Happy Monday lovelies!
Aren't you lucky I love you so much - another chapter!
So if you want some tunes for this, while reading this chapter I strongly recommend George Michael - Careless Whispers
In my way this is a dedication to his music. So sad still about 2016.
But I am digressing.
A quick thank you again to your awesome reviews!
And sorry in advance if the next chapters take some time, currently they are being reviewed as I type furiously on for your reading pleasure!
XOXO
SHATTER ME
Chapter 3
She was back in Diagon Alley. The handsome boy was next to her. He seemed familiar but she couldn't pick where she knew him. She smiled down at him. Perhaps he was the little brother she longed to have. She flicked her wand and parchment flew from the boys' jacket. She looked at it. It was so familiar. It was the list for a first year student at Hogwarts.
The boy was staring at something in the window. She looked up to see what had the grey eyed boy so enamoured - A broom. Definitely could be her brother in her dreams. Like all boys that age her mind thought wryly. She grabbed his hand and this time she began pulling him towards Flourish and Blots, her favourite shop.
She could see all the titles, and sighed. She went to the section for Defence Against the Dark Arts. She noted with strangeness there were no Gilderoy Lockhart books. Even in fourth and fifth year when she was getting her books Lockhart's books were there, usually with a sale sticker on them. She shrugged and went in search of the rest of her little brother's books. She found him predictably in the Quidditch section.
Making their purchases Hermione stepped out and squinted as the sunlight on her eyes felt suddenly too bright…
"Ron! Turn off the light before you blind her!" Ginny's hushed voice pulled Hermione from her dream.
"It's okay." Hermione shifted on the bed. "I'm awake." She pulled her hand up to rub her eyes blinking to adjust to the harshness.
"Dad is gonna go bonkers at all this muggle stuff!" Ron was still standing by the light switch, ogling the monitors around her. There were now only three left as Hermione's health was returning.
"Hey Hermione." Harry's quiet voice drew her attention.
"Harry!" Hermione sat up suddenly, reaching in and hugging her best friend, heedless that her efforts were setting off the monitors beside her.
"Her- Mio- Ne! Can't. Breathe!" Harry gasped for air. She released him from her tight hug and sagged back onto the bed, holding his hand.
"I'm not going anywhere Hermione." Harry smirked at her.
"You were the one that went somewhere." Ron grumbled, coming to stand beside her. He seemed put out at her affection for seeing Harry. Reluctantly, she let go of his hand and turned to Ginny, who leaned in, hugging her gently. Her eyes were still wide from the sudden beeping when she moved. Hermione chuckled as the beeping grew louder and more frequent again. Ginny let go suddenly and looked between her and the monitor.
"It's monitoring my heart beats Ginny. See the wires coming from the machine?" She pointed at the bundle of cords that connected to the machine and hung between the bed, disappearing under the covers.
"They are attached and read my pulse and heart beats." She pulled the gown she was wearing to show the foam pad stuck on her chest where her heart was.
"Wicked." Ron looked at the monitor as the beeping slowed down. Hermione smiled at him, as he took in the machines around her with new interest. She turned to Harry.
"There is a lever on the bed, can you make it sit up?" She asked him. Harry nodded and in quick time, Hermione could look at her friends without straining herself. She shifted her legs so Ginny could sit on the end of the bed while the boys pulled a seat close to either side of her. Ginny pulled out a packet of Honeydukes chocolate and broke it apart, sharing it with them all.
Hermione normally didn't like chocolate, but as she was sick of soups and broths it felt like heaven as her first bite melted on her tongue. She moaned, savouring the flavour and feel of it.
"So the food is lousy huh?" Ginny chuckled and handed her another piece.
"I'm confined to soft foods. What I wouldn't give for something with crunch." Hermione sighed wistfully.
Ron shifted in his seat a little uncomfortably, leant down and picked up a parcel that was hidden from her view. Handing it to her gently, afraid she might break.
"It's not crunchy. But I know you will like it all the same." He said in explanation. "It's from all of us." He added.
She looked at the gift. And ripped the paper off.
"A book!" She grinned. "You do not know how bored I have been!"
"Really? It looked like all you were doing was eating and sleeping Hermione." Harry grinned at her. Hermione scrunched up the wrapping into a ball and threw it at him.
"No. Well, not all the time. I have to do exercises to help my muscles work. Then I eat and sleep." She pouted and poked out her tongue at him. Ginny giggled.
"I don't think I have ever seen you poke your tongue out at anyone before." She laughed.
"You would too if you can't use an ounce of magic." She grumbled looking down at the brand new book, stroking the cover reverently. The title of it was 'A further study on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.'
"Harry. Ron. Can you tell me what happened?" She looked up at them both. Both Harry and Ron shifted in their seats, not looking at her.
"They said not to say anything, didn't they?" Hermione asked incredulously.
"Mum said we shouldn't say anything in case it upsets you." Ron mumbled. Hermione glared at Ron, angry that his mother wouldn't let Ron tell her anything.
"So did Sirius." Harry added, looking up at Hermione.
Ginny looked at her friend, tilting her head slightly in thought. "Hermione, what do you remember?" She asked.
Hermione frowned, thinking in deep thought. She didn't notice her fourth visitor slip into the room. Sirius had come in to tell them that they needed to finish their visit when he heard Ginny ask Hermione the question he had wanted to ask her, was afraid to ask her. He listened as Hermione relayed her memories of that night.
