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Poppy worked for what felt like hours and only really succeeded in stopping the spell from doing more damage rather than cancelling it completely. Minerva helped where she could, but there was not a lot she could do beyond keeping Hermione warm. They had added a warming charm to a second blanket, which had helped, but the young woman's poor body was struggling to cope.

The spell did not stop its rampage throughout her and Minerva spent a short while, as Poppy had run off to get another reference book, crying against Hermione's temple. She whispered platitude after platitude, hoping beyond hope that Hermione could hear her and believe her when Minerva told her that they were working on helping her feel better. In fact, she had not prayed for a very, very long time but she found herself recognising the lilts of things she was saying as she pleaded with anyone and anything that could hear her in exchange for Hermione's life.

The spell remained. Everywhere it touched, it scorched the skin. There were raw burn marks settled deep in the skin. As Minerva shifted and Poppy pushed Hermione on her back while Minerva lay beside her, she catalogued the wounds with more understanding.

"Hell's teeth," Minerva muttered. "What can I do?"

"Here," Poppy muttered. She passed Minerva some burn paste and though her hands were shaking, Minerva started putting it on Hermione's chest where it was red raw and oozing serum. She winced as she felt how hot it was and she nodded when Poppy warned her to try not to touch it, just in case.

"Have you ever heard of such a thing?"

"No," Minerva sighed. "I cannae believe the growth of it."

Minerva started at the bottom, lathering the burn paste of Hermione's skin. It began just below her ribs and Minerva did her best to spread it over Hermione's chest and under her bra without being too forward. And then, following those scars all the way up to Hermione's chin when Poppy had finally stopped the spread, even though she found she could not cancel it completely.

"Not perfect," Poppy sighed as she leaned against the small table beside the bed. "But enough for now. It will prevent more burns from appearing at least."

"How long should I stay?" Minerva whispered, not really wanting to leave Hermione's side, but very very aware she was laying in her underwear beside an equally unclad student. Even if she was one of Minerva's dearest friends.

"You could probably -"

Whatever else she was going to stay was waylaid as a whistle went up and Poppy's eyes widened.

"What on earth?"

Minerva nearly fell off the bed as Hermione's body started shaking significantly. Poppy's spell work was exemplary as she performed check after check and spell after spell, making a noise of despair as the reading showed Hermione's temperature had continued to warm. It was like a horrific Muggle movie as they watched the floating numbers tick ever upward into some terrifying numbers.

In managing the spell, they had trapped the heat.

"Minerva, we may have to allow this to run."

"Yeh cannae do that, it'll kill her," she squeaked. "We need Albus," Minerva insisted. "This is beyond our ken. I will not allow this to go on any longer."

Poppy stared at her and then at Hermione when the young woman whimpered

"Alright," she sighed. "I'll Fire-Call him."

Minerva shivered as the temperature changed almost every minute and she realised that Hermione was now making tiny noises.

"It's alright, Hermione, sweetheart," she soothed. "It's going to be alright."

She didn't look up as Albus entered the room but she heard him pause at the curtain. She pulled up the covers just a little to keep Hermione's dignity, and her own even though the burns would surely be hurting her.

"What on earth happened?"

"It was folly from the get-go. Everything she warned us about, happened. I didn't listen. I should have. There was double the enemy, one got away. The weather was atrocious. I -"

Albus sighed and pulled off his glasses. He pinched his nose for a long while before putting them back on and nodded.

"I will endeavour to listen better next time," he soothed. "Why am I here?"

Poppy stepped forward.

"She was hit by a spell, though I don't know what. It seems to have created fire-like damage beneath the skin. I do not know how to contain it beyond what I have managed, I do not know how to remove it and Minerva has never seen such a thing."

"Do we know the caster?"

"No," Minerva sighed. "Though it is possible it is the assailant that I sent back via Portkey."

"I will send a message. I'm sure Alastor will have kept him safe for us."

"She's getting hotter," Minerva mumbled, looking up at Poppy. "And she's making noises but none that make sense."

Poppy nodded and waved her wand, making her own noise at the temperature that came up.

"Albus, I do not know what to do. I have never seen anything like it and I cannot take her to St. Mungo's without raising questions. Not even Will could get her in without someone seeing or wanting to take notes."

