a/n: hey this is the second chapter for the day so don't accidentally miss chapter 20 before you read this one :)
Song for this chapter: This Night by Black Lab
SPOV
"What do you think of runespoor egg," Hermione called from where she was wrapped up in blankets in front of the fire with a book in hand.
"That sounds like a terrible breakfast," I answered as I made a note in the journal about her memory. "Today it will be astronomical, plentiful, and diagnostician."
"Astronomical, plentiful, and diagnostician," she repeated back with a smirk. "And I wasn't talking about breakfast, you know I never eat breakfast anymore. I'm talking about your yet-to-be-named potion. What about adding runespoor eggs?"
"Because of the mental agility?" I asked as I began to prepare eggs for her anyway on the makeshift stove we'd fashioned in the sitting room when it had become clear trying to attend breakfast in the great hall was pointless. "So you're still holding to the thought that the impetus for the change is mental?"
"Yes, I am," she said turning her gaze away from the book to look at me finally. "I think it's supported by how the firs thing to loose control is the mind. It gives over all the focus to changing the body."
"I still think it's driven from the bite primarily, and secondarily from the gut," I said with a sigh. "But frankly I'm tired of coming up grasping so I'll give it a try. We'd have to add starthistle to prevent damage to his kidneys from the egg, but it might work."
"Do you want to try brewing it today?" she asked excitedly from her blanket cocoon. "We could brew it in just a few hours if we've got all the ingredients. If not I could run into the shop because we definitely have both of those."
"Maybe tonight," I said as I flopped some sunnyside up eggs on a plate, the only thing I was able to get her to eat in the mornings since they didn't seem to make her vomit. "I've got classes until lunch, and this afternoon we have to go in and see Smethwyck. Here eat these."
"Fine," she sighed, emerging from the blankets to sit in front of the coffee table where I set the eggs. "My stomach is still turning though so I doubt they'll stay in long."
"We'll see," I chuckled as I threw eggs in the pan for myself. "What were the words?"
"Diagnostician, astronomical, plentiful," she said.
I was happy to note that not only did she remember the words but also she had remembered my suggestion that she give me the words in a different order each time so I could be certain that she was actually remembering them and not just memorizing them like the lyrics to a song. I had noticed a definite improvement in her memory, though her focus still seemed to be worrisome. Over all the only lingering health issues I could note from the experimental treatments were the vomiting and the lack of focus. She still seemed to sleep more than I had been used to prior to it all, but her stamina was returning so I thought perhaps she just finally slept well after her stress level had been lowered.
"Smethwyck will be happy to see I've put on a little bit of weight," she told me as she tucked into her eggs with a smile.
"You're still too thin for my liking if I'm being honest," I told. "But I'm happy to see that you don't look like a slight breeze will blow you away now."
"I think I'm just about back up to 51 kilo," she told me, looking very proud of that fact.
"Which is a great improvement," I admitted. "But I rather think you ought to be 54 or 55 kilo to be healthy."
"Well, we'll see if Smethwyck agrees with you," she shrugged. "I don't much mind either way, but I don't see how I could possibly gain anymore unless the vomiting stops entirely."
She was reading the paper when I returned after classes to collect her for lunch. I noted that the shop journal was beside her on the couch and assumed that she and Remus had been conversing about the shop, but now her focus was completely on the paper. Her brow was furrowed and I couldn't tell if it was from focus or concern.
"The words?" I asked, to draw her attention away from the paper.
"Plentiful, diagnostician, astronomical," she said distractedly as she held the paper out to me. "You've got to read this. Rita Skeeter, a young up and coming reporter at this point, wrote a scathing review of the proposed marriage law change. It's actually the best piece I've ever seen her write, even if its because she doesn't want to be risk being separated from the rich pureblood she was paired with."
"I assume you're referencing a different time," I said as I looked at her over the top of the paper. "I don't think she's ever put an article out before."
"No but she becomes quite popular," she told me. "Well unless I out her as unregistered animagus, which I might do the moment she transitions into writing gossip. But look at how angry her article is. I'm surprised the Prophet ran it with how anti-ministry it ends up sounding."
I skimmed through the article and quickly picked up on the malcontent. This article had to be a good thing. It would stir negativity with the public and help to bring the law down when the revote took place in a couple weeks. I got the impression I shouldn't like this writer, but I was quiet happy with her article.
"Let's get some lunch before we head to your appointment," I said as I set the paper aside and offered her my hand.
"I'm actually famished," she said by way of agreement as she took my hand. "Alert the media."
