Quidditch League Season 10
Round 6, Songs of Ice and Fire
Team: Wigtown Wanderers
Position: Chaser 3
Prompt: Hands of Gold; secret relationship, romance, intimacy
Additional Prompts: 1. [object] a cursed piece of jewelry; 7. [character] Marcus Flint; 11. [pairing] Ginny/Luna
Title: True Colors
Summary: Hermione falls victim to a curse and must visit Healer Malfoy in the hospital. Angels Ginny and Luna are just trying to make the Barbie dolls kiss.
Warnings: cursed objects, mild swearing, hints of canon-typical discrimination/hate, discussions of cardiac conditions
Topics/Tags: Dramione; Healer Draco; Auror Harry; Curse Breaker Hermione; Platonic Harmione; Ginny/Luna
Author's Note/Word Count: Ginny and Luna as meddling angels were my first idea and I pictured them as being representative of the True Colors Personality Indicator, and as I started writing, the theme of colors started to emerge so this is what I ended up with. I might expand later and add two more colors but for the sake of word count, this is it for now. Thanks to my teammates for Beta-ing
oOoOo
"I hate having to wear this stupid pin," Hermione complained, fidgeting with the oversized brooch pinned to the breast of her dress.
"That's just part of being undercover. This is how the high society wizards dress, so we have to blend in. Trust me, I'm not particularly fond of it either," Harry replied, tugging on his own attire. "I'm pretty sure this watch is insured for more than our house."
Each of them were dressed in the finest gowns and robes and under a glamour charm that modified their face and hair. Even with a glamour, Hermione's curls were difficult to control, so she'd at least changed the color to a golden blonde, which stood out well against the dark plum of her gown. The brooch in question was a phoenix with vivid red plumage made up of hundreds of small rubies. Harry had disguised himself by temporarily adopting his mother's signature red hair, dulled his green eyes to a softer hazel, and chosen emerald-colored dress robes. The watch he was wearing was sapphire encrusted, to complement Hermione's phoenix.
"We're new in town, just married," Hermione recited aloud as she threaded her arm through Harry's, connecting at the elbow. "You were a professor in Canada; now you're looking for a job locally. I'm still a student, studying healing."
"I'm sure we've practiced our characters enough, Hermione. And if everything plays out as planned, we shouldn't need to share that information with too many people."
Hermione bit back a laugh. "Harry, when has anything ever gone according to plan for us?"
"You reap what you sow, Hermione. Let's think positively." Harry gave his fictitious name, Edmund Pevensie, to the security guard, and the two were permitted to enter. "You better hope none of the wixen here are familiar with that bit of literature or our cover is blown," he whispered to her.
The two of them were treasure hunters, combining Harry's auror training with Hermione's curse breaker background. They had been planning this search for weeks, accessing blueprints of the property, scoping it out with cameras, and triple checking what artifacts they'd be looking for. Once they were through the front door of the mansion, they knew exactly where to go.
But whether Hermione's words had jinxed them or they were simply unlucky, it turned out to be less than simple. A man was approaching, tall and handsome, aside from the teeth Hermione could never train herself to not notice, dark hair, wearing robes of green and enough jewelry to be almost comical. "I make it a point to introduce myself personally to all new arrivals. I'm Marcus Flint, the owner of these estates. Mr. Pevensie, I presume?"
He offered a hand, and Harry shook it firmly. "Mr. Edmund Pevensie and my wife Susan. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Flint."
Flint bowed in welcome. "Feel free to mingle about the ballroom. I have wait staff if you need anything during your stay. But do stay indoors; nasty occurrences we've been having lately. Wouldn't want our new neighbors getting caught up in any trouble, now would we?"
oOoOo
Harry and Hermione had stayed hidden in the shadows for the first hour of the evening's events. They'd made small talk when approached, but thankfully, the excuse of living a modest life instead of one of luxury seemed to bore most of the wealthy guests.
When Flint gathered his guests around for a speech, they were able to sneak out the back door unnoticed. From there, getting to the buried ruins would be a cinch. It was actually finding them that would prove a challenge.
