"Good morning Mr. Andrews," Hermione greeted cheerily as she opened the door of her first patient's room that Friday morning, five days since she had heard from Ginny. The witch had dismissed her incessant worries that the redhead would do something rash, 'No Harry would do something about it', she told herself for the rest of the week. But she knew, somewhere deep inside her Ginny is a force you wouldn't want to be up against when she's determined.

Pushing said thoughts out of her mind, the witch placed a small genuine smile on her face as she took the chart beside the man's bed. Mr. Albert Andrews was a victim of the war, like most of the long time patients of St. Mungo's. The Janus Thickey ward was and still is part of the Spell Damage division of the Hospital located in the fourth floor of the building. Hermione had attached herself to it soon as she had gotten the results of her NEWTs, and Mr. Andrews was her very first long time patient.

The man had lost his senses after receiving a nonverbal curse from one of the Dark Lord's prized Death Eaters. No one had was able to pin point the cause of said curse so the Healers of St. Mungo's were not sure how to handle Mr. Andrews when he first arrived. He still responded to stimuli, at least his internal organs do, but not his five senses. Hermione's delicate heart broke for the man. Frequently, she would administer his potions and sometimes, she would simply sit down with him. He was the only person who heard all of the young Healer's thoughts, not that she was sure he could understand her. Hermione's top most goal was to somehow lift the curse on him, because she knew she could do it. There's still some hope.

"I'm worried, Mr. Andrews," she said as she put down the chart back on its place on the table and took the necessary potions for his morning dose. Those were simple potions, like the ones to mend his bones that were still repairing from the war, the ones that would at least help the man's immune system for they couldn't be sure what diseases would take over him despite their clean environment. He couldn't feel, that was for sure, and if he could, they wouldn't know. It was a sad fate for a brave man like him. Albert Andrews was slowly growing healthy despite everything. He had been putting on some weight, in fact, Hermione deemed him normal if not for his lost senses.

"I'm worried what Ginny will do." Hermione continued as she nonverbally filled the glass with water and helped the old wizard sit up. "She came to me last Sunday convincing me to join that stupid game called "The Bachelor". I've watched those shows in the muggle world, you know, and I still think it's utter nonsense," she spoke softly but bitterness and irritation was clear from it. She helped him open his mouth and poured his first potion. As expected, he didn't even reacted. Mr. Andrews only stared blankly on the wall across him.

"But she got a point you know. I don't have a life outside of work since Anton." Hermione's voice struggled to keep the quiver out of it. It had been years but she still hadn't moved on from him. Not really. She didn't love him anymore, not after he had humiliated her so much. But that didn't mean she had forgotten nor forgiven the man. She heard he was the husband of a famous model witch somewhere in continental Europe, but she really didn't care to know what else. No, she moved on from Anton, but she hadn't moved on from the lesson. Men liked her not for her personality and herself but for her money and her fame. "I don't know, Mr. Andrews but men seemed to like me because I'm a war hero and I'm a famous Healer. They didn't like me because I'm simply Hermione Granger." She sighed as she poured another vial of potion into the man's mouth and washed it away with the water.

A quick glance on her watch told her she still had ten minutes before she was due to her next long term patient. Hermione helped Mr. Andrews lie on his back once more before she plopped herself on the chair beside his bed. It pained her to think that no one visited the old man for any family he got was either killed or too young to visit the hospital. She took the man's hand on her own and traced soothing circles on the back of his palm. She felt something akin to a fatherly connection with the man. Perhaps it was because he's the first patient ever assigned to him and Hermione was determined to find a solution to his illness. "What should I do, Mr. Andrews?" Hermione whispered softly and continued her ministrations absentmindedly. The next minutes were spent in silents with only the both occupant's breathing as the music that filled the air.

When her wand buzzed announcing it was time for her to leave, Hermione sighed and stood up. She tucked the man with he blanket and smiled sadly. "I dearly hoped for your quick recovery, sir." She said hopefully. She, then, arranged her robes and put her wand on her pocket. As she turned to leave, a small movement caught her eyes. Mr. Andrew's eyes flickered to her direction, and he gave a small squeeze to her hand. Hermione's eyes widened and she smiled. "Oh Mr. Andrews," she gasped breathily. As she exited, the young healer called for a substitute to look after her next patient as she proceeded to the laboratory. The man's movement gave her some hope! She'll do her best to heal him!


