Okay, Bridgette was a doll! …Did I just say doll? Whatever. Okay, she stayed on for like 3 hours! ::hug:: Well, this is from one RP session. It might take longer if you guys want longer… BUT I DID UPDATE, AS PROMISED!
Disclaimer: Forgot to do this last time. The book that the wonderful J.K. Rowling has made never was Bridgette's or mine; never will be Bridgette's or mine; it isn't Bridgette's or mine. Well, no, it isn't right for me to say that it never will be Bridgette's because… yeah, I'm not her. But it certainly never will be mine because I'm never gonna be rich.
Harry and Ron stared in shock at little Ginny attacking Draco Malfoy. It was, quite possibly, the best thing either had ever seen. Except, perhaps, Hermione walking out on a shocked Professor Trelawny, but even so, this had to come in a close second. If the situation hadn't been so serious, they'd have stuck around and laughed their collective arse off. Instead, they climbed into the carriage awaiting them.
Hermione hadn't seemed to even notice but just laid her Ron's arms. If she had looked up, she would have seen a great scene: Ginny fighting with Draco and it appeared that she was winning, with Crabbe and Goyle in the background, unsure of what to do. They had no clue since she was a girl and younger and they had food in their arms and… no, it was mostly they had food in their arms.
Once in the carriage, Harry and Ron sat next to each other, arranging Hermione so that she would be comfortable. They didn't say anything. There was nothing to say. Instead they just watched the landscape sweep past the window.
Hermione's eyes just stared at the ceiling of the carriage emptily, as she thought about what the top must be made of.
When they finally got to the castle they were greeted by Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey, both of whom took one look at Hermione and exchanged dark looks.
"I'll need to look at her right away," Pomfrey said. "You boys follow me and be gentle!"
Hermione closed her eyes, quite comfortable in Ron's arms. Even though she shook slightly every time Ron took a step, she wasn't laying on cold concrete, but instead in warm arms.
Ron and Harry found themselves in the hospital wing sooner than they anticipated and were relieved to be able to lay Hermione on a bed knowing she would be looked after.
"I want you boys to stay," Pomfrey said sternly, moving about quickly. "I need to tend to her and she'll be more comfortable with you around, from what I hear. But be gentle and do as I say." They both nodded and she bent over Hermione. "Honey, can you hear me?"
Hermione looked up at Pomfrey and whimpered, starting to back away. She could hear her fine but the problem was her actually listening. After looking at Harry and Ron and having them usher for her to not be worried, she looked back at Pomfrey and waited a moment for the sentence to sink in and slowly gave a very minute nod.
Pomfrey smiled at her. "Good. Now, I need you to tell me what hurts," she said. "And what happened to make it hurt."
She shook her head quickly and put her forehead to her knees, curling into a ball. She didn't want to remember…
Pomfrey shot a sharp look to Harry and Ron who both opened their mouths to speak, but were interrupted by Dumbledore.
He'd been standing to the side, having asked the other professors to stand in for him in the Great Hall until he could steal away to say a few words and end the feast. He was afraid she might react this way. From what they had been told, she was trying very hard to avoid the subject of what had happened and why. But he knew that holding it in wouldn't make it any better in the morning, so he leaned in close to her. "Miss Granger," he said softly. "I know it's hard and you want to forget, but the best course of … the fastest way to heal is to face it and let go and that can't happen if you don't tell us."
Pomfrey glared at him. "If she doesn't want to tell don't make her Albus," she said sternly. "I only need to fix her up. It would have simply been easier..."
He silenced her with a look.
Hermione couldn't handle any men except for Ron and Harry to be that close right then and she instinctively threw her hand out, and slapped Dumbledore on the face. She only wanted him to get away…
Madam Pomfrey let out a hiss that sounded like a cross between 'concern' and 'I told you so'.
Ron leaned over Hermione, trying to calm her down while Harry fought the urge to glare at the Headmaster. Funny how things had changed. Years ago he would have been affronted that Hermione'd slapped Dumbledore. Years ago when he'd still looked up to him. But things had changed since his fifth year, and while Ron and Hermione still looked up to him, Harry didn't. He just didn't have a need for a father-figure or a hero anymore.
Hermione started to cry and pulled her knees to her chest.
"I'll never be able to heal her at this rate and her injuries are extensive!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed. "I need to be able to look her over properly and she's too distressed at the moment."
