Everything hurt.
And her brain felt muddled.
She could hear voices, but they were faint, and it sounded like she was in a tunnel. It sounded like there were multiple voices, but she couldn't figure out who the voices belonged to.
And then the voices faded away and everything went dark again.
The next time she was aware of the world, everything still hurt, but the sounds were a lot clearer. She could hear someone breathing near her.
And then a jolt went through her body, and she wanted to cry out, but nothing was coming out. She jolted again and again. Her body felt like it was on fire.
"Help! Someone! She's seizing!"
Spencer. Spencer was here.
She wanted to tell him she was sorry for scaring him. That she didn't mean to get caught, she was caught completely off guard, which was out of character for her. But her voice didn't work, and she couldn't open her eyes, and apparently she was seizing.
Cruciatus. This was the after effects of it. She must be in the hospital.
Footsteps came pounding into the room, and there were more voices, and then she could feel her body relax. And she felt her hand engulfed by two more hands.
Spencer.
And then she slipped blissfully back into the oblivion.
Bright. Everything was too bright.
She was awake.
She closed her eyes again, trying to will them to adjust to the new scenery.
She reopened them, and breathed out a sigh of relief. She could see, and she felt like her mind was intact. Luckily Dolohov didn't keep her under the curse for very long, but this was the second time she had been subjected to the curse. She feared turning into the Longbottoms.
She turned her head slowly, and she smiled at the sight. Sleeping in the chair with his feet propped up on a second chair was Spencer. She was so happy to see him there. She didn't know how long she had been out, but the fact that he was there when she woke up spoke volumes.
"Spence," she croaked out. It was barely a whisper. But he must not have been fully asleep, because he started awake.
"Hermione?"
She smiled weakly. "Hey."
He scrambled up and moved his chair directly next to her bed. He brought a hand up and cupped her cheek. "Oh my god. You're awake. I was beginning to think…" he trailed off, his voice breaking.
"How long was I out?"
"Three days. The longest three days I've ever experienced in my entire life. The doctors told me it was normal after what you had gone through, but still. Oh my god, I need to go get a doctor."
"Wait," she said, holding onto his sleeve. "Don't go yet."
He settled back down next to her, and she finally got a good look at him. His hair was frizzy and was practically exploding from his head. He looked like he hadn't slept well in days, and he was sporting the beginnings of a beard.
"Have you left at all? When was the last time you showered?"
"I've left a couple times. I needed to go help Harry pack our things from the hotel, so they let Morgan sit in here with you. And yesterday they dragged me out of here to take a shower because apparently I was starting to smell, and Harry sat with you while I took care of that. The team has gone back to DC, but I'm using some of my leave to stay here with you."
"I'm sorry."
"What do you have to be sorry for? I have plenty of leave saved up, and I want to be here with you. I would just worry if I were back home."
"Not that. I'm sorry I scared you. I'm sorry that I got caught."
"That wasn't your fault."
"It was. I wasn't diligent. I knew something was wrong and I went and investigated it by myself—"
"Because you are a capable woman, who can take care of herself. There's no reason why you couldn't go and investigate your own hotel room."
"I know, but—"
"No buts. I'm the one who should apologize. I promised I would protect you. And I couldn't. You were taken right in front of me, and I couldn't do anything. I was completely helpless."
"You definitely don't need to apologize. If you had tried to help, he would have killed you. Full stop."
"Can we just agree that neither of us have anything to apologize for? We were both caught off guard."
"That can be amenable."
His eyes softened. "How are you feeling, really?"
"Like everything hurts."
"The doctors said that is normal."
"I'm familiar with the feeling. I've been under the curse before."
"That's what Harry said. Back during the war. Some bitch tortured you and kept you under longer. You're like a cat. You have nine lives."
She started laughing.
"What's so funny."
"Remind me to tell you the story of second year and a mishap with polyjuice potion."
"I have so many questions. The first of which is what is polyjuice potion, and the second why hasn't Harry told me this story yet?"
"Have you and Harry been spending a lot of time together lately?"
"He's tried to be here for a few hours every day. To give me a chance to use the restroom or freshen up or stretch my legs. Mostly to keep me company. He had to talk me down the other day when your ex-husband came to see you."
"Ron was here?"
"He was."
"Was he a total ass?"
"Not a total ass, but he tried to have me removed and my memories altered."
"What?!"
"Apparently, it's against the statute of secrecy that you told me about the world, and it was for your own good if I weren't here when you woke up."
"He didn't!"
"He did. Harry had to drag him out of here. But not before I profiled him."
"You didn't!"
"I did. And let me tell you, he didn't like being told he had narcissistic tendencies that were only dwarfed by his hero worship of his best friend. And that he must be compensating for something if he was feeling inferior to his very successful spouse."
"Spencer!"
"And then I may have punched him? I don't know. It's all sort of blurry, I haven't slept a lot in the last three days."
"I don't believe it."
"Harry said something about showing you the memory? So I guess you should ask him to see that. Maybe you can tell me if I actually punched him, or if I dreamed it."
She laughed. "You need to go home and get some rest."
"Home is so far away from here, and I don't want to leave you."
"It won't be for long. Magic is amazing. I bet I'll be released today or tomorrow, and then I can come see you before I go home."
Silence fell between them.
"Your home is so far away from my home."
"I know."
"Maybe I can put in a transfer request, I'm sure Prentiss can put in a good word and I can come work for her."
"Please don't put in a transfer request in just yet, okay?"
"Why not?"
"Because, I may be getting disciplined for how many people we let into the secret of our world, and when I refuse to obliviate the lot of you, I may be losing my position at work. So don't put in a transfer. Not yet."
"You could really lose your job because I clued the team in?"
"I could."
"Shit, I'm so sorry, Hermione."
"It's okay. I'm not upset about it."
"You were going to be the youngest Minister for Magic in history. You shouldn't have to give that up because of me."
"I didn't give it up because of you. I gave it up to catch a bloody Death Eater, who should have been dead. But the Wizengamot won't see it that way. They see things in black and white. I violated the rules, and I will be duly punished for it."
"That's a load of bull shit."
"It is what it is."
"Well, if you lose your job, you should move here, and I think Hotch will have a place for you at Quantico."
She shook her head. "You're just saying that."
"No, really, I think you would be a great fit."
"You don't want me working with you."
"Yes, I do."
"No you don't. Your job is so dangerous. You would be worried about me all the time. And that would take your mind off of what you're doing and put your life in danger."
"If you don't want to work for the BAU, what will you do if you lose your job?"
"I don't know. I'll figure it out when I get there. Right now, can we just enjoy the fact that I'm alive, and that we have a future together?"
"Yes, I can definitely do that."
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
Spencer leaned forward and pressed a kiss gently on her lips. He pulled back and smiled at her.
"You know, if you move here, we're going to need to get a bigger place."
"Spencer, I know we both want kids, but I'm sure it'll be a while—"
"No, not for that. For all the books we have."
And Hermione laughed. She laughed so hard that her ribs began to ache. And what a wonderful feeling that was.