Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from the Harry Potter books and/or movies is not mine.
A/N: I have one thing to say about all my readers/reviewers. You guys are simply AMAZING. I have never gotten so much positive feedback before, and I'm overwhelmed by all the praise you give me. I know I'm not a great writer, but I will say I'm decent, and I really do appreciate all of you guys' feedback. It's great. And although quite a few of you don't agree with my killing of Severus, you're still staying by me and reading this story. Thank you! Also, I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get this chapter out. I feel bad for making you all wait so long. It's just that I've been busy, with my birthday, Easter, and my sister's wedding, that I've had almost no time to do anything. Not to mention, Writers Block is creeping up on me. But don't worry - I will write through thick or thin to finish this story. On another note, to Evil Cat Hater: In this chapter is a bit of the information you gave me. It's not much, but I hope to fit the rest of what I have planned in soon. I hope it all fits well - had it all planned out in my mind but when I try to write it, it comes out a bit odd. Anywho, enough rambling. On with the story! - Min
Thanks Parvatti, Shiroi-Tora78, The Insane Imortal Dragon, pumpkin.pie.forever, SilverAngel06, Aprila, Following Padfoot's Pawprints, Reanne1102, ourlittlesecret7, JennaB, Holly, Amareth's Shadow, Soelle, Duos Gurl1, KeLpIeenoch, Shinebright-Starlight, LunaLovegoss, Evil Cat Hater, WhiteTwitch, the fires call, Kersies, and Nercia Genisis for the wonderful reviews!
Seasons Change
By: xScenex
a.k.a. Min
Chapter Twenty-Two
After a nauseating ride through the floo network, Hermione tumbled out of the fireplace located in The Three Broomsticks. The place was practically empty at this time of night, except for a few drunkards who didn't even look over to them, so she didn't have to worry about anyone questioning them. Isabel followed from the floo shortly afterwards, grabbing a hold of Hermione's forearm before the girl had tumbled over as a wave of dizziness encased her.
"I think I'm going to be sick," Hermione warned the older woman as she lent forward, clutching her stomach and leaning forwards towards the stone floor.
"Oh, you poor dear," Isabel fussed, smoothing Hermione's hair down a bit while rubbing small circles on the center of her back. "Don't worry yourself - we'll get you fixed up soon. Bed rest will definitely do some good."
Hermione only nodded as her stomachs queasiness subsided. She stood up as straight as possible without doubling over and walked with the older woman out of the nearly empty pub.
Walking outside after having been in a nice, warm atmosphere wasn't the most peasant thing, Hermione realized. Not only was she aching still because of her previous adventures in the snow, but it also brought back vivid memories that she had acquired not too long ago.
She shut her eyes tightly and took a deep breath as Severus' face plagued her mind.
She was only idly aware of the hand placed on her shoulder, steering her towards the castle she loved and knew. Everything seemed to blur around her; the sounds, smells, and caresses of the wind. All, that is, except for the small things that made her remember…
Not aware of the tears falling down her face again, she walked blindly toward the only place she had left to call home.
His chest rose and fell with every breath he took. His face was flushed deeply and beads of perspiration clung to his clammy skin. He shook as if cold, although blankets had been piled upon his tired body.
"Hey, I think I saw him mov--"
"No, Padfoot, you didn't - you've said that seven times now. In the past thirty seconds, every time he even breathes, you say something."
There was a long pause before said boy sighed heavily, "I know.."
Silence once again filtered through all arguments in the room. It was late now. The remaining Marauders had kept position next to their friends bed obediently without getting up once. They were truly worried.
The room was quiet now; no one knew what to say anymore. Peter was nodding off a bit, his eyes opening and closing constantly. Sirius stared blankly at his friend as did James. The only noise that could be heard was the light breathing of Remus and the dull sound of walking in the halls outside of the hospital wing doors.
The footsteps, though, seemed hurried and as they got closer, the Marauders realized that there was more than one person walking towards the infirmary.
Looking up expectantly, they figured it would be Dumbledore or one of the other professor's coming back with news. When the door opened, they were slightly disappointed to see Miss Lupin standing there, but suddenly, all three pairs of eyes focused on the second person leaning against the older woman. All jaws dropped as they recognized Hermione.
She was filthy - her clothes stained with blood, dirt, grime, and snow. It looked as if she had been through hell and back; which was practically the truth. Her hair was a tangled mess and her face was pale and tear-streaked. She trembled as she tried to hold her weight up, and shivered because of the cold.
"H-Hermione?" Sirius stuttered, not really believing his eyes. She was safe?
The girl set dull eyes on the boy, and for the first time, he realized just how much she must have had to go through all her life. She must have seen so much in such a short life-time, and he'd blamed her for things she probably didn't know about. Guilt settled into the pit of his stomach but he knew there was nothing he could do to amend for the things he'd said and thought.
