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Hermione let out an exasperated sigh. She was wandering around the hospital feeling extremely annoyed. Hermione had discovered that within the entire ward she was in, there didn't seem to be a single mirror. She diligently walked each corridor, checked each room, and looked in every bathroom, cursing under her breath each time the walls were empty. Had they done it on purpose?
Hermione had asked a nurse who had replied with a polite, "I have no idea what you're talking about," before walking away with a smile that hinted she wasn't being entirely honest.
Still feeling completely ignored and abandoned, Hermione wandered back to the living area, giving up on her search. She put a hand to her face, not feeling any scars or cuts, and wondering what other reason the hospital staff could possibly have for not allowing her to look at herself.
Sure, she realized she'd look older, obviously, but was that really such a big deal? Hermione watched the doors to the ward open and close as patients, always with the aide of a nurse, journeyed out for their afternoon walks in the garden.
There was a sensor that detected each patient's wristband, so they could not leave without setting off an alarm. Hermione looked down at the thick white band on her own wrist and picked at it irritatingly. It was protected by magic and could only be removed by a nurse or doctor.
Hermione slumped further into her chair. She looked towards the doors longingly, attempting to form a plan in her mind of how to bypass them without drawing attention to herself. She was sure that somewhere in the rest of the hospital there would be a mirror.
Hermione sat patiently, time not being a factor, waiting until she could manage an escape. An opportunity came as an alarm went off somewhere down the hall, coming from a patient's room. Hermione recognized the sound as she'd heard it a few times in her long stay at the hospital, a patient was flat lining.
Hermione felt her heart beat faster as she walked briskly through the doors and into the main areas of the hospital. Her wristband set off the alarm, as she noticed it light up for a moment, however, the sound had muted by the patient's alarm, as Hermione expected. Had anyone seen her? Hermione looked back to see the nurses distractedly running down the hallway, oblivious to her exit.
She took a deep breath and carried on, walking toward the washroom in the main waiting area of the hospital. She breathed deeply, feeling nervous, knowing she could get caught at any moment. She turned the corner of the ladies room and bumped into an old woman in her state of panic.
"Sorry dear!" exclaimed the women, but Hermione had already scooted passed quickly.
Her eyes immediately went to the area above the row of sinks, and she felt a wave of relief and brief excitement when she noticed the tall glass mirrors. She walked over slowly, in the now deserted bathroom, and abruptly looked up at her reflection. Hermione felt her heart stop as she took in the sight of her own face.
Her hair was short, shorter than Hermione had ever worn it before. It went down just above her chin, in brown frizzy waves. Her face seemed slimmer and much more angled. She wondered if it was because of her age or because of all the weight she'd lost. Though her skin was clear, without so much as a scratch, it was deathly pale and her eyes seemed dark and hallowed.
Hermione looked down at her arms, realizing for the first time how skinny she really was. She'd looked at her body before, and felt the length of her hair, but somehow the image in the mirror reminded her of how different she looked to herself. She felt as if overnight she'd somehow morphed into a completely different person, one she didn't recognize at all.
The hospital gown she was wearing began to feel extremely hot, and Hermione looked up at her face again to see that it was slowly turning red. She breathed in deeply, forcing herself to calm down.
A dark haired middle-aged woman walked in just then, looking up in shock when she noticed Hermione. Hermione turned away, and the woman swallowed uncomfortably before going into a nearby stall and closing the door quickly.
Hermione knew she couldn't stay in the bathroom all day. She walked out and stopped at the edge of the waiting area. She looked back to the door that led to the ward she was staying in, holding that small room she'd been incarcerated in, before she looked over at the main entrance doors to the hospital.
No one seemed to have noticed her disappearance yet. Hermione wondered if maybe she could just leave the hospital. She desperately yearned to see Ron and Harry and Ginny, and everyone else she missed so much. It wouldn't do any harm to just go home. Home, that word again. Hermione felt her heart ache at the thought and she knew she had to go. She had to go home.