"I will not allow it," Minerva hissed. "We need to treat her here."

"If only Fawkes had not had his burning day yesterday. This would all be very simple." He stroked his beard and Minerva had to bite her lip to stop herself from snapping at him to hurry up. "I have only read of something similar, many years ago. It is a breath or bain or something. It causes great pain and is incredibly hard to wield. Like Feindfyre."

"Yes Albus," Minerva growled. "She is burning while it is inside her. Do something."

Albus seemed to realise that and pulled out his wand.

"Finite didn't work, I take it?"

Poppy gave him a baleful look.

"Right," he said quickly. "I shall attempt to bring it under control and then try and draw it from her."

Minerva felt the moment that he started. Hermione jerked in her arms and Minerva threw out all thoughts of reclaiming propriety and instead, clung to Hermione harder. She wrapped her arms around Hermione's middle and held on. She whispered in Hermione's ear as Albus grunted at the strain of bringing a spell he did not cast and did not know, under his control. Eventually, he went quiet and then made a noise of surprise as Hermione started glowing.

"Minerva, step back."

"What?"

"Move!"

She tried to let go, but two hands clamped hers where they were around Hermione's belly. She glanced up at her colleagues and friends and tried to pull away a second time.

"Minerva -"

"She -"

Poppy reached forward to pull Hermione's hands from here but hissed and snatched them back as they touched.

"She's -"

Minerva's eyes widened as Hermione lit up the room and Albus drew Poppy away from the bed.

"But, Albus! Minerva!"

"I believe she will be fine -"

"Believe? Albus, what -"

"Minerva, whatever you do, do not let go."

"What!" Poppy screeched.

Minerva, however, could barely hear over the roar in her head. She closed her eyes against the light and buried her face in Hermione's neck. Where before she had been warm, she was now scorching hot. Impossibly hot, her brain supplied. She tried once more to pull away but Hermione's hands tightened further, though not, she noticed, to the point of pain.

"Hermione?" She whispered against Hermione's ear. "Hermione, can you hear me?"

There was a whisper of noise in return, a breath of something that seemed to whip away in the roar of whatever was happening in her head. Minerva shifted and pulled herself closer, despite the heat. It was then she noticed that while Hermione was hot, Minerva did not seem to be affected by it.

"Hermione? Darling, speak to me."

There was a small moan and as Minerva held onto Hermione and Hermione held onto Minerva, Hermione jerked in her arms, her back bowing alarmingly as light poured into the room.

"Minerva!"

"I'm here," she muttered, protecting her face from the heat and the light. "Hermione, I'm here."

Even with her eyes closed and her face pressed into Hermione's hair she could still smell burning. She could feel the heat and she closed her eyes even tighter, away from the light flashing across her eyelids.

Feeling suddenly that she was incredibly far away, Minerva did her best to press up against Hermione's body, wrapping a leg around the younger woman's thigh and hanging on for dear life as it all came to a crescendo.

One final jerk nearly toppled them from the bed but Minerva managed to drag Hermione back at the last minute. She felt like she'd run a marathon but Hermione, it seemed, was suddenly cool. She blinked and brought her face from Hermione's hair and looked around the room in horror. The curtains were smouldering, the sheets were gone, leaving her and Hermione in their underwear for all the world to see.

Albus and Poppy stood staring, protected by a shield that Albus had no doubt conjured, though she could see part of his beard was singed and his robes were smoking.

"Al -"

She was suddenly so exhausted she could barely keep her eyes open as she stared.

"Rest," he said carefully. "It will all be alright."

"But -"

"Rest, my dear," he said again, cancelling the shield and coming around to her side. "I will explain more when you wake."

"But -"

"Minerva," he chuckled, reaching out then thinking the better of it. "Trust me." Poppy brought them new blankets and went to tuck them in, but Albus stopped her, taking a corner and laying it over them very carefully. He leaned in to make sure she was paying attention. "And Min?"

She blinked tiredly at him and felt the need to pull Hermione closer.

"Do not leave her side for the time being, alright? No matter what. Stay with her."

She wouldn't, but she didn't have the energy to tell him so she tucked Hermione's body beneath hers and fell deep asleep.