Hermione drifted in a heavy state between sleep and awake before the sound of muffled voices roused her into full consciousness.
'How can I trust you again after those hateful things you said to me last year? You didn't even have the balls to apologise and now you want me to partner you in Potions?' A young woman's voice that held just a note of bitterness was the first thing Hermione made sense of.
'What do you think I've been trying to do all year?' A voice smooth as a bar of Honeydukes finest chocolate echoed down the deserted second floor corridor, and there was something so familiar about it but for the life of her, Hermione couldn't quite grasp what it was. 'Every time I get near you, one of your familiar's starts hissing at me.'
'They're my friends Sev; a novel concept for you I know, but you should try it sometime.' The lighter tones of the second person indicated that it was a male and female coming closer and Hermione cracked open one heavy eyelid to see that she was lying in the middle of the second floor hallway where just a few seconds ago she had been surrounded by flying masonry and wand sparks.
'I have friends, I'm not a complete hermit.'
'I don't mean the gits that hang around the Slytherin common room; real friends Sev…like we used to be.'
'Can't we be friends again?' The boy urged, sounding a little bit desperate to Hermione's ears. 'I've missed our chats down by the lake.'
'Huh…that's where those twats from my House hang out these days; you won't catch me down there again in a hurry, not with that creep sniffing around my knickers.'
'He's still giving you trouble? I could always hex him on the quiet…turn him into the worm that he is as soon as he propositions you again.' The girl laughed lightly at the offer and laid her hand on the boy's arm.
'I've seen your charm work, Sev…and I don't think James would survive the spell. You always were a bit loose with your wand work; stick to potions, you're a veritable Merlin when it comes to mixing up a brew or two.'
'I really am sorry, Lil; I never meant to hurt you like that. I was just so angry and the words just spilled out.' The boy sounded like he was about to cry and Hermione saw the girl close her eyes for a second before turning to face the pale faced boy.
'You did hurt me incredibly that day, I never thought that you were capable of such venom. I'll forgive you this time, Severus but if you ever say anything like that to me again…' The girl leant closer and dropped her fingers to her wand, and the boy's eyes opened wide at her unspoken implication.
'I swear…'
'Good; now let's get down to the Great Hall before the twats eat all of the desserts.' Lily threaded her arm through her companion's elbow and flicked her long auburn hair over her shoulder. 'Now, tell me more about this partnering idea that you've had for potions class…'
'Well…' Severus opened his mouth to speak and then something caught his attention at the end of the hallway. 'What's that?'
'Where?' Lily followed his gaze and spotted Hermione struggling to sit up against the far wall. 'She looks poorly…help me prop her up, Sev.' Lily ordered as she made her way over to crouch down at the other girls' feet. 'Easy now, do you know what happened to you?'
Hermione felt the sting of acid at the back of her throat and swallowed hard to prevent the bile from rising. She recognised the other girl as soon as she grew close enough to make out; she'd seen Harry look at her photograph a thousand times over the last few years but how was it even possible? She closed her eyes as she tried to picture the last thing that she remembered before waking up; there had been a fight with Snape in the corridor and then Flitwick had cast his charm…Of course, that was the only possible explanation; something had gone wrong in the execution and she must have been caught by the rebound.
'I'm sorry but I don't know your name; are you one of the transfer students that the Headmaster was speaking about? I hadn't realised any of you had arrived yet.' The girl, Lily Potter or more rightly Lily Evans, knelt closer to Hermione with the lean frame of her as yet unidentified friend hovering at her side.
'Um…Not a transfer student as such,' Hermione struggled to think clearly through the pounding headache threatening to split her skull and wondered what would sound like a plausible explanation. 'I was home educated until my parents passed away.' Until I Obliviated them and sent them off to live in Australia more like.' Hermione thought to herself. 'My guardian thought it was best that I prepared for my exams at a proper school.'
'I'm sorry for your loss.' Lily murmured softly, her hand reaching out to press against Hermione's. 'Do you know what happened up here? Perhaps a trip or a fall?'
'I don't know, perhaps I hit my head as I tripped over a snag in the carpet?' Hermione struggled to rise and Lily made a gesture with her hand and sent her friend a narrow eyed look. He sent a look back that usually had the first years running away in fear, but Lily just grinned as pointed at Hermione again and he bent down to wrap one lean hand around her elbow to assist her to her feet. 'Thank you.' Hermione murmured and the boy inclined his head as he took a step backwards until he was standing just at Lily's side. Hermione gasped quietly as she recognised the almost haughty gesture, the boy with Lily was none other than Severus Snape!
