AN: Once again, thank you all so much for your support. I've especially been happy to see your comments this week since, after THREE YEARS of vigilance, I tested positive for Covid five days before I was supposed to get my 3rd booster. :( I'm feeling better, though I can't smell anything. Luckily, i've written well ahead so the story is still on track for weekly updates. Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Special thanks to my alpha reader: LaDeeDaa and beta reader: astrangefan who are the best and keep this story on track
Vulnera Sanentur
Hermione read the parchment again.
Hermione,
I have done all I can do. The situation with Mrs. Malfoy has sent up too many red flags. The Wizengamot is meeting next week to discuss a hearing about your caseload. I can delay, but I cannot stop it from happening. How much time do you need to prepare? Harry informed me that there is a timeline on at least one case. Three weeks? I'll try to get them to put off the hearing for four.
Sorry,
Kings
She sighed. She'd been expecting the other shoe to drop on that situation, and she knew he'd expended the last bit of his political capital by signing off on Narcissa's transfer into her care. The Warden was probably apoplectic and notified whatever in he had with the Wizengamot at once.
The bright side was that she didn't have to go to Azkaban and see that prick anymore - at least not for a while.
"How bad?" Draco asked, still in the body of Ron as they prepared Narcissa's transfer. The older woman was asleep again, and as Hermione and Padma both explained to Draco it was for the best. The more her body rested and let the potions work, the quicker she'd get her strength back.
"Not so bad," she said, pursing her lips.
"Just tell me," he replied.
"Wizengamot is going to call a hearing on my work," she said with a shrug. He swore under his breath.
"I knew it was inevitable," she continued, waving the parchment in the air as if it was meaningless. "The minute The Prophet got their hands on this story, I knew it would eventually get too big for them to ignore. Kingsley is delaying it, and hopefully we finish with both cases by the time I have to explain to them how fucking little they know about anything."
"Maybe don't open with that," Padma said with a snort from her place by Narcissa's bed.
Hermione grinned in response. She absolutely refused to let this news bother her. She had far too much to worry about that was much more urgent. Draco didn't look convinced, but he tried to look as if he was. She appreciated the effort.
"Alright," she said, clapping her hands together, "we have to go back and prepare Madam Pomfrey for your mother's arrival," she said. "Padma will transport her when the paperwork is finished."
Draco looked back at his mother almost as if he wanted to ask to stay, but after a moment he turned back to Hermione and nodded. "Okay," he said.
"Now, the only way out of this bloody place is back through the atrium and into the Floo lobby," she said, her stomach twisting in knots. She had every reason to worry that Mr. Burrows had alerted the whole world that she was there. At the least she was sure she could expect a Prophet employee to catch a picture of her - probably from her worst angle.
Draco stiffened. "There's no private exit? We could apparate to Hogsmeade and walk up to the castle," he suggested.
"There is a private exit," she agreed, "but I don't want to risk apparition on Polyjuice." She knew that Draco would know the risks, he was practically a Potions Master. Apparating with an unfamiliar body was incredibly dangerous.
He sighed again and nodded. "Wands out then," he said, holding his arm out for her to take.
Hermione took a breath and smiled confidently up at him, gripping her Rowan wand in her hand. She turned back to Padma one last time, "Send your Patronus if you have any problems," she said, but Padma waved her off and Hermione knew her friend had things under control.
When they exited the room, Hermione noted that the perimeter she'd demanded had been enforced, thankfully. She'd warded the room anyway, just in case. But it appeared St. Mungo's took Narcissa Malfoy's health more seriously than they had Theo or Draco's, and she was grateful for that.
They made their way down the long corridor and toward the lifts again. Once they reached the mediwitch stand in the centre of the Third Floor, all eyes were on them - or rather, on Hermione. Silence met them as everyone stopped what they were doing to watch 'Ron' lead Hermione toward the lifts.
Hermione kept her eyes focused forward, clenching Draco's arm tighter as he set a quick pace around the corner and to where the lifts were located. She let out a breath of relief when they got inside an empty lift and Draco shut the doors.
"Keep your wand out," he instructed, his tone distracted and his posture stiff.
When the lifts opened Hermione was overwhelmed immediately.
