In Sickness and In Health ~ 5 Vignettes (Harry Potter)

[Dusty15]

The first of 5 stories featuring 5 different couples from the Harry Potter series. I'll be adding others soon. Enjoy!

Hermione and Ron

Female, cold

“Hermione? You up there?”

Ron’s voice called up the stairs to the second level of their two story flat.

“In the office,” Hermione called back.

The couple had moved in just two months prior and were still getting used to the place and all the isocracies that come with living in a new home. Ron up the stairs and poked his head into the small office where Hermione could often be found pouring over a book.

“Do you think curry tonight or should I make pasta?” he asked. It was his turn in the kitchen and he was hungry after a long work day.

Hermione didn’t lift her head from the parchment in front of her. She was bundled in a thick, oversized cable-knit sweater and her feet were in big wooly slippers.

“Does it feel cold in here?” she asked. “I don’t think I’ve figured out the heat yet.”

Ron frowned.

“No. It’s quite nice, actually. Why? You’re cold? You’ve got like three layers on by the looks of it.”

Hermione turned around in the swiveled desk chair to face her husband. Her hair, though bushy when she was a girl, was usually sleek and finished, but today it was messy and gathered in a ponytail. Her nose looked pink and irritated, and her eyes were slightly glassy.

“You look awful.”

“Ta, Ron,” Hermione quipped, sniffling. “I think I’ve come down with something.”

“Maybe making soup might be more appropriate for dinner, then,” Ron said.

Heh’txht!

Hermione pitched forward, sneezing into the loose sleeve of her sweater. She had what might be described as a feminine sneeze, slightly delicate and soft, but the sniffle that followed was anything but dainty.

“You sound pretty congested.”

She rolled her eyes a little at her husband. Ron could be so obvious sometimes.

“Yes,” she said, digging in her pocket for a handkerchief and blowing her nose loudly.

“Why are you in here, then? You should be in bed.”

“I’ve got three pages of legislation due tomorrow,” Hermione said. “You knew that.”

“Oh, yes, but…”

“Ron, I need to finish it,” she said, irritated. “Please.”

He looked like he wanted to argue but Hermione shot him a look and he thought better of it.

“I’ll go put the soup on, then,” he said, leaving her and heading for the kitchen.

He was just adding the chicken to the broth when he heard Hermione upstairs, the sound of her sneezing echoing down from the front hall.

Ehh’tshht! Hehh…ehh’tschttt! ‘Tshhiii! Heh….ehhh….hehh’tcxxt!

She followed with a series of loud, congested nose blows and a few tired coughs. Ron tapped the soup pot with his wand, setting it to monitor the temperature, before heading back upstairs.

Hermione was sitting with a hankie jammed up one nostil, an arm propped on the desk and holding up her head as she read. Ron went up behind her and tucked his arms around her, carefully rolling up the parchment.

“I’ll owl your boss and say you’ve taken ill,” he said. “Please, Hermione, for once don’t be stubborn.”

He smoothed the hair off her brow and lay a soothing hand there, massaging her temple lightly with his thumb.

“Okay,” she said after a moment, sounding defeated.

“Good.”

He planted a kiss on top of her head and pulled back the chair.

“Bed. I’ll bring up the soup soon.”

He turned to leave but paused in the door when she said-

“Ron?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you for being so sweet. I know I was a bit of a prat earlier. It’s just an important document and I said I’d finish it up for tomorrow so we could review it in the briefing at noon.”

“They’ll just have to wait to hear your genius conclusions,” he said. “And if you think that’s the only time I’ve heard you make excuses to finish up some work, you’ve married the wrong man, Hermione Granger.”

She smiled.

“No, I suppose I picked just the right one.”

Edited August 24, 2011 by Dusty15

[count tiszula]

Lovely! Poor old Hermione so seldom gets a girly scene...let alone girly sneezes.

And now...the traditional comment on Britishisms.....no, it's just a tradition. When she says "I'd be done for tomorrow " it sounds as if she's going to be exhausted the next day. I think she means "I'd be finished by tomorrow"...but hey,like what the hay?

[Dusty15]

I can always count on you, Count! Thanks for the catch

[Whysprr]

Incredible! I love Hermione's wonderful sneeziness!! Please continue!!

[stargazer]

I've never read a Hermione sickfic/drabble before. I'm glad I read ours. It was good. Can't wait to read what you've got next.

[swann_ee_song]

I love that Ron is obsessed with food in this scene (as usual...), and that's also how he shows his caring!

[Always]

Oh, so cute!

[Midii]

This was really good! I'm loving all the recent HP stories...but sad that the movies have come to an end.

[Dusty15]

Thanks for all the kind reviews! Here's the next one!

---

Teddy Lupin/Victoire Weasley

(Tonks and Lupin's son, Bill and Fleur's daughter)

Cold, M

------

Teddy Lupin was lucky is some respects. He was lucky to have avoided inheriting his father’s lycanthropy. Thanks, perhaps, to the inactive bit of werewolf blood in him, he had a remarkably strong immune system most of the time. And he was lucky to have a wonderful girlfriend in Victoire Weasley.