They had received a tip from a local historian that the Flint Manor had been built atop an older settlement, one dating back to roughly the 9th century. If they had any hope of excavating the property though, they first had to prove that the settlement was there. And the private vaults of the Flint Heir happened to be in the estimated location of the remains.
Harry had the warrant to search, in case they were caught snooping, though the goal was to complete the mission undetected. Hermione had the skills to crack any of the curses they anticipated being in the vaults, and the first one was a gate of red laser-like projections that incinerated anything it touched. The second, a little farther in and down the third flight of stone steps, required a bit more physical labor than Hermione could easily do in a ballgown but nevertheless, was broken by rearranging boulders into a specific formation. The third required the two to separate; Harry had to stay around back to keep the door ajar while Hermione went in.
When she first stepped into the vault, she was at first taken aback by all of the stolen goods Flint was storing. Hundreds of goblin-made weapons were here, some of which Hermione immediately recognized as currently wanted items. But this wasn't what she was here for, so she tried to put it out of her mind for now.
Using a combination of muggle scanners and detection spells, Hermione scoured the floors and walls for any signs of ruins to no avail. She was ready to give up when she accidentally tripped over exactly what she'd been searching for. It was small, barely noticeable, but something was there: the head of a nail, turned red with rust, in an outdated, hand-forged shape. Something was definitely here.
With renewed excitement, she pulled her camera from her clutch and began snapping photos, using the subtle light of her wand to illuminate the area. She was so entranced in her work that she didn't hear feet approaching until someone was right behind her.
"My vault is cursed for a reason, Granger."
Hermione whipped around to find the mansion's owner, Marcus Flint, fidgeting with a phoenix brooch. She looked down at her disheveled dress to find that her own was missing.
"Yes, yes, you dropped it, didn't you? Would be a shame if someone were to steal it." He raised an eyebrow. "But of course it was your hair that gave you away. Those bloody curls of yours; you might beg your boyfriend Potter for some Sleekeazy's since he inherited the business."
Hermione raised her wand, set on stunning him or summoning the brooch, she wasn't quite sure. "Harry is just a friend," she insisted, watching him to see what he'd do next.
"Don't trouble yourself, Mudblood; I don't want your stupid brooch." He tossed the piece of jewelry across the floor, and it stopped in front of her feet. "But I must insist you leave now, unless you'd like trouble."
Hermione considered her options. Harry was outside and would be able to escape easily. And she didn't trust Flint to not attempt to pull a fast one on her if she agreed to go quietly. There really was no choice.
Without taking her eyes off the man, she knelt down to pick up the brooch. "Petrificus Totalus!" she shouted as she stood back up. Flint's legs sprung together, his arms tight against his torso, and he fell forward, landing on his face. She packed up her research tools, making a point to snap a photo of the stolen goods, and turned to leave, finding a small pool of dark red blood forming under Flint's face.
"Thanks for the invitation. I don't believe we'll be returning. Enjoy the rest of your party."
RED
"Something isn't right," Luna sighed as she watched Hermione reattach the brooch to her dress. "That pin, it looks different."
"Different how?" Ginny asked her mate as the two of them approached Hermione and Harry. After Hermione had made her exit, the two had met back up at the rendezvous point, both thankfully unscathed.
Luna looked even closer, her face inches from Hermione's chest, though Hermione, as a mortal, was completely unaware of the angel's proximity. "I don't recall this brooch having any citrine in it…"
Ginny moved closer now. "You're right. It was all ruby. Flint must have done something to it."
"I believe it has been cursed," Luna determined calmly.
"You know what that means," Ginny grinned. She was glowing, a faint orange outline surrounding her like a fiery haze. "She might need to take a trip to the hospital."
"Yes, she should," Luna sighed, ignoring her mate's enthusiasm. "But she'll need a nudge in the right direction. You know how stubborn our girl is."
"Maybe some subtle pain. That'll put her on edge."
