A/N: So with this oneshot I kind of winged it. I made up alot of stuff but I hope someone still likes it. Pardon my mistakes. Reviews!
Can You Remember Me?
"You asked to speak with me Minerva?" Severus said as he entered her office. Minerva gestured for him to take a seat across from her.
"Severus, I do hope you will take my proposal objectively. With an open mind as well." She began and Severus didn't deny or agree in anyway. He didn't make promises he couldn't keep.
"A student came to me with a problem one of which she believes only you can help sort. After understanding the problem I can only agree."
"Minerva, why are you being so cryptic? And who is this student and why didn't she come to me herself?" Severus leaned forward and found Minerva hesitating.
"She didn't want me to tell you, just get you to agree to help her. But you won't do such a thing unless you know, will you?" Minerva looked at him with disappointment but acceptance.
"You know me well enough to know that." Severus remarked, "Now who is it?"
"Hermione Granger." Minerva admitted and Severus scoffed.
"Are you serious? What problem could she have that only I can help?"
"Meet with her to let her explain. It's a long sad story Severus and I have no desire to tell it."
Severus couldn't deny he was curious, "When?"
"Now." A voice spoke from the chair beside him. Only now did he see through her notice me not and concealment charms. He was off his game, for sure.
"I'll leave you both too it. Behave yourself." Minerva touched his shoulder lightly and headed out of the room. Hermione was a complete mess. Her hair was angrily pulled on top of her head and it was clear she hadn't bathed in a week. Though Severus caught only the smell of flowers. She had deep purple bags from lack of sleep and her eyes held a desperation he'd never seen before.
"What can I do for you, Miss Granger?" He asked finally.
She pulled a file from her jacket and handed it to him. Upon reading it was a medical report for a woman named Helen Murphys. A diagnosis was marked as unspecified cancer dated five months back.
"This isn't a wizarding medical file is it?"
"No." She whispered hoarsely. "It's my file in the muggle world. I quickly realized my healers were not interested in helping me. And then I realized that everyone hates me and wishes I had died with… They want Harry and Ron….not me. Doesn't matter that I almost died with them. No, so I had to go to the muggle world and…..they cant find out whats wrong because it's a magical sickness. I've been doing chemotherapy, are you familiar?"
Severus nodded so she would continue, "They believe I had a pregnancy very briefly and it somehow triggered the cancer to grow."
Her eyes welled and he worried she would cry and Severus was not a man you wanted to cry in front of. Severus had the feeling she'd cried all she could and they moved on.
"That's as far as they've gotten and no one else will even look at the file. But I figure you cared little about harry and Ron and maybe you might be up for a puzzle. So, do you think you can fix me, Professor. I don't think I have much time left."
She proceeded to conjure a bowl and be violently sick. It was horrible to watch but Severus wasn't concerned about it. He was concerned about her eyes.
"Miss Granger, what color are your eyes?"
"Hazel." She whispered vanishing her vomit. She tried to sit up straight but gave up.
"Now they are orange. I don't remember enough about it to know if that might be a side effect of your treatment."
To his surprise she got to her feet and then got down on her knees. More files appeared and she dug through them for a moment.
"All the people I've talked with- people in my support group- swear their eyes were changing and then returning back to their original color. I've check mine everyday but noticed nothing. Felix Mendez said his eyes changed everyday at 5:07 blue to green. Stephanie Cantor says on Sundays her eyes go from green to purple. And much of the same for five other people. No one reported orange eyes."
" Is this a support group or an experiment?" Severus asked thinking over her information.
"Both. They also reported losing chunks of time at least once a week, but I've yet to have that symptom. However a girl, and I mean girl, she's only ten, and had an occurrence where I knew something about her that I couldn't have guessed and the same for her about me. She…she knew I hated a woman named Bellatrix and that I was tortured. I knew that her cousin broke her arm on purpose three years ago and is in a juvenile facility until he's 21. I couldn't find out if anyone else had something like this happen to them. There are other small things I couldn't make heads or tails of. My hair measures 22.5 inches every day except Thursdays when it is 30 inches even. I lose two pounds a week and then gain them again. I've barely slept in five months and I am sick every day at the same time. I don't know if someone hurt me or if I have a sickness that can be cured and no one will help me." Severus didn't mind as she went on and on. He was mentally evaluating her and what she was reporting made no sense to him. He would solve this puzzle.