Flash!
"Miss Granger, are you here as part of your plan to free the Death Eaters!" a reporter called from her left. Draco gripped her hand in his and pulled her forcefully from the lift and through the mass of people who'd assembled in the Atrium, apparently waiting for her.
Flash!
Her eyes stung, and she lifted her hand to her face on instinct, trying to block out the bright flashing.
"Granger! Were you aware that the Wizengamot is meeting to discuss your caseload?" It was another reporter from The Prophet. Merlin, how many did they have? At least she didn't see Skeeter.
Draco dragged her farther, pulling hard, his wand outstretched and his face tight. "Oi! Out of the way!" he demanded in what Hermione was surprised to note was a perfect replication of Ron's voice when he was angry.
She felt herself being pulled from him by a sea of people. "Hermione, which Death Eaters are you protecting?" someone demanded, and Hermione felt her hand, slick with nervous sweat suddenly pulled from Draco's grasp. He pushed forward and she was pulled back, panic starting to rise in her chest as she was swarmed.
He must have noticed it instantly because he whipped around instantly, his eyes landing on hers.
Hands were on her, she felt like she was going to suffocate. She tried to take a calming breath and surge forward, her eyes on him trying to steady herself.
"Everyone, move the fuck aside," he demanded, magic crackling in the air. The crowd looked from him to Hermione and moved back off her slightly - enough for her to surge forward, finally.
Draco immediately grabbed her arm, unwilling to risk her losing him again. "Out of the way," he spat, and to Hermione's surprise the assembly of people parted reluctantly. She blinked.
Draco dragged her to his side, wrapping an arm around her as he hurried them through the atrium. He was shaking with fury, his trembling fingers digging into her arm.
Hermione clutched her own wand, gulping in jagged breaths. Panic was settling in, but she had to hold it together.
She looked around as the crowd began to move in, many muttering slurs and epithets at her while others demanded she answer their questions. As they approached the Floo Lobby she could hear a chant being repeated over and over.
"Granger's Bleeding Heart Protects the Marked! Ganger's Bleeding Heart Protects the Marked!" Not so clever, she thought, setting her jaw.
"Death Eater whore! You owe us an explanation!" A woman's voice yelled from behind her, and Draco whipped around instantly pushing her behind him.
"She saved all your bloody lives. She doesn't owe you shite!" he hissed, and Hermione was suddenly worried he might actually curse one of them.
"Ron!" She ground out, squeezing her nails into his palm. "Let's go!"
Draco growled but spun around and took her hand in his, pulling her by the arm to the Floos. Grabbing the Floo Powder, he threw it in the fire and they jumped in together not daring to call out their destination in front of that crowd. Hermione utilised wordless magic and said a silent prayer that they ended up back in McGonagall's office.
When they tumbled out of the Floo on Minerva's plush burgundy carpet she breathed a sigh of relief.
Draco stood up and immediately pulled her into his arms, his hands all over her, checking her for injury. When his hands moved to her face, pushing her curls out of her eyes, she could see he was still struggling with the anger radiating off him.
"Is it like that every time you leave this castle?" he demanded.
"No," she shook her head. "That was far worse," she admitted. "They had time to organise."
"St. Mungo's should have had them barred from the building," he spat. "They should never have been allowed in."
Hermione nodded. It was true. It was not only unprofessional, it was also a safety hazard. But there was really no use going over the myriad things St. Mungo's was doing wrong. That wasn't her job at the moment.
"Are you okay?" she asked. "Did they hurt you?"
Draco scoffed. "No. I'm fine. Being Weasley has some advantages. No one wants to fuck with an Auror."
Draco finally seemed to allow some of the tension to leave his body and he pulled her close. Taking her face in his, his lips moved closer to hers, but she jerked away just slightly. The hurt look on his face tore her apart.
"No, it's not that I don't want to… but you look like Ron. It's…weird," she said, looking at her toes.
"Oh," Draco said, stepping back. His low chuckle made her eyes dart back up to his, "I supposed I understand. I wouldn't want to kiss Weasley either."
She scowled. "I have kissed him - many times," she huffed. That wiped the smirk off his face. "But I have no desire to kiss him ever again," she allowed.
