Dobby woke them up the next day with an apologetic smile.
"Headmistress sent Dobby to say you are expected at her office in an hour. Dobby is sorry he woke you up…" His ears deflated. "Professor McGonagall is waiting with Miss Black." He popped out of existence before any of them could process what he had said.
"Did Dobby just say Professor McGonagall is waiting for us?" Hermione asked after closing her eyes again and holding Fleur closer.
"Umm…" The blonde nodded. "Bonjour, 'ermione…" She said, kissing her neck.
"Good morning, Love" the lioness kissed her softly. "He said something about a Miss Black too, right?"
Fleur nodded then her head shot up from where it was resting (Hermione's chest - what? It was comfy!), painfully connecting with the lioness chin. They both grunted in pain. "Sorry…" The blonde managed to say. "Eet's Narcissa." She added after the peak of pain faded, massaging her head. Hermione's eyes widened.
"You think she figured it all out?"
"She promised so, mon chér"
"Right… Should we get ready?" Hermione smiled, watching the blonde get up. Fleur hummed, "you seem more eager than myself…"
"I doubt zat…" The blonde looked back as retrieved their clothes for the day. "I just want to support you…"
"Aww, I know that, babe…" Hermione smiled softly at the stunning blonde.
"Eet seems painful and I don't like zee idea of you 'urting."
"Thanks for caring. I'm ok, though." Hermione walked to the bathroom after the blonde gave her the clothes. They got ready quickly, descending the stairs silently so they wouldn't wake the trio on the other room. Hermione wrote a note on a piece of parchment letting them know they would be in the Headmistress' office. It was so early that there was no one in the hallways leading to the office. They were greeted by Minerva a moment after they knocked on the door.
"Good morning, ladies" She smiled at them and moved so they could come in.
"Fleur! You received my owl!" Narcissa exclaimed.
"No, Cissy. She was already here." Minerva laughed and both younger women blushed. The healer looked confused. "Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Harry are here in a special circumstance. There are a few rules being bent for them. Well, more specifically Hermione and Harry but Miss Weasley and Miss Lovegood are always with them and the four are practically the only ones that fought that came back for their last year."
"That and, according to my son, Miss Granger is your favourite student..." Narcissa added bluntly, smirking.
"Well, I can't say it's a lie." Minerva gave Hermione a small smile. The lioness blushed even more. "I'm sorry I called you so early."
"Yes, I'm sorry it's so early but my crazy sister did put an awful amount of spells and potions in that blade and it will take a long time to revert all of them." They nodded. "There is a team prepared to treat you at St. Mungo's, all under confidentiality contracts as per Minerva's request. My guess is that it will take a little over 24 hours." Another nod.
"I'll let the trio know where you are and that you are allowed visits."
"Right, let us get this done," Hermione said her jaw set. Fleur felt the lioness' anxiety spike up and placed a hand on the small of her back, drawing calming patterns. She felt her relax a little and received a thankful glance.
"Do you need to get anything before we go?" Narcissa asked.
"I don't think so."
"Eef you remember anything I can get eet to you zen…" Hermione nodded and smiled.
"I'll go later with the trio to visit you." Minerva smiled at her.
"We are going directly to the hospital, just say St. Mungo's Hospital." Narcissa offered, as the three women grabbed some floo powder.
As soon as they arrived at the hospital, Narcissa ushered them into the room that had been prepared for Hermione and asked them to wait while she called the team. Hermione sat on the stretcher, while Fleur stood by her side, holding her hand. The fact that she had no clue about the procedures that would be taking place made the lioness feel uneasy, she really hated not knowing.
The healer came back with six more following her, "Miss Delacour, I'd advise you to sit. It's going to be a while after all… Miss Granger, would you lay down please?"
"Please, call me Hermione. We are family after all…" She said with a smile. When they were both accommodated, the older witch began explaining the treatment while the rest of the team scurried around gathering what would be needed.
"Well, the treatment consists of three steps. Firstly, before I explain this to you, I'm sorry but I have to ask, when was the last time you used the potion I gave you, Hermione?"
"Two weeks. We used it the dawn of the Monday that Fleur went back to work and I to class…"
"I'm glad it hasn't reopened since then. If it had been used more recently we would have to wash the potion off of your arm. Luckily we won't have to…" Narcissa smiled and nodded. "As I was saying, three steps. The first one is using counter-spell and antidote potions to get rid of all the magic still on the wound. That one is the second longer procedure, as there are many curses and potions. It will also open the cut once more, the first counter-spell or potion we use on you will open it again, I'm sorry. The second stage is about the flesh that got in contact with that much dark-magic, to heal properly, we need to get rid of all that. So we will have all the sick tissue removed. The Third step is the proper healing. I'm not able to say it won't leave a scar, I'm really sorry." Hermione noticed The older witch's eyes were sorrowful and sad.