" No one cares and my parents are dead a year now. Death eaters killed them while I was hunting horcruxes. Their bodies rotted for four months before I went to return their memories. And lastly, I've been sick since before the battle but…everything was so pressing so I put it aside."
The effort if took for her to speech was obvious and Severus wished she would slow down. Despite caring little for her and found himself furious. No witch should be turned away from medical treatment. Not even Hermione Granger.
"You are right in assuming it's a magical disease. Are you positive these people have no magical ability?"
"Yes, " She nodded surely. "I tested their blood. The little girl, she might have had a distant relative who was magical but she herself tested negative. Same for everyone else. But I think it's possible there are other groups getting my same treatment."
Severus stood and paced for a moment, "So are you thinking muggle treatment is what's worsening your condition?"
She smiled a little before continuing, "I don't believe it is a muggle treatment. Over the last four years I've been mostly at the same place health wise but the moment I start the treatment I feel as if I am dying. Death threats always find their way to me and I know people hate me. Perhaps knowing im muggleborn gave them the idea to corrupt the treatment. But why do it to the muggles in the same group? Why involve them at all? Why not kill me when they so obviously could get away with it?"
"I see your point and my only suggestion would be that they want to see you suffer. Did you ever find out who killed your parents. Specifically?"
"Bellatrix. Perhaps a lower level death eater to assist her. But she'd dead now long before I did this treatment. She wouldn't dirty herself by going into the muggle doctor's office. I just don't think-
Severus interrupted her, "No not her. Bella would have wanted to put on a show. It would have been important to her to share it. My guess would be that upper level death eaters took part. And if I'm right Bella's husband is trained as a Healer. He was a vile man and one of the few who escaped four years ago."
"I…missed that." She seemed terribly upset by this but changed the subject. "In my research I found a Horner's syndrome. It's linked to spinal injuries and strokes. Its my opinion that the torture curse mimics these very well. Its uses your nervous system and your brain to cause pain. Why couldn't it be a spinal injury or stroke? I went right past it because I never noticed the change in my eyes. But why would it affect the muggles?"
Severus watched her carefully suspecting that she was hiding something, just by the way she was so determined to stay on subject.
"You are wearing glamours." He stated casually. Hermione looked through her files, ignoring him at first.
"You don't want to see what I really look like." She got to her feet slowly and the glamours fell off. In reality she had no hair and her skin had red patches all over. Her previously orange eyes were blue now and she was two inches shorter.
"I really am your last attempt. Sit." He murmured and began taking her vitals. Every one of them was normal.
"I say we take a trip to the facility that you've been attending. What's the name?"
Hermione suddenly started to vibrate and ring. Severus made told himself to remember to ask her how she managed it. Most Muggle technology was useless inside of Hogwarts.
It was a timer and she pulled a bag that had been shrunk from her jean pocket and set in on the ground. Once enlarged it was clear that she was doing other treatments on herself.
"The London Clinic Main Hospital. It's at 20 Devonshire Place, London W1G 6BW. It was my best option of no options." She slid off her jacket and sat down in front of her lab set up.
"I test my blood for changes every hour, on the hour and then switch it to every forty five minutes. It changes from type o to type ab about four times a day. I haven't found a muggle or magical explanation for it."
Severus watched with apprehension as she sliced her arm with strange precision and used testing strips. Her appearance was shocking in a way that surprised him. He remembered during the last of the battle almost five years ago, seeing her running across a field with three wizards on her tail. Severus had been with Draco Malfoy, helping him flee when he saw her. In a quick motion she had ducked down and tripped two of her followers. Then she watched grip Yaxley's robes and punched him square in the face. Then she stunned and petrified all three of them. As she ran towards him he saw the blood dripping from her head but she had a wide smile across her face and she laughed harder as she caught up with them.
"They never expect the physical fighting." Then she was off again to find Harry Potter. But she would be too late.
"You've been through a lot, Miss Granger. I will try my best to help you now, as I haven't forgotten you helped me some years ago."
She smiled kindly, "Thank you. I don't want to die without a fight."
Hermione packed all her things and they walked to the apparation point outside the gates.
