Hopefully, you are "enjoying" the story development. This is a Dramione story, and I know that we are now at Chapter 18 without hardly any Dramione. I promise that the wait is well worth it.

As always, my DMs are open and you can reach me through my Facebook page, LiterarianRose FanFic.

Resources for healing from sexual trauma are as followed:

USA: RAINN

UK: RASASC

Australia: RESPECT

Let me know what you think and if you think I should keep the resources in my author's note.

Narcissa stayed curled up beside Hermione for the rest of the day. Occasionally, Hermione would disappear into the house for a few minutes and then return to her spot. Narcissa took these opportunities to stretch and snarf down some of the food she had hidden in the trees. Every time that Hermione returned, Narcissa would scrutinize the girl's body, looking for hints regarding Hermione's internal health in the way she walked. The most important thing Narcissa picked up on was that Hermione had no overall strength. Just walking to her spot seemed to exhaust her. Narcissa couldn't help but question how Hermione stayed seated upright through the day.

Narcissa was happy that Feroce had helped Hermione, but she was also happy that the owl had taken her glares to heart and hooted at Hermione until the girl had let him go. Now, Narcissa had her head in the girl's lap and was listening intently for the girl's parents to arrive home. Her ears were practically swiveling on top of her head, for they twitched and homed in on every car driving by and car door closing.

Finally, Narcissa could tell that the car was significantly closer than all of the other ones, and she nuzzled Hermione's hand. She was dismayed to see the girl had no response, not even a mindless one. Narcissa sat up onto her haunches and knocked into Hermione's chin with her snout. Slowly, Hermione's eyes shifted to look at the fox. If Narcissa would have been in her human form, tears would have been immediately falling down her face. Hermione's eyes saw what was in front of her, but Narcissa had no doubt that Hermione's brain was not seeing anything. If someone asked Hermione what she had done that day, not only would Hermione not answer because she would then be speaking, but Hermione herself had no idea what she had done besides sit in her yard. Nothing Hermione saw imprinted into her memories. It came as a shock to Narcissa when she heard Hermione speak.

"Will you come back tomorrow?" Hermione's voice was raspy with disuse and dehydration. "I'm…" Hermione looked down at her lap. "I'm not so cold when you're here."

Narcissa whined in response and could not resist licking Hermione's face in goodbye. Her white tail vanished into the trees just as Mr. and Mrs. Granger walked out of their backdoor. Per usual, Mrs. Granger stood back with her arms around her torso while Mr. Granger approached slowly and gently greeted his daughter as he walked around her.

"Hello, luv." Mr. Granger's voice caught as he noticed that Hermione had more emotion on her face than she usually did. It looked like Hermione had just stopped crying or was on the cusp of tears. "I see your new friend has flown off. Is that why you look sad?"

Hermione's hands, which had been methodically ripping blades of grass apart, stilled at her father's words. In all honesty, she had no idea why the owl had left. The fox and the owl had been getting along just fine, and then, the owl was hooting at her to let him go. Hermione, even lost in her turmoil, was not so emotionally cold that she would deny an animal its freedom. She could hear her father sigh, but in all honesty, she wasn't sure what she was supposed to say.

"Well, let's go eat." Mr. Granger had to fight hard to not hit himself in the forehead. "Or you can just sit inside, whichever one you want. Maybe you can listen to some of my theories tonight? Hm? I bet Ron and Harry would get a laugh at them." Mr. Granger grimaced at the thought of Harry and Ron.

Harry had said that none of them had had a falling out, but none of that mattered. The truth was that Hermione, his lovely Hermione, was alone in the world right now. She refused her best friends. She refused her parents. She refused creatures that she loved. She refused to read. She refused to discuss books. She refused to do anything. Mr. Granger was eternally grateful that help would be arriving soon. Hermione just had to hold on a little bit longer.

With that thought, Mr. Granger stood and walked back to his wife. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her in tight. He couldn't hold back the silent tears that ran down his face. When Hermione was getting help, that was when he would allow himself to sob. He wasn't blind or deaf. He knew that loud sounds caused Hermione to jump and become terrified. He wasn't going to let his tears be one of the things that caused her to be terrified.

That night, Mr. Granger sat on the far side of the couch and talked about his theories about the different fairies from Irish lore. He conceded that fairies had to exist since there were so many different types. It was simply logical to believe that humans had gotten at least a little detail right. He talked about what kind of fairies seemed too far fetched to him. He knew that there were pixies, small creatures that had human intelligence and used it to cause mayhem. Yet, there was no true depiction of them in his book. Therefore, he believed that the Irish probably mismatched features of different beings and creatures from Hermione's world.

He looked up from the book and looked over at Hermione. She had fallen asleep on the couch again. He stood and debated carrying Hermione up to her room, but he decided that if she were to wake while he was carrying her, she could wake up terrified and cause either one or both of them to get hurt.

So yet again, Mr. and Mrs. Granger found themselves tucking in their daughter and making their way up to their bedroom so as not to disturb her. Before going upstairs, however, they did open a window so that the owl could reach Hermione if he returned in the middle of the night.

Narcissa awoke before the sun had even crested over the horizon. She called for Tilly on instinct. Why no one had thought to tell the elves that a room needed to be prepared for Miss Granger was beyond her. As it was, Narcissa couldn't help but wince at how bad of a host she was already being.