"Narcissa, it's not your fault and you know it. I happen to have been on that mad woman's hands, you have no blame in it. You weren't the one torturing me, you weren't the one that caught me and the boys. Stop. No one blames you. You were a great asset to our side at the end of the war as was Draco, before that you were both scared and primed for each other's lives. You are doing a magnificent job as a healer, you are helping on the searches for Lucius. Stop feeling guilty, what's in the past is in the past and is better left there. You are a good person and if someone is unable to see that, they probably never had their family threatened and thorn away from them." Hermione said calmly, something long overdue. The woman in front of her had to take a few deep breaths before she could speak again, the other healers were out of the room at the moment probably to finish gathering the material they would need.
"Thank you, Hermione." Narcissa's voice broke a little, "You are really a great witch." The other healers came back one by one. By the end of their travels, there was an alarming amount of flasks on the bedside table, a couple of scrolls with them. Hermione had a feeling it had no way that this treatment would be painless, she grimaced at the thought.
"Miss Granger, as the procedure will probably be painful we will put you under a painkiller potion." One of the healers informed her and began setting up a type of magic IV. "We need you awake most of the time so the IV will keep us from giving you too much and therefore make you sleep, or having to make you take small doses every now and then. It reads your level of pain and doses the potion just so you don't feel it."
"Thank you." She said after the healer punctured her arm (opposite to the one that needed healing.
"You might still feel a little sleepy."
Hermione nodded at that. Narcissa cast a finite spell so the wound was now visible. The whole room gasped with the exception of the older witch, Hermione, and Fleur. The lioness heard a few expletives as they read what had been written on her arm.
"I'm the one responsible for casting the counter-spells, Hermione. We will remove most of the spells first than move to the potions. Once they are over, I'll cast a couple more and then we will move to the next stage. Ok?" Narcissa informed, sitting by Hermione. "I'll need to get your outstretched arm immobile like that just so we have access to it." She moved her arm to the desired position, resting against a cushioned armrest and cast a bonding spell (Hermione could still move her hand but the arm itself never left the position it was left in). "This will hurt a little before the painkiller acts." She added apologetically and faced the wounded arm.
Narcissa began, as promised her arm began to hurt as soon as the spell reached it but soon the pain was gone. She could feel the spells reaching her arm but no pain. Fleur began drawing soothing circles on her other arm as soon as the first spell hit her. Hermione wondered if she would be feeling any pain if she wasn't under the potion and had only the veela to keep it from her. She was almost certain she wouldn't. It took about two hours, then the potions began to be purred over her arm, some of them washed through the word and some were absorbed. As Narcissa was casting the last counter-spell, her friends and professor came into the door carrying food. The healer smiled and greeted them. The other healers had already left the room. The Black elder then took the last vial on the table and poured on her arm then removed the IV with a flick of the wand. She began bandaging the open and angry wound after releasing her arm from the imprisonment spell.
"It's only to keep it protected until we begin the cleaning. I'll be back in a couple of hours to resume the treatment." Narcissa explained. It was almost lunchtime (what explained the food that the visiting group brought).
"Won't you eat with us?" Hermione asked, rather groggy, as the healer began to leave. She understood her body had been under a lot of magic and probably was tired of processing it.
"Uh-" Narcissa stopped on her tracks.
"We brought enough food for a small army." Harry offered. "I guess Dobby heard you were supposed to stay overnight and decided he would provide you with food. For a lifetime." He laughed.
"Sure Ginny won't be able to eat it all?" Hermione quipped with a smirk.
Harry shook his head. "Too much even for her." He kissed the redhead's cheek as she rolled her eyes and flashed her tongue at her best friend. Fleur and Luna simply laughed at the exchange while the older witches seemed amused by their antics.
"Anyway, you are invited to join us, Cissy." McGonagall offered and the other witch relented.
"So, how's it going?" Harry asked worriedly after they began to eat near Hermione's bed as she was feeling a bit dizzy from the painkillers.
"I'm dark-magic-free right now…" She spoke with a smile as if it was really funny in her mind. Merlin, she was really dizzy. "I'm pretty sure the most painful moment is yet to happen…" Her face darkened.
"Unfortunately you are right, dear," Narcissa said with an apologetic smile.
