A/N: Thank you so much for your such kind reviews! They've really helped to spur me on to more! I hope everyone is continuing to like the story. More and more will be revealed. Though I should warn, I do like to play the heart strings of other's like a lead guitarist in a rock band~
"Harry! Ginny! So good to see you!" Molly called out her arms held high as she pulled her youngest in a tight but mindful hug. "Oh look at you." She cooed patting Harry on the back before taking her grandson into her arms. "Now I bet they don't feed you enough over there now do they?" She chuckled as Albus giggled in her grasp bouncing happily on the aging woman's hip.
"No no, and they won't let me has no birthday cake either!" He said with a pout.
Ginny and Harry paused slightly they had both been deep in their own feelings during the short floo trip. Neither one of them were actually willing to face Molly at that moment either. They set down their things to look at their son. Ginny had grown exceptionally pale and Harry kept his furrowed brow aimed to the floor.
"Birthday cake?" Molly trilled with a raised eyebrow, "But darlin, who's birthday is it? It's certainly not yours." She said with a smile tickling the boy. He squealed with laughter and gently pulled on her apron to keep from falling as he squirmed.
"Dey said is some special person's birthday." He nodded matter of fact. Molly turned with confusion on her brow and looked between the two, very silent and very guilty looking adults. It took her only a few moments to realize what the two children before her had done, and her confusion turned to deep shame for the both of them. Ginny winced inwardly at the deep disapproval in her mother's eyes and slowly moved to try and busy herself with something mundane. Harry however, felt a deep rise of anger welling in his chest. He swallowed thickly and looked to Ginny, a deep sadness and anger brewing deep in his soul. It had been festering for years, even before he had counted the casualties. Over and over in his head, night after night. His dreams filled with screams, of people he'd loved. People he'd never wished to die for him.
Molly said nothing as she set the toddler on the counter, though the air in the kitchen was growing exceptionally thick. How many times had she had this exact conversation with Ron? How many temper filled screaming matches had they both participated in? The ache was still there in her heart, but she knew, she had hope, she just wished those around her were able to hold onto something. She could see the weight of all the pain they'd been through at such a young age, weighing down their steps and bowing their heads.
"Ginny?" She turned to her daughter who swallowed thickly and pretended to busy herself the mail. Her mind was turning grinding through it's gears. "Harry ?" Her voice held a hidden edge only those who'd been in her extended company would ever able to identify. As she moved between him and the doorway he was trying to escape through he felt an anger he hadn't felt in a long time welling up through his entire being.
Harry felt his heart thumping in his chest as he stared down at the soft features of the woman who had treated him very much like her own all these years. A woman who by all accounts had never forgotten a birthday or Christmas card. A woman who took such care in creating each one of them a sweater every year. Of course, he really couldn't have faulted a woman who had just lost her son, to have a foggy memory of the events that followed. Harry had watched her move through all the stages of grief and even tried to help her at times. He knew the loss of Fred had rocked the entire family but none more than Molly.
Slowly he licked his lips, the guilt inside him kept his voice small as he addressed her question with avoided eyes, "We-." His words were drown out however, as Ron and George came into the kitchen hollering about a quidditch match they must have been listening to. He scrunched his nose as Ron passed him; the smell of alcohol was strong and his stomach turned just a bit.
"Oi oi!" Molly's attentions turned to the two now rummaging through the ice box. "Out the both of you!" She kept Albus on her hip but gave a wave of her hand closing the icebox with a snap.
"But Ma, we're hungry!" Ron slurred a goofy grin on his face completely oblivious to the thick air that was growing in density with every passing breath. "Oh hey Harry!" He said with a sway. He was wearing an old tank top and loose slacks. His face looked like it was due for a good shave. His eyes were glassy with the firewhiskey he and George must have been drinking. When would Ron ever learn that his brother cheated at drinking games.
"Yea~" George chorused wrapping a heavy arm around Ron's shoulder.
Molly huffed and raised her finger in warning, drunk or not the boy's knew better than to rile their mother's temper and started back towards the doorway. Harry would have chuckled at the sight of George purposely thunking Ron heavily into the frame before pulling him through if it not been for the weight that was hanging in the air.
"One more game Ron come on." He coaxed trying to get him into another fixed game of exploding snap.
