Everything was black, but she could hear voices.
"And how are you feeling today, Mr Burns?" came a soft, breathy voice.
"Much better than yesterday, thanks," replied an equally soft but tired voice of an old man, "I still feel a bit of pain in my chest …"
"Ah yes, we'll get you something for that right away. If you need anything, do call us."
Hermione's eyes snapped open and she was gazing at white ceilings. Surprisingly alert, she tried to sit up.
"Oh, hello!" the voice called again and Hermione looked up. It was a sprightly, red-haired nurse, dressed in the St Mungo's uniform. Her tone was glad and excited. "You're finally awake!"
"How …" she began, and found that her voice was extremely scratchy and dry. As if it hadn't been used in a long time.
"You've been out for quite a while, you know," she explained, and began to perform examinations on Hermione. "You seem to be fine. Don't be surprised if you find that you cannot move your hands or arms yet. Mind exercises will be good to get your limbs out of entropy."
Entropy?
She looked down at herself, seeing that she was indeed dressed in a St Mungo's patient gown and that was unable to move neither her arms nor legs.
That must mean …
"How long was I out for?"
"Oh, four months."
Hermione gaped at the nurse.
"Yes, you were in a magical coma," she said and began leaning towards her. "If you don't mind, I'll have to check your eyes before I alert the Healer."
"No … no problem," Hermione answered as the nurse cast a slight Lumos on her wand and held it in front of Hermione's right eye and then left. Hermione's eyes automatically followed the light.
"Everything seems to be in order," she nodded and smiled warmly at Hermione. "Welcome back. I'll go get Healer Murray."
"Thanks," Hermione answered and moved her neck a little to the left.
She smiled at what she saw, for it was a table filled with balloons, cards and gifts. From Harry, Ron and the rest, she supposed. She tried to make out the writings on one of the cards that was wide open, and found that it was Harry's messy scrawl.
"Ah, yes, your friends come by every day," a masculine voice called, and she recognized the Healer's uniform on the man, "Especially your boyfriend. Never missed a day."
"Pardon?"
"Your boyfriend – the blond, pointy one," he grinned and waved his wand and began examining Hermione once more. "I heard he's a Mind Healer at St Caterina's. He was here every day, without fail. Funny how he chose today to show up to work. Now he's missed you waking up."
Hermione blushed a bright red and muttered, "He's not my boyfriend."
The Healer ignored her and continued, "Well, your vitals are perfectly alright. Now we just have to send you to the Mind department to make sure there isn't any damage there that we might have overlooked, and then to the physiotherapy department, to make sure you're good to go in no time."
With a clap, the Healer left.
"I've already alerted your friends and family. Is there anybody else I might have missed out on the list?" the nurse returned and handed her a file.
Mr & Mrs Granger, Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, Ginevra Weasley, Draco Malfoy.
Her heart skipped a beat at the last name, and her face turned hot once more.
"No, that should be it, thanks," Hermione smiled.
Meeting the rest was lovely, but it didn't have the same impact as when Draco Malfoy came bursting through the doors. He came a bit later, when everyone had left to let Hermione rest.
His face was paler than usual, eyes greyer than usual and his hair was in a mess.
Hermione thought he had never looked more attractive. Her heart instantly warmed.
The first words he uttered were, "Hermione Granger, you fucking crazy woman", before he all but threw his arms around her and squeezed her tight.
"So yes … you are absolutely free. Your mind is entirely your own. No other Hermione Grangers lurking in there," Draco explained as he sat next to her.
They'd barely touched since he came in – except for that hug – otherwise, Draco was keeping his hands to himself, which was the total opposite for Hermione. She was itching to touch him, but she couldn't move at all.
"So … let me get this straight," Hermione said slowly, "When I – I mean, she, got hit by the curse, she died?"
"Yes. Technically, once you're hit by an Avada Kedavra, it's instant death. Everything will cease to function," Draco shut his eyes, as if trying to forget a bad memory, and then he smiled, "Fortunately for you though, your efforts to fight for your own mind pulled through. That amount of magic and mind energy sort of … brought you back. It's the other part of you that got killed."
"I see," Hermione frowned and gazed at her covers, "It's still too much to take in."
"Yes, I understand. Don't worry your mind too much for now. It still needs rest. Even more so that you need to go for physiotherapy soon," he nodded.
"Alright, Mr Mind Healer."
"You know … when the other you took the curse for me," he said as he took Hermione's limp hand. He sighed heavily. "I was furious. I thought I'd lost you."
Hermione grinned, "Well, people do crazy things when they're in love."
"So I've seen," Draco said, and was looking at her with an unreadable expression.
"I meant that she was crazy in love with you. Enough to take a curse for you," she retorted hastily.
As soon as she said it, she regretted it. She bit her lip and rolled her eyes as Draco slowly removed his hand from hers.
"No, Draco, that wasn't what I meant," she said softly. Draco wasn't looking at her, but she continued anyway. "Really. That wasn't what I meant. I wasn't thinking. Bear with me while I regain my brain, alright? After all, I left with the impression that you only approached me because you wanted to save me, not date me."
"Granger, I wouldn't have stuck around you for four months even if you were unresponsive. Surely that must mean something," Draco challenged, eyebrow raised.
Hermione pursed her lips, seeing his point. Perhaps his intentions were genuine, and he truly cared for her enough to push her for treatment – for her own good, not because he needed another case.
"Fine."
"And you? Care to tell me what's on your mind?" his eyebrow was still raised, and his grey eyes were piercing.
"Well, let's just say that if I were able to move," she muttered, "I would have jumped you the second you came through that door."
Immediately, both Draco's eyebrows raised a little and a pleased smile graced his face.
