Requiem for the Living
By Jinxd n Cursed
Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. I merely play in the world of J.K. Rowling; she still owns the characters.
Kyrie, eleison.
Christe, eleison.
Kyrie, eleison.
Chapter Eight
Hermione woke up to Rose snoring beside her and Hugo fussing in his nursery. Careful not to disturb the toddler, she went to go change and nurse her son. As she leaned back in the rocking chair in his room, she closed her eyes. What an odd dream that had been, with Severus Snape appearing in front of her. While she knew his expertise would be just what they needed for their research team, she placed that likelihood somewhere between the Chudley Cannon's winning the cup and Hagrid winning the election for Minister of Magic. Hopefully one of the people she had contacted would respond favourably. Hermione put Hugo back in the crib after she burped him and went to go wake Rosie. She dressed her daughter and let her play in her own room while Hermione dressed herself.
While Hermione knew that wearing the lime green robes of a Healer was an honour, she just couldn't love the color. She wore them in the hospital itself but never at any other time. She dressed in an off-white blouse and smart brown tweed trousers with brown ankle boots underneath. She topped it off with a navy over robe, trimmed in velvet. Her hair was twisted into a knot at the nape of her neck and she was ready to bring the children to Molly's for breakfast.
As usual, Molly had killed the fatted calf for breakfast and ensured the children were cared for so Hermione could eat uninterrupted before work. She helped herself to eggs, toast, beans, a broiled tomato, and black pudding.
"Thank you Molly," Hermione said. "You have no idea how much it means to me that you take care of the children for me. I really couldn't do it without you."
"Nonsense," Molly said. "You're not the first widow that has ever existed, Hermione."
Hermione shook her head. "I know that, Molly, but I certainly couldn't keep doing my job without your help. If I had to pay a nanny, we would not be able to keep the house. Speaking of which, I do wish you would let me do more to help."
Molly shook her head. "I won't hear of it. Without seven extra mouths to feed, we hardly know what to do with our money anymore. The occasional sack of groceries and Muggle trinket for Arthur is more payment than we need dear. Save your money for the children. It will be time to send Rosie to Hogwarts before you know it."
"We're doing just fine, Molly," Hermione said. "The royalties from the spattergroit cure have brought in quite bit. I've got enough savings now to send both of them to Hogwarts so long as I'm careful."
As they were talking, Hermione heard the door open. "Hello!" a voice called.
Harry popped his head into the kitchen. "Hello Molly. Hermione, I didn't know you'd be here still. Ginny's on the way too. James and Albus started chasing a gnome." As he stepped into the kitchen, Hermione got up to give him a hug and Molly began fussing over him.
"Good to see you, Harry dear. It has been the longest time," Molly said, squashing him into a hug.
"It's only been four days," Harry reminded her. "You know, the usual Sunday dinner."
"Well," Molly said. "It feels like it's been the longest. Have a seat, fill a plate. I'll get you a cuppa."
As Harry began serving himself, Ginny came in leading the two boys who were covered in mud. She was lecturing them for getting their clothes dirty. At the same time, Victoire and Teddy came running down the steps, arguing about some game they had played the day before. Hermione hugged each child in turn and gave Ginny a rushed greeting as she finished her breakfast. Ginny asked her about how work was going and made small talk before Hermione needed to leave for the Hospital.
"I'll come with, Hermione," Harry said, pushing out his chair and standing up. "I need to stop into Saint Mungo's to speak to a curse victim."
"All right," Hermione replied. She placed both of their plates in the sink and made the rounds of hugging goodbye. Once that was done, Hermione and Harry made their way down the lane.
"How are you, really, Hermione?" Harry asked.
"I'm fine," she replied. "How are you, really, Harry?"
"You know what I mean, Hermione," he replied. "How are you holding up?"
She shrugged. "We're fine, I suppose. Rose and Hugo get bigger every day though I don't get to spend half as much time with them as I'd like. Work gets more difficult by the day. This project won't get off the ground if we don't find a new potion's master."
Harry shook his head. "That isn't what I mean. How are you, you know, emotionally?"
She paused and thought about it. "As good as someone who lost her husband a year ago and had a son he will never know can be doing, I think. Some days, I forget that he is gone. I'll wake up in the morning and for just a moment, I expect to roll over and feel him next to me. Sometimes, I think of something that I want to tell him, only to remember that I'll never tell him anything. Harry, he was my husband and the father of my children and I lost him in possibly the worst way ever: agonizingly slowly. There were days when I wished he had died instantly, not slowly over the course of two years. Isn't that a horrible thing to say? Toward the end, I know he jut wanted to end it." A thought occurred to her. "Did he... did he ever ask you?"
"Ask me what, Hermione?"
"To... to end it for him," she said. "I... god help me... I offered when the potion stopped working but he told me he couldn't ask that of me. I knew it was what he wanted though. Did he ask you?"
Harry stopped in his tracks, covering his face with his hands.
"What is it, Harry?" Hermione asked.
"He did," Harry said, his voice muffled. He uncovered his face and repeated himself. "He did. He asked me."
Hermione nodded.
"I couldn't do it, though," Harry said. "As much as I wanted it to be over, I couldn't kill my best friend. I couldn't do it to you either; I couldn't take your husband away from you."