Molly shook her head and set Albus on the counter, "You want to help me cook hm?" She asked handing the boy a small rolling pin to the boy's great delight. Albus was completely focused as he tried to roll flat a bit of dough meant for Shepard pies.
"Now then Harry you were saying?" Molly turned slowly cleaning off one of her knives with her apron.
It was in that moment that he'd noticed his wife had completely managed to slip away unnoticed to the far corner of the kitchen. He found himself with no barrier or excuse to pull himself away from the conversation he was about to enter into. He took a deep breath and glanced at Molly as if he was about to walk the plank of a pirate ship.
"We didn't go..." He said softly, his jaw twitching a bit as anger and confusion filled his senses. "...on Hermione's birthday." He said swallowing down the thick lump in his throat watching as the normally strong and composed woman slowly let slip the knife in her hand.
"Yes..." She whispered taking in Harry's deportment; his lowered head had revealed to the redhead that he had not gone to visit her during so some time as well, and the fact that her own daughter had made herself small left no doubt in her mind to why they were acting so squirrelly. She pursed her lips, " Why didn't you go?" She said condemning their behavior and her own as she turned to look at her own calendar. Her face showed such deep shame and she couldn't help but shake her head as she swept up a knife, quickly dropping it into the sink for a wash. Both she and Harry took a breath tempers flaring, one bathed in shame, the other in pain. However, before either of them could speak, and possibly blow the house sky high with their tempers Ginny spoke.
"Harry..." she said softly breaking the deep staring contest, his eyes darted towards her, had her voice not trembled he may not have stopped himself.
Ginny held the card, her mother always sent, with trembling fingers; light gold around the crimson folded paper with a small cat to seal it.
Molly too had turned her attention away looking to her daughter. Her bottom lip twitched a bit as she moved over, slowly pulling it from her fingers. There was a stamp across the beautifully written handwriting.
"Failure...to deliver..." She whispered softly turning slowly to show him the letter. "How could it fail to deliver..." Harry had quickly moved to their sides and took the envelope in his own hands for inspection.
Molly's hand trembled over her lips just a bit as her mind turned over all the possibilities for why a letter couldn't be delivered. "They would have told you right?" She started mid thought looking into Harry's eyes. "They would have told you if something...something had changed?" She said with raised brows of hope. Her heart was in her feet at the high probability for the letters return.
"I...I would think so." He mumbled softly under his breath lightly running his fingers over the large bold letters of the stamp. The tension had completely shifted in the room. Tempers dissolved, and Harry almost, for the briefest moment believed in the one reason that it couldn't be delivered and felt relieved. Relieved that it was finally over. "I uh...I should check into this." He said absently swallowing down his own heart that had moved into his throat.
Molly glanced at the clock, the magical clock that told her where all her children were. It had been magically expanded over the years to include Harry and even Hermione. She had done it during their sixth year, a way to make sure they were safe in their quests. The dial, that held Hermione's picture however, was no where to be seen on the clock. It had completely vanished. Her brain clicked away as she tried to remember having seen it there recently but she couldn't recall.
"There's time." She said softly gently turning him towards the floo, "Visiting hours aren't over yet." She spoke in a hurried tone. Ginny had just returned to reality, her own mind having rolled through the possibilities and the emotions behind each one. Her mother started ushering Harry towards the floo. "Ginny, go with him please." She said taking her by the elbow and pushing them both into the floo.
"Go where?" She stated still dazed with a hurried tone as her mother grabbed a handful of floo powder.
"St. Mungo's." Her mother spoke clearly as she threw the powder at their feet.
Harry and Ginny thumped heavily into the entrance of the hospital. Harry still held the letter Molly had tried to mail to Hermione tightly in his hands as they stepped up to the reception desk.
"Ah yes...hello." Ginny started getting the healer's attention. They smiled kindly at them.
"Visiting or picking up?"
"Uh visiting." Harry said softly.
"Name of the patient you'd like to see?" She said kindly as she opened a large filing cabinet at her side ready to find the information they needed.
"Hermione Jean Granger." He stated as calmly as he could.
The clerk waved her wand over the massive amount of files. Both Ginny and Harry fidgeted from foot to foot as they waited for her to find the file.