It was nice in such a simplistic way to walk hand in hand down the dungeon corridor with Hermione. I could not deny that seeing her sure on her feet and with a smile on her face had been a rare occurrence as of late, but it was soothing to see it now. The walk to get us to the great hall felt too short when I had to give that up to instead sit beside her at the table.
"Good afternoon Hermione," Minerva said as we sat, and I pretended to be offended that she liked my wife so much more than me.
"Hello Minerva," she said as she began to serve herself some roasted potatoes. "Did you read that article in Ars Ipsa about human to animal transfigurations?"
"I did," she answered as she adjusted her square spectacles. 'I'm still trying to track down a copy of their reference materials."
"Oh we have one of the books don't we Severus?" Hermione said, looking to me. "I could swear I saw it on one of your book shelves."
"You did," I said with a frown. "Unfortunately it was at the house… I'm sorry Minerva we lost it in the fire. You might try Tomes and Scrolls."
"That is a real tragedy," Minerva said, looking at me for the first time with something close to friendship in her eyes. "How many books did you lose?"
"More than one hundred," I told her. "Thankfully the most precious books were still in the family vault. I think I only lost two books that cannot be replaced, but I had read them so I think I might try and write out notes on them at least… you know once everything has settled down."
"Things are still rather crazy aren't they," she sighed. "I can't tell you how grateful I am to be old enough to be exempted from that law."
"For now," Hermione said with a frown. "It always seems to be changing doesn't it?"
We fell into a comfortable silence as we enjoyed our meal. I was happy to see that Hermione was quickly shuffling in as much food as she could. It was nice to see her appetite coming back in some way. I was not nearly as hungry as she was so I merely picked at my own salad as I kept track of the time. I waited as long as I could so she could eat her fill before it was time to go.
"We've got to start making our way down to the gate," I told her when she set her fork down. "We haven't got much time before we need to be there."
Smethwyck seemed a bit on edge to see me present when he came into the exam room. I wondered if he thought I was here to yell at him again but I didn't address it. Instead I handed over my journal so he could look at my notes about Hermione's memory. He looked through it quickly before turning to look at her.
"And what are the words today Mrs. Snape?" he asked as he pulled his stool up to sit by the bed near her.
"Astronomical, plentiful, and Smethwyck," she said with a laugh. "Just kidding, the last one is diagnostician, but that's sort of what you isn't it?"
"Very good," he said, handing the journal back to me. "The notes all look good. Your memory is definitely improving, and look at you, finally putting some weight back on. Has the vomiting stopped then?"
"No, not really," she shrugged. "I'm getting a better appetite now, but I still get sick pretty well everyday."
"Well, I'd like to increase your vitamin intake to help keep your nutrition up while we work on that," he said. "This is going to sound crazy, but I think we ought to put you on a prenatal potion."
I narrowed my eyes at him trying to figure out what he was getting at. Surely he didn't think? That wasn't possible yet was it?
"But I haven't even started having a cycle yet," Hermione argued.
"Oh, I don't think you're pregnant," he said with a dismissive shake of his hand. "But there are a lot of really good nutrients in that potion. It will make your womb more fertile when we get to that stage, and in the interim it will help balance out what's going on with you. I will have the hospital brewers start working on a personalized anti-nausea potion for you so you won't have any interactions with what I've already got you on. I should be able to send that first dose to you within a week."
"With the recipe if you will," I interjected. "I'd like to brew it for her myself. I will of course be using the standard recipe when I brew the prenatal potion for her, though your brewers will want to know that I add one sprig of spearmint to the recipe to ensure its efficacy."
"Thank you," he said as he made notes on the chart. "So just a few things to collect."
He cast diagnostic spells over her and I noted that Hermione had been right about where she was with weight gain. She was also showing rapid cellular growth in her abdomen, which could only bode well. I could not tell from the readings how far away from having a fully developed uterus she was though. He noted all of these things down on his chart before offering her a smile.
"You really are starting to look well again," he said. "If it weren't for the fact that I really need to monitory you as we change the potions you are on I'd say you could stop seeing me quite so much."
We were in Diagon Alley after her appointment, considering whether we ought to head directly to the shop to check in with Remus and Sirius or if we should pick up food and meet with them after the shop closed to talk business. We didn't make it very far down the cobbled street before we heard people in the street arguing about the potential dissolution of all existing marriages that fell within the age rang dictated by the law. There still seemed to be a few people who supported the potential increase of magically strong children from the rearranging of marriages, but the majority of the crowd arguing seemed to be against it.
"They've been completely diverted," a man whispered in my ear and my head snapped to the side to see that Dumbledore had joined us.
