A/N : I again have to apologize for the amount of time it's taken me to get
this chapter out. I'm at school now, and we don't have internet access in
our dorms right now. They say it'll be another two weeks, so we'll see.
This chapter is at least a little longer than the others which I hope will
make up for the amount of time it took me to get it posted. Sorry!
Chapter 33
Hermione walked down to the Potions classroom after her last class on Friday to ask Snape for some time in the lab. Following her to the room were several fifth-year Slytherins who had Potions as the last class of the week.
"And she would know, cause you know, she grew up with him - they're like brother and sister. So anyway, Pansy said he got a letter from Breena the other day that made his day. So like, Hermione is just his potions partner, nothing more," a girl was saying. Hermione was shocked to hear it said aloud, even though that's what she'd been telling everyone for the longest time. Somehow hearing the words from someone else made it seem so harsh. And why did it matter? Why was the entire school talking about it? Did they really care what Hermione did in her free time?
Changing her mind about the lab time, Hermione decided to turn around. She pushed confidently past the girls who were discussing Draco's social calendar and headed for the library. Turning a corner, Hermione spotted Draco talking to someone and prayed he wouldn't see her as she walked by.
"Miss Granger!" a voice called just as Hermione thought she was in the clear. Hermione turned to see Draco talking to Professor McGonagall. The professor motioned for her to join them. "I was just giving Draco his book list," Professor McGonagall said, handing her a copy. Hermione looked over the list and started to speak but the professor silenced her, saying, "I have informed Madam Pince that you have my permission to access the restricted section."
"Thank you, Professor," Hermione said, trying to escape. She bit her lip hoping for a dismissal.
"I really have a lot of faith in both of you," McGonagall went on. Hermione nodded. The professor didn't say anything else, so Hermione decided to go ahead and leave.
Draco watched her go, wondering what she was thinking about. It was obvious to him that there was something bugging her, whether or not she knew he noticed. He was tempted to follow her to the library, but decided that he would give her some time to sort out her thoughts before he tried to talk to her.
Instead, Draco headed down the stairs to the lounge. He sat on the sofa and put his feet up.
So he'd been out of line with the sympathy pain idea. But was that reason enough for her to practically ignore him all week? He didn't think so. Obviously something had upset her. Was it maybe the prospect of a glimmer of truth in his idea or was she just upset that he had reminded her of the similarities between her and her mother? Not really knowing why, Draco suddenly felt the need to be with Hermione. He got to his feet and had to struggle to keep from running to the library.
Hermione skimmed the list of books in the restricted section hoping to find one that would require her complete attention. The idea was to keep her mind occupied so she wouldn't feel sorry for herself. A few of the books she recognized from previous work in the restricted section but most of them she'd never heard of. The one that stood out the most however, was called The Story of our Time. It seemed a little silly to keep a history book in the restricted section, but Hermione decided the book must have been cursed. Moving on, she selected a few titles and headed for a table. Just as she was leaving the section the history book caught her eye.
"Why not?" she asked herself aloud. She pulled the book off the shelf in one fluid motion. As if she were watching a movie, teeny little vignettes of memory flooded back to her:
The Sorting, visiting Hagrid with Ron and Harry, brewing the polyjuice potion, Draco calling her a mudblood, her first Yule Ball and the Triwizard Tournament, Quidditch games, being Pansy's confidante, getting Draco as a potions partner, kissing Draco, meeting the Dark Lord, Draco comforting her, kissing Draco, Draco proposing, the Dark Lord dying, the final battle, and turning power to the light.
Overwhelmed, Hermione opened her eyes wishing Draco was there. Frustrated that the very thing that was supposed to take her mind off him was making her want him more, she turned only to find Draco right there by her side looking very concerned. Unable to speak, Hermione handed him the book. Draco's eyes closed and the color drained from his face. She could see his eyelids flutter as though he were dreaming. Only an instant later his eyes reopened.
Draco wanted to tell her everything he'd seen, but he couldn't make his voice work. His eyes met with hers and he felt as though all of his muscles were full of cold steel. His arms and legs felt incredibly heavy like he had been standing in that spot for years.
Madam Pince came back to check on the two students and let out a bloodcurdling scream. Hermione and Draco were literally frozen in their places. Their skin was pale blue and their hair was icy. Snow had collected in the folds of their clothes. Most peculiar of all though was their eyes - locked on each other, glowing bright red.
* * *
"I warned you, Minerva," Albus' voice was as raised as it ever got. Minerva could see in his eyes that he was furious with her, but she held her ground.
"We don't know that anything is wrong with them," she said pointedly. "They may be just fine when they awake."
"Or they may be mentally incapacitated. Capable only of drooling by themselves," Severus broke in. "Minerva, you know better. If I had the power, I would discharge you."
"Thank Merlin for that," Minerva said under her breath. Severus raised an eyebrow at her but didn't say anything.
"It is more than likely, Minerva, that the two will remain in a coma," Albus reminded her. She nodded.
"How long do you expect?" she asked. Albus sat down at his desk, and folded his hands around one another.
"Quite honestly, Minerva, I do not expect them to ever awaken," he informed her. "The mental strain, as Severus has alluded, is quite enough to keep them in an internal battle for the rest of their natural lives, not to mention the possible emotional consequences."
