Loveless
Chapter 5
Hermione opened her eyes to a darkened room, not knowing what happened or how she got there. She tried to sit up, but she was sore all over. Then, all thoughts of the night before came to her, the party, the attack, and Harry. She wondered if he was okay as she did not remember anything after she saw him lying lifeless. Maybe he's dead, as soon as she thought that, she tried to shake the thought from her head, it's not possible, shut up brain, shut up.
"Ah, Miss Granger, you're up." The serene voice of Albus Dumbledore washed over her, taking away all nasty thoughts. She knew that as long as he was there, no harm can befall Harry, at least she hoped so.
"Um, professor, what happened to Harry? I don't remember." Hermione asked tentatively, in case it was very bad news.
"Well, Miss Granger, that is something you'll have to see for yourself." Dumbledore replied, the twinkle missing from his eyes.
"I find that impossible as I barely sit up." Hermione said, still struggling.
"I suppose that Severus can escort you, then." Dumbledore replied.
Right on cue, Severus Snape came in, put his arms around Hermione and took her off the spring mattress. He was surprisingly gentle for an old git, and Hermione found herself drawing closer to him. Stop it, her brain commanded, he's your professor, it's wrong. But before she could do anything else that her brain found scandalous, they arrived at Harry's door, where, unsurprisingly, Professor Dumbledore stood. He opened the door and led them in. Hermione freed herself from Snape's grasp and stumbled a few steps to the chair by Harry's bed. When, she saw him, she gasped and began to cry. His face was ashen, and lifeless, when she reached out to touch him, he was cold, but when she lightly touched his arm, she found a faint pulse, almost nonexistent.
"Is...is...is he still alive?" Hermione sobbed.
"Yes," Professor Dumbledore replied, "but barely."
"Will he be cured?" Hermione asked, half wanting to hear the answer, half afraid to hear it.
"Well, he is definitely stunned beyond what we can repair, but I have faith. I have read about muggles who are also like him, some do recover, it would help if you talk to him a lot, I think he might be able to recover faster that way." Dumbledore explained.
"How will I be able to talk to him, won't he be at St. Mungo's?" Hermione asked.
"We're going to move him back to Hogwarts, where some St. Mungo's Healers would be to help him." Dumbledore said, getting up, "Well, I must leave you now, lots of things to take care of and arrange, good day."
Hermione waved good-bye to Dumbledore and looked down at Harry, trying not to cry. It was going to be hard. She half expected Snape to come and ruin the moment, but when she looked up, she found him staring blankly at Harry. As if he felt her gaze, he looked up and met it, and that's when it hit her. She didn't see the coldness in his eyes, the thing that she was so used to see, but something else, something completely different. Instead of seeing a pair of stone-cold and hard ebony eyes, she found herself falling into an endless abyss. Her heart flipped over and she was sure that she would die on the spot. What are you doing? Her brain screamed. Don't tell me that you like Snape, your PROFESSOR SNAPE, THE MAN OLD ENOUGH TO BE YOU FATHER, SNAP OUT OF IT HERMIONE, SHOW SOME COMMON SENSE!!!!!!!
"Are you ready to go, Miss Granger?" Professor Snape asked, right on cue.
"Oh yes, of course."
& & & & & & & & & & &
The next couple of days passed painfully slowly. The day that she arrived back at Hogwarts was the very worst. Everyone has heard about Harry's new condition and how the boy-who-lived was suddenly defeated by the Dark Lord. It was as if a cloud of gloom settled over Hogwarts, and the never ceasing rain only added more gloom. Everyone was quiet at the feast, ready to listen to what Dumbledore has to say.
"Welcome back students, it's wonderful to see most of you back, unscathed." How could he be so calm? Hermione wondered as Dumbledore began his speech.
"As many of you might know, our very own head boy has been the victim of a recent attack. He is in a condition unfit to return to school, but I have no plans of replacing the position. So, the Prefects will take on more duties." Dumbledore said, taking his seat. The students seemed rather unhappy at his very short speech, but their eyes lit up as he stood up again.
"Oh, and one more thing, I do not advise you to pester Miss Granger about these past few days as she has also suffered through some injuries, both physical, and mental. That is all, so enjoy the feast."
Instead of eating the food Hermione felt the eyes of everyone upon her, some questioning, some knowing, and all eager for explanation.
She could hear the swish of his cloaks as he entered, though she could not see his face. All of her energy was concentrated on saving Harry and making sure that he does not die, though it seemed inevitable that he does. She felt all of her energy draining, but she also sensed another magical force close to her, protecting her, saving her. She felt her knees buckle beneath her as she began to blackout. She saw Harry, a figure glowing with green light, with green settling over him. But before her vision gave out completely, she saw the man who saved her, the abyss that she had fallen into.
Hermione woke up suddenly, her body drenched in cold sweat. She felt so alone, by herself in a tower. But then, she heard what Dumbledore told her... It would help if you talk to him. Telling herself that it was the right thing to do, Hermione got up and tiptoed to the Hospital Wing and into the room specially prepared for Harry. The sight of his lifeless figure made her eyes tear up, but she was determined to talk to him.
"Hey, Harry." She said, taking his hand, trying to feel his presence, "how are you doing? I'm not very well."
I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
"I'm afraid Harry, afraid that you'll die, afraid that we'll lose."
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
'Cause your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone
"Harry, why, why did this have to happen, why couldn't we live happily together?"
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
"Harry, I feel that this is something that I can't get over, I can't live everyday, after seeing you almost dead."
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me
"Harry, everyday that I try to live normally, the memories overtake me. All those times that we outdone Voldemort, all those years when I thought that you might not live to see another day, and now I fear that it might be happening."
You used to captivate me
By your resonating light
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
"Harry, you have no idea how much everyone wanted to know what happened to you. I couldn't tell anyone, not even Ron or Ginny, it just hurts too much."
Your face it haunts
My once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away
All the sanity in me
"You don't know how excruciating these past few days have been. I feel like I have lived through an eternity, I can't sleep, I can't concentrate, I can only think about you."
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
But though you're still with me
I've been alone all along
"Harry, living in the tower by myself is too lonely. I'm probably going to drop my position soon. I can't handle this, oh, Harry, please, just answer me... I'm so alone." And with that, Hermione buried her face in Harry's sheets and cried.
Unknown to her, Severus Snape stood outside the door, listening to her pain and hearing her anguish. It was strange, but he felt that this great tragedy brought him closer to the Granger girl. He also felt a twinge of guilt in not feeling sad enough about this event.
A/N: Wow, that was long, and sad, and pathetic. Oh well. The song, "My Immortal" by Evanescence, is obviously not mine as is the whole Harry Potter thing. Anything you might recognize is not mine. Reviews very much welcomed, but I won't grovel for it, okay, maybe for a little while.
XOXOXOXO
Bookworm2003