A/N: Hello all. This will probably be the last update until after Wednesday because I have midterms and they must come first. Enjoy.
Both Hermione and Draco looked very out of place sitting in the waiting area of Dr. Halls practice. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but out of all the scenarios that had run through her mind, this was never one of those, not even close.
Expensive would be an understatement, even Draco looked in awe, which was shocking on some level, but she was just floored, especially when she discovered the bathroom was bigger than her flat all together. The furnishings were all made of a dark rich wood. The marble floors shined with a high glare. The couches they sat on were comfortable but not the broke in comfortable, the 'I'm made to be this comfortable' way. She didn't dare touch anything that she didn't have to.
"Granger?" A voice came from above.
Hermione looked up to see a petite mousey looking nurse with a warm smile.
"Dr. Hall is waiting for you now. He seems like he is quite anxious to meet you."
Hermione nodded and stood along with Draco. The nurse turned and started to walk towards a large set of wooden doors with a gold plaque on the middle warning 'Private'. She glanced over towards Draco who looked quite a bit more uncomfortable than he had a few minutes earlier.
The last door was pushed open and Hermione found herself face to face with an older man, mid-sixties was her guess, but very friendly looking, almost fatherly.
"I cannot begin to tell you how honored I am that you have taken me up on my offer."
Dr. Hall glanced over to Draco and smiled, but it wasn't as friendly as Hermione's smile was.
"Come, sit down so we can discuss your condition and course of treatment."
"Pleasure to meet you as well." She said softly, making her way to one of the two chairs that were being offered. She took the one further in so Draco wouldn't have to step around her. She was scared. She wasn't even going to fool herself.
The doctor took his chair and scooted it in, "I am a man who likes to get right to the point. I would like to discuss your condition, the treatment, and answer any further questions you may have." He smiled warmly again, "I don't expect this to be easy for you, not in the least, but I believe you are making the right choice by coming here."
Hermione nodded. She had one question on her mind. One question that had been the root of all thoughts since she had been offered the treatment.
"What are the chances that it will work?" She asked in a firm, yet scared voice, "I mean, ten percent, less than one percent, I admit I really don't know much about any of this."
Draco remained quiet, letting future patient and healer speak.
"How does one hundred percent sound to you Ms. Granger?"
Hermione smiled but still looked reserved. The doctor sat back, the smile never leaving his face.
"From what I gather, Mr. Malfoy didn't just sterilize you, he took from you."
Hermione nodded.
"It's a sad day when a spell created for good turns out to be used for something so bad." He said with a sigh, his smile finally faltering a little. "You see, the spell that was used was created for witches who were suffering from cancer in their uterus or ovaries. Back then, little was known about treatment so healers created the next best thing, this spell, that would eliminate both organs and essentially eliminate the cancer. However, when darker witches and wizards learned the spells complexities, they decided to use it on any witch that they saw fit, much like Mr. Malfoy did to you.
Now, the spell was irreversible once cast, not even the caster could stop it once the spell was uttered and it remained that way for many, many years, but when my first case came along that involved it, I was determined to change it. It took me years to figure it out and when I finally did, I was too late for the girl."
Hermione nodded, knowing the story.
"How do you reverse it?" Draco finally piped in, "How do you fix something that isn't even there?"
The doctor smiled, "We regrow it." He said simply. "The procedure is actually fairly simple and works much in the same way as the potion used to regrow bones. Anything the potion finds in the body that is missing will regrow and full function will be restored."
"So I drink a potion and it's all fixed… just like that?"
" Just like that." Hall repeated, "But it will be painful and no other potions can be used, not even for pain." He sighed again, "You will feel like your insides are on fire and beyond that, where your reproductive organs should be, you will feel extreme discomfort. That is the down side. The upside is that it only takes two hours, three tops, and you will be good as new."
Hermione looked slightly panicky. It sounded horrid, easy, but horrid.
"Can I think for a few minutes?" she asked.
The doctor nodded and Hermione stood, pacing the area behind the chairs. She didn't expect it to be all rainbows and kittens, but she wasn't sure she was ready to add more pain down there, not after everything she went through.
'But this could be my chance' she thought, 'My only chance and its only for a few hours. I handled five months of being tortured, I can handle two or three hours, right?' she nodded to herself, pulling the knuckle that she had been chewing on from her mouth.
"When would the procedure take place?" She asked.
"As soon as you sign the consent forms. You will be taken to a room, a quick physical exam to ensure that there are no other problems, and then you will be given the potion. The room is not a traditional room though, you will have a larger bed so that you can move comfortably, there is a chair for visitors," he stated, motioning to Draco, "And a nurse will be standing outside of the room in case you need anything."
Hermione thought for a minute before nodding. She looked towards Draco.
"Can he be there the entire time?"
"If you wish it. I only ask for a moment of privacy before he joins you so that I can discuss another matter."
"It's fine." Draco said, "I'll do what you need me to do."
She let out a sigh, "Okay. Let's do this."
Break
Hermione sat on the large bed feeling very out of sorts. She was in a gown much like she would get in a muggle hospital with no undergarments on what so ever. She was nervous. She jumped a little as the door opened and Dr. Hall walked in, followed by the mousey nurse from earlier in the day.
"I'm sure you are wondering why I have asked for a moment of privacy." He stated as he approached the bed and pulled up the stool. "It's just, Lucius Malfoy is the one who did this to you and yet, his son is standing on the other side of the door ready to help. Help me understand this?"
Hermione nodded. She had a feeling that was going to come up, but what would she say? She decided to wing it and shrugged.
"He's not his father." She said simply, "And as far as this situation is concerned, Draco and his father are the only ones I know." She shook her head, "It's very hard to explain, I should be petrified to be near him… but I'm not. I'm comfortable around him."