"But I researched the book carefully, Albus!" Minerva broke in. "Those who had already been regaining memory and then were able to read the truth in the book slept for a week at most and then awoke as if nothing had ever happened."
"Those were all fully grown adults, Minerva," Albus corrected. Her face fell and she all but fell into the chair in front of him.
"I wouldn't have done it if I had thought it would make the situation worse," she said softly. Severus snorted.
"Spare us. Why would you want to make it worse?" Severus asked. "We know all that. The point is you went against a direct order."
"I think maybe, Minerva, a brief sabbatical is in order. You have earned it, after all," Albus suggested. Minerva looked shocked.
"You want me to go on a vacation while two of my best students are lying comatose in the hospital wing?" she asked.
"At your doing!" Severus yelled. Albus held up his hand.
"Minerva, I am going to have to ask you to consider this. Severus, you may go now."
Severus crossed the room sulkily, and threw open the door to reveal an irate-looking Narcissa Malfoy, followed closely by an identically angry Colette MacGregor, Hermione's birth mother. Minerva threw a weary glance at Albus and then got to her feet.
"Just what kind of a school are you running here, Albus?" Narcissa's voice was sharp and loud.
"Please sit down, Narcissa, Colette," Albus gestured for the two women to sit down in the chairs recently occupied by Minerva and Severus. They sat on the edges of the seats, as though afraid that sitting comfortably would calm them down.
"If my husband were around, I know he would have you replaced, Albus. What have you done to my child?" Narcissa leaned forward as if to appear more threatening.
"I can assure you both that no harm was intended," Albus began. This prompted a shriek from Colette.
"No harm was intended? How much does that matter now that they're about as good as dead?" Colette spat. "And why are they rotting up there in that hospital wing and not in St. Mungo's?"
"They have been seen by a professional team from St. Mungo's that specializes in matters such as these. We were assured that keeping them in an environment familiar to them was the best course of action for a speedy recovery," Albus clarified. Colette raised her eyebrows, skeptically. "Narcissa, Colette, I want you to understand that we are doing our absolute best to care for your children. If you would like to see them, Severus would be more than happy to escort you to the hospital wing," Albus suggested. The mothers nodded. Severus shot Albus a pained look, but led the women from the room.
"That went much more smoothly than I had anticipated," Minerva breathed. Albus nodded.
"Minerva, I must urge you to take that sabbatical or I will be forced to ask the Board for a suspension," Albus' tone darkened. Minerva nodded. "I believe a month should be adequate," he suggested.
"An entire month?" Minerva gasped. Albus nodded firmly. Minerva decided not to argue with him and quickly left the room. Heading directly for her office to write lesson plans, she was careful not to make eye contact with anyone she passed along the way.
As soon as she was in the solitude of her office, her eyes filled with tears.
* * *
Severus left the women alone with their children and headed directly to find the headmaster. Luckily, Albus was already on his way to the hospital wing. Severus and the elderly man stepped into a nearby office.
"Why don't they know their children had memory charms placed on them?" Severus hissed. Albus' eyes widened.
"You didn't tell them that did you?" Albus asked. Severus shook his head.
"No, I didn't. I know enough to know there must be a logical explanation," he responded.
"Severus, they are under the influence of the memory charm also. But they aren't exhibiting any signs of struggle with it, and therefore they have no reason to know," Dumbledore explained. Severus nodded.
"What are the odds that Hermione and Draco will recover fully?" Severus asked unable to hide the emotion in his voice. Albus' expression softened.
"To be honest, Severus, I believe that in time they will recover fully. The question isn't whether or not they will recover - they are both strong-willed and possess the strength of mind to fight this off. The question is how long will it take?" Albus sighed. "I hate to be so hard on Minerva, she had only the best of intentions, however, she needed to realize the severity of her actions. Because the memory charm was so strong, and they were both working so hard to fight it, as soon as they touched the book they must have experienced a time-line almost of memories. They weren't ever given a chance to read what happened, and I believe that is for the best. Time will provide them with all the answers and I believe it is better that way."
"Thank you, Albus," Severus nodded. The men went their separate ways.
* * *
Hermione was floating. She could feel the gentle rise and fall of the waves below her and the warm rays of the sun above her. For the first time, she was in a new place - a place she'd never been before. Somewhere inside her mind she knew that everything was going to be just fine. Nothing could hurt her, no one could touch her. Everything was just fine, and she was calm beyond belief. She could feel sensation slowly returning to her limbs and felt like she should move them. So she did, curling up into a near fetal-position similar to the way she slept at night. As soon as she did this, faint voices drifted into hearing range. They were ruining her peaceful feeling and she wanted them to go away. But the voices got louder until she had to open her eyes and see who it was that was disrupting her lovely nap.
Directly in front of her sat her mother, Colette, who was talking to Madam Pomfrey. Turning her head slightly, Hermione could see Headmaster Dumbledore engaged in conversation with Narcissa Malfoy. Turning her head further, and a bit more slowly, her eyes met with Draco's. Instinctively she knew he had just woken up as well. Looking at him she felt a peaceful feeling inside again.
