Disclaimer: I own nothing, unlike JKR who seems to own it all.
Hermione's Time Sickness- Chapter Two
"Miss Granger? Are you all right?" Hermione blinked her eyes open to see Professor McGonagall leaning over her. She groaned. Her throat didn't seem that capable of making noises just yet.
"Is she okay Professor?" Hermione recognized Harry's voice. It did sound rather strange in thick. As if her ears were full of water.
"Excuse me. Let me through please." Someone was making their way towards the heart of the cluster of people in the middle of the hallway.
Professor McGonagall stood back up straight and she disappeared from Hermione's view. That's when it occurred to Hermione that she could sit up. There was no reason to lie in the middle of the corridor. But she found that her body couldn't move. Even her jaw was stuck shut.
"I put her into a full body bind. In case there was a head injury. It sounded bad." Professor McGonagall told the person Hermione still hadn't identified.
"Thank you Minerva." Madame Pomfrey stepped into Hermione's field of vision. She conjured a stretcher and gently levitated Hermione onto it before herding it up the stairs and into the hospital wing.
Hermione felt the surface change beneath her again. She couldn't see but guessed that she was being moved onto a hospital bed.
"I can't remove the body bind yet." The mediwitch told her. She cast a few diagnostic charms and ran her wand up and down the girl's body. "I'm afraid you've got a concussion. I'll be right back." She hurried into an office and Hermione heard the rush of a floo being used.
When Hermione woke up she could move again. The body bind had been removed but a stiff brace surrounded her head and kept her neck stiff. The windows were covered and Hermione could see a sliver of the crescent moon through the curtains.
She blinked a few times then sat up. And immediately wished she hadn't. A rush of nausea hit her and Hermione threw up all over her bed and got it all down the front of her hospital pyjamas. Then she vomited again and again until every bit of the area around her was covered in vomit.
But it wasn't Madame Pomfrey who came into help her. It was Professor Snape.
"Who'd wake me up at this ungodly hour?" He muttered to himself.
Hermione heard his voice and groaned. The last person she wanted to see her after she'd vomited all of the place and was a dirty, sweaty mess was Professor Snape. He'd just make fun of her, not help her.
So she was surprised when the cleaning charms hit her bed, floor and pyjamas. Another freshening charm was cast around to get rid of the smell and Hermione took a big gulp and found that it got rid of the taste in her mouth too.
"Are you feeling better now Miss Granger?"
Hermione almost passed out from the surprise. Snape's voice was nothing like it usually was. It was soft, low, and silky. Not the growl he used in class.
"Yes sir." Hermione whispered. "Could I have some water? Please?"
Snape conjured a glass and filled it with water before handing it to her. "Anything else?" He asked.
Hermione shook her head. It was difficult to move with the brace on it. But she still managed to slowly sip the water.
"Madame Pomfrey was called away to deal with an emergency at St. Mungo's. She should be back in the morning." Professor Snape picked up a potion vial. "I need you to take a few potions."
Hermione took a fever reducer, concussion potion and a headache draft before drifting back to sleep. Unknown to her the Potions professor remained at her side throughout the night, just in case she woke up again.
"Good morning Miss Granger." Hermione woke up to the tired voice of Madame Pomfrey. "How do you feel?
Hermione smiled. "My head doesn't hurt any more." She looked more closely at the mediwitch. "Were you up all night?"
"Yes." Pomfrey admitted. "But I'll be able to rest later today." She pulled her wand out and murmured a charm as she ran her wand up and down the length of Hermione's body. "The concussion potion worked."
"Can I take the brace off than?" Hermione rubbed around the hard material. It was tight and she was sweating underneath the bands.
"One moment." Madame Pomfrey ran her wand over Hermione's body again. "I'm not sure. . ." Her voice trailed off.
"Is something wrong?" A note of worry had crept into Hermione's voice.
"I'm sure it's nothing." The mediwitch touched her wand to the brace and lifted it off oh Hermione's head.
"Ah." Hermione sighed in relief. "This feels much better." She ran her hands through her hair and over her head.
Madame Pomfrey was still looking closely at her and her wand was still in her hand.
Hermione looked back at her. "Is something wrong?"
"I'm not sure." She shook her head. "Just wait a moment. I'll be right back." She hurried into her office. And a few moments later Hermione heard the rush of a floo and hushed voices speaking quickly and quietly.
Madame Pomfrey walked back into the ward room, but this time Professor Snape was following her. Both of them stopped at Hermione's bed and drew their wands.
"I just need to cast a few diagnostic spells." The mediwitch said, hoping to reassure the girl.
Hermione lay still as the wands ran up and down her. Both of the adults murmured strange words. She didn't recognize any of them. I still am sort of nauseous and sore. Almost like it feels I'm being pulled in every direction. It's giving me a headache.
"Miss Granger." Professor Snape's voice snapped her back to the present.
"Yes sir." She pushed herself up on her arms so she could look at him.
"Have you been taking any drugs or drinking recently?" He asked her, deadly serious.
Hermione shook her head quickly. "No sir! I'd never do anything like that."
Snape and Pomfrey exchanged grave looks before turning back to her bed. "Miss Granger we're going to visit the wizarding hospital. St. Mungo's. Their specialists and equipment might have more luck."
Hermione was starting to get worried. "You mean there's something wrong with me and you don't know what it is?"
Snape nodded. "It isn't a spell or a curse. Nor a jinx or a hex. And if it is, it must be a newer one. I've got no idea. . ."
Madame Pomfrey hurried into her office and returned shortly with a vial of deep purple potion and a goblet. She poured a measure of the potion into the goblet and handed it to Hermione. "This is Dreamless Sleep Potion. It will allow you to sleep through everything."
Hermione was tired. But at the same time she didn't want to go to sleep. I want to learn about Wizarding Hospitals. I wonder what kind of equipment they use? The idea intrigued her. But she swallowed the potion. It was sweet, like honey and she felt it begin to work instantly as her eyes drifted closed.
*************
This one shot came to me a few months ago and I finally finished it. It is currently unbetaed and will probably remain that way.
I did write this after reading the first half of The Time Traveler's Wife, but I never got around to finishing the books. Hoped you enjoyed the story!
