Disclaimer: I don't own J.K. Rowling's universe, I just like to do really evil things with her characters, on occasion.
Chapter 11 - Acquiescence
Hermione was dreaming again. At least, she thought she was dreaming. She didn't know how many cycles of the dream she'd been through, having lost track after the first half-dozen, but the fact that she had 'awakened' once again on her sofa indicated that this was another dream. Occasionally, she'd awaken in the posh hotel room and repeat her conversation with Tracey, then meet again with Theo, though she was beginning to suspect that the latter was also part of the dream. Sometimes, when she woke to see Tracey, she'd have lunch or tea, which suggested the passage of time, but she'd lost count of those episodes, too. She knew her sanity was starting to slip, could tell that her grip of reality wasn't as solid as she'd thought, and wondered if she didn't belong in St. Mungo's after all, or perhaps a padded cell in some psychiatric hospital would be a better place for her.
The door to her room opened, and Theo entered. Hermione sat up a bit, confused by this change of events, wondering why he was in this part of her dream when he didn't belong here. It was out of place, lending the dream an even more surreal feel.
She asked him why he'd come, and he offered her a way out, offered deliverance. She wasn't sure why it should feel so comforting to hear him say such things, when it was his fault she was in this situation to begin with... Her head swam, and she gave it a shake, trying to clear it. No, Theo wasn't responsible for her situation, it was Harry. Harry, who'd betrayed her trust, who persisted in calling her crazy and paranoid and having her committed over and over...
When Theo spoke again, she listened, and she found herself nodding at intervals, the words making more sense than anything she'd experienced in... she wasn't sure how long it had been, but it felt like weeks. He spoke of his family, a family of witches and wizards he'd selected for their particular talents, and he talked about how she'd be welcome among them, embraced as one of them instead of cast aside and shut out the way she had been by her former friends. He offered to take away the pain of rejection that she'd been feeling, to replace it instead with a sense of belonging.
Her agreement drew a smile from him, and he kissed her forehead and bid her sleep, which for once she was able to do without fear of strange and terrifying dreams.
Tracey sat back and watched the woman sleep, her expression more peaceful than it had been since they'd started this process nearly two weeks ago. Granger had been difficult to break, particularly because Theo had been adamant that she not be permanently damaged; it was, of course, why Tracey herself had handled the task rather than assigning it to one of her underlings. She penned a quick memo on a scrap of parchment, then folded it into an airplane shape and tapped it with her wand to activate the charms on it; the message delivery system was similar to what was used at the Ministry, and as the little plane zipped off to find its target, she sat back to wait patiently for the next phase to begin.