Hermione nodded again. "I understand why. I wouldn't have held it against you if you had. He was suffering so deeply, I could hardly bear it. He told me he couldn't ask it of me but a week before he died, I almost did. He was choking so badly in his sleep, I could barely stand to be in the same room. How selfish is that, my husband was dying and I could barely stand to be with him?"
"It wasn't selfish Hermione," Harry said, patting her shoulder. "Hermione, did he get to know about Hugo? Did he know you were pregnant?"
Hermione nodded, the tears sparkling in her eyes. "It was the last conversation we ever had. I told him after I put Rose to bed. When I woke up later that night, he was cold and he breathed no more."
"Well at least he knew," Harry said. "One last happy thought."
She nodded. "Look at us, getting all teary before work. We need to stop that."
"Sorry Hermione," he said. "Let's get on, then."
With a crack, they both apparated into the transportation room of St. Mungo's. They hugged farewell before Hermione headed to her office and Harry went toward the spell damage ward. Waiting on her desk was a letter, presumably a response to yesterday's missive to Jack Hier. Hanging her navy robes on the door and donning her lime green robes, she sat down and broke the seal on the letter.
Dear Healer Weasley,
Greater wizards than yourself have attempted this project without any success. Do you presume to know better than the likes of Nicholas Flamel, the great alchemist himself? Your cause to cure lycanthropy will bring you only grief and disappointment—do not presume otherwise.
Your suggestion to simplify the brewing process for the Wolfsbane potion may have some merit, a fact that will only come to light with time. I have no desire to take up any of my precious time meeting with you in person until you can prove to me that you can communicate concisely, a concept that you do not seem to grasp based on your rambling interview with the Daily Prophet. You shall convey the research you have completed thus far in a brief manner and after I have read it, I will consider whether or not your little project is worthy of my time.
I can also assure you that as far as government wages are concerned, you can take their idea of a generous salary and double it. That should make sufficient pay for my expertise, should I deign to join your ragtag team.
Sincerely,
Jack Hier
Well, it was not the worst response she had received to date. He acknowledged that her idea of making the Wolfsbane potion easier and less expensive to brew had merit, even if he called creating a cure for lycanthropy a fools errand. He wouldn't be the only person to think so, so she couldn't complain too heavily. The request for seeing her research was new, however. No one had asked for that before so she would provide it to him. It was the only lead she had thus far.
Her desk and lab were a woeful mess of notes scattered about. She would need to send Terry and Hestia's notes as well. It was going to take an hour or two to get it all together but she would have to do it. It was busy work, really. She simplified her notes on the Rhodiola Rosea and added Terry's calculations on that aspect. She made a copy of Hestia's notes on werewolf physiology and then here eyes fell on her unfinished notes on the powdered horn of bicorn substitutions. She had ruled out the originally predicted substitute of mooncalf hoof shavings already but then her mind went to another idea: shavings from the hooves of a winged horse.
She quickly scrawled down the calculation and tapped her wand against the parchment, holding her breath. The result was complicated: yes, flying horse hoof shavings was the correct ingredient but the breed mattered. That was calculation for later in the day, however. She made a quick copy of the messy notes and rolled up the packet of papers, practically sprinting off to the mail office.
Her haste really wasn't necessary but she was so excited to receive an answer other than a flat out 'no' that she wanted to keep the ball rolling while he was still interested in her work. Esther once again sent the parchment off with Zelda and Hermione returned to her calculations about hoof shavings.
She considered the different breeds of winged horses: Abraxan, Aethonan, Granian, and Thestrals. Abraxan were enormous but their magical properties beyond the ability to fly and their massive size were limited. With the concentrated magical potency of horn of bicorn, she doubted that the breed she needed was Abraxan. She considered the Aethonan breed next. They were very common in England and Ireland as workhorses. They bonded very closely to their owners and were known to be very loyal. Their magical powers were moderate, though. Next on the list were Granian horses. They were very fast and smaller than the other breeds. They were a light-footed variety, known for walking delicately even on the ground. Last was the Thestral, oft seen as a harbinger of death though that was a myth. Their hoof shavings were readily accessible due to the large herd at Hogwarts and they were arguably the most magical breed, given the special magic in them that rendered them invisible to those who had never seen death.
By the time she had finished contemplating the different properties of the breeds, it was time for her to eat lunch. Forgoing the teashop a floor above her, Hermione chose to step out of the hospital and venture down to a nearby sandwich shop. Prêt à Manger was a very popular chain throughout Britain and there had been one very near her parents' dental practice in Oxford so they had all eaten there quite frequently. She grabbed a coronation chicken sandwich, a packet of crisps, and a bottle of water. Though it was tempting to go sit in the nearby park to eat, she made her way back to her office and ate at her desk.
Just as she was tossing her trash in the bin and was about to begin working on her calculations again, Zelda swept in through the open window, landing on Hermione's desk. She could hardly contain her grin as she pulled the letter from the owl's leg.
Author's Notes: Thank you to my lovely beta, DanB86. I decided on a double post this weekend since these two chapters were not super exciting. I will warn you that next week's chapter may be delayed as I am moving. Hopefully we can get the internet set up fast.