"'lo," was all the hazel-eyed girl could say through her hoarse voice. He saw her eyes flicker about unfocused for a moment before they landed on the form of Remus. Her eyes widened and she stumbled forward quickly, nearly falling in the process. Isabel tried to grab hold of her but she moved too fast for the older woman, who nodded to James before hurrying out of the room. James stood up quickly, trying to aid her into sitting down, but she wrenched herself out of his grip, much to his confusion - that is, until he saw her destination.
"Remus," she croaked, at it was obvious she was devastated. Tears began to leak down her pale face. "Remus, wake up."
Sirius felt tears well up in his own eyes at the sheer emotion in her voice. She really did care, didn't she? It was obvious by the way she shook him, begging him to wake up, and slumped forward and sobbed against his chest when he didn't respond. Maybe she truly was in love with him.
Sirius sighed in a defeated way and rested a hand gently on Hermione's shoulder. "It'll be okay," he told her softly.
She just shuddered and gave a half sob before throwing herself away from Remus and into Sirius' arms. He was a bit shocked, but decided it was only because she was filled with anguish. To be honest, at the moment, he also wished he could just have someone hold onto him while he allowed his emotions to go.
"What's wrong with him?" she whimpered, "Please, tell me he'll be okay? Please! I can't lose someone else… I just can't!"
Sirius' throat was tight now because of the lump that had formed inside of it. He didn't know what to say. She sounded so pained - and he couldn't tell her that he didn't know what would happen to Remus. He wished he could tell her he'd be fine; but he honestly didn't know the true answer to that.
He held onto her awkwardly. This was Remus' girl - or, would-be-girl, as he'd already set eyes on her. It just didn't feel right holding onto her like that, but she was so pained by something. Then it hit him. She had been captured by Death Eaters, hadn't she? With Snape?
Hum. By the way… where was Snape?
"Hermione, shh, it'll be alright. You need to lie down," he told her and guided her towards one of the beds next to Remus'. He decided it would be best not to question her about Snape's whereabouts at the moment.
She sniffled and curled up on the sheets, holding her knee's to her chest. She shivered violently, but Sirius wasn't sure if it was because she was cold or because she was scared. She stared blankly at the bed that contained Remus and he felt awkward, not sure if she was aware of his presence or not.
About that time, he noticed that more people had come into the room. He hadn't heard anyone enter, but when he turned around, he saw Dumbledore, McGonagall, Sprout, and Flitwick coming into the Hospital wing.
Their gazes rested on the girl next to him and all but Dumbledore rushed forward. Sirius was pushed away from the bed, and it seemed like chaos. All tried talking at once, and all questions were jumbled up. Sirius was afraid that Hermione would be scared into shock if they kept it up.
"Hey!" he shouted, "Give her some ROOM!"
Silence ascended around the adults and they had the decency to look sheepish.
"Alas, Mr. Black is right," Dumbledore said quietly. And I believe that we should let her rest."
They stepped back from her just as Poppy entered the room.
"Oh my!" she exclaimed, "Mrs. Granger! H-How is it possibl--"
"Poppy, we'll leave the questioning for later," the Headmaster said. "For now, just attend to her wounds." Nodding, the nurse set to work and pulled the curtains around the bed.
It was going to be a long night, Sirius realized as he sat back down.
A long night.
A roaring sound echoed in his ears. He couldn't move - he felt like he was suffocating. He tried desperately to breath in the air around him, but to no avail. He struggled against imaginary binds that held him down. He wanted lose.
The air around him was hot and stifling. He felt as if he were burning up - he wanted to scream in pure agony but his voice had deserted him. The atmosphere around him felt eerie - like in one of those dreams where everything just seems so… wrong.
What was going on? Where was he?
Suddenly, a bright light shone overhead, blinding him. He closed his eyes tightly, but the light filtered through his eyelids still, leaving him no shelter from the luminosity.
But the light disappeared as soon as it came and once again, pitch black darkness surrounded him. It was all disorienting to his mind. He tried to look about but his muscles were weak. He couldn't move his head, or lift a limb.
He heard a noise - it was a light rustling sound, like something moving along through tall grass. He searched with his eyes, trying to pinpoint any movement. Then he caught sight of two, yellow eyes a few yards away.
He recognized the shape of the eyes. They were wolf eyes.
He felt scared, oddly enough, as the creature moved towards him. He once again tried to move but it was a futile attempt. Why couldn't he move? Why couldn't he do anything?
'If a wolf sees a man before the man sees the wolf, the man will lose his voice.'
He blinked again. Where did the voice come from? Dread filled his stomach as the creature moved closer, now only about two feet away. It stared at him, unblinking, and he tried to do the same.
Suddenly, the light was back, but this time, it wasn't so blinding. It shone brightly, though, causing him to wince a bit. The wolf in front of him was now viewable.