"This place has a smell and the people who work here are more interested in money than our health. I learned that the hard way."
Severus looked at the building with interest. How could a war hero be forced to come to a place like this? Severus himself was treated better than Hermione Granger. Together they walked in and Hermione had many friends there who were patients. Once in an empty room Hermione sat down in front of a computer which she explained to Severus a long conversation. He had heard of computers once on a visit into the muggle world but never interacted with one. Muggles were very strange.
"So my friend that's ten checked in ten minutes ago, I suggest we speak with her before we go snooping around. She's very special." She didn't bother replacing her glamours which Severus noticed. They walked down a few halls and found the children's ward where the little girl Hermione described sat on a hospital bed.
"Hermione!" The little girl greeted. Hermione embraced her tightly and whispered something Severus couldn't hear.
"Hi, Severus. I'm Lily." She waved and smiled as bright as she could. Severus couldn't help but react slightly to her name but smiled nonetheless. It was a wonderful name to have.
"Severus is here to help me. Do you remember the things I asked you for?" Hermione turned away to cough and Severus saw her vanish the blood that came up.
"Yes, it's in my back pack." Lily answered and handed it to Hermione.
"Lily! Thank you. This will help so much. Now I have to do something but I'll come say goodbye before we go." Hermione touched lily's cheek gently and hugged her once before pulling Severus out of the room.
"The lab is underneath in a restricted area. I stunned them all before I came to see you so the techs wont interfere. Medical equipment is very similar to potions equipment so you might understand more that you think." Hermione slowed her walked drastically but kept going without any further explanation. Severus thought she might have trouble talking and walking.
Severus understood what she meant as soon as they entered the lab. It was very similar. He also counted 4 men passed out in the far corner.
Hermione went to a cabinet that seemed to be refrigerated. "This is the chemo I've been given and lily. Where should we start?"
Severus took a seat as a clear surface. "Magical test will be fast so just bring it over here."
"Can you take your own blood?" He asked, setting the drug out carefully.
"Yes, how much do you need?"
"Three vials should be fine." Severus left her too it and placed stasis charms on the chemo. His first spell was just a revealing one telling him what was in each bag. Things like Rituxan and normal drugs were revealed but something else was what caught his eye.
Dragon scales. What on earth is dragon scale powder doing in a muggle drug?
"Did you find something?" Hermione walked over holding a vial of her blood in her hand. She was sick and Severus thought he might have a way to help.
"Dragon scale powder."
She fell into a chair and whispered, "No."
"What is it? Isn't this good news?"
"No. I can be treated but the damage is done to everyone else. Muggle can't take magical drugs, so Lily will die. There's-
"You said she might have a distant relative who had magic. Her body might be able to tolerate the cure and I could modify it as well. I take it you know the properties of the powder?"
"Oh yes. It explains many things but not how I was sick before."
"In my younger years I did shifts at saint Mungos. My job was to take medical history and find out recent injuries. Almost every patient had something they were hiding or holding back. For whatever reason. So, what are you holding back?"
Hermione only hesitated a moment before choosing to trust him. "It's very personal and I don't wished to feel judged."
Severus raised an eyebrow, "I won't judge you, Miss Granger. What happened?"
"It was right before Harry, Ron and I went searching for horcruxes. I said goodbye to my parent and then I moved them. I stayed in my house that night, to have one last night and a man broke in. It was death eater, wanting to hurt my parents I believe. He caught me off guard and knew so many spells. I froze a second too long and he'd taken my wand. Then to my horror and shock, he raped me. I don't know what spells he used. I just…I was so young and I didn't know what to do. He…got carried away and I had a pair of scissors on my bed. I stabbed him in the neck. You know…he was so surprised. Surprised I was fighting back. Made me wonder how many other women he raped. I stabbed him over and over again, Severus, until he was long dead. Then I buried him in my own back yard and left the next morning to the Weasley's. So that was my hold back."
Severus at first thought I was best to conceal his reaction to this but instead decided to share it.
"It is inexcusable to rape in the wizarding world, or any world, and no man should lower himself to it. accept the likes of death eaters. It's a life sentence to Azkaban but I'm sure he deserved his death. I think I understand more now. Death eaters have the same magic as anyone but use it differently."
"Differently how?" Hermione leaned forward with real interest and was pleasantly surprised by Severus's words.
