The night was horrible for both women. Minerva drifted from one nightmare to the other, and Hermione did her best to soothe the sick woman. Over and over again, she talked to her, held her hand, stroked her face and changed the wash cloth. In the early morning hours, just when the first birds began to sing, Minerva calmed a little and slept more peaceful, giving Hermione a respite.

The young woman got up and stretched her sore muscles. Chairs were not meant to spend the night in. She used the short break to have Holly watch Minerva while she had a quick shower. She was awfully tired, but Minerva was worse off, so she would manage.

Back in Minerva's bedroom, Hermione was glad to find the woman still asleep.

"Did she wake up?" she asked Holly.

"No, Miss Hermione. Can Holly bring you some breakfast?"

Eat, Minerva had requested and Hermione had promised. She hadn't been able to bring herself to eat yesterday, so she better had some breakfast now. "Yes, thank you, Holly."

Minerva started moaning again, and Hermione quickly went back to her side. "Shhh…You're fine," she soothed. "All is well."

The old woman slowly blinked her eyes open. It took her a moment to figure out what was going on. It wasn't real. Just a nightmare. She was home. Hermione was here. She was in pain but not as hot anymore.

Hermione watched how the old woman slowly started to focus. She didn't look as feverish as yesterday but still far from well.

"Good morning, Professor."

"Morning," Minerva croaked. Her throat felt like sandpaper.

"Here, have a sip of water." Hermione carefully helped the elder witch drink.

"How are you this morning?"

"I feel awful," Minerva stated truthfully, surprising them both.

Hermione nodded her understanding. "I bet you do. You are seriously ill."

"How long?"

"Until you are well again?" Minerva nodded. "You look much better than yesterday, so I'd say two to three days until the fever is down. You'll need to take the potions for at least two weeks, and the treatment for your hip hasn't even started yet. If you respond well to the treatment, I'd say that treatment for that can start by the end of this week. I am no healer, though. Madam Pomfrey will be here later today, so we can ask her then."

From the woman's whole posture, Hermione could see that Minerva was in the process of getting totally overwhelmed by the news that her recovery would take a while. Not willing to allow Minerva to slip into a panic mode, Hermione carefully sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the old woman's hand into her lap, holding it there.

"I know it sounds very long, but you won't feel this bad for much longer. Once the fever is down, you'll feel more like yourself and can leave your bed." Hermione meant to comfort, but Minerva McGonagall wasn't easy to comfort.

"Why thank you for allowing me to get up in my own house, Miss Granger. That's most kind of you," Minerva lashed out.

Hermione let go of the elder woman's hand and stood up immediately. What was she doing here?! "Holly," she called, and the Elf appeared.

"Professor McGonagall is ready for breakfast," she said, her voice lacking any emotion.

"What shall Holly bring?"

"Ask her. I don't care." Holly's long ears dropped.

Minerva could hit herself. She was unwell, but not unwell enough not to notice that she had hurt the young girl. And she had every right to feel hurt, too. Hermione did her best to provide her with care and comfort, more than anybody else had ever shown her, and she just couldn't be grateful for that without lashing out.

"Hermione," she tried to call her, already knowing that it was in vain.

"Save your breath, Professor. I understand." Hermione didn't turn around. She'd had enough. She only vaguely heard Holly converse with the old woman, but she didn't pay attention. She just stared out of the window. Why had she come here? When had her life gone to pieces like that?

Minerva didn't know how long Hermione stood in front of the window. Half an hour maybe? Only the arrival of Poppy brought her out of her stupor.

"Ah Minerva, you're awake. Good, good. And I see you've eaten. Well, then let us look at your back."

Hermione took the Medi witch's arrival as a good time for her own departure and wordlessly headed to the bedroom door.

"Hermione," she heard her former professor's voice call her, but she didn't react.

"Hermione," Minerva called again, panic rising. The girl couldn't leave her alone. Please not.

The angry woman halted when she reached the door. Her Professor called her. She had never gone when Professor McGonagall had called.

Minerva pulse was going through the roof now. The panic she felt was overwhelming, and her whole body was shaking by now. "Hermione, please," Minerva's tear stricken voice reached the young woman's ears.

"For Heaven's sake, you can relieve yourself later, Miss Granger. I can't work like that, and I don't have all day."

