Chapter 4

Revelations and healing

(recap on chapter three)

I'm safe

But I had thought that too soon. Just as we were turning, I heard a shout as Father entered the room. The shine of metal catching sunlight…

I felt Minerva wince.

We landed, rather ungracefully, in a large living room. I assumed in Minerva's home.

"Thank god we left when we did." I said, shaking slightly. Minerva had her back to me and waving her wand, I saw her cat Patronus disappear through the high ceiling. "Who was that to?" I asked, sharply.

"Poppy." Minerva spoke softly. "I said I would ask her to check you over." I breathed a sigh of release and then noticed Minerva. She sounded out of breath… weak… like she was in pain…

I could see she was doubled over at the waist.

"Minerva, are you okay?" My voice shook as I walked over to her side and then I saw that one of my father's kitchen knives was impaled underneath her left ribcage. "God, Minerva! Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't want to worry you. You need more medical help than me. I'm fine." Minerva was trying to brush me off, but my worry increased as I saw blood seeping through her robes.

"For goodness sake woman. Stop being ridiculous and get your arse sat down!" I pushed her onto the sofa and laid her down on her back, hoping that might reduce the bleeding slightly.

"Thankfully then, I heard the door to Minerva's living room open and turning around I saw Madame Pomfrey being shown in by a house elf. "Goodness Miss Granger, what has happened to you? I assume that Minerva-"

"Madame Pomfrey, don't worry about me right now, can you please tend to Professor McGonagall first. Once I know she has had medical attention, you can check me over."

"Minerva? What's wrong with Minerva?" I stepped aside and allowed her to see Minerva lying on the sofa. She looked so pale and frail; I could tell she was about to pass out. "Good Lord, Minerva! What have you done this time?"

"Saved me from my father." I whispered and Madame Pomfrey looked at me sympathetically. "Will she be alright?"

"She will be just fine, dear. She just needs a few potions and she'll be as good as new. It's getting her to take the potions that will be difficult."

"Hermione…" I walked around Madame Pomfrey so that Minerva could see me. "Poppy needs…"

"Take the potions you are given and then Madame Pomfrey will be able to check me." At that, Minerva drank the potions and just as she was about to fall asleep after a Dreamless Draught she muttered, "Don't leave, Herm-io-ne."

"I'll be okay, Minerva. Don't worry." I then allowed Madame Pomfrey to transfigure a bed for me, next to Minerva and then she inspected me.

"Madame Pomfrey?"

"Call me Poppy, dear."

"Okay, Poppy. Will me Minerva be okay? Really?"

"She will be absolutely fine, don't you worry. I've seen Minerva with a lot worse. But worry about yourself at the moment, sweetie. You've been through a war of your own, haven't you?" Tears welled up in my eyes. "Don't worry darling, you're safe now. Drink these for me, and whilst you're asleep I'll dress your wounds."

Obediently, I drank the potions and before going off into my own dreamless sleep, I looked Poppy in the eye and said, "Keep an eye on my Minerva, please? I owe her my life." Poppy smiled and nodded, and, satisfied my knight would be safe, I drifted off into the first proper sleep I had had in around a year.

I woke a few hours later to find a hand in mine, much the way I woke in my second year after being petrified. As I regained consciousness, I remembered what had happened; father leaving me tied to the bed again, but I wouldn't get to school. Panicking and trying to break free. The sound of someone apparating. Minerva coming into my room. Packing up. Apparating. Father. Shouting. The flash of metal. Minerva hurt. Blood everywhere. Minerva.

"Minerva!" I sat up fast, panicking.

Then the hand on mine moved, a thumb stroking my hand. I looked to my right and saw Minerva looking at me with concern showing in her face. "Hush dear. I'm here. I'm okay."

"You're not bleeding anymore. Does it hurt?" I let her push me back down on the bed.

"It hurts a little but I'm more or less there. Thanks to you and your stubbornness. Poppy said that if she had dealt with you first yesterday, as I asked her to," A pointed look at me made me blush slightly. "Then I probably wouldn't have made it. At the very least I would be in St. Mungo's by now, so thank you for that. I owe you my life."

"I'm just glad you're feeling better." I whispered. "And you don't owe me anything. You saved my life by turning up at my house yesterday. If you hadn't done I would have been dead pretty quickly. So I guess we are even."

"Yes, I suppose so. Hermione, do you feel ready to tell me what has been happening?" She looked at me closely. "You don't have to tell me anything until you are ready."

I thought about that for a moment. Am I ready? Not really, but then again I'll probably never be ready to tell anyone. Then main question is do I owe her an explanation? "Yes. I'm ready. But I have three things to ask."

"Of course, lass. What is it?"

