Disclaimer: I own nothing, unlike JKR who seems to own it all.
Hermione's Time Sickness- Chapter Three
When Hermione woke up she wasn't sure how much time had passed. She was still in the hospital wing and it was dark outside. Just like the last time she woke up. At least this time she didn't feel like emptying her stomach and going back to sleep.
She was wide awake. The moon provided a little light and a few candles gave just enough brightness for her to make out the other beds and the doors on either side of the room. It struck the potions in the Potion cabinet and made them shimmer and shine.
"Pretty." Hermione climbed out of bed and approached the bottles. Walking made her feel a little strange, but she handled it and held onto the beds to stop herself from swinging back and forth.
"Don't touch, Miss Granger." Someone's hand came down on her shoulder.
Hermione gave a yelp of surprise and jumped around to face Professor Snape. "I didn't hear you sir. I'm sorry if I woke you up."
"It's fine. Please return to bed." He motioned at the only bed with disturbed covers. "It is 3 o'clock in the morning."
Hermione instinctively checked her wrist, only to find that her watch was not there. She turned back to her Professor. "Sir? What happened at the Hospital? Did they know how to help me?"
Snape sighed and took a seat on the bed next to her. "Miss Granger, did you know why Time Turners are Ministry regulated?"
"Yes sir. It's so that people don't change time every time they do something they would rather have not done. Or start bring people back from the bed." Hermione could go on and on. She done research the year before, then she'd asked McGonagall about borrowing one.
"There is another reason." Professor Snape glared at her and then changed to looking out the window. "Time is a dangerous thing. It hold the universe together and us within the universe in our proper places. We are nowhere near fully comprehending time. Time travel can damage a person."
"Is that what happened to me?" Hermione was mystified. I've never heard or read about anything like this!
"We believe so." Snape stood up now and drew his robes around him.
"Is it bad sir?" Hermione asked. Anything that displaces me in the universe cannot be a good thing.
"It isn't particularity good. Time displacement can mean a great many things. Luckily it appears that you will be fine. As long as you live in the now." Snape explained.
Hermione was confused. "What do you mean sir? Live in the now?"
Snape took a list out of one of the deep pockets in his robe. "Here Miss Granger. These are all the recorded items that have affected time displaced people. I believe the Restricted section also has several books on the subject."
Hermione nodded and accepted the list. Most of the things would be easy to stay away from, others nearly impossible. Pensives, time turners, time curses and hexes are all easy enough to deal with, they aren't very common. But plastic and wool and leather? "Sir, this isn't really going to be possible to follow when I return home. Plastic is in almost everything muggles use."
Snape looked at her seriously. "Miss Granger, if you do not follow this you could end up travelling randomly through time with no way to return. I suggest you find a way to follow this list to the letter. After all, students that aren't here cannot attend classes."
Hermione set the list aside. "Thank you for giving this to me Professor." She yawned. "Is it really 3 o'clock in the morning?"
"It's after three o'clock now." Snape said, a strange look appearing on his face. "Madame Pomfrey will most likely be letting you return to classes shortly."
"Okay." Hermione slipped under her blankets and pulled them up to her chin. "Night Professor Snape." She whispered, closing her eyes and preparing to fall asleep. There was no one else in the Hospital Wing and soon the sound of her own breathing soothed her to sleep.
Bright sunlight woke Hermione a few hours later as it streamed in through the windows of the Hospital Wing. She yawned and stretched in the warmth of the sunbeams and relishing in the quiet of the Hospital Wing. It was nice to have space in the mornings and not worry about getting in the way of Lavender's light so that she'd mess up her make-up or tripping over one of the piles of clothing Parvati set out as she decided what she wanted to wear.
"Good Morning Miss Granger!" Madame Pomfrey greeted Hermione happily as she walked into the ward. "How are you feeling? Are you ready for some breakfast?"
Hermione nodded. "Breakfast sounds wonderful, thank you. And I'm feeling fine. When can I leave?" She asked, just slightly too enthusiastic.
