"Hermione!" Ginny yelled, pounding on their bathroom door. "Damn it all, Hermione, you open this bloody door!"
Ginny had followed Hermione when Cho had returned from the loo unaccompanied. The rest of the group had slowly made their way into the master bedroom when they heard Ginny's yelling.
"Let me try," Minerva whispered, nodding.
Ginny stepped aside slightly.
"Hermione Jane Granger! You'd bloody well better open this bloody door before have to apparate in and get you!" Minerva screeched, surprising everyone (her former students hadn't, after all, ever heard their professor use such profanity).
A brief silence followed.
"I'm going in," Minerva said.
"Wait!" Katie said, grabbing Minerva's arm. "Maybe Ginny had better go first?"
"I'm more imposing," Minerva argued.
"What if she was on the toilet while she downed a vial? If you already make her nervous, apparating in on her half clothed is not going to help her face you again," Katie pointed out, ever the practical one.
"Maybe Ginny should go in first," Minerva said, lowering her wand.
Ginny nodded and disapparated with a pop.
"I am more imposing, though," Minerva mumbled.
"Course you are, dear," Xiomara told her, only half paying attention to her partner's attempt to soothe her own ego.
Several seconds later, the four outside the bathroom heard a muffled gasp.
"Professor!" Ginny cried, panic-stricken.
Without thinking, Minerva blew the bathroom door clean off its hinges and it exploded into a million tiny pieces.
What is it? Is she alright?" Minerva asked, scanning the room franticly.
Then she looked down.
Hermione was sprawled on the bathroom floor and Ginny was cradling Hermione's head in her arms.
"She's bleeding, Professor," Ginny said through tears.
Minerva knelt and felt for a pulse as Xiomara knelt and picked up the glass vial adjacent to Hermione.
"She had another vial," Minerva and Xiomara said in unison.
"Quickly," Minerva continued," let's get her to the bed and get her comfortable. Cho: get damp towels. Katie: cool compresses."
The pair quickly rushed off to the kitchen to search.
"Can't you just fix her head with magic?" Ginny asked, still beside herself.
"I never studied healing magicks. I don't know any of the spells. Xiomara: help me carry her to the bed."
Xiomara and Minerva lifted Hermione and placed her on the bed.
"Ginny, I need for you to keep pressure on her wound. I don't know how deep it is and we can't let her bleed out. Xiomara, are you familiar with any antidotes? We should clear any of the poisons in her system. If we do, she might wake up."
Xiomara nodded and also departed for the kitchen.
"Might?" Ginny demanded, hysterical. "Might? Wake her up, professor! You're supposed to be so powerful! Fix her!"
"Ginny, please calm down," Minerva said soothingly. "This isn't my fault."
"The hell it isn't! Why the bloody hell do you think she took those bloody little vials if not because of you?"
Minerva looked both shocked and hurt but quickly composed herself. "Keep pressure on her wound. I'll be right back."
Minerva walked out of the room. "Where are those damn towels?" she asked, walking into the kitchen.
Katie and Cho raised the necessary items to show her and quickly rushed back to Hermione.
"Are you okay?" Xiomara asked Minerva, having heard Ginny's outburst.
"Fine. How's the potion?"
"Actually, not necessary," Xiomara answered as she held up a few vials. "Ginny must've brewed some just in case."
"Alright, let's go back in there."
"It's okay to be upset, Min," Xiomara told her.
"I'm fine… It's just that… That girl in there looked up to me and I can't do anything to help her… To save her. I feel so… So… Helpless."
"You'll think of something. You always do."
Xiomara handed Ginny the vials when they reached the bedroom.
Minerva sat down next to Hermione and lifted her head to inspect the wound and to make Ginny's job of administering the antidotes easier. "Someone already blotted the blood away?" Cho nodded in response. "It looks like it's just a graze. Ginny, you can go ahead with the vials."
Ginny poured the liquid down Hermione's throat.
"Now, we wait," Minerva sighed.
"When will we know?" Ginny asked.
"When she wakes up."
"Professor? I'm sorry… I shouldn't have yelled at you. You were trying to help," Ginny apologized.
Minerva held up a hand. "That's very kind, but not necessary. I know… I know you were just upset."
Silence again fell over the group.
"You can all go home. You've done all you can. Thank you, but now all we can do is wait," Ginny said, breaking the silence.
"She's right," Minerva said. "You girls go ahead home. Xiomara and I will stay a little longer. Go ahead. I won't take no for an answer. We'll owl if anything happens."
Katie and Cho nodded reluctantly and disapparated with a loud pop.
"You really don't have to stay," Ginny said.
"We want to, don't we dear?" Xiomara nodded in response. "See? So, it's settled. Ginny? I was wondering… What's your plan? How are you going to keep this from happening again?"
"I don't really know," Ginny answered, holding Hermione's hand.
"Well… Maybe I could try. I mean, Hermione could come stay with Xiomara and I for a week or so. What do you think?"
"Stay with you?" Ginny exclaimed, incredulous. "You must be joking! How could that be a good idea?"
"Well, you couldn't stop her this time! Maybe… Maybe…"
"Maybe she'll listen to us. Maybe Minerva will get through to her," Xiomara finished for Minerva.
Ginny breathed deeply. "Yes… Yes. Maybe it could work. Is there anything I can do?"