**Harry Potter is not mine**

It was barely a second that Hermione's feet hit solid ground that they were already on the move. Hermione looked around to gauge where they were when she caught sight of the mint healer robes that everyone seemed to be wearing all around them.

St. Mungo's. We're at St. Mungo's. Something is not right. Someone is hurt, Hermione silently panicked in her head.

In no time at all, they found themselves in one of the wards where she was greeted by the sight of a bloodied Harry and a bloodied unconscious Draco being treated by a myriad of healers.

Hermione's hands flew to her mouth as a choked sob came out of her.

"Hermneee," Harry weakly greeted as he attempted to sit up.

"Don't move, you idiot!" Ginny immediately scolded him.

Hermione couldn't move as her eyes took in Harry's state. Half of his face was swollen and bloody and his robes were covered with so much blood that it clung to his body.

"What happened?" she managed to choke out as her eyes went to the next bed that contained an unconscious Draco who looked like he was in an even uglier state.

"Greymmack," Harry muttered and winced.

Ginny firmly grasped one of Harry's hands and told him to lie back again.

"They went on a sudden raid. Robards caught wind of Greyback's whereabouts and they decided to go for it. Apparently, he's a hard motherfucker to capture so they didn't even think twice about doing a sudden ambush. Mr. Save The Day over here and his blonde sidekick over there thought it was their duty to be part of the team that went," Ginny explained.

Hermione didn't get a chance to reply as the commotion beside them accelerated and a worried healer approached Kingsley, "We're taking Auror Malfoy to the wounds room. His injuries seem to be worse than we initially thought."

Kingsley nodded as a team of healers levitated Draco's hospital bed in a hurry and took him away in no time at all. Hermione barely caught sight of him apart from one of his tattooed arms dangling lifelessly at the side of his bed as he was being taken away.

Hermione's stomach started to dangerously churn as she tried her hardest not to vomit her lunch.

"Are - are you alright, Harry?" she quietly asked.

Harry attempted to nod his head which only made him look more pitiful.

"He's alright. Malfoy's state is much worse." Ginny whispered as she brushed back Harry's hair and meticulously fussed around his bed, "He's doped up in potions right now so I doubt he'll remember any of this, but other than that, the healers said the swelling will subside in a couple of hours and his injuries will be healed by then too."

Hermione can only nod as another healer approached them and addressed Kingsley.

"Minister Shacklebolt, Head Auror Robards is asking for you," the healer announced.

Kingsley nodded grimly, "I'll be right there."

The healer left and Kingsley addressed Ginny and Hermione, "I'll leave you both to it. I trust that Harry is in good hands with the both of you and I also sent an owl to Molly and Arthur to inform them and placate their worries. They might come around in a few hours."

Ginny and Hermione both nodded and thanked Kingsley as he left them alone with a resting Harry. They didn't have to wait long before a healer collected them and transferred Harry to a more private room and they were offered food and tea by some of the concerned healers.

Both of them declined as they both took seats beside Harry's bed and watched him sleep, his face now only showing a couple signs of swelling and his bloodied clothes now replaced by fresh hospital robes.

Hermione chanced a look at Ginny and noted her shaking hands as she ran her fingers through Harry's hair incessantly, all the while mumbling to herself.

"I told him to get it cut so many times," Ginny complained.

Hermione didn't reply and only quietly took Ginny's other shaking hand and squeezed it, earning her a grateful smile from Ginny.

Her smile was however brittle and short lived as a choked sob bubbled out of her, "I thought we were done with all of this - all the blood and violence," the anger in Ginny's voice was soft yet evident.

Hermione wordlessly stood up from her seat and crossed to the other side of Harry's bed to draw Ginny in for a hug as she quietly sobbed. For a moment, the sound of Ginny's sobs echoed through the room, making the already sad sound all the more haunting.

Hermione brushed the girl's hair gently as she continued to cry on her chest.

Ginny had always been the strong and stable one even though she was younger than most of them. She never took any shit from her brothers and had stood her ground throughout the war fighting for Harry and his cause. She's always been so fiery and well put together that sometimes Hermione forgets that she's still an ordinary young witch with fears and weaknesses who had to go through a bloody war that took so much from her and her family. Hermione was a bit embarrassed to admit that Ginny wasn't even one of the first people she was worried about during the war as she just always assumed that Ginny was fine and could handle anything and everything life would throw at her.

