Disclaimer: It may shock you to know that I am not in fact JK Rowling. I hope you survive the surprise tolerably and enjoy my story anyway.
Note: I'm loving your reviews! I think Steven Moffat has had some influence on me: I'm enjoying your feels far too much. Please review and let me know what you think so far :)
All you need is ignorance and confidence and the success is sure.
Mark Twain
It was the loud voices in the Burrow's Kitchen that woke Hermione that morning. She'd fallen asleep at her desk again. Cracking her neck, the still sleep-ridden witch reached for her wand. 6:45. Well, she supposed four hours sleep was quite enough to be getting along with. Shuffling her notes Hermione came to a stiff halt.
She had done it.
Her face split into a huge grin and she leapt off the chair. She'd finally done it. The formula in front of her matched her initial calculations. By substituting Sytingia root in the base of a standard Reparations Draught she was sure the memories, added at the last critical stage would integrate correctly, creating a template for the healing potion to work off.
The Reparations draught was actually a slow-acting healing potion, which restored the body to its previous highest functioning state. It took up to four weeks to assimilate to the patient's individual genetic makeup, and then restored all functions simultaneously. Admittedly the potion had never before been used to address brain functionality and memory loss, but Hermione's research into both Muggle and Magical theories of Memory convinced her that the potion could be used to repair the electronic neuron pathways in the brain, particularly those in the Hippocampi that showed signs of former activity.
The root would serve to focus the otherwise wide-acting potion to the regions of the brain that affected memory. The root and its adaptions were already being trialed in the St Janus Thickery ward of St Mungo's with often-conflicting results. Memory was such an undiscovered field and most victims of the Obliviate charm showed symptoms similar to what Muggles labeled as 'retrograde amnesia'. It was possible to retrieve lost memories, but it was exceedingly difficult.
After quietly engaging in a sort of victory dance, she carefully folded the formula and placed it inside the 'prince's' textbook, directly over the original directions. She felt a smug sense of satisfaction; for once, no waves of guilt radiated from the ratty book. Snape hadn't added a single annotation to the book's instructions. Shoving the book back on top of the wardrobe she threw on jeans and an old polo before going down stairs. The hazy summer morning had a new glow to it.
Following the smells of fresh bread and bacon, she turned into the kitchen and was faced with an uncharacteristically shabby Percy perched at the table. Molly was busy charming the general chaos of pans into some sort of productive order.
"Hullo Hermione, sorry for waking you," Percy said glumly, noticing her. She supposed he knew more than anyone how sound could carry in this house.
"Oh dear, there you are, sit down, breakfast will be ready shortly. Tea is on the table, but if you want coffee you'll have to brew your own I'm afraid."
"Thanks, Molly," Hermione smiled, reaching for the kettle and the instant roast Molly kept in the cupboard.
"What brings you here this early, Percy?" She asked, somewhat nonplussed at his ragged appearance at this time of day. He was wearing what seemed to be the previous day's clothing, pinstriped robes crinkled and tie loose around his neck.
"Penelope's thrown me out." He replied baldly. It was always a shock to hear him speak in anything but a pompous drone.
"What! Why?" Hermione had always attributed them with the perfect relationship. They'd been together all through Hogwarts, and had lived together for four years afterwards.
"Accused me of seeing another woman." Once again his tone held no true emotion, and she heard Mrs Weasley tsk slightly.
Hermione was unsure what to say, and busied herself by adding milk and sugar to her coffee.
"She was wrong, of course." He added as a sort of afterthought.
"Well, surely you can prove that you weren't cheating, then! How can she not believe you?"
Percy looked up at his breakfast, plainly confused at her train of thought.
"Oh, I was cheating. It just wasn't another woman."
Hermione sat down (before she fell down) and Mrs Weasley set down a plate in front of her before briskly interrupting.
"Well, then she was more than right to put an end to it, dear. You really should have done so earlier."
Hermione was absolutely nonplussed. Had she heard Molly correctly? Surely not. She couldn't imagine Molly ever being so nonchalant. Certainly not about anything that threatened her views on marriage and grandchildren.
