A.N. Chapter 7. As promised. Keep the feedback coming! Thanks again!

Jasper - Chapter 7

The procedure, of course, went flawlessly.

The after effects were a different story.

They all knew it wouldn't be pleasant. They all knew there would be memories, pain, nightmares, and confusion.

None of them expected this.

The straightjacket, as it turned out, came in very handy, as Hermione awoke terrified, angry, and confused.

Once they had her mostly immobile, the first several hours were easy --- if you could ignore the screaming.

It was constant, the screaming. Long, full, blood-curdling screams of pure agony. She was in terrible pain, and none of them could help her. The pain was tangible, visible, rolling off of her in angry read waves. Every molecule in Remus's body ached to take her in his arms, but getting within a few feet of her made the approaching wizard feel as though he was being turned inside out. All three of them tried. It was useless.

The pain subsided about the same time she began to lose her voice, and the screams quieted to hoarse sobs that wracked her entire body.

Now Remus was able to hold her, and hold her he did, for hours. He sang and cooed and whispered nonsense to her. He managed to get her to take a few sips of water, but she wouldn't eat. Eventually she fell asleep and the three men breathed a collective sigh of relief.

But it wasn't over yet. When she awoke she simply wandered around the room, her arms still bound in that ridiculous straightjacket. She constantly mumbled to herself in a voice so low, nobody could hear what she said. It didn't matter, really, it was incomprehensible nonsense anyway.

The three men began to watch her in shifts. At least she was eating, if only a few bites here and there. This went on for days. Her classes were cancelled for the time being. The students would survive without History for a week or two. Snape had nearly given up on her, and Remus was beginning to despair. Minerva was still caring for Jasper when Remus was away (which was nearly all the time these days.) Through all this though, Dumbledore remained optimistic.

It paid off too. One morning Hermione awoke, still profoundly depressed, but lucid as the day she graduated from Hogwarts.

Dumbledore checked her over and smiled. Snape gave her a few nights worth of dreamless sleep potion and ordered gently, "only if you need it."

Remus hugged and kissed her, looked in her eyes and said, "Welcome back, Darling."

Hermione managed a weak smile. "I'm glad you're here," she stated quietly.

They had a light breakfast, which Hermione mostly picked at, but ate enough of, and Remus escorted her straight to his quarters and into Jasper's room.

Little did he know --- the worst was yet to come.

Hermione wanted nothing to do with her son. Jasper brought her no joy or even contentment the way he did before. She wouldn't feed or change him. She sometimes barely noticed when Remus would lay him gently in her arms.

She couldn't tell him why when he asked. She didn't know. "Just give me time," she'd always say.

Remus was relying on Minerva's help as much as ever and it was difficult for him to explain why without betraying Hermione's confidences.

Remus had sometimes read about muggle mothers who rejected their newborn children for the first several weeks or even months after giving birth. It was a muggle disorder called Post-Partum Depression, and was often so severe that the mother or even the child had to be hospitalized or heavily medicated. It had even resulted in death on very rare occasions. But, it had never, to anyone's knowledge, happened in the wizarding world.

Remus was terrified. This had gone on far too long.

So he and Dumbledore came up with a plan.

Hermione spent most of her mornings curled up on her window seat, staring blankly out the window.

She barely noticed one morning when Remus, Albus and Hagrid marched together across the grounds and into the castle.

Shortly thereafter the three burst into her room and in one movement Hagrid had swept her into his arms and held her close.

She tried desperately to put up a struggle, but was certainly no match for the half-giant.

"Yeh might as well stop wigglin' Hermione, 'cause yer comin' wit me whether yeh likes it er not," Hagrid stated adamantly.

Remus reached up and squeezed her hand. "We just want to help you, darling," he said. She tugged her hand away and looked at Dumbledore. His eyes just twinkled.

She looked desperately at Hagrid and met his kind, beetle-black eyes, which had begun to fill with tears.

Then the floodgates opened. She sobbed into Hagrid's shoulder and twisted her fists into his beard. She curled herself up completely in his huge frame and let the sorrow flow through her. For the first time in weeks, Hermione felt --- safe.

Hagrid carried her quickly to his hut where Ron and Harry were patiently waiting for her.

Remus and Albus had decided that if anyone could help Hermione --- her boys could.