I'm sorry it's been so long since an update. I swear my teacher assigned every little thing she could assign this month. Thankfully class was cancelled today and she got sick so now I'm typing and every thing due got pushed back a week ,
Sunday morning rose quickly and brightly and Minerva McGonagall was sad to say, she slept in. For the first time in years. She couldn't believe the sight of her clock as she got up that morning. 9 AM, she never woke up that late, even on a Sunday. She donned her dressing gown and headed into the living room. She settled in her chair and summoned herself a cup of coffee, and began grading the papers that she neglected yesterday. Harry and Ron stumbled through the door half awake about 15 minutes later.
"Is it time for breakfast?" Ron asked rubbing his eyes.
"If you want to walk down there go right ahead." Minerva said and he groaned.
"It's such a long walk."
"It's a shorter walk then when we were in the tower." Harry said cleaning his glasses with his shirt.
"Well we did a lot yesterday." He said sitting on the couch.
"Is Hermione up?" Minerva asked glancing up from her work.
"I don't think so, but the curtain was drawn so I don't know." Harry told her. It wasn't unusual for Hermione to wake up before everyone and go to the library.
"Let me go check." Minerva said packing up her papers. "You two can head down to breakfast I'll be down once I change."
"Kay" they said, and Ron practically ran out the room. Minerva shook her head at the boys eagerness and opened the door to the kid's bedroom.
"Hermione are you here?" She asked reaching the white curtain. No answer. Minerva sighed. "If you're there I'm coming in." She briefly warned before pushing the curtain back. Hermione was there, still asleep. Something that worried Minerva greatly.
"Hermione dear, wake up." she reached out to shake the girl lightly. "Come on you're going to miss breakfast." Hermione opened her eyes and winced at the light in the room.
"What's wrong professor?"
"It's time for breakfast, you need to eat, you didn't eat much yesterday."
"I'm not very hungry; I'll just wait till lunch." She said softly. Minerva looked at her in concern and placed her hand on Hermione's forehead.
"You're burning up." Minerva bit her lip. "No you're not going down to breakfast; you're coming with me to the hospital wing."
"NO!" Hermione shouted. "I mean, do I have to go to the hospital wing? It's not like I'm in my dorm in Gryffindor tower if I stay in here I'll be fine right?" She gave Minerva a sheepish smile. Minerva was drawn. She didn't want to demand Hermione to go to the hospital wing, especially not when she made a good point about not being in the tower.
"But what about Harry and Ron, do you want to make them sick?"
"No but I don't want to go to the hospital wing."
"Why sweetie?"
"Madam Pomfry scares me." Minerva started laughing.
"I'm sorry, but is that the only reason you don't want to go to the hospital wing?"
"I just don't like it there, it's not fun, I can't talk to anyone, and I can't even go to the bathroom without getting Madam Pomfry's permission. Plus it doesn't feel comfortable there."
"Alright then you can stay here." She gave Hermione a smile as her resolve weakened. "However you need to listen to me and do as I say understand?" Hermione nodded and then groaned. "I'll get you some medicine I'll be right back." As Hermione started to fall back asleep, Minerva stood up from the side of the bed and tucked the blanket back around Hermione. She saw the girl smile before she left the room and walked over to the fire place. Grabbing the floo powder off the wall, she threw some into the fire place and yelled: "hospital wing!" The familiar warmth of the flames surrounded her and in a flash she came out at the hospital wing. Poppy Pomfry was running around like crazy, children in all the beds, coughing, sneezing, and in a few cases vomiting.
"Minerva is there anything I can help you with?" Pomfry said quickly handing a potion to an older Hufflepuff boy.
"Can I have a swing of pepper-up potion?" She asked looking around doubtfully at all the kids.
"I don't have anymore - Collins don't you dare use that as a bucket, there's a can under your bed."
"You don't have anymore?" Minerva was shocked. "I've never heard of you running out of anything."
"Yes well it's an epidemic." She handed a potion to a Ravenclaw. "Apparently a 4th year Hufflepuff got sick last week and stayed in his dorm coughing and sneezing on everything when his classmates were at class. A large portion of the Hufflepuffs caught it and then passed it to a fair amount of other students." She ran back into her office, Minerva followed. "Why do you want pepper-up potion?"
"Hermione's sick, and didn't want to come here." Minerva explained.
