SILVER LINING
CHAPTER THIRTEEN-HERMIONE's FOUND
Hallie was set to go back to school. We helped her back to school.
When we arrived, all the Gryffindors were glad to see Hallie back to health.
Mr and Mrs. Ross went home, but Professor Lupin remained at the castle. The Gryffindors were all glad to see him as well as we all loved him as teacher.
Stephanie and I entered the common room.
"I still don't understand about Hermione," I mused. "She's missing but yet I have a feeling she's the Silver Lining."
Stephanie looked at me sympathetically.
"I know," she said quietly. "I've picked up her scent off the Silver Lining, yet that doesn't mean anything."
I sighed and sank into the couch.
Hallie came in and plopped down beside Stephanie.
STEPHANIE.
Hallie plopped down beside me. I could see that Harry was still very upset over Hermione. Her body hadn't been found yet which leads me to two conclusions: 1) she's the Silver Lining or 2) the Silver Lining has her hidden somewhere and it's someone we had no idea about yet.
Secretly, I had hoped it was the second scenario. It would be awful and shocking if it turned out that the Silver Lining was Hermione...my best friend and I knew Harry would feel the same way.
Hallie still seemed really upset about the news about her parents, but with reassuring from Mum and Dad that they would never take the place of her parents but they would be there for her if and when she needed them, seemed to calm Hallie down a great deal.
She was still taken with me though. She loved hanging around me and asking me all kinds of questions about the Advair's.
She absolutely loved my kind.
She loved the fact that she'd be surrounded by werewolves.
Harry was deep in thought about something, so I didn't disturb him.
Breakfast was being served. We all headed down to the Great Hall.
Hallie happily ate some breakfast sandwiches which, were sausage and eggs on a muffin. Harry helped himself to some porridge and eggs, but then pushed his food around on his plate, not really seeing the food or eating it.
I leaned forward. Hallie was sitting beside Harry and I was sitting across from them.
"What's wrong?" I asked Harry gently.
Hallie was even watching him with concern.
"I'm just really sick with worry over Hermione," he admitted quietly. "I love her and it would kill me if she turned out to be the Silver Lining. Then we'd have to kill her."
I froze.
His words hit me like a ton of bricks.
"I love her..."
I cleared my throat.
"I'm sure she'll be fine," I said as my appetite left as well. I let the fork clatter to my plate.
"Stephanie?" Harry asked as he was startled at my fork dropping.
"You love her...why'd you kiss me?" I demanded angrily. "Or for that matter, TELL ME YOU WERE JEALOUS WHEN GOYLE ASKED ME OUT?"
Harry's green eyes filled with guilt and remorse.
"I was working out my feelings," he said quietly. "I'm sorry. I never, ever meant to hurt you."
"You are a real bastard," I snarled my eyes flashing. I knew that if I got any angrier, I would turn into the Advair.
Several of the Gryffindors looked at me startled.
I saw the teachers watching curiously too.
I jumped up from my seat and put my face close to Harry's. I knew my eyes had the jaundice already creeping into them.
HARRY.
Stephanie already had the jaundice creeping into her honey brown eyes, making them look like gold coins. Her canines began growing slightly.
"I was such a fool to think you could ever like me," she snarled. "I'm beginning to feel sorry that I ever helped you."
With that, she turned and that's when silence fell across the Hall like a tidal wave. I saw her staring in the direction of the entranceway.
I followed her gaze and I too, froze.
Hermione stood there, leaning against the doorframe.
Gasps went around. I slowly stood up. Stephanie had a shocked and stunned expression on her face.
Hermione was wrapped in a blood stained blanket, but she was naked underneath.
She collapsed.
Everyone was ushered out of the Great Hall except me and Stephanie.
Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall rushed to Hermione's side.
They majicked her onto a stretcher and we headed up to the hospital ward.
STEPHANIE.
Part of me was relieved that Hermione was alive and she wasn't the Silver Lining...but the other part of me was still hurt and angry over Harry.