'Let's get you down to Madam Pomfrey,' Lily wrapped her arm securely across Hermione's back and gently steered her down the hallway to the hospital wing. 'My name's Lily…Lily Evans.'
'Hermione Granger.' Hermione replied quietly, sneaking a look at the quiet boy following them along the corridor. Lily saw Hermione's eyes flick behind before turning ahead and hid a grin to herself; it was about time that Sev had someone looking at him with a bit of interest.
'Don't mind him; that's just Sev, he's a Slytherin and they're all a bunch of snakes.' Lily lowered her voice to murmur into Hermione's ear but Sev's ears caught her low tones and he snorted indignantly.
'You know I can still hear you, don't you Lily?'
'You were supposed to.' Lily called back, their friendship back on an even keel after spending much of the last year sniping and ignoring each other. 'Do you know what house you've been put in? I'm in Gryffindor.'
'I think the Headmaster said something about Gryffindor as well, I'm not really too sure. He said that my trunks were being sent up to the tower with the Fat Lady.'
'That'll be us then,' Lily confirmed with a grin, her eyes lighting up with shared enthusiasm. Hermione felt a brief pang when she saw the light in Lily's eyes – eyes that she shared with Harry, Harry – her best friend that she would probably never be able to see in the flesh again. 'Here we are, would you like me to come in with you?' Lily paused outside the hospital wing and looked over at Hermione.
'Thanks, but I'll be fine from here.' Hermione refused with a small smile and reached up a hand to tug at the small bell hanging by the double doors. Lily looked a little doubtful at leaving Hermione alone, but turned around to leave with Sev, glancing back over her shoulder before they reached the staircase.
'I'll pop back after dinner; if you're still here I'll come and sit with you for a little while, if not I'll see you in the tower later.'
Hermione nodded as she watched the pair slip off down the staircase and then turned around as the schools nursing matron opened up a small side door and stepped out into the corridor.
'And who do we have here?'
'Hermione Granger, I'm feeling a little…' Hermione started to tell Madam Pomfrey her symptoms but the matron merely held up her finger to halt her words as she started her diagnostic spell, moving her wand a few centimetres away from Hermione's body as she completed her scan.
'You're out of alignment dear…have you been messing around with one of Minerva's time turners?'
'A few years ago…' Hermione confirmed but Madam Pomfrey frowned a little as she waved her wand again and tried to decipher the results of the scan.
'No, that's not it. How old are you child?'
'Seventeen; my birthday is not until in September.'
'I'd say you could add another year or two to that if you had prolonged use to a time turner.' Madam Pomfrey replied quietly, still frowning over the slightly lavender haze that glowed from her wand tip. 'You should be pink.'
'I'm sorry?' Hermione was struggling to keep up with the strange turn of conversation, her stomach churning frantically and her headache worsening by the second.
'Oh, I'm so sorry!' Madam Pomfrey glanced over and saw that Hermione was in danger of collapsing where she stood. She immediately wrapped an arm around Hermione's back and steered her into the ward, settling her down on a bed in a secluded alcove. A brief flick of her wand had a small tray of potions appearing at the bedside and Madame Pomfrey started pulling out the stoppers.
'A little Pepper-Up and Cure-All and that's two of your symptoms taken care of. Drink it all down in one go, dearest…that's it.' Hermione obediently swallowed the potions and screwed up her nose at the nasty aftertaste.
'What did you mean earlier, when you said 'you should be pink'?' Hermione murmured from the bed, feeling a little drowsy from the combined potions. Madam Pomfrey slipped off Hermione's shoes and gestured for her to slip under the covers, smoothing them in place with a gentle pat.
'After using a time turner your cells should give off a pink glow; yours are lavender, which either means that you are a Hinkypunk…or you've been hit with a Tempus charm.'
'The second one.' Hermione murmured, as she felt herself being pulled into a healing sleep. 'I need to speak with Dumbledore.'
'Oh don't worry dear, the Headmaster will be sent for.' The matron confirmed with a determined look in her eye, no one messed with the students under Poppy Pomfrey's care and got away with it. Her face softened as she gently stroked the hair away from Hermione's brow. 'You just take a nap and it will all be sorted when you're feeling better.'
'Need to warn him…' Hermione mumbled trying to fight off the sleep charm that the matron had cast over the bed. 'Warn him before it's too late…'
