When Mina woke up it was to a strange humming sound. She slowly opened her eyes to see her father sitting next to her bed and holding her hand but he was looking out the window. The humming was coming from him and she recognized it. "Riders on the Storm Dad?" She croaked through her unused voice.
His head snapped around and then smiled at his daughter. "It seemed appropriate," he said just as a flash of lightning shot by the window. "Into this house, you're born, Into this world, you're thrown," he sang to her as he helped her drink some water.
She joined him, "Like a dog without bone or an actor out on loan, riders on the storm." The refrain waned and they smiled at each other.
"How do you feel, baby girl?"
"Like death on a cracker. What happened?" Mina quietly asked.
"Long story short, you nearly bled out, baby." She gasped in shock but saw the tears in his eyes and knew it was the truth. "But thanks to magic, science, and determination you are still here."
She looked at her arm and saw it wrapped in a bandage with telltale red stains seeping through. She also saw she was attached to an IV bag. She looked a question at her father.
"You had more than the recommended doses of that blood replenishing potion and we needed to keep your blood pressure up and control the pain. I got your arm stitched closed to slow the bleeding. As you can tell, it's only slowing it, not stopping it. And you still have a fever. So don't overdo yourself."
"I'm confused. This thing has bled before without all these issues. What's going on?"
"Apparently, that sick bitch that hurt you left a present behind: a word activated curse attached to your blood." He took a deep breath before continuing, "We found out after Draco called Minerva McGonagall and she brought this bowl thing and we watched your memories and Draco's memories. And later we will deal with how much you downplayed how bad it was for you that day." He gave her a stern look but then tried to brighten the mood with a small joke, "watching someone else's memories, now that was trippy!" Mina didn't react to his joke as she was still in shock so he continued, "The curse required a particular word being said by a member of a certain family."
"Professor McGonagall is here?" Was the easiest thing to focus on.
"Was here, she took that bowl-thing and went back to Hogwarts."
"I've never read anything about being able to attach a curse to someone's blood let alone one that could be activated with a word. That's very advanced magic. What was the word, Dad?"
"Vendetta."
Mina looked inward to her memories and came to a conclusion, "Vendetta? What...family?" She didn't really need him to say it but she needed him to say it.
"The Black Family," was heard from the door. They both turned to see Draco standing in the door. "And the only current members of the Black family are Mother and me."
Robert saw the young people lock eyes and saw the raw pain in Draco's. He decided leaving was for the best. He cleared his throat, "I'm going to get your mum and sister."
Mina's eyes snapped to her father, "Mum? They're here?"
"You're her first baby, where else would she be?" He asked looking at her with love. "This remarkable young man brought them a couple of days ago."
"DAYS?! How long was I out?"
"Almost a week, baby girl." In the ensuing silence, Robert kissed her forehead and left to find Michelle and their youngest child.
Draco came into the room and Mina patted the bed next to her. Taking his hand she looked him in the eye, "Thank you for bringing them. It means a lot."
He nodded his head but she could tell he was troubled, "Mina, I'm so sorry. I didn't know."
"Shush, no one knew. Bellatrix was as insane as they come. This curse is wildly brilliant. No one could have expected this and since I already had a curse breaker take a curse out of the wound who would have thought anything more needed to be done."
Robert returned, "I can't find your Mum."
"I haven't seen her since lunch," Draco said. "Andis." The small elf popped in. "Where is Mrs. Granger?"
"Missy Muggle Granger is be having tea with Mistress."
"Mother and Mrs. Granger? Are having tea?" Andis nodded her head emphatically. Not knowing what to say to this revelation he went with the easiest thing, "Um, Ok. Would you please let them know that Mina is awake then inform Healer Arbuckle?"
The elf popped away and the young people and Robert kept exchanging looks of disbelief.
"Draco, how is your mother? What I remember of her face, she was...she was...shocked is as close as I can get but she was worse than that."
