Chapter Thirteen: The Cure

Hermione owled Remus and Tonks immediately to tell them that she had hopefully discovered the cure. She received word that they decided to finally take the kids to see Charlie, and were waiting in his room for her. When she stepped through the floo network with a vial of grayish potion in her hand, she couldn't have ever imagined being forced to do this.

She walked through the hallways to finally find all of the Lupins gathered around his much weakened force field. Matron Marlin was floo-ed to observe the event, though if anything were to have gone bad, there was nothing she could do. Hermione smiled half-heartedly at the now rounder Tonks, and walked around Sirius and Lils to stand by his bed.

Her hands were shaking with fear. Remus placed a calming hand on her shoulder and she turned around to face him, tears staining her face.

"It's going to work, Hermione. We believe in you more than anything." She let out a small sigh and began to cry harder. She, after wiping away a few tears, worked her way through the force field and uncorked the vial. If it didn't work, she would more than likely stupor into a depression so deep that she would never leave, and if it did work, she knew it wasn't the end of things. Severus was still in need of the potion, whose ingredients: werewolf blood, needed to be obtained still. But if she found out it worked, it would make her life mean something.

Using her Gryffindor courage, she placed the vial to his opened lips and poured it down his throat, wishing for him to open his eyes like nothing had happened. Everyone in the room seemed to be holding their breath. When the matron announced that he was in a stable condition, yet hadn't improved, Hermione thought she had failed. She fell to the ground and curled herself into a ball, waiting for the world to fall around her.

Remus and Nymphadora were holding Charlie's hand for the first time since he was taken ill, Sirius and his siblings were trying not to cry too much, but were having difficulties. Hermione was too zoned out to hear the sharp intake of air that was Remus' shock at seeing Charlie's opened eyes. She didn't hear him whisper momma, or feel Sirius shaking her. All she knew was that she had failed and that Severus was going to die.

The matron took her shaking form into another room and gave her calming draught to ease her nerves while Remus and Tonks continued to coddle their healthier boy. Sirius sneaked into the room with the Matron, to make sure that his Aunt Hermione was alright. He walked over to where she lay. Her eyes were emotionless and glazed over and she was shivering. He placed his hand on her cheek and felt her shudder underneath his touch.

"Aunt Hermione." He whispered concernedly, but she didn't answer. He placed another hand on her shoulder and shook her.

"Give the potion a few more minutes," the matron said as Sirius stared onto Hermione, wishing that she would listen. The minutes seemed to take forever, as Hermione continued to give no sign that she was alive. Finally after what seemed like an hour, but really was five minutes, when Sirius touched her shoulder, she blinked and looked at him.

"Aunt Hermione, are you okay?"

"I failed." She was now crying and saying gibberish under her breath. Charlie sat on the bed next to her and stroked her hair back.

"I don't know how you failed. Charlie is awake now." Hermione's eyes darted from the wall to Sirius' face.

"He's awake!" She said, trying her best to sit up.

"It took a while, but yeah. He opened his eyes and said 'mommy'." Hermione began crying again, but for a different reason. She stood from the bed and took Charlie's hand. He lead her to the bed where Charlie's hand was grasped tightly to his father's.

"Aunt Hermione." He croaked out silently. She walked to his bed with tears in her eyes and grabbed his hand.

"Yes, sweetie."

"Thank you." It was all he needed to say for her to laugh out of joy. Her day seemed to have brightened ten fold, until she saw the Matron rush into the room, her hair astray.

"What is it?" Remus hurriedly asked.

"It's Professor Snape." Hermione visibly paled.

AN: Cliffie... I know... and sorry it was kinda sappy... but you will get your next chapter before the weekend is up... Smiles.