"It's fueled by hate. You know how much intent matters when using magic and that's why people have magical signatures."
"Of course. I've put it behind me as best I can. It's been easy since I've been sick."
Severus nodded in agreement. " We need to dig him up. His blood most likely holds a cure. If I were to guess I would say he cursed you with a common sickness. Much like a cold but magical. You bigger problem is who is messing with the drug you were taking and why."
"Okay, there's one problem. I have to cure everyone else. They are getting worse because I choose this place. Can you get the signature off the chemo?"
"I can only tell you that I will try. Now there is one and it's female. That's all I can tell until we match it to someone. It's a spell that can be done easily by a hug or handshake."
Hermione turned from him and was sick. Moments after she sat down and started to shake.
"It'll pass and it does not hurt. I'm not sure what to call it however. It….tickles."
"Extreme shivers. Are you okay to travel?"
She looked at him sternly, "If I can't do something you will be the first to know. Lets go get that body. He's a mess, and almost six years old."
"Blood and tissue samples are all we need."
They walked back to lily's room and Hermione held out her hand for Lily to take.
"I might be able to make you better, Lily. But I have to try something that might hurt. I wont do it if you say no."
"You can do it. If I might get better." She answered bravely. Severus wondered what she was planning.
"Stupefy!"
"finite."
Lily had fallen onto her pillow and then blinked her eyes open slowly.
"It didn't hurt at all." Lily accused and sat up. Hermione was beaming more than Severus could recall in all the time he'd known her.
"I'll be to see you soon lily."
Together that apparated into the back yard of Hermione's house and Severus moved the earth over the part Hermione pointed to.
She hadn't been lying about the brutality of this murder. Severus got the samples he needed and lowered the dirt back into the ground. He noticed Hermione turned away and down on her knees, coughing.
"You're symptoms are severe, but what of Lily's."
"The same. I…she lets me check her blood and I noticed the same irregularities in our blood types."
"Okay, lets go to my lab back on Hogwarts. If I can cure you I'll know shortly."
She looked relieved and went to take his arm but fell into them instead and it was like she was asleep, or fainting. He stowed the samples and carried her in his arms. She was lighter than a wand and he apparated them to the gates. She didn't wake until he was arriving at his door.
"How long?" She croaked but didn't move out of his hold.
"8 minutes."
"Last time it was 45 minutes. Just passing out after coughing. I can't really feel my legs."
"Then it's good I'm carrying you." Severus muttered and lowered her onto the sofa in his private rooms. She promptly fell asleep and he got to work.
He was setting up the necessary things when Minerva entered his lab.
"You think you can help her?" She asked insistently.
"There's a chance. I'll know more in ten minutes if you want to stay."
She sat and he saw she held a vial in her hands. The test showed what was happening to Hermione. The dragon scales were making her sick as death but the actual sickness was a dna swapping spell. Her body couldn't keep its hold and it was a miracle that she could perform magic. More importantly he could save her. It might take a few month for the dragon scales to leave her system but she would be fine and so would the others.
"She will be fine." Severus spoke and saw Minerva visible relieved and emotional. He'd never seen her that way.
"She'll kill me for giving this too you. I mean but you're like a son to me, Severus and I couldn't hold my tongue any longer. Watch it please and hurry before she wakes."
Minerva left quickly. And that alone worried him.
He dumped the memories into his own pensieve and went in.
"Severus, surely you can handle the feast. It's tradition even though you don't like it." Hermione was fixing his robes and to his astonishment kissed his cheek. How bizarre.
The next memory was them kissing fiercely and falling into HIS bed. "I love you Severus. I'm so sorry to do this but I wont let you watch me die."
Then the beginning floated into his vision.
"Professor, thank you so much for taking me as your assistant. I'm happy to be here." Hermione said, stepping closer. Severus watched himself roll his eyes but linger on her thin form and eager expression. She had no idea what she was in for.
"You say that because I'm the only one who would even consider taking you."
She glared, her act dropping completely. "You are more qualified than any other master in the world. Not only in potions but in nonverbal combat and many others. I choose you with that in mind. Though no one else has contacted me about a position. I'm not sure why."
Severus didn't want to be the one to tell her but she had to know.
"The whole world blames you, Miss Granger. They want their heroes back and all they have is you. Now, lets get started."