"Ah here we are." She said softly pulling it out. "Let's see then. Hermione Granger, room- Wait a moment." She said running her finger down the bottom of the page. "Oh I'm sorry." She said softly looking up into the two pale faces, "It seems she's no longer in our care."
"What does that mean?" Ginny squeaked ready to reach over the and rip the file out of her hands and read it herself. Harry could barely breathe, his heart was resounding in his head as the woman seemed in no rush to tell them what they needed to know it only made his anxiety levels grow higher.
The woman glanced up with a raised brow, "I'm sorry I can't give you anymore information. It seems that her warden of care has taken her from our facilities, if you'd like to know more I suggest you contact her warden." She slowly closed the file watching the two young adults try to process the information.
"Could...could you tell us who her warden of care is?" Harry said his voice thick.
"Ah yes, let's see," the woman opened the file once more scanning down the page, "It seems care was transferred from the Ministry of Magic to one, Headmistress Minerva McGonagall. Does that help you dear?" She asked kindly.
"Immensely." Harry could feel his emotions raging through his teeth as he spoke. He tried to remain calm as the woman hadn't done anything to warrant such a strong change of tone.
"Harry." Ginny started, as he turned away with a new purpose and very quick steps. She had to jog a bit to catch up to his long strides, she wanted to warn him to keep a level head, to not act irrationally, but she knew it would do no good. She caught up to the floo just in time taking hold of his arm as he tossed the powder down.
"Hogwarts, Headmaster's office."
Minerva looked up as her fire place flared green. She had been waiting for this moment and found it to be long over due. Slowly, she came around the side of her desk and leant lightly against it. Her arms over her chest, hands clasped tightly together, her lips thin. She could hear Dumbledore mumbling something behind her but sent a sharp flick of her wand in his direction silencing his words.
Harry was seeing red by the time he stepped through the hearth and it didn't have anything to do with the interior of the room. All of his emotions were running through him like a tsunami. His eyes landed on his trusted head of house but the look in her eyes lit the fuse on his temper.
"Where is she!?" His voice thundered rousing and shaking many of the portraits along the walls.
"Harry..." Ginny coaxed attempting to take his arm. But he shook her free rather harshly.
"Mr. Potter." Minerva's voice was even but dangerous.
"Don't Mr. Potter me!" his temper was fully on fire now. Between Molly, his wife and his own mind he had had enough. "I'm not your student anymore and neither is she! What gave you the rights to remove her from care!" His eyes flicked above to Dumbledore's portrait a new rage filling him for a new set of reasons. " It was youwasn't it!"
"Harry..."
"Mr. Potter calm yourself."
Their words fell on deaf ears as he rounded the desk and Minerva his wand held high to the portrait of the man who had both saved and condemned him.
"It was you!" He bellowed making many of the portraits around Dumbledore's shift out of their frames. All aside from Snape's which even now was still insert. It's eyes closed his famous scowl etched into its stilled features.
"Haven't I done enough for you!? Haven't enough people died for you?! " The knick knacks on Minerva's desk were starting to vibrate with all the magical energy flowing from him.
Minerva had moved herself between Ginny and Harry her own wand at the ready.
"How dare you! How dare you!" Dumbledore just looked down from on high; even if he could speak he had elected not to. He could see the anguish inside the boy and knew this conversation was a long time coming. Harry rounded his own wand upon himself as he yelled, his own fury surprising even him as the words continued to flow from his mouth. Locked away for too many sleepless nights. A dam broken into the sea of lament. "The boy who lived! So he could watch all those he ever cared for stand before him to die!"
He never heard the spell that hit his back. His body lurched forward as the spell relaxed his body. His head thumping the floor harshly, sending his glasses skidding across the polished stone floor.
The magic gently ebbed away like a sea at low tide and Minerva slowly sheathed her wand into her sleeve. The scowl finally left his face as his eyes rolled back into blissful unconscious.
Ginny moved slowly around her head of house and gently levitated Harry up into one of the comfortable lounge chairs.
Severus had sat himself down once more, his feet stretched out towards the warmth of the fire burning in the hearth. A book on his lap a bit of food to his left on the side table, balanced precariously on a stack of tomes he'd already combed through. His mind was flowing in and out of all the new information he was gathering. He took a deep breath and slowly closed another book, this time setting it gingerly down beside his chair. He pushed a bit of hair from his face and glanced over to the lounge.