"Normally I'd want you to bring her here, but given the state of things I'm glad you didn't." Pomfry reached into her pocket and pulled out a couple packets of muggle medicine. She put them in Minerva's hands. "Miss Granger should know how to use those. They're not as good as potion but until Severus makes me some more it'll have to do."
"Thank you." Minerva said as they walked back out of her office. "And good luck."
"I'll need it." was the last thing Minerva heard as she floo'd back to her chambers. Minerva brushed the soot off of her clothes as she walked back into the living room. Harry and Ron were back and sitting on the couch.
"How come you didn't come to breakfast?" Ron asked.
"Hermione's sick, so I went to get her medicine. Can you boys do me a favor and go out somewhere else today? I don't want you both getting sick as well." The boys shared a look.
"We can go see Hagrid or go hang with Neville, Dean, and Seamus."
"Either is fine with me, but here…" She waved her wand and their coats and jackets came flying out of the room. "Take these with you just in case."
"Alright, tell Hermione we hope she feels better." Harry said before Ron pulled him out of the room.
"I will." Minerva yelled to their retreating backs. "Twinky!" she yelled and pop a little house elf appeared in front of her.
"Hello Mistress does you be needing something?" The little house elf in the Hogwarts uniform asked.
"Yes I have a sick child in the other room who has missed breakfast. Can you get me some noodles and soup for her? And maybe some warm milk to help her sleep."
"Twinky can do it Mistress. They will appear on a table when you re ready."
"Thank you Twinky. And if Hermione is still bad tomorrow can you watch her while I teach and let me know if anything happens."
"Yes Twinky can do that miss." and with a pop she disappeared. Drawing the muggle medicine out of her pocket, Minerva headed back into the bedroom. She did not like what she saw. Hermione was coughing violently in her sleep. Minerva pressed her hand onto Hermione's forehead to find the fever still raging. "wake up sweetie. come on now." Minerva said softly until Hermione opened her eyes.
"I've got some medicine for you, and some lunch as well." Minerva said pulling Hermione up into a sitting position. Hermione nodded before another coughing fit came. "Here drink some hot chocolate." Minerva handed her the cup. I hope I'm doing this right, I don't know much about sick children. "And here's some muggle medicine Madam Pomfry was out of potion… but I'm not quite sure how to…" Minerva trailed off causing Hermione to laugh softly and take the medicine from her hand. Hermione quickly poured out some into the little cup attached to it and drank it in one gulp.
"Mmm grape flavor." she mumbled.
"Well I'm glad you knew what to do. I've never really seen muggle medicine before." Minerva admitted. "Well time for lunch anyway." she told Hermione and a small platter appeared in front of them. Chicken noodle soup appeared with some saltine crackers.
"How did that happen?" Minerva chuckled.
"House elves, I'll explain once you feel better." Minerva said sitting up next to Hermione on the bed. Hermione eyed to food.
"I'm not really hungry."
"Well you're eating, what did you promise me?"
"That I'd do what you say." Hermione said picking up the spoon and slowing slurping up the noodles. Minerva just sat next to her stroking her hair.
"I can't eat anymore." Hermione told her after she had eaten almost half of the soup.
"That's alright dear. Try to get some more sleep alright."
"Okay Minerva." Hermione said drinking some more hot chocolate. "Minerva can you do me a favor?"
"sure thing sweetie." Hermione fidgeted under the blankets.
"Can you read me a story? I know it sounds weird but my grandmother use to do read to me when I was sick." Hermione looked down at the blanket. "you don't have to if you don't want to…" she started coughing again. Minerva resisted the urge to once again wrap her arms around Hermione and hold her like her mother use to hold her. It was wrong, yes she's sick but she is still my student. She almost said no to the request but in the end couldn't do it, settling into a more comfortable position she started:
"Once upon a time, in a far-off country, there lived a merchant…. and Beauty and the Prince lived happily ever after." She finished after several minutes and Hermione was sleeping comfortably. Kissing Hermione softly on the head, she bundled the girl up back under the blankets and headed back into her living quarters. Only to find Pomona standing there with Harry and Ron.
"Oh no." Minerva said softly.
"They're starting to cough and sneeze, they are staying back here."
I'm sorry I haven't been able to update. I'm not lying when I say school has really been killing me and indoor track starts next week. But so does Deathly Hallows I'm going to the midnight showing hope everyone gets to see it soon.