"Good to know," Draco said.
Harry frowned, pacing outside of the Hospital Wing. "I…" he huffed and continued to pace.
"Harry, she's safe now," Hermione said. She didn't want Harry to beat himself up over Narcissa's state. She was far more to blame for it than he.
"I did all of this wrong," Harry said, tearing his eyes away from the door of the hospital. "I should have sought her out immediately. I should never have allowed her to be put in there."
"You did give them your memories and testimony," Hermione pointed out, but her heart wasn't in it. She knew that they'd all failed to do the right thing after the war. They should have fought harder. It didn't matter that they'd just fought Voldemort and they were tired. There were more battles to fight, and they'd let themselves off the hook.
"It wasn't enough!" Harry shouted. "She saved my life. She saved the world just as much as I did, just as much as Snape did. I told myself she'd be out soon, and I'd come to her and offer her whatever she needed. I was a coward, Hermione."
He was angry with himself and she knew that he didn't want to see reason, but she was going to try anyway. "Harry, I know. I was too. I spent years trying to free house elves from a prison they didn't even want to leave, but I went about my life for five years never giving a moment's thought to these sham trials and what happened to the people who found themselves guilty under them. I know you are furious with yourself because I'm furious with myself too. But self-loathing isn't going to fix this."
Harry stopped pacing and sighed, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. "Do you think Malfoy would mind if I speak to her, alone?"
"I think I can distract him," Hermione said with a smile.
"Ugh, shut up," Harry groaned.
She chuckled and joined him as he entered the Hospital Wing. Draco was back to his body and seated by Narcissa. Hermione was happy to note that the older woman was awake and seemed to be carrying on a conversation with her son. That was a good sign.
"Miss Granger," she greeted with a weak smile and a weaker voice. "Mr. Potter," she nodded in Harry's direction.
"Mrs. Malfoy, I hope you are feeling at least slightly better," Hermione smiled warmly, standing at the foot of the bed. She itched to stand next to Draco, but she wasn't entirely sure how much he was comfortable telling his mother and she didn't want to force the issue if he wasn't ready.
"Yes, thank you," she said and Hermione watched as she squeezed her son's hand.
"I was wondering if I could borrow Draco for a bit," she said, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Harry's happy to keep you company."
Draco looked like he was about to protest, but his mother shook her head. "Go, Draco. And eat something. You look peaky."
Hermione swallowed a snort of amusement as Draco sighed and did as his mother told him. She gasped in surprise when he grabbed for her hand, intertwined their fingers and led her down the row of hospital beds to the door.
"She knows," Draco said with a shrug when she looked from their hands and up to him, mouth agape.
"Wh-how?" she sputtered, following him toward Gryffindor Tower.
"She already knew," he said. "They say she's got dementia but I've never met a woman more shrewd than my mother. She had an idea things had changed between us, and only about thirty minutes into getting her settled she informed me she knew about us."
Hermione blushed. "Oh." That begged the obvious question…
Was she mad?
"After five years in Azkaban, my mother couldn't care less if you were a Muggle at this point," he said with a chuckle. "It's amazing how little things like blood purity matter when you think you've lost everything."
Hermione squeezed his hand. "How is she? Has she been lucid?"
Draco nodded. "She can't remember the incident, but she does remember that there were guards in her cell when she lost her memory." His tone had taken an icy quality.
"Does she remember which ones?"
"I didn't want to push. I'll find out, though," Draco said, confidently. "And when I do…"
Hermione bit her lip. "Let's let her settle in before we interrogate her further," she suggested. "I want her stronger and better nourished."
"Patil has already put in special orders with the house elves," Draco said. "McGonagall came by for a moment to welcome her and promised she'd ensure her safety."
"It's not bad having her on your side, isn't it?" Hermione said with a small smile.
"You know, it wasn't bad having Snape on your side either," Draco pointed out, pulling her through the portrait hole after muttering the password.
She snorted. "I clearly wouldn't know."
They arranged themselves on the couch, Draco laid out his long legs up on the arm of the couch and Hermione nestled on top of him, her hair in all directions against his chest. "I'm sorry I didn't get her out sooner," she breathed.
