Adventurous Hearts Part III: Merlin's Tomb

Chapter 11: Good Morning, Sunshine







Her eyes felt gritty, like her corneas were made of sandpaper as she tried to open them. Her entire body ached and her throat was sore. The scent of antiseptic registered and she frowned, her heavy lids finally obeying her command to lift. The room was blurry and it took her several moments to focus and realize she was in a hospital.





She suddenly remembered the cave in and she groaned at the thought of those precious artifacts destroyed beneath the rubble. She knew her priorities were skewed the moment the thought crossed her mind. She could barely move the pain nearly unbearable and her first conscious thought was about the relics.





She looked around the room and would have smiled if it didn’t hurt so damned much. Draco was in the corner, his feet propped on a small table, his head resting on his shoulder at an odd angle. Severus was to her left, slumped in a chair. She could see the thick shadow of his beard and his hair and clothes were a wreck. He was clutching her hand in his. To her right was Lucius, his head resting on his folded arms on her bed, her other hand tucked into his. No doubt his back would be killing him. He too was sporting an overgrowth of stubble, his hair in tangles and his clothing a wrinkled mess.







“Hello.” Her voice cracked, her throat aching and straining as she rasped the word. “Hello.” She tried again, a little louder. Draco stirred, turning his head towards her and opening his eyes. He smiled when he saw her looking around.







“Good morning, Sunshine.” He said, rising from his chair and coming to her bedside.







“Draco.” She said his name, but it barely registered.







“Don’t try to talk. You’ve had a tube shoved down your throat for nearly a week. They just pulled it last night.” He said. He reached for the pitcher of water and poured her a glass, inserting a straw as he put it to her lips. “Drink, slowly.”







The cold water felt good as it slid over her dry mouth and scratchy throat. She drank slowly, disappointed when Draco pulled the cup away before she could drink too much and make herself ill.







“They ok?” She asked, indicating the two me clutching her hands.







“They have been worried sick about you.” He said. “They haven’t left your side since you were brought in.”







“You?”







“I’ve been here too, Granger.” He said softly. “Potter came to visit.”







“Harry?”







“Yes. And you have gotten so many flowers that the nurses have begun putting them on tables in the hall.” He said. “I’m glad you are awake.”







“How long?”







“Five days, almost six.” He said. “You almost didn’t make it.”







She watched as Draco shook his father’s shoulder then reached over her to tug on Severus’s wrist. The two wizards came awake and looked at Draco who was smiling at Hermione who was trying to smile at him.





“Minute?” Severus clasped her hand tighter, closing his eyes when she squeezed his fingers weakly.





“Sev.” She rasped and he bent his head, pressing her hand to his forehead as he cried silently.





“Hermione.” Lucius moved to sit on the bed beside her, one of his hands coming up to stroke her brow. “Thank gods you are awake.” He whispered.





“Lucius.” She winced as she tried to smile, her split lip protesting. “Happy to see you.”







“We are so very happy to see you, my love.” He said with a soft laugh.







She pulled her hand from Severus’s and laid it atop his head, stroking him softly, offering him comfort.





“You guys stink.” She said, her nose curling as the odor of unwashed males hit her. The three of them began laughing.







“We haven’t bathed or changed clothes since you were brought in.” Lucius said.







“Why?”









“We didn’t want to leave you; we wanted to be here when you woke up. We wanted you to know how much you were loved.” He said.





“I know.” She croaked. “Love you too.” She said. “Even you, Ferrett.”





“Sorry, Granger, you aren’t adding me as another notch on your bedpost.” Draco teased.





“Wouldn’t want to…smell awful.” She said, her voice failing.







“Don’t worry, the nurses will bathe you soon enough.” He said.







“Arsehole.” She mumbled, growing tired again. “Luc…Sev…home, eat, shower.”







“We don’t want…”





“Stink.” She said, her brow furrowing.







“Alright, Minute.” Severus chuckled, his watery eyes gleaming. “We get it, we stink. We will go home and get cleaned up, but then we will be right back.”







“Thank you.” She said, moaning softly when she felt Severus kiss her brow.







“You terrified me, Hermione. I thought I had lost you.” Lucius said.





“Too stubborn to die.” She said. “Love you.”







“I love you too.” He said, brushing his lips over hers, careful not to injure her.







“Brush teeth.” She said, causing him to smile.







“Okay, you rest now. We will be back soon.” He said, kissing her once more.



~*@*~*@*~*@*~*@







When Lucius and Draco returned to the hospital Severus was sitting on the bed with Hermione leaning against his shoulder, she appeared to have fallen asleep. To their amused surprise he was reading to her from a potions text.