"They're awake!" Narcissa shrieked just then, breaking Draco's gaze at Hermione. He struggled to sit up and for the first time registered his surroundings. The usual tray of candies and gifts from well-wishers was dwarfed by the piles of packages of varying sizes that blanketed the room. His eyes met with Hermione's again, and he could see his own awe reflected in her expression.
"You have quite a fan club," Dumbledore spoke. "We tried to keep this as quiet as possible. The gifts from Japan only started arriving yesterday."
"Japan?" Hermione asked.
"I've kept a scrapbook of the newspaper articles," Colette spoke up. "I'll bring it to you tomorrow," she offered.
"Our schoolwork!" Hermione gasped. Her revelation was met with gentle laughter.
"Your deadlines have been extended. Although I daresay you won't need it," Albus explained. Hermione let out the breath she'd been holding.
"Alright, everybody out!" Madam Pomfrey announced. "These two need their rest."
"They've been resting for three weeks now!" Narcissa cried.
"They've been working hard to fight off the coma," Madam Pomfrey explained. The mothers heaved a sigh and smothered their children in kisses before allowing Albus to escort them out. Madam Pomfrey pulled a curtain closed around the two beds.
Hermione turned to face Draco. He was staring at her intently, a smile on his face.
"What?" Hermione asked, unable to keep herself from smiling as well.
"For the past three weeks, I have dreamed about nothing but you," he informed her. A pink blush rose in Hermione's cheeks. "Don't get all worked up, it wasn't anything like that," he enunciated. "I have remembered things I don't think I ordinarily would have remembered."
"I've seen so much," Hermione agreed. "I'm still trying to process it all. All of those things really happened," she remarked. "All of those things we've been trying to remember."
"I know," Draco nodded. "And I still don't know half of it."
"Oh," Hermione suddenly looked down. "I don't know what parts you saw and what parts I saw," she said quietly. Draco wondered what she could be thinking about, and then he immediately realized what it was. He slipped out of his bed quietly and came to sit on her bed.
"I saw the part towards the end, about you being pregnant," he said. "I never got to apologize to you for being angry," he added, "I'm very sorry, Hermione."
"I understand," Hermione nodded. "I can imagine why you must have been so upset with me."
"But I was right!" Draco realized suddenly. He looked down at Hermione, his eyes shining. "Partly right," he corrected himself. "You were having sympathy pains," he said, watching as a look of recognition came over Hermione's face.
"I was, you're right!" she exclaimed. "But they weren't for my mom, they were for myself."
"Right, and you must have been pregnant with the Dark Lord's heir before. That's the only explanation," Draco reasoned. Hermione nodded.
"Of course, it was so simple," she agreed. "At least it was once we had all the information," she said. Draco smiled at her.
"I feel fantastic," he told her. "I have never felt so relieved in my life," he admitted. Hermione returned his smile.
"I feel so much better knowing all of this," she agreed. "I almost regret making that wish," she admitted.
"You mean you don't regret it?" he asked. She shook her head.
"I don't, because then everyone would know, and then they would be very, very angry with me," she told him. He had to admit she had a point. Life would be very rough if everyone knew all the evil deeds they'd been a part of. It was safer for them to have this as their secret. "I also feel like my mother has been my mother my whole life, and not that I was raised by some muggle family, and that's a good feeling."
"But those aren't real memories," Draco protested. His brow furrowed. "And how did my dad die?" he asked, catching Hermione off guard.
"I don't know," she said, shaking her head. They were silent for a little while. Hermione's eyelids began to feel heavy. Draco yawned, and stood up to go back to his own bed. Hermione took his hand before he could move away. "Stay with me?" she asked. A smile crossed Draco's lips as he slid into the bed with Hermione. Wrapping his arms around her took all the energy he had before he fell fast asleep.
* * *
A week later, Hermione and Draco walked out of the hospital wing full of energy. They talked excitedly about Halloween which was a few days away and catching up on what they'd missed while they were sleeping.
All too soon they found themselves at the door to Gryffindor Tower. Hermione didn't want to say anything, but she hated the idea of letting Draco out of her sight. She bit her lip and hoped he would say something to break the silence.
"Well, I guess I'll see you at dinner," he said, clearing his throat. Hermione nodded and looked away, afraid of what he might see in her eyes. Draco quickly kissed her cheek and walked away. He wasn't sure how she would react to the kiss and didn't want to see a negative reaction.
Barely able to speak the password because she was fighting back tears, Hermione quietly entered the common room. Much to her relief, the room was quiet. She assumed everyone was at class and headed for her room. Just as she reached the stairs, all the Gryffindors burst out from behind the furniture.
"Surprise!" they yelled. Hermione turned around warily and looked at them all, standing there expectantly. She could see them biting their lips and grinning, so pleased with themselves for organizing this event. But it was too much, and Hermione burst into tears. Immediately their smiles faded and they exchanged worried glances. Rather than try to explain, Hermione walked slowly up to her room and locked the door behind her. She knew it wasn't a constructive way to deal with her feelings, but she didn't care. At that very moment the only thing she wanted to do was sleep. Just before she drifted off, she lazily lifted her wand and unlocked the door so her roommates could get in.