"Tilly, I can't believe I forgo…" Narcissa turned to look at her house elf and froze on the spot. Tilly's eyes were red-rimmed and swollen. Narcissa knew she had been crying; she also knew that she must have woken the elf because her eyes were cloudy with sleep. Narcissa crouched down in front of her, "Tilly, whatever is the matter!? I've never seen you so emotionally exhausted before."

"Missus… Master Theodore is not, him is not doing well, Missus. Him was screaming in his sleep. We tried to wake him, Missus, but he kicked Vippy away. Vippy hit his head. Now we is bad elves, and Vippy is hurt." Tilly worried her ears with her fingers and tried not to start crying again.

"Tilly… Tilly, look at me, please. Is Theodore still doing poorly?" Tilly hesitated and then shook her head. "Did you manage to get a Dreamless Sleep in him, Tilly?" Again, Tilly hesitated. She knew she wasn't supposed to give Dreamless Sleep unless instructed, but she had seen no other choice. Slowly, Tilly nodded her head and started worrying her ears even more. "Tilly, I'm not mad. Please stop hurting yourself."

Tilly looked at Narcissa with confusion. It was only a few months ago when Master had enjoyed when Tilly hurt herself. Mistress had always seemed indifferent to the matter, never stepping in to stop Master's poor treatment.

"Tilly, does Vippy need help? Will he be alright?"

"Tilly isn't knowing, Missus. Vippy is still breathing, he is. But… Vippy is asleep. Tilly is worried, Missus."

"Take me to him, now. Let's not waste time with walking." Narcissa held her hand out to the elf, and as quickly as she blinked, she was in the elf's quarters.

She looked around and took in the many elves that were crowded around a table, Narcissa could see that Vippy was laid on top of the table. She started walking towards him to see the damage done and what would need to be done to help Vippy heal, but as soon as the other elves noticed that their Mistress was amongst them, they all clamored into low bows. Some of them gasping and reaching to worry their ears. They were sure that Vippy would be given clothes. No one wanted an injured house elf.

"Oh, really. I know it has only been a few months, but I care for you. I am not my husband. I did not bring any clothes to bestow onto Vippy." Some of the elves stared up at her in shock and confusion. There was one elf who was very old, and she could not help but keep the smile of pride off of her face. "I want to see what can be done for Vippy. I'm sure he just got knocked around a bit."

With that, the elves parted quickly and allowed Narcissa to look over Vippy. Before she started, however, she turned to Tilly and the proud elf.

"Tilly, Maggie. I need a suite prepared, preferably the Sanctuary Suite." The two elves shared a glance. "Yes. That Sanctuary Suite. A girl will be coming to stay with. All the comforts will be provided to her. Get rid of all the green." Narcissa sighed at the gasp that went through the elves. "Yes. All of the green. In fact, anything screaming Slytherin needs to disappear from all common spaces, especially the library. This goes for all of you. Anything menacing should be put in storage until further notice. Take the vocal portraits down and replace them with art. That room needs to provide all the soft and comfortable spots a girl could wish for. Ensure the bookcases are stocked with books, none of which should hold curses." Narcissa sighed. Today was going to be a long day. "Is that understood?"

There was a chorus of "Yes, Missus" from all around her. All of them, save one, instantly popped away to begin their work for the morning. Narcissa had just bent down to examine Vippy's head when she heard Maggie speak.

"Missus Cissy?" Narcissa sighed at the term and turned to the elf that had been given to her upon her birth. "This… this girl. Was she… The last time Missus used the Sanctuary Suite, it was… Maggie cannot even say it." Narcissa deflated at the elf's voice, and her heart couldn't help but break again for Hermione.

"Maggie, please. I need you to prepare it even better than last time." Maggie bowed her head and started to turn to pop away. Narcissa's voice barely broke the silence. "Dolohov had her for hours, Maggie. Prepare everything. Once that is done. Go to Severus and demand him give you every healing and nourishment potion he has. Tell him that he will have no answers. If he threatens you, remind him whose elf you are."

Maggie had tears in her eyes as she nodded.

"Maggie is Missus Narcissa Black's elf. Anyone who hurts Maggie, hurts the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. It is an act of war against the House."

"Very good, Maggie. Thank you." Narcissa turned towards Vippy. "I will take care of him. He will be right as rain in a few hours."

The Dr. Grangers woke the next morning with more hope in their hearts. Perhaps today would be the day that help arrived. Perhaps today they would say goodbye to the rather empty vessel that was their Hermione, and she would return to who she was. Little did they know that the Hermione that existed when she visited for Easter Hols no longer existed. Studious and brave Hermione died the moment she truly understood what Dolohov had planned for her. Hermione would never be the same after the sadistic torture she had endured.

They slowly made their way downstairs and saw that Hermione had already awakened and returned to her spot in the grass. Mr. Granger debated going to her and asking if she wanted a smoothie, but something told him that no words would come from their daughter today.

As it was a Saturday, their dentistry practice did not open until 10 A.M., so they hoped that any help that arrived today would arrive before they left for the office. As luck would have it, just as they put their teacups in the sink, there was a knock on the front door.

I'm only slightly sorry to leave you on a cliff hanger...

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