Chapter Three
Hermione arrived at her appointment at St. Mungo's Psychiatric facility early the next morning. She had sent a message to Healer Marigold the previous night after the fiasco with the Weasley's.
Healer Marigold's office was quite small with calming pastel hues of pinks and yellows. It reminded Hermione of a sunset. She walked to the receptionist's desk and handed over her wand. In the past, she had hated not having her wand with her. It reminded her horribly of her capture and torture at Malfoy Manor. Now, she understood the importance of it. People with severely debilitating mental disorders could wreak havoc on the hospital if allowed to keep their wands when in therapy.
"Good morning, Miss Granger," the receptionist, Katlyn, said with a beaming smile. Katlyn was a beautiful, short, blonde haired witch with olive skin and startling green eyes. Hermione thought she was in her early thirties.
"Good morning to you," Hermione responded with a slightly tense smile. She both loved and hated this place. Hated that she needed to be here at all but loved the kindness and understanding of the staff. They took their job very seriously.
"Healer Marigold is in with a patient right now, it shouldn't be long" Katlyn informed her. "Would you like some tea or coffee."
"No, but thank you," Hermione said before walking over and sitting down in one of only four comfy leather seats in the waiting room. She wished she had brought a book with her. It hadn't occurred to her that she would have to wait. Normally, her early appointments ensured she was the first one to be seen. She started shaking her leg anxiously. It seemed that time was moving at an agonizingly slow rate. Hermione glanced at the clock frequently.
She had only been waiting for ten minutes when the door opened and to her surprise, Draco Malfoy emerged from inside Healer Marigold's office. He looked at her in shock but didn't say anything. He looked mostly the same as when she had last seen him two years ago at his parents' trials. Maybe a little thinner. His shocking grey eyes carried the haunted look all battle survivors held. He walked elegantly to the receptionist's desk and retrieved his wand, then made his way out of the building not glancing back.
"You can go in now," Katlyn informed Hermione.
Hermione rose from her seat and entered the office Malfoy had just exited from. She took her seat across from Healer Merigold's desk. She supposed some patients preferred the comfy looking armchairs or squishy couches, not Hermione. They reminded her of the Gryffindor common room. It was slightly unnerving when Hermione first started coming here.
"Good morning, Hermione," Healer Merigold said, warmly. She was a squat woman with short black hair and blue eyes. She was in her 50's with faint age lines beginning to show around her eyes and the corners of her mouth.
"Good morning, Healer Merigold." Hermione was dying to know what Draco had been doing in her office but knew the older witch wouldn't tell her for confidentiality reasons.
"How are you doing?" Healer Merigold asked her with the calm tone used by mental health professionals.
"I've been doing well." Hermione lied.
Healer Merigold's brows furrowed in disappointment. "I thought by now we were at the point where we could be honest with each other."
Hermione looked down guiltily, "Well, the nightmares are still waking me up." She finally relented. "I'm still dreaming of the War."
"That's understandable. You went through the most traumatic experience possible at such a crucial young age. The horrors you went through are unimaginable." She said looking at Hermione's left arm.
Hermione unconsciously pulled her sleeve down further. "Yes, well, I had hoped by now the dreams wouldn't still be coming every night." Hermione gave a ragged sigh.
"Recovery isn't a linear process. There's not a set time for healing." The older witch looked at her with a comforting smile. "Now, tell me why you needed a meeting three days early."
"Last night I went to the Weasley's for dinner," she paused, inhaling deeply before continuing, "I had a fight with a few of them. George is still hurting himself. He needs help and hardly anyone will listen to me when I suggested having him hospitalized." Hermione felt tears prick at her eyes. She hated the vulnerability she felt here.
"Ah, yes, well we can't force people to get help if they don't want it. Even if we know it's for the best, everyone decides to reach out when they are ready for help." Healer Merigold replied, in her calm, professional tone. "Tell me, would you have come to me as early as you did, if others had pressed you on the subject." She watched Hermione closely.
"I suppose not, but I'm worried about him. They surprised him with a portrait of Fred!" Hermione shouted, indignantly.
Healer Merigold's eyes widened, "They didn't." She gasped. "Of all the idiotic things to do…" The healer trailed off before quickly slamming her professional barrier back in place.