* * *
Draco slept for two days straight. He awoke feeling as though his stomach was an empty tube of toothpaste that had been rung out several times. Judging from the muted snores coming from his roommates, it was still night or early morning. Rather than try to go back to sleep, Draco slipped from his bed and headed for the kitchens.
He found the house elves still hard at work cleaning up dishes, so he decided it was still night time. His skin felt cold and clammy, which made him feel slightly nauseous when combined with the fact that he hadn't eaten for days.
The elves loaded his arms with leftover foods, and he hurried off towards the library. Not surprisingly, he found Hermione sitting on one of the couches in their lounge.
"I hoped you'd be here soon," she said smiling at him. "I think I've slept for three days. It's so strange."
"Aren't you hungry?" he asked, watching her pick up a small roll and examine it carefully before taking a cautious nibble. She shrugged.
"I'm starving, but for some reason none of these foods look good to me," she told him wrinkling her nose.
"Now that you mention it," Draco agreed. "What a waste."
"It must be one of the side effects. We should ask Madam Pomfrey how long it will take to go away," Hermione suggested. Draco nodded. "I've been dreaming about it all still. I feel like it's a movie on repeat in my head."
"I see it too," he spoke up. "It's starting to get old. I already lived it once, why dwell on it?"
"There's obviously a lesson to be learned," Hermione mused. "I just wonder what it could be."
"It's probably something incredibly obvious," Draco remarked, yawning. "I really wish I could stay awake more than an hour," he added. Hermione nodded, yawning as well.
"I'm never going to get any of my assignments done at this rate," she agreed, leaning her head against Draco's chest. He rested his chin on her head and enjoyed the warmth of her body against his. Feeling his eyelids grow heavy again, he considered trying to get up and let Hermione go but decided it was too much effort.
* * *
"What do you mean there's nothing you can do?" Hermione felt like crying as her voice rose to almost a yell.
"I mean that you'll just have to be patient, Miss Granger," Madam Pomfrey tried her best to stay calm.
"Until what? I waste away?" Hermione was shouting now. "I can barely stay awake for more than thirty minutes, I can't eat anything, which means I haven't eaten in two weeks, water tastes like chemicals, and I can't concentrate at all on my schoolwork. I can't just be patient, I'm going to die!"
"There's no need for hysterics, Miss Granger, I can assure you that all of this is perfectly normal. You really will just have to trust me on this," Madam Pomfrey reassured her. Hermione took a deep breath.
"Madam Pomfrey, there has to be something you can do, I can't keep up with my work, I'm going to fall so far behind," Hermione sighed.
"Your professors will understand," the nurse said before leaving the room. Hermione heaved a sigh and headed down the stairs to where Draco was waiting.
"Any luck?" he asked hopefully.
"None whatsoever," Hermione said yawning. She had to lean against Draco to steady herself. "I guess its naptime. Again," she added rolling her eyes. Draco nodded and they headed for their lounge.
* * *
As the sun set that night, a thick fog rolled onto the castle grounds. It crept into the old stones and settled into the hallways and classrooms. Stretching its long fingers around the crevices and corners and cracks, it enveloped Hogwarts Castle in a deep darkness.
* * *
Hermione walked down to the Great Hall the next morning alone. She pulled her robes tightly around her as she made her way through the thick mist that pervaded even the innermost recesses of the castle. In sharp contrast to the usual happy bustle of the hallways, the students moved quickly from place to place keeping their eyes downcast and barely speaking above a whisper. A bony hand grabbed Hermione's arm, and she gasped as she was dragged out of the hall.
"Miss Granger, I wanted to apologize," a very sickly Professor McGonagall said. Hermione took a shaky deep breath and nodded before heading back on her way. The elderly woman looked terrible. Huge bags hung underneath her red-rimmed eyes, and her cheeks looked sunken and sallow. Hermione tried to shake the image from her mind.
Even the Great Hall made Hermione feel sick as she took a seat at her table. No one was speaking as they slowly ate their food, which Hermione could barely make herself choke down. She hurriedly finished her breakfast and went immediately back up to her room to take a nap before she did any of her schoolwork for the day.
Collapsing on her bed, Hermione was surprised to find herself out of breath.
"Did I walk up here that fast?" she asked, still breathing heavily. Shrugging it off, she fell right asleep.
* * *
Hermione was walking through a large crowd of people. They looked at her, some angry, some sad, but most of them just looked scared. Everyone was dressed in the same gray wool rags, and they all looked malnourished. A girl with flaming red hair was coughing into a scrap of wool she had pulled from her dress. As she pulled the fabric away, Hermione could see it was soaked with blood. Turning her head, she walked up to the castle ahead of her.
A sudden noise awoke Hermione from her dream and she sat up straight in bed, gasping for breath.
"Ginny," she whispered, realizing who the coughing girl in her dream had been.
"No, just me, sorry," a comforting voice said, stepping into the light. Hermione hadn't realized until just then that she wasn't alone in the room. Draco sat down on the side of her bed. "You had a nightmare?" he asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She nodded and tried to catch her breath.
"Draco, I can't breathe," she realized, clutching her chest. Draco stood up immediately and lifted her out of her bed. "Put..me..down," she gasped, causing Draco to almost drop her back into her bed.