But while his father’s genetics didn’t make him transform on full moons, they did tend to make him feel run-down and restless for a few days a month. It was the rare time when he was prone to catching a cold, and this particular month, he’d been hard hit.

He was in his final year at Hogwarts with plans of working in the Ministry’s legal division after graduation. He needed good marks in all his studies for the job, so school work was a priority.

Focusing on his work today was proving difficult. He was in the library, tucked in a corner with a stack of books and a wooly sweater over his school robes. A handkerchief sat partially used on one knee. Every few moments, he’d sniffle congestedly in an attempt to stop his dripping nose.

“Teddy?”

Victoire emerged from behind a row of stacks, carrying her school things. She dropped them at his side and sank down to the floor next to him.

“I could hear you from way over there,” she said, gesturing to a distant shelf. “Madame Pince was beginning to look irritated.”

“Sorry,” Teddy said, reaching for his handkerchief and trying to blow his nose discretely. “I’m trying to be quiet, but my blasted nose keeps running.”

“You look terrible,” she said, tucking a hand around the back of his neck and playing with the delicate hairs at the nape. He relaxed into her touch, his eyes drifting closed.

His mouth dropped open slightly and his brow creased inwards. He tried to get the words out to warn Victoire but the sneeze beat him to it.

Ehhh’kchhht!

He snapped forward with a spraying sneeze, barely getting his handkerchief up in time. Victoire jumped at the sudden movement and laughed.

“Aw, bless,” she said, digging in her satchel and pulling out a fresh handkerchief. “You need a new one, I think.”

“Thags,” Teddy said stuffily, taking the fresh cloth and wiping his nose.

Eh’kxchht!

He sneezed again, more forcefully and pained sounding.

“Mister Lupin?”

Madam Pince, the librarian, was standing over the pair, glaring down.

“If you cannot maintain a quiet study environment, I’m going to have to ask that you leave. Madam Pomfrey likely has a bed where you can continue your studies in a more appropriate place, by the sounds of it.”

“C’mon, Ted,” Victoire said, gathering up his books. “Let’s go back to the common room.”

“No, I should go get some Pepper-Up, I guess,” he said wearily. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt so ruddy awful.”

“It is the moon,” she remarked. “Your body probably couldn’t fight it off.”

“Mhm,” he agreed, shouldering his school bag and following her out of the library, sniffling wetly the whole way. Several students looked up from their books in annoyance.

“I just hate the smoking ears bit,” he said as they headed up the corridor.

“Stay there until they’re gone,” she suggested. “Madam Pince was right; you can probably just get a bed and study a bit there. I’ll visit later if you’re not back to the common room, okay?”

“Okay,” he agreed, dabbing her handkerchief at his nose.

She planted a kiss on his brow.

“Go on, then.”

He turned in the direction of the infirmary and Victoire turned opposite, towards Gryffindor tower.

Ehhh’kght! Hehh’kschttt!

Two harsh sneezes echoed down the stone corridor. Victoire glanced over her shoulder but didn’t see Teddy in the throng of students.

“Bless you!” she shouted.

Somewhere in the distance, she was sure she heard him groan.

[glowstick03]

Oooh, I like these! I like all of the HP stories you post, actually. I really appreciate that you write about characters that other people normally forget about, like Teddy Lupin and Victoire Weasley. And that was creative to make it so he still had some problems at the full moon! Can't wait to see more!

[Zwee]

Awww! I love both of these! I'm definitely still coming down after my Harry Potter high-- it's like my childhood is over! So this is brilliant! Hermione and Ron are so cute! And you never hear about Teddy and Victoire, so I absolutely love this! Teddy sounds like he'd bear a striking resemblance to his dad. These are really great! Can't wait for the next 3...

[EliGirl]

Ooh, new Harry Potter stuff! I just went to see the new movie (again) and I came back to find this! Yayness!

[sneezychick93]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE it ALL!!! Such a cute story!!

[sneeze@me]

these are raelly good! please continue!

[swann_ee_song]

... I don't think I've ever seen a Teddy/Victoire pairing here! And it's about bloody time!!

[Dusty15]

Thanks again for all the reviews! Something new here in Part 3- allergies! Enjoy.

-----

Bill/Fleur

F, Allergies

“It’s perfect, Bill,” Fleur gushed, opening the dusty kitchen curtains and letting the bright sunshine flood into the cottage. “I’m so happy.”

“Good,” he said, pulling her close and kissing her. “I like being by the sea.”

“Me too,” she agreed. “Shell Cottage. It’s a lovely name. In French, we’d say Chalet Coquille.”

“I think Shell Cottage is easier for me to say,” Bill joked, brushing a fine layer of dust off the kitchen countertops.

“You promised you’d practice, for me,” she said. “For one day, when we have a bébé, so it can know my tongue and your- ”

She broke off, delicate hand raising to her face and scrubbing at her upturned nose.

“Merde…” she said under her breath as her eyes squinted shut and she pitched forward.

Eh’tshii! T’shiiii! Hehhh….t’shiiii!

“Bless you,” Bill said, reaching in his pocket for a handkerchief.

“It’s…how do you say…allergique à la poussière…” she said, dabbing at her nose with his hankie.