Hermione plopped down on her black reclining chair in her office with a tired sigh passing on her lips. Her eyes shut as soon as her head sank on the soft headrest and her brain forced the frustration away from her body. The day went very long, but unsuccessful. Besides the small squeeze she had gotten from the old wizard, Mr. Andrews didn't respond to the stimuli at all. She poured her whole time in the lab, concocting a potion she thought would help her, but it didn't.

Forward came the small happy thought that at least Mr. Andrews moved on his own. This was breakthrough enough. She came to accept that everything was slow when it came to recovery, and evry little thing was a milestone. A small smile made its way up to her lips.

Her small peace was interrupted by a knock on her door. She opened an eye as the knob turned counterclockwise and eventually opened slightly. Lisa Turpin, former Ravenclaw in her year stood there with one hand attached to the door and one grasping a letter. Hermione frowned for she didn't normally had a letter sent to her but directed to the receptionist of the hospital- that was Lisa.

"What's that?" She asked, almost stupidly. A letter of course, but still Hermione had to ask. If a letter was written to her and directed to the reception instead of directly, then perhaps it was a memorandum from someone she didn't know. Even her hospital superiors send magical parchments when it came to sending out memos.

"A letter from..." Lisa stepped hesitantly inside Hermione's office. She was new and still shy. The girl just came back from abroad when she escaped during the war. "The Bachelor, Hermione." She said finally, with a slightly amused grin on her face.

Hermione could tell that Lisa was not the witch of her league, more like of Ginny's league. With the amusement she found on Hermione's letter, the older witch found irritation. "Thank you Lisa, you may leave." The brunette's tone was that of dismissal and no nonsense. She wouldn't tolerate jesting now, maybe not ever if she couldn't revoke Ginny's doings.

The yellowish parchment sat on her table, the red wax stamped with the fancy 'B' emblem of the adapted wizarding show smiling mockingly at her. She took a couple of deep breaths before she reached out and tore the stamp. Her eyes quickly glazed over the letter, a consistent frown on her lips.

"Dear Miss Hermione Granger,

We are pleased to inform you that you are accepted to the newest show in the wizarding Britain Television, "The Bachelor".

You will be required to report at the Reception Hall upon arrival. We very much look forward to receiving you as the newest part of the first ever season of The Bachelor.

The game begins on May 21st, we will await your owl by no later than May 20.

Yours sincerely,

Lucinda Crawford Casting Director The Bachelor"

A small note fell to her hands as the she opened the envelope to put the letter back it. It felts all too familiar. The letter, however, did not induce enjoyment and excitement to her veins, very much unlike her Hogwarts letter did. Instead, it brought a sense of dread that could fill her days to her bitter demise.

The note was written in perfect handwriting as the letter. It was short and straight to the point, and it only induced anger to the witch. How dare her! She thought as she brandished her wand to the note and set it on fire. It had read:

"PS. We're very sorry Ms. Granger but you are not allowed to reject the offer even if you're kicking and screaming on your arrival to the mansion. Mrs. Potter is scarier than we thought."

It was all Ginny's fault. Hermione didn't want to leave. She only had a week to prepare. She didn't want to leave, not when she could feel a breakthrough coming for Mr. Andrews. She didn't want to leave the old man alone. But she couldn't not leave. She knew Ginny when she's determined. And as much as she was not scared of the younger witch, she was scared to put tension between them, more tension than what it had been when she and Ron broke up years ago.

Gathering up all her strength, Hermione stood and left her office. "I'll be at Mr. Andrews room, Lisa." She told the witch who was still standing by her door, probably in the hopes that Hermione would squee in delight from the letter. Poor girl, delusional at her best. Hermione strutted off to the man's room. She needed the comfort, even if her comforter would not respond to her. Damn, Ginny. She'll be screaming and kicking all she want when she arrive in that stupid mansion, and she'll bring all the embarrassment she could to her friend if necessary. Damn it all. Two could play the game.


I'm so sorry about taking long in updating. I really wanted to do an update to each story, but my muse seemed to be on and off, I couldn't finish a chapter. More than Meets the Eye is currently undergoing some outlining and characterization, but I'm hoping I could upload another chapter by next week. I'm sorry for the short chapter too. I promise the next would be much longer.

-ladyelainemalfoy-