There was a long pause as she listened to him breathe. "You couldn't do anything," he said finally. "I don't blame you."
There was another pause before he started carding his fingers through her hair. "What does Potter want to talk to my mum about?"
Hermione chuckled, "I suppose we weren't very subtle."
"Not even a little," Draco replied.
"He wants to find a way to make amends. He feels immensely guilty for her even being in Azkaban. He - we all should have done more after the war," she admitted, propping her chin up to look at him.
His eyes were hard to read and he chose his words carefully. "Intellectually, I know it isn't fair to expect him - any of you - to have taken on my mother's case after you'd just barely survived being on the front lines of a war, but…"
"I know, Draco. I know you blame him a little. He owes her a life debt. The thing you have to understand is that Harry would feel he owed her whether a life debt existed or not. He doesn't like life debt magic. But he feels an obligation to her that he doesn't want to attribute to magical debts. He will protect her now. I can promise you that. He will protect her from that place as surely as I'll protect you and Theo," she promised.
"She can't go back…" he breathed, his eyes finally clearing and she saw the fear in them.
"Never," she swore. She had three people to keep safe now.
Padma had Narcissa's chart with her when she guided Hemione and Draco to the desks in the common room. They all sat, Padma with an air of professionalism that Hermione only saw from her friend when she was working as she laid the chart on the table in front of her.
"Is it okay to assume you don't mind speaking of your mother's condition in front of Hermione?" she asked Draco.
"Yes, it's fine," he said, surprised she'd even bothered to ask.
"Okay," Padma said with a smile flipping the chart open. Hermione poised her pen over her notebook and waited for Padma to continue.
"Let's go from the most immediate issues, down the line. As you know, your mother has extensive wounds along her neck from where she tried to harm herself in the middle of a hallucination. I can assure you she will heal. If she was ever a singer, she can probably expect to lose that particular skill, but her speaking voice will come back nearly entirely. The damage to her vocal cords was not irreversible."
Draco let out a breath, and clenched his hands together, nodding. His grey eyes were intently set on Padma as he waited for her to continue.
"I'll do my best to minimise the scarring. Since the wound is not magical, there is every chance that I'll be successful," Padma explained. Draco nodded.
"She came into St. Mungo's incredibly malnourished. In just that last six hours we've been able to improve her hydration and we have been slowly increasing her intake. If we feed her too much too fast it could be very dangerous," Padma explained. Draco's brows furrowed in confusion.
"It's called refeeding syndrome," Hermione explained, taking Draco's hand in hers. "It's worse the more malnourished the patient, but over the next few days we have to introduce food little by little or her system can shut down. It can even be fatal."
Draco swallowed, his eyes scared, but he nodded and turned back to Padma. "I'm fully confident we can reestablish a healthy nutritional regimen for Mrs. Malfoy and as we do her entire health will improve."
"That brings me to another thing…" Padma started looking between Draco and Hermione. "She needs a proper bath. It's been five years and the scourgify is not meant to be used repeatedly on people. Her skin is in a delicate state, and I wouldn't want to risk even one more spell."
Draco blushed. "I-I can bathe her," he said, his voice quivering with emotion. Hermione squeezed his hand.
"If she'll allow me, I'll help," she offered. Draco looked grateful.
"Okay, the final thing I wished to speak with you about is your mother's mental state," Padma began. Draco's eyes were laser focused on the healer as he nodded. Hermione knew this had been a concern of his as well.
"Can you tell me anything about her mental state before her incarceration?" she asked, taking a quill from the edge of the chart, poised to make her own notes.
"Well," Draco said, swallowing again. "My mother has always been sensitive to those around her. When Aunt Bella would visit, she'd withdraw into herself a bit. She'd become forgetful. This was not normal behaviour. In a typical day, my mother was on top of everything. She ran the house completely. We had the help of house elves, but she picked out Father's suits, she organised my lessons, my tutoring, tended the garden, bought the needs for our home personally. She was always on top of things. She was brilliant."
He smiled wistfully thinking of his mother, and Hermione felt her heart flutter in her chest. Merlin, he loved his mother. Her heart broke for their absence. She couldn't imagine the torture for them both over those five years - knowing what they knew of how terrible Azkaban could be for either of them.
