Brick by Boring Brick
"Hermione, sweet heart?"
Her eyes flashed open. They instantly shut again to close out the intensely bright light. She was blinded by the while light. She slowly reopened her eyes to see both her parents looking at her weirdly, curiously.
"Hermione, are you with us?"
It was said in a calm condescending tone.
She shook her head and replied, "Of course I am …wait, where are we?"
She appeared to be inside some medical ward, a private side room. She was in hospital.
"We are in hospital sweetie. Do you remember what happened?"
Hermione only saw one image: Hogwarts Burning
"Oh God! The Battle of Hogwarts!"
She sprang to get up but was restrained instantly by two men behind her she hadnt noticed yet. They held her down by the arms till she stopped struggling and relaxed. Once she had relaxed they lossened there hold on her but did not let go.
Her father sighed, "No again Hermione! You need to snap out of this or you'll never come home. Don't you want to come home?"
"Andrew!" her mother snapped.
Hermione looked between her parents in confusion before her attention was drawn to the mirror behind them. She could tell it was a two way mirror but that wasn't what held her attention…it was her reflection.
Her hair had been cut short and hung lifeless and thin down the sides of her face. Her skin seemed paled and yellow like she hadn't been outside in a long while. She had big black bags under her eyes. And when she opened her mouth to speak, a squeak came out as she noticed big beaver teeth hiding inside her mouth.
"What is going on?!" she cried at last lunging forward against the ginger guards hold on her. They didn't even have to tense. She huffed but relaxed into her bed when she realised they would not give in.
Her Father stood, "I can't do this." He left.
"Mum?" she begged.
"You have to understand, Hermione. Its hard for him seeing you like this."
Hermione waited for an elaboration when none came she asked, "Like what?"
"This." Her mother snapped gesturing to the two guards and the rest of the room.
Hermione looked at them. A pair of lanky ginger twins holding her down as if she was a rabid dog. She didn't recognise them but they seemed to know her. She looked around the space and noticed it sparseness. It was all white. A clinical space. It looked like no one was even in her. It was empty. A blank canvas.
"Tell. Me. What's. Wrong." She said taking a gulp of air into her lungs.
"Hermione. You've been here a long time. 6 years now. In this room. You had a break down. Do you remember? We had to bring you here. I'm so sorry. You gave up on reality. You were living in a fairy. Somewhere we couldn't reach you. You built up this world of magic. This is the longest weve ever had you back for." A tear escaped her eye, "I'm so glad I have you back even for a little while. My little girl."
Hermione sat there silently. She knew this had to be a trick. An Illusion. A Spell.
"And how are we today Miss Granger?" asked a raspy voice from across the room. An aged man was walking across the room with a long beard. Behind him a prim faced no nonsense nurse entered with a drugs trolley. She took out 2 boxes and started to pop the tablets into a dish.
"I. I;m fine."
"Im sure you are" replied the kind man walking closer, "Are you ready for your medication?" He held out a small plastic pot with 3 tablets in; an orange one and two white.
The ginger guards released her hands so she could take the offered tablets and pick up the water from the bedside table. She looked to her hopeful mother before downing the lot in one go.
"Excellent! That's the first time shes has done that voluntarily. Things must be looking up Mrs Granger."
He turn and left the room rather extravagantly. The strict nurse rolled her eyes with an amused smile and followed behind him.
"Mum." She said quietly. "I'm not crazy."
Her mother sighed and took her hand. "I know you're not sweet heart but sometime people need extra help getting there life back on track." She had a cheery face on but Hermione wasn't buying it. She thought to herself, As soon as this spell is off me I will go to the library and research it. But the more she tried to picture Hogwarts Library the more confused she got. She couldn't picture it. Like a dream, the memory was just out of her reach.
"Mum, I'm sleepy…"
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Hermione slept for hours, whenever she did sture all she saw was flashes of colours and faces that she recognised but could recall. When she eventually woke, she was ultra-surprised to see who was sat next to the bed.
"Harry!"
He looked surprised, "you remember me?"
"Of course, your my best friend. Why would I forget you?"
"No Hermione. I'm not your friend. I'm your brother." He said slowly, hesitantly. "Me I'm 15 and Ron he's 11. You remember Ron? He was only 5 when you *cough* erm went away. He's here now to see you. Mums told everyone you're doing really well so everyone's here to see you. Even Uncle Tom came back from London. Well I only get 5 minutes so I guess its Ron's Turn. I've missed you, Mione."
He left before Hermione could object. He walked through the door and instantly a small teen walked in casually looking all around. He sat down next to Hermione on the bed like he used to before she got ill.
"You do remember me, don't you?"
Hermione couldn't believe her eyes, sat here was an 11 year old Ronald Weasley who was claiming to be his sister, a granger. This dream spell just kept getting weirder.
"Yea, of course I do but Ron listen-"
"Good. Because we've met before. A whole bunch of times but this is the first time you've remembered me." He smiled bashfully. "I love you Mione."
She suddenly felt extreme guilt flood through her. What if this was the truth? Was she really insane?
"Come on kido. My turn"
Her dad was back. He sighed as he sat down on the chair next to her bed.
"I'm sorry princess. I just wish you would get better and come home to us. Permanently."
Hermione took a deep breath, "Maybe I could. If I could remember…Tell me. Tell me what happened before I. Before I …went away.!
"Nothing exceptional. You just woke up one day confused asking why you weren't at Hogwarts. This happened a lot. After the first few times we got worried and spock to the GP. He asked if anything had happened different. But it was the same old Tuesday, You mother and I took the boys swimming, as always and you stayed at home with –"
"Uncle Tom"
Suddenly imaged flashed though her mind of her youngish Uncle Tom. Playing games with her. Helping her with homework. Watching TV together. Getting ready for bed. Watching her. Touching her. Playing with her. Until-
AHHHHH
Hermione let out an ear splitting scream and the two gaurds grabbed hold of her as she started to trash in her bed. She was screaming out. No. NO. AHHH. Help.
"Princess, what's wrong. Tell daddy." He asked calmly his face riddled with worry.
"No. Cant. He. I cant. Tell anyone. I. No. Stop. Shhh."
"HERMIONE!" her father demanded
"He raped me."
She closed her eyes and relaxed. All she could see was Hogwarts burning down.