His head jerked to the side after he spoke and I realized he was so good at faking it that I almost believed he was still trying to fight off the imperious curse. What was he doing here instead of at Hogwarts? Though come to think of it I hadn't seen him at all today.
"Wizengamot hearing," he said in answer to my unspoken question. "Another person accused of Death Eater activity despite the group being entirely disbanded. But that's not what I need to tell you and I don't have much time. We've got to find some way to reveal that Rufus has robbed several Gringotts accounts."
"What?" Hermione half shrieked, half whispered. "Which ones?"
"The Malfoy vault for sure," he answered while pretending to have his attention focused on a street vendor selling flowers. "I suspect the Potter vault but can't prove it yet, the Zambini vault, and the Lestranges."
"All purebloods then," I said with a nod as I picked out a poeny for Hermione.
"Is he trying to stir things up between the purebloods and the rest of society?" Hermione asked.
"If it were being made public at all I'd say yes," he said with a shake of the head. "But I'm not even supposed to know. I think this madness is all to cover him building a wealth base for himself in addition to the power play. No idea yet what his plans are once he has whatever amount of money it is he wants. I can't figure him out."
I heard the unspoken self-degradation in his words but I was not about to address it. Instead I kept my eyes on the flowers as I took a pink flower and pulled it from the bunch to give to Hermione. I handed over a few sickles to the vendor who I noticed was so involved with his conversation with another patron that he clearly hadn't heard our conversation and was surprised to see I was giving him money. He took it with a smile and a nod and turned back to his conversation. Hermione gave me a smile when I gave her the flower, but then looked to Dumbledore.
"You know Albus, you aren't responsible for the choices your lovers makes," she said quietly as she tapped him on the nose with her flower. "You're allowed to feel guilty about your own choices, but not theirs."
The man seemed dumbstruck by her comment and I wondered why that was.
"Lovers as in plural," he said as he gave her his full attention. "I get the impression you know things you shouldn't."
"Sometime people in Godric's Hollow talk a little too much," Hermione said with a shrug. "But don't worry, that story doesn't actually break for another seventeen years or so."
"Ah, I almost forgot," he said, tapping his finger against his nose. "You do know too much. Look I have to get going. I'll let you know if I think of a way to break the news about the robberies but I think I'm going to need your help."
With a quick nod he stepped away and then turned to his left making a quick pop before he disappeared. I offered my arm to Hermione and we walked casually away from the stand. I suddenly wasn't very hungry so I was considering that we should just go to the shop.
"What if we tipped the goblins off?" Hermione said distractedly as she followed my pointless wandering and played with her peony. "We'd have to do it anonymously some how so we aren't suspected… but if they released the news even to just the vault holders it wouldn't take long for there to be a public outcry about it."
"How do we point the finger at Scrimegour?" I asked.
"What if we tipped Skeeter off to a potential story about the ministry requisitioning funds and tell her that she should get information from the goblins at Gringotts," Hermione said, tapping the flower against her lip while she thought. "That would cause things to spiral pretty quickly and then there would be an inquiry about ministry involvement. It would at least light a fire in his backyard even if we can't direct the blame entirely onto him."
"It's worth a shot," I said. "Let's write an anonymous letter after we check in on the apothecary."
The boys had just been closing down for the day by the time we made it in so Hermione opted to spend the next day working in the shop with them instead. We'd put the letter together and mailed it off to Skeeter as soon as we got back to the castle, and then I went to inform Albus about what we were planning to do. For the first time since all of her health issues had started Hermione woke before me, and was in fact already gone for the day when I pulled my tired behind out of bed.
Went in early because I want to give Sirius a heart attack when he goes to open the door and it isn't locked. See you for dinner. I hope your day is fantastic.
Love Hermione.
The note was sitting on an empty breakfast plate, and it was the best little morning present she could have left. Proof that she'd eaten at the beginning of the day. I smiled as I took it to the bathroom to wash it off. I picturing the look on Sirius' face when she jumped out from behind a shelf, as I was sure she was going to while I went about my morning ablutions.
I wondered how Minerva would react to having her seat neighbor back at breakfast for the first time in a few weeks when I entered the great hall, but the entire staff seemed to be fairly distracted with the morning paper so I got no reaction. I slipped down into my seat and peaked carefully over Minerva's shoulder to see what all the fuss was about. The article was already in the paper, which astounded me. Apparently Skeeter had gone to the bank to interrogate the goblins late last night, written her article about the robberies and possible ministry involvement, and gotten it to the press in time to go out in today's paper. Her article was slanted to suggest it was reparations for war crimes even though the court had never ruled that they were required.