Hermione walked as casually as possible across the waiting room, ignoring the odd looks she received from the people walking by. She realized she probably completely looked the part of a mentally unstable patient attempting to make a run for it.
Hermione put her head down and took steady breaths, silently praying the staff wouldn't stop her. She bit her lip anxiously as a young doctor walked past, giving her an inquisitive look. She let out the breath she was holding however, when he was distracted by a nurse.
She was almost there. She could see the bright sunlight coming through the large glass doors just twenty feet ahead. She picked up her pace a little, being only ten feet away now. She reached for the door handle when suddenly a man walked through, making her jump in surprise. It was Ron.
Hermione froze where she was, unable to move or speak. He had his head down and mumbled a quick apology, walking right past her. Hermione made a strangled noise to call him back, but unfortunately it was barely loud enough for her own ears.
She whipped around and watched him walk towards the hospital ward. Hermione found the strength inside of her and managed to yell out, loud enough this time for him to hear.
"Ron!"
Ron stopped immediately. He turned around and looked her right in the eye, his face blank and expressionless. Hermione was afraid for a moment that he didn't even recognize her. She offered a shy smile, feeling her heart pound heavily, waiting for him to do something.
He seemed to regain himself as he suddenly ran over and enveloped her in a huge hug. Hermione gasped at his fierceness but hugged him back just as tightly. He pulled back and kissed her passionately. Hermione reveled in the kiss, never wanting it to end.
Someone cleared their throat loudly, causing them to both jump apart. It was a nurse who was tapping her foot impatiently and giving them a stern look. Hermione felt fear run through her, but then she noticed the nurse's hard look turn into a small smile. It was the same nurse that Dr. Adams had been so upset with, the one that had called Ron to come in and see her when she'd woken.
"Please," said Hermione, realizing she still had escaped and disobeyed the hospital's orders, "I just want to go home."
"I understand," replied the nurse kindly, "they're going to let your family come and visit tomorrow, but for now you have to stay here. There's still a few things they need to go over with you."
Hermione felt her heart sink, but realized she was at least getting closer to going home. She felt Ron take her hand and turned back to face him.
"I've come everyday… hoping to see you, but they kept turning me away. I'm so sorry. Everyday I wanted to see you, everyday."
Hermione smiled at him, feeling a warmth fill her heart. She suddenly felt as if she was home already.
"I'll come back tomorrow with… everyone," Ron continued.
Hermione smiled even brighter and kissed him once more quickly.
"God, I missed your smile," said Ron, smiling back at her.
Hermione sighed pleasantly before allowing the nurse to lead her back to her room. She waved goodbye as Ron stood watching her leave. She couldn't stop smiling, feeling the high from the kiss all over her body. It had felt so good to be back in his arms again. She remembered the night of the war, when she'd gone back to his room with him and they'd made love for the first time.
It was exactly that memory, probably the strongest memory she had, that had kept her going each night, kept her from slipping into a depression of loneliness.
Hermione followed the nurse back through the doors of the ward and heard the bell of her wristband go off. The nurse looked back at her with an amused expression.
"And just how did you manage to leave without us noticing?"
The question was intimidating but Hermione knew the nurse was not the least bit upset by it.
Hermione shrugged her shoulders and let out a small laugh, the first laugh she'd had since she woke up. She thought about the fact that it must have been the first time she'd laughed in ten years. The thought scared her as she realized all the others things she hadn't experienced in the same amount of time.
Just how much had changed in ten years? Who was the Minister of Magic? Who had won the Quidditch World Cup last year? Was the war still over? Did the Weasleys still live at the Burrow?
The only thing that Hermione could be certain of was Ron. She could feel his love as strong as it was ten years ago. She sighed again as she lay down in her bed, anxiously anticipating the day to come.
I hope you're enjoying the story so far. As always, reviews would be awesome!
