Chapter 12

Aftermath

Sirius felt himself waking up. This time he didn't have a pounding headache, but the ache in his chest. He tried to remember what had happened. 

Running footsteps, Ginny catching the Death Eater Harry was fighting with a stunning spell, several faint 'plofs', searing pain in his chest and then blackness.

He had been hit with Cardassians weapons. Realizing this he set about opening his eyes. Knowing his godson and his friends they would be very worried.

When he had managed his, he looked around his. Groaning softly, he realized he was in sickbay.

"Welcome back, Mr. Black." He heard a voice say.

Sirius turned his head in the direction of the sound to see Counselor Troi standing at his side and he felt directly very awake and coherent. He smiled and reached for her hand. "You didn't get hurt yesterday?"

"I sat on the bridge all the time. I am fine." she answered.    

He lifted her hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss on it. "Good."

Deanna looked over her shoulder when a feeling of anger and jealousy assaulted her. She saw Will standing in the door opening.

"What are doing here so early, Deanna?" Will asked. "It's only seven o'clock."

"Hermione and I agreed to meet in fifteen minutes to have breakfast together. I just came by to see if Harry or Mr. Black were already awake." Deanna explained.

"Well, you can tell her that Harry is awake." Harry's voice sounded behind them.

Deanna and Will looked over their shoulders to see Harry sitting up on his cot.

Harry looked around to see Sirius awake. A broad smile spread over his face and he jumped on his feet. "You're awake!"

"Yes, I am awake. Were you worried, kiddo?"

"What did you think, Sirius?" Harry said.

"One can guess. How did you end up here?" Sirius asked.

"He got a bit mad and whipped himself out, frying some Cardassians in the process." Ginny said from were she entered with Beverly. "Counselor, Hermione already was looking for you."

"It's still early. Well, I guess I will see you later then." Deanna left sickbay, Will after her.

Ginny and Beverly walked over to the biobed where Sirius was lying. "Good to see you both awake. " Beverly said.

Sirius was still staring a bit at Harry. "Why did you use the firestorm, kiddo?"

Harry shrugged. "I got a bit pissed."

Beverly in the meantime had taken a tricorder and was taking scans from the both of them. "Well, Harry. You're free to go. And you will stay here till at least tomorrow morning, Mr. Black." She laughed at Sirius' frown. "Hermione and Ginny already warned me."  

Ginny had also taken a tricorder, but was scanning several victims of the Caleidius curse. "I heard from Rose that several already had woken up this night." she said. Looking at Harry and Sirius she explained what had happened yesterday with the Caleidius curse.         

***

"What can you tell me about the Death Eaters we have?" Deanna asked.

Hermione and Deanna were enjoying a light breakfast in Ten Forward. While eating they discussed the interrogation of the Death Eaters.

"Well, you know the story behind Peter Pettigrew. The two others are Avery and Nott. They are Death Eaters from the first hour and quite loyal to Voldemort, but they are not too bright. Voldemort likes to use them for little dirty jobs. They are both not married; no children and they usually work as handy men for the Ministry. They come from pure-blooded wizarding families and those families are familiar as ones who want to purify the wizarding world."

"What's the most important information we want from them?"

"Any plans Voldemort is up to. Can he travel back and fort into time? Anything useful."

"It won't be easy to get that information." Deanna commented.

"Yeah, that's why I wanted ask your help. Whatever they tell us voluntarily, I have no way to determine if it's true. I know how to make Veritaserum, but I rather not use that. I don't have enough experience with it to use it alone."

"Well, if you are finished with your breakfast, we can get started." Deanna said.

Hermione nodded and both women left Ten Forward.

***

Ron looked up from the maps where he working on, when the chime rang. "Come in."

The door opened to show Will Riker. "Hello Mr. Weasley."

"Hello Commander. Is there anything I can do for you?" Ron asked.

"Well, Miss Granger told me something about that you had a few ideas to place some magical wards around the ship in case to attack the ship again."

"It was an idea I got last night and I decided to see if could up with something."

