Chapter 4
Hermione was comforted by what the scans showed. Draco's scans showed the areas in his brain being affected were those that had come to be associated with both clinical depression and PTSD. Both of which were her areas of expertise and that she had the most success treating. Once the blood work came back she could begin a treatment plan that would be tailored to his specific needs. Some of which were considered controversial in the wizarding world as they were muggle medications.
And that meant she would need to have a conversation with Draco alone tonight. She went to visit Scorpius in his rooms.
"Hey Healer Granger!" He was clearly happy to see her. She looked around his room, it was filled with normal little boy things broken bits of toys, Quidditch posters, a glorious mess. It actually made her very happy. In a lot of ways it reminded her of Ron's room at the Burrow when he had not been much older. Hugo was too much like her, very fastidious. "Good evening Scorpius! Are we alone in here?" She moved a stack of clothes to the top of his dresser.
He looked around confused "Yes…"
She peaked under a keeper's glove "How can you tell?"
Realizing she was teasing him he giggled. "Are we going to have dinner with my daddy now?"
"Not tonight lovebug, Tonight you should eat with your grandmother so she doesn't get lonely. Remember, your daddy is her little boy and she hardly ever sees him so we need to make sure she doesn't feel too left out. We will have breakfast and our lessons there tomorrow. OK?"
"OK. But you are staying?"
She realized how afraid he was that she would leave him. "I promised I would stay until your daddy feels better. But I think we need a real bond. She pulled out a ring that hung from a chain around her neck. If I loan you this until it is time for me to go do you promise to take very good care of it and never ever lose it?"
His eyes got real big "I promise".
"Now we have a vow and you know I will keep my word."
He nodded very solemnly.
"OK, I will see you in the morning lovebug. Have fun with your grandmother tonight."
Outside of Draco's door she hesitated a moment.
Coming in unannounced with Narcissa or Scorpius was one thing, but waltzing in alone was a different matter. She decided to take a different tactic and headed up to the owlery.
Attaching a note to Emalina's leg she informed Draco that she had his test results and would like to discuss them with him. That she would be arriving at his door in twenty minutes to do so.
She was surprised to find the door open and him waiting for her in the sitting room. He had also clearly just come from the shower.
"I am sorry; I did not mean to interrupt you from the bath."
He brushed off her concern. "You said you had results for me?"
"Yes, look at this." She conjured a light box and put the scans of his brain up against it. "These are the images I took of your brain. See these lit up areas here, here and here?" he nodded. "These are the areas of the brain that we usually associate with the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and clinical depression. They are highly active in your brain. Meaning they are being triggered."
"And if we stop their triggering?"
"You should start to feel more like yourself."
"And what if 'myself' is an arsehole?"
"Take it up with your father?" She was surprised to hear a slight chuckle from him.
"I assume you have some idea how to stop their triggering?"
"I do, some of it may sound controversial to you. It is normal in the muggle world but…"
"But wizards don't use it."
"Correct. There are medications, not potions, and I am afraid I have no experience in potion making so I cannot create an equivalent, these medications may give you relief in as soon as just a couple of weeks. Combine that with therapy and… well, it is not a miracle cure, nothing is, but…"
"Bottom line it for me Granger."
"Part of what is occurring to you right now is physical. It is a transformation in how your brain functions due to trauma you suffered as a child. Possibly due to a fall during Quidditch possibly …something else… in muh … some cases, it was brought on in the second wizarding war by the cruciatus curse." He knew she had been about to say in her case. He wondered if this was why she had gone in to this kind of healing. Having been on the receiving end of that curse more than once it made sense.
"And the therapy?"
"You need to talk about what happened. Then and now. If you are uncomfortable talking to me, I understand. I still have a list of highly qualified therapists who…"
"No, I am perfectly comfortable with you as a healer." She nodded.
"When do we get started?"
"As soon as your blood work comes back I will order the medications you need and we will set up a regular session to get to work."
He nodded, she stood up to leave he looked startled "Oh I thought you would be staying for dinner?"
She smiled; this was progress "I would be happy to stay for dinner."
Over dinner they talked about their lives since the war. How much she had studied to become both a doctor and a Healer, faking her Uni records so she could go straight in to a doctoral program. "Naughty, naughty Granger. Breaking the rules. Who knew you had it in you?"
She laughed "I tried to get Umbridge killed by a giant and would have succeeded if centaurs had not interfered, I broke in to Gringotts and rode out on the back of a dragon, my willingness to break the rules for the greater good is well established."
"Getting a woman killed by a giant is for the greater good?"
"THAT woman? Oh yes. She was vile."
He looked down. "You said Ginny Weasley 'used to be' your sister. Did something happen between you and Weasel?"
"I am surprised you did not read about it in the papers. It was quite the scandal when two thirds of The Golden Trio, I always hated that title by the way, divorced."
"I never read those papers, they never did anyone any favors. What happened, if that isn't too personal."
She shrugged "It is but I don't mind really. Ron and I loved each other very much. We have two children together. One, Rose, is the same age as Scorpius. But we were never in love. One day we just realized our marriage was starting to feel like incest. We are still best friends. We did not break up in anger. He will always be an important part of my life. Just not as my husband."