"Mum, we've been through this. I know I should have. I know it was wrong, it's just that the Ministry makes it all but impossible to see Oliver publicly and still maintain my position, and Penny seemed fine with the way things were. I really thought she knew. We were never really, well, together-together."
"Percival Ignatius Weasley, don't you dare tell me you were in the right." Molly was building up to full steam now, her face red and hands on hips. Now here was the Molly Hermione was used to seeing. "I know you love him, but Penny deserves that same amount of love, and expecting her to stay in a marriage devoid of intimacy so that you stay in the Ministries good books is utterly wrong! It's beyond selfish! It's not fair on either of you and I raised you better than that, young man."
Percy merely grimaced at this and made no attempt to defend himself. It really did look like he felt horrid.
"What's more is Oliver deserves better! That's not how you treat the people you love! Honestly, if he loves you, and your family loves and supports you, which we always will, darling, then the Ministry can go hang themselves."
Molly's fury was no longer solely aimed at her son, it seemed.
Hermione swallowed down some coffee before timidly entering the conversation. "So have I met this Oliver? Did he go to Hogwarts?"
"Yes." Percy's expression softened and a serene smile crept onto his face. "You certainly do. Oliver Wood."
Hermione smiled at him and remembered the Quidditch mad boy she knew from Hogwarts. She faintly recalled seeing him at the final battle.
"The final battle?" She inquired, somewhat hesitantly. She and Percy had always got on, but usually conversation was restricted to their shared swottiness. They had never gotten this personal before.
Percy merely smiled and nodded, a faraway look on his face.
Molly, casting a status charm on the still hovering pans, finally sat and procured a cup of tea for herself.
"You'll invite him around for dinner, at least. Tonight." She said in a no-nonsense tone. "Harry and Ginny are coming, so we'll have a family dinner. Hermione dear, try to be home on time from work."
Hermione glowed inwardly at being automatically included in a family dinner, before remembering it was more to do with Ron than anything. Nodding, she remembered Sullivan's ominous prediction for the day's work, as well as the dramatic Floo call.
"Percy, you don't know a Huxley at the ministry, do you? One connected with St Mungo's, at least."
Percy swallowed down his toast and looked puzzled.
"The only Huxley I know is from the Magical Law Office. He headed the Commission of Magical Unions last I heard. But it can't be him, I can't see what he'd have to do with Mungo's lot." Percy paused here, still thinking. "You know Gilbert Wimple, from Experimental Charms? He got a new intern the other day; perhaps he's named Huxley as well."
Hermione mulled this over. She supposed a brand new charm could need an antidote or reversal conducted immediately. Either way she'd find out eventually. Rising, she rinsed her plate in the sink as Molly continued to fuss over Percy.
"- You really look dreadful dear, I'm sure you could stay here for a few days while you sort yourself out."
Hermione paled thinking of all the research she still had to look into, and how impossible it would be to do so while sharing a room with Ron. Not to mention his snoring. Luckily, Percy seemed to find the idea equally distressing.
"No mum, honestly. Oliver said I could stop over. I think he wants to look at a new apartment with me. He's sick of sharing with his Quidditch mates." Once again Percy's face had a peculiar blissful expression on it.
Molly only pursed her lips.
"Well you can't be seen at work like that." Flourishing her wand, Percy's robes straightened themselves and his tie shot up into a tight knot once more, nearly strangling him in the process.
Glancing at the Weasleys' second clock (the first was absolutely useless for telling the time of course) Hermione reluctantly straightened her shirt and summoned her satchel.
"I better be off too, Molly."
Molly's own eyes darted to the clock before she loudly protested.
"But dear, Ron will be up in a moment, can't you stay a little longer? Have another coffee?"
"I'm sorry, Molly, but Healer Sullivan mentioned today would be more busy than usual and they really do need me." This at least was a half-truth. Ron was barely functioning In the morning and he would just as likely notice her absence as not.
"Well, make sure you're here for supper, at least! It really won't do to have you working late tonight." Molly's tone was not to be argued with.
"I promise"
Note: I couldn't resist slipping in a little of my second favourite ship. It won't feature dramatically, I just think it's nice to reflect on some of the other couples a marriage law might affect. Hope you enjoyed!