Hermione's heart skipped internally, finally she had been able to get her point across. "Please, Healer Merigold. Reach out to Angelina. I think she'd be more receptive to getting him help now." Hermione pleaded.
Hermione told the healer everything that had occurred the night before. When she finished, she looked up to see the older witch scribbling something on a roll of parchment.
"Hermione, I can offer my assistance, but I can't force them to accept it." She said with a sigh. "Not everyone understands the value of therapy."
"I know that. I'm just asking you to offer them your services once more. If they don't take your offer, I'll drop it." Hermione responded.
"I'll see what I can do. As for you, I still think you need to be taking a dreamless sleep potion." Healer Merigold gave her a stern look. "You are still not sleeping enough. Your mind can't fully heal without a proper amount of sleep."
"I'm afraid if I start taking the potion at night, I'll never stop." Hermione told her honestly. "So many of my friends have become addicted to various things since the War. I don't want to be another casualty of addiction." Hermione said. She was picking her fingernails; she always did when she was nervous.
"Take it twice a week. Please, Hermione. I can't help you if you won't follow my recommendations. If you start becoming addicted, we'll look for other options, I promise." Healer Merigold said sincerely.
"Once a week," Hermione bargained biting her lip nervously.
Healer Merigold gave a snort of derision, "Fine, once a week is better than none I suppose. Is there anything else?"
"No, I'll see you next month." Hermione stood to leave and shook the healer's hand. "Thank you, for everything."
She left the office and took her wand from the receptionist. She checked the clock on the wall. She had an hour before work. Enough time to return home and get ready.
She was surprised to find another memo on her desk when she arrived at work. This one detailing a meeting all members of her department were required to attend the next week regarding the seizure of the Dark Arts items belonging to the Death Eaters. She wasn't sure why she was receiving these memos. After all, she was only an intern. She tossed it into the rubbish bin.
When she arrived home, Angelina was waiting at her front door. She had a tired, worn expression.
"Angelina, what are you doing here?" Hermione asked, unlocking her door. "Come in for some tea."
"I received the letter your mind healer sent. After some discussion with Molly, she and I decided to commit George for a brief period." Angelina said, with tears filling her eyes.
"Oh, Angelina," Hermione pulled the girl into a tight hug. "I'm sorry. It'll be for the best though. They can help him cope learn to cope with Fred's death." She gently stroked Angelina's hair as the girl sobbed.
"It's going to be so lonely without him. I know that sounds selfish. I've spent so much time caring for him. What am I to do while he's gone?" Angelina pulled away from Hermione's embrace to look at her friend.
"You learn how to be someone other than his caretaker. You learn how to be you again. Do things that make you happy." Hermione smiled at her reassuringly. "Now come sit. I'll make some tea."
"I'd prefer something stronger if you have it," Angelina chuckled slightly. "I'm going to go to the loo and clean up a bit. I'll be right back."
Hermione searched through her cabinets until she found a bottle of wine her parents had sent her for Christmas the previous year. She grabbed two glasses and made her way over to the couch.
When Angelina returned, she sat down beside Hermione and the two sipped their wine in companionable silence for a few minutes. Angelina looked to be steadily calming down. Her tears had stopped almost completely, and her breathing had returned to normal.
"So, how's things going at the shop?" Hermione asked.
"It's going well. People are really enjoying the new farting fudge I created." Angelina responded, smiling.
"Wait you created those horrendous things?" Hermione gasped, shocked. "Do you realize how many people at the Ministry have been giving those out to unsuspecting victims. Last week my whole department smelled like a sewage drain."
Angelina laughed, "I'm quite proud of them. It's my first invention. I have an idea for some diarrhea Danishes but can't quite get the recipe right."
Hermione's stomach churned at the thought. "Well, you could always use Muggle laxatives instead of potions."
"That's brilliant!" Angelina exclaimed. "Honestly, that brain of yours is being wasted behind a desk. You should join us at the shop."
"That's a nice offer, but I think I'll stick with my current employer." Hermione grinned at her.
The two girls sat talking and laughing for a few more hours. When Angelina finally left, Hermione thought the girl seemed a bit more lighthearted. They had planned to meet at least once a week while George was away so Angelina wouldn't get too lonely.
When Hermione got ready for bed, she took the dreamless sleep potion as Healer Merigold had suggested and for the first time in a very long time, drifted into a peaceful slumber.