"What do you think about this?" she said when she realized I was reading over her shoulder.
"It's insane," I said before pouring myself a cup of coffee. "What do you think the ministry is up to? Why would Scrimegour approve something like this?"
"He's approving all sundry of insanity as of late isn't he?" Flitwick said from his seat on the other side of Hermione's empty chair.
I was startled from whatever I was going to say in response when I felt my ring heat up on my finger. My heart started to race a little at the implications as I discreetly looked down at my hand underneath the table. White letters were scrolling across the top of the ring in Hermione's handwriting. Come to the shop please, and don't panic.
I laughed somewhat nervously as the sick feeling in my stomach went away. She wasn't in trouble. This was just the quickest way to contact me and still keep the conversation private no matter who I was with went she sent the communication. I pulled my napkin from my lap and turned to look at Albus a little ways down the table.
"Ah, Albus," I said carefully. "Would it be at all possible for you to cover my morning while I attend to some business with Hermione. She's asked me to come into the shop and I am assuming something have gone a bit wonky because otherwise she'd just handle it herself."
"Do you think you'll miss all the lessons?" he asked.
"I will definitely miss the Slytherin and Gryffindor first years," I told him. "It's a double lesson. I might make it back in time for the advanced lesson before lunch."
"I don't see a problem with that," he said, ticking his head to the side three times. "Just send word if it will take longer. I hope everything is alright."
"It's probably nothing too big," I said as I stood form the table so I could make my way out of the castle and down to the gate.
"Look Sirius I said we'd go," I heard Hermione snap when I pushed the shop door open. "I'm just waiting for Severus."
"Mine was fine but I never made enemies with the ministry like you did," Sirius was saying as I stepped inside and folded my arms over my chest and watched them.
"Look I really doubt they would mess with our vault," she said. "The public backlash they'd get from it would be too much."
"They didn't seem to take issue with messing with the Malfoy vault and that's sure to cause public backlash," Sirius prodded.
"Opinion of the Malfoys is a little different after Lucius was convicted," I said, joining the conversation and drawing their attention to the fact that I was here. "But we'll go find out if anything is missing and then we'll be back."
I offered my hand to Hermione and she stomped over to me. I recognized that her irritation was with Sirius and not me so I opted not to react to it. Instead I offered her my arm and we left the shop without saying anything else. Hermione folded in on me and I wrapped my arms around her before apparating us to the steps of Gringotts. I was not prepared to see Narcissa Malfoy trying to discreetly get the press off her back while drawing the attention of a crowd.
"Hermione, Severus," she said, adjusting the silken carried that kept her rapidly growing son attached to her front. "Save me please?"
Hermione had pity immediately.
"We were just here to check in on our own account," Hermione said as she made her way over, putting herself between Narcissa and the press. "But now seems a perfect time as any to see this delicious little thing. How old is Draco now?"
"Almost two now," she answered as I delicately directed both of them away from the press and into the bank. "He's been growing like a gooseweed I tell you. It's all the French food."
"Did you guys go to France?" Hermione asked as she aided Narcissa in unclipping the fancy carrier so she could pull Draco out of it.
I wondered vaguely when they had become so friendly. I mean knew they had actually gotten on well when they'd been forced together during the war, but they everything had gone down with the funeral and I thought they would end up hiting each other. Honestly though they seemed like best friends right now. Was it just the addition of the baby? Women loved babies, but I didn't realize it could make them like each other quite so much.
"Oh look at you," Hermione chirped as she pulled the baby close and he pulled a bit of her hair into his mouth to chew on. "Does my hair taste good?"
I ushered them along with me as I made inquiries at the desk about our vault even though I knew what the answer would be. I was more focused on how perfect Hermione looked holding a child while the goblin informed me that every thing in our vault had been counted and cross checked against the record of what should be present and nothing had been found missing. He was unhappy to say it, but he offered to take us down to the vault if we didn't trust the paperwork. I opted not to take him up on it since I'd never really been concerned about being robbed, and instead thanked him for his services. I didn't envy having to check every vault in the bank.
"What have you been up to in France?" Hermione asked as she bumped Draco about on her hip and played with his tiny fingers. "Just spending all your time with this beautiful little man?"
"Well I opened up one of the properties that was part of my dowry when I married… that man," she explained as she watched Hermione with her child. "I spend most of my time just cleaning things up or redecorating. Getting the house elves in line and all that. I've spent sometime in the local village though, it's about a fifty percent split between wizards and muggles."
"How does that balance?" I asked. "Any issues, or is everything copacetic?"