“Grooming certainly doesn’t take you long, does it?” Lucius asked, setting a package on the end of Hermione’s bed.







“It’s the benefit of mediocre looks; they require little maintenance unlike some.” Severus retorted.







“Why are you reading to her from a potions text book?” Draco asked. “Why not poetry or some other romantic nonsense?”





“Because she doesn’t like it, she likes text books.” Severus said, turning his head to kiss her brow.







“You know, it’s no wonder you never got more serious than being shag buddies if you court a witch with potions texts.” Draco said. “She’s asleep; you bored her into a coma.”





“Not sleeping.” She said. “Eyes hurt.” She opened them slowly and stared at her guests, her lips lifting at the corners slightly when she saw Lucius. “Missed you.”







“I missed you too.” He said, sitting on the bed and bending down for a kiss. “I brushed my teeth, I promise.” He said before pressing a kiss to her lips gently.







“No kiss for Sev?” She chuckled, then groaned when it made her ribs ache.







“No thanks, I’ve had my lifetime’s quota of kissing Severus.” He said.





“Please? For me? I almost died you know.” She said. “What’s a little bit of a snog if it makes me feel better? It isn’t like you haven’t done it before and it made me feel so good the last time…”







“I don’t think you should say anymore!” Draco said, a horrified look on his face. “I think maybe the three of you shouldn’t be in the same bed…or the same room for that matter.”







“I like them both in my bed.” Hermione said, her voice raspy and slightly slurred.







“She’s on pain potions.” Severus said, quirking one raven brow at Lucius.







“I see. Well, Draco, perhaps it would be best if you went home.” Lucius said, recalling the last time Hermione had been on pain potion. She lost what little filter she had and blurted out every thought that crossed her mind. While it didn’t bother him to have her speak of such things in front of Severus, he wasn’t too keen on his child knowing about his sexual proclivities any more than he already did.







“Why? Oh…so it’s true then…aren’t you two a little old to be playing such kinky games?” Draco frowned as he pulled a chair up to the foot of her bed.







“Not just kinky, depraved.” She laughed. “Lucius is an arse man.”







“Maybe you would like to go back to sleep for a bit, Hermione.” Lucius said, looking for the switch to lay her bed back.







“No, no…let her speak, this is interesting.” Draco said with a smile. “So dad is an arse man is he?” Hermione opened her eyes and tried to sit up to whisper but it was too painful so Draco came around the bed and leaned in so she could share her secret.





“He is overly fond of my backside.” She said.







“Well, it must run in the family for I am rather fond of a nice round bottom myself.” He smiled.





“Never thought the Malfoy’s were a bunch of buggering deviants.” She muttered, sighing tiredly.







“Buggering?” Draco couldn’t stop grinning, she was funny when she wasn’t under the influence, but she was bloody hilarious when she had drugs racing through her system.







“Mmmhmmm.” She nodded.







“Alright, my love, that’s enough about that.” Lucius said, glaring at his son over his shoulder.







“Sorry, not teasing. Will let you do it again when feeling better.” She said, laying her hand on Lucius’s cheek. Draco began laughing hysterically.







“I brought you a gift.” Lucius said, changing the subject. “A new robe, gown and slippers. I thought maybe you would like something more comfortable than the hospital gown.”







“Bath first.” She said. “You and Sev can help me.”







“Maybe you should wait until the nurses can help you.” Severus said.







“You two have done it before, don’t want them, want you.” She said. Severus looked at Lucius who simply shrugged his shoulders. “Alright, Minute, we will help you get a bath and change into your new gown.”







“I’ll go fill the tub.” Draco said, shaking his head as he walked into the lavatory off of her room and began filling the tub with warm water, pressing the levers that dispensed the healing and restorative potions. It was so strange for him to watch his father and Severus with the witch.







He couldn’t recall a single moment when he had seen his father look at his mother the way he looked at Granger. Perhaps it was the time in prison, or maybe it was just her because Severus wore the same smitten, indulgent expression when he looked at her. What was it about her that made the two of them act the way they did? He laughed when he realized that he wasn’t faring any better. He had slept in her room for the last week, albeit it was in support of his father, but he too had been worried for her. Hell he was running her bath, catering to the witch just as much as the besotted fools in the other room.







“Her water is ready.” Draco said as he stepped back into the room. Severus drew the covers back and lifted her into his arms as Lucius gathered up her new clothing and some toiletries he had brought with him from the Manor. “I will just go see if the nurses can change her bed and see what I can do about ordering some dinner.”







Severus sat down on the side of the tub with Hermione cradled in his lap while Lucius undressed her. He closed his eyes and looked away when he saw the marks on her body in varying shades of black, purple, green and yellow. Severus’s reaction was much the same though his body vibrated with anger and barely checked violence.