Hermione remembered going to the Department of Mysteries. Not finding Sirius, but they did find the prophecy. She remembered fighting them and running into the time room with all the time turners. Trying to hide from the Death Eaters.
"The last thing I clearly remember was when I was protecting Harry from Dolohov." She looked up at Ginny "After that it becomes sketchy. I remember hearing voices. I think Sirius and Moody. Then seeing Dumbledore's face. I remember lots of flashes I guess from spells but then I feel like I'm falling endlessly as well through a greyness, I suppose was wherever I went. Everything seems fractured and surreal, until I woke up here."
Hermione shrugged and looked up again. She missed the exchanged glances between Harry and Ron. Sirius saw as Harry was about to say something, when he made his presence known scaring the hell out of Ginny in the process.
"Come on you three. There are others keen to see Hermione." Sirius opened the door for them.
"Sirius! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Ginny growled as she jumped lightly off the bed. She gave Hermione another quick hug and hid another bar of chocolate under Hermione's pillow. Ron and Harry also gave her a quick hug before following the youngest Weasley out.
Her next visitors were Mr and Mrs Weasley, Bill and Fleur. Hermione was a little surprised to see Fleur. She swept into the room with a large bouquet of flowers, laying them in her lap and kissing each of her cheeks. Mrs Weasley followed with her own, somewhat smaller bunch of flowers. Hermione recognised enough of them to know she picked them from her own garden. Hermione smiled in thanks, touching the petals softly.
Bill, whom she had not yet met, introduced himself and handed her a card. Mr Weasley, as predicted by Ron, was ecstatic seeing the muggle devices Hermione was connected to, so much so, that after Hermione explained to her best ability how each device worked to the fascinated wizard, he had to be dragged out by Molly for her next group of visitors.
Sirius returned with Remus, Tonks, Fred and George. The twins were dressed in matching dragon leather jackets, handing her two gift boxes from each of them.
"Mum made us show her what we were giving you to make sure none of it was magical." Fred explained the dent in one of the boxes.
"Yeah but when dad saw what we got you we had to prise it from him." George finished, watching Hermione lift the lid of the first box. Inside was a CD Walkman. Hermione was stunned.
"You bought me a Discman!" Hermione pulled it out of the box to inspect it, slowly unwinding the headphones.
"We knew we couldn't give you anything magical." George explained, grinning at her reaction.
She put it down slowly and opened the second box. It was filled with CD cases.
"We kind of panicked and didn't know what muggle music you like. So we got a mix of everything." Fred said sheepishly. Remus had picked up the Discman, inspecting it closely, as Hermione pulled out a handful of titles, including Spice Girls, Pearl Jam, Madonna, Beethoven and Queen. Hermione had an eclectic taste in music and what the twins bought her was wonderful.
"Fred. George. Thank you!" She replaced the CD's and the twins leaned in giving her a quick hug.
"Glad you like it Hermione!" George said as Fred looked at his watch.
"Sorry Hermione, we have to get back to the shop. We will come visit again soon!" Fred gave her a grin and headed to the door, his brother in tow. They gave her a final wave leaving Hermione with Tonks, Remus and Sirius.
Both Remus and Sirius were now going through the music. Tonks, sitting on the end of the bed, watched them and chuckled. "It's like they never knew music before."
"It is what I miss the most when I'm at Hogwarts." Hermione said, watching the two as they pulled out a George Michael CD. They then proceeded to argue on how to get the disc into the player until Tonks leaned over and pulled the Discman and CD from their hands, opened it, inserted the disc and hit play before handing it back to them.
They grabbed the headphones and realised that in order for both of them to hear, they had to put their heads together. Hermione giggled on the bed, stopping when Sirius began singing to the music. Hermione recognised the song. 'Careless Whisper'. Remus had pulled away and Sirius pulled the headset over both his ears and continued singing. His voice was captivating.
"I used to do a dance to this song." Hermione said softly as she watched Sirius sing. He had his eyes shut, moving slightly to the music. A tear leaked out from her eye. Remus turned to Hermione, as another tear leaked from her other eye.
"I am sure you will be able to dance again Hermione." He said softly.
"I need to be able to walk first." She whispered. Remus leaned forwards and pulled out the hidden bar of chocolate and broke of a piece for her. Hermione wiped her eyes and took it. The song finished and Sirius pulled the headphones off, smiling.
"I need to get me one of these!" He said. Hermione gave him a small smile.
They chatted quietly together until the Healer came in with a food tray, promptly telling them that the visiting time was well and truly over. Remus hid the chocolate wrapper quickly from view. They said their goodbyes and promised to see her again soon.
Hermione picked up the Discman and swapped the music over as the healer moved the tray towards her. She smiled at the gifts in the room. The flowers had definitely brightened the stark room and Hermione, for the first time, seemed to have some colour to her cheeks. After quickly checking the monitors and adding her notes to the charts the healer left Hermione alone.
Hermione sighed and looked at the food tray. Grimacing, she lifted the cover and was surprised to see instead of a soup or broth was a shepherd's pie. Admittedly it wasn't crunchy, but it definitely was more substantial. Putting the headphones over her ears Hermione pressed play and began eating as Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata' filled her head.