A/N: Thank you for the review 'Guest'. I'm always happy to hear from my readers who take their time off to review my stories. :) Hope you like this chapter as well.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter & never will.
Everyone gathered around Shell Cottage's cosy living room had practically the same expressions. Worry, horror & fear. Harry & Ron who were feeling up to the task had recounted the entire encounter with Fenrir Greyback & Bellatrix Lestrange to the crowd consisting of Bill, Fleur, Mr & Mrs Weasley, Lupin, Tonks, Kingsley, Fred, George as well as Ginny and Dobby who had survived the dagger by Bellatrix with a rather deep cut on his right shoulder but nothing more.
Ollivander, Luna Lovegood & Griphook who had also been rescued by Dobby were resting in their respective bedrooms. Fred's tears were held back with great difficulty when Harry in a choked voice recanted how Bellatrix Lestrange had tortured Hermione for hours with the Cruciatus Curse as well as cutting her with Fenrir's lethal dagger trying to make her talk. "That bitch!" Lupin roared slamming his fist onto the coffee table. Everyone stared at him. Lupin was usually calm & collected but right now he looked furious.
"Hermione bore with the Cruciatus curse for hours & never talked?" Kingsley looked awestruck. He barely knew even full grown adults who could endure that curse for more than half an hour & not divulge information. "She was in so much pain." Ron was openly crying. Harry nodded his own tears streaming freely down his cheeks. Hermione's screams were still echoing inside his head. "The healer from St Mungo's is now tending to her. Ellie is an old friend of mine, she'll take care of her." Mrs Weasley said in between her sobs as her husband comforted her.
Fred looked at George, he was holding a sobbing Ginny in his arms his lower lip trembling precariously. Fred wanted to rush in & hug Hermione but he knew she needed medical attention after all the pain she had gone through. Everyone sat in silence waiting for the healer to emerge from Hermione's bedroom. "She iz in a bad state.." Fleur who had gone to check on Hermione told the room her eyes watering.
The healer Ellie a heavyset woman in her forties with a very kind face & grey motherly eyes emerged from the room an hour later & with her came Hermione in one of Ginny's sleeveless pink nightgown. Fred saw with a very painful tug of his heart that she looked pale & tired. "Hermione.." Lupin was the first to reach her. He led her gently to the couch & asked her to take a seat.
"Hi everyone." She said weakly. "Miss Granger here insisted that she comes with me as I tell you about her condition. She says she considers all of you her family so she doesn't want to hide anything from you all." Ellie said consulting her clipboard. Everyone stared at Hermione who gave a tired smile. Fred ached to be closer to her, to hold her, kiss her & comfort her.. heal her but he restrained himself. He saw that George also had the same thoughts as he took a step towards Hermione but stopped himself.
"Miss Granger here has been subjected to the.. the Cruciatus curse." Ellie glanced at Hermione with a very sad expression. "She.. Miss Granger will not be able to have any children in the future as her body doesn't have the ability anymore. The scars from the curses especially on her left arm are.. I'm afraid permanent.. Her body is extremely weak & she needs all the support she can get. Both physical & emotional." Ellie told the stunned room. Hermione was crying.. her head bent & Fred couldn't hold back any longer. He was about to rush to her when Kingsley spoke. "Scar on the left arm?" Kingsley questioned.
Hermione looked up at everyone. "This." She answered her voice trembling & there was a collective gasp as the words still shining with blood was reflected under the light. "MUDBLOOD". "She carved this into your arm?" Tonks sounded horrified. "While keeping me conscious with a spell." Hermione trembled. Ginny ran to her with a strangled sob & threw her arms around Hermione. For a few minutes the only sounds in the room were Ginny's sobs. "What a cruel vindictive bitch. She needs to be beheaded while being kept conscious." Ron spat.
"RON!" Mrs Weasley spluttered. "He's right." Mr Weasley said his voice both furious & horrified. "To do such horrible torture to a 18 year old young girl is just not human." Kingsley shook his head his gaze full of sympathy. "Hermione iz a verry strong girl. I'm proud of her.. I wil take care of her." Fleur's French accent sounded beside Fred. She walked up with Hermione & hugged her tightly. "She'll stay at Shell Cottage for now. She's too weak to be transferred & it's also the safest place. You don't mind do you Bill?" Mr Weasley turned to Bill.