"Things are much more relaxed in respect to that who issue in France," she said. "It's been a relief actually, and it's a good place for Draco to grow up. He's got good role models."
"Anyone in particular," Hermione asked, and I noticed the shrewd curiosity but I doubted that Narcissa picked up on it.
"Yes I've met a guy," she whispered back and I remembered in that moment that she was a Slytherin. "He owns a book store that services both sides of the community. It's nothing too serious yet, but its been nice. He's great with Draco."
"I'm happy for you," Hermione said with a smile before her eyes wandered up from Draco and instead focused just over Narcissa's shoulder.
I was very surprised to see Scrimegour standing there. When the hell had he showed up? And why was he standing so near our group anyway? His eyes flicked from Draco to Narcissa and back again a few times before settling on the mother with anger in his eyes.
"Mrs. Malfoy, I was very sorry to hear what had happened to your vault," he said, and I didn't think he sounded sorry at all.
"Oh I'm sure you are minister," she said back, turning to put her body between the minister and her son, though I noticed Hermione had already shifted so Draco was at least partially concealed by my body. "You wouldn't know anything about this reparation business would you?"
"I certainly didn't sanction anything," he said, raising his hands up in mock innocence though the anger did not leave his eyes. "But surely your husband would owe it to the public if that were the case."
"Lucius Malfoy has been officially and legally separated from me and is no longer my husband," she said back stiffly. "So anything taken from that vault was taken from me personally, and I was not found guilty of any crimes I take serious issue with that."
Anger flared in the mans eyes at that, but he quickly schooled it.
"Yes, I suppose a congratulations is in order," he said stiffly. "I thought I heard something about a new man for you as I was walking up."
I was listening to them with half an ear, but I was distracted by the fact that when Hermione reached up to take her hair out of Draco's hands she very quickly and efficiently drew her wand while half hidden behind me. I angled myself to hide the wand work she was doing. Based on the pattern I suspected that she was casting a compulsion hex, but a green light was produced instead of blue so I was confused. I was alarmed however to see a look of confusion on Hermione's face as well. She jerked her wand up like she was going to try and cancel the spell but it flew to it's target too quickly causing Scrimegour to go stiff and stop talking mid sentence.
He hopped around on one foot like he had injured the other before staring at Narcissa with suspicion in his eyes. He looked like he wanted to accuse her of something but nothing came out when he opened his mouth. He made a grunting sound and then he turned on his heal and marched out of the bank leaving us alone.
"That was very strange," Narcissa said, turning to look at me. "He seemed a little upset that I was dating someone didn't he?"
"That he did," Hermione said airily, quickly stowing her wand before handing Draco back to his mother. "Hey look, we should have tea together sometime or something, but Severus and I really need to get going."
"Oh of course," Narcissa said quickly. "It was great to see you. We should get going as well."
She was quickly gone and I was left with a slightly panicked looked Hermione at my side. She slid her hand into mine and tugged me quickly out of the bank with her. I remained silent while watching her panicked eyes as she looked for somewhere private. It wasn't long before she had pulled me into a dark alleyway.
"Something is wrong with my magic," she said her eyes looking almost crazy as she drew her wand and stared at it like she'd never seen it before. "I don't know what happened. I tried to cast a compulsion hex, to put the idea in his head that he should leave. I mean he was getting crazy about the situation with Narcissa wasn't he? But it didn't work. I have no idea what spell came out of my wand."
"Maybe try casting another spell?" I said, my concern growing when I realized she hadn't meant to cast what she did. "Something simple. Here summon that rock over there."
She let her gaze follow to where I was pointing and drew her wand. Her hand shook a bit when she cut her wand through the air and I realized she was more scared than I thought. I put my hand on her lower back for a bit of support and turned to look at the rock. It wobbled slightly when she cast but the rock came to her.
"Maybe it was a fluke?" she said with a furrowed brow. "Merlin that really freaked me out."
"Let's keep an eye on it and if it happens again we can bring it up with Smethwyck," I said, fully intending to start researching it once we were back at the castle. "Don't too panicked just yet though. It might be nothing."
"Yeah, maybe you're right…" she said as she released a shaky breath. "Maybe we ought to keep an eye on Scrimegour as well. I really have no idea what I cast on him. He's awful, but I hope I didn't do anything that will cause permanent damage."
"I'll ask Dumbledore to keep an eye on him," I said as I wrapped my arm around her shoulder. "Come on, lets go back to the castle. You can tell me all about terrifying Sirius at the shop over lunch."
"Sounds good," she said with a smile. "I'll also tell you about how I almost barfed on the apothecary floor because he was taking too long to get out of the bathroom this morning."