Time as a Healer

Hermione and Hagrid stood side-by-side and stared at the casket. The ground around it had obviously been shifted about recently. Hermione wrapped her arms around herself and nodded at Hagrid.



‘I dunno, ‘Ermione… it don’t feel rih’, you know…’ Hagrid held his axe in his hand and stared down at the casket in disgust. The Forbidden Forest seemed to be closing in around them.



‘Hagrid, if we’re right, the box is empty.’ She stared at him. ‘Do you want me to do it?’ She put her hands on her hips in exasperation.





‘In yur condition? No I do not…’ Hagrid blustered and climbed down into the hole. Lifting the axe, he hacked away at the clasps on the casket and looked away slightly as he lifted the lid. ‘Well I never…’ He gasped. The box was empty.



‘Thank you, Hagrid. That was what I thought.’ Hermione’s face was grim as she checked her watch. ‘I had better get back.’



‘I’ll walk wi’ ya…’ Hagrid frowned a little and climbed out of the hole, falling into step with Hermione as they made their way back to Hogwarts in companionable silence.



As they reached Hagrid’s hut, Hermione felt an overwhelming sense of loss. She missed being at school. Life seemed easier in some ways, even though they had to face Voldermort and then, later, she fell in love with Severus, it was never so complicated. Everything seemed straightforward. She felt like she was on a tightrope and if she shifted a foot either side, she would fall…but into what, she didn’t know. She wondered briefly if she could turn the clock back, would she do everything the same again? Sam…the baby? She didn’t know the answers.



‘Bye Hagrid.’ She turned to look at him. His eyes were brimming with tears as he looked at her.



‘C’m ‘ere…’ He said and held his arms open. ‘You will always have a home here, ‘Ermione.’ He mumbled as he hugged her gently, mindful of the baby. Hermione sniffed a little as she hugged him back and smiled slightly.



‘Thanks, Hagrid…for everything.’ She smiled at him.



‘Look after yerself..an’ the little one…’ He patted her bump and Hermione laughed as she wandered down to the main gate.



As she closed the gates behind her, she took another look at the castle and smiled. It already was home, really. Hermione apparated back to Grimmauld Place with a sharp twist and lost her balance a little as she landed. Her stomach was getting bigger, her centre of balance off kilter. She looked around and grimaced. She had misjudged her landing and where normally she would apparate directly to the doorstep, she was on the road outside the house, which at the moment wasn’t visible. She tried to get her bearings and didn’t notice the figure stepping lightly from the shadows.



‘Stupefy!’ The gruff voice shouted.



Hermione knew nothing and fell backwards into waiting arms. With a sharp ‘crack’, her assailant vanished, taking Hermione with him.





****



Severus was pacing the kitchen. He had been pacing for over an hour and she still wasn’t back. He was starting to really worry about her now. He had given her time for tea in Hagrid’s hut, a tour of his pumpkin patch, perhaps stopping to say hello to Buckbeak on the way. Then a walk into the Forbidden Forest to confirm what they already knew… she should have been back by now.



He checked the time. They were due to leave shortly and he knew the rest of the Order would be arriving any moment. He was meant to be looking after her. He should have gone with her, he knew it. But the look on her face when she left had told him all he needed to know. Whatever had passed between them, it was over before it had really started.



Severus needed to do something.



‘Aldo!’ He called sharply. In moments, his sorry-looking house elf appeared in front of him.



‘Master?’ Aldo bowed low.



‘Aldo, I need to return to my house briefly. Is it still under watch?’ He asked him quickly.



‘I do not believe so Master. There was a figure beyond the railing for a number of days, but they are no longer there.’



‘Very well. Remain here until I return. And do not let him leave the room.’



He glared at Draco, who was sitting sullenly at the kitchen table, still under the Silence charm. Severus had told him in very colourful language what he would do to him if he ever insulted Hermione again and Draco was certain he would do it anyway once the night was through.



Aldo smiled evilly at Draco. He had always hated the Malfoy’s, a little jealous that he has been passed over when he had asked to work for the family many years ago. One step out of line and he would have his revenge.



Severus walked to the floo and in a flash of green light he reappeared in his own house. It was dim and he lit his wand softly.



‘Where are you?’ He hissed. He heard a soft hoot and smiled. He was still here.



Severus pulled out a sheet of parchment and scrawled a hasty note. Attaching it to the owl, he stroked his feathers softly. ‘Take this to Hagrid. Rest assured, he will find you a nice fat mouse.’ The owl blinked once and Severus opened the window. The owl flew away quickly and was soon engulfed by the gathering darkness.



When Severus arrived back in the grate of Grimmauld Place, the kitchen was full of people. Harry walked over to him quickly.



‘Where were you, where is Hermione and who Silenced Draco?’ He whispered.



Severus stared at him. ‘I Silenced Draco, he was unspeakably rude to Miss Granger. She left to visit Hagrid some time ago and has not made contact. I went home to send an owl to Hogwarts. I do not know where she may be and I cannot deny I am concerned for her well-being.’



Harry blanched. ‘Shit…the baby…’ he drifted off as he saw an unexpected look in Severus’s eye. The last time he had seen him look like that, his name was Sam. Harry shook himself. They had a job to do; they would worry about Hermione later.