"Not at all. We'll take care of her." Bill nodded to Fleur. "I want to stay." Fred & George said simultaneously. Everyone stared at both of them. "Well.. if they want to stay. They can keep Hermione company with Ginny & help Fleur out." Mr Weasley gave his twin sons a strange look.
Fifteen minutes later arrangements had been made. Fred & George would remain behind with Ginny to take care of Hermione as well as the other injured people. Mr & Mrs Weasley were to hold an emergency Order meeting at their household with Lupin, Tonks & Kingsley following them. Bill had been given the task of liaising with the goblins as they had rescued Griphook & he was still in the midst of recovering.
Hermione sat on the couch as each of the people in the room came to her & hugged her. "You are a brave brave young woman. I'll visit you with Nymphadora whenever we can." Lupin had kissed her forehead while Tonks hugged her for so long that Lupin had to separate her from Hermione. Mr & Mrs Weasley had both hugged her & Mrs Weasley also had to be pried off Hermione by her husband as she sobbed into Hermione's hair. "Thank you Hermione." Kingsley had shook her hand gratefully.
Ron & Harry were preparing to accompany Mr & Mrs Weasley since they both were well & the Order members needed them to recount their experiences once more for record keeping & strategy towards beating Voldemort. Harry planted a kiss on her forehead while Ron hugged her awkwardly. Ginny never left her side through all that & Hermione felt her best friend's reassuring hold on her hand. When everyone had left except Ginny & Fred and George Fleur excused herself to prepare hot soup for all of the injured. Ginny reluctantly left Hermione's side after Fleur called her to help out in the kitchen.
"Go on.." Hermione smiled at her. "I'll be right back." Ginny said hugging her fiercely. Hermione watched her go & turned back and finally realized that she was alone in the room with Fred & George both of whom were staring at her their faces contorted in pain. The three of them sat in awkward silence for a while until Hermione broke it. "I came back guys." She told them softly & felt a rush of feet as George embraced her tightly. "Not in this state Hermione.. not like this." She felt him shudder.
"I'll survive don't worry George." She told him & heard him chuckle through his tears. Her eyes fell on Fred across the room who had tears streaming down his cheeks. He looked away hastily wiping them off when he saw Hermione's gaze on him. "Have you been up to any mischief lately Fred?" she asked him her tone still soft. "Without you nagging at us it wasn't much fun." Fred walked towards the couch & sat down beside Hermione. Their eyes met once again & Hermione felt a pang of pain that had nothing to do with her wounds. She had almost forgotten that he didn't feel for her what she felt for him.
Turning her gaze away from Fred she gently gave George a push so that he'd untangle him from her. "Sorry Granger.." he whispered hoarsely & Hermione chortled. "Will you two perform some tricks for me?" Hermione asked. They immediately obliged. Out of the corner of his eye Fred saw Hermione smile faintly at the whizzing fireworks her eyes still overflowing with untold pain. He spotted George doing the same & felt a painful clench in his heart. George loved her. He had never seen his twin cry this way for anyone before. George loved Hermione & he deserved her more than Fred felt he deserved her. He could still see that she was hurting from his behaviour after her confession, she looked away when their gazes met but not before Fred saw the hurt in those large chocolate eyes. He saw her lean on the couch & close her eyes after a few minutes.
Soon Hermione was asleep on Bill's couch not even waking up after the bangs of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes fireworks. Fred & George stopped immediately when she had fallen asleep. Ginny entered the room with a bowl of soup & raised her eyebrows at the fireworks whizzing above her brothers heads. "She wanted us to perform for her." George explained & Ginny nodded with a small smile. "She's asleep though. How can she drink this?" the fragrance of hot chicken soup lingered in the air.
"Just leave it here. We'll heat it up when she wakes up. Go get some sleep Ginny, we'll stay with Hermione." Fred ushered his sister away but not before she stopped & gave them both an appraising look. "If you two love her you better tell her." She left leaving Fred & George in an awkward silence. They walked over to Hermione's sleeping figure & Fred waved his wand wordlessly.
A couple of pillows & a thick blanket zoomed out of one of the rooms & neatly lodged themselves around Hermione. George sat down on left side of the couch & held Hermione's left hand while Fred sat down on the other side & took her right hand into his large ones. Still not saying a word to each other they closed their eyes listening to the soft shallow breathing of the witch between them. They weren't going to fight each other, no. That wasn't going to happen with Hermione in such a situation. They both would love her twice as much and heal her pain. Occupied with thoughts of how they would heal Hermione each twin drifted off into a dreamless sleep.