-Chapter 8-
"Hermione! For the love of Merlin, Hermione wake up!" Ginny held on tight to Hermione who was violently thrashing in the bed. Two Healers came rushing in.
"We have to restrain her, Miss Weasley. Get back." A large dark skinned male Healer approached the bed.
"No! No! Just let me get her through this, please!" Ginny begged holding on even tighter to Hermione who was now screaming in addition to trying to break free from Ginny's arms.
"Get back or I will remove you from the room."
"You're not going to do that to her! I won't let you!" Ginny turned back to Hermione. The brunette was drenched with sweat and her fingernails clawed into Ginny's arms, breaking the skin. "Hermione," Ginny spoke calmly into her ear, "Hermione nothing can hurt you. Listen to me love. No one is going to hurt either of us."
It had no effect, Hermione continued struggling against Ginny's grip. Sharp pains shot through the redheads legs as Hermione kicked her.
"Step away from her Miss Weasley," the large healer said again.
"No!" Ginny's arms burned as blood ran down them and the salty sweat from Hermione's body dripped into the open wounds. She didn't dare let go though. "Please Hermione!" Ginny screamed, "Please come back to me!"
Hermione's body went limp in Ginny's arms. Ginny held her fiancée tight still.
"Ginny…" a small moan escaped from Hermione's lips.
"I'm here Hermione."
"I'm sorry I let him hurt you…"
"No one's hurt me, love."
Hermione buried her head into Ginny's shoulder and cried.
"You need to have those cleaned," one of the Healers said, motioning to Ginny's arms. The Healer was an older woman with grey hair. She looked over Ginny's wounds.
"Well then do it while I am sitting here because I am not letting go of her."
The large Healer left the room and came back with potions and bandages.
"Thank you Liam," the older Healer said as she took one of the bottles and some gauze.
Ginny winced at the burning as the woman Healer cleaned the gashes in her arms and wrapped them up.
"We need to get these bed sheets changed," she said when she was done. She looked Liam. "Go find Dria to draw Miss Granger a bath and help me."
"But Phoebe, hospital rules clearly state..."
"I know about the blasted rules, Liam. I am head of this floor and I will decide when a patient needs to be restrained. Miss Granger is awake now and needs nothing more than a bath. Go find Dria."
"Yes madam," the large man walked out of the room with his head hung.
"'Mione, look at me." Ginny tried to pull the sobbing brunette away from her shoulder. Hermione reluctantly sat up, her eyes were swollen and bloodshot. The attendant walked through the room and into the bathroom that was connected. Ginny heard the water start running. "We're going to get you into a bath, okay love?"
"D-don't leave m-me!" Hermione buried her face back into Ginny's shoulder.
"I'm not going to but I've got to get out of bed to get you to the bathroom, okay?"
Hermione nodded and Ginny stood up. She slipped one arm behind Hermione's back and the other under her knees. Hermione wrapped her arms around Ginny's neck and the redhead hoisted her off of the sweat and blood soaked sheets. Ginny carried Hermione to the bathroom where the attendant was just turning off the tap, steam rose from the tub. Ginny set Hermione down on the wooden chair next to the tub.
"Would you like some help, dear?" the attendant asked.
"No, thank you." Ginny started undoing the ties on the back of Hermione's gown.
"There's a clean gown there on the table. My name is Dria, I'll be just outside the door, call if you need anything." Dria left the room and closed the door behind her.
Ginny peeled the sweat soaked gown off of Hermione's shoulders and lifted her once more and into the tub of steaming water. Hermione pulled her knees up close to her chest. Ginny knelt down by the tub and grabbed the wooden pitcher from the floor and filled it with water.
"Tilt your head back love."
Ginny poured pitchers of warm water over Hermione's head.
"Did he do that to you?" Hermione asked as she reached for one of Ginny's bandaged arms.
"No, 'Mione," Ginny said softly. Ginny squeezed a large glob of shampoo into her hand and lathered it into Hermione's hair.
"I'm sorry I didn't protect you…" A tear fell from Hermione's cheek.
"It was just a nightmare baby. I promise you what whatever it was, it was just a nightmare. Whatever you saw Malfoy do to me didn't happen."
"If it was just a nightmare how come you know who it was?"
"You yelled for him to stop in your sleep."
"I couldn't move…I wanted to keep him from hurting you…"
"He didn't really hurt me, love. Tilt back again."
Hermione let the tears fall freely as the warm water washed over her face.
"Mind telling me what happened, 'Mione?" Ginny asked. She set the pitcher down and picked up a washcloth. Hermione was silent while Ginny scrubbed her back. "You don't want to talk about it, I take it?"
"He…hurt you."
"You mean like Cruciatus?"