Luna turned on her mate. Ginny was bouncing with glee, her own citrine-speckled wings sparkling under the light of the moon. "Gin, you need to let fate play out. If it's meant to be, it'll happen. You can't force a relationship on someone."
"Oh, hush, you. If the jewelry is cursed, you know she was, too, the moment she touched it. She'll likely need to go to the hospital anyway. And I can do what I need to make sure a certain healer is the only one available to see her when she arrives." The angel of spontaneity would happily cause chaos if it were a means to an end.
Hermione and Harry had apparated away, and so Ginny and Luna had followed them, materializing outside of the exhibit hall where the two treasure hunters worked. They would be locking away the items they had collected somewhere in the building before turning in for the night. The protective charms had a honey-colored glow about them, only detected by the angels, as the two explorers finished their work for the night.
ORANGE
Once everything had been stored properly, Hermione and Harry apparated back to the house they shared. When they landed, Hermione appeared visibly shaken. Her face had grown pale, a yellowish tint to her cheeks. "Hermione, are you alright?"
She closed her eyes, focusing on her breathing for a moment. "I felt very nauseous for a moment there," she replied. "I'm okay. I probably just need rest. It's been a long week for both of us."
They bid each other good night and went their separate ways. Hermione took a quick shower, allowing the warm water to cascade down her back for a few moments longer than necessary. She dried off, braided her hair so it would be contained for the night, and put on her favorite pajamas: a hideous mustard-colored sweatshirt and shorts that felt as soft as down. But she felt off. She felt her heart fluttering, though perhaps it had just been the heat from the shower.
She had just finished her nightly routine when she went to pick up the clothes she'd discarded earlier on the bathroom floor. As she bent down, she felt a rush of heat in her head. She tried to keep thinking rationally, but now she was starting to panic. "Harry?" she called, closing her eyes, willing the yellow splotches in her vision to go away.
She opened her eyes and caught a sparkling glimpse coming from the dress in her lap. The brooch. As she turned it over, none of the rubies were ruby anymore. They were varying shades of orange and yellow. Oh shit.
"Harry!" she called with a bit more urgency. "Harry, I need to get to the hospital."
Her urgency must have caught his attention because he came running in less than a minute later. "Hermione, what happened?" He looked down at her lap, then, "I didn't know that brooch changed colors."
"It's not supposed to. It's been cursed. Under certain curses, precious jewels are known to show subtle signs of chromism. The more distinct the change, the stronger the curse. It doesn't seem strong, but I shouldn't risk it."
She watched as Harry sent off a patronus with a message to the hospital and he left the room. He returned moments later in jeans and a long sleeve T-shirt. He approached her dresser, pulled out a camisole and a pair of leggings and tossed them to her. "You should change," he explained, averting his gaze as she did. He was unpeeling what looked to be a sticker. "Here, let's put this on," he said softly, placing the sticker on the left side of her chest. It had a tiny gold notch sticking out. She was eager to ask what it was but she knew that wasn't important right now. Whatever was going on, she needed to find out quickly.
YELLOW
Harry aparated Hermione to St. Mungo's and this time, the nausea was too much to handle. A mediwitch met them and quickly had the mess cleaned up. "Let's get you to a room, my dear."
She was ushered down the hallway and into a patient room where someone was waiting for her. Draco Malfoy, one of the top healers in the hospital was there, his lime green robes more unkempt than usual, as if he'd thrown them on in a hurry.
Harry and the mediwitch helped Hermione onto the exam table and stepped back to give her space. Draco immediately jumped into action. "Tell me what happened? What are you feeling?" He moved quickly but calmly, wrapping a cuff around her bicep, which began blinking various numbers for her pulse, oxygenation, and blood pressure. They were blinking green, so at least for the moment, they were all normal.
"I wore a cursed brooch. I only figured it out because the jewels changed colors. Apparation was making me dizzy and nauseous and I felt like my heart skipped a few beats earlier. But that could have been from the heat of my shower."
"A few PVCs are normal, if that's what happened," Harry chimed in, watching Malfoy tap the tip of his wand to the notch that had been placed on Hermione's chest.
