A/N: First I would like to apologise for taking so long to update. I've had some things going on and I just haven't had the time. I'm hoping to do my updates on Tuesdays from now on. Also, I'm looking for a beta so if anyone's interested then please feel free to contact me on with the subject as beta. Thank you. Trigger warnings for this chapter are SI, and rape. Responses are at the bottom. Constructive criticism is welcomed. I've also decided to set up some sort of group/journal for review responses as they tend to make people believe that there's more story than there actually is, and clog up the page, much like long authors notes… so on that note (pardon the pun) I'm going to end this.
Disclaimer: As much as I would love them to be, the characters from this set of books do not belong to me. They belong to the wonderful J.K Rowling.
Chapter Two - Lost
The halls smelled of disinfectant, Hermione gagged. She pressed a hand against the white wall and took a moment to get herself together.
"It's alright deary, you take all the time you need. Here, why don't you come and sit down?"
Hermione looked to the nurse and nodded, allowing herself to be led towards a chair and lightly pushed down into it.
"I'm sorry you have to do this but I'm afraid you're the only person that can."
Hermione just nodded and concentrated on breathing normally. Breath in, breath out, breath in, breath out…
"Alright, I… I'm ready" Hermione stuttered as she spoke, she took one last deep breath before standing again and making her way towards the morgue. The nurse accompanying her rested a hand on the girl's shoulder before opening the door and letting them both inside.
"Just take a deep breath love; it'll all be over soon."
Hermione just nodded and told the doctor she was ready. He nodded to her sadly and moved towards the freezers, opening two drawers and sliding out the bodies. He unzipped both the bags and motioned for the two to come over. Hermione took another deep breath and moved forward, already knowing what she'd see. She bit back tears and forced herself to look at the first body.
And screamed. She quickly looked at the other body, and then ran from the room, down the corridor. She didn't care where she ended up. She had to get out of there.
She made her way to the ladies toilet and shut herself up in a cubicle. Why does this have to be a muggle hospital? She thought to herself. The police had arrived long after she was taken to Saint Mungo's but Mad-Eye Moody had heard that they were looking for her and agreed that she should be taken to the muggle place for the moment, just until they could find a place for her to stay for a few nights.
She remained in the cubicle until she heard a voice calling her. "Hermione? Hermione, I know you're in here. Please come out before I have to break down your door. You know I'm useless at things like this. Please Hermione?"
"Tonks?" Hermione whispered, drying her eyes quickly on some toilet roll. She opened the door and made her way out slowly, jumping in surprise when a pair of arms suddenly threw themselves around her.
"Wotcher, Hermione" Tonks spoke softly "I'm sorry to do this to you, but you need to come to the ministry with me. The Aurors need to question you."
Hermione just nodded silently and allowed Tonks to place her hand on a can of coke "So the muggles didn't suspect anything" Tonks said, holding the can up. She felt the pull from her navel and concentrated on not being sick. Before she knew it, she was placed in restraints and marched off towards the holding cells.
"Hey! Wait a minute! What are you doing? You can't possibly believe that she did this, can you?" Tonks shouted after them.
"Miss Tonks, if you cannot restrain yourself we will have to ask you to leave!" One of the Aurors said to her. "If you want to help your friend I suggest you start looking into a way to prove her innocence instead of screaming down the halls!" He turned on his heels and walked briskly towards the cells after Hermione.
Harry awoke with a start, stood, and looked around himself wildly. I fell asleep on the sofa! Uncle Vernon is going to kill me! I didn't finish my chores! He was startled out of his panic by a loud bang from the next room. "What the…"
He looked around and saw that he was in a strange room, certainly not somewhere he remembered being before. 'Maybe it wasn't a dream….' he thought to himself.
"Sirius?" Harry called out quietly within seconds Sirius was bursting through the door behind the sickly boy.
"Harry! You should be lying down!" He rushed up and picked up his godson, placing him back on the sofa.
"I'm sorry Sirius; it's just that I need the toilet." Harry whispered, slightly embarrassed. Sirius however wasn't fazed.
"Oh! I'm sorry Harry; I got a little carried away. Do you think you can make it yourself or do you need some help?" Sirius let his eyes flick over him briefly before picking Harry up again and carrying him to the bathroom. He placed him down and opened the door. "I'm just out here if you need me" he told a furiously blushing Harry.
Once in the bathroom, Harry took a moment to look at himself in the mirror before going about his business.
He was still too skinny, way too skinny. He hadn't eaten a lot over the holidays. He had been too busy with chores to think about eating. Bruises covered his body, some lighter than others, fading away. He looked sickly… And he hated it. Why did he have to be so weak?
Sighing, he did what he went there to do and made his way back out to Sirius, who scooped him up and carried him back down to the sofa, wrapping blankets around him. "Alright, Harry, try to get some more sleep. The potions Madam Pomfrey left work better if you sleep through them. We'll have you right as rain in no time!" Sirius smiled encouragingly at Harry. Harry thought Sirius was being too optimistic, though didn't say anything… he was still somewhat tired… he nodded and closed his eyes, deciding that sleep couldn't hurt. Sirius smiled again and went back into the kitchen to join Remus, who was waiting patiently to talk to him.