But now that she's silently crying in her arms, it was so easy to see this young woman for all her humanity. Of course she has fears and of course she still carries all of them in her heart even though the worst has passed. Hermione couldn't help but admire her love and devotion to Harry and how that very same love had gotten both her and Harry through the war.

"We are done with all of it, Ginny. We've made it through the thick of it. We're all safe now," Hermione whispered into the other girl's hair as they swayed back and forth.

"Sometimes it doesn't feel like it. Sometimes I still wake up panicking, looking for Harry, wondering where he is and if he's even still alive. Those first few seconds that I'm awake, I always feel like I'm still fighting in the war," Ginny choked, "Every time I see a copy of the Prophet my heart still skips a beat as I remember what it was like every single day of the war when you were on the run and I had no sense of where you were and all I could do was be relieved each time there were no news of you at all."

Hermione patted her back softly as more words tumbled out of Ginny.

"Sometimes I wish he would stop with all this auror training and just be normal for once. Get a job at the ministry and stay put and be with me so I can stop worrying about him so much. Sometimes I wish I didn't love him so much that the thought of him being in any danger makes me want to pull my hair out. I wish - I wish the nightmares would stop coming at night whenever I don't feel him next to me."

Hermione stayed silent as Ginny cried. They didn't need words to understand each other's pain. At the end of the day, no matter how they were portrayed by the media, they will always be the same girls who had to face grief and war at such an early age and then continue on with life and grow despite everything that they lost.

There are no words needed for the two of them to understand each other because they both know what it was like to love and what it was like to lose it in the same lifetime.

Hermione rocked Ginny softly back and forth and the two of them stayed in the embrace for a long time even after Molly and Arthur arrived a couple of hours later.

Hermione went to work the next day with barely a wink of sleep. She got home well around midnight but stayed awake until the wee hours of the morning as adrenaline and fear coursed through her veins. Her brain wouldn't let her sleep as she kept expecting another fire call about another terrible situation and flashbacks of the war plagued her. By the time the sun was up, her nails were bloodied from all the biting she did throughout the night.

Unlike the day before, everyone greeted her a good morning and expressed their well wishes for Harry and Draco. She accepted their greetings and promised everyone that she would convey them.

Her work day was not productive at all as she kept catching herself staring blankly at the wall and not really concentrating on the work she had laid in front of her. About half an hour before lunch time, she finally decided to give up and instead take a stroll along Diagon Alley to clear her mind.

She apparated straight into the middle of the alley and her senses were immediately accosted by the sights and sounds around her. Diagon Alley always welcomed her and today wasn't an exception. She lost herself in the noise and bustle of the alley as she took in the happy atmosphere that seemed so far away from her current reality. She hopped from one store to the next without any aim or reason other than to fill her senses with as much color and positivity as possible. She politely nodded and smiled at those who recognized her and for the first time didn't mind when they stared at her as she passed by. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as she mindlessly explored. It was nice to get away from her head and all the craziness in it.

She was about to head to St. Mungo's when she caught sight of a small flower kiosk with a display of wonderful bouquets. Her feet gravitated towards the small stand and her fingertips caressed the soft petals of the flowers on display.

"Good afternoon, Miss Granger. Such an honor to have you here today!" the seller gushed, a young girl who was barely 10.

Hermione smiled, "You have very beautiful arrangements. Do you make them yourself?"

"Thank you, Miss Granger! No, Miss Granger, my mum made them but she's been teaching me. She just made a delivery somewhere but I'm sure she will be back." the girl nervously wrung her hands at the compliment, "Is there a particular flower you're looking for? Maybe some bright roses or these daisies?"

Hermione was curiously looking at the ready arrangements when her eyes fell on a bucket full of purple and white dahlias that weren't arranged yet.

"What about those? Are those for sale?" she inquired.

"Yes! Do you want me to arrange something for you?" the girl shyly asked.

Hermione smiled at the little girl, "I would love that."

Hermione's heels loudly click clacked as she navigated the hallowed halls of St. Mungo's. She wasn't proud to admit that she had lost her way trying to find a specific room. All she wanted was to drop the bouquet at Draco's private room and then carry on to visit Harry but she was a bit surprised to find out that the rooms of the two aurors were nowhere near each other's. She was, however, not surprised at all to find out that the Malfoys have a wing named after one of their ancestors. So here she was now, on her way to the Actaeus Malfoy Private Wing for the Afflicted.