"Figured…"
They ate in silence then, each in their own thoughts. Fleur finished eating sat by Hermione, both enjoying the proximity… After a while, Narcissa excused herself and said she would be back in an hour with the cleaning solution and McGonagall also went on her way as she had the school to take care.
"Did you bring anything? Like pyjamas, books…?" Ginny asked after they were alone.
"Non, I should go get zem…"
"I was going to offer to get them, actually…" The redhead smiled. "I know you keep her calm and Narcissa just said the worst part is yet to come so I can go…"
Fleur nodded. "Would you mind getting me my pyjamas too? And zee book on zee bedside table?"
"Sure. But, uh, how do I get to your apartment?"
"Zrough zee front door?" Fleur eyed the ginger quizzically.
"But…"
"Fleur included you three on her wards. You guys can easily use the floo there, right?" The three nodded as Hermione began to explain, "You can't now because she's not home, but you are able to open the door-"
"Since when?" Harry asked curiously.
"'ermione since I came back from France," Fleur snickered. "You and zee girls since after zee infamous Girl's night…" Fleur beamed.
"So we have been knocking for you to open unnecessarily?" Ginny asked awestruck.
"No, you have been polite." Hermione deadpans, making everyone laugh.
"Right, I'll be back in a few," Ginny said after the laughter died down and left, gesturing for Harry and Luna to stay.
"So I heard you were quite impatient on Wednesday…" Harry began with a smirk, directing his attention to Fleur, who began to blush. At her questioning look and raised eyebrow, he continued: "I met one of the aurors that worked on the searches yesterday when I went to the ministry to deliver some paperwork to Tonks…"
"Oh…"
"He says you even used some veela magic to find the right room…"
"I-" Fleur began to answer, her cheeks getting redder.
"So I heard we have a newly dark-magic-free member of the Golden Trio here!" Tonks barged into the door with her usual bubblegum pink hair, beaming.
"Hey, Tonks!" Hermione greeted her and heard the blonde by her side exhale the breath she was holding and relax a little.
"How are my favourite post-war heroes today?" The auror said after winking at the lioness.
Hermione groaned at the so-called title, "Merlin, I hate being called a hero."
"You can call 'er war royalty, she likes zat better." Fleur offered with a smirk, Hermione looked at her scandalized and then at Tonks.
"Please don't!" The lioness pleaded.
"Ok, so how are you?"
"As good as someone that has been on the receiving end of thirty counterspells, as far as I could count, and subject to twenty different potions can feel…" Hermione felt tired even if it was basically only mid-afternoon.
"As expected…" Tonks smiled apologetically.
Fleur had moved to lay on the stretcher beside Hermione after enlarging it a bit and was caressing the lioness' head while holding her; Luna and Harry were occupying the couch in front of the bed, Luna had her head on Harry's lap and Tonks sat at one of the armchairs left. They talked softly after Hermione fell asleep on Fleur's arms.
"So I had to go to Hogwarts because I remembered you were reading a book and guessed she left it there…" Ginny barged into the room talking loudly, only to be shushed by Harry. "Sorry…" She said as soon as she saw Hermione waking up.
"It's ok, Gin." She slurred.
"Hey, Tonks…" The redhead noticed the metamorphmagus in the room. She handled the bag she was carrying to Fleur and went to sit on the armrest of the couch, beside Harry.
Narcissa re-entered the room then, carrying what seemed to be an aquarium. "Hello again…" She noticed the curious gazes. "Cleaning potion," She directed her attention to Hermione. "This won't be pleasurable. The tissue affected goes a little deep so I'll need to cast a couple vortex spells, you'll have your arm inside this for about five hours. Honestly, it will be painful and ugly… Then we will get you some healing potions and keep you here to make sure you'll heal fine." Hermione nodded and Narcissa set to work. She linked the IV to her arm once again, cast the vortex spells and made sure Hermione was comfortable and with her arm completely immersed in the crystalline potion.
Three hours later, Tonks had left the hospital after being called back to the ministry and the trio and Fleur were trying to distract Hermione from the gruesome state of the liquid moving around her arm. It was bloodstained and kind of muddy. The lioness was aware of their efforts and very grateful too even if it didn't fully work. If she was to tell the truth, what really was making her relax was the thrall that her veela was sending her. She was very curious about that, the rest of the room occupants didn't seem to be affected by it nor any of the nurses. If she thought hard enough she was able to remember that the only thrall that affected everyone was some kind of calling, something Fleur didn't have complete control over. A few healers were affected but were also quickly dismissed by Narcissa, who seemed to be the chief of her treatment.
"Ma Reine, what 'as you zinking so 'ard?" Fleur chuckled, rousing Hermione from her musings.