"Firstly, may you help me sit up? My back is still very sore." Minerva complied without any words, and soon I was sitting comfortably against the pillows. "Thank you, erm may I have a drink?"

"What would you like? And I had better get you some food, else Poppy will have my head."

"Cup of tea please? And nothing too heavy, I doubt my stomach will handle too much food."

"Winky!" with a pop, the little house elf appeared. "Yes Headmistress?"

"Can you bring Hermione and I a tray of tea and toast, please dear?"

"Yes, Headmistress, Winky will be back in jus a moment." She disappeared.

"While that's on it's way. What was the last thing?"

I looked down slightly embarrassed. "Lass, you can ask me anything."

"C-could you hold my hand while I tell this story please? I-I need the comfort." I looked at her and saw the gentle smile on her face.

Then Winky reappeared with a tray which she placed on the coffee table. "Wills yous be needing anything else, Headmistress?"

"No thank you, Winky. That'll be all, dear." Winky curtsied and vanished. Minerva turned to me again, still smiling. She sorted out the tea and toast, placing mine on a tray so I could balance it on my lap, and leaving hers on the coffee table next to her. She then moved closer to the edge of the transfigured-bed and held my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

That was all the encouragement I needed.

"When I was ten, my mother died. I told you that when you took me to Diagon Alley. After that, father used me as a replacement. He used to abuse my mother as well; she was his punching bag, verbally and physically… and I took her place…" I went on to explain how I became a slave, after the age of ten, how father used to scream at me, call me names, and beat me.

I then told her about the first time he raped me. Tears were falling down my face from the very start, but when telling her this, a dam broke somewhere inside me and tears flooded my face. Sobs wracked my body so much that I couldn't speak for around five minutes. At some point during the conversation, Minerva had magically enlarged the bed, and moved in next to me. She held me whilst I cried, and once I had calmed somewhat, I continued my story. I told her everything he had ever done to me, everything he had said, how he had starved me and used all our money for drink and explained to her what happened the day she found me; how he wasn't going to let me come back to school.

"Oh, Lassie." Minerva held me close, gently rocking me whilst I tried in vain to stop crying. Minerva seemed to realise that I was trying to stop, because she whispered, "Just cry it all out. It's okay to cry, dear." She then started murmuring in her native Gaelic tongue. "Ann an sin." She whispered, wiping my tears gently. "tha e alright. Tha mi air d 'fhuair thu. Ann an sin. Thu sàbhailte a-nis

I couldn't understand what she was saying, but I knew I was safe, and I slowly calmed down enough to look up at Minerva and whisper. "Are you angry with me?"

She looked at me, shock and confusion written all over her face. "Angry? Why on earth would I be angry with you, Lass?"

I looked away again. "Because I didn't tell you. And I lied to you that day in Diagon Alley."

"Hermione." Minerva said, softly. Then she went quiet and I waited; I waited for the anger and the pain. But it never came. Instead, I felt two gentle fingers on my chin. "Hermione, leannan, look at me." I stayed still, terrified to move. "Cuiribh leannan, aig a 'coimhead orm." I looked up at that, finally giving in to my curiousity.

"What does that mean?" I cocked my head to one side, and Minerva smiled at me.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry. When emotions become too much, I'm afraid my Gaelic heritage comes back to me. I said "Darling, please look at me." Leannan means darling."

"Ohhh, I like Gaelic. Listening to it is calming." I looked away from her piercing eyes shyly.

"I'll remember to speak Gaelic then if you need to be calmed down." Minerva said, and when I looked up, she was smiling again and her emerald green eyes were sparkling. "Now that I have your attention again, I need you to understand something. Can you please listen without interrupting, whilst I say this to you?"

I nodded.

"I am not angry that you didn't tell me. I completely understand as I was in a similar position at one time in my life; before you ask, that story is for another day. So I am not angry, I am relieved, proud and upset. Relieved that you finally felt you could trust me enough to tell me, proud because you been so brave all this time and you have achieved so much for yourself despite what has been happening and finally I am upset because you have dealt with such a hardship all alone. But now, Mo ghràd." She smiled, suddenly. "Which means my love, little miss curious, you are not alone, and I am going to help you through this. Please trust me."

"You aren't going to leave me?"

"Riamh, mo ghràdh, riamh." I didn't ask what that meant this time, the meaning came across in her tone rather than the words.

"Never, my love, never."

Here are translations xxx

Riamh, mo ghràdh, riamh - Never, my love, never

Mo ghràd- my love

Cuiribh leannan, aig a 'coimhead orm.- Darling, please look at me

tha e alright- it's alright

Tha mi air d 'fhuair thu- I've got you

ann an sin- There there

thu sàbhailte a-nis - You're safe now.