Dumbledore simply looked at her sadly. "Perhaps you're right," he turned to Harry and Ron. "Try to talk to her. She needs to talk about it. And now, I have some full and happy children to send off to bed," he left.
Hermione just cried, and didn't raise her head. "S-She said he w-w-wouldn't h-hurt me e-either..." she managed out. "H-He s-said it t-too... it w-was a t-total l-lie..."
"Shhh," Ron murmured. "I know, Hermione. But... we'd never lie, right? Harry and I are honest."
"Yeah. To a fault even. In Ron's case."
Ron glared at him and Harry shrugged with a tentative grin. "So, let Madam Pomfrey look after you, okay? We'll be right here and you'll feel loads better."
Hermione whimpered. "N-No one e-e-else is g-going to t-touch m-me..." she whispered. "N-No o-one... n-not e-except for y-you and H-Harry..."
They looked at each other and then at Madam Pomfrey who was gnawing at her lip, trying to find a way around Hermione's fear.
Finally Harry spoke. "Well... what hurts?" he asked. "And... how did it happen? Maybe we can help."
"E-Everything..." she whispered, and didn't respond to the second question. She was trying to block it out; she just wanted to forget.
Again they shared a look and Pomfrey left, rummaging for potions that might help.
Finally Harry took a deep breath. He didn't want to make her remember, he really didn't. But he knew she was in pain, knew she could be in danger if there was internal bleeding and she just wasn't talking to them. Moving in as close as Ron had been he lowered his voice until only the three of them could hear it. "Look, Hermione, you have to tell us. You're in a lot of pain, right?"
Hermione whimpered. Slowly, she nodded. "H-He..." she trailed off. She wasn't sure if she was ready; she wasn't sure if she could.
Ron glared at Harry. "Don't make her do it if she doesn't want to!" he hissed.
Harry just shook him off. "We can help make the pain go away if we know what happened," he told her.
Ron cursed under his breath. "Harry, I swear if you don't stop..."
"But you have to talk to us," he continued. "We need to know to make it better." And maybe he wasn't talking about the injuries anymore. Maybe he was talking about her on the inside. He didn't want her all twisted like he was because he'd spent the first eleven years of his life saying nothing about his pain. Ron didn't understand it. Ron trusted too easily and spoke his mind in anger or fear or happiness.
Hermione whimpered. "I-I t-t-trusted h-him..." she whispered after a lengthy silence. "H-He u-used to be t-there to m-make me f-feel b-better... h-he u-used to be t-there to c-cheer me u-up... I-I j-just w-want it l-like it w-was..."
Ron opened his mouth to say something, but Harry covered it with his hand, reducing him to unintelligible mumbles. "Your father," Harry said, more statement than question.
She slowly gave a nod then started to cry harder.
Ron's lips were moving furiously against Harry's palm again, but a quick glance down told him that he wasn't angry with him anymore. He was ready to rip Hermione's father to pieces now. "H-how," Harry halted and had to clear his throat. "How did he hurt you?"
She was silent for what seemed like ages but was only a matter of moments, then slowly began to talk. The crying had stopped and there was no real emotion in her voice. "Frying pan to the head and ribs... brooms... I think a few times a metal bat... cracked a chair over me once... used razors, knives, anything sharp he could find all the time... also found it enjoyable to use his fist and foot... a belt a few times... broke a few plates over my head..." No emotion filled the words, except for what seemed to signal that she felt dead inside.
Ron cursed as loudly as he could, but with a hand muffling his words he couldn't be heard.
Luckily Harry voiced his opinions and he looked up at his friend appreciatively. "Fuck," he hissed. "So probably a lot of broken bones and cuts then.." he was talking mostly to himself.
"I think... he tried to poison me..." she whispered quietly. After a few seconds, she began to cry again as it all played over in her head.
Harry saw her withdrawing into herself as did Ron. Taking his hand away, Harry moved swiftly to take her face between his hands. "Tell us Hermione," he said urgently. "Don't disappear. Just tell us what you see. We'll take some of the pain, just give it to us."
Ron swallowed hard and took her hand between his, resting his head on the pillow beside hers, letting Harry say what he wanted to but would have botched up.