"If you get married again do you think that is something your new husband is going to be OK with?" he was looking deep into her eyes when he asked this.
She wasn't sure why his look or his question was so unsettling to her. "I suppose at this stage of my life anyone I would likely to enter in to a relationship with would probably have their own family that they would bring to the table. I would hope they would be as accepting of mine as they would want me to be accepting of theirs." Somehow it felt oddly as if they were setting some sort of ground rules. Which was ridiculous They had a doctor patient relationship and barely that.
Over the next two days while waiting for the blood work to return the three, she and Draco and Scorpius fell into a routine. Breakfast, lessons and lunch with Draco, exercise time for Scorpius. Hermione worked until dinner, which she then shared with Draco. Scorpius ate with his grandmother. Hermione barely acknowledged she shared a roof with Lucius Malfoy and never mentioned the fact that he was in the home. Twice a week she and Draco met for therapy sessions. She listened to what his experiences were like as a youth, but she was far more concerned with how they were still impactful on him now.
On the third day Emalina delivered Draco's blood work results. Other than some vitamin deficiencies everything looked normal. She filled out prescriptions and sent them via Emalina to her contact who would make sure they were filled in the muggle world and returned to her that same day, including vitamins that would not interact negatively with the medications she had ordered.
That night with prescriptions in hand she went to Draco's room. She was surprised to find the door closed.
She knocked and called "Draco?" but got no response. After a few minutes she called Cubby.
"Yes Miss Hermione?"
"Cubby I am worried about Draco I need you to let me into the room."
Cubby looked uncomfortable "I am not allowed to do that Miss… Master says to Cubby when he does not wish to be disturbed Cubby lets no one in the room. I am sorry Miss."
"But he IS in there?"
"Yes Miss Hermione."
"Is he a danger to himself Cubby?"
Cubby just looked down.
"Did he order you to stop me from going in?"
"No Miss Hermione."
"Please stand aside Cubby"
Hermione had learned far stronger unlocking spells than Alohomora and when that failed she used them all ready to blast the door down until she found one that worked.
She found Draco in his room a vial at his hand and bloody froth at his mouth. He was having convulsions. She screamed for Cubby to bring the black doctor's bag from her room. When Cubby returned with it not knowing what Draco had taken she forced a bezoar down his throat, curled up behind him, wrapped her arms around him and waited. Soon his convulsions stopped. She used her wand to fill the bowl next to his table with warm water and bathed his face.
He stopped her after a bit with his hand on her wrist. "Hermione?" he asked weakly. It was the first time he had used her given name "I'm here. I've got you."
He took a shuddering breath and still held lightly to her wrist. Her other arm was wrapped tightly around his shoulders. His head cradled back against her chest. "I told you. I'm weak."
"You are not weak" she said soothingly "You are ill. There is a difference. But I am here now, and I'm not going away."
They stayed like that for a long time until finally he asked for water.
"I need to get up to get you that and we need to talk. I brought you some things to help. Do you think you can meet me in the sitting room or would you rather stay here?"
"Here, please."
She nodded. "OK, but sit in that chair." He got up and went to the chair. She brought him water and set about righting his room. The vial disappeared after she ascertained it would not interfere with the medication she wanted him to take. Then she flipped his mattress, changed his sheets and opened a window for fresh air. When she was done she went to his wardrobe pulled out fresh pajamas set them in his bathroom brought in all he would need to take a shower and just pointed. He followed her silent command.
While he was gone she asked Cubby to bring in a light meal and tea. The little elf was only too happy to comply. When Draco emerged from the shower the little table was all set up with a meal and tea was poured.
Hermione had even lighted candles to take the last of any odors from the room and cleaned it thoroughly. He looked around. "You are not my servant Granger."
"No, but I am your doctor and this is a much healthier environment."
She had made one other change but did not think he was ready to hear that yet.
After their meal she brought in a small white bag. From within she pulled out several small brown plastic bottles. Placing each one in front of him she described their effects their side effects and how soon they could hope to see a change.
"So these will just fix me?"
"There is more to it than that. We need to continue therapy, as I said before. I also want you walking in fresh air, sunshine and getting exercise every day. Around the grounds is enough for now. We will take it slowly at first."
"I am not an invalid Granger."
"This would go much faster if you stopped fighting me at every turn. How many years did YOU study to be a healer? A doctor? What do you know about the effects of inactivity on muscles?"
He held up his hands in supplication "Alright, alright, we do it your way. Anything else?"
"Yes, you have two bedrooms in here, for the time being I am sleeping in one of them."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Draco, you are not weak, you are however ill. Since I assume like any rational wizard who is ill would, you will refuse to be seen at a hospital…."
He looked at her in horror.
"…then I, as your healer have no choice but to stay here with you."
"And what of your reputation?"
"My reputation among this family can handle the blow I am certain. I would worry more about the baboon's reputation."
He raised his eyebrow questioningly. "Never mind. Cubby has already brought my things. Now, I have work to do. If you need me call."