"I spoke with Captain Picard and Lieutenant Tarzar about your idea. They decided it wasn't a bad idea. Would you…?"

"I was already working on it. Ginny told me that Harry was almost finished in Sickbay. We can work on it with the two of us."

"Let me know if you got something."

Ron nodded and went back to work, while Will went back to the bridge.

***

"Ginny, who exactly are the Death Eaters we caught yesterday?" Harry asked.

Ginnny looked at surprised. "No one told you yet? Well, we caught three of them. Avery, Nott and… Wormtail." At the last words she smiled softly.

Harry looked up, surprised. "We finally have him?"

Ginny nodded.

Harry started to grin and he looked over at Sirius. "Finally…"

"What's so funny, Harry?" Sirius called.

"The fact that we have Pettigrew in the brig." Harry answered.

Sirius however didn't smile, but got a murderous look on his face. He started to get up, but Ginny had already reacted.

"Lie down, Sirius. He is safely in the brig, with several wards around him. You are still weak and you need to rest some more. Try to get some sleep. Try to dream about your new life when we get back home." she said softly. She laid her hand on Sirius' shoulder and pushed him back on the biobed.

Sirius relaxed at bit, laid back and closed his eyes. Within a few moments he had fallen asleep again.

"Am I free to go? Ron wanted my help with something." Harry asked.

Ginny nodded and Harry left sickbay.

***

They weren't making much progress with the interrogation. Hermione sighed as she asked her last question at Avery.

"That was the last, Avery. Stupefy!"

"Try not to be so agitated, Hermione. We still have one to go." Deanna said.

"I know. I just don't like we are getting anything more. But you're right. Perhaps we have more luck with Wormtail." With those words she levitated Avery to his cot and woke Wormtail.

The short plump man stood up and looked around him. A shocked look appeared on his face, to be replaced slowly with fear as he recognized Hermione.

"Hello Peter. You know, it's not me you have to fear. Those are Sirius, Ron and Harry. Perhaps even Remus when we're home." Hermione said, face carefully kept expressionless.

She looked for a few moments as Wormtail slowly became pale. "I might be able to hold them back a bit. But I want something in return from you…"

It took a few moments before the man found his voice. "What?"

"Information. And don't try to lie to me. I might just decide to let one of the boys in."

"How do you when I would lie?" The man seemed regain a little confidence.

"Have you studied a bit of the galactic cultures in the time we live in now?" At the man's nod she continued. "Then you must know what a Betazoïd is. The woman with me is half-Betazoïd." She glanced at Deanna for a moment and saw the woman nod to her.

***

"Thanks for the information, Peter. Stupefy!" Hermione finished her interrogation. Then she turned towards Deanna. "Was he completely honest?"

"He's still hiding things, but what he told us is true. What is that scroll?"

"He said something about this being the spell. But I truly don't know how what he could have to do with that in his pocket, on an attack." Hermione opened the scroll and looked it over. "Holy shit."

"What?"

"Could we go to your office?"

Deanna nodded and went on their way to Deanna's office.

***

 "You have done this before?"

"Only assisting. I was nervous as hell." 

"I sensed it. But what is it with that scroll?"    

They had arrived at Deanna's office and both took a place. Hermione rolled out the scroll and Deanna looked it over. It was full with symbols she didn't recognize.

"What is this?" she asked.

"I can't tell if it's the spell. The only thing I can tell is it's gonna be a hell of a job to translate it. Look, this is Arabic. This is Aramaic, here hieroglyphs, over there are Hebrew, and there is Latin, Runes, Greek, Sanskrit and even Chinese. The Greek and Latin are no problem, but the others…"

"You know all these languages?"

"I am fluent in Greek and Latin. The other's I can translate easily with the help of a few books, except for the Chinese. The problem will be combining it to the spell."

"You could use the computer."

"It's wizarding languages. It has some minimal differences with the normal languages, but those can be important. I rather translate it myself."

"I have some time before my next patient arrives. I can make a report for you about the interrogation and you can get started with the translation then."

"Thanks. Are you sure you have nothing else to do?"

