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Chapter 33

730am - Day of the 1st Auror Visit

Surrounded by warmth, the first thing that Hermione was aware of as she awoke was that she was being cuddled. Draco's arms were wrapped tight around her and Theo had tangled his leg between hers. She sighed at the feeling she had been missing for so long and attempted to enjoy it for as long as she could. She was scared that, if she so much as moved a muscle, this tenuous feeling of contentment would disappear. Just this moment of listening to the two of them breathe was like heaven, compared to how things had been lately.

Theo's breathing even sounded better. Hermione recalled the humidifier that the man at the shop had sold her was still downstairs in its bag. She would set it up during the morning hours while they slept. The doctor said that rest was the best medicine, but they were still so thin. Hermione did not like them sleeping through meals. It hadn't been long enough to give them another one of Signora Zabini's nutritional potions, but soon.

Eventually, Theo shifted and Hermione was able to lift Draco's arm without waking him. She felt a twinge of longing as she rose from the bed; she knew that they would gravitate towards each other in their sleep and her spot between them would quickly cease to exist.

If she didn't need to pee, she would stay there forever; unfortunately, she did and that was the least of which she needed to deal with the dreaded Auror visit today. She rustled through her closet looking for the robes that gave the most "beloved hero of the wizarding world" energy that she needed for today. Perhaps she ought to have a t-shirt printed.

Would getting one that said "Golden Girl: I saved Harry Potter so he could save you" be too much? She'd only wear it for Auror visits. She sighed, not at all certain that she was being internally sarcastic. She felt the tension of the upcoming visit in her bones.

The house was still quiet as she walked down to the kitchen. Hermione started her muggle coffee maker and, on a whim, pulled out her espresso machine and set it up as well.

By the time Hermione heard a door opening, she had made bacon and eggs and had coffee finished. It wasn't especially elaborate, but it was food. She considered, not for the first time, whether hiring a free elf wouldn't be a worthwhile investment, even if she just hired them to make meals and put them under stasis charm so that Hermione could focus on other tasks.

"Hermione, that smells heavenly." Luna smiled, leading Blaise by the hand and sitting him in one of the chairs at Hermione's small table. "Thank you for making breakfast."

"It's no problem at all, Luna," Hermione made a plate for each of the sleeping men in the other room, knowing that she needed to have them roused and dressed before the Aurors arrived. There were still a few hours left though until then and she cast a quick stasis charm, before bringing to the table the coffee carafe and a small cup of black espresso for Blaise.

She handed it to him and made sure that he had a good grasp on it before she let go. He took a sip and then looked up at her, awareness in his vision.

"Gr-granger, thank-thank you," his voice was hoarse and he immediately looked away from her as though embarrassed at the stutter in his voice. He'd always been so well-spoken before the war. Hermione frowned, thinking again of everything that the Ministry had taken away from all of them.

"Blaise!" Luna cried, "That's the first thing you've said outside of bed! I'm so proud of you." She ran a hand over his cheek. "You are doing so much better. Every day."

Hermione's lip quivered slightly. She knew that Draco and Theo were doing better than they had been, but they still had a long road to recovery. She wished she knew what had happened to them in that prison. Someone had to know. Hermione would make them tell her, whatever it took.

"Hermione-" Luna began, pulling her from her thoughts, "Do you think we need to find a discreet healer to check on them? Maybe they were cursed?"

Blaise's eyes went distant again and he ate in the same mechanical way that Draco and Theo did, as though it was all ash in their mouths.

"I had a muggle doctor come by and he said that they are disassociated due to trauma." Hermione paused trying to think how to explain it to Luna who had very little knowledge of the muggle world. "People disassociate and they feel disconnected from themself and the world around them. They feel detached from their body or feel as though the world around them is unreal. They probably are having a hard time realising that we are real."

Luna let out a harsh exhale and spilled some coffee as her hand started to shake. She dropped her hands to her lap and stared at Blaise with sorrow and longing in her bright blue eyes.

"The conditions in Azkaban must be horrendous," Luna whispered, horrified.

Hermione only nodded.

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