Hermione was sleeping, completely passive. He wet his lips a bit and furrowed his brow as he looked towards her, very gingerly he reached out his legilimens. He knew he couldn't actually make a connection with her as her eyes were closed but he wanted to see what he could feel. If there was anything at all. His shields lowered slowly as he test the waters. He could feel her magical aura swirling around her form and gently brushed against it. There was no resistance pressing against him, it was like dipping a hand into cool water. Her mind was completely blank. It was what he would have expected of someone who was unconscious. He was about to pull back when he felt a flicker. His brow furrowed and he shift slightly focusing his connection on the feeling, but as soon as he thought he'd found it, it had slipped away again.
He hummed and sat back rubbing his chin with his finger. He closed down his walls once more as he pondered the reasons behind it. He pushed himself up slowly, having read all the notes Draco had made on his new invention and briefly glanced at the box he'd set on the mantle, right next to his wand. Severus felt an unease settling in his stomach, he hadn't used a wand in nearly five years. A reason for which was very absolute in his mind. A reason he knew he'd never change, but now, given the circumstances, could he bring himself to go against all he had chosen for himself?
He glared at the dark wooden box for an obscene length of time before finally making a decision. He drew himself up to his full height as he approached the mantle, he opened the white oak box first carefully extracting the prize within. He moved with purpose kneeling down he placed the stones over her cool temples. He watched the stones shift and change as they reacted to their host. They flared white for a moment before growing dim, their colored remained however.
Satisfied the device was in place he returned to the mantle. His hand hovered over the dark wooden box, the magic thrummed within calling out to it's master. He resisted the call, his palm flat on the box. He closed his eyes as he brought himself to focus. He rationalized to himself, that the deeds he had done. Were those of a distant past. That though he hadn't changed how he felt about life, the darkness inside of him would not come out again through this simple act of mercy. That this was possibly a chance to do something right in his life. A life that had been filled with so many wrongs. That his magical celibacy could resume itself, once his task had been completed. He didn't believe himself to be a good man. Nor did he believe himself to be capable of redemption. However, he knew himself to be a man of duty. Not honorable in actions, but honor bound to complete the tasks set before him. He had taken the responsibility that was thrust upon him with great sincerity. If only to serve his own selfish intentions. He would see to it his task was complete.
He took a deep breath and opened the lid, he could feel his wand's pull even stronger now and he slowly curled his fingers around the cool dark wood. Carefully he pulled it from the box discarding the wrapping inside. He turned on his heel and approached, trepidation filling the voids in his swirling thoughts.
He brought the tip of his wand down slowly to the sunlit stone, his mouth barely moving as he recited the incantation. There was a surge of magic through his chest, like a gun's backfire, as he pulled the thin whisp of thought from the stone. He drew it carefully over the band before pulling back. A dark cloud started to form over her head; it twisted and warbled as it took shape. Finally as the magic settled, it turned the deepest black he had ever seen. No images formed in the abyss and Severus released an unconscious breath as he pushed himself up to his feet.
He turned back to replace his wand knowing the connection would remain open so long as the stones were left in place and no counter had been given. As he turned he missed a small flash of color that whispered through the dreamscape.
He set the wand carefully back in the box and snapped it shut. Everything felt so loud to his ears, though the house was lightly caressed by their breathing, everything felt so raw and open. It was as if his brain had forgotten not to see the nose on his face. His eyes turned back towards the black cloud, slowly he started to let down his shields when he saw a flash of color through the darkness. He paused as he fortified his shields, startled by the sudden change and unknowing of just what could of caused it. Could it have been residual dark magic trying to slip through the connection? He wasn't sure, his shields had slammed down too fast to ascertain whether it was malicious or passive. He knew the connection when it was made would remove his own consciousness. So, he pulled the wingback chair close to the lounge before sitting down carefully. He watched the cloud for any more signs before slowly extending his mind outward. The connection was immediate, he felt a wave crash against his shields, a strong pull, he had grit his teeth before being sucked into the vortex. The world around him vanished, melting away as if heated by a raging fire. Reality spun into a deep darkness. The sensation of falling, without wind disoriented him. He tried to keep his mind focused as he searched out that little flicker he had felt before.