He smiled, "That's all I needed to hear. I just wanted to make sure that he was the right one to be here."
He nodded again and the nurse left to allow Draco entrance. He was deathly pale. He never did handle appointments well when it came to lady parts, but there was nothing for it. He came here and did everything he could to help her, he had made her that promise weeks ago, and he would hold true to his word. He walked over and stood near the bed, not sure what to expect, yet ready for almost anything.
"Lay back for me." The doctor stated as he pulled on the powdered latex gloves.
Hermione did as asked but turned her head to the side. Draco was different, in a sick way, he reminded her of his father, well, where looks were concerned and she had learned to deal with it. Just like you stay in crappy relationship because they are familiar and change could go either way. But now, this man was down there and he was viewing the area only seen by a few. She wanted to close her legs and back away as quick as she could, but she kept her panic in check and breathed deeply.
Until she felt his hands spread her legs further apart. The walls were closing in around her and she couldn't seem to breathe. She felt like she was being violated again and the rational part of her brain was trying to calm her, trying to tell her that he was a medical professional and not some randy death eater looking for a quick fix, but the irrational part of her was screaming because his hands were down there, looking there, seeing the scars.
A sob escaped as she clutched for the bed spread, hoping to Merlin, God, whoever was watching over them that it would be over soon. She felt exposed, too exposed and she couldn't control the fear.
She reached for the bedspread again but only found a hand. Turning her head she met Dracos eyes, she could see his worry and the fact that he was trying to comfort her, but it was hardly registering as a blip on her radar.
He leaned over placing his face close to hers, something the Doctor noticed as he tried to hurry up and get everything done with. His face came into her view and she stilled, not releasing the death grip she had on his hand.
"Just look at me. Don't pay any attention to anything going on in this room, just you and me."
She nodded, not trying to hide the fear or the tears. She was petrified, but she didn't look away, she couldn't.
"Remember when you hit me? In third year?"
She nodded.
"Do you know I was the talk of Slytherin for three weeks? Goyle had opened his mouth and all of the other Slytherins got a good kick out of it."
She nodded.
"You were trying to save Hagrids bloody overgrown chicken and you hit me."
She smiled a bit, only grimacing for a second as the doctor moved.
"I'll admit, you surprised me that day. I never thought you had it in you, but you did."
"You were being vile." She replied, not looking away from him.
"I was, I know that now. But you showed a lot of strength that day, you went against me and did something Potter and Weasley had been wanting to do but didn't have the balls. You've always been the stronger one and you are stronger than this. Don't let my father win, Granger, don't let him affect you for the rest of your life." He grinned briefly, " and it's almost over."
Hermione nodded again and sighed with relief as she felt the Doctors hand leave her body.
"is… it over?"
Draco looked over and upon receiving a nod from Dr. Hall, he smiled, "It's over."
She was still shaky but she was coming down from her panic as she sat up.
"I'm terribly sorry about that, Ms. Granger, but it was necessary." Hall stated, looking rather sad. "Now, everything looks good down there, no concerns about anything so I will go and retrieve the potion."
Draco noticed the man left a little quicker then he probably normally did, but it didn't shock him, even the nurse looked ready to burst out in tears.
"I'll be outside the door if you need anything." The nurse stated, leaving just as quickly.
It only took a few minutes for the doctor to return with the blood red potion in hand. He still looked shaken.
"Now, drink this up, the entire potion. It only takes a few minutes for it to get to work so before you drink, prepare yourself.
"I'm sorry." She blurted, "I – I kind of lost it for a minute and I'm sorry."
Hall handed her the potion with a smile, "perfectly understandable, Ms. Granger. No harm done."
And with a final glance and a pat on her shoulder, he left the room.
Break
Draco watched as Hermione coiled into the fetal position, rocking back and forth with silent screams. No wonder there were big beds, she would have fallen to the floor on anything less.
It had been an hour since she drank and what looked not to be not so bad at first had turned into a nightmare. He wasn't good at seeing anyone in pain, especially not her, and it bothered him.
She uncoiled and sat up, clutching her stomach and feeling sick. He reached for the vomit bowl, but she shook her head and crashed back down to the mattress. He felt useless.
He paced. It was all he could think to do. Pace and wait until it calmed down. He hoped that she was lucky and it was half way through rather than only a third of the way. He glance over again to see her on her knees, face buried into the pillow while her hands gripped the bed spread. He felt bad for her and angry with his father, far more angry than he had ever been.
One hour, thirty minutes
She wasn't silently screaming now, but she was in pain. Her muscles felt like they were being torn from the bone, lit on fire, and put back in… and her stomach, she imagined that lava only got this hot, but she was growing weak, she could feel it and she almost welcomed it. To pass out would be a blessing.
She was torn though, happy that she was getting this back, but she needed something else, something more, something akin to comfort and she knew where to find it, he had given it to her before when she had nightmares. It was worth a shot.
"Draco?"
He stopped pacing and rushed to the bed.
"Do you remember when I had nightmares?"
He nodded.
"Can – can you do that for me… again?" She asked through her clinched teeth, her voice raspy from straining.
He nodded, unable to find words and not thinking words were important anyway. He knew the simple fact that she asked for help was hard for her to do. He wouldn't make in any weirder.
He climbed into the bed behind her, pulled her close, and covered them up. He hoped that time was almost up for her sake. He looked at his watch, an hour and 45 minutes in, he leaned to tell her but she had gone still, her prayer for passing out answered.
He continued to hold her, provide her comfort, and while he said he would do anything he could to help her, he felt a little odd being the one to do it, especially considering if it weren't for his father, she wouldn't be in this position anyway.