Remember

CHAPTER 24: Wasting Away





“You have to do something about this, Albus; it can not be allowed to continue!” Minerva McGonagall said as her hand fluttered dramatically to her chest.







“What would you suggest I do, Professor McGonagall?” Albus asked as he stared across his desk at the transfiguration professor. She had been on a rant about the situation with Hermione Granger since the weekly staff meeting had begun.









“I don’t know, but the girl is wasting away! She has been back for over a week and she has barely eaten, she sleeps all the time and she refuses to spend time with her friends! This demands an intervention!” Minerva practically yelled.







“Oh, Minerva, don’t you remember the first time a boy broke your heart?” Poppy Pomfrey said with a chuckle. “She will be over it in a few weeks none the worse for it.”









“This is not a typical student we are discussing here, Poppy. This is Hermione Granger, she does not get silly crushes and she would not go into a…depression…because some idiot boy broke her heart! It was obviously more than just a silly crush…I think the girl is in love.” Minerva said the last of it softly and turned her attention back to the Headmaster. “Albus, where was she and was there a young man there who she was involved with?”









“Her location these last months is of no concern, she was keeping up with her studies while she was absent and that is all anyone here need be concerned about. As for her young man…well that is not my tale to tell.” Albus said, watching Severus shift uncomfortably in his seat.









“She is growing so thin and she wasn’t big to begin with, she can’t afford to drop any weight. She is so pale and so weak she can barely stay on her feet; she nearly fainted in Transfiguration yesterday! She cries constantly…something has to be done.” Minerva said again, this time more forcefully.







“Send her to see me, Minerva.” Madame Pomfrey said, her concern now pricked as Minerva elaborated on Hermione’s condition. “Let me assess her condition.”







“Thank you, Poppy.” Minerva said, her shoulders falling as though a weight had been lifted from them. “I will go get her; she is still in her bed.”









“Still in her bed? It is three in the afternoon!” Poppy said. “Send her right away, Minerva, I will head back to the infirmary and be waiting for her.”







Albus watched the two women hurry off before he continued with his meeting. He addressed the various concerns of other staff members and settled a few issues before calling the meeting to a close. He was not surprised to see Severus waiting behind to speak with him privately.









“What can I do for you, Severus?” Albus asked.









“Minerva is right, the girl is wasting away. She needs an intervention.” Severus said quietly. “You need to obliviate her, Headmaster, so that she can have a normal life.”









“I gave her that option, my boy, and just like you she refused to let go of her memories, of you.” Albus said softly. “You told me to stay out of it and I have decided you are right, I will not interfere any longer.”







“So you will let her suffer?” Severus asked angrily.







“She would not suffer if she knew the truth, if she knew that you retained your memories and that you loved her still.” Albus watched as Severus closed his eyes and shook his head slowly.









“She would suffer…I am a changed man from the boy she loved. She should go to University, enjoy her youth, not be bound to an old wizard like me.” Severus said sadly. He wanted to believe he was doing the right thing, the noble thing but his gut tightened and his chest constricted at the thought of her being away from him, possibly with another love.







“Tell me Severus, had she been able to stay with you, what would you have done?” Albus asked.









“I would have married her as soon as we graduated.” He answered truthfully.







“And then what? Would you have stopped her from going to school if she wanted? Would you have stopped her from enjoying life?” Albus leaned forward and rested his folded hands on the desk.









“I would have done anything that would make her happy…I just wanted her with me.” Severus said, frowning uncomfortably. “What does this have to do with anything?”









“You were a boy then, Severus. You had no profession, no money…yet you would have wed her despite that. Now here you are, a man with a profession, a man who has invested wisely and finds himself fairly well off, you are in a much better position to provide for a wife yet you want to push her away.” Albus said, pursing his lips slightly before he continued. “She would see past the age difference and into the heart of the man she loves. She could still attend University, have a life and enjoy her youth as your wife. You could have a family together.”









Severus winced at the headmaster’s words. A family? He had never thought about having a family of his own, had not thought he would live through the war. He wanted to believe he could have all that he desired, to have the happiness he craved but thought himself unworthy of, but he couldn’t bring himself to bind the witch to him that way. He cursed Albus for bringing to mind things he could never have.