“Set her in the tub.” Lucius said softly as he began rolling up his sleeves. Severus shifted her and lowered her into the steamy, fragrant water. She sighed as the warm water soothed her. “Why don’t you tend to her hair, I’ll do the rest.”







The two men set to work, gently scrubbing the witch while the potions in the water did their work, helping to heal the bruises marring her lovely body and restoring her strength. Hermione relaxed beneath their care, basking in the love of the men tending to her. Within the drug induced fog of her thoughts was the realization that she was probably the most well loved witch in all of Britain.







Lucius and Severus worked together to get her bathed and into her new clothing. Then Lucius carried her back to the bed, tucking her between the clean sheets while the nurses watched in amazement. They knew of the two wizards reputations and the last thing they would have expected was to see them caring for a young woman so carefully. Ms. Granger was one lucky witch.







“Alright, dinner will be brought in from home. I’ve made arrangements for the house elves to deliver it here. Ronan is particularly excited to see Granger.” Draco said as he stepped back into the room. “You look a thousand times better, Granger.”







“Thank you.” She said. “How long till dinner? I’m starving.”





“You can’t be eating too much now, Ms.Granger.” The nurse said as she checked Hermione’s vitals. “You’ve not eaten in nearly a week, you need to take it slow.”





Severus saw the way Hermione was frowning at the woman and decided to intervene before the tempestuous little witch lost her reserve.







“We will make certain she does not overdo it.” He said, he didn’t bother unrolling his sleeves and turned his arm so that the faded dark mark was visible. The nurse gasped, her eyes darting nervously as she tried to focus on listening to the witch’s heart rate.





Lucius followed suit, reaching forward with his left hand, forearm up to brush his knuckles over her cheek. The nurse dropped her stethoscope and stammered as she gathered her things and scurried from the room.





“That was just mean.” Hermione said, sighing through lips that couldn’t help smiling.







“But effective.” Severus said. They all looked up as house elves appeared in the room with a series of loud pops. Ronan, the head of house at Malfoy Manor edged close to Hermione’s bed.





“Hello, Mistress, it is happy Ronan is to sees you doing better.” He said.





“Mistress? I am not your Mistress, Ronan.” Hermione said with a soft smile for the servant.





“You shares the Master’s bed, you keeps his heart, that makes you the Mistress.” He said matter of factly. “Ronan brought dinner.” He said, glancing back to make certain that the other elves were setting up. They transfigured the table, enlarging it and then they levitated it so that it crossed over her bed. White linens were spread over it and black china with the Malfoy crest in silver etched into them was set in perfect order for the four of them. The elves uncovered dishes of smoked salmon, a crab bisque, a Gouda au gratin and steamed broccoli. A large basket of her favorite sweet rolls was placed near her. “Is Mistress pleased with dinner?”







“I am, thank you very much, Ronan.” Hermione said, laying her hand atop the creature’s bald head. He whimpered, unaccustomed to the friendly, affectionate gesture.







“You can go now; we will call you when we are finished.” Lucius said, shaking his head as his servant began to weep simply because Hermione was pleased.







Ronan and the others popped out of sight while Lucius, Severus, Draco and Hermione settled in for a nice dinner. They were about halfway through when they were interrupted.





“I’m sorry, should I come back later?” Harry asked, standing in the doorway. Hermione was surprised to see him standing there.







“Harry? What are you doing here?”







“I came to see you a few days ago, but you were still sleeping.” He said, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. “Draco owled me when you woke. I see that they are taking excellent care of you.” He said, noting the expensive gown she wore and the elaborate meal spread out in front of her.







“Yes, they are. Would you care to join us?” She asked.







“No, Ginny made dinner. I stopped by on my way home from work.” He said. “I’m glad you are feeling better, Mione.”







“Are you?”







“I’m sorry for being such an arse; I hope you can forgive me.”









“You said some pretty terrible things to me, Harry. You insulted my friends and the man I love.”







“I know. I was an idiot.” Hermione looked at him, her eyes searching his. She smiled slowly; she could see he was sincere. Harry wasn’t good at hiding his emotions; he wore them on his sleeve for all the world to see.





“You are an idiot, but I love you anyhow.” She said, lifting her arms as much as she could, reaching out to him. He gasped and went to her, moving around Severus to fall into her arms, relieved to have her comfort and forgiveness. Neither of them noticed that the other three had excused themselves to give them privacy for their reunion.



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A First thing in the morning update before work! Come on, you guys didn’t think Id let her die did you? Then Id have no more story…no more smut for you unless it involved necrophilia and that is a line that I simply WILL NOT cross EVER!!!!!!!