Of course, I knew I made some moves myself...like kissing him outdoors that time, but he should've told me how he really felt. Already I was missing Goyle.
Hermione was placed on a cot and warm blankets were wrapped around her.
Her face was cut and bruised on her cheeks, chin and forehead.
Her arms were cut and bruised as well. She was unconscious.
"She's suffering from exposure and dehydration," Madam Pomfrey said as she checked Hermione over.
Harry and I stood beside the bed. Me, I had my arms folded over my chest.
"I'll have to run more tests, but right now she needs to be kept warm," Madam Pomfrey continued.
"Please let us know right away how she's doing," Professor Dumbledore said softly as he gently reached down and squeezed Hermione's ankle.
Even Professor Snape, whom rarely seems concerned about anyone else but his own students, had a real and genuine concern for Hermione.
"Shall I give her a Esvor Potion?" he asked, turning to Professor Dumbledore.
"That might help yes," Professor Dumbledore said softly.
An Esvor Potion was used to warm someone up...sort of like the Pepper-Up Potion, but with Hermione's condition, the shock of being warmed up so fast would be dangerous. The Esvor Potion had to be given every two hours to gradually warm the body temperature back to the normal level.
Professor Snape hurried from the hospital ward.
"Professor? Is she in shock or something?" Harry asked not taking his eyes off of Hermione.
"I believe so," Professor Dumbledore said. "We'll let her rest tonight. Tomorrow, if she's able, she can tell us what happened. You two will be allowed to stay here of course."
Madam Pomfrey nodded at his last words.
She gestured to two cots beside Hermione's.
"I'm taking this one," I said coldly as I walked around Hermione's cot and sat down on the one on the left side of her cot, putting Hermione in-between Harry and I.
Harry swallowed.
Professor Snape arrived shortly with the Esvor Potion. Madam Pomfrey administered some to Hermione and then set the goblet down on the night table.
"For now, you two are exempt from classes," Professor Dumbledore said to Harry and I. "You may just relax in the common room, or stay here."
"I will have Neville bring your work," Professor Snape said to us.
They left leaving Harry and I alone with Hermione. Madam Pomfrey left to collect more of the Esvor Potion from Snape.
"I'm going to the common room," I said briskly as I went to turn and leave, but Harry grabbed my elbow gently, spinning me around to face him.
"What?"
"I really am sorry for everything. I led you on and that was wrong. I didn't mean to hurt you," he said looking guilty and upset.
"Fine," I said. "Please let go."
"Stephanie..." Harry began but I cut him off.
"You could've told me from the beginning that your feelings were more for her than me. You led me on yes and it was totally wrong. But I trusted you. I don't care about the leading on right now, but you destroyed my trust in you. That's more important to me. I'm sorry. I don't think I can trust you again,"
"What can I do to earn your trust back?" Harry asked quietly as I saw tears in his emerald green eyes.
"I'm not sure," I replied. "It's going to take some time."
With that, I turned and left the hospital wing.
HARRY.
I felt even worse now. I plopped down onto the nearest cot and cried.
I've never really cried after Sirius was killed. But now, I felt like I lost him all over again. I've lost Stephanie's trust and that was just as horrible.
When I was done, I wiped my eyes with the back of my hands and looked at Hermione. She looked awful.
I saw she was dreaming because of her eyes. She tossed and turned a lot. I really wondered what she was dreaming about...
HERMIONE.
I'm being held in a cave about a mile off the school property. The Silver Lining would be coming back shortly. I knew I had to get out. I saw an old blood stained blanket lying over the bones of one of its victims. I grabbed it and wrapped it around myself. After it took me from the tower, tearing off my uniform, it dropped me here, then returned to the castle for some reason. But I manage to escape...I'm running on the grounds. I hid in the Forbidden Forest when I reached it. I was cold, wet, tired, hungry and just exhausted. I see the front doors to Hogwarts. I'm stumbling toward them...