Hermione's eyes slowly met his. She looked like she was going to break down... and almost like she wanted to kill herself. "I-I t-tried... I d-did... but he c-caught me... I j-just to e-escape... he b-beat me u-until I c-couldn't move..." she whispered so quietly that it was a strain to hear.
"Bloody bastard," Ron grated out. "I'll kill him. I'll kill him right now. Just tell me where and I'll tear him limb from bloody limb. Better yet, I'll gift-wrap him and send him on to Death Eaters. They hate Muggles, they can have fun with him."
Harry thought about trying to calm him down and decided he wanted to do that and worse, so what was the point. Ron would always vocalize what he wanted to say but couldn't for fear of... he didn't know what. Besides, Hermione needed to know what they were willing to do for her.
Hermione closed her eyes tight and just leaned into Harry. Her left arm hit the bed just right that the sleeve moved up. A ton of long cuts on the vein were visible and she didn't seem to notice.
Ron took her arm in his hands, a disgusted, worried, pained look on his faces as he ran his fingers over the incisions. "Let Madam Pomfrey look at you," he said softly, his voice hoarse. "Please," and then it broke all together, on that one word.
She whimpered and shook her head. She tried to yank her arm back and hide it, as if she was hoping Harry hadn't seen it at least. "I-I just w-wanted it t-to s-s-stop..." she whispered, as if the simple explanation would make it okay.
"You did these," Ron said, understanding dawning. "You tried to... kill yourself?"
Harry looked at his friends sharply.
"I-I just... it... b-but..." she whimpered. After a small moment, the tears had stopped again and the memory played over and over. "He... everything fell apart. I didn't do it for so long because the thought of who would take care of Crookshanks was there... he was the only one there... he kept me sane... it was like I could talk to him and could trust him... then... my father killed him... right in front of my eyes. He skinned him... I wanted to die... I tried... he beat me so I couldn't move..." she closed her eyes as if trying to stop the memory.
So, that was the escape she kept talking about. The one that had been foiled. There wasn't anything to say. Neither of them had any idea how to even get what they were thinking and seeing in their heads to work into words, let alone coherent sentences. Ron kept mouthing like a fish, opening and closing and letting out strained noises, while Harry was completely still, fighting back the anger that always wanted to consume him.
"I think he tried to kill me with the poison... but it wasn't enough... I wish it had..." she finally whispered and broke into sobs.
Madam Pomfrey, who had left the three alone to talk feeling like an intruder, made her way slowly over after several minutes of silence. "Can I look after her now?" she asked.
The two boys looked at each other and then back at her, lost.
And she thought of how many times she'd seen these three in here, looking lost. Harry moreso than the others. Harry who was so stoic and tried to be so strong but would always be that pale first-year student rushed in, near death and weaker than anyone she'd treated since, perhaps, Remus Lupin. Ron and Hermione, though, were his rock and when one was in a bed and he was not, he wasn't so stoic. Second year, she recalled vividly. And fifth. And again, now.
Hermione whimpered when Madame Pomfrey walked towards her. She wasn't crawling away this time but looked terrified.
"I won't hurt you, honey," she said, holding up her hands. "I only want to help. I can give you a potion, if you'd like. You'll sleep through the healing. If it'll be easier."
Hermione buried her head into her knees when she said the word 'sleep.' "N-No!" she sobbed out.
"O-okay," Madam Pomfrey said slowly. "Um... you'll need to get undressed. I can't fix everything if I can't see everything." She hated the way her voice shook. She'd been doing this for years and was very good at it. She held her authority well and didn't take no for an answer from anyone. But... here she was, at a loss.
Hermione whimpered and after a moment, she slowly started to pull the hoodie off. For some reason, she didn't even seem to care that Ron or Harry were still there. Her upper body was completely black and blue, and it was very hard to see any undamaged skin. Cuts and deep wounds were everywhere and bumps were all over where her ribs were, as almost everyone was broken. Something looked to be written on her stomach in cuts but she had scratched at it so much that it was a mostly unrecognizable, and her back was one complete wound.
Three gasps went up, followed by two very masculine voices stringing curses together in a way that Pomfrey hadn't heard since Fred Weasley had broken both his legs falling from a broom his second year. She, herself, wanted to curse loudly but had no real talent for it and settled herself with tending the wounds. She cleaned them, aware of the boys looking at Hermione's body in abject terror but knowing that she wouldn't get the job done if she turned them away.