"I don't want to leave you," he protested. Hermione motioned for him to go on. "Don't laugh," he instructed her, before pulling his broomstick from behind a curtain. "I know it's terribly cliché, but I wanted to see you," he explained before he stepped out the window. "I'll be right back," he promised.
Chapter 33
Hermione walked down to the Potions classroom after her last class on Friday to ask Snape for some time in the lab. Following her to the room were several fifth-year Slytherins who had Potions as the last class of the week.
"And she would know, cause you know, she grew up with him - they're like brother and sister. So anyway, Pansy said he got a letter from Breena the other day that made his day. So like, Hermione is just his potions partner, nothing more," a girl was saying. Hermione was shocked to hear it said aloud, even though that's what she'd been telling everyone for the longest time. Somehow hearing the words from someone else made it seem so harsh. And why did it matter? Why was the entire school talking about it? Did they really care what Hermione did in her free time?
Changing her mind about the lab time, Hermione decided to turn around. She pushed confidently past the girls who were discussing Draco's social calendar and headed for the library. Turning a corner, Hermione spotted Draco talking to someone and prayed he wouldn't see her as she walked by.
"Miss Granger!" a voice called just as Hermione thought she was in the clear. Hermione turned to see Draco talking to Professor McGonagall. The professor motioned for her to join them. "I was just giving Draco his book list," Professor McGonagall said, handing her a copy. Hermione looked over the list and started to speak but the professor silenced her, saying, "I have informed Madam Pince that you have my permission to access the restricted section."
"Thank you, Professor," Hermione said, trying to escape. She bit her lip hoping for a dismissal.
"I really have a lot of faith in both of you," McGonagall went on. Hermione nodded. The professor didn't say anything else, so Hermione decided to go ahead and leave.
Draco watched her go, wondering what she was thinking about. It was obvious to him that there was something bugging her, whether or not she knew he noticed. He was tempted to follow her to the library, but decided that he would give her some time to sort out her thoughts before he tried to talk to her.
Instead, Draco headed down the stairs to the lounge. He sat on the sofa and put his feet up.
So he'd been out of line with the sympathy pain idea. But was that reason enough for her to practically ignore him all week? He didn't think so. Obviously something had upset her. Was it maybe the prospect of a glimmer of truth in his idea or was she just upset that he had reminded her of the similarities between her and her mother? Not really knowing why, Draco suddenly felt the need to be with Hermione. He got to his feet and had to struggle to keep from running to the library.
Hermione skimmed the list of books in the restricted section hoping to find one that would require her complete attention. The idea was to keep her mind occupied so she wouldn't feel sorry for herself. A few of the books she recognized from previous work in the restricted section but most of them she'd never heard of. The one that stood out the most however, was called The Story of our Time. It seemed a little silly to keep a history book in the restricted section, but Hermione decided the book must have been cursed. Moving on, she selected a few titles and headed for a table. Just as she was leaving the section the history book caught her eye.
"Why not?" she asked herself aloud. She pulled the book off the shelf in one fluid motion. As if she were watching a movie, teeny little vignettes of memory flooded back to her:
The Sorting, visiting Hagrid with Ron and Harry, brewing the polyjuice potion, Draco calling her a mudblood, her first Yule Ball and the Triwizard Tournament, Quidditch games, being Pansy's confidante, getting Draco as a potions partner, kissing Draco, meeting the Dark Lord, Draco comforting her, kissing Draco, Draco proposing, the Dark Lord dying, the final battle, and turning power to the light.
Overwhelmed, Hermione opened her eyes wishing Draco was there. Frustrated that the very thing that was supposed to take her mind off him was making her want him more, she turned only to find Draco right there by her side looking very concerned. Unable to speak, Hermione handed him the book. Draco's eyes closed and the color drained from his face. She could see his eyelids flutter as though he were dreaming. Only an instant later his eyes reopened.
Draco wanted to tell her everything he'd seen, but he couldn't make his voice work. His eyes met with hers and he felt as though all of his muscles were full of cold steel. His arms and legs felt incredibly heavy like he had been standing in that spot for years.
Madam Pince came back to check on the two students and let out a bloodcurdling scream. Hermione and Draco were literally frozen in their places. Their skin was pale blue and their hair was icy. Snow had collected in the folds of their clothes. Most peculiar of all though was their eyes - locked on each other, glowing bright red.
* * *
"I warned you, Minerva," Albus' voice was as raised as it ever got. Minerva could see in his eyes that he was furious with her, but she held her ground.
"We don't know that anything is wrong with them," she said pointedly. "They may be just fine when they awake."
"Or they may be mentally incapacitated. Capable only of drooling by themselves," Severus broke in. "Minerva, you know better. If I had the power, I would discharge you."
"Thank Merlin for that," Minerva said under her breath. Severus raised an eyebrow at her but didn't say anything.
"It is more than likely, Minerva, that the two will remain in a coma," Albus reminded her. She nodded.
"How long do you expect?" she asked. Albus sat down at his desk, and folded his hands around one another.
"Quite honestly, Minerva, I do not expect them to ever awaken," he informed her. "The mental strain, as Severus has alluded, is quite enough to keep them in an internal battle for the rest of their natural lives, not to mention the possible emotional consequences."
"But I researched the book carefully, Albus!" Minerva broke in. "Those who had already been regaining memory and then were able to read the truth in the book slept for a week at most and then awoke as if nothing had ever happened."
