Unofficial Portkey Archive

Author's Note: These stories are all one-shot, 1000-word responses to the Summer Writing Series Challenge, so each one is not related to the next.

Summer Writing Series Challenge (June 25)
Challenge: A tongue-tied Harry/Hermione finally confesses his/her love.
Challenge Conditions: Poor Harry's/Hermione's brain seems to be playing a game of Taboo!, and suddenly he/she can't say any of the following words:
love, crush, fancy, boyfriend, girlfriend, date, passion, adore, affection.
So, figure out how to express his/her feelings without using those words.
Title: Stunned
Word Count: 2,019

"Harry?"

"Hermione, he can't hear you."

"Shush, Ron!" Hermione snapped, shooting a scowl at her friend.

"Harry?" she whispered again, leaning closer to Harry's unconscious form on the hospital bed. She sighed. "You don't need to open your eyes, but if you're awake…" She paused, then reached down and took his hand in hers. "Harry, if you can hear me, just squeeze my hand a little."

As hopeful as she was that he would comply, nothing happened. After a minute of no response, she sat down in the chair next to Harry's bed, still holding his hand. Her disappointment was clear.

"He'll be ok, Hermione," Ron said, placing a hand on her shoulder. She reached up with her other hand and set it on Ron's, but didn't say anything.

"He's been through much worse. You know Harry - he'll come out of this like nothing ever happened. Good as new. Except…well, there will be that one side effect."

"What side effect?" she asked, her eyes full of concern.

"He'll be teased mercilessly," Ron said with a grin. "Oh, you just wait until Fred and George find out that Harry stunned himself!"

"Ron!" she scolded, taking her hand off his. "You won't tell them. It was an accident after all! It could happen to anyone. Look at poor Neville! He's had more accidents over the years than Snape's had bad days."

"Oh yes, poor Neville indeed," Ron laughed. "He's the one who brought Harry up here. He didn't seem to have any problems practicing stunning spells. You know, Harry may not be the best person to help Neville out with his new wand after all."

Hermione glared at him for a moment, and then turned her attention back to Harry. "Harry when you wake up, I'll hold him back so you can get one good hex on him."

Ron laughed again. "When he wakes up, I'll let him hex me…just to be sure he still knows how to do it. I just hope Neville was right and it was a stunner, and not a memory charm."

Hermione smirked. "Don't be silly."

Ron smiled back at her. "Look, it's time for lunch. Do you want to go get something?"

"No," she said, still looking at Harry. "I think I'll stay here."

He shrugged. "Suit yourself. I'll come back in a while then." He patted her on the shoulder and left the hospital wing.

"Some friend you've got there," Hermione said with a mocked sneer as she watched Ron leave. "I bet sometimes you wish you'd chosen a different compartment on the train."
She smiled, remembering their first ride on the Hogwarts Express. "I bet sometimes you wish Neville hadn't lost his toad, too. What a swotty little know-it-all I was…I guess I still can be at times. But it's only because I worry about you two!"

She reached up and brushed his hair aside from his scar. "I'm sorry if I act too much like a mother sometimes. I can't help it. I just…" She sighed, looking at his tranquil face. "I care about you."

With his hand still in hers, she sat back in her chair and looked out the window. She stayed that way for some time, lost in thought and almost forgetting where she was, until she felt the tiniest bit of pressure on her hand.

"Harry? Are you awake? Can you squeeze my hand again?"

He was still for a moment, then she felt him squeeze tighter.

"Oh, thank goodness," she breathed, placing her other hand on both of theirs. "Harry, you're going to be fine. Just rest for now." She looked down at him with a huge feeling of relief. He was going to be ok.

Another minute later, Harry was blinking his eyes open. She smiled at him.

"Hi."

"Hi," he replied hoarsely, still squinting from the invasion of light. He was clearly still quite groggy from the stun and not completely coherent.

"Ron will be sorry he wasn't here when you woke up, but he'll be back soon."

"Who?"

"Ron…" she repeated, looking at him with some concern. "Harry, you do remember Ron don't you?"

He furrowed his brow in concentration, but didn't answer.

"Do you know who I am, Harry?"

He glanced back at her with the same look of concentration, and then smiled. "I know," he said, nodding slightly.

"Oh, good." She let out a breath of relief and rubbed his hand. "You had me worried there."

"You…" he said, pausing to think. "You're…the sun." His speech was slightly slurred and stuttered, but she understood him…or at least she thought she did.

"I'm…I'm what?" She looked completely confused.

"The sun. You…shine. You…keep me…warm." It seemed to have taken every ounce of energy he could muster just to speak those words, whatever they meant.

"Harry, I…I think you'd better just rest. I don't think the spell's worn off yet," she said gently.

"Your…spell."

"My spell? No, Harry...I didn't -"

"Yes," he interrupted. "I'm…under…your spell."

Hermione laughed. "Well, at least you've got your sense of humor back."

She sat back in her chair again and smiled at his condition, suddenly realizing that his hand was still in hers. He didn't seem to want to let go, so she kept it there.

A minute later he broke the silence. "I've…been…blind," he said slowly, turning his head to look at her.

"Oh," Hermione said, looking around. "Here…your glasses. Madam Pomfrey put them on the bedside table for you." She reached over and picked his glasses up, then carefully placed them on his face. "Is that better?"

"Better," he repeated. "I can…see you." He smiled, and Hermione felt herself blush slightly.

His brow furrowed again, and she could tell he was trying to say something, or figure out how to say it.