Slowly, Hermione turned around. Minerva's pleading face, wet from tears, was her undoing. The old woman reached a shaking hand towards her, and with a deep sigh, Hermione went back to the bed and crawled over the empty space of the queen sized bed towards her mentor, taking the offered hand. She pulled slightly, helping Minerva to her side so that the Medi witch could start working. Minerva was openly weeping by now. "Please, Hermione, please, please don't leave," she whispered over and over again.

Hermione moved a little closer. Minerva hadn't let go of her hand, and she used her free hand to stroke the old woman's head in soothing patterns. "It's ok," she whispered. "I'm here."

Poppy had finished with the cream and was ready to give her patient the potion she already held in her hand, but no good words could bring Minerva to roll back, away from Hermione. She just couldn't let go.

"Minerva, this is…" Poppy started, clearly annoyed.

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey. Just set it on the nightstand, I'll give it to her later."

Madam Pomfrey huffed in annoyance. "As you wish, Miss Granger. I'll be back tomorrow."

Minerva was still inconsolably weeping. "Please, Hermione, please."

"I'm here, Minerva. It's alright," she soothed. "I'm right here with you."

The old woman had worked herself in such a state that Hermione was sure it would take a while to calm down. Finding her current position slowly becoming uncomfortable, she moved a little to sit properly on the bed with her back resting against a pillow. It was difficult to move because Minerva tightened her grip on her, afraid that she'd leave.

"I'm just getting comfortable. I'm not leaving." It was as if the words didn't even reach her mind.

Finally sitting comfortably, Hermione placed a pillow on her lap, pulled her mentor a little closer and allowed her to rest against her. Soothingly, she let her hands glide through Minerva's long hair and put a careful hand on the witch's boney shoulders. "Oh, Minerva, what am I going to do with you?" she whispered as the old woman slowly drifted into a deep sleep.

XXXX

Minerva woke up with a groan. Her back hurt and her muscles were stiff and sore, but she still felt rested. Her usual nightmares had taken a break and she had been able to sleep peacefully. She was startled when the pillow under her head moved, but Hermione's velvet voice calmed her quickly. "You're fine. It's just me."

Hermione. It was Hermione's hand that she suddenly registered on her shoulder that gave her a feeling of being protected rather than being threatened. Oh, Merlin. Hermione. The things she had seen here. That wasn't how she had planned it. Hermione had been brought here to be helped and not the other way round. Nobody was ever to find out about her worst weakness, let alone witness it. What did the girl think now about her? No one had ever seen her like this.

Hermione didn't know what Minerva was thinking about, but it filled her with happiness, that the woman was obviously able to concentrate much better. She felt cooler, too, but she still needed the potion to keep the fever down and reduce the pain. Minerva had slept soundly, and Hermione wasn't going to make her move as long as she was still comfortable. Carefully, she rubbed the elder woman's shoulders in soothing circles.

When Minerva started moving again, Hermione took her chance.

"Let me help you sit up for a while so that you can take your potion. Your fever has come down considerably, and we want to keep it that way."

The old woman nodded and allowed Hermione to arrange the pillows and help her into her new position. "Thank you."

The young witch nodded and moved around the bed to get the greenish liquid. "Here you go." Hermione was pleased that her mentor had regained enough strength to take the flacon from her hand and drink it. She even wordlessly accepted the glass of water Hermione handed her and drank without complaining.

When Hermione sat down heavily in the chair beside the bed and tiredly put her head in her hands, Minerva used the time to look closely at the young woman. She looked so exhausted. Why did she have to be here and see her like that? And how did she know exactly what to say and what to do to calm her down?

Slowly, the potion started to make her drowsy, and she felt her concentration slipping.

"Hermione?"

The young woman looked up. "Yes?"

"You need to sleep."

The young woman nodded. She definitely needed to sleep. "I know. I will."

"Not in the chair. Lie down." She patted the right side of the bed.

"It's all right. I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"I will be fine. I'm… never mind. Just lie down."

Slowly, Hermione got up and walked around to the other side of the bed. Merlin, she felt exhausted. What if she got a nightmare?

Minerva already struggled to stay awake. The powerful potion started to shut down her system, but she didn't want to sleep sitting up. "Hermione," she whispered weakly.

"Here, let me help you," the young witch offered and carefully pulled the too many pillows out to help her mentor lie down. "There now. Just sleep. I will…" before Hermione could finish the sentence, the old woman had drifted off into what Hermione hoped to be a peaceful sleep.

Sighing, the tired girl slipped under the covers. She was quite sure she had never slept in a bed that soft and luxurious as this one. It felt like sleeping on a cloud, were Hermione's last thoughts as sleep engulfed her.