Hermione looked down, flinching at moments. A few times, she looked like she wanted to scream, whether it was from fear or pain it was hard to tell. She was completely topless and didn't seem to even care that her two best friends were watching, but it somehow made her feel better knowing that they were there.
It took a while. Madam Pomfrey cleaned ever cut, scrape, deep or otherwise and then used special salves that had the skin healing itself before their eyes. She waited for nearly thirty minutes until her visible torso was completely healed, ever incision just white marks that were fading, every bruise red flesh that wasn't hurting. "Could you roll over dear?" she asked softly.
Hermione slowly rolled over and laid on her stomach so her back was facing up. She hadn't told either of her friends what happened to her back because she tried to make herself forget, but slowly, she was remembering.
Harry and Ron saw her shaking and Ron leaned forward this time. "Stay with us, Hermione," he ordered softly. "Whatever you see, tell us, okay? You're not alone anymore."
She closed her eyes, whimpering softly. "H-He got so m-mad at m-me... it w-was a-after I t-tried to e-escape... he g-grabbed a b-beer b-bottle and b-broke it... t-then r-raked it a-a-across my b-back... o-over and o-over..."
"That vile man," Madam Pomfrey spat, causing Harry and Ron to look up at her. She was shaking slightly, using a hot cloth to clean and soften the nasty wounds that made Hermione's back little more than blood and shredded skin. "If I ever saw him..." she trailed off and frowned viciously.
Hermione closed her eyes tightly. Pieces of glass were embedded into her back, and she very quietly whispered, "I'm s-sorry..." for some reason.
"You've nothing to be sorry for," Madam Pomfrey scolded, using her wand to remove the glass still in her flesh. "And I'm sure these to young men agree with me."
Hermione closed her eyes. "I m-miss C-Crooks-shanks..." she whispered quietly. She was used to falling asleep with him at her side, or with her hugging him close to her chest and crying into his fur.
"I know," Ron said softly. "Stupid cat. He grew on me, though," he was trying to distract her, thinking of things to say that would fill the silence... he just didn't want to mess up like he always seemed to.
"H-He took h-him f-from me w-when I w-was s-sleeping and b-broke a g-glass vase o-over my h-head to w-wake me... t-then s-ski... s-s-skin..." she was shaking badly and buried her face into the pillow, beginning to cry loudly.
"Hermione.." Ron started but what could he say? Nothing. He couldn't say anything because he didn't know what to say. He was lost. Harry was too.
Madam Pomfrey had applied salves and the skin was healing.
Hermione continued to cry. Slowly, she turned her head so she could breathe and whispered, "He's g-going to c-c-come..." very quietly. She quickly buried her head back into the pillow but did it at an angle where she couldn't breathe.
"He won't," Harry said.
"Yeah," Ron agreed. "Muggles can't find this place. Besides, if he does it won't be so bad. We'll skin him for you. Avenge Crookshanks. Maybe we can talk Fred and George into developing something to skin people. Slow and painful."
Hermione didn't seem to respond or move her head from the pillow. She was hearing everything but wasn't completely sure if she actually wanted him dead...
"That's all healed now," Madam Pomfrey said. "We'll fix your legs up next. In the meantime, accio," she summoned a soft shirt a few sizes too big but comfortable and handed it to her. "I'll be right back."
Hermione slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position, facing her friends. Gently, she slipped on the shirt and only half a second after she had, Ginny and Draco were carried into the hospital wing, Draco being held by Snape and Ginny by McGonnagal as they both tried their best to bite their teachers and escape to kill the other. Draco was missing a few teeth, and also had a twisted arm but Ginny had a broken arm, a broken jaw and a sprained wrist. That was only because Crabbe and Goyle had interjected after a moment and had started to beat Ginny up until Neville and Seamus stopped them. Those four were brought in after them, but on stretchers that were floating in mid air. All four were knocked out too.
"Holy shit," Ron breathed.
"Mister Weasley that is quite unappreciated at this moment," McGonnagal said sternly. "Poppy, I'm afraid these six need to be looked at. Troublesome students... detention for at least half a year and is it really appropriate for you boys to be sitting with a bare-breast girl? What's going on?"
Hermione looked over at them and just watched blankly, not really even caring as Ginny and Draco continued to kick and hurl their fists at each other.