“I can not bind her to me that way, headmaster. I could not bear the rejection when she realized she sacrificed her youth on a husband far too old for her.” Severus said the pain in his tone was as though he had already been rejected.







“Oh, Severus, you are a fool if you can not see that the witch is bound to you already. She would not reject you because she is far closer to you in age mentally if not in years.” Albus saw it then, for just a brief moment he saw the flicker of hope in the dark wizard’s eyes.







They were interrupted when Madame Pomfrey knocked hesitantly on the door and stepped inside.







“Sir…I have just assessed Hermione Granger.” She said, wringing her hands as her eyes darted between Albus and Severus.







“It is alright, Poppy, Severus is her professor and is concerned for her well being as well.” Albus said, noticing how Severus focused on the medi-witch.







“Of course…Minerva is correct. Miss Granger is severely malnourished and has dropped weight in these last several days, more than is good for her and far too quickly. She has serious vitamin deficiencies and it is my professional opinion that she is depressed.” Poppy said softly. “It seems I was wrong, it was more than a simple crush that has broken the girl.”









“I assume you ran a number of tests on Miss Granger, Poppy, and there was no illness or other situation that could be causing her condition.” Albus said.







“Other situation?” The medi-witch lifted her brow in question.









“I trust that our Miss Granger is not….enceinte.” Albus nearly smiled when Severus’s eyes widened and his expression became panicked.







“Oh, no she is not pregnant, Headmaster, I ran the test when she confessed to having been….well….active recently.” Poppy blushed slightly, uncomfortable discussing a student’s sexual history with Severus listening.









Severus felt the blood rush back to his head after it had drained completely at Albus’s words. He had been terrified and oddly excited at the prospect of Hermione potentially carrying his child, relieved and disappointed to discover she wasn’t.









“What do you prescribe for her care, Poppy?” Albus inquired.









“I gave her a healing potion and a vitamin booster and currently she is eating a bowl of soup though I suspect it will not stay down. She is emotionally devastated and refuses to tell me why. She bursts into tears when I ask her.” Poppy said, continuing to wring her hands worriedly. “Sir, she refuses to take the mood lifting potion.”









“You can not force her to take it; she is of age to make her own medical decisions.” Albus said. “How bad do you believe her melancholy to be?” He asked.









“I believe that she has lost her will to live, Sir, that she will lose herself completely if something does not change.” She said softly.









“Thank you, Poppy. Please go back to the infirmary and tend to Miss Granger.” Albus said, dismissing the medi-witch.









“You have to do something, Headmaster!” Severus said desperately.







“It is out of my hands now, Severus. There is nothing more I can do but to respect the witch’s wishes.” Albus said softly.









“You meddle when you have no business, you interfere where you are not asked when your interference is not welcomed yet when your involvement is needed and desired you turn your back? You are not the wizard I thought you were.” Severus snapped as he stalked from the room.









Albus was far from offended; he had played his hand well. Soon Severus would make his move and all the pieces would fall nicely into place.









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Alright…so this was done long before I began posting it, LOL, it was a completely finished fic and she never was pregnant. That seemed too overdone and way too predictable….I want them together for love….not a child. :)







So I suppose I should issue hankies when I begin posting the angsty stuff huh? You should have seen me when I was writing it, getting up every few minutes to walk around the house and weep LMAO….had a pile of balled up tissues sitting beside me the whole time.







ShilohDarke – I cant wait to read your new chapter!!! Ill be checking daily for it!









Goldentrio – poor Sev….such a martyr LOL







Luciusdreamer – I just couldn’t see him standing there waiting with open arms. I think he wants to be noble so badly he always ends up the martyr. But don’t worry…… :)











So….sorry about the tears all…..alas it can not go forever, but does it help if I tell you there are still 6 chapters left? And that I have a notebook with 12 stories already plotted out, 1 halfway written? 5 Lucius, 2 Draco, 3 Remus and another 2 SS/HG? With more tales spinning constantly in my head? Plus Im finishing up another original fic…..should have a site up soon where you can read a little of it…….