"Harry," she said gently. "You don't need to talk…"

But she was interrupted by him, shaking his head to quiet her.

"I was…blind."

She grinned. "Yes Harry, you were. But you've got your glasses now."

His expression looked almost angered when he spoke again. "I didn't…see you."

"I was here all along, Harry," she said apologetically. "I got here as soon as I could. I'm sorry I…"

"No," he said, and she stopped, a little taken aback. "Let me talk," he said with a growing look of frustration on his face.

"Ok," she replied, her concern returning.

He thought for a moment. "You're…always there. Always. That's good. It makes me…happy."

She smiled shyly and started to say something, then stopped herself, letting him continue.

"I'm sorry…I didn't…see. I was…stupid. But now I know."

She waited a moment for him to go on. When he didn't say anything she asked, "You didn't see what, Harry?"

"It was you."

This time her brow furrowed. "What do you mean? What did I do?"

He didn't answer immediately and his eyes moved slowly around the room.

"Not Cho," he finally said.

Hermione really didn't understand what Harry was trying to say, and had no idea how to respond, so she sat there, just listening.

He took a deep breath, as if to pull himself together more. "I felt something. I thought it was her…but it wasn't. I was wrong."

Hermione smiled, thinking she finally understood him. He seemed to be talking in leaps and bounds, changing subject mid-stream, but she knew it would wear off eventually. For some reason he was now feeling regretful about his mishap with Cho.

"Harry, it's ok," she said soothingly. "We all make mistakes. It's how we learn. I'm sure she has no real hard feelings about it. When you get better you can talk to her, and she'll probably tell you she's fine."

"She was right," he said, almost sadly. "I didn't know it then, but she was right."

"Right about what Harry?" Hermione wasn't sure what all they had talked about, but she hoped Cho hadn't said anything rude to Harry that was making him feel guilty. It wasn't his fault that Cedric died.

"It should have been you."

"Me?" Hermione asked, a bit surprised. Did he wish it had been her instead of Cedric? Her heart fell to the floor. He wasn't thinking coherently yet, that was it…wasn't it?

"Yes," he said, turning to look at her again. "I should have kissed you."

She was stunned. Shocked. Shaken. Did he just say what she thought he said? Surely not…

"Wh…what?"

"I should have kissed you. Not Cho."

"Harry," she said, trying to collect herself. "I think you're still in a daze. How many fingers am I holding up?" she asked, holding up two fingers in front of him.

He frowned. "Four. But I know what I'm saying. I mean it."

"Harry! You're awake!" Ron's voice came from the doorway. "Glad to see it. I thought we'd lost you there for a minute," he said, winking at Hermione. He walked over and stood beside Harry's bed.

Hermione smiled weakly, not really listening to Ron and trying to take in what Harry had just said. He did seem like he was coming out of his stupor. But why would he have said that?

"Here," Ron said, digging into his pockets. "I brought some sandwiches. Thought you might be hungry." He handed one to Hermione, and set the other on the bedside table. "How's he doing?" he asked, leaning in to Hermione.

"Erm…well…" she started, biting her lip. "He seems to be in a bit of…a state of confusion," she said softly.

"I am not!" Harry protested.

Ron laughed. "Well, there you have it. He told you! Harry, don't let her get bossy and tell you how you're feeling, mate."

Just then the bell rang to signal next class.

"We'd better go," Ron said to Hermione. "Snape'll have our heads if we're late."

"O…ok…" Hermione stuttered. "I'll just…be there in a minute. I've got to get my things."

Ron nodded at her and headed for the door. "Harry, I'll come back this afternoon. Glad you got a chance to see me!" he laughed and he waved.

Hermione moved to pick up her bag, and realized that her hand was still in Harry's. She looked at their hands, then looked up, only to see that he was already staring at her.

"Hermione, I…"

"It's ok, Harry," she smiled nervously. "It's just the spell. It will wear off in a while and you'll be back to normal." She stood and tried to pull free of his grasp so she could get her bag. "Harry," she said with a small laugh. "I need my hand back."

"Just wait," he said seriously. Very seriously.

An expression of surprise crossed her face.

"Sit down… Please."

She did as he asked.

"Look, I may be a little…fuzzy…from the spell…which you're going to have to tell me about later, because I have no idea what happened, or why I'm in here…but I do know what I'm saying. I thought Cho was pretty…and I knew I had these strange feelings I'd never felt before…and I thought it was because of her. And maybe it was at first…but it's not now. I don't know…whatever happened to me…something about waking up and seeing you here beside me, smiling at me…shining like the sun on a cold winter morning…I realized it's not about her. It's about you. I think it has been all along, and I didn't notice it was there."

"What are you saying?" she asked, stunned at his words.

Harry took a deep breath. "What I… What I'm trying to say is I -"

"Miss Granger!" Madame Pomfrey screeched across the room, scurrying towards them. "You'd best be on your way to class or you'll not be allowed back until after classes are over, do you understand? Oh, Mr. Potter," she said, turning her attention to Harry. "Glad to see you've decided to join us. Now, Miss Granger…" she warned.

Harry released Hermione's hand, and she picked up her bag to leave.

"You'll come back later, won't you?" he asked as she made her way to the door.

She stopped and turned around, and with a shy smile she nodded, then left the room.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A/N: Sorry it's late. And over the count. And I think my spellcheck is counting two words connected by ellipses as one word. But inspiration didn't strike until my drive to work this morning. And I'm not thrilled with it, but, hehe...ok, I'll stop making excuses now. :)