A few more minutes of wandering and she finally found the golden plaque with the engraved name of the wing. She curiously looked around the high ceilings and finally located room AM1.1 also known as the Malfoys' private room.

The healer at the reception desk told her that she could just knock twice on the door and someone would assist her so she did exactly that. It wasn't even a few seconds when the door opened and she was faced with familiar gray eyes on a less familiar face.

"Mrs. Malfoy." Hermione gasped, "I didn't - I didn't know that you were here! I am so sorry. The healer said that someone will assist me when I get here and I only wanted to drop off these flowers," she babbled.

The older woman mirrored her shock but recovered much more gracefully.

"It's no trouble at all, Miss Granger."

The two of them stared at each other for a couple of awkward moments before Narcissa spoke again.

"Those flowers are for Draco?"

Hermione nodded, "Yes."

Narcissa looked at her curiously, "Why don't you come in, Miss Granger?"

Hermione's eyes widened in panic, "I - uh - I just wanted to drop off the flowers."

But Narcissa acted like she didn't hear her response and only opened the door wider for her to come in and had already left the doorway.

Hermione didn't want to be rude and at the same time felt like she didn't have any choice but to follow the older woman inside the room. So with one last deep breath, she crossed the doorway and stepped inside the room.

Hermione looked around the Malfoys' private room and marveled at the size of it. It was almost thrice the size of Harry's room and this one had even bigger windows and better circulation.

It really is a marvel what galleons can buy you, Hermione mused.

Narcissa caught her admiring the room and gently spoke, "Actaeus Malfoy was one of the founding healers of St. Mungo's. He specialized in potion making and poison detection. This very room used to be his private quarters for the nights that he refused to leave his patients."

Hermione can only nod, "It's a very nice room," she offered lamely.

"It is," Narcissa agreed, "Tea, Miss Granger?"

Hermione politely declined the offer and set the bouquet of dahlias on one of the tables.

"Thank you for the flowers. I'm sure Draco would be delighted to know that someone thought of him."

Hermione blushed, "It's no problem at all. I thought some flowers would help cheer him up a bit. I was planning on giving Harry a bouquet of lilies but the vendor said they won't have lilies until the delivery tomorrow."

"That's very thoughtful of you," Narcissa seemingly floated to the bouquet that Hermione placed on the table and magically conjured an elegant crystal vase. She took her time placing the flowers one by one into the vase, arranging them meticulously.

"Draco used to help me with the gardening when he was young. He always complained about it but I think he secretly enjoyed it. He can even list all the flowers in our garden and which one bloomed at which time of the year," Narcissa mused.

Hermione smiled softly, "That's a precious memory."

"It is," Narcissa agreed as she went back to her chair beside Draco's bed.

For the first time, Hermione got a real look at Draco's state and her breath caught. His face had scars that were in the process of healing where some of them still had fresh blood and pus. His left arm was bandaged and she can see lacerations running from his neck downwards.

A small tinkling of bells stopped her perusal as Narcissa started to busy herself with some medical materials, "That's the alarm for when his bandages should be changed."

Hermione straightened her back, "Is - is there anything I can help you with?"

Narcissa's hands stopped for a moment as they clutched a vial of Dittany before once again methodically arranging the supplies, "If you could magically hold his body up that would be a big help to me."

Hermione nodded and stood closer to Draco's bed, waiting for Narcissa to finish setting up her materials.

"Yes of course! I could do that."

Narcissa approached the bed and magically vanished the sheets covering Draco as well as the top of his hospital robes, "If you could levitate him into a proper sitting position please, Miss Granger."

Hermione nodded and did as she was told, biting her lip tightly upon seeing the brevity of Draco's wounds around his neck, chest, and ribs. The open wounds snaked around his body like a bloody rope, some of them so deep that she could see the flesh. Narcissa quietly tended to her son's wounds and didn't even bat an eye.

"They're whip lashings. The assailant had a magical whip and my son thought it was wise to throw himself in front of his path."

Hermione didn't say a word as Narcissa continued her ministrations. Hermione's gaze was too trained on what Narcissa was doing that her eyes did a double take upon seeing the tattoo on Draco's ribs.

Sectum Sempra

The tattoo was in bold ink and now had a whip lashing underlining it.