"I wouldn't have offered otherwise. But one tip. First eat some lunch. We have been there for four hours."

***

"There is nothing we can do anymore." the cold voice of Dr. Selar sounded and the click of a tricorder being closed.

Ginny cast her downwards and bit her lip. A few tears threatened to slip from her eyes, but she blinked furiously to get them away.

A little boy, who had been cursed with the Caleidi, had suddenly gone into convulsions and his heart had stopped working. They had tried several things, but nothing had worked.

Ginny looked up as Dr. Selar closed the boy's eyes. She slowly turned away from the bed.

"Are you okay?" Alyssa asked.

"Yeah, I am okay."

Alyssa looked at the pale face, the bloodshot eyes and the bags under her eyes. "How much did you sleep last night, Ginny?"

"I dunno. One, maybe two hours."

"And you fought yesterday, worked a whole time in Sickbay. And you have been working here since seven this morning. More then five hours. We can manage it here without you. Go get some sleep."     

"Thanks Alyssa."  Ginny went quickly to her quarters.

***

"Harry?"

"Yes, Ron?"

"Have you ever wondered about destiny?"

Harry looked up from the maps he was working on. "Why are you asking me this?"

"Don't you even wonder about it?"

"Sure. People always tell me that it's my destiny to fight Voldemort. Perhaps not in those words, but… all the same. And all those things that have happened to me, or to you, Hermione and Ginny, seem a bit too much of a coincidence to me."

"But who makes this destiny? A god or something like that? I have been reading about some planets. And most of them have religion with a higher force. One who makes destiny."

"Again, why are you asking me this? I have thought about this a lot, but I couldn't work it out. So, I figured that when the answer was necessary, the answer would come."

"Was it then destiny that made that I fell in love with Hermione?"

"Fell in love? As a friend or more?"

"What do you think?"

"I get it, I get it. And I also get you're telling me this with a purpose."

"How the hell am I gonna tell her?"

Harry was silent for a moment. "I don't have any experience on this area. You should better ask Sirius."

"Not mentioning he is out cold in sickbay, I don't think…"

"Okay. Maybe you're right. The only think I can say: be honest."

"If that's so easy… Kinda keeps you wondering destiny, doesn't it…?" 

***

"Is it really not possible to get out of here?"

Beverly sighed at what had to be Sirius' hundredth inquiry. She was very tempted to just let him walk out. Just sedating him was another option, but then it would start again in a few hours.  

At his hundred-and-one inquiry, she picked up a tricorder to scan him, while sorting out her ideas. When the scan was finished, she quickly checked the results and came to a conclusion.

"Well, Mr. Black. I am prepared to let you go, but on a few conditions. First, you remain in bed. And I want someone to keep an eye on you there. Perhaps Ron, Harry, Ginny or Hermione would be to willing. And if I decide on your condition you should be back in sickbay, you won't protest."

"Anything to get out of here."

Beverly shook her head and hit her com-badge. Ron and Harry had a meeting with Tarzar in about ten minutes, Ginny had told with a choked voice that she wasn't feeling so well, but Hermione was willing to keep an eye on him if she could work on her translation.

Ten minutes later Beverly had arranged for Sirius to be beamed into his quarters. It was a lot of trouble, but Beverly was anxious to lose her most difficult patient in quite some time for while.

And Beverly went on her way to talk to Hermione for a moment.

***

"This should work."

"I have dealt with a difficult Sirius before, Doctor. I am used to it."

"I have no doubt in that… Hermione, something else, do you know what's wrong with Ginny? She sounded kinda distraught over the com."

"No. When she came in I asked, but she refused to say anything." 

"Thank you. When you have any trouble, just warn me."

Hermione nodded and settled back to her translation, while Beverly left Sirius quarters.

***

Beverly rang the chime of the girl quarters with a thoughtful look in her eyes. Alyssa had told her about the death of the boy and Ginny's reaction to it. And now how she had sounded over the com…

The door opened and Beverly entered. She immediately saw Ginny sitting on the couch. She had pulled her knees to her chest and her head was resting on it, while staring into space.