"Those were all fully grown adults, Minerva," Albus corrected. Her face fell and she all but fell into the chair in front of him.
"I wouldn't have done it if I had thought it would make the situation worse," she said softly. Severus snorted.
"Spare us. Why would you want to make it worse?" Severus asked. "We know all that. The point is you went against a direct order."
"I think maybe, Minerva, a brief sabbatical is in order. You have earned it, after all," Albus suggested. Minerva looked shocked.
"You want me to go on a vacation while two of my best students are lying comatose in the hospital wing?" she asked.
"At your doing!" Severus yelled. Albus held up his hand.
"Minerva, I am going to have to ask you to consider this. Severus, you may go now."
Severus crossed the room sulkily, and threw open the door to reveal an irate-looking Narcissa Malfoy, followed closely by an identically angry Colette MacGregor, Hermione's birth mother. Minerva threw a weary glance at Albus and then got to her feet.
"Just what kind of a school are you running here, Albus?" Narcissa's voice was sharp and loud.
"Please sit down, Narcissa, Colette," Albus gestured for the two women to sit down in the chairs recently occupied by Minerva and Severus. They sat on the edges of the seats, as though afraid that sitting comfortably would calm them down.
"If my husband were around, I know he would have you replaced, Albus. What have you done to my child?" Narcissa leaned forward as if to appear more threatening.
"I can assure you both that no harm was intended," Albus began. This prompted a shriek from Colette.
"No harm was intended? How much does that matter now that they're about as good as dead?" Colette spat. "And why are they rotting up there in that hospital wing and not in St. Mungo's?"
"They have been seen by a professional team from St. Mungo's that specializes in matters such as these. We were assured that keeping them in an environment familiar to them was the best course of action for a speedy recovery," Albus clarified. Colette raised her eyebrows, skeptically. "Narcissa, Colette, I want you to understand that we are doing our absolute best to care for your children. If you would like to see them, Severus would be more than happy to escort you to the hospital wing," Albus suggested. The mothers nodded. Severus shot Albus a pained look, but led the women from the room.
"That went much more smoothly than I had anticipated," Minerva breathed. Albus nodded.
"Minerva, I must urge you to take that sabbatical or I will be forced to ask the Board for a suspension," Albus' tone darkened. Minerva nodded. "I believe a month should be adequate," he suggested.
"An entire month?" Minerva gasped. Albus nodded firmly. Minerva decided not to argue with him and quickly left the room. Heading directly for her office to write lesson plans, she was careful not to make eye contact with anyone she passed along the way.
As soon as she was in the solitude of her office, her eyes filled with tears.
* * *
Severus left the women alone with their children and headed directly to find the headmaster. Luckily, Albus was already on his way to the hospital wing. Severus and the elderly man stepped into a nearby office.
"Why don't they know their children had memory charms placed on them?" Severus hissed. Albus' eyes widened.
"You didn't tell them that did you?" Albus asked. Severus shook his head.
"No, I didn't. I know enough to know there must be a logical explanation," he responded.
"Severus, they are under the influence of the memory charm also. But they aren't exhibiting any signs of struggle with it, and therefore they have no reason to know," Dumbledore explained. Severus nodded.
"What are the odds that Hermione and Draco will recover fully?" Severus asked unable to hide the emotion in his voice. Albus' expression softened.
"To be honest, Severus, I believe that in time they will recover fully. The question isn't whether or not they will recover - they are both strong-willed and possess the strength of mind to fight this off. The question is how long will it take?" Albus sighed. "I hate to be so hard on Minerva, she had only the best of intentions, however, she needed to realize the severity of her actions. Because the memory charm was so strong, and they were both working so hard to fight it, as soon as they touched the book they must have experienced a time-line almost of memories. They weren't ever given a chance to read what happened, and I believe that is for the best. Time will provide them with all the answers and I believe it is better that way."
"Thank you, Albus," Severus nodded. The men went their separate ways.
* * *
Hermione was floating. She could feel the gentle rise and fall of the waves below her and the warm rays of the sun above her. For the first time, she was in a new place - a place she'd never been before. Somewhere inside her mind she knew that everything was going to be just fine. Nothing could hurt her, no one could touch her. Everything was just fine, and she was calm beyond belief. She could feel sensation slowly returning to her limbs and felt like she should move them. So she did, curling up into a near fetal-position similar to the way she slept at night. As soon as she did this, faint voices drifted into hearing range. They were ruining her peaceful feeling and she wanted them to go away. But the voices got louder until she had to open her eyes and see who it was that was disrupting her lovely nap.
Directly in front of her sat her mother, Colette, who was talking to Madam Pomfrey. Turning her head slightly, Hermione could see Headmaster Dumbledore engaged in conversation with Narcissa Malfoy. Turning her head further, and a bit more slowly, her eyes met with Draco's. Instinctively she knew he had just woken up as well. Looking at him she felt a peaceful feeling inside again.
"They're awake!" Narcissa shrieked just then, breaking Draco's gaze at Hermione. He struggled to sit up and for the first time registered his surroundings. The usual tray of candies and gifts from well-wishers was dwarfed by the piles of packages of varying sizes that blanketed the room. His eyes met with Hermione's again, and he could see his own awe reflected in her expression.