It was another memory just shortly after and Hermione was in combat with him and winning. It was strange to watch a nonverbal fight and he was just barely of better skill. When it came to a close Hermione stowed her wand, walked up to him and kissed him so deeply the other severus lost himself in it.
"Good. That's very good. I'll be calling you Severus from now on." Hermione said and led him back to his bed.
There were others, kissing and laughter. His own laughter and he knew himself enough to know he loved this girl. It was just….if only he could have the memories back, and the feelings. How could he reverse it?
But first she had to live. He made up two potions. One for the scales and one to rid her body of the dna.
She woke up and smiled at him before taking each potion. Severus tried not to stare but he was angry now. How could she mess with his life so much and not…..
"Will Lily and the others be okay?" She asked.
"Yes and we'll find who poisoned the drug."
Hermione sat up and looked at him more closely. It was like she saw straight through him. "She gave them to you didn't she? That lying bitch." Hermione got to her feet and went for the door in anger. Severus grabbed her around the waist, "I believe you're the lying bitch, Hermione. Give them back. You aren't going to die so give them back."
"You'll never forgive me for taking them. I know," She screamed, "I know how hard it was for you to love me and let me in after so long of being alone. I treasured every day and I just couldn't bear ripping apart your heart when I knew I would die."
"Severus I'm sorry. I was selfish and….you didn't even know I was sick. I thought I would die before I found a clinic who would treat me."
"Give them back." Severus repeated.
And she did.
Severus loved Hermione Granger. The woman still in his arms now.
"I shouldn't forgive you. But I love you, Hermione. That will never change."
He kissed her gently and he felt her tears on his face.
"I'm sorry, I was so sure I would die and I didn't want you to hurt over me…."
"That's not your decision and you know it!"…"but let's leave it in the past and go cure your friends."
But Hermione knew it wasn't in the past. She had really hurt him.
Severus and Hermione went into Lily's room first and found her sleeping.
"Lily, I have a drink to make you better. Here, drink." Hermione said and Lily fell back to sleep after she swallowed the potion. Severus watched her closely for ten minutes before deciding she wasn't going to have any reaction to the potion. Everyone else was up in the air as they had no conection to magic. Severus was hoping since make put the sickness in them that their bodies would accept the potions.
In the end they had to imperio just about everyone to convince them to take the unknown potions, even though it was Hermione telling them to take it.
No one had any reactions so Severus and Hermione returned them back to the clinic where they would get better and live.
A few weeks passed and slowly Severus learned to forgive and be so happy she was alive and his. It was a normal night when Hermione was lying asleep in her bed with Severus and felt a hand over her mouth. She waited for Severus to wake up and instead realized he wasn't moving. He was stunned.
"You should die for what you did to him."
Cold fear dripped into her heart when she heard his voice. Harry.
"No, you died!" She screamed kicking to get away but he held her down.
"Ron was following you and you fucking left him to die! And me what about me, your best friend?" He was hissing angrily into her ear, his arm around her neck.
"You were dead and I went back for Ron the moment Voldemort was dead. What could I do Harry?!"
"You went back?" He muttered in shock.
"Yes, yes. You guys were my family. I…loved you then and now and I miss him terribly and you. The world misses you."
Harry released her, huffing. "I'm sorry, I thought with you being sick you were making a deal with the death eaters. Because of Snape there. Whats that about anyway Hermione? Gross. But I am so sorry for hurting you…I was mad with losing Ron and thinking I lost you too. Now it all seems incredibly reckless and harsh. The clinic you went too…are they okay?"
Hermione crossed her arms, "They nearly died. Severus was able to save them. But how could you hurt Lily, Harry. She's so kind and so young. Or hurt anyone?"
"I don't know. I was just so mad at you. I was seeing red and…I have no excuse." Suddenly he stood and helped Hermione to her feet.
"Im so sorry." He kissed her cheek and then he was gone. Whether he apparated or used some potion, she didn't know. Despite his attempt on her life for foolish reasons, she was glad he was alive. It brought something back inside her. But harry had always been impulsive and at time not so bright.
She didn't know what to do about it so she climbed back into bed and prepared herself to tell Severus in the morning. But now she was just glad to be okay and to have him in her life. Harry too.