Madame Pomfrey just laughed and headed to the floo to ask for Hermione's breakfast. The food was delicious, for the first time in ages Hermione wasn't feeling nauseous and she was able to fully enjoy the food. Even though the meal was simple toast and tea it was the best tasting food she'd had in ages. "Thanks."
Just as Hermione was finishing up her food the bell rang and shortly after that Harry and Ron burst into the Hospital Wing. Ron was carrying a large stack of books and Harry had a sheaf of papers in his hand. They took seats on either side of her and dumped their loads onto her bed.
"Brought you your homework." Harry told her. "I guessed that you might be getting bored in here."
Ron nodded his agreement. "You don't look sick. Why can't you leave?"
"Mr. Weasley, you again prove yourself more of a dunderhead than I expected." Drawled a voice from behind the three.
Hermione looked around and glared at Professor Snape along with the two other members of the Golden Trio. He was holding a steaming goblet and sneering angrily down at the two boys. "If Miss Granger were too leave the Hospital Wing she could easily become displaced in time."
Ron's jaw dropped and he looked apologetically at Hermione. "Gee Hermione, I'm sorry. My uncle-"
Harry was not interested in another story featuring Ron's uncles. "Can she come back soon sir? We all miss her."
Snape glared at Harry even more angrily than he'd glared at Ron. "Get out, I'm trying to help her."
Harry and Ron left as quickly as they'd come, leaving the books and papers behind on Hermione's bed. She made them into neat, little piles on her night stand and turned back to her Potions Professor. "Sorry Professor Snape. IS there something I can do to help you?"
"Get dressed and meet me in the Entrance hall." Snape told her before heading out of the Hospital Wing, obviously planning on beating her there.
It didn't take Hermione long to pull on robes and twist her hair into a messy braid. She shoved her feet into trainers and headed through the halls. Luckily since the break was over almost all students were in class and she didn't have to deal with prying eyes.
Snape was standing in the entrance hall, he was still holding the goblet and there was a much smaller item clenched in his fist that Hermione couldn't see yet.
"Miss Granger, there are currently two ways that displaced people can be grounded. The first is quite simple: physical activity. Anything that ties your body to this time and place will hold you here. Running, skipping rope, swimming have all worked."
Hermione nodded. She wasn't a fan of physical activity, but if it kept her from getting sick again she'd do it. "And the second one?"
"Potions." Snape held the potion out. It was a yellow colour and it stunk of wet dog fur. Hermione did not want to think about what the ingredients might have been or what it might have tasted like. She drunk it quickly and shook her head, trying to get the taste out of her mouth.
"Now take this."
Hermione expected the pen and looked it over. "This is a pen. Oh! Plastic." She said, thinking out loud. "I don't feel any different."
But as soon as she'd claimed to feel no change, it felt as if the bottom of her stomach was dropping and Hermione collapsed to the floor, dropping the pen. And as soon as the plastic wasn't touching her, the feeling disappeared and she sat up, gasping for breath.
"Hmm." Snape nodded. "The potions can be ineffective for those under the age of twenty-one. Of course the formula can be adjusted."
Hermione got to her feet. "Now what do I do? If potions don't work."
"Come with me." Snape opened the door that lead to the grounds outside Hogwarts and held the pen out to her. "You are going to take the pen and run around the school twice. If you need to stop and vomit make sure to drop the pen."
Hermione looked oddly at her Potions Professor. "All right sir." She took the pen and tried to ignore the unpleasant sensations that the plastic caused. But as soon as she started running the feeling disappeared. It was liberating, to look at the pen and laugh as it did nothing to her.
The morning breeze blew through Hermione's hair, it felt nice and cool, unlike her sweating limbs. She let her feet carry her onwards, knowing that she'd always be able to find a way to live. Between Professor Snape's intelligence and her own brilliance, there was a good chance of a cure.
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This one shot came to me a few months ago and I finally finished it. It is currently unbetaed and will probably remain that way.
I did write this after reading the first half of The Time Traveler's Wife, but I never got around to finishing the books. Hoped you enjoyed the story!