"You have quite a fan club," Dumbledore spoke. "We tried to keep this as quiet as possible. The gifts from Japan only started arriving yesterday."
"Japan?" Hermione asked.
"I've kept a scrapbook of the newspaper articles," Colette spoke up. "I'll bring it to you tomorrow," she offered.
"Our schoolwork!" Hermione gasped. Her revelation was met with gentle laughter.
"Your deadlines have been extended. Although I daresay you won't need it," Albus explained. Hermione let out the breath she'd been holding.
"Alright, everybody out!" Madam Pomfrey announced. "These two need their rest."
"They've been resting for three weeks now!" Narcissa cried.
"They've been working hard to fight off the coma," Madam Pomfrey explained. The mothers heaved a sigh and smothered their children in kisses before allowing Albus to escort them out. Madam Pomfrey pulled a curtain closed around the two beds.
Hermione turned to face Draco. He was staring at her intently, a smile on his face.
"What?" Hermione asked, unable to keep herself from smiling as well.
"For the past three weeks, I have dreamed about nothing but you," he informed her. A pink blush rose in Hermione's cheeks. "Don't get all worked up, it wasn't anything like that," he enunciated. "I have remembered things I don't think I ordinarily would have remembered."
"I've seen so much," Hermione agreed. "I'm still trying to process it all. All of those things really happened," she remarked. "All of those things we've been trying to remember."
"I know," Draco nodded. "And I still don't know half of it."
"Oh," Hermione suddenly looked down. "I don't know what parts you saw and what parts I saw," she said quietly. Draco wondered what she could be thinking about, and then he immediately realized what it was. He slipped out of his bed quietly and came to sit on her bed.
"I saw the part towards the end, about you being pregnant," he said. "I never got to apologize to you for being angry," he added, "I'm very sorry, Hermione."
"I understand," Hermione nodded. "I can imagine why you must have been so upset with me."
"But I was right!" Draco realized suddenly. He looked down at Hermione, his eyes shining. "Partly right," he corrected himself. "You were having sympathy pains," he said, watching as a look of recognition came over Hermione's face.
"I was, you're right!" she exclaimed. "But they weren't for my mom, they were for myself."
"Right, and you must have been pregnant with the Dark Lord's heir before. That's the only explanation," Draco reasoned. Hermione nodded.
"Of course, it was so simple," she agreed. "At least it was once we had all the information," she said. Draco smiled at her.
"I feel fantastic," he told her. "I have never felt so relieved in my life," he admitted. Hermione returned his smile.
"I feel so much better knowing all of this," she agreed. "I almost regret making that wish," she admitted.
"You mean you don't regret it?" he asked. She shook her head.
"I don't, because then everyone would know, and then they would be very, very angry with me," she told him. He had to admit she had a point. Life would be very rough if everyone knew all the evil deeds they'd been a part of. It was safer for them to have this as their secret. "I also feel like my mother has been my mother my whole life, and not that I was raised by some muggle family, and that's a good feeling."
"But those aren't real memories," Draco protested. His brow furrowed. "And how did my dad die?" he asked, catching Hermione off guard.
"I don't know," she said, shaking her head. They were silent for a little while. Hermione's eyelids began to feel heavy. Draco yawned, and stood up to go back to his own bed. Hermione took his hand before he could move away. "Stay with me?" she asked. A smile crossed Draco's lips as he slid into the bed with Hermione. Wrapping his arms around her took all the energy he had before he fell fast asleep.
* * *
A week later, Hermione and Draco walked out of the hospital wing full of energy. They talked excitedly about Halloween which was a few days away and catching up on what they'd missed while they were sleeping.
All too soon they found themselves at the door to Gryffindor Tower. Hermione didn't want to say anything, but she hated the idea of letting Draco out of her sight. She bit her lip and hoped he would say something to break the silence.
"Well, I guess I'll see you at dinner," he said, clearing his throat. Hermione nodded and looked away, afraid of what he might see in her eyes. Draco quickly kissed her cheek and walked away. He wasn't sure how she would react to the kiss and didn't want to see a negative reaction.
Barely able to speak the password because she was fighting back tears, Hermione quietly entered the common room. Much to her relief, the room was quiet. She assumed everyone was at class and headed for her room. Just as she reached the stairs, all the Gryffindors burst out from behind the furniture.
"Surprise!" they yelled. Hermione turned around warily and looked at them all, standing there expectantly. She could see them biting their lips and grinning, so pleased with themselves for organizing this event. But it was too much, and Hermione burst into tears. Immediately their smiles faded and they exchanged worried glances. Rather than try to explain, Hermione walked slowly up to her room and locked the door behind her. She knew it wasn't a constructive way to deal with her feelings, but she didn't care. At that very moment the only thing she wanted to do was sleep. Just before she drifted off, she lazily lifted her wand and unlocked the door so her roommates could get in.
* * *
Draco slept for two days straight. He awoke feeling as though his stomach was an empty tube of toothpaste that had been rung out several times. Judging from the muted snores coming from his roommates, it was still night or early morning. Rather than try to go back to sleep, Draco slipped from his bed and headed for the kitchens.
