A/N: I don't own Harry Potter or any related characters.
This is for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Assignment # 6
Public Services
Task# 4, Healthcare - Write about someone who is unwell, suffering from an illness or recovering from a health issue/injury
Word Count: 1963
Her hands shook violently, the quill she'd been holding nearly thrown across the room. She sighed as she waited for the tremor to stop. There was nothing the healers could do, nothing anyone could do. Each tremor lasted a few seconds to a minute. Usually the whole episode lasted less than an hour, but there were some days where she felt on edge all day.
Once her hand stopped shaking, she closed her book, she wasn't going to be able to get anything done now. She could still feel the currents beneath her skin, until they disappeared, the tremors could keep coming.
When the tremors had first started, she'd been too sick to really given it much thought, just a side effect of whatever curse she'd been hit with at the ministry. She'd been in and out of consciousness. Madame Pomfrey had told her she was lucky to be alive. That had been at end of last school year, her fifth year.
The tremors had become more obvious during that summer. At first, she'd thought it was just stress, and then, a side-effect of the curse that would fade over time. After several months, it had become obvious the violent shaking of her hands was permanent.
It wasn't constant, at least not yet. The tremors always started with these odd feelings of what she could only describe as a current running through her arms. Then one of her hands would start shaking. It was rarely both of them at the same time, but the tremors were not confined to either hand.
There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to when the tremors and the current would appear. It happened when she was stressed, tired, and then sometimes, for no reason at all. She'd gone nearly two weeks without the tremors, only to have them return.
The next day, the currents were quieter, she could still feel them, but her hands remained montionless unless she moved them. Ron and Harry had already disappeared to breakfast. She sighed picking up her book and starting her homework over. She knew she'd have to get it done quickly. She was already behind right now.
Sometimes, especially on her bad days, she could barely hold her wand, much less control its movements. Madame Pomfrey had already spoken to her professors, she was excused on days like that, of course. No one wanted her accidentally blowing up the castle. She'd been allowed to continue all her classes, save potions.
There were too many calculations, things that had to be just right, for her to continue safely. She'd been sad, having been decent at the subject, but she understood. Instead, she made herself study the texts, learning as much of the practical and theory as she could without actually brewing anything.
The fact she was not in N.E.W.T level potions caught Professor Snape's attention.
"Miss Granger, stay after please." She nodded. Harry shot her a look, but she just shrugged at him and smiled. She couldn't think of anything she'd done to get in trouble.
Once the classroom was empty, she approached Professor Snape's desk.
"Yes, sir?"
"You're not in potions this year."
"No, sir. I was unable to continue my studies in that subject safely." He snorted looking at her.
"I've known potion masters with one hand, another who suffered seizures. Do you wish to continue the subject, Miss Granger?" She nodded slowly wondering exactly what he was getting at.
"Good, I know I'm teaching defense this year, but it seems a waste for you not to continue in potions. Meet me in my lab at seven on Tuesday. If anyone asks, I really don't care what you tell them. However, it might be wise to keep Professor Dumbledore from knowing. Do you understand, Miss Granger?"
"Yes, sir," she agreed with a smile. She'd hated giving up potions, since she knew how important the subject was to most careers outside of Hogwarts.
"Good. I'll provide you with the supplies you need for now, dismissed." She walked out of the classroom and found Ron and Harry waiting for her.
"What happened?"
"Are you in trouble?"
"No, Professor Snape's agreed to teach me potions for the N.E.W.T exam, he feels he can handle me." She'd tried to explain the tremors to the boys, showed them at one point. Harry had just felt sorry for her, and Ron had promised he was still her friend even though she was damaged. She didn't feel damaged though.
"You're going to spend extra time with him? Are you mental?"
"Maybe," she answered with shrug. "Just because he's offering me a chance to learn doesn't mean I'm mental though."
"He's Snape."
"Yes, I know, but he is one of the best in the subject." Harry opened his mouth to protest, but Hermione just ignored him and headed to lunch.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Tuesday arrived quickly, and Hermione made her way down to Professor Snape's lab. She felt alright, and she'd been lucky enough not to feel the currents today. Part of her, though, wanted Professor Snape to see what he was getting into, see how bad she was, how dangerous.
"Right on time, enter please, Miss Granger." She walked into the classroom. It was odd to see it with only two cauldrons, one on Professor Snape's desk and one in the front row. She knew that would be the one she'd be using. There was already a potion written on the board. She smiled when she recognized it from her studying.
"This is what you will be brewing tonight, Miss Granger? Do you have any questions?"
"No sir."
"All the ingredients are in the cabinet. You may begin." She gathered her ingredients and started easily enough. Professor Snape watched her from his desk, he was brewing something else, something she didn't recognize.
"Are you feeling alright tonight?" he asked.
"Yes, sir. I don't feel any currents, those usually precede the tremors. They don't happen all time," she added. He nodded and they both continued brewing.