"Ginny?"

Ginny seemed to be startled out of her reverie. "Oh Beverly… hi… Is… is there something I can do for you?"

"No. Ginny, are you okay?"

"I am fine. Why are you asking?"

Beverly studied the girls face for a moment. Her hair was all askew; her face was pale with bags under her bloodshot eyes. "Because you don't really look or sound well."

"I am just tired."

Beverly didn't say anything. She just looked the girl in the eyes.

Ginny placed her head back on her knees and stared into space for a few moments. Tears started to flow from her eyes.

Beverly scooted closer and placed her hand on the girl's shoulder. "What's wrong, girl?"

If it was the touch of question, Beverly didn't know, but suddenly Ginny hid her face in her arms and the flow of tears turned into body-racking sobs. Beverly reacted immediately and pulled the girl in her arms. It didn't matter that she had only had known Ginny for a few weeks or anything else. All that mattered was that her mother instincts told her that this girl needed the comfort of hug and a good cry.

***

Beverly calmly held the girl as she sobbed. She rocked Ginny a bit and murmured soothing words.

After twenty, twenty-five minutes the sobs calmed down and Beverly felt the girl stiffen in her arms. Ginny quickly pulled her self lose and murmured: "Sorry."

"It doesn't matter, Ginny. Would you mind telling me what's wrong now?"'

"What isn't? We bring danger to the ship, even killing people. Friends and family have their life put in danger. The man I love is consumed by guilt on a regular base and is burdened with all kinds of expectation and there is hardly anything I can do. His best two friends don't have the time to realize that they are crazy about each other. And on a personal note… I am homesick as hell and the damn nightmares won't leave me alone…" she said with anger in her voice and continued spewing what bothered her. Then she suddenly stopped and she turned red again. "Sorry."

"Ginny, stop making excuses. You just needed to throw it all out."

Ginny just nodded.         

"And about bringing danger to the ship… we come across many dangers and this is just one more. The attack put the ship in danger, but if you and your friends wouldn't have been here there would be something else. You did what you could to stop the attack. Your friends and family might put their lives in danger, but don't you do the same? And I see you are always there when your friends need you, just like you must realize that they are there for you."

Ginny remained silent, but listened carefully.

"Go to them if you need them. And if you don't feel comfortable talking to them, go to someone else. Come to me… go to Counselor Troi. Go to someone you feel comfortable with."

Ginny smiled a bit. "Thank you."

"But I had a question. How often do you have those nightmares?"

"Almost daily."

"Do you or Hermione know something you can make against nightmares?"

"We know of a few things and we can make them. But the problem is that those things are very addictive. We spoke about it with the five of us, but we didn't want to take the risk without someone who had more expertise in the use of it. I have already decided when we are back it's the first area of medical studies I am gonna look into." Ginny told her.

"But how do keep going without that little sleep?"

"We know a very simple, but very effective potion for when we need it. It has immediate effect, but leaves the bloodstream quickly."

"Did you take anything today?"

"Only a bit this morning. It has left my body quite some time ago."   

Beverly nodded. "Then I am prescribing you something for the next few days. You need a few nights of good sleep. And now you are gonna catch some sleep. No offense Ginny, but you look like death warmed over."

Beverly stood up and walked over to the door. "I am gonna fetch some for you. Get into bed; I will be back in a few moments."

***

When Beverly returned, Ginny was wearing a long crème nightgown.

"Ready?"

Ginny nodded and nestled deeper into the bed. Beverly smiled and sat down on the edge of the bed. Ginny didn't look like the warrior Beverly knew she was. Now she looked like a frightened little girl.

On a sudden hunch she tucked the blankets closer around the girl, like she had done with her own son years ago. Then she took the hypospray and injected the girl.

Beverly smiled a bit when she saw that sleep overtook Ginny as soon as she closed her eyes. Softly she stood up, dimmed the light and left the quarters.

