Snippets
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Hermione spends the next few days contemplating all possible interpretations of her conversation with Pansy at their girls' night. She even spends Saturday morning pacing about her flat oscillating between anger at Draco and compassion for him, once again deciding that two things can be true simultaneously– she can be angry that he has disappeared on her again, but she can also have compassion for him trying to navigate post-loss relationships and struggling with it.
In any case, Hermione decides that if Draco wants her forgiveness this time, that he will have to come to her and work for it. Unfortunately, especially in light of the fact that now several (if she counts her fragmented visions as three separate visions) of her visions have come true, she has to assume that that night will not be the last time that she sees Draco Malfoy.
Hermione decides that that fact is especially annoying. She can't even be as frustrated with Draco as she would like to be because if her visions mean anything, then that would indicate that she obviously forgives him eventually. Perhaps this is the reason why every film which includes time-travel states that no one should know too much about their own future.
Hermione pauses her pacing and takes a seat on her sitting room sofa, dropping her head into her hands with a deep sigh. Then, she makes the rookie mistake of closing her eyes for a brief reprieve and immediately, a new vision swims into view.
The first thing that real-Hermione sees in this vision is the vision-version of herself, sitting cross-legged on an imposingly-sized bed in a room which real-Hermione doesn't recognize, staring down at something in her lap and chewing on her bottom lip nervously.
Real-Hermione tries to piece together whose room she is seeing, and unfortunately for her, she believes that she figures it out rather quickly. The room is beautifully decorated with dark woods and jewel-toned textiles. The comforter which vision-Hermione is perched upon is of a dark, rich, emerald green– not quite Slytherin green, but close enough.
Vision-Hermione lifts a stick of white plastic from her lap and holds it up in front of herself, staring at it in disbelief– all while real-Hermione's stomach twists in discomfort at realizing what it is that her vision counterpart is looking at.
Real-Hermione doesn't get the opportunity to investigate further before the owner of the aforementioned imposing bed saunters into the room, clearly having just stepped out of the shower.
Vision-Draco enters the room, towel-drying his hair and wearing nothing but a pair of loose-fitting, gray sweatpants as he smiles at vision-Hermione in his bed, whose attention snaps to the blonde man instantly.
Vision-Hermione wordlessly passes the piece of plastic to vision-Draco, who examines it with confusion before cocking his head to the side and saying something which real-Hermione cannot hear– presumably a question as to what it is that he is looking at, if she had to guess.
Vision-Hermione speaks back, and the look on vision-Draco's face transforms quickly from confusion to complete elation, a disbelieving smile spreading quickly and taking up half of his face.
Vision-Draco tosses the piece of plastic– which, real-Hermione assumes, he now knows to be a (likely, positive) Muggle pregnancy test– onto the end table beside the bed and reaches to help vision-Hermione up off of the bed, embracing her tightly as soon as she is upright.
Vision-Draco pulls back, only slightly, to place three or four kisses to vision-Hermione's lips in quick succession before kissing the top of her head once and dropping to his knees in front of her. He looks up at vision-Hermione, clearly in search of her permission, and when she nods in assent, he places both hands on either side of her flat stomach.
He speaks again, this time in the general direction of vision-Hermione's uterus before leaning his forehead against her abdomen and closing his eyes.
Vision-Hermione's smile takes longer to take root, but once it does, it stays put for the entirety of her interaction with vision-Draco. She looks down at the man on his knees before her and cards her hand through his hair gently, smiling down at him despite his attention not being on her exactly.
Real-Hermione focuses back on vision-Draco, and she is surprised to see a single tear streaking down his cheek. Based on real-Hermione's limited– and decidedly not good– experience with real-Draco's father, she might've expected the younger Malfoy to be perhaps more distant and standoffish at the prospect of a child– not emotional to the point of tears of joy.
This realization tugs at real-Hermione's heartstrings with a painful twinge. She knows that she has seen vision-Draco in the role of a father in a previous vision, but there's a significant difference between seeing someone interact with a child whom they've had time to get to know and become attached to and seeing that same person act with such joy at the mere idea of a child. Vision-Hermione isn't even showing yet and vision-Draco has already been brought to his knees– and there's something sort of miraculous about it to real-Hermione.
Hermione's vision swirls and when she opens her eyes, her vision focuses back on her own fireplace mantle across the room from where she is seated on her sitting room sofa.
Hermione slumps back against her sofa and exhales a heavy sigh before she brings herself to look down at her own abdomen with narrowed eyes. She knows that realistically, this vision– because Hermione has reluctantly accepted the fact that for whatever reason, her visions can be expected to actually happen– could take place at any point within the next few years, given the fact that the vision-versions of herself and Draco looked to be approximately the same ages as they are now. Even still, Hermione finds herself infinitely grateful that she and Draco had used both Muggle and magical forms of contraceptive during their night together and that hopefully this particular vision would be in the somewhat distant future, if it comes true at all.
The absolute last thing that Hermione would want right now is to become pregnant by a wizard who runs so completely hot and cold with her and whose mood swings are dramatic enough to give her whiplash.
"Ms. Granger, before we begin your treatment, I need to discuss something with you, and if you would still like to proceed after, then we will," Healer Greengrass states, a distinct air of discomfort in her voice which Hermione is not accustomed to hearing from this generally quite confident witch.