He found the house elves still hard at work cleaning up dishes, so he decided it was still night time. His skin felt cold and clammy, which made him feel slightly nauseous when combined with the fact that he hadn't eaten for days.
The elves loaded his arms with leftover foods, and he hurried off towards the library. Not surprisingly, he found Hermione sitting on one of the couches in their lounge.
"I hoped you'd be here soon," she said smiling at him. "I think I've slept for three days. It's so strange."
"Aren't you hungry?" he asked, watching her pick up a small roll and examine it carefully before taking a cautious nibble. She shrugged.
"I'm starving, but for some reason none of these foods look good to me," she told him wrinkling her nose.
"Now that you mention it," Draco agreed. "What a waste."
"It must be one of the side effects. We should ask Madam Pomfrey how long it will take to go away," Hermione suggested. Draco nodded. "I've been dreaming about it all still. I feel like it's a movie on repeat in my head."
"I see it too," he spoke up. "It's starting to get old. I already lived it once, why dwell on it?"
"There's obviously a lesson to be learned," Hermione mused. "I just wonder what it could be."
"It's probably something incredibly obvious," Draco remarked, yawning. "I really wish I could stay awake more than an hour," he added. Hermione nodded, yawning as well.
"I'm never going to get any of my assignments done at this rate," she agreed, leaning her head against Draco's chest. He rested his chin on her head and enjoyed the warmth of her body against his. Feeling his eyelids grow heavy again, he considered trying to get up and let Hermione go but decided it was too much effort.
* * *
"What do you mean there's nothing you can do?" Hermione felt like crying as her voice rose to almost a yell.
"I mean that you'll just have to be patient, Miss Granger," Madam Pomfrey tried her best to stay calm.
"Until what? I waste away?" Hermione was shouting now. "I can barely stay awake for more than thirty minutes, I can't eat anything, which means I haven't eaten in two weeks, water tastes like chemicals, and I can't concentrate at all on my schoolwork. I can't just be patient, I'm going to die!"
"There's no need for hysterics, Miss Granger, I can assure you that all of this is perfectly normal. You really will just have to trust me on this," Madam Pomfrey reassured her. Hermione took a deep breath.
"Madam Pomfrey, there has to be something you can do, I can't keep up with my work, I'm going to fall so far behind," Hermione sighed.
"Your professors will understand," the nurse said before leaving the room. Hermione heaved a sigh and headed down the stairs to where Draco was waiting.
"Any luck?" he asked hopefully.
"None whatsoever," Hermione said yawning. She had to lean against Draco to steady herself. "I guess its naptime. Again," she added rolling her eyes. Draco nodded and they headed for their lounge.
* * *
As the sun set that night, a thick fog rolled onto the castle grounds. It crept into the old stones and settled into the hallways and classrooms. Stretching its long fingers around the crevices and corners and cracks, it enveloped Hogwarts Castle in a deep darkness.
* * *
Hermione walked down to the Great Hall the next morning alone. She pulled her robes tightly around her as she made her way through the thick mist that pervaded even the innermost recesses of the castle. In sharp contrast to the usual happy bustle of the hallways, the students moved quickly from place to place keeping their eyes downcast and barely speaking above a whisper. A bony hand grabbed Hermione's arm, and she gasped as she was dragged out of the hall.
"Miss Granger, I wanted to apologize," a very sickly Professor McGonagall said. Hermione took a shaky deep breath and nodded before heading back on her way. The elderly woman looked terrible. Huge bags hung underneath her red-rimmed eyes, and her cheeks looked sunken and sallow. Hermione tried to shake the image from her mind.
Even the Great Hall made Hermione feel sick as she took a seat at her table. No one was speaking as they slowly ate their food, which Hermione could barely make herself choke down. She hurriedly finished her breakfast and went immediately back up to her room to take a nap before she did any of her schoolwork for the day.
Collapsing on her bed, Hermione was surprised to find herself out of breath.
"Did I walk up here that fast?" she asked, still breathing heavily. Shrugging it off, she fell right asleep.
* * *
Hermione was walking through a large crowd of people. They looked at her, some angry, some sad, but most of them just looked scared. Everyone was dressed in the same gray wool rags, and they all looked malnourished. A girl with flaming red hair was coughing into a scrap of wool she had pulled from her dress. As she pulled the fabric away, Hermione could see it was soaked with blood. Turning her head, she walked up to the castle ahead of her.
A sudden noise awoke Hermione from her dream and she sat up straight in bed, gasping for breath.
"Ginny," she whispered, realizing who the coughing girl in her dream had been.
"No, just me, sorry," a comforting voice said, stepping into the light. Hermione hadn't realized until just then that she wasn't alone in the room. Draco sat down on the side of her bed. "You had a nightmare?" he asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She nodded and tried to catch her breath.
"Draco, I can't breathe," she realized, clutching her chest. Draco stood up immediately and lifted her out of her bed. "Put..me..down," she gasped, causing Draco to almost drop her back into her bed.
"I don't want to leave you," he protested. Hermione motioned for him to go on. "Don't laugh," he instructed her, before pulling his broomstick from behind a curtain. "I know it's terribly cliché, but I wanted to see you," he explained before he stepped out the window. "I'll be right back," he promised.