The Cure – Chapter Four 11.12.04

By: Aelfswythe

Hermione was practically back to normal… well, almost anyway. Harry and Ron finally succeeded in getting Hermione to get out on a regular basis. She seemed more relaxed, but it was more like she was waiting for something to happen. This set Harry a little on edge. Even though she was hanging out with them a lot more, her mind wasn't exactly with them.

Unfortunately, her relapse into normal life was short-lived. She was soon a living ghost – only a memory in her friend's minds and a white spirit who rushed through the halls, muttering things to herself, hardly eating or sleeping. It was as if she were being driven by an invisible hand to who-knew-what-end.

Harry and Ron were kept busy enough with their own school work, but the worry for her was always present in their minds, Harry's especially.

One day, they had a short breather from school work and Ron and Harry had managed to grab Hermione for a board game. She was tired and looking ill, but had agreed only because she didn't have the energy to argue.

"Hermione?" Harry sighed. "Hermione, it's your turn."

"What?" She started, shaking her head a bit. "Oh, I'm sorry." She picked up the dice and rolled them.

Mr. Weasley had come across a Monopoly board game and had given it to Ron for his birthday as a novelty sort of present. Harry and Ron had had a grand old time bewitching the pieces to move of their own accord. Hermione was the shoe and it hopped forward the three spaces she had rolled.

"You landed on 'Go' again?" Ron exclaimed. "Are you sure we didn't mess up on the spell, Harry?"

Harry frowned. "It's more like something's been done to the dice."

Hermione collected her money, but with little enthusiasm. She tried to hide a yawn. This game took forever and the boys weren't making it any better. What she really wanted to do was lie down. Something told her, however, that she wouldn't be able to sleep. Not until she knew.

Just at this moment an owl flew screeching into the great hall. Students spattered about the room glanced up to see if the owl had come for them, but it flew straight to Hermione and landed on the board, sending the pieces flying.

"Oh no!" Ron cried. "I don't remember what space I was on!"

"You were in jail," Hermione muttered. Harry noted that she untied the scroll on the owl's leg with trembling hands. (He was getting much better at the whole 'being observant of Hermione' thing.)

While Ron was complaining loudly about scattered cash, (and slipping a few bills from the bank claiming they were his), Harry watched as Hermione read her note. Her face went from ghastly white to a steady warm pink. Her eyes grew wide and her hand flew to her mouth, almost as if to prevent herself from screaming.

"Hermione, what is it?" Harry asked, almost afraid to know.

With her hand still on her mouth she only shook her head. "I have to go," she squeaked.

Harry put his hand on her arm. "Please, tell me what's wrong." He tried to catch her eyes and when he finally did he couldn't read them.

"Nothing's wrong," she whispered. She gently pulled away. "I promise. But, I'm sorry. I have to go." With the message crumpled in her hand she fled from the room.

Harry stared after her until Ron got his attention. "Finally! I got the board all sorted out. Hey, is she going to do something with that owl or not?" Harry turned to see the owl looking a little disgruntled, having flown all this way and with nothing to show for it. He picked up a piece of leftover scone and tried to feed it to the bird but it merely turned up its beak and flew out of the room, clearly offended.

Harry turned back to the board game, but wasn't in the mood for it anymore. Standing he said, "Could you clear up the game, Ron? I'm going to find Hermione. There's something wrong and she's not telling me. I'm going to find out."

"But we're quitting right when I was starting to get ahead!"

"For goodness sakes, Ron, you were nearly bankrupt!" Harry rolled his eyes and followed after Hermione.

He wondered where she could have gone. He decided he'd start in the Gryffindor tower. He didn't find her there. He tried the library, but no luck. The more he searched, the angrier he got. What business did she have hiding such important things from her own friends? Hadn't they been through everything together? Hadn't they told each other everything? When had he ever hidden anything from Hermione? With a pause he realized there were probably a few things, but that wasn't the point!

He turned down another hallway. What business did she think she had trying to find a cure for werewolf bite anyway? If they hadn't found a cure by now, then it was obviously impossible! Who did she think she was wasting her time, energy, and friendships on a stupid experiment?

After another fruitless hallway Harry stopped dead in his tracks and stomped his foot. "This is ridiculous!" he yelled. "Where's a Marauder's Map when I need one?" With a white flash of inspiration he knew who had his Marauder's Map, and he knew where Hermione had gone.

Harry made a beeline for the front end of the second story. Surely, she had to be there. He hoped she was, because he was definitely getting tired of all the extra exercise.

Harry approached Professor Lupin's office and heard voices coming from inside. The door was slightly ajar and he peeked around the corner so that he had a discretionary view. Hermione stood in the center of the room, the parchment still in the clasp of her white fist. Professor Lupin was seated at his desk, out of Harry's view.

He decided he must have come up at the beginning of the conversation, because Hermione was saying, "Professor, I know I've mentioned it before, and you told me not to plague you with false hopes, but I've done it!" Her voice cracked toward the end, showing blankly her true exhaustion and relief. Harry felt his heart skip a beat at the words.

"How can you be sure?" Lupin's voice rasped.

Hermione took a deep, shuddering breath, steeling herself to go on. "I've been corresponding with a young man in York who was bit as a child. He was willing to test it. Oh, Professor! He's been sane, normal and completely cured for two months now, under the clear full moon! He's only taken the one dose, but it works! Please, please take it!" She was nearly in tears.

Suddenly, Lupin was in view. He strode up to her and took her by the shoulders. "Why? Why did you do this?" Harry's eyes widened and he held his breath in suspense. That was exactly what he wanted to know.

But her answer must have been in her eyes, because Lupin suddenly took her in his arms and she started sobbing. Harry could hardly believe what he was seeing. What was going on? He felt like he had missed something.

After a moment Hermione broke from Lupin's grasp and fled for the open door, hair and tears streaming. She nearly ran into Harry and he had to catch her to keep her from falling. She didn't ask why he had been standing there, but sobbed,

"Oh, Harry! I've done it! I've found the cure!" She threw herself in his arms and cried on his shoulder. He patted her back gently. Harry's mind was reeling from what had just happened. What had just happened??

All of a sudden, Hermione's crying ceased and she fell to the floor in a dead faint.