“Allergic to dust?” he offered.

“Oui. Since I was a little girl. I wasn’t thinking how it would be so dusty here after all this time. And if we are to live here, we…we…”

She broke off, pressing Bill’s handkerchief to her nose in anticipation.

Hehh’tshiii! Ehh’tshiii! T’shiiii!

“Oh Bill,” she groaned. “I must look horrible.”

She wiped at her eyes, which were growing red and irritated.

“No, no,” he said, taking the hankie from her and carefully tending to her pink nose. “You’re lovely, even with allergies.”

Ehh’tshiii!

She sneezed again, right into Bill’s ready hands. He carefully wiped her nose again and kissed her forehead.

“Here’s what we should do. You should Floo back to my family’s house. Mum has lots of allergy tonic; Ginny’s got bad fall allergies and so does Charlie. Take some and rest there, and I’ll clean up here and when the place is dust-free, you can come back and help get us moved in. Okay?”

“Your mother will laugh at me,” she pouted, sniffling.

“My mother has seen seven kids through every kind of sniffling and sneezing imaginable,” Bill said. “She won’t care if you’re a bit allergic to dust. Now, go, before you get worse.”

“Okay,” she agreed, taking back the handkerchief and blowing her nose softly.

Hehh’tshii!

She sneezed again, more congested, and sighed.

“I’m so sorry, Bill. I really do love the home. I just wish it wasn’t so dusty!”

“I’ll take care of that,” he reassured her. “I’ll see you soon, okay? And you can start brightening up the place. I need you to take care of décor.”

“Of course,” she agreed, taking a pinch of Floo powder by the fireplace and tossing it in. “I love you, Bill.”

“Je t’aime, Fleur,” he replied as she stepped into the flames and called out “Weasley home!”

Then, armed with a bit of cleaning potion and a charmed feather duster, Bill went to work.

[Balmora]

Absolutely gorgeous, Dusty. I love Fleur - it's good to finally see her getting a little love on the forum.

[queenie]

There's... two more coming??? SACRE BLEU.

[Dusty15]

Part 4 of 5-

M, Cold, Remus/Tonks

Enjoy!

______________

When Tonks opened the door to the bedroom of their tiny flat in west London, it was quite dim except for a single candle on the nightstand. Remus was almost exactly where she’d left him that morning when she went to work, except he’d constructed himself a bizarre fort of pillows. His head was sunk deep into the one under his head and another was propped up against the headboard, resting over his eyes, apparently blocking out the light. Just his nose and mouth were exposed between the pillow and the top of the quilt. He’d twisted a tissue and jammed it up his left nostril where it hung, quivering slightly with each exhale from his mouth, which hung open in an expression that clearly read ‘I’m congested and this is the only way I can breathe.’

“Hello, love,” she said, siding up to the bed and putting her hand on his. “Are you awake?”

“Yes,” Remus croaked from his pillow barricade.

“Can I move your pillow?”

He extracted a hand from the blankets and moved it himself, looking up at Tonks with glassy, swollen eyes.

“Hey.”

“Wotcher,” she replied, feeling his brow with the back of her hand and finding it a reassuringly normal.temperature. “How’re you feeling?”

“Rotten,” he confessed, snuffling thickly. “I’ve been asleep all day.”

“Poor love,” she cooed, sitting on the bed at his side and running her fingers through his bed-addled hair. “Can I get you some soup?”

“Just broth,” he said. “I don’t want anything too heavy, what with the moon to-”

He trailed off, breath slowing, eyes fluttering.

Hehht’schghkttt!

A breath sneeze burst forth, caught in his pajama-clad arm, the bit of toilet tissue dislodging and sticking to his sleeve.

“Ugh, disgusting,” he drawled, picking it off. “Do you have a spare hankie?”

She handed over a bright pink plaid bit of flannel from her robe pocket.

“Excellent,” he quipped, folding it over his nose and blowing softly with a thick, wet gurgle. The exertion made him cough hoarsely and the bed shook as his chest expanded with each shuddering spasm. Tonks put a hand under the quilt and rubbed his chest soothingly, feeling it strain against her palm as Remus fought to settle the coughs.

When they died down, he went boneless against the pillows, breathing raggedly. Tonks took back her hankie and dabbed it under his nose.

“You’re dripping,” she said, giving him a half smile.

“Thanks,” he rasped. “Stay here, actually? I don’t want soup.”

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said confidently. “I want you here as long as I can have you. I’ve got an alarm set for a half hour before moonrise. Stay until it goes off?”

“Of course,” Tonks said, curling up at his side, spreading her arm across his torso and holding him close.

Before she knew it, he’d dropped off to sleep again.

[count tiszula]

How wonderful all these are; love the smoking ears! And of course special love for sadly neglected Fleur. I am of course traditionally glad to learn that Ginny has got bad hay fever in the autumn and so has Charlie. But more joy about Ginny really...

[Dusty15]

Thanks, Count! Perhaps Ginny will be next

[Vetinari]

Wow these are all wonderful, though I confess I have a soft spot for the Hermione/Ron one. So many cold sneezes too.

[Alexandria]

Can't wait for number 5!!!!!