AN this chapter should explain Hermione's… weird emotions/ moods
"So that was the night Dumbledore died, and after losing Sirius the year before… I don't know how Harry was able to cope." Jonathon nodded feeling an intensifying pain in his stomach which he was attempting to hide from hermione. Hermione ran a quick scan over him and she frowned casting a series of complex spells.
"Jonathon, you must tell me when you are in pain; I am trying so hard to help you… it's so hard." Hermione said sadly and knew he could see the pain in her eyes which she was trying in vain to hide. Jonathon smiled sadly and cupped her face in his hands. Hermione's eyes widened when she saw the emotion in his dark eyes and pulled away when she felt the slightest touch of warmth inside of her chest.
"I have to see to Clara. Jenny will be in soon." Hermione left abruptly and walked into Clara Weasley's room. Clara's condition had worsened and Hermione was terrified, her emotions were out of synch, one moment she would be completely content, the next a deep depression and the one she feared most of all, anger. She didn't want to lose her first patient, the fact that she could was playing heavily on her mind. Clara had become completely incapacitated a week ago; she could not stand, let alone walk, when she begged Hermione to see Jonathon Hermione would levitate the small girl into a wheel chair.
Clara had slipped into a coma the day before; Hermione had few answers to tell Charlie and Hannah, whom were distraught. Hermione ran scans over Clara's small body and her eyes widened her heart. Hermione magnified her spell and looked closely at the slowly beating organ; a golden haze seemed to be covering it.
Her magical essence was poisoning her,
Hermione felt the tears fall down her cheeks but knew where she needed to go, to the one place she had ever read about it. Hogwarts.
***
Severus Snape was pacing his portrait coolly, he hated the fact that forever more he would be stuck in the canvases of Hogwarts. It was not that he hated being at Hogwarts, it was the fact that he couldn't walk through the halls on his own, his black coat billowing around him, children cowering yes, those were the days.
So when he made his way to the library and sat in the portrait of the library itself he was shocked to see a blonde head bent heavily over several tomes, her nose almost touching the pages.
"Hermione Granger?" he whispered and the woman jumped in shock and turned eyes wide in fear then surprise. She smiled, an overly innocent smile he remembered her using in her school days when she was caught doing something wrong. "Well, it's an… odd surprise seeing you here." He drawled and Hermione smiled smally.
"Hello Severus." She whispered and his eyes narrowed when she used his first name.
"Why are you here Miss Granger?" he emphasized and Hermione's face fell and she looked down at her now shaking hands.
"I'm researching… I have a patient whose magical essence is… well leaking." She stated and looked up and saw his dark eyes flicker in recognition.
"Of course… do you want to know the cure?" he stated with a smirk on his face, glad that he knew something she did not. She looked at him with hope in her eyes.
"Yes, do you know of one?"
"The only one." Hermione swallowed heavily and Snape sat down heavily.
"Remove the offending organ." He stated simply and Hermione gasped.
"That will kill her! Unless…. A live transplant?" Hermione murmured and watched her former professor nod.
"Yes a live transplant. Someone willing to die for her."
***
Hermione looked up when she reached the headmistresses office. The gargoyle leapt aside without the password escaping Hermione's lips and she frowned slightly.
"Ah Hermione." Minerva whispered and Hermione smiled smally taking a seat across from her. "I heard of your… incident at the Weasley's last week." Minerva said calmly and Hermione groaned.
"I didn't mean to lose control, it wasn't my-"
"I'm not implying it was your fault, it was merely the consequences of your … condition." She spoke with a slight edge to her usually calm voice and that made Hermione frown heavily.
"What of it?" Hermione said coolly and Minerva chuckled.
"See, your emotions changed instantly." Hermione blushed and bowed her head in shame. "Hermione… its killing you." Minerva whispered and Hermione looked up in shock.
"What?" Hermione gasped and Minerva sighed, a slight wetness to her eyes.
"You are dying." She froze, fear pulsating off of her. "You know of one cure-"
"That is not possible, not after what I said to him." Hermione placed her head in her hands and a single tear rolled off her face and onto the stone floor.
"Then… you must know of the other cure." Hermione looked up and listened in horror as both Albus and Minerva explained, Hermione would never allow that to happen and she stated it firmly.
"Then you best make arrangements for Emerald." Minerva said calmly and Hermione felt tears roll silently down her face in quick succession. Hermione nodded slowly and stood whispering something about work; even she could not make out her words.
***
Harry placed his head in his hands and looked out of his new office. He remembered the six defence against the dark arts teachers he had had in his time, all with different tastes and teaching methods, he wondered what he would be like. He groaned when the bell for class rang and he made his way down to his classroom. First years.
He had set them a simple task, to research a simple spell before they attempted it.
He thought back to Hermione and his first glimpse of her in five years. She was mad, he could understand it, but he didn't know why she wouldn't have just listened to him.
He had made a mistake, years ago; he hoped she would forgive him. If she didn't he may have nothing left. He sighed and looked at the date.
In three days he would be hopefully sentencing Marcus Flint to a minimum half-life in prison.
Life however, had not improved, even since escaping the darkness of the aurors, he felt, empty.
***
Jonathon smiled broadly when she entered, but that smile quickly faltered when he saw the pain written over her face. He sat up gingerly and reached for her hand, pulling her trembling body into a gentle embrace.
Sobs wracked through her body and he felt his heart ache for her. "Hermione… what's wrong? Is it Clara? Is it Emerald?" Hermione shuddered and nodded her head. Hermione opened her eyes quickly and removed herself from his arms.
"I'm sorry, that was improper." She stated in a formal voice and Jonathon chuckled.
"Hermione, nothing with you could be improper." Hermione met his intense gaze and looked down, her heart yearning for some form of affection.
"So… where was I up to? I think seventh year?" Jonathon frowned slightly when she changed topic, but listened nonetheless. She talked for hours, occasionally sitting with Clara and checking on her condition before returning, an even sadder expression on her face than before.
"..And he did it, killed Voldemort and…finally we had peace." She whispered in a far away voice and Jonathon nodded.
"Hermione, what is wrong with you? Are you sick?" he asked and Hermione stared at him in horror. Jonathon immediately interpreted her stunned silence as a yes. "What's wrong?" Hermione took a deep breath before whispering two words.
"I'm dying."
***
Charlie sat before her, his large callused hand holding onto his daughters softly. "Charlie." He looked up in shock; he had barely seen Hermione since she had been at the burrow, large bags were under her eyes, her face looked older, her features withdrawn, the happy glow he had grown to know well over the past fifteen years was gone, and in its place was a shell of Hermione Granger, a shell that looked as if it was ready to break.
"Hermione… listen I'm…" he trailed off when he saw the serious expression on her face.
"I have discovered a cure for Clara, which will save her life." Hermione said and Charlies face lit up. "It involves the live transplant of another person's heart." Hermione whispered darkly and Charlie's features grew stony.
After a silence that seemed to last an age, Charlie spoke, determination on his face.
"I will do it." He said firmly and Hermione felt her eyes water once more.
"Okay."