"Nothing really, I'm just curious about your thrall. That's all…"
"In what aspect?"
"Well, how it works and how it develops itself."
Fleur was nodding when the trio went to them to say goodbye since they had plans for the evening. They resumed their conversation as soon as the group left.
"I zink we can research eet while we are in France, what do you zink?"
"Good I think… You think we will be able to have direct access to the archives?"
"I'm sure. Grandmère heard Papa saying you read his book in less than a month and said zee flock's library is at your disposal…"
"Really?"
"Oui. Well, I guess I never told you zat but she's zee clan's leader -"
"I guessed so… She's the oldest Delacour alive right?"
"Oui. But zee zing ees, our Clan leads zee French flock."
"Flock? Oh, I read about it in your father's book and notebooks but it never talked about it more extensively…"
"Zat's because only women are allowed in zee flock. Most secrets of zee race are kept between zee female Veelas…"
"You are quite feminists…" Hermione chuckled. Fleur smiled and nodded. "So, your Clan leads the Veela Flock in France." The blonde nodded. "I assume even if the males aren't really allowed in it, they are kind of ruled by it." Another nod. "And you are full of surprises. You are some kind of princess then?"
"You could say zat, I don't really like to zink about eet. Maman ees zee 'eir since eet works similarly to zee 'ead of 'ouses 'ere."
"Right…" Hermione was listening to everything intently. "But -"
"As my mate and female, you are - or will be - allowed in zee Flock, 'ermione." Hermione nodded at this. "And I'm sorry I didn't tell you zis right away…"
"Why didn't you tell me before?"
"Living 'ere keeps me away from zee politics, Grandmère sent me an update yesterday along with zee invite for you to zee library. 'onestly, I don't care much about eet… I'm trained to rule, Maman made sure of eet. I zink I 'aven't zought about eet ever since I joined zee order…"
"Imminent death…" Fleur simply nodded. They stayed silent for a bit. "I'm glad we survived…"
"Ditto"
"Apart from the whole 'you don't think much about it'…" Fleur hummed, not looking at Hermione's face. "You were totally worried I was going to freak after hearing this."
"Non."
"Fleur…"
"Okay, I was. Eet's just zat I 'ad so many fucked up friendships because of eet… And I know eet was stupid of me-"
"You are not stupid. And I get it. To be honest, I had already come to the conclusion your family was some kind of big deal…"
"Zee brightest indeed" The blonde chuckled, earning a playful slap in the arm.
"Don't be afraid of telling me stuff, Fleur."
"Sorry, really…"
"Okay, just don't let it happen again…" Fleur nodded and leaned to kiss Hermione on the lips.
They stayed quiet for a while until the blonde moved to the purse containing their clothes and books. She rummaged a bit then sat back beside the lioness with a victorious smirk. Hermione smiled when she noticed what she had grabbed. Fleur began reading, the brunette focused on her voice. An hour later, Narcissa entered the room seeming tired but smiling.
"I think we're finished with the cleaning potion. I'll just examine to be sure." She took Hermione's arm from the liquid after terminating the spells on it and ran a diagnosis spell. "Right, all cleaned. Hermione, I think I won't be able to remove completely the scar… The damage was really deep-"
"It's ok, Narcissa. I had already guessed this much. The fact that it won't be sliced open again is enough for me, as it is being free of dark magic…" Hermione smiled, she did guess such a thing. Powerful magic left scars and that dagger was full of them apparently.
"Ok then, I'll dress your arm for the night then. It will be healed tomorrow morning and I'll be here to discharge you."
"Thank you, Narcissa."
"I need you to take these potions before you sleep. They are simple but strong healing potions and a painkiller as your arm will probably begin throbbing as soon as the IV potion wears out." Hermione nodded and Fleur smiled gratefully.
As soon as the older witch left, the blonde helped the lioness to change and they went to sleep. Fleur holding Hermione carefully not to jolt her arm.
A/N: Hello my dear readers! It's me, your friendly neighbour Celtic!
What did you think about this second healing process? I confess some inspiration might have come from The Athena chronicles once again (huge inspiration, honestly). I hope I managed to explain everything in an intelligible manner...
Please review, I'm always pleased to learn what you think!
;3
See Yah!
PS: Tonks95: Hey! Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter...
Pappa: Thanks! We are getting there... I still didn't reach the mating part yet (kind of one final step?LOL)
Wk: Hullo again! Thanks for reading! I'm honestly loving this trio!
PPS: If you feel like sending me requests suggestions or prompts, feel free to reach me by PM or email me: celticdaughterfics (gmail)