Hermione raises her eyebrows in surprise, but nods for her Healer to continue regardless.
"It's absolutely none of my business and if this is not something which you feel comfortable discussing, then I understand, but I believe that I know who the man in your visions is– and given my relationship, both professionally and personally, to him, I simply wanted to ask if you would feel comfortable dropping the anonymity. You know who he is, you've told me that he knows about the visions and his role in them, and now I know who he is, so perhaps it could be beneficial to look at your treatment through the lens of who he actually is, rather than as a hypothetical," Healer Greengrass explains, her shoulders rigid as she places her hands flat in her lap.
Hermione sighs. If she's being entirely honest with herself, she had expected that Healer Greengrass would've figured it out far sooner– and perhaps she did but hadn't felt the need to embarrass Hermione quite yet.
"I also want to be clear, Ms. Granger, that I have not, and will not ever betray your confidence. As my patient, absolutely nothing that you say to me or discuss with me ever leaves my mouth again."
Hermione smiles a half-smile at Healer Greengrass.
"Thank you, Healer Greengrass," Hermione begins, hoping to convey that Healer Greengrass still has her utmost confidence. "I–I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. At first, I didn't want to make you uncomfortable because Draco is your colleague, but then he told me about his wife– your sister– and I felt like I couldn't tell you."
Healer Greengrass nods, smiling a somewhat sad smile before she replies.
"Let me be very direct, Ms. Granger– my sister is why I became a Healer, but she has never influenced or affected my treatment of my patients. I loved her, and I know that I can speak for Draco when I say that he did too, but my love for my sister will not affect how we handle your visions and their content," Healer Greengrass states, an abject certainty in her voice which offers Hermione some comfort.
"I trust you, Healer Greengrass," Hermione says, and she means every word of it. She knows that Healer Greengrass is an excellent Healer– she has no reason to doubt her. Laughing uncomfortably, she continues. "It won't make you uncomfortable to discuss the fact that I slept with your brother-in-law?"
Healer Greengrass chuckles quietly and shakes her head.
"It won't– and plus, Draco already told me about it. I promise, I did not say anything to him which would break our confidentiality– but I did yell at him for a good while."
Hermione shakes her head, remembering now that Pansy had explained to her that Daphne and Theo were fighting with Draco about Astoria when she had briefly apparated to yell at him herself the other night.
"Why?" Hermione asks the question that she had been wondering since Pansy had mentioned it. "Why were you yelling at him?"
Healer Greengrass leans her elbow on the counter to her right and rolls her eyes.
"Because Draco is my brother in everything but blood, and I treat him as such– and when I think he's being particularly stupid, I tell him," Healer Greengrass explains with a conspiratorial wink. "But enough about him. We're here to talk about you, and to determine next steps. So, what are our next steps here, Ms. Granger?"
Hermione understands that this is Healer Greengrass asking whether she trusts her to continue her treatment, and Hermione decides rather quickly that she absolutely does. Her treatment will continue as scheduled– which means right now.
Hermione lies back on the exam table as Healer Greengrass stands beside her, her wand tucked behind her right ear until she needs it to begin her complicated spellwork.
"Alright, Ms. Granger, we're going to begin your treatment spells in just a moment. I'm sure I don't have to remind you that this treatment may come with some side-effects. Based on your previous session, I will be placing you into another magically-induced coma, this time prior to administering the treatment spells, and a mediwitch will be assisting me in monitoring your neurological activity– the hope, in this case, is to avoid the level of disruption which occurred last time."
Hermione nods in understanding as Healer Greengrass reaches up and takes her wand into her hand.
"You've also updated your emergency contact, so regardless of the outcome of this session, we will notify Mr. Potter once we've finished and transferred you to your recovery room."
Prior to this appointment, Hermione had made sure that someone would be updated on her condition and therefore chose Harry to be her emergency contact. She had learned from her previous treatment session that Healer Greengrass takes her Healer vows seriously and that she would need to make sure that she arranged for someone to be notified because Healer Greengrass would not do so without explicit permission.
"Are you ready, Ms. Granger?" Healer Greengrass asks, checking one last time that Hermione still wants to go through with a treatment which had left her indisposed for over a week the last time that they tried it.
"I am," Hermione confirms, knowing that in addition to her written consent, which Hermione has already given, that Healer Greengrass also needs her verbal consent too.
Healer Greengrass raises her wand and hovers it over the top of Hermione's head.
"Okay, Ms. Granger, I'll see you when you wake up."
Hi, friends! Happy Tuesday!
Y'all. FFN is being weird. If there's any typos or things that don't seem quite right, that's why. I'm sorry, lol.
I'm also almost done with my other fic that I've been working on. I'll probably start the last chapter tonight or tomorrow, so that means that I have a question for you! The new fic is a Fremione, so different than this one. I could start uploading it on Fridays, like I've been known to do, or I could hold off until Snippets is finished and upload it then. Let me know if y'all have a preference. It's ten chapters and two epilogues (total, twelve chapters) long, if that makes a difference to you. Let me know what you prefer and that's what I'll do.
As always, thank you for spending a bit of your time here with me this week. I truly appreciate you more than you know.
Please, if you feel so inclined, review. I love reading your reviews. (:
See you next week.