A/N: Please review when you read, because it can really motivate writers. Even flames can motivate a writer to write better
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In the 7 years that I had known Hermione Jane Granger. She had never once been quiet. She was a feisty one, but now as I looked over to her cot in the infirmary she was the shell of the person she had once been. It had been 9 weeks since I found her on the battle field after Professor Snape returned with a few turned Death-eaters to win the battle for the light. Harry Potter had died a week after Hermione woke up from her coma. A week later Ginerva Weasley had committed suicide. Through it all she lay on her cot. Staring at the ceiling with a stone-cold expression. She didn't want to live in her head. I could see it all over her face as the single silent tear slid down her face at the news of her last friend's demise. Her body willed otherwise as she slowly gained her physical bearing under my meticulous care. Of course, I never once came in front of her, knowing that if I did, all my work would be immediate failure.
Being an excellent potion brewer it wasn't difficult for me to get my healer's certificate a month after the war ended. The ministry needed fresh blood to recruit after the war had depleted the wizarding population. My internship at Hogwarts' was probably the only break I would have got, and I'd graciously accepted it. When Granger came out of her coma I was hired for good, and was given charge of new interns, Luna Lovegood, to be precise. Beyond her insane façade Lovegood was the Ravenclaw she was and was an excellent learner. She administered my charge with all that I had prescribed. She never let it slip who her Doctor was and for that I had to thank her. If Granger ever found out I'd have been done for, for sure.
As I stood outside Hogwarts' taking drag after drag of my 'cancer-stick' as Loony had so lovingly called my nerve-calming medicine (even though it was potentially lethal) a felt a cold hand on my shoulder. Madame Pomfrey was like the mother I had always dreamed of having, my own mother having been a cold, stone-hearted woman with nothing but greed that was satisfied enough for her to sleep at night. Madame Pomfrey was like Granger in a lot of ways, I suppose. She was stubborn to the point of insanity. Of course Granger had surpassed that boundary as she had in all other departments as well, namely, kindness, warmth, goody-goodness, motherliness, and prudishness… etcetera.
I turned around to acknowledge her presence and she handed me a hot mug of cocoa. Muttering a thank you, I turned back to look at the ruin that was once the great, undefeatable Hogwarts'. It was being rebuilt, but the extent of the damage was still greatly visible.
'She'll be okay. She's a fighter, even though she has nothing to live for.' Madame said looking at me pointedly. I just stared at the colors of the dusk skyline.
'If it weren't for you I'd have gone mad, did you know that? I don't think I've ever been around so much death before, and you've been a brilliant healer. I'm sorry I didn't trust you when you first came, but tell me one thing. You hate her, or at least you did, so why is it that you spend every breathing minute trying to cure Hermione, Draco?'
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In weeks following Ginny's suicide I spent a lot of time trying to find a way to get out of the bonds, Madame Pomfrey had put on me. I finally gave up after she told me she couldn't take it if I died on her. My bonds disappeared almost instantaneously. Luna was the only familiar face I saw. Around me I'd hear all sorts of rumors, and I'd ask Luna so that my heart would be at rest, but the most disturbing fact was that it did all it could to break me even further.
According to Luna, Harry was hit by a deadly curse while in battle with Bellatrix Lestrange who had been in destructible rage after Voldemort had fallen. Hermione was happy that they had managed to get all the Horcruxes in time. Anyways, after Harry's "fall", the Death-eaters were relentless in their "purging" of the wizarding community, but fifteen minutes after it began it ending because a group of 'rebels' attacked the Death-eaters, they were a grey group, neither siding with Voldemort nor with Dumbledore's Legacy. Their motive was survival- theirs and their community's- wizards good, bad, pureblood, half-blood, new-blood (muggle-borns), all of it. What surprised me was the fact this group of rebels was lead by my arch-nemesis Draco Malfoy and my former Professor Severus Snape. Snape had died in battle with Anthony Dolohov and Draco had managed to track down every living Death-eater and get rid of them. Apparently, he didn't want another Dark Lord to emerge. The Ministry had frozen his assets, but after Dumbledore's pensieve was found; the memories that were displayed cleared Snape of all that he was charged with and declared a second prophecy about a grey knight namely Draco; they let Malfoy off the hook and gave him reign of his estates and money. When I asked Luna if the rumors about Malfoy becoming a healer at Hogwarts' were true she started at me and didn't answer.
Nights were getting worse. As I'd fade in and out of consciousness I'd see deep grey eyes keeping vigil over me. They reminded me of the moon, with all its craters. They were the most beautiful eyes I'd ever seen or imagined and yet they scared me. They showed an emotion that contradicted the person they reminded me off. My nights were filled with visions of these deep 'moon' eyes and a pale aristocratic face which was etched with worry, sadness, and a broken emotion that was not meant for it. I'd feel feather-light touches on my brows and cheeks and lips, but when I tried opening my eyes I'd feel so weary and let sleep take me over.