"So miss Granger…"
Hermione looked up to the Auror silently, her eyes red and puffy, her bottom lip split and swollen from her fall down the stairs earlier today. She held her left wrist to her chest, it was almost black from bruising and she suddenly remembered she never got her x-ray results.
"Miss Granger! If you continue to keep up this vow of silence, I will go and get the Veritaserum! The only thing that prevents me from doing at the present time is the fact that the prescription has to be personally signed by the Minister and he is out of the country at the moment, however. He is only a Floo call away." The old Auror glared stonily at her. "Did you kill your parents Miss Granger?" He repeated for the fifth time.
Hermione looked up at him again and whispered in a small voice "No.. I didn't kill them"
"Right then" The old Auror rubbed his hands together and seemed to be thinking. "What do you think, Shacklebolt. She telling the truth?"
Hermione gasped then quickly covered her surprise by clutching her wrist and acting as if she had done so out of pain. Kingsley Shacklebolt was a member of the Order! He must know she didn't kill her parents! She looked up as he stepped through the wall that, prior to that moment, had looked solid to Hermione. Two-way walls, she'd forgotten about those. She glanced up at him hopefully but quickly looked down again at the fierce look he gave her.
"I don't know, Hatchett, at any rate I'll find out. I've got to take her to her care home now, Hatchett. We can't keep her here, she's underage. We've already had her here longer than allowed." The older man nodded and left the room. Shacklebolt glanced at Hermione. "First stop, St Mungos. Get you looked at then we'll take you to your foster family." She nodded, heartbroken. He didn't believe her! Wouldn't he have said something if he did! She rose to her feet and moved towards the large black man, hazel eyes downcast sadly. She felt his hand on her shoulder, gently pushing her forward towards the door. Hermione was going into shock. Her surroundings became a blur as Shacklebolt guided her down corridors, into the lift, through various doors and rooms. He had to call her three times to get her attention when they'd finally stopped.
"Ah, glad you're still with me. I was about to carry you, I need you to walk through this door and make sure you wait for me on the other side. Go on" he added as she just stared blankly at him. "Go on, I trust that you'll wait. The sooner you go through, the sooner you get some treatment for that arm. What did you do to it anyway?" Hermione said nothing as she moved through the door and into the chaos, which was St Mungo's main waiting area. Even if she'd thought about running away, Kingsley's hand was on her shoulder seconds after she arrived.
"Alright Miss Granger, lets get you to a doctor."
She nodded mutely and allowed him to steer her to the desk. She was just about to ask how long she'd be there waiting when Kingsley spoke again to the lady behind the desk.
"Auror doctor please." The woman quickly reached for a red ball and waved hr wand over it, muttering under her breath. 'Must be some sort of activation spell' Hermione thought quietly to herself.
"If you would both just place a finger on the ball, Auror…?" She said, questioningly.
"Shacklebolt. I know what to do, Miss Granger, finger on the ball."
Hermione nodded again and did as asked. If she was going to be sent to Azkaban, she might as well try to let good behaviour speak for her when they decided her sentence she thought. She looked up to Kingsley and waited for him to give her further instruction. She almost had a heart attack when she heard him speak.
"Order member Shacklebolt, Kingsley requesting medical attention. Clearance, mango abra rabbit stars!" He stated loudly, clutching Hermiones shoulder.
Much to Hermiones surprise, she found herself in the infirmary at Hogwarts. Madame Pomfrey rushed over immediately, hurrying Hermione over to a bed a pushing her gently down onto it, waving her wand over her for a few minutes before giving her a tearful look and rushing off to her medicine cabinet. She returned a few moments later with a bottle of dreamless sleep potion. After fixing Hermiones broken wrist with a wave of her wind, she poured out a dose of the potion, handing it to Hermione, who drank it without a word. She instantly fell fast asleep.
"You'll want the special Auror unit here, Kingsley. And a female officer, I need one present when I do the rape kit. Tonks, if you can get her. The child knows her already, it will make things easier."
Kingsley visibly paled at the nurses words. "Rape kit? Are you sure, Poppy?"
Madame Pomfrey nodded sadly, motioning for him to follow him to her office. After being assured that Hermione wouldn't wake, he followed her, pushing the door almost closed before turning to face her.
"What do you mean rape kit? I've just been questioning this girl in connection with her parents murders, and now you tell me she's been raped? How long ago, is there a way to tell who did it? Are you sure she was even raped?" Kingsley asked, franticly. He wasn't used to these sorts of cases, he dealt with death eaters, people exposing magic to muggles. He didn't deal with rape for Merlin's sake! It wasn't worth arguing over. Of course the nurse was sure. She was paid to be sure, the order members lives depended on her being sure. He nodded and turned, he needed to use Dumbledores Floo.
I realise this is very short. It just seemed to be the right place to stop. I promise I'll update quicker this time!