"It was a PVC, but with a couple dozen friends."
"What does that mean?" Hermione asked, in a frustrated panic. She usually had all the answers and right now, she seemed to be the only one without them.
Draco rested a hand on her shoulder. "Hermione, right now, you're okay. We can take care of this."
She nodded her head in acknowledgement, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.
"PVCs, or premature ventricular contractions, happen to everyone. It's usually described as a skipped beat and it occurs when one of the ventricles in the heart contracts early. Too many in a row however, is a run of tachycardia."
He turned to Harry. "Potter, you're a trained first responder. You placed the monitor?"
Harry shrugged. "Thought it might be useful."
Malfoy nodded curtly. "Chest pain, difficulty breathing?"
Hermione shook her head no.
"Then for now, you're okay, Hermione. I'm going to keep you monitored, get you started on some IV fluids. The V-tach you had was considerably slow, more annoying than dangerous, but it's something we'll keep an eye on. If your exposure wasn't too long, the symptoms will likely go away within a day or two. But I'll move you to a room out of emergency care and keep you overnight."
The mediwitch walked in with a bag of dark green liquid and an IV kit. "Thank you," Draco acknowledged, taking the supplies from her. "I've got this one."
GREEN
"They really are perfect for each other," Luna sighed, an aura of blue light surrounding her. She, along with Ginny, were standing in the doorway of the hospital room where Hermione had been admitted. Harry was passed out in the visitor chair. Hermione was asleep in bed, still attached to the IV and various monitors that would alert of any changes in her vital signs. Draco was there as well, working on charting and glancing over at Hermione every so often to ensure she was still okay.
"I didn't see it at first, but I gotta admit, somehow they work." She huffed. "I wish Hermione would wake up, though! I need some romantic chat while Harry is still asleep." They watched for a moment in silence and then, "I'm going to wake her up."
"Gin, no!" Luna cried, but Ginny was already hellbent on her plan. Ginny fluttered her wings, sending a breeze toward the patient in the bed.
Hermione began to stir. Draco heard her and whipped around, watching as she reoriented herself. It was still early in the morning, not quite sunrise. Hermione looked around the room, taking in where she was. Harry passed out, she was wearing a stereotypical blue hospital gown, and Draco was next to her. Draco.
"Good morning, love. How are you feeling?" He stood and approached her, beginning a physical examination of her now that she was awake.
"I think it's still too early to tell," she whispered. "I thought you were off last night."
He took her wrist in between his fingers, manually counting her pulse. Then he answered, "I was. But Potter sent me a patronus saying that something had happened to you, so I came as quickly as I could."
"But Draco, that's not fair to you."
"I care more about your safety. Besides, I'm not letting any other healer touch you. You're mine to care for." He tucked her hair behind her ear, his hands lingering a little longer than they needed to. Her pulse jumped, and the monitor glared yellow, in clear sight.
Luna caught her breath, grasping at her mate's arm. "Ginny! Oh, my goodness, how romantic." Luna's blue aura was radiating even brighter in her excitement, as if she were watching a romantic drama unfold.
Draco smiled at Hermione. "You haven't had any runs of tachycardia since three in the morning.That was something else."
"I love you, Draco. And I don't want to keep it a secret anymore."
Ginny squealed in delight as the conversation unfolded. Luna hushed her.
"I love you, too. And I'm sorry I didn't realize it until last night. But when I thought you were in danger… I can't lose you, Hermione." He rolled his eyes but smiled. "As horribly cliche as it sounds, you bring so much color into my dull, gray life."
She bit her lip. He placed a finger on it, gently tugging it from the grip of her teeth. "What's wrong?"
"I feel better… Am I better? I mean, is my heart going to be okay?"
"All symptoms of the curse are clear. Your heart is as pure as ever."
Ginny grabbed Luna by the hand. "I'd say our work here is done, my love. And they both lived happily ever after."
Luna placed her opposite hand on Ginny's cheek and leaned in so their foreheads were touching. "A chain and a keep are nothing compared to a woman's kiss."