"When The Dark Lord came back, she began to forget some things here and there. Minor things. When he moved into the Manor, she seemed to slip into herself more. Father always said she was fragile, but she'd never hurt herself," he explained with conviction.
Padma nodded, writing down everything. "Okay," she said. "I have to tell you, I'm not a mind healer, nor is my specialty the brain," she explained. "However, I have run multiple brain scans and she presents with what seems a lot like a stroke."
Hermione's eyes widened. "Witches can have strokes?" she asked, having never heard of one.
"It's very rare, but the thing is…" Padma began, "It seems very unlikely that Mrs. Malfoy actually suffered a stroke. With the exception of what appears on scan to be an injury to one part of her brain, she exhibits no other symptoms like those associated with a stroke."
Hermione's heart skipped a beat. "Tumour?" she asked hoping she was wrong.
Padma shook her head. "That, I ruled out."
She turned back to Draco whose fingers were trembling under Hermione's. "Does your mother practise Occlumency?"
Hermione and Draco's eyes both shot open in unison.
Occulmency.
"Wh—? Not that I'm aware," Draco said. "Father did, and Legillimancy as well. I was taught the basics, but my mother never had need…"
He stopped suddenly. "Why do you ask?' His tone indicated that he was no longer shocked but, instead on a fact-finding mission.
"Well," Padma started, "the brain scan results have one other explanation - one that seems more likely. It is possible that Narcissa, if she was an Occulmens, created a spot in her brain where she could…retreat - for lack of a better word. Under stress, utilising this tactic can cause memory dysfunction, hallucinations when coming out, inability to tell the difference between fantasy and reality over time…"
Draco's brows furrowed. "It could be. Maybe Father taught her…I don't know."
"Okay," Padma said with a smile. "It's a start. For now, she's completely lucid and just incredibly tired…"
Padma was interrupted by Minerva's patronus cat leaping onto the table. "Weasley and Nott are back, I've sent them to the Hospital Wing. Hurry!"
Hermione felt dread trickle over her as Draco pulled her from her chair. "Come!" Padma instructed, snapping shut Narcissa's chart and moving past them through the portrait hole at a run.
Draco seemed stuck to the spot and Hermione pulled on his arm, snapping him out of his trance. "Let's go," she whispered, her legs feeling like lead as she dragged them toward the portrait hole.
She was getting very tired of the constant emotional upheaval. It was traumatic moving from one crisis to another constantly. It felt like nothing was getting solved and everything was unravelling.
Draco seemed to finally process McGonagall's patronus and moved faster, both of them jogging to the Hospital Wing, bursting through the door when they arrived. Hermione hoped that whatever it was, Theo and Ron would be okay. She had no idea what she'd do otherwise.
A dirty, dishevelled Theo stood at the side of a bed with someone lying motionlessly upon it. "I did everything…" he cried, real hot tears slipping down his face leaving tracks across the dirt on his cheeks.
Harry was staring at the bed, open mouthed, in complete shock, his hands trembling as he held the footboard. "Ron…" he whispered. Hermione felt her heart in her throat. She was lightheaded and she gripped Draco's hand tighter.
"Theo, let me in," Padma said calmly, moving past the weeping man. As he moved out of the way Hermione gasped when she saw Ron in the bed, red gashes sliced through him through the thin material of his grey jumper.
They moved closer, Padma running a diagnostic, but Hermione knew the curse without so much as a single spell.
"Sectumsempra…" Draco breathed next to her.
"I've seen this," Padma muttered to herself. "The Death Eaters were fond of it in the War…"
"It's Sectumsempra," Draco said louder. "I know it. I know the counter-curse."
Padma opened her mouth but shut it again when Draco continued. "It's a specific counter-curse. The curse was created by Snape, I know how to do it."
Padma eyed him intently for a second but nodded, moving out of the way. Hermione moved to stand behind Draco, her hands on his back as he unsheathed his wand and with a shaking hand outstretched it over Ron's prone form.
In a lilting sing-song, Draco casted the counter, "Vulnera Sanentur…" Instantly the blood that had been leaving Ron's wounds began to flow backward, back into his body.