They went over the plan again briefly. They all had copies of Draco’s map and it was agreed that Luna, Neville, Ron and Ginny would approach the Manor in full view to create a distraction. Harry and Seamus would disillusion themselves and once the doorway was unguarded, they would head for the Throne Room. Once there, they would disarm and capture the fake Voldermort. During the confusion, Severus and Draco would gain entry to the cellar if they could. Should anything go wrong, they were all to meet back in the kitchen.



There were anxious glances around the table as they waited for the allotted time. Draco had outlined Voldermort’s routine and they knew that after his evening meal, he enjoyed watching his Deatheaters take advantage of muggle women they captured. Once the evenings’ entertainments started, they would make their move.



****



Hermione was blindfolded; thick ropes were holding her in position on a hard chair and it was freezing cold. Beneath her feet she could feel the edges of flagstones and she knew with certainty that she was in the cellar at Malfoy Manor. She was panic-stricken. Severus and Draco were due to break in. What if they didn’t see her? She sniffed a little and almost vomited. The stench in the cellar was unbelievable. Shuffling on her chair, she tried to reach her wand but her hands were tightly fastened together. She gave up and sat motionless, trying to ignore the jumble of confused emotions rushing through her head. But no matter how hard she tried, the one thing she couldn’t stop thinking about was Severus.



****



They were standing in a secluded area of forest just beside the gates of the manor. It was dark and they were not speaking, just waiting.



Seamus had disillusioned himself and was crouched low outside the window of the Throne Room. From inside, he could hear a sobbing woman, her cries getting louder by the moment. He sent a small shower of sparks into the air as a signal to the Order and as one, they put their plan into action.



Luna and Neville walked purposefully through the gates, sending small hexes with their wands. The noise and the sparks attracted the attention of two Deatheaters guarding the front entrance. They shouted for assistance and a further Deatheater left the hallway to follow them out onto the driveway. Curses and hexes were flying back and forth and Ginny and Ron soon joined the others, lending their wand power.



Harry had disillusioned himself and was stood with Seamus, their backs pressed tightly against the wall of the Manor as they watched the battle before them.



‘Come on…’ he nudged Seamus and they ran quickly into the house. There were screams coming from the Throne Room through the closed door and Harry felt Seamus shudder beside him.



‘Keep it together, Seamus. Stay focussed. I’ll get the imposter, you deal with the Deatheaters… Ready?’ He whispered.



‘Ready as I’ll ever be…’ Seamus hissed at him.



They withdrew their wands and slowly opened the door. For a brief moment they stood transfixed at the sight before them.



A woman was tied, spread-eagled, on a raised platform in the centre of the room. She was naked, and on top of her a fat, grunting figure was thrusting into her as she screamed and tried to fight him off. Beside the platform, what looked like a short queue had formed. They were obviously taking turns.



Harry swallowed and glanced towards the dais. He took a sharp breath. The throne was empty, the imposter was not in the room.



‘Let’s get the others, then we’ll find the fake.’ He hissed at Seamus and with a shout of ‘Now!’ they started to fire at the assembled throng.



Harry hit one masked figure with a well-aimed ‘Petrificous Totalus’ as Seamus circled around him, stunning one and stupefying another.



Severus and Draco, both disillusioned, slipped inside unnoticed and traversed their path across to the other side of the room, slipping into a small corridor. With haste, Draco led them to a small doorway that opened to reveal stone steps leading down to the cellar. Severus flicked his wand and Draco gasped as the silencing spell was lifted.



‘You need to find your parents, Draco. I will handle this…’ Severus whispered at him.



‘No. I want to come with you…’ Draco hissed.



Severus glared at him unseen. ‘Very well, but as soon as we are in, you must go. They will want to know you are safe.’



Draco smiled. ‘Agreed.’



The walked silently down the steps and as they reached he end of the hallway, Severus peered slowly around the corner then shrank back. There were three Deatheaters outside the cellar door.



‘Muffliato…’ he whispered, and then turned to Draco.



‘Draco… make yourself visible. I need you to tell them they’re needed upstairs.’



Draco removed his disillusionment and stood looking into the space her knew Severus occupied. ‘I want to stay here and fight.’ he stated.



‘You will get your chance. Get them upstairs and they’re all yours.’



Draco nodded and his eyes flashed. He assembled his face into one of horror and ran around the corner, panting…



‘We’re being attacked!!! Quickly, they’re annihilating us!’ he gasped.



The three Deatheaters stared at him.



‘What are you on about, boy?’ It was Mulciber, Severus recognised his voice.



‘The Order of the Phoenix…’ Draco cried. ‘Harry Potter…upstairs…’ he withdrew his wand, ‘Come on!!’



With a gasp, the Deatheaters ran from the cellar, brushing past an invisible Severus as he shrank back against the wall. He heard the door close at the top of the stair and walked slowly towards the cellar, sensing for wards as he did so.



He paused. This was puzzling. He felt nothing protecting the cellar. He lifted the disillusionment charm from himself and tentatively touched the door handle with his wand. Nothing. He pushed the handle down and opened the door slowly, peering inside. The room was large and dimly lit and his nostrils were bombarded by a sour, reeking stench. He probed the room with his mind slightly and gasped. She was here!

He stepped inside quickly.



‘Hermione!’ He cried as he saw her on the far side of the room, her head covered in with a black hood, her hands and ankles tied together.



‘Severus! NO!!!’ She shouted at him. She was too late.



He heard a low chuckle and the soft click of the door closing behind him.



‘Welcome, my most faithful servant…’ he heard the voice hiss.





****



On a roll now! lol... please let me know if you love it or if I'm losing the plot...