I saw the Silver Lining's true form...a girl from the 13th century. She was grinning at me. I screamed.
I woke up screaming. I sat bolt upright in a cot. The lights came on in the room.
"Miss Granger!" a concerned voice cried.
The next thing I knew, strong but gentle hands took my shoulders. Once I stopped screaming and blinked, I realized I was in the hospital wing inside Hogwarts.
Madam Pomfrey was standing over me, and Harry was.
"Harry?" I choked out.
"Yeah, 'Mione?" Harry asked sitting beside me on the bed.
I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him. I rested my chin on top of his shoulder. I gently grabbed a handful of his untidy black hair just to make sure it was him. It was. I felt his arms encircle me and pull me close as well.
I burst into tears.
"I'll get the headmaster," Madam Pomfrey said as she hurried out of the hospital wing.
I couldn't let Harry go.
"Easy Hermione," he said soothingly. "You're safe now."
I knew he could feel my body trembling.
"Miss Granger," I heard Professor Dumbledore's gentle and soothing voice.
I finally let go of Harry and turned toward Dumbledore.
Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall were there as well...but not Stephanie.
"Where's Stephanie?" I demanded looking around.
"I believe she's in the library," Professor Snape said. "I will go and fetch her."
He disappeared.
"Miss Granger," Professor Dumbledore said in the same tone as he sat on the edge of my bed. "Do you remember what happened?"
I pulled the sheets and blanket up to my chest more.
"Well, after I came to tell Harry and Stephanie that Hallie needed to talk to Steph, and I headed back into the girls' dorm, this creature attacked me and it carried me out of the tower, dropped me into a cave and then it returned for some reason. It was a girl about my age, but she had 13th century clothing on. She wanted to use me as bait for something," I said frowning as I tried to remember. "I don't know what exactly, but I knew she wanted to hurt me. She's after someone, but I can't remember who."
"You managed to escape, yes?" Professor McGonagall asked gently.
"Yes," I said. "I made it to the Forbidden Forest where I stayed until you found me in the Great Hall."
Harry and Professor Dumbledore looked at each other.
STEPHANIE.
I was in the library reading when Professor Snape entered.
"Miss Ross? Miss Granger is asking for you," he said.
I looked up from reading the book.
"What?" I asked.
"Miss Granger is awake and she's asking for you," Professor Snape repeated.
Sighing, I closed my book and got up from the chair. I followed him out of the library. He led me to the hospital ward.
Hermione was sitting up and talking with Harry. The pang of pain filled my chest again but I continued to walk toward them.
Hermione looked up and her face lit up.
"Steph!" she cried happily.
I put on a smile and gave her a hug. She hugged me back.
I sat down on a chair beside the bed.
"So how are you feeling?" I asked softly.
"Like a Hippogriff stepped on me," she moaned.
I smiled.
"I'm going to bet you're going to be just fine," I said smiling.
But my heart hurt. It wasn't easy. After all, Harry did give me the impression that he liked me. I think I was more angry at the fact that he led me on then the actual fact that he liked Hermione...well, loved her anyway.
If he had just come out and told me the whole truth about his feelings, it would've been much better.
So I sat there, completely hurt and confused.
"So what happened?" I asked clearing my throat.
Hermione told me everything she had told the teachers.
"Wow," I breathed wide-eyed. "That's horrible. Do you recognize the girl?"
Hermione shook her head.
"No," she said. "I have absolutely no idea who she is."
I stretched with my arms above my head, my skirt and robe lifting several inches off my thigh. I saw Harry watching me.
I made no attempt to fix the skirt or robe.
"Well, I'm sure Dumbledore will figure everything out," I said softly. "Nothing's going to happen to you while I'm here."
Hermione smiled gratefully.
I turned to Harry and narrowed my eyes.
"That's more than what I can say for you," I growled out of the corner of my mouth. I was really angry at him.
Harry looked at me startled.
Hermione didn't seem to hear me, but I knew Harry did.