"Vulnera Sanentur," Draco breathed again, and the skin began to knit together. Hermione felt her nails dig into Draco's back as she watched breathlessly as Draco healed her best friend.
Theo sniffled behind them, moving closer. "How did you…"
"I've had it done to me before," Draco said, his eyes moving to Harry who caught his eye for a moment before turning away, ashamed.
"He has lost a lot of blood," Padma noted. "Someone help me lift him."
Theo and Harry took either side of Ron's unconscious body and pulled him into a sitting position and Padma poured several potions down his throat, using a spell to make him swallow. When they laid him back down, she pulled the covers up over his chest.
"Sectrumsempra," she said. "I know the spell, but I didn't know the counter. We lost so many…"
The healer shook her head. "Do you mind if I relay the counter curse to St. Mungo's for official use?"
Draco shook his head instantly. "Not my spell anyway," he said. "Snape would have wanted…"
Hermione nodded in agreement. She turned her attention back to Theo. "Pads, maybe a calming draft for Theo?"
"Of course," Padma said, "I'll bring one back after checking on Narcissa."
"I don't need one," Theo protested. "I'm fine," but his hands were trembling terribly and Hermione guided him to the bed next to Ron's.
"Sit," she instructed in a tone that indicated that it wasn't a request.
"Take a breath," she continued, moving to sit next to him and rubbing slow, gentle circles on his back. Draco took a seat to his other side and Harry finally pried himself from Ron's bedside, turning to Theo.
"What happened?" Harry finally asked.
"We-we were at the abandoned manor. We'd gone through the cave system, old hide outs and safe houses. Nothing," Theo said, picking at his nails nervously. "It became clear the Rakovs had been hiding out there almost immediately. I told Ron he should alert the Aurors a few towns over just in case."
Theo sneered and shook his head. "He wouldn't do it," he bit out. "He said that he didn't want them involved because if they found me there, they'd rearrest me without question."
Hermione's hand stopped the slow circles on Theo's back for a moment before continuing on again. Ron had prioritised Theo's safety over his own. He'd broken every rule in the Auror handbook for Theo. She knew he'd become friendly with the other man, but to unilaterally decide to prioritise Theo over himself or his career - without her there to guilt him…
She shook the thought from her head and listened to Theo continue. "It seemed abandoned, so we did a bit of looking around. They have a fully functioning potions lab in there now…" he said turning to Draco, who frowned at this information.
"We thought they'd left when they felt us approaching. It seemed abandoned. And then…"
He took a long shaky breath, "They attacked. Ron was brilliant. He held off all three long enough for me to get my wand out. Viktor and Alexi are the fighters. They were shielding Dobrimer who was putting various potions ingredients into a bag. I got a piece of him," Theo admitted.
The sneer that painted his features made Hermione think of Draco of years past. "I knocked him back and the other two advanced. They hit Ron with the curse before I could cast a proper protego."
He sniffed. "Ron went down like a sack of potatoes, and I conjured my strongest confringo. Viktor and Alexi flew back into Dobrimer, and they all went through the stone wall behind them."
He wiped his nose with his sleeve. "Ron was bleeding so badly. I didn't know what else to do. There were anti-apparition wards on the manor, so I pulled him by the arm outside the Manor and apparated outside the Hogshead. I don't even know if anyone saw us. I cast a Dissilusionment charm, and with the help of levitation brought him up to the Castle. McGonagall let us in immediately."
Hermione hugged him in close to her side. Theo had saved Ron's life. She'd never been more grateful for him than in that moment. Any number of things could have gotten them both killed without Theo's quick thinking.
Harry swallowed hard, looking back at Ron and then to Theo. "Thank you," he said, barely audibly. "Thank you for saving his life."
"I didn't, I just…"
"You did," Harry said, louder this time. "You acted quickly and correctly and you saved his life."
"He did one other thing," Draco said, looking between Harry and Hermione. "He found us a clue."
"What clue?" Theo asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.
"We need a pensieve to investigate your memory of the potions lab, but I'll bet all the gold in Gringotts that Dobromir is trying to create the horcrux potion and that's why they haven't yet attacked," Draco replied.