***

Hermione worked calmly at the translation. The Greek and Latin parts were already translated and now she was working on the Aramaic part. A few hours had past since she had started watching over Sirius, but there hadn't been any sounds from the bedroom. And the times she had softly entered the bedroom she only saw Sirius sleeping quietly.

***

"Why are you feeling so jealous?"

Riker looked up form the schematics Harry and Ron had made. "What do you mean?  Feeling jealous?"

"Feeling so jealous of Sirius Black."

"I am not jealous of him."

"Will, remember you're talking to empath."

"I just don't like the way he's acting towards you."

Deanna stood up and walked over to stand behind her Imzadi, placing her hands of his shoulders. "He means nothing with it. It's just his way of doing."

"Sensed that?"

"Yes. And I talked with Hermione. She told me it was his way of doing. Don't feel threatened by him."

"You like him, don't you?"

"What do you mean with like? Like in the way I like a friend? Yes, that's true. Just like I like Geordi, Data, even Beverly. Like in the way I like you? Absolutely not. We're Imzadi, Will. Don't forget that. Okay?"

"Okay… Sorry I doubted you so much." Will stood up and turned around. He closed the dark-haired woman in his arms.

***

Hermione looked up from her parchment. It was the second time she heard something like a moan.

She quickly screwed the cap on her ink pot and rolled up her scrolls. Then she stood up and walked over to the bedroom. She opened the door and tiptoed over to the bed. Sirius was tossing and turning in his sleep, obviously in a nightmare.

Hermione hesitated for a few moments, then stood at his bedside and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Sirius, wake up." She gave him a soft shake. "Sirius!" She gave him a firmer shake.

After a few tries Sirius woke up with a start. He sat up, arm flailing around him. One first caught Hermione in the eye. Hermione's hand flew towards her eye, but she held her other hand on Sirius' shoulder.

"Easy. It was only a nightmare…" Hermione continued talking with a soothing voice and slowly Sirius' breathing calmed down.

Finally he looked at her. "Hermione?"

"You okay again?"

"For so far it goes." He studied her for a second. "What happened to your eye?"

"You hit it. It doesn't hurt."

"Let me see. Computer, raise lights." 

The light went on and Sirius pulled her hand away. He looked for a few seconds. "That looks okay."

"It already stopped hurting… Are you okay?"

Sirius had bowed his head and Hermione saw something glistering on his cheek. "What's wrong?"

Hermione sat back when the tears turned into sobs.

***

Hermione was perplexed. She had seen this man furious, even murderous. She had seen him scared; she had even seen him quite happy. But she had never seen him crying.

She didn't know so well what to do. She had comforted Ginny more than one time and they simply hugged each other. The few times she had 'counseled' Harry and Ron she also just hugged them. But this felt a little bit different to her.

But her instincts took over. She sat down on the edge of the bed, placed her arms around him and pulled him closer. It didn't matter that he was the godfather of on of her best friends. He was just a fellow warrior and friend who needed comfort.

***

"Sorry Hermione. It wasn't my meaning to break down and to throw that in your lap." 

"Stop right there, Sirius. It's not the first time I see some one 'break down' as you call it. I have talked to Ginny more then once and the same even goes for Harry and Ron. I know you usually go to Remus back home, but that's a bit difficult here." Hermione's voice was gentle and soft. 

Sirius looked at her, but didn't say anything.

"You should talk to someone. Shared pain is lighter to bear. That's at least what a wise person told me once. And I found out this is often true. I don't think I am the best person to share your pain with, but if you want that you know where to find me."

"Sometimes I wonder why your animagus form is not an owl. You're wise beyond your years."

"I have no idea."

"Then I remember that I do know that. You're not only wise. But you carry a warrior's spirit inside of you."

"I wonder how many people see the wise one inside you. It's hidden under all those layers of boyishness, pranks and everything else, but it's certainly there."

They were silent for a few moments, but suddenly Sirius stomach rumbled. Both laughed.

"Well, shall I fetch something to eat for you? Doctor Crusher said something about just some light meals, though."

"I would like a bowl of tomato soup."

"Okay, one bowl of tomato soup, coming up."