"She's…," he cleared his throat, "She's not doing great. When I found you both, she tried to stop me helping you because Bella and the Dark Lord would be angry when they got here. She was hysterical. Peter has been treating her. She's kept fairly calm."
"Don't be silly, My Dragon. I am always calm." The haughty voice of Narcissa Malfoy as she lightly scolded her son was the only warning they had before she strode into the room. She was as cool and elegant as ever. Michelle Granger also entered the room with Hermione Michelle perched on her hip.
There was a strained silence while Hermione Michelle reached out for her sister. Instead of handing her over, Michelle walked around the bed and placed the toddler on the bed so she could lean against her older sister and play.
The awkward silence continued before Narcissa delicately cleared her throat. She didn't look at the young woman sitting in the bed when she spoke, "I'm glad you are doing better, Miss Granger."
Shocked but with manners that had been drilled into her from a young age, Mina responded, "Thank you Mrs...Lady Malfoy."
Peter and the curse breaker they had asked to help, walked into the room with stacks of parchments in their hands.
"Bill!" Mina exclaimed upon seeing her friend.
Bill Weasley smiled at her as he came over to kiss her cheek, "Hermione, glad you're back with us. Got yourself quite a conundrum, don't you? I'm sorry I didn't see it before. I didn't even think something like this was possible." Bill's easy manner was replaced with something close to contrite.
She smiled at him, "It's alright. I don't blame you, so don't blame yourself."
Peter interrupted, "This is a pretty ingenious little curse but we think we have an idea how to remove it."
"Yes, Bella was a genius at curses. It doesn't surprise me that she would think of something like this." Narcissa commented.
Mina was tempted to say something about psychopaths always being genius but decided it wasn't worth spitting vitriol at an already hurting family. The fact that a Weasley was here, welcome or not, into the Malfoy home to help a Muggle-born said a lot about the changes taking place.
Peter continued, "The problem is we don't know if our plan will work and if it works or not if there will be side effects. I've developed these arithmancy equations but Bill said you're a dab hand with Arithmancy. If you're up for it, I want you to look them over before we tried anything."
Bill handed MIna his stack of papers while Narcissa looked over the healer's shoulder.
"This equation is wrong." Narcissa and Mina said at the same time while pointing to the same equation on their separate parchments. The two women stared at each other for a moment of appraisal before a conversation commenced that most people in the room had a difficult time following.
However, her parents were left completely left in the dark. Finally, her father had enough, "Excuse me! What are you all talking about? What's Arithramancy?
"Sorry Dad," Mina said. She held up the parchments so he could see them. "This is Arithmancy. It's a way of mathematically predicting the outcome or probable outcome for an event." Mina explained.
"So you are able to predict if the treatment for this curse will work or not? Through math?" Michelle asked in a way that indicated her doubt.
"Yes, Michelle. We can make sure this treatment will do what they think it will do without endangering your eldest child unnecessarily," Narcissa answered her. "Unfortunately, this equation is wrong and that makes this entire attempt useless." Narcissa turned to the healer, "I'm glad you showed us these before you tried anything. But it appears these will have to re-worked."
"Thank You, Narcissa," Michelle said bringing the witch's attention back to her. "I appreciate your help protecting her," Michelle's honest, grateful smile expressed what her words were inadequate to say.
Narcissa acknowledged the other woman with a nod of her head. She turned to Mina, "I assume you will also be re-working these?"
Mina nodded her head, too shocked by her mother and Narcissa being civil and even kind to each other to use actual words.
"We can compare the results in a few days to make sure everything is correct. Now if you will excuse me, I'm going to start working on these equations. Have a good afternoon." She looked at each person briefly before stiffly walking out of the room.
Mina's eyes followed Narcissa out of the door then turned to her mother. "What the..huh?"
Michelle had picked up Hermione Michelle as Clearwater came in to change the saline I.V. bag for a new bag as she had been taught by the Doctors Granger. While she was there she ran the latest barrage of magical tests.