The creature was marvelous; tall, strong, and muscular. Long silver fur shifted in it's slight movements. Golden eyes penetrated his, searching through his soul as if to find any flaws. It shifted his head upwards a bit, and he had to blink a few times as the body of the wolf seemed to blur into three other images, all transparent. But as quickly as it happened, it disappeared and the wolf was one again.
It had to be his imagination, he thought. It was just too odd to be real. The body of the wolf shifted once again into three - it was like one of those muggle sci-fi movies.
He felt uneasy as the wolf stared at him. Why wouldn't it look away?
'If a wolf while eating looks away from its food, it forgets what it is eating and goes to look for something else.'
His heart skipped a beat. That voice again.
'What are you?' He found his thoughts echoing loudly around him.
'I am an omen,' the voice responded.
'An omen?'
'I was brought here by a prophecy,' it announced.
He was silent for a moment. 'Why am I here?'
'Because of her.'
'Her?' he questioned, confusion laced against his words. Who was "her?"
'The she-wolf.' the voice responded lightly, half-hidden amusement evident.
He was confused. The she-wolf? What was the voice talking about?
'Only her,' it continued. 'She cared for you, as you cared for her. Because of that love you hold between each other, you have sacrificed a part of yourself.'
'Sacrificed…?'
'Yes, sacrificed.'
'I don't understand,' he whispered in his mind. 'What did I sacrifice?'
'Me…'
Suddenly, the wolf beside him flickered as if it were a mere hologram until without warning, it disappeared and a fierce, cold wind whipped about the area, stinging his exposed skin. He found himself screaming at the pain….
"REMUS!"
"MOONY! Wake up! WAKE UP!"
He screamed and screamed, the feeling of burning etched into his skin. It wouldn't go away - it felt so real. He vaguely realized someone was shaking him and it didn't help how he felt.
"It hurts," he groaned, clawing at the exposed skin on his arms, "It hurts!"
"Moony, please, open your eyes."
He obliged, only hoping to make the pain go away. To his relief, as soon as he set view on his friends the pain drifted away slowly, leaving the mingling feeling of imaginary burning to his flesh. When his eyesight focused fully, he blinked a few times and stared.
He could see the tear-stained faces of the other Marauders, all staring at him in relief, concern, and confusion.
"Remus, you're alright," James managed to choke.
Remus smiled weakly at him, wondering the same thing about himself, "What happened? I feel so… odd."
And indeed, he did. Something was different about himself. He felt… lighter, somehow, as if his very soul had bee changed. Although, he couldn't shake the eerie feeling off his shoulders from that dream, he felt as if he were a new person. Actually, what had that dream been? It felt so surreal.
"We found you in the common room unconscious. To be honest, mate, we thought you weren't going to make it," Sirius whispered and walked forward, giving his friend a manly hug which Remus returned awkwardly while everything flooded back into his mind.
He remembered what happened before he blacked out. The feelings he had, the high emotions, and the desire to help Hermione.
Hermione…
He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, hoping to Merlin she was alright.
"Has there been any news on Hermione?" he whispered.
The others tensed. James looked uneasy and glanced behind Remus before he spoke, "Actually… they found her - or, she found your mum…"
Remus' eyebrows wrinkled in confusion and sheer bewilderment. "My mum?"
"Yeah," he said, scratching the back of his head while wiping his eyes with the back of his other hand. "She sort of stumbled across your house, from what your mum told us. She came in here about two hours ago… she's asleep now."
Remus whirled around, looking desperately for Hermione. All the beds were empty, he saw, except for one which had it's curtains pulled around it, hiding the occupant from view.
He pulled away from Sirius' grip and scrambled off the bed against the many protests from his friends. He felt very unsteady as he tried to walk towards the bed that was only a yard away. When he made it to the bed, he pulled the curtains clumsily to the side and almost fell over in the process. He felt a hand on either side of him pulling him up by the arms and noted vaguely that Sirius and James were supporting his weight.
He didn't pay too much attention though, as his eyes were set on the girl on the bed.
She looked a right mess, she did. Her face was still tear-stained and pale, her lips dark red against her face. Her had bruises on her arms and neck, and a few cuts here and there, while a long, jagged scar ran down her forehead. Her breathing seemed a bit weak and her body shivered.
Remus breathed in deeply and fell to his knees. He reached out with a trembling hand and brushed a strand of hair out of Hermione's face and took her hand with his other. He gently rubbed circles on the back of her hand and pulled it towards his face. He felt so many emotions then - love, guilt, hatred, desire… He kissed her fingertips and felt silent tears sliding down his face. He didn't know what to do anymore, except for one thing.
He wanted to love her.
"Oh, Hermione, what happened to you?"
A/N: Another short chapter, but it's the best I can do at the moment. I've been trying to update all my stories, but I know I wont be able to get them all updated tonight. WATC is just going to have to wait. Anywho. Hope you guys like this. Not much going on, really. I'll try to update this again in a few days but I don't guarantee anything. Anyways, I've said enough. Take care guys, and thanks for reading. - Min