After she had finished her potion, she bottled it and gave it to Professor Snape.
"I expect you to the theory part of the subject as well, Miss Granger. That includes writing lengths of parchment."
"Yes sir, how else could you teach the subject?" He nearly smiled. Yes, teaching Miss Granger alone only solidified how brilliant she could be without Potter, Weasley, or Longbottom interfering.
"Good, I'd like half a length of parchment about the potion you just brewed by next Tuesday. Does this time work for you?"
"Yes sir. It's perfect and does not interfere at all with anything else."
"Then we shall keep our lessons Tuesdays at seven, until the end of the term."
"Thank you sir." Hermione scampered back to the dorm, did her homework and smiled as she fell asleep. She was starting to think Professor Snape might not be so bad after all.
The tremors stayed away for the of the week, but she started feeling the currents again during dinner of the next Tuesday. She frowned setting her fork down and waiting for them to pass.
"Need some help, 'Mione?" Ron asked watching her.
"No, I'll be fine," she stated picking up a roll and eating it.
"Are you sure?" Harry asked. "I could..." Harry paused trying to think of how exactly he could help. She glared at him.
"I'm fine, Harry. See, it's stopped," she stated. The currents were still there, under her skin, but she wasn't going to admit that. "I've got to get going, I've got potions tonight," she added slipping from the table.
Professor Snape was waiting for her. She walked into the lab, her right hand shaking slightly. She didn't mind the small shakes as much as the tremors.
"Ready to begin, Miss Granger?" he asked motioning the board.
"Yes sir," she stated trying to ignore the currents, the twitching in her fingers. He noticed, but said nothing.
"Ingredients are in the same place as last time." She'd gotten about half way through brewing when her right hand started shaking violently, her stirrer clanking against the cauldron. She raised it quickly, her face flushed with embarrassment. Professor Snape watched her from his desk. She'd taken the stirrer with her other hand and was slowly using her left hand to complete the potion.
She stopped when she read the next step, add a teaspoon of lacewings. She carefully picked up the lacewings, and tried to measure them, but her hand shook and the spoon went flying. She walked over and picked it up trying to hide her shaking hand.
Once again she attempted to measure them, tears falling from her eyes, her hand shook slighty ending up with lacewings on the table, the floor, and actually in the spoon. She sighed in relief as her tremors slowed and she added the lacewings to the potion.
"What color is it supposed to be at this stage, Miss Granger?"
"Light blue sir," she whispered. He nodded and vanished the now purple potion.
"Next time, do not hesitate to ask for assistance. Three lengths of parchment about where you went wrong." She nodded sighing. This was why Slughorn hadn't allowed her in the class.
"Also, two points to Gryffindor for sheer determination." She blinked in shock.
"Dismissed, Miss Granger." Hermione made her way to her room in a daze. He'd given her points!
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
The next Tuesday went without incident. Her hands were steady enough to complete the assigned potion.
"This one is one they often use on the N.E.W.T exam, Miss Granger, keep that in mind. While passable, it should have more a silver gleam to it."
"Yes sir."
"Next week, we will be starting on potions from the next book, Miss Granger, please read it ahead of time. Dimissed."
Ron and Harry were waiting for her to return tonight.
"Harry's got an idea about You Know Who, from the meetings he's been having with Dumbledore," Ron said. Hermione half listened as Harry talked about Voldemort's possible childhood, instead her mind kept thinking about Professor Snape's long fingers, the way he had nearly complimented her potion.
"So, what do you think, Hermione, any ideas on how to get Slughorn to hand over the memory?"
"You could try asking him, I doubt it'll work, so appeal to him, he seems vain enough," she suggested.
"Thanks," Harry said as him and Ron disappeared up to bed.
The tremors had returned in time for Hermione's next lesson with Professor Snape. He watched her enter the room, her hand shaking beside her.
"Sir, I think I might need some help tonight," she stated after a moment. He nodded walking to her table.
"Gather your ingredients." She nodded and quickly found everything she needed. She was able to do most of the prep, save for cutting a few things. Professor Snape deftly took the knife from her before she sliced her own fingers.
"Thank you sir," she whispered.
"This is why I took you, Miss Granger, even the most adept potion masters have help, assistants for small tasks. Do not forget that." She nodded and together they worked on the potion. Her hand started to shake as she stirred. He reached over and put his hand over hers, holding it still while stirring. The pair watched as the potion turned bright green.
"Good job, Miss Granger. If I saw that brewed during a N.E.W.T exam, it would receive an E." She blushed, both at his compliment and his closeness.
"Thank you sir."
"Next week, we will start learning about substitutions and creating potions. Something I doubt Professor Slughorn will be teaching. Are you ready for a class that advanced, Miss Granger?"
"As long as you're willing to help me with the tremors, yes sir."
"Good, see you next Tuesday."