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Song suggestion: One of those nights, Shawn Mendes.
Chapter Thirteen: Diagnosis.
It took hours of potion making and coaxing Hermione to take them before they could not think of anything else to do. They used several dark magic potions along with a few painless potions, before feeding her a potion to pause bodily functions, such as toileting and menstruation, for convenience while she was so dependent on others. Various spells were cast by the two Slytherins and lunch was skipped, though Mrs Weasley left them dishes to eat.
Finally, Hermione was placed into an induced coma to help her body naturally process her torture. Ginny collapsed in relief at her bedside with Luna, whose nuts had run out with repeatedly trying to make Granger unconscious when she woke up in agony unexpectedly. Lupin sighed and thanked Merlin. But Blaise and Draco stood clearing up the impromptu potions lab, neither at ease. Both knew her recovery was going to be long and hard and painful, even if she survived, which was still debatable but with better odds now.
They also worried for their female counterpart who had yet to appear and be mentioned. Concern clouded their thoughts at the interrogation that Pansy would have been subjected to in their absence. The horrible memories, traumatic confessions, and sickening truths. All revealed in hope for official acceptance. Both boys were self-assured that they would be accepted, confident because of their use to the Order. Offering information and skills. They were convinced of their new roles in the Order of the Phoenix. Though they were not stupid enough to forget the grilling they would have to endure too either.
But their troubled minds were set at ease when Pansy wandered into the Medical Wing cautiously. Both boys glanced up at her entrance and sighed, internally, their relief. She looked at them with resigned liberation before hurling herself into, first Blaise's, then Draco's arms. They greeted her silently and assessed her state. She looked exhausted with a gleam of fear. Clearly, she had been questioned relentlessly.
"How is she?" Pansy murmured to Draco, glancing at the sleeping witch. Though they did not have the most positive of pasts, she found herself fearing for the girl's life. She was all too aware that their fates could very well rest on the unconscious girl, traumatised by Bellatrix on Draco's ancestral home's floor.
"Better, but not cleared." Draco replied and they all looked on at the cleverest witch of their age, "We just have to monitor her for now…do they believe us?" He could not resist asking her; on the off chance they would be refused.
"I gave them no reason to doubt us." She nodded, "I told them the truth, how can they not believe us?" Her lip quivered temporarily before she schooled her expression to remain aloof again, "I suppose you two will be interrogated soon."
"Yeah, Granger is stable now so they will." Blaise and Draco exchanged a quick glance. Both resented the fact that they would be expected to open every secret, reveal all the cupboard skeletons, and air all their dirty laundry for the Order to see. Reliving every moment as one of them searched their memories for any contradictory evidence betraying their supposed reversal of sides. Neither was exactly pleased at the prospect.
"So, what exactly is wrong with her?" Pansy inquired politely, morbidly curious.
She took in Granger's raised black veins, grotesquely marking her like a skeletal tree. Her silver scarred eyelids reminded her of horror stories Millicent had once coaxed her into reading. Light bruising on her sun kissed skin. Dolohov had recently been experimenting with the strength of his curse, and while he had made it worse for the victim it now left tell-tale bruising as a side effect. They could only thank Merlin it did, otherwise she could have been suffering for days, and perhaps died, from the curse. A white bandage covered the Mudblood scarring but she knew it was there. And Granger had extensive bruising and cuts too.
"Si cicatricem habens caeca." The blinding scar curse, "Et plumbi venas in maledictionem." The lead vein curse, filling the victim's veins with a lead like substance causing pain and burning which creates paralysis, "Bellatrix really…tortured her." He swallowed hard. Bellatrix was warped and twisted and insane, her torture truly scarred the victim if they weren't killed once she was bored. It sickened him to his very core.
Mr Weasley's head suddenly appeared around the door. His eyes roved over the scene in assessment before stepping in fully and nodding to Lupin who joined him. The two muttered to one another for a couple of minutes. Blaise and Malfoy nodded to one another, it was their time to be tried and tested.
"Mr Zabini, Mr Malfoy, if you will follow me." Mr Weasley motioned to the two boys and held the door open for them. Sighing, Blaise patted Pansy's shoulder before walking forward. Malfoy's gaze slipped to Granger briefly before Pansy placed a hand on his arm.
"I'll wait here." She assured him. She knew him too well. He felt responsible for what Bellatrix had inflicted on the witch. He wanted to reconcile his conscience by recuperating the girl. Wanting to atone and prove his worth after his demise in his other, regrettable, endeavour. For all the Light could say about Draco, he tried to do what was best.
"Back soon." He promised before mimicking Blaise's actions and following his friend away.
Pansy watched them go before glancing around. Everything was as expected, sterile and medically set up. By the orderly manner of the Medical Wing, she wagered Granger herself held this as her dominion, especially when she spotted the advanced texts on the desk. She pitied the witch who had suffered under the hand of prejudices for something she could not help. Though she used to be a steadfast believer of those beliefs this war had rid her of those wrongs, now she wanted to commit to objecting those views which caused death and destruction unnecessarily, persecuting anyone and everyone regardless. She vowed to.