"Yes…but…t-then h-he…hurt you."
"I don't get it, 'Mione."
"Please don't make me say it Ginny…I-I can't…"
"Oh…oh gods, Hermione!" Ginny dropped the washcloth as soon as she realized what Hermione meant and pulled Hermione's head to her chest.
"I-I tried to save you…I couldn't move…"
"Hermione look at me." Ginny pulled Hermione's chin up and looked into her bloodshot eyes. "It was a dream. I promise you he never touched me."
Hermione nodded. Ginny pulled her in and their lips touched.
"I'm glad you were here Gin…th-the first nights when the potions didn't work…they would just treat me like an animal…I'd wake up and be t-tied…they s-said it was for my own good."
"I wouldn't let them. They wanted to but I wouldn't let them."
Hermione pulled away and Ginny found the washcloth again. She ran the cloth over Hermione's chest and down one arm.
"Ginny…I-I know…I'm supposed to want you to go back to play Quidditch. I'm supposed to tell you that you have to go back and you can't let your team down. I'm not supposed to be selfish and tell you that I want you to stay with me…"
"We'll see how the rest of the weekend goes, how about that?"
Hermione settled her chin back on her knees. "Okay," she whispered.
Ginny got a towel from the cabinet.
"I'm gonna need your help here, 'Mione. Think you can stand?"
Hermione nodded. Ginny knelt down and Hermione wrapped her arms around Ginny's neck and Ginny wrapped an arm around Hermione's waist. Ginny lifted her then wrapped the towel around Hermione's shoulders and helped her to the chair. They were silent while Ginny dried Hermione's hair and then helped Hermione on with her clean gown.
"I want you to take all the potions before you go back to sleep," Ginny said as she tied the last tie on the back of Hermione's gown.
"But…I want to be strong."
"No. Hermione, I'm not going to let you put yourself through that because you want to try and look strong for me."
"I-I just…"
Ginny knelt down in front of Hermione and put one hand on the brunette's cheek. "Sweetheart, look at me. You don't have to try to stay strong for me. I've loved you at your best and I've loved you at your worst. You remember that one night in the common room, right before my O.W.L.s? You were studying and I got upset with you because we hadn't spent any time together. You finally admitted to me that you were scared because of the war. Do you remember?"
"I do."
"What I said then has just as much relevance now. You don't have to be strong all the time, you're only human."
Hermione nodded. "Okay…okay I'll take them. You're still going to stay though, right?"
"Of course, love. Let's get you back to bed. Can you walk?"
"I can try."
Hermione wrapped her arms around Ginny's neck and the redhead pulled Hermione up, standing. They stood still for a moment then one step at a time they made their way to Hermione's bed. Ginny helped Hermione into the bed, the crisp new sheets rustled as she settled in.
"Oh dear Miss Weasley!" Phoebe took Ginny's arms. "You weren't supposed to get the bandages wet. They'll need to be changed."
Ginny sat down on the edge of Hermione's bed. The brunette looked on as Phoebe removed the bandages from Ginny's arms. Hermione gasped when she saw the gashes.
"Ginny…did...did I…"
Ginny winced as the potion stung the open wounds. "You're trimming your nails before you go to sleep next time you decide not to take all the potions. That's all I have to say."
"I didn't even know I was doing it. I-I'm so sorry Ginny." Hermione hugged Ginny from behind and held her tight as the Healer re-wrapped Ginny's arms.
"Don't worry about it, they'll heal. I'll just tell everyone I was attacked by a dragon or something."
"Can I get you a new shirt, Miss Weasley?" Dria asked as she walked through from the bathroom with the towels. "Yours has blood on it."
Ginny looked down at the front of her shirt. Sure enough there was her blood on it in addition to it being slightly damp from holding on to Hermione.
"That'd be great, thanks."
There were puffs of smoke coming from the corner where Liam was busy mixing potions on the tray. Dria came back in the room with a white t-shirt that had a St. Mungo's logo in black on the front of it. Ginny pulled a curtain around Hermione's bed and stripped off her t-shirt. She looked at Hermione and the brunette smiled a little.
"You know you could just sleep like that, I wouldn't mind."
"Neither would I but I think whoever comes in first in the morning to see you might mind it a bit if we're still asleep," Ginny said as she pulled the clean shirt over her head. "Especially if it's your mother." She pulled the curtain back open and climbed into bed next to Hermione. Ginny held Hermione as she drank the glass of potion Liam gave her.
"Let's try this again, shall we?" Hermione said as she and Ginny nestled down in the bed.
"Just remember before you fall asleep, I'm here and I am not going to let anything hurt you." Ginny kissed Hermione's neck.
"I love you, Ginny."
"Love you too 'Mione, goodnight."