"All done," Narcissa announced as she once again covered Draco in his robes and sheets with a quick wave of her wand. Hermione blinked and the tattoo was out of her sight once again.

"Thank you, Miss Granger. Are you sure you don't want tea or anything?" Narcissa asked once again, always the perfect hostess.

"No thank you, Mrs. Malfoy. I should be heading out now. I'm still planning on visiting Harry."

Narcissa nodded as the two of them made their way to the door.

"I - uh thank you for accommodating me and for receiving the flowers," Hermione awkwardly remarked.

"It's no problem at all. Please visit again if you find the time."

Hermione nodded and left the room in a daze.

Hermione found her way to Harry's room much quicker than when she set out to find Draco's. She entered Harry's room still deep in thought and took a seat on the chair beside Harry's bed.

"Hello? Earth to Hermione? Is anyone home?" Harry jokingly snapped in front of her face.

Hermione waved Harry's hands out of her sight and sighed, her brain still bursting with everything that happened.

"Quit it, Harry."

Harry mock gasped, "That's not how you should talk to a sick friend."

Hermione rolled her eyes, "You're fine. You can joke around already."

Harry only laughed at her annoyance, "Molly left you a bowl of pasta over there. She said you were taking your lunch here. It's spaghetti bolognese by the way."

Hermione stood up and prepared her lunch quietly.

"I really am alright, Hermione. There's nothing to worry about. I even ate some of your portion so that's a testament to how my appetite is back," Harry mused, thinking that her silence was because of her worry for him which of course was part of it.

She sat back on the chair and looked into Harry's eyes, "Ginny was beside herself."

Harry's teasing smile dimmed, "Yes. I know."

"Can you tell me what happened?" Hermione asked as she twirled her pasta around, not really hungry.

Harry sighed, "We almost got him - Greyback, I mean. We were so close. We got him cornered. It was Malfoy that trapped him in this alley but we didn't know he had weapons on him. I mean, you've seen him. Even without weapons he's quite ballistic but this time he had a wand and this magical whip thing."

Harry paused and looked at Hermione and her bowl of pasta, "Uh this isn't really a lunch time topic so maybe we should talk about it later -"

Hermione shook her head, "No, I want to know now."

Harry sighed again in defeat, "He whipped Malfoy so many times. He got the whip around his torso and dragged him like a ragdoll. He got as far as a couple of streets before we caught up to him and we were able to stun him. It took the 5 of us."

"Why didn't you work better as a team?" Hermione asked all of a sudden before she caught herself, "I - I'm sorry. Of course you tried your best. I'm sorry, Harry."

Harry shook his head, "No, no, I'm thinking the same. We all look like a bunch of wankers now that you think of it. 2 established aurors and 4 aurors in training and we still couldn't subdue a single suspect. It's kind of embarrassing."

Hermione stared wordlessly at Harry as he continued, "I think this is just proof that there's still so much training we need to do. Malfoy was the closest to him and was the one who was able to expelliarmus the bastard so hard, but then again that meant he was the one who took most of the lashings from that horrible whip. It was just our luck that he was stronger because of the upcoming full moon."

Hermione sighed and stabbed her pasta vehemently before taking a bite.

"Malfoy's still not awake," she quietly remarked as she twirled her fork.

Harry nodded, "Yeah, I heard. Healer Johnson said they're keeping him unconscious on purpose so he wouldn't have to feel his wounds while they heal. He just has a lot of sleeping draught in his system but he'll wake right up after they're done treating his wounds."

"And what about you? How are you holding up?" Hermione asked.

"Good. Annoyed," Harry snorted, "It shouldn't have been this destructive and violent but here we are."

"And Greyback?" Hermione asked again.

"Azkaban. He's not seeing the light of day anytime soon," Harry vehemently vowed.

Hermione silently ate her lunch as Harry gauged her mood, "I really am alright, Hermione. The blood all over me was more Malfoy's than mine."

"Like that makes it better," Hermione muttered under her breath.

"What? I didn't catch that," Harry asked.

"I said, I'm glad you're better."

Harry smiled sheepishly at her, "Thanks, Hermione - for being here, for taking care of Ginny, for everything."

Hermione smiled back despite herself, "Always, Harry," she whispered before taking his calloused hand in hers.

Thank you for reading! I'll be back soon with an update.