Author's Note: JKR owns all.
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"So glad to have you back, Hermione."
"Hermione, dear! Thank goodness you've awaken!"
"Great to see you movin' around, 'Mione, love."
"I've missed you, Hermione. We have so much to catch up on!"
The figure lying in the bed could only nod in the direction of each voice that sprung up to announce its gladness at her awakening. She could place all of the voices, of course, but some had changed.
Some had become deeper, some had gained a life-hardened edge, and some had lost the carefree tone she had remembered.
She shuddered when she realized some voices were completely absent.
But she figured the whole Order had come to wish her well. At this, a fierce burst of love welled up inside of her, and she felt tears well up in her un-seeing eyes.
"What's wrong, dear? Are you alright?" She heard the motherly and concerned voice of Mrs. Weasley ask.
"Oh yes, I'm fine." she replied dutifully, "Just a tad overwhelmed, I suppose."
She heard the voice of her healer above a chaos of comforting words.
"Now, everyone out. She needs to rest, all this excitement is not good for the poor girl. Please exit in an orderly fashion. Yes, Mr. Longbottom, you may leave the peonies on her bedside table…make haste Miss Lovegood, you may inspect the suite for Kacky Snorgles or whatever you called them at a later time…"
Hermione was relieved to hear some things hadn't changed over the course of five years.
When she finally heard the door shut, Hermione sat up in her bed, felt for the curtain that surrounded it, and pulled it shut. Then she settled back into her pillow, thinking she was alone, and shut her blind eyes in an attempt to sleep.
"Not so fast, Miss Granger." she heard her healer say. Hermione's head shot back up and she turned in the direction of the woman who had spoken, forgetting that the curtain was drawn, blocking the healer's view of her.
"I thought I needed to rest." Hermione replied, confused.
"You do. Unfortunately, there is other business we must attend to. You have two last visitors. Professors Dumbledore and Snape."
Hermione thought about whose voice she had not heard in the myriad. She had missed Professor Dumbledore's, and she hoped he had just been too busy at Hogwarts to come out for a visit. Oddly enough, she had not even recognized the absence of Professor Snape's admittedly silky voice. Perhaps the thought of him coming to see her after her awakening was just too ridiculous to even fathom.
"Oh?" she asked the healer.
"Yes. I have asked the Headmaster for assistance with your sight. He has assured me that he would be delighted to come and visit; says he was planning on it anyway. And, he has told me your old professor is quite an expert in the field of the Dark Arts. It would be wise for someone with such an expertise to survey your condition and the curse's effects before we cast any spells to try to retrieve your vision, Miss Granger."
That sounded reasonable enough. Hermione was excited to see the Headmaster. She had so many questions that were still unanswered. And as for her old Potion's Professor…she wasn't sure how she felt about his coming to visit. Quite frankly, she was surprised he had survived the war at all, being a double agent and all.
Before she had time to ponder all this new information, a knock at the door alerted her to the impending presence of the two professors. She heard the hasty footsteps of her healer and then the scraping of a heavy door against the carpeted floor of her suite.
"Headmaster Dumbledore!" her healer greeted, "So good to see you. And, you, Professor Snape. Hermione's healers here at St. Mungo's-myself included,obviously-are overjoyed that you have decided to assist us in the manner of her vision."
"The sentiment is most assuredly not returned, Healer." came the deadpan response of her Professor.
They talked about her like she wasn't even here, in the very same room.
Her healer coughed awkwardly, and then moved towards the bed where Hermione lay. Hermione could picture the new entrants in her head.
Professor Snape standing at the doorway, arms crossed, a scowl upon his face.
The Headmaster would have his ever-present twinkle.
Hermione smiled in remembrance.
"Yes, well, perhaps we should just begin, then." her healer replied, with a hard edge to her voice. Hermione liked this woman. She wouldn't take any bullshit. She immediately felt more comfortable, despite the presence of her intimidating former potions professor.
She heard three pairs of footsteps walk towards the bed, and heard the metal rings of her bed curtain protest as they were pulled aside.
"Ah, Miss Granger, delightful to see you again." came the wise and soothing voice of Albus Dumbledore.
She turned in the direction of his voice and said, with genuine enthusiasm, "Headmaster! Wonderful to…well…hear you. I have so many questions. I couldn't ask anyone else, you see, when I was visited earlier-"
He cut her off gently, "And they will all be answered, my dear, in due time. But first we must get down to the business of your eyesight."
Professor Snape had remained utterly silent since Hermione's "reveal". She heard a pair of footsteps walk to the opposite side of the bed from where the Headmaster's voice had come from.
"Miss Granger." Severus Snape's voice spoke to Hermione's immediate right. He was closer than she had determined. She flinched a little at his voice's sudden proximity and the deep familiarity of it. She turned her head slightly to the right, looked straight ahead, and said a tad shakily,
"Professor Snape. Thank you for agreeing to help me regain my vision. I know that to you it might seem a terrible burden to help one of Harry Potter's friends with something as trivial as retrieving their eyesight, but I assure you that you have my appreciation."
Hermione heard Dumbledore cough at her left, though it seemed much more like a strangled laugh.
She heard nothing from the potions master in reply, and she feared that she had crossed a line already. Her fears were alleviated, though, when he finally said,
"You are correct in your assumption Miss Granger. Now let's continue."
Author's Note:
Will Snape be able to heal Hermione's vision? How will Harry and Ron react to Snape healing Hermione?
Find out in the next installment! Heheheh