Draco accidentally kicked Snape in a certain spot, which got him free, and Ginny managed to weave her way free, and the two tackled each other again. They were pissed and wanted the other dead. Punches, kicks, and slaps were thrown from each, each person ignoring their broken or damaged bones.
Hermione gave a whimper as she watched, and looked down as she tried to control herself from crying for some reason.
Harry leaned forward, buttoning up the overlarge shirt quickly while Ron surreptiously cheered his little sister on.
Pomfrey was glaring at the entire scene with McGonnagal yelling and Snape hissing in pain and it was a madhouse. "You will all shut up right NOW!" Madam Pomfrey yelled shrilly. "I've got a young woman who was literally in tatters not moments ago and I still haven't finished healing her. If you don't all calm down and shut up this instant, I will use a full-body bind and roll you out of this room until I am finished! Do I make myself clear?!"
Ginny and Draco didn't seem to even pay attention to Pomfrey as Ginny quickly tried to break Draco's neck, which got Draco to try and choke her. Ginny finally angled her knee right and kneed him right in the balls and Draco let his grip loose on her to yell in pain.
Hermione put her forehead to her knees and began to sob for some reason.
That was it. Madam Pomfrey scrambled for her wand, but Harry just pulled his from his back pocket and two petrificus totalus later, had grabbed Ron's hand and tugged him over. "That's it. You're leaving," he said, bending with a grunt to grab Malfoy's feet and drag him out.
"At least this way they won't hurt themselves," Snape said, his oily voice a bit more ragged than usual.
As the hospital wing cleared out Madam Pomfrey moved to Hermione. "I'll have a look at your legs when you're ready."
After a few moments, Hermione raised her head and looked at Madame Pomfrey. She slowly pulled her jeans down, the shirt covering certain parts. Her legs resembled her upper body except her legs were oddly burned almost everywhere, and the other spots were cut or bruised.
Madam Pomfrey was in clinical mode now, and went about cleaning and applying salves quickly and efficiently. Hermione's feet, however, worried her. Broken bones, definitely. Possibly all of them. With a cringe she grabbed her wand and tapped the feet, muttering a spell that would heal them quickly.
Hermione looked away, gazing out the window. Her eyes were distant and a bit empty.
Harry and Ron rushed back in and to her side, holding her hands and waiting for her to heal. Within the hour her body was as good as new.
Madam Pomfrey had given her a potion to help with any internal injuries and had gone back to heal any other broken bones she'd overlooked. "You should stay here the night," she said softly. "But with the ruckus those two are bound to put up I'll leave you with a silencing spell to block them out." She looked at Harry and Ron who were staring back with twin looks of dread and hope. "Stay the night," she said. "It'll help her rest." She summoned them pajamas and extra pillows and blankets. "Now, rest, all of you." And she left to attend to the rambunctious and paralyzed patients outside.
Harry and Ron watched as Hermione closed her eyes and they both sighed. They hoped she would be able to fall asleep. She needed to rest. So they watched, waiting for her breath to regulate itself into the rhythm of sleep and murmured softly to her whenever she moaned in fear.
Finally, she let sleep over wash her but a few times, let out small noises of fear as she remembered.
"We should get some sleep too," Ron muttered. Harry snorted and Ron smiled weakly in response. "Yeah, I know. Like hell, right?"
Harry nodded. "I really want to kill that bastard right now," he muttered, brushing stray curls from her forehead gently.
"I still think we should let the Death Eaters have him," Ron said.
"Unless they accept him with honors for doing this to her," Harry said with a frown. "Lucius would probably love him for this. Even more than his son."
"It's a good thing Ginny took care of him for us," Ron said. "I mean, I wanted to be the one to knock his teeth out but . . . we were a bit busy."
Harry nodded with a small smile. "Remind me to buy her a drink next time we're in Hogsmeade."
Ron chuckled slightly and the rest of the night was spent watching over Hermione and talking about everything and nothing.
How'd you like? There'll be more soon. Promise.
Btw, I will beta this but I've been up since 3PM and it's 7AM right now and I'm somewhat tired. So I'll do it later today. So ignore the mistakes.
Also, thank you to my great reviewers. If 5 people review in the next two days (GOOD reviews), I'll put up a new chapter within two days. If under 5, then a week.