"Mum?" Mina asked again.
"Yes, dear?" Mina just looked at her and waited for an explanation. When all Mina did was raise her eyebrows in question, Michelle relented, "really, Hermione Jean, we simply talked."
"You talked." A shiver ran down her back at the thought of what happened the last time she talked with that particular member of the Black family.
"Yes, dear. Mother to mother. After all, no one knows better than a mother what another mother would do to protect her child. I understand her, she understands me."
"That's really...profound, Mum."
"I think I read it somewhere," Michelle said with a smile. Suddenly she got a whiff of something not very pleasant. "Oh! Hermione Michelle! What have you been eating?!" She was hurrying to the door. "Excuse me, everyone. WOW!"
Everyone was laughing as she left the room, "Go ahead and laugh you lot but Robert, you're going to do the next one!" This sobered Robert instantly and the look on his face made everyone else laugh harder.
It was three days before both Arithmancers had arrived, independently, at the same conclusion. After comparing their work, they sent out a request for Healer Arbuckle and Bill Weasley to join them the next day for lunch and then a conference. Assistant Healer Penelope Clearwater had remained at the Manor to watch over Mina when Peter and Bill had to return to their other responsibilities. Draco had returned Robert to Australia to put their dental practice in order.
By late the next morning, Narcissa, Michelle, and Penelope were sitting in Mina's room trying to decide if she should join them for lunch or stay in her room with a tray.
Even though Mina was still fairly weak from the constant leak of blood and was running a slight fever, she really wanted out of her room for lunch especially when she found out lunch was going to be served in the conservatory. Unfortunately, it was three to one against her. She was about to make the same argument for the umpteenth time when Andis popped into her room, "Mistress, Mr. Healer, and Mr. Curse Weasley has arrived."
"Thank you, Andis. Please show them in here," Narcissa said. Andis popped away and Narcissa added in that mother tone that brooked no argument, "We will let Healer Arbuckle decide if you are coming down to lunch."
Peter and Bill were shown into Mina's room and the healer was immediately verbally pounced on by Mina, "Peter! Tell them I can go down to lunch. Please!"
"Well, hello to you as well." He smirked and watched Mina start to blush while Bill chuckled. Peter also chuckled, "I read the latest scans and with some restrictions, I think that's fine," Peter smiled at her. He turned to look at the two mothers in the room and then blanched at the looks they were giving them. "I mean, you aren't to do much walking but a little is alright. I think you need to be apparated to the table; walking that distance would be too much. And you have to let us know if you get tired." He turned to his assistant, "Clearwater, do you think this IV thing can apparate without issue?"
Clearwater nodded her head, "It shouldn't be a problem, Healer."
"Excellent," he said while purposely not looking at the two mothers. Then he looked around the room, clearing his throat and trying to find a change of subject when he noticed the tea tray. "Not to be rude but when is lunch?"
Michelle chuckled, "As soon as Draco returns with Robert. He returned to Australia to make arrangements with our patients for our dental practice."
The mention of their practice gave Peter the change of subject for which he was searching. He started to ask questions when he was interrupted by Andis' arrival to inform them that Draco and Robert had arrived in the conservatory.
Mina's excitement to get out of her room was obvious. It took some work but she was finally installed at the table with the IV pole next to her. Everyone was settled and lunch was served. It was as uneventful as a lunch can be when you have such an odd collection of people. The conversation was cordial if not inspired but there were no arguments to be heard and no hexes being thrown.
When the last of the food was removed, Peter started off the conference by asking what they had discovered.
Mina started, "What you propose is possible but not feasible."
"Why?" Peter asked.
"What you proposed was to remove the curse from my blood and marrow. This would take approximately a month to do if a healer worked 24 hours a day for that entire month."
"Additionally," Narcissa explained, "the healer would die before that month was out due to magic drainage. Which is, actually, irrelevant because Miss Granger would be dead long before that."