He felt like he was tumbling in the darkness for hours before a tiny flicker lingered before him once more. It was the same as before, but this time it was so much closer. A tiny whisper of light just out of reach. It felt, warm. Safe. He pulled his mental strength forward and started to feel his consciousness moving towards it. His unseen hand reached out trying to take hold of it. He failed several times before finally, with a great push, his mind wrapped around it.
The change was instantaneous, there was a floor, and a ceiling, a dark lit room all around him. He was laying face down in the conjured room and it took him a few moments to realize the tumbling feeling had subsided. Carefully, he pushed himself up onto his knees and took a proper look around.
Everything in the room was deeply shadowed, but even through the darkness he saw what appeared to be shelves and shelves of books. He felt a smirk crawling across his lips, leave it to an insufferable know-it-all to think about books even when they were unconscious. His eyes traveled around the room, he noticed a stone cold hearth, and a high backed chair sitting over a threadbare rug in what appeared to be the center of the room. It was a deep burgundy, and facing away from him. A dim light was peeking out just around the other side. A tiny side table set beside the chair holding the flickering flame.
Severus slowly pushed himself to his feet, there was a deepening silence in the room. As it was, he wasn't really, really there so he didn't need to breathe. So even that sound was not available to him. Carefully, he took a step. His boot echoed around the room and he turned his eyes about to watch for change. When nothing threatened to jump out at him, he took another. His dark eyes scanning as he tempted to move further to the chair. Each step was a mental challenge, he had to keep himself focused on what he was experiencing lest his own mind spiral out and become lost in it's own thoughts. It was extremely taxing, trying to interpret someone else's mind space, but it was a task he was managing well enough. As he came to the back of the chair he was able to see over it's top. He felt his heart drum like through his skull at the sight. She was here. He thought to himself, after all this time. He carefully moved to stand in front of it. He wasn't sure that she could even see him but he didn't want to take a chance of startling the woman even deeper into her own thoughts.
Hermione sat curled up tightly in the chair, her arms folded under her head, eyes closed her body appearing to be completely at peace. She looked as she was remembered to be, young and healthy. Her hair shining down her back covering her form like a blanket. Her clothes were that of her last known attire. A comfortable jean jacket, hoodie and muggle jeans. She didn't wear shoes, her socks a deep blue.
Severus could have almost laughed at the audacity of simply finding her asleep in her own mind. The idea of that in and off itself was such an abstract concept who would have ever imagined it to be true. He wondered idly, how the room around him even existed when she was even asleep from herself. The very thought made him crinkle his brow at the paradoxical qualities of such a thought. Yet, there she was. Right there in front of him.
"Miss Granger." His voice was smooth, like a roll of fog over an early morning lake. A gentle caress of his mind against hers. His mouth didn't actually move but he did create sound.
The girl in the chair shift slightly rubbing at her face and turned to face the chair, effectively showing her back to him. Or rather, her mind was ignoring his gentle request for consult.
"Miss Granger." He tried more forcibly. He took a step forward his mental hand reaching out towards her. He had almost made contact when the floor suddenly fell out from under him. He fell through the same dark void and through some twist of space and time before he felt himself thump back heavily into reality.
Severus grunt as he blinked his very dry eyes, he felt something warm running down over his lips and quickly touched his nose pulling his hand away. He grimaced as blood rolled down his fingers. His head pounded with a migraine that rivaled even the cruciatus curse. He pinched the bridge of his nose to stop the bleeding before he let out a sharp chuckle. She had none to nicely ejected him from her mind. It was a harsh and very quick reminder that he wasn't dealing with just anyone. He was dealing with 1/3 of the golden trio, the brains behind the brawn. He had to admit to himself, something he'd never admit so openly even under duress; the girl had surprised him. Not just with the power in which she thrust him so effortlessly from her mind space, no that was impressive, it was something more than that. The fact, that she was there at all. He hadn't known what he was going to find inside her mind but he certainly wasn't expecting something so neat and orderly. Not with the way she spouted and sputtered her ridiculously over zealous answers in his classroom. No this was a girl no longer. This was a woman, and a powerful one at that. He could feel just the faintest pulls to his lips threatening to give him a smile as pushed himself up and made to clean himself up. She had definitely garnered his full attentions now. She was there, and she was still